Come Down My Way and Bring a Preacher

On the last day of May 1923, our friend Martha Granzow became Mrs. Elmer Ballantyne.


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Hobart Gazette, June 8, 1923.

I had no reason to mark the item about the burning dairy truck except that the name Canino, which I'd never heard before, sounds Italian — a bit unusual for a national origin in this area at that time. What is equally unusual is that Louis came from Louisiana, where his father is recorded in the 1910 Census running an oyster shop in New Orleans. Both his parents were Italian immigrants. By the 1920 Census the family (a widowed mother plus Louis and his six siblings) had moved to Hobart, renting a house on Ohio Street. How do you get from New Orleans to Hobart — or rather, why?

The item below that relates the continuing commercial adventures of Charles Goldman, former merchant of Ainsworth.

Lushia Trumper Gordon

This is the last of the Gordon family obituaries that I have on hand. Lushia, aka Lucy, was the mother of E.R., among others.


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Hobart News, Sept. 30, 1926.



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Hobart Gazette, Oct. 1, 1926.


The News gives her maiden name as Trumper, the Gazette as Trumber, and I couldn't tell you which is correct.

We catch a glimpse of Lushia in this 1881 photograph, where she is standing on the porch of her brick house, on the southwest corner of Center and Second Streets.

Like her sister-in-law, Hettie, she taught in Hobart's Union Sunday School.

The obituaries say that she was buried in Hobart Cemetery (and her death certificate indicates burial in Hobart), but neither the Northwest Indiana Genealogical Society's index of Hobart Township cemeteries nor findagrave.com records a grave marker for her, or her husband.

Racing News, and the Boys with the Yellow Paint

The Hobart Motorcycle Club was confident enough to place this ad in the News ten days before the scheduled race although, according to the Gazette, its members were still working to get the new track ready — the "low places [were] being tiled and the grading [was] progressing."

Three days before the race, the News reported that the work was nearly done: all topsoil had been removed, the curves were banked properly, and the three-quarter-mile track would indeed be ready for the races on Decoration Day, 1920.

The town's memorial ceremony was scheduled for 1:30 p.m., so the races' 2:30 p.m. starting time would allow people to engage in solemn remembrance and then go have fun.

And indeed they did have fun. The racetrack's opening day was a great success.


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It's not that I think you're interested in all the details of the race, Dear Reader; I just wanted an excuse to include that totally irrelevant story about the murderous farmhand.

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The News of May 20, 1920, which carried the ad shown above, also carried a small and mystifying item in its social column: "It is said that the boys with the yellow paint were at work again one night this week."

That the "boys" had no names and were working at night leads me to speculate that this was a case of vandalism, similar to the events of the autumn of 1918. But if this vandalism was likewise in protest — then in protest of what, I wonder? The war was over, and so were its gasless Sundays and rabid anti-German paranoia; thus there was no excuse, anymore, for denouncing "slackers" or persons of German origin. I wonder if perhaps this time the "boys" were trying to denounce Prohibition-flouters?


Sources:
♦ Advertisement. Hobart News 20 May 1920.
♦ "Hobart's New Speedway Will Be Opened Sunday Afternoon." Hobart News 27 May 1920.
♦ "Local and Personal." Hobart News 20 May 1920.
♦ "Motorcycle Races Well Attended." Hobart Gazette 4 June 1920.
♦ "Motorcycle Races Will be Held at 2:30 Sunday, May 30." Hobart News 20 May 1920.
♦ "Motorcycle Races." Hobart Gazette 21 May 1920.
♦ "Nearly 5,000 See Motorcycle Races Sunday Afternoon." Hobart News 3 June 1920.

Charles Chester Buys a Farm

The "Local Drifts" column of the Hobart Gazette of Nov. 28, 1919, brings us to the reason why the Ainsworth cemetery came to be known as Chester Cemetery.


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From the 1926 Plat Book.

There are a few other items about people we know — or don't know, in the case of the mysterious "Jolly Four" who are keeping Ainsworth entertained; but at last Carl Boldt is home from the army, and Lesta Raschka is hosting a shower for Bricky's fiancée.

Bricky and Bally

And with a little more research, we confirm that "Bricky" was Milton Ballantyne, our source being this page from Hobart High School's Aurora yearbook for 1915:


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Images courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

But we don't know which of those freshmen is Bricky.

As we know, during World War I Milton and Elmer Ballantyne belonged to Co. K, Hobart's home guard. Here is Milton in uniform:



Handwritten notes on the back read:

1917
Milton Ballantyne
Walter MacPherson
Pat Clifford

The writer does not specify left to right, so we still don't know for sure.

Here is brother Elmer (in 1918, according to a handwritten note on the back):



I think I perceive a resemblance between Elmer and the man on the left in the previous photo, so maybe that is Milton.

And I suppose if Milton was "Bricky," Elmer was "Bally."

New Homes for the Mackeys

Very soon after his arrival home from France, Dr. Dwight Mackey got busy with houses. According to the Hobart News of July 24, 1919, Dr. Dwight had "given the contract to Wm. Halsted for a modern five-room bungalow on his lot on Lincoln avenue." The next day's Gazette stated: "Dr. Dwight Mackey has broken ground on his lot on Lincoln avenue for a five-room frame bungalow, thoroughly modern. W.O. Halstead will have charge of the carpenter work."

I believe the Gazette is more correct on one detail — it was Willard (W.O.) Halsted doing the work. Willard describes himself as a carpenter to the 1920 census-taker, while I cannot find any William Halsted in Hobart at all (and I don't think 6-year-old Wilbur Halsted is in the running). Willard was then about 61 years of age, so if he was still capable of handling the carpentry on a five-room, thoroughly modern house, that's pretty good.

The young Mackeys intended to make this house their home, but they soon changed their minds. By the end of July, the News said that the Mackeys had purchased a lot in the Hobart Park subdivision and intended to build a house there shortly. Then in mid-August, the same paper reported that the Mackeys had purchased the Don Frace residence in Hobart Park. The Gazette backed up that report, with more detail:


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Note also the story about the motorcycle races in Valparaiso — the Gazette is back to calling Marvin Hoover "Marion," and it also tells us that the heretofore-unidentified "Brick" was a Ballantyne.


Sources:
♦ 1920 Census.
♦ "Local and Personal." Hobart News 24 July 1919; 31 July 1919; 14 Aug. 1919.
♦ "Local Drifts." Hobart Gazette 25 July 1919; 15 Aug. 1919.

Where the Marshal Could Find Him

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A motorcycle racer (Ralph Hepburn) in 1919.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Now I understand why I could not find Marion Hoover in the census: his name was actually Marvin. In less than a month's time, Marvin went from outlaw biker to something of a local hero. And if Marshal Rose was still after him, he could find him in the winner's circle at the Crown Point racetrack on Independence Day