The Mall - Logansport Indiana

 Built in 1967 - May 26, 1967 clipping from the Logansport Pharos Tribune and Press, page 1

Photo of the Logansport Mall Sign taken in 1977

List of merchants in a 1977 promotional ad

 Just as in any other city, the shopping mall was the place to go for so many reasons, not just shopping. It was a place to see people, have a snack or a sandwich, play acarde games or just get a little exercise by walking laps inside the place.

It was a place to go to get into the holiday spirit, with it's beautiful Christmas tree(s) and lights and decor and Santa's Sleigh and big, comfy chair to greet everyone.

Saturdays were perfect for kids at the mall to hang out. Parents could drop off car loads of their kids and their kids' friends for a couple of hours, much to the chagrin of the mall employees, who resented being made to feel like they had to be responsible "babysitters" for "other people's kids".

So much happened at the local mall. Car shows, coin shows, musical programs, charity auctions, and oh yeah - shopping. Side walk sales were a seasonal thing. Merchants, especailly Sears and J C Penney - the anchor stores - would fill the center aisle of the mall property with racks and tables filled with clothing, shoes and any item sold at any of the stores - all offered at great discounted prices.

During Christmas shopping season, "Black Friday" to Christmas Eve, that center floor space would be filled with seasonal vendors who sold everything from hats to tee shirts to perfumes, candy and Hickory Farms products, to sunglasses.

February 1996 - Twelve Vacancies

Cocerns expressed at a meeting of the Logansport Economic Development Foundation board about vacancies in the mall were published in the Logansport Pharos Tribune. The article was on page 1, February 23, 1996. Terry Alley, Mall manager at that time, confirmed that the property was for sale and that prospective buyers had been looking at it for months. Within the article Alley was quoted, "I'm very optimistic. I think that it (a sale) will happen very soon." and "I think its going to be for the better - a real improvement".

Alley also explained that of the stores that had left the mall, some didn't renew leases as ordered by their corporate managers, but most of the vacancies were due to national chains going bankrupt and other chains just closed their doors.

March 18 1996 - Pharos Tribune

August 1996

The announcement that the mall now had nine vacancies instead of twelve and the opening of a fashion store called Stage was encouraging. (Below is an excerpt from the article. Pharos Tribune August 11, page 1.)

Two Mall Managers were arrested, at different times, for theft. Deedee Blume was hired as manager in 1998.

2003

On September 24, 2003 the Pharos Tribune page 1 headline read "Former Mall Manager Charged With Theft". Above is a clipping of the sub headline.

April 9, 2004, Pharos Tribune, page 1

Lynda Warner became Interim Manager in 2003 after Blume's arrest. Ironically, Warner was, herself, arrested for theft in 2009.

2009

June 4, 2009 Pharos Tribune, page 1

Store spaces began to empty in the mid to late 1990s. By July 12, 2015 the public was being asked for ideas for the Mall property. Below: clip from Pharos Tribune July 12, 2015.

This story is not finished. It is history in the making.

The fountain at the main entrance.

Eli Greensfelder and the Greensfelder Building

 Eli Greensfelder was born in 1848. He came from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Logansport, Indiana in 1872 where he worked with a man named Martin Frank. They were in the clothing business.

After just one year with Mr. Frank, Eli went into business for himself when he bought the "Eagle Clothing House" from Wolfhelm and Schoenberg, at 315 E. Market Street. He retained the Eagle Clothing House name until the 1913 flood. Eli remained there until he died in 1918, at the age of 69.

Twin sons, Melvin and Herbert Greensfelder worked with their father and carried on the family business under the name Greensfelder Brothers.

Eli was very active in his community and a member of several service clubs, the Cass County Country Club and the local Cahmber of Commerce. He also served as the president of the Jewish Cemetery Association.

315 E. Market Street, Logansport, Indiana 

In 1953 Cass Historian Will Ball wrote "The modern, up-to-date store the Greensfelder brothers manage is the oldest in town to have been owned by the same family, and located in the same spot, for so many years".

Eli bought the store in 1880. The sons bought the room (313 E. Market) west of the original store in 1922. At that time the building had three stories. The brothers had the top floor removed.

