The A. L. Jones Building 417 North Street

 

March 13, 1916 Logansport Reporter, Page 1

A. L. JONES TO BUILD LATEST STYLE APARTMENT BUILDING

Spring building operations in Logansport received another big boost today when A, L. Jones of the Northern Realty Company announced that within a few days he would begin the erection of a $30,000 strictly modern flat building at No. 417 North street. The building will be constructed of brick, three stories in height and will contain six flats of five rooms each.

And when Mr. Jones says, modern, be means that in the strictest sense of the word, for the, new building will be fashioned after the very best apartment houses erected in California.

Each flat will have a sun parlor, there will be a generous supply of disappearing beds, and either there will be ice boxes built in the walls or there will be a refrigerating plant; there will be an electric elevator, a billiard parlor in the basement, city heat with an independent steam heating plant for use in emergencies and in fact everything will conform to the latent idea of apartment house building.

Mr. Jones was not in a position today to state what rental rates would be in the new building, but he did vouch safe the information that they, would be high, However, he declared that the price apparently did not cut much figure with a number of local, people, as several have stated to him that they would take flats in the building, seeming willing to pay the price if all the modern conveniences are to be supplied. Architect Carl Horn prepared the plans.

 The building owners in recent years were Judge Julian and Susanne Ridlen. The current owner is Susanne Ridlen. Julian passed away in 2017.

When I was still the Executive Director for the Cass County Historical Society I wrote a story and shared the above news article with the membership, in the newsletter. That was a few years ago. Judge Ridlen was still living and after reading the newsletter he sent me the following note:

Judge Julian Ridlen 1940-2017

Thelma,

Thank you very much for the article and photo re: The A. L. Jones / Commerce, and now, Ridlen Building. 

A few noteworthy additions to the Jones article:

• Each apartment had a voice tube between it and the mailbox unit in the foyer.
• Jones purportedly was the patent owner of the in-a-door beds that were installed -- three in each unit.
• Each unit had a pantry with window facing on the rear service stairs. Residents could place their order card for ice in the window, and the ice man could provide ice to the ice box without entering the apartment.
• Finish woodwork was entirely in butternut wood.
• Though windows could be opened in pre air conditioning days, each unit had a natural external air system that could be utilized to provide fresh air circulation.
• Though the elevator operation system has been modernized to meet all requirements, the classical cage and appearance has been maintained.

Thanks again for the article for our archives.

 

Best regards,

Julian