Southwest Corner 5th and North

 Focusing on a corner in Logansport, Indiana, which was at one time a bank along the Wabash & Erie Canal.

The canal was dried up in 1875.

In 1922 a large automobile service station was built on this corner. It was said to be the largest of its kind in the area.

North Street would be at the right in this photo. The building across the street - North Street - still stands. It was the Elk Lodge.

August 17, 1922 Logansport Pharos Tribune clipping:

In August of 1934 Frank H. Sibley held a Grand Opening for his business, which opened here.

Above: The Elks building on North Street at Fifth and the historical marker for the Wabash & Erie Canal, which stands on the empty lot that once was Sibley's service station.

THE TWO BARNETT HOTELS

 Let me begin by reminding the reader that we are talking about landmarks of Logansport, Indiana. And this particular post has to do with the Barnett Hotel and the "new" Barnett Hotel, which were two separate buildings.

WASHINGTON HALL - THE OLD BARNETT

This was the original "old" Barnett Hotel. It stood on the SW corner of 3rd and E. Market Street.

The old Barnett was built in 1820 by a Scotsman named Gillis McBane. At that time it was a one-story structure and it was known as Washington Hall. It was the main place for meetings by the town fathers - a town which would, in 1828, be incorporated as such and named Logansport. Ten years later, in 1838, Logansport would be incorporated as a city.

The hotel was a stop for the stagecoach line. After stopping here the stagecoach would continue on to Lafayette. 

Above: Painting of the Old Barnett by Wils Berry (1851-1928), from a private collection

1854 Logansport Journal - Ads in the paper would use the Barnett House as a landmark – example “Dr. Manlove, D.D.S. located nearly opposite the Barnett House…” and “Ferguson, Hill and Co. opening for spring and summer opposite the Barnett House…”

There were five other owners before Alexander Barnett bought the structure(1859) and named it the "Barnett". Those owners were Capt. T. Douglas, Capt. Benjamin Scott, Alexander Chamberlain, Cyrus Vigus and Benjamin Ganson. 

After Alexander Barnett bought the hotel (1859) he added two upper stories.

June 16, 1869

"The Barnett Brothers have leased the Barnett Hotel from their father and intend running it from the 1^st of July."  from Democratic Pharos, page 3

BECOMES A "FLOP HOUSE"

Between the years 1869 and 1880 the old Barnett went from being a nice hotel where people would sometimes stay while their houses were being constructed to an undesirable place.

May 15, 1880

…Within the past few years the corner position of the old Barnett House has become the concentration of all that is wicked and vile. The respectable inmates have been gradually driven out until now all except the west end of the building has been given over to the rats, harlots and men of the lowest stamp. Well may it be said that satan’s headquarters in Logansport were in the old Barnett House.

The state’s prosecutor took notice of this and called the attention of the grand jury that material here existed for a half dozen or more indictments against certain crooks for living in open and notorious adultery.

Several witnesses were examined. Warrants for offenders were issued.

The action of the grand jury and the prosecutor will go a long way toward bringing about better condition of affairs in the den known as the Old Barnett House.

The parties took their medicine but had some cuss words to say of the witnesses who had informed on them. From Logansport Weekly Journal

HOUSE CLEANING 1884

July 27, 1884

The Old Barnett House has been vacated, improved, renovated and purified. FROM AN ARTICLE BY JUDGE HORACE P. BIDDLE From the Critic

The Old Barnett burned sometime in 1893.

THE NEW BARNETT HOTEL

The "new" Barnett co-existed for about 13 years with the old as the "new" was built (across Market Street and down a little to the west) in 1880. 

Alexander and his wife left Logansport for a few years. They lived in California, then in Florida. When they returned they built the beautiful structure pictured above. Mrs. Barnett was credited with the design (see September 29, 1883 Logansport Weekly Journal, page 9).

Above: November 2, 1880 Logansport Evening Journal

Above: Barnett Hotel at left; the Nelson Theater (later the Roxy) at right circa 1911-12

1920 FIRE BARNETT HOTEL

On Sunday, February 8, 1920 a fire broke out inside the Barnett Hotel. The building was gutted, one person died and five others were injured as they escaped. Charles Finch, master carpenter for the Michigan division of the Pennsylvania Railroad was died after falling from a rope while trying to escape.