The store was managed by the Greensfelder brothers except for the time the pair spent serving in WWI. Their sister, Florence, managed the store until their return.

above: Melvin Greensfelder during flood of 1936.

Above: E. Market during flood of 1943 - Greensfelder building is in the line of buildings.

Photos of the interior of the store during its heyday.

Melvin Greensfelder died in 1975.

Herbert Greensfelder died in 1977.

The Greensfelder Brothers store went out of business in 1983.

The address/building became home to a franchise business, which covered five counties, called The Box Shoppe, in in January of 1991. This company sold shipping supplies, boxes, etc. and offered UPS shipping services.

In 1992 Richard and Judy Rolewicz purchased the business from Janice Baldwin.

By 2003 the Rolewicz's were offering the building at 315 E. Market for sale.

March 19, 2003 Logansport Pharos Tribune

The City co-operated with Indiana Landmarks to try to save the building. And, it all seemed very successful. However, another issue arose and a portion of the back end of the building gave way.

After an inside and outside remodel the building was offered for sale. It even had a buyer. However another protion began to crumble and the building was torn down.

 

Logansport Indiana's Banker's Row Part Two

 As promised I am including more historical information.

Starting with a shocking photo of a portion of the "row" taken just after the Flood of 1913.

Here are some family names and house numbers. Please understand that the numbers changed on occasion, sometimes this happened when a new house was squeezed in, and I have kept my research notes with the following listings:

1895-96 addresses Taken from the Logansport City Directory

#86     Kreuzberger, Robert (#80 modern day house number)

NO #94? Grusenmeyer, Anthony lives in a house here but CD 1895 uses #96

#96 Porter, Wm (#128 modern) CD 1895 uses #96 for Porter also

#98 Medland, John wife Bridget

#108 Stevens, L. Benton wife Anna –owner lumber mill

#112 Stevens, R. D.

#116 Harwood, Francis “Frank” (#118) a tailor

#120 Lux, John wife Frances

#128 Furbee, A. L. wife Ellen – traveling salesman

#128 Knowlton, Ellen – widow of C. – Charles?

#200 Wilson, Thomas H.

#217 Brown, Levi

#316 Neville, James –wife Mary died this year 1896 –RR shops

#228 -230 Schneeberger, Mathias wife Mary – Columbia Brewing Co. employee also operates  A livery nw corner 3^rd and Eel River Ave.

#330 Purcell, Charles

1911 Logansport City Directory:

#86 Case, Harry wife Carrie- no job listed 1897 he owns Island View Hotel/lives there

#90 Hoppe, Mrs. Mary widow of Henry1897 they live on Market – he’s grocer

#96 Seybold, J. Abner wife Jennie- Seybold Dry Goods, treas. 1897 lives on Market

#98 Medland, John wife Bridget- retired Architect

FIRST STREET COMMENCES

#100 Drompp, Fred wife Lena- pres. Stewart Dry Goods1897 lives on Wheatland

#103 Moroney, Matthew no spouse listed- work is Cass County treasurer

#104 Brookmeyer, John wife Edna – first nat’l bank cashier 1897  boards High

#107 Plank, Mrs. Carrie widow of James no listing for name 1897

#108 Stevens, L. Benton wife Anna - retired

#109 Small, John wife Susan – RR baggage handler

E. BROADWAY COMMENCES

#112 Vacant

#116 Harwood, Frank M. wife Margaret- tailor

#120 Lux, Mrs. Frances widow of John (Sr.?)

#128 Porter, William wife Alice – owner Porter Drugs

#132 McConnell, Stewart wife Eloise - attorney

#136 Snider, William wife Mary – retired merchant

SECOND ST. COMMENCES

#200 Graas, Ferdinand  1897 lives on Wheatland

#204 Lux, Harry wife Josephine – typewriters, office needs 1897 lives Broadway

#208 Sellers, Edward wife Matie – SEE PHOTOS BELOW

#212 Seiter, Victor E. wife Martha – pres. Logan State Bank1897 boards 4^th St

#213 Dolan, John T. wife Mary – engineer Panhandle1897 lives on George

#217 Michael, James wife Ida – foreman city street dept. 1897 lives Michigan Ave.

#222 (221) Wecht, George J. wife Mary – Saloon owner1897 lives Linden Ave.

