Amelio's - A History and An Interview

Sitting near the railroad tracks at the southern foot of Fifth Street, Logansport, Indiana is a little bar and restaurant, which has been in existence since 1869 when it began as a "saloon and boarding house". The physical address is 431 S. Fifth Street.

At the time of this blog posting the place is doing business as "Amelio's by the River" - because beyond the railroad tracks the Wabash River flows within its banks. Hopefully. Because in years past the Wabash was notorious for inundating Logansport with floods.

From the 1920s until 2008 the place was known simply as "Amelio's", a great place for food, specializing in Italian dishes - especially their homemade meatballs, ice cold beer and cocktails. Throughout the years Amelio's has been a popular place for lunch and dinner, whether for pleasure or for business, and a great gathering place for large families and groups. Many a high school class reunion has been held there, for example.

431 S. Fifth Street on the corner of S. Fifth and E. Melbourne Avenue

I went on a research adventure beginning with Logansport’s City Directories. It was immediately evident that the building at 431 Fifth Street, originally 39 Canal Street, also sometimes referred to as "Railroad Street" (now South Fifth Street) has always housed a saloon, except for during the Prohibition years – 1919 to 1933; at that time, it housed a place for “soft drinks”. Insert a winking emoji here, if you like, because all of the former taverns became "soft drink parlors" during prohibition.

When he first took over, Nick Amelio called the business "Nick's Place", 

as indicated on the window on the left in this photo, circa 1920s.

Next door at right in this photo Perfects wholesale grocery conducted business. 

This building would eventually become part of Amelio's, minus the upper floors.

The business name Amelio’s appears in the 1926 Logansport city directory. In 1924 the address is listed as being owned by Joseph Koster. It was a “soft drink” establishment. He lived in the rooms adjoining the business. As a matter of fact, all of the owners before Nicholas Amelio lived in the rooms adjoining the business. The Cass County Historical Society is missing a few volumes of city directories, which explains the missing dates, but taking information from the directories, the owners and the years that they had the business and the type of business listing are as follows:

John Mitchell, 1869 – 1871, Saloon & Boarding House

Joseph F. Matt, 1871-1900, Saloon, “Matt’s”

Louis Sewnig, 1901-02, Saloon “Louis Sewnig & Son”

John T. Cain, 1903-04, Saloon

William B. Roose, 1905-06, Saloon

George Schubach, 1907 – 1908, Saloon

Andrew J. Sellers, 1911 – 1915 Saloon

William Blackburn, 1915 – 1919 Saloon “Blackburn’s Saloon”

Bert Powell, 1919-20, Soft Drinks

John Sinnot, 1921-22, Soft Drinks

Joseph Koster 1924 – 1925

Nicholas Amelio 1926 – 1958

Francis Amelio 1958- 1982

That was the last “Amelio” family member to own the tavern.

 Ken Renkenberger - 1982

Thomas L. & Loretta Keplar  -1983, they continued to operate as “Amelio’s”.

In 2008 the building and business sold, once again. This time the buyer is Logansport life-long resident, Larry Isaacs. He renamed the business "Amelio's & Ike's"

In 2015 Isaacs sold the business to Paul Ulerick. Paul renamed it "Amelio's on the River", the name by which the business continues.

NOTE: It has been said that Nicholas Amelio began operating the business in 1924 and called it “Nick’s” and that he purchased the business in 1939.

Shirley A. Amelio Appollonio Peter

1935-2017

(Family Photo Provided)

Before she passed away, I had the pleasure of interviewing Shirley (born Amelio) Peter. Pictured above, she was a beautiful young lady, proud of her Italian ancestry.

THE INTERVIEW

Shirley Amelio Peter spoke with me on September 9, 2008. According to her the correct name was “Nick’s Place” and her father bought the business in 1938. That is when the Nicholas Amelio family, Nicholas “Nick” and Naureen and their children Mildred (Wolf), Helena (Pfaff), Francis, Teresa (Harvey) and 3year-old Shirley (Peter) moved from their 12^th Street address to the six-room apartment above the business. 

 

Nick came to America straight from Italy. His wife, Naureen, was German and, in those days, Shirley said, "an Italian married to a German was (frowned upon)" so Naureen learned quickly to speak, read and cook Italian. They made a home at 1412 Twelfth Street in Logansport. Nick worked on the Railroad but wasn’t happy with the job. So, when the opportunity came to work at the well-known, well-patronized establishment on 5^th & Melbourne Ave, he took it. He began as a “clerk” according to the Logansport city directory listings, when it was owned by Joseph Koster and the business was listed among all of the “Soft Drink” establishments.

 

When WWII began and Shirley’s brother, Francis went off to war, her older sister, Mildred helped run the business.

 

The apartment above the business had one full bath, a walk-in closet/pantry and a room that was called “the liquor room”, which was always locked.