Above: 1920 fire at Barnett Hotel

The western section of the building was removed after the fire.

1920 Sanborn Map Image thanks to fellow researcher Jim Moore

Sanborn maps were initially created to estimate fire insurance risks.

REMODELED

The remodeled property became part of the Barnes family holdings. In 1965 it was announced that the business would close.

May 21, 1965 article Logansport Pharos Tribune

In November of 1965 it was announced in the Logansport newspapers that the building would be razed and that work would begin after Thanksgiving Day.

LOGANSPORT INDIANA EARLY RED LIGHT HISTORY

 

Above: A map published in LOOK magazine February 26, 1952

 identifies Logansport as one of 29 "hot spots" of prostitution

across the country and along the Mexican border.

Imagine Logansport, Indiana in the 1800s; horses and buggies traveling the dirt streets and folks walking from shop to shop on wooden sidewalks. Imagine ladies gathering up their dress material to keep their hemlines from dragging in the dust and the mud.

Construction of the Wabash & Erie Canal proceeded west reaching Huntington by 1835, Logansport in 1838, and Lafayette in 1841.

Painting of Wabash & Erie Canal E. Market and, when filled in,

the canal became Fifth Street. - Wils Berry, artist

 The railroad came to Logansport in 1848. The first train engine was delivered in 1855. 

The Panhandle shops opened during the Civil War in 1863 and made several train engines. They were later owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Vandalia shops were built around 1875, and by 1889 travelers and goods from Logansport could reach Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Peoria, Pittsburg, Toledo, and St. Louis. With access to the Great Lakes and the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, goods from iron to cotton could be quickly and economically imported, creating a boom in manufacturing that sparked unprecedented growth: Logansport’s population nearly doubled between 1880 and 1920, from 11,198 to 21,626.

Above: 8th and Broadway 1800s

As the saying goes, “with the good comes the bad.” And the bad was located in various places around town, with names like the “Patty Ranch,” the “Yellow Cottage,” and “Paradise” — all houses of ill repute.

At the time of the 1880 Census, over 20 young women actually listed “prostitution” as their occupation. Prostitution was illegal but managed to flourish. Madams were fined to keep the respectable citizens happy, but the amounts were usually small. 

THE PATTY RANCH, which disguised itself as a “hotel,” was on the south side and was owned by the Patty sisters, Nancy Jane and Belle.

 The Patty sisters were arrested one evening for disturbing the peace as they, along with some male escorts, had gone from saloon to saloon, racing their buggy down Market Street, singing loudly and taunting passersby. In the end, the sisters were forced out of business — at least in Logansport — when a patron who had flashed a wad of cash around was waylaid and murdered by two other patrons. The Patty Ranch burned to the ground before the police had finished their investigation.

The God-fearing, law-abiding neighbors were thrilled to see the place gone, but the police had lost a crime scene.

PARADISE, which was run by a Ms. Cochran, was near the cemetery.  

Ms. Cochran, proprietor of “Paradise,” was arrested one night in 1860 for “liberal drinking, fighting, and obscenity.”- source Logansport Journal 

THE YELLOW COTTAGE was on Logansport's east end. 

Some brothels had no fancy names, such as one located at Sixth Street operated by Miss Ella Troutman. Her name can be found here and there throughout the police records. In 1873, the Logansport Evening Star reported that Ella had been fined eleven dollars for “operating a house of ill fame.” 

In 1873 Mrs. Frank Ashton, a widow and owner of a house next to Miss Troutman’s, explained to the court that she was trying to close, but clients kept showing up. The Judge did not believe her and fined Mrs. Ashton $20.  - source: Logansport Evening Star 

The fact is that the economy of a town benefited from even this type of business. In those days, some of the nicer houses, run by madams, had bouncers — plus the girls were outfitted with fashionable clothing and their own room. They made anywhere from $5 to $30 for the whole night and received a commission on drinks, cigars, and food purchased by their patrons — but had to pay a portion to their madam.

The prostitutes on the other end of the spectrum lived in two-room apartments that had a bedroom in the front and a kitchen in the back. These women made much less money — as little as 25¢ to one dollar per customer. 

These women also had a madam or a man who took a portion of their earnings. The sad truth of the matter is that most of these women died young and in poverty. Suicide was extremely common among prostitutes of this era. Others drank themselves to death or overdosed on laudanum, which was a form of liquid opium.  Life for a prostitute in the 1800s was nothing like the movies.

