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.

JANUARY EVENTS OF THE PAST

 ON THIS DAY

1966 January 2 - The stately George Walker home was razed to make way for the YM-YWCA building at Ninth and E. Broadway in Logansport, Indiana.

The George Walker home became Holy Angels Academy, 

then became home the YMCA before the new building was constructed.

1937 January 20 - The Logansport High School gym sold out for the game with Richmond.

The Berry Bowl LHS gym was razed in 1975.

1913 January 25 - It was announced Johnny "Red" Corriden, Logansport native, will be playing shortstop for the Chicago Cubs.

Trivia: John "Red" Corriden was the brother in-law of Frank McHale.

1897 January 26 - Large downtown fire in Logansport. A fire at the three-story Murdock Hotel and adjoining Elliott Wholesale grocery on E. Broadway resulted in losses of $80,000. No one was injured.

Aftermath of the fire at the Murdock Hotel on E. Broadway, 1897. 

Photo courtesy Cass Co. Historical Society

1972 January - The T -N- T Lounge, 418 E. Market, Logansport, burned. Owners were Benny D'Andrea and Earl Hornback.

1922 January - Logansport Police Department hired Garfield Chilcott.

Above: Logansport Police circa 1920s

photo collection of T. Conrad

1971 January - It was announced that traffic lights will be installed for Eastgate Shopping Plaza on the city's east end.

The Kroger store at Eastgate Shopping Plaza in 1960s.

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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:

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.

Edwin Rutenber & Western Motor Company

 

In 1900 a new industry came to Logansport, Indiana and opened a new foundry on the west side, at the west end of Wheatland Avenue at Center Street and Western Avenue. It was known as the Logansport Foundry Company. A year or two later, two men who had been living in Chicago came to the new foundry. They were Edwin A. Rutenber and Henry D. Rutenber.

Ed was a clever designer and had invented a new multi-cylinder motor. Henry, his older brother, was a skilled pattern maker and made patterns for his brother's designs. The new motor became so popular that the foundry firm was re-organized and became the Western Motor Company.

The Western Foundry buildings in, Logansport, Indiana photo dated 1916

The Rutenbers and James F. Digan, the practical foundry man of the company, developed a method of casting a four-cylinder motor in one piece or "en bloc", to use a technical term. It became immensely popular.

Ed Rutenber wanted to build complete automobiles. He enlisted the help of two Logansport men - Lem Coppock and Charles S. Ferguson. The two men, working in Ferguson's barn, produced a car that ran satisfactorily. The hish body reaching fully six feet above the ground had no top. And, no one knew how fast it would run, because speedometers weren't made at that time.

The high body style wasn't new. In fact it was the popular style of the day and there were many cars of that type in town.

Rutenber and Coppock used a four-cylinder standard Rutenber motor for the car. Joe Amen, a local carriage maker, built the body. The group had ambitious plans for the establishment of a company to manufacture cars on a large scale, but those plans never materialized.

During the summer of 1902 the firm produced 10 automobiles. One of those was known to have been designed for C. W. Swift of the famous Chicago meat packing house. 

It was Rutenber's first and last series of automobiles. The comapny did, however, become famous as an engine builder.

In 1973, the Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum, in Washington D.C., accepted a Rutenber engine into its collection, with the understanding by descendants of the Rutenber family that the engine might not be on display, but would be properly preserved and stored. (Copies of the correspondence between the Smithsonian and the Rutenber relatives are included in the Cass County Historical Society archives.)

Edwin Aubert Rutenber died in 1962, in Greenville, Michigan. He is buried there - in Forest Home Cemetery. His wife, Lorayne rests next to him.

The Rutenber home aka the "Rutenber Mansion" still stands on the NE corner of Helm Street and Park Avenue in Logansport, Indiana. 2021 photo - credit Jerry Wolfe.