 

In 1938 Nick bought the tavern and it became an enjoyable place to be with friends. Nick was a good singer. He loved to sing and his patrons enjoyed listening to him. His repertoire included “God Bless America”, which, as a new American citizen, was his favorite song and with which he’d always begin. Then he’d sing a couple of Italian songs plus two “novelty” songs. One titled “Horsey Keep Your Tail Up”, the other “Cheatin’ On Your Baby”. Jukebox business owners Ted Igmire and Robert Johnson kept the jukebox in Amelio’s filled with the type of background music that Nick needed for his singing and his patrons wanted. It was a popular place to relax and socialize at first. After the Amelio family moved above the business, folks started inquiring about the heavenly aroma wafting down – Naureen would be cooking dinner. Soon meatball sandwiches were sold and, later on spaghetti was offered along with Pasta Fagioli (a bean soup that was quite popular with the local crowd). People would drive over to Logansport from Peru and Rochester just to spend an evening at Amelio's. Business hours were from 9 a.m. to midnight. There was never any trouble. Shirley laughed and said that the only fights were between her brother and his friends. The local police would sometimes stop and eat a quick meal in a small dining area near the rear entrance. 

When asked about her childhood, living above the business, Shirley reminded me that, in those days, Logansport was filled with people and activity in the downtown. She had a girlfriend, a member of the Parkevich family, who lived on the corner near her home. On Saturdays there would be shopping downtown all day, then black and white movies at the theaters in the evening. She attended St. Joseph Catholic School on Second Street and E. Market. She walked west on E. Market, four blocks to school in the morning, walked back home for lunch, walked back to school and then walked home after school, each day. 

In 1958 Francis Amelio, Nicholas’ son, assumed ownership. In 1982 he sold the business to Ken Renkenberger and the following year (1983) it was sold to Thomas L. & Loretta Keplar, which they continued to operate as “Amelio’s”.

Shirley Amelio Appollonio Peter in later years.  I remember her as

a sweet lady with a sense of humor and a pleasure to be around.

(Family Photo Provided)

The building with the arched doorways was built in 1876 and was the German Hall.

The overhead garage door was installed in 1949 by Mrs. Adam Graf.

Standing on E. Market looking south down 5th Street toward E. Melbourne Avenue and 

the railroad tracks. Amelio's is the last building in the distance.

NEWS EXCERPTS - 1900s PROSTITUTION IN LOGANSPORT IN

 I feel the need to begin this post with a disclaimer. The language contained within the text of the newspapers of the time is not considered politically correct in today's society. For example the use of the word "negress" when describing an African-American woman. I am going to copy and paste the article as in written in the 19-teens and 1920s and ask that the reader not hold me responsible for the language of the day.

Also, the images posted here are for interpretation only.

August 14, 1915 Logansport Chronicle:

"Four perfectly lovely ladies of color recently came here to participate in a jubilee on East Wabash Avenue, and the police butted in, and thereby, be it known, some white folks were disappointed."

February 9, 1925 Logansport Pharos Tribune:

SEVEN WOMEN HELD ON CHARGES

"Seven women, charged with operating houses of ill-fame, and four women charged with statutory offenses, will be brought to trial Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock, in police court. The women were arrested on affidavits sworn out by Effie Penny Schilt. The Schilt woman, who formerly was a resort proprietor, informed the police that she was "going to clean up the avenue." Those arrested included Maud Jones, 40, negress 510 East Wabash Avenue: Madge Leverne, 42, 508 East Wabash: Florence Hatch, 38, 500 East Wabash; Florence Smith, 29, 619 East Wabash; Daisy McFarland, 46, 622 East Wabash; Eloe Hoke, 26, 534 East Wabash; Jessie Johnson, 45, 612 East Wabash, all charged with being keepers of the houses; Jackie Cooper, 25, negress, of Detroit; Ruth Chambers, 23, Nora Anthony, 25, and Caroline Merriman, 29, of New York charged with being inmates of the houses."

May 27, 1923 Logansport Morning Press

POLICE RAID THREE HOUSES OF DISREPUTE ARREST TEN PERSONS

Two Boys Taken at One House Give Ages at Less Than Eighteen.

NUMBER OF OTHER ARRESTS ARE MADE

Local police last night started a determined campaign to stamp out the houses of ill fame in Logansport and as a result three women are slated at police headquarters with operating houses of ill fame and seven persons are charged with statutory offenses. Several houses have been raided within the past two weeks. Two of the three raids made by the police last night were on East Wabash Avenue and the third was on East Melbourne Avenue. Dolly Wade, Marie Anderson and Ethel Huffman, of Chicago, are slated with keeping houses of ill fame and Marie Heilman, Wm Johnson, Charles Cooper, Edward Nelson. Robert Johnson, John Doe and William Johnson, “the second’’ with public indecency. Two of those arrested were boys under 18 years of age. Rose Blake paid a fine of $10 and costs in police court yesterday morning for operating a house of ill fame and fines of $5 were assessed Carl Stewart and John Walsh on statutory offenses.

Until next time.....

Thank you for checking out my blog.

 

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.

 

The F.O.E. Eagles Lodge in Logansport IN

 Originally the Eagle's lodge was at 211-213 S. Sixth Street, Logansport, Indiana

1938

A clipping about the Logansport Eagles drill team, 1937 Pharos Tribune.