 AN ANGRY WIFE

1890 story from the Logansport Pharos:

“Mrs. Will Chandler made things lively on Twelfth street for a time last night, by bombarding a house of ill repute in that neighborhood. She entered the place, found her husband enjoying the society of the soiled inmates, lead him out by the ear, and stationing herself on the street proceeded to demolish every window in the ranch by throwing rocks through them. The mistress of the house thought to frighten Mrs. Chandler away by firing several shots at her from a revolver, but it was of no avail, for the plucky little woman stood her ground like a major, and responded to each shot with a perfect shower of rocks.” 

1940s THE "DISTRICT" IS LOCATED BEHIND THE RAILROAD DEPOT ALONG E. WABASH AVENUE

Line of houses on E. Wabash Avenue. Most are gone now.

Above: The home of "Kitty Kelly" - a well-known madam in the 1950-60s

As told to me by John Henry (born about1930), Logansport

As a boy John Henry delivered newspapers to the “red light” district - houses on E. Wabash Avenue. He grew up on 12^th Street.

JESSIE WINDSOR

   “She was a heavy set woman who could be seen sitting on the front porch most days.” - John Henry

 MILDRED

   “She had 2 small dogs – cocker spaniels – one black and one brown. One was sort of mean so she’d watch for the paper boy (John) to calm that dog. One day Mildred was weeping because the black dog had died. She asked if I (John) wanted to see the dog. I was 12 years old – of course I wanted to see a dead dog! There in the parlor was a child-sized coffin surrounded by stuffed animals.” 

I have heard a multitude of stories about the E. Wabash Avenue neighborhood. Stories by delivery men whose wives would send a son along to make sure Dad did not linger; electricians who were offered "services" in lieu of cash (who purportedly denied such suggestions); shop owners who benefitted greatly by offering after hours shopping in order to sell clothes and jewelry to the working girls and stories about good deeds, charitable deeds, by the madams over the years.

The business "district" was finally cleared out when Logansport's first female mayor, Mayor Jone Wilson, took over in the 1980s.

CASS COUNTY INDIANA AND NATIVE AMERICANS

 READY FOR INDIAN WAR

In May of 1832, when the prospects for an invasion by Black Hawk and his band were alarmingly auspicious, the people of Cass County rose in their might and prepared to dispute his rights to come with the fire-brand and scalping knife and deprive them of their homes by the blighting touch of savage cruelty. The expected visitation, however, failed to materialize, and Black Hawk and his party were captured on the 2nd of August, 1832 in upper Iowa. Source: History of Cass County 1886 by Thomas B. Helm

Black Hawk 

TRADING MISSIONS

The Pottawottomies came to Logansport frequently, in large groups, and sometimes remained for days at a time. The principal chiefs and leading men of the tribe who came here for the purpose of trading and were most familiar to the early citizens were: Aw-be-naw-be, Ash-kum, Paw-siss, Muck-kose, Co-ash-be, Che-quah, Kwak, Ko-kem, Shpo-tah, Che-chaw-koase, We-saw, Weis-she, and the chiefs Mish-no-quah and Mis-ne-go-quah. The last two, along with several others and several Indian scenes, have been captured onto canvas by the elegant pencil of George Winter. Their usual camping ground while in Logansport was on the north side of Eel River on the site of West Logan. The Miamis came in smaller parties and camped on the south side of the Wabash, leaving once they had finished trading. The Pottawatomies ended their trade mission with a grand “spree” of consuming alcohol and generally “taking the town.” 

KNOWN CASS INDIAN TRADERS

Many Cass County settlers descended from the “men of the wilderness,” the early fur traders. Some early Cass Co. traders were:

General Hyacinthe Lasalle

Michael Brouillet, brother in-law of Joseph Barron, traded with the Miami nation.

John B. Richardville, the chief of the Miami, traded at Ft. Wayne, Indiana from 1815 to 1836.

Alexis Coquillard traded with both Miami and Pottawatomies, 1817 to 1835.

John B. Duret was an agent of the American Fur Company. He traded in Carroll Co. Indiana from 1820 to 1823.

George Cicott traded from 1820 until his death in 1830. From 1827 to 1830 he traded on his reserve at Georgetown.

William & George Ewing traded from 1822 to 1838, the last 10 of those years in Logansport.