#224 Eckert, John daughters Agnes, Louise – Saloon owner

#226 Castle, Mrs. Elizabeth widow of Peter who owned saloon 1897 lived Miami Ave.

#228 Leffert, Leo wife Clara – foreman Pharos 1897 lived Miami Ave.

#230 Schneeberger, Mathias wife Mary – Columbia Brewing Co. employee

(continues with “nw corner 3^rd  J. M. Elliott  and the 300 block, which became firestone tire – commercial bldg)

200 Eel River Avenue, we suspect was the first large home built on the row.

Notes by year: 

2001

Andrew McCaw (from Lafayette) owns #94, #98, #102 and #110

 2005

Gretchen & Todd Miller own #128 then bought #76 and #208 (at this time there are 18 remaining homes of the original 23)

Also

The Jacksons, Harold & Brian own #210, the Victor Seiter home.

 2009

Making Eel River Avenue a “one way” street is proposed Pharos Tribune 12-14-2009, page 1

 2019

Making Eel River Avenue a “one way” street is proposed, once again.

July 18, 1895 homeowners are listed  - having violated the board of health order to hook up to the sewer system. – Page 3, Logansport Daily Pharos clipping:

More to come on this area and about the people who lived here...

Logansport Indiana's Banker's Row

 Sine the late 1800s there stands a row of  stately old mansions on a large segment of Eel River Avenue in Logansport, Indiana. Not all of the homes remain, but most do. The homes were built by prominent citizens, merchants, attorney's and, yes, even bankers. The neighborhood was one of beauty. Social gatherings and family celebrations made the Society pages of the local newspapers of the day.

Above: from Logansport Star newspaper, 1874 April 28, page 2

1960s "Banker's Row" homes on Eel River Avenue.

80 Eel River Avenue

80 Eel River Avenue

Also 80 Eel River Avenue

88 Eel River Avenue

By the 1970s there were several new owners of the properties and the majority of these homes had been made into apartments. Not all of these apartment houses were well cared for. Sadly, much of the area became an eyesore. Rumors of drug use and drug sales plagued the neighborhood. 

94 Eel River Avenue in the 1980s Built circa 1890.

94 Eel River Avenue 2017 - south side of the house.

Also 94 Eel River Avenue

98 Eel River Avenue in 2019

98 Eel River Avenue in 1984

By 2019 empty lots were all that remained of some of the Eel River Ave. 

addresses. 102, 106, 110 and 114.

102 Eel River Avenue (gone)

102 Eel River Avenue

110 Eel River Avenue (center) Gone

110 Eel River Avenue (gone)

114 Eel River Avenue (pictured in 1984) Gone.

By the 1990s a campaign to save these historic homes was started by Gretchen Miller, with the support of her husband, Todd, which began as a way to show their children by example.

In 2001 Andrew McCaw purchased a couple of the houses with the idea to restore them.

118 Eel River Avenue

118 Eel River Avenue (1984 photo)

118 Eel River Avenue - 2018

118 Eel River Avenue (2018)

118 Eel River Avenue (south side of the home).

124 Eel River Avenue

2017 photo

2017 photo

128 (130 address added for upper floor) Eel River Avenue circa 1984

128-130 Eel River Avenue

128-130 Eel River Avenue

2017 newspaper clip

136 Eel River Avenue

136 Eel River Avenue in need of TLC.

136 Eel River Avenue - Indiana Landmarks restoration signage

140-142 Eel River Avenue built circa 1890.

140-142 Eel River Avenue

140-142 Eel River Avenue in modern times.

200, 204, 208, 210 & 216 Eel River Avenue

200 Eel River Avenue - one of the first, if not THE first big home on Banker Row.

204 Eel River Avenue

208 Eel River Avenue

By the mid 2000s 

The Jacksons, Harold & Brian, moved from another state to live on "the Row", By 2005 they also owned #210, the Victor Seiter home.

210 Eel River Avenue pictured in 1984.

210 Eel River Avenue in 2005.

218 Eel River Avenue

(216) 218 Eel River Avenue - during a yard sale in about 2017.

222 Eel River Avenue

226 228 Eel River Avenue (built circa 1900).

I will try to find time to add more historical information about this quaint area, such as a list of the original home owners. But for now I hope you enjoy the photos and knowing which ones are still standing.