The Eagles Drill Team, organized in 1936.

The gentlemen above are not identified in the photo, however names found for the drill team in the local newspapers of the day indicate that members of this award-winning drill team included: Guido Scagnoli, Art Lailin (sic?), Woodrow Krieg, Orville Croder, Roy Moore, Leton Cole, Lawrence Loner, Michael Musselman, O. H. Krieg, August Sundy, Harley Daggett, Charles Runyun, Nicke Forte and Lloyd Musselman. Other members were R. R. Kline, Charles Appolonio, Fred Scagnoli, Charles Hankee, John Moorehead, and Arthur Moorehead. George Hepperle was acknowledged in the news article as a recently deceased member.

Photo did not contain names for these gentlemen.

Lat names Iannelly, Corcoran, Sheets, Huffman and Campbell are names that show up when searching newspaper bowling team results of that era, if anyone looks familiar.

Above March 1, 1955 Logansport Pharos Tribune

The new Eagles lodge was built next door on the southwest corner of Sixth and North Streets.

The "new" Eagles lodge, 1956

New interior view.

February 18, 1956 Pharos Tribune, page 1

The original home of the F.O.E. was razed. The story below is from the Logansport Press, June 13, 1957, page 1:

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 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.

Logansport and The 1913 Flood

 So, I compiled a book titled "Rain and River" for the Cass Co. Historical Society, using photos - post card images taken by the 4 photography studios in town at the time of the event - and material, such as eye witness accounts and newspaper accounts saved within the collection.

I ran across the folder, containing those images used in that book, on my computer screen today. I decided to share some of the good images here. There are many, many, MANY more - too many to share here. But I believe this is a good sampling. I hope you will agree.

The flood hit the mid-west. Logansport's disaster date was March 21, 1913. I will include an account that I wrote for the Cass County Historical Society, back in about 2006. 

Third Street Bridge over the Wabash looking north toward town from Biddle Island.

Same view after the bridge is swept away.

Same view, different angle, bridge swept away, but water now subsiding.

View from Biddle Island, notice the snow on the roofline. Yes, after the water rose and flooded the area, Mother Nature decided to add a little snow.

The yellow line was drawn on this postcard image to show just how high the 

water was before finally subsiding.

Above is the back of that postcard, explaining the drawn line.

Above and below - homes on Logansport's south/southwest side. 

The area known as "Shultztown" was hit the hardest.

People were cutting holes in their ceilings to access their roof where

they'd call out for help. Some even fired guns to get rescuers' attention.

"Naval Students from Chicago" rescue boat on west side of Logansport.

The larger group of rescue boats came from Culver Academy, about 45

miles north of Logansport in Culver, Indiana.

Here is a "Culver" boat. At the time I compiled the book I was told that boat 

No. 13 was still around. These young men of Culver Academy could

rescue because they had been taught the skills and the discipline required to do so.

Swirling flood waters on E. Market Street.

The image above was also published in the photo book "Where Two Rivers Meet",

another long-time best seller book by the CCHS.

Above photo was taken on E. Market Street.

The photo above was taken standing (or boating) on E. Market and 4th, looking

south toward the Pennsylvania RR Depot. The depot was torn down in the 1960s.

E. Market and 4th Street.

4th Street looking north. The courthouse is at left as indicated with text, the

former Masonic Temple (still stands and is apartments).

The Barnett Hotel stood in the 200 block of E. Market. It was the "new" Barnett

and shouldn't be confused with the original "old" Barnett, which stood on

the other side of the street on the southwest corner of 3rd and E. Market.

Notice the people on the upper balconies.

Above photo shows damage inside a downtown business, as the water is subsiding.

West side homes.

Train at the Pennsylvania Depot.

Interurban tracks, washed into the river.

This was taken after the waters subsided.

The back, or south side, of the Pennsylvania Depot is at right (above). 

The small building at left was washed down from upstream.

Melbourne St. at 5th St. looking west. Amelio's (now called Amelio's By The River) 

can be seen on the corner. The business displays the high water mark to this day.

Accessing the damage and in awe of what happened - these people stand at E. Market and 5th.

People stand outside Harrington Photography studio on 5th Street.

This is the entire photo from which the above was cropped. 

Fifth Street, near the RR tracks.

Corner of 4th and E. Market - the northwest corner. Note that a rope 

has been stretched for holding onto so one won't get swept away.

E. Market Street

At a glance one would think this was a rescue photo. I did,

 until a grandson (Evert Wolfe) of one of the boys pictured here on the back of the wagon

told me that this was more of a "tour group". 

They were riding around to see the flood!

This photo was taken on Logansport's west side. It shows the original

Franklin elementary school, which was torn down and a new, modern school built.

Above: at that time North Street went all of the way through to 3rd Street. That block was closed off when the new Cass County Jail was built, so younger generations will not recognize the area.

After...

Downtown merchants tossed damaged goods and furnishings to the street.

For more information go to the Cass County Historical Society web page at casscountyhistory.org you can also do a search for the 1913 flood in Indiana. You could also purchase the book Rain and River through the Cass County Historical Society - all sales benefit the Society.