General Hyacinth Laselle image courtesy Cass County Historical Society

George Ewing and his brother William operated a trading post in Logansport, which stood on the northeast corner of modern-day E, Market and 3rd Street. Source for photo image of George Ewing and documentation of trading post location can be found at the Cass County Historical Society.

RED HAIR BABY

There is a story about a pioneer couple who lived in a log home in the northern part of the county at a time before the Native Americans were rounded up by the government, with General John Tipton in charge, and moved out of the area (read more about that - check out the Trail of Death journey to Kansas). The man of the house needed to take grain to the mill to be ground. He instructed his wife and children to stay indoors until his return. The wife used the last of the cornmeal to make corn bread and, as fate would have it, a passing group of "Indians" were drawn to the aroma. They indicated that they were hungry and they didn't seem menacing so the wife shared some of the corn bread with them. The tiny group then got a look at the woman's baby - it had red hair! They were so amazed that they  returned, more than once, and asked to see the child.

 

Railroad Baggage Wagons Photo Info

 

1925 Melbourne Avenue, Logansport, Indiana 

The camera was on the south side of the tracks looking to the north, between 4^th and 5^th streets, on Melbourne Avenue. Circa 1925.

 

This scene was common about midday, any day, and midnight when through trains reached Logansport. While the baggage trucks had lined up for this photo, there was nothing unusual about their number or the amount of express items ready for shipping. In fact, there were days when a larger amount could be found, being transferred from one train to another at the 4^th street (Pennsylvania) depot, just out of camera range to the left.

 

The three buildings facing the camera were all undoubtedly there before the railroad tracks were which was prior to 1860. Canal Street, as Melbourne was called then, was covered with nice homes – on both sides of the street – all the way from the confluence of the rivers to 14^th  or 15^th Street. The coming of the railroad spoiled it as a residential street.

 

In this photo: the two houses at the left no doubt were built as residences.

   The weather boarded frame at the extreme left had been the home of Earl Stewart, who owned a livery stable just around the corner on 4^th…out of the picture. (There were several stables around town at that time and Stewarts was considered one of high class. Nicest cabs for rent, fastest horses and most stylist drivers to take the customer wherever they wanted to go.) In later years the railroad used rooms in the house for ticketing, and the U.S. Railway Mail used some space for sorting mail. The railroad company equipped the place with showers and reading rooms and put a secretary in charge and made it available to its trainmen. Three of those secretaries were: a man named Davidson, a man named Nelson W. Benning, and a man named Pendleton.

 

   The building at the right in 1888 was used by a man named Otto Meinshausen whose business was metal roofing. His main store was around 4^th and Market; this was more of a shop and storehouse. The porch wasn’t on it at that time but was added later. After that this property had several uses – interestingly it had at one time been the site of Logansport’s Colored School of which Thomas J. Legg was the principal. (It seems that a colored school had been in operation as early as 1871 on the SE corner of Heath and W. Market. The date of this one would’ve been about 1881.)

 

   The building in the middle after 1888 was by the railroad company for the use of its passenger trainmen who might have difficulty finding rooms with bathing facilities. (Considered to be the first form of a YMCA.)

Cass County Indiana Court Park

 May 15, 1920 Logansport Pharos Tribune Court Park Undergoing Many Changes

Court Park adjacent to the Cass County courthouse and county jail is being placed in conditions in preparation for summer visitors. William Gasho, park custodian, states that during the last few years a great change in the character of the visitor to the park has been noticed. Where once the town bum loafed in the park now women with their small children are visitors and the working man brings his family after the evening meal to spend an hour or two. The fountain is being refurbished, including a curbing that is being placed under the iron fence that surrounds it. The fern bed surrounding the pool is filling in nicely. All of the benches have been freshly painted and secured to the ground

Court Park was located on the west side or in back of the Cass County Courthouse; on Third Street. The area now serves as parking for the new courthouse.

The photo above shows the Civil War memorial cannon, the fountain, and the west (or back side) of the Cass County courthouse, on Third Street. The fountain now stands in Heritage Park on E. Market Street, Logansport. The cannon is still displayed next to the courthouse.

Above: Cass County courthouse; photo date 1892. This was the east side or the front side, facing Fourth Street.

The courthouse was razed in 1979 and a new one built in its place.

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

 

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.