Tamara Stone Iorio - Columbus

This book would not have been possible without the help of many generous and knowledgeable people. Thanks first to the Bartholomew County Historical Society, which allowed me access to all the museums photographs and resources. Julie Hughes and Carla Clark were so helpful with the scanning of the museums valuable photographs. Thanks also to David Sechrest from the Historic Columbus Indiana Web site, a marvelous repository for all things related to Columbus. The Web sites message board members and the Columbus Indiana Celebration Committeeincluding George Kelly, John Rondot, Richard Bray, and Jim Loeschloaned me pictures and offered their expertise for the book. Rhonda Bolner of the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives was invaluable in my research. Her knowledge of her family history, the Lincoln-Orinoco Company, and Columbus architecture is extensive. She also donated several picturesboth then and now photographsto my project. Cindy and Freeda at Cindys Frame Shop were also a great help in unframing and reframing old photographs to make them accessible for the book. (They do great work!) Everyone else who loaned me their valuable old photographs and shared their memories also deserves thanksLarry Ruble, Shirley Lyster, Dennis and Joyce Orwin, Nick and Cathy Rush, Mark and Marabeth Levett, Melinda Engelking, Jim Holland, Herb and Connie Stiltz, Paul Hodler, Carol Ahlbrand, Hutch Schumaker, Jean Merckel, Pat Zeigler, Terry and Susan Whittaker of Viewpoint Books, the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department, and Tre Bicchieri restaurant.

Finally, thanks to my family, who put up with another few months of obsessive researching and writing, and allowed me to complete another labor of love. I could not have done it without you!

All then images are courtesy of the Bartholomew County Historical Society or the author except for the following: page 3, John Rondot; page 14, Viewpoint Books; page 30, New York City Public Library; page 36, Jim Loesch; page 39, Lyle Cummins; page 47, Jean Merckel; page 49, Tre Bicchieri and Nancy Stevens; page 55, Hutch Schumaker; pages 72 and 73, Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives; pages 82 and 89, Rhonda Bolner; page 83, Cindys Frame Shop; page 86, Nick and Cathy Rush; page 90, Mark and Marabeth Levett; page 91, Dennis and Joyce Orwin; pages 28 and 75, Carol Ahlbrand; and page 94, with permission from the Republic (formerly the Evening Republican ), photograph by Fred Ellington.

All now images courtesy of the author except for the following: pages 29, 65, 73, 83, and 85, Rhonda Bolner; and pages 27 and 34, Chris Iorio.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bartholomew County Steps through Time. Columbus, Indiana: The Republic, 2007.

Columbus: 125Years . Columbus, Indiana: The Republic, 1997.

Columbus city directories, 18851965.

www.columbus.in.us

Cummins, Lyle. The Diesel Odyssey of Clessie Cummins . Wilsonville, Oregon: Carnot Press, 1998.

Fish, Henry. Illustrated Columbus Indiana 1915. Columbus: Commercial Club and Retail Merchants Association, 1915.

www.historiccolumbusindiana.org

www.irwinfinancial.com/corporate/history

Jones, Susanna, ed. Bartholomew County Columbus, Indiana Sesquicentennial . The Avery Press, Inc. 1971.

www.kiva.net/~garland

Marsh, William. I Discover Columbus . Oklahoma City: Semco Color Press, 1956.

Marshall, Robert J. and Jean Prather. History of Bartholomew County Indiana Volume II 20th Century . Columbus, Indiana: Pentzer Printing, 2003.

Marshall, Robert J., Ross G. Crump, and Mildred Murray, editors. History of Bartholomew County Indiana Volume I 19th Century 1976 Annotated Edition . Columbus, Indiana: Pentzer Printing, 1976.

Sanborn maps of Columbus Indiana, 1886-1827.

Souvenir Program: Grand Army of the Republic, Columbus, Ind. 1898 . Reproduction. Evansville, Indiana: Unigraphic, 1980.

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CHAPTER 1

PUBLIC BUILDINGS

The Frances Comfort Thomas Home for orphans was built in 1893 on the northeast corner of Illinois and Cherry Streets in East Columbus. The home was surrounded by a large garden and farm, and much of the food for the home was grown in the garden or came from the animals on the property. As many as 74 children once lived here. The building was torn down in 1967.

The Bartholomew County Courthouse was dedicated in 1874 at a ceremony marked by music, speeches, and dancing in the streets that was described in detail in the Louisville newspaper at the time. The building was designed by Isaac Hodgson at a cost of $250,000, thought to be quite an extravagant sum of money. The large clock was installed in the tower in 1875. Although the building was gradually updated over the years, the exterior appearance has remained almost the same, with the exception of the removal of the dormers from the roof.

The county jail was built about the same time as the courthouse and in a similar style. It was located just south of the courthouse. The building included living quarters for the sheriff and his family. It was demolished in 1966, and another law enforcement building stood here until the early 1990s. Today the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans25 limestone pillars erected in 1997stands in this location.

In the 1870s, the Columbus Post Office was located on Fourth Street, and in the 1890s, the post office was in the 400 block of Washington Street. By 1897, this building (above) at Sixth and Washington Streets was the third known Columbus Post Office and was leased by the government from Frances T. Crump. Multiple horse-drawn wagons carried the mail all over town. Today the building houses Viewpoint Books on the lower levelone of Indianas oldest independent booksellersand condominiums on the second level.