Fountain Square, Indianapolis, Indiana, section 3

c1910 postcard view of Fountain Square in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fountain Square is located at the terminus of Virginia Avenue, one of the original radial streets that extended from the center of downtown Indianapolis. The square is actually a triangle, but there is a fountain and it is near the center of this scene. This view was looking southeast along Virginia Avenue toward that triangular space formed at the intersection with Shelby and Prospect Streets.

The building at the left edge of the scene is still standing on the north corner at the Prospect Street intersection. The 1898 Sanborn™ fire insurance map set for Indianapolis identified it as the Fountain Block. That map set and the 1914/1915 map set show a drugstore in that building on the street corner (1068 Virginia Avenue). The awning in this scene advertised RIESBECK’S PHARMACY. The 1905 Polk directory¹ listed William A. Elbrecht as the druggist on that corner. By the time the 1909 directory² was being published, Joseph V. Riesbeck was listed at that location.

The buildings beyond the fountain and wagons were on the east side of Shelby Street. The 1898 map set identified the two-story green building and the three-story brick building as Moh’s Block. QUAKER OATS _________ BREAKFAST TOMORROW was advertised high on the end of the three-story building. The business sign at the north end of the block (1101 Shelby Street) advertised ZIMMER & CO. Another sign advertised DRY GOODS and NOTIONS. The 1905 and 1910³ Polk directories listed Zimmer & Co. at that address in the DRY GOODS—RETAIL category. Next door, the signs advertised STANDARD GROCERY CO. (1103 Shelby Street). The 1905 and 1910 Polk directories listed the Standard Tea and Grocery Co. at that address. The awning behind the fountain advertised DRUGS (1105 Shelby Street) and the 1898 map set confirms a drugstore was at that location at that time. However, the 1905 directory listed a meat market at this address. The 1909 directory listed George DeW Stoner as the druggist at this address. The 1910 directory listed a jeweler and watchmaker at this address, suggesting the photograph upon which this postcard was based predated 1910.

The 1898 map set identified a hardware, paints and oils business in the first building south of Moh’s Block (old and new addresses 1111 and 1113 Shelby Street). The 1914/1915 map set identified it as a paints business with a printing business on the second floor. The 1905 and 1910 Polk directories listed Marshall F. Gardner with a hardware business at 1111 Shelby Street.

The only visible sign on that building (1111 or 1113 Shelby Street) in this scene advertised the PRINTING business. The 1910 Polk directory listed Britan & Son at 1111½ Shelby Street under the PRINTERS—BOOK AND JOB category. The business wasn’t listed in the 1909 directory, but was listed at 883 Virginia Avenue in 1905.

The street address confusion continued to the next building south (1113 old address or 1115-1117 new address). The sign appears to advertise M. F. GARDNER _________ & TINSHOP. Although the 1898 and 1914/1915 map sets show a 5c theatre and a motion pictures business, respectively, this sign suggests that Gardner’s hardware business at 1113 Shelby Street had expanded into this adjacent building at some point. None of the three referenced directories listed the 1113 Shelby Street address at all. Plus, all three listed a bakery at 1115 Shelby Street (the old address system again) and both map sets show a bake house at the back of the business south of the 1113 address.

1. R. L. Polk & Co., Indianapolis city Directory for 1905 (Indianapolis, IN: Hollenbeck Press, 1905). Available online at archive.org/stream/polksindianapoli1905unse#page/16/mode/2up.

2. R. L. Polk & Co., Indianapolis city Directory for 1909 (Indianapolis, IN: Hollenbeck Press, 1909). Available online at archive.org/stream/polksindianapoli1909unse#page/n5/mode/2up.

3. R. L. Polk & Co., Indianapolis city Directory for 1910 (Indianapolis, IN: Hollenbeck Press, 1910). Available online at archive.org/stream/polksindianapoli1910unse#page/12/mode/2up.

From the collection of George Mitchell.

The full postcard image can be seen here.

www.flickr.com/photos/hoosier_recollections/15199767610/

Copyright 2014 by Hoosier Recollections. All rights reserved. This image is part of a creative package that includes the associated text, geodata and/or other information. Neither this package in its entirety nor any of the individual components may be downloaded, transmitted or reproduced without the prior written permission of Hoosier Recollections.

Taken in: United States / Indiana / Indianapolis / Fountain Square (show map)

Taken on: September 28, 2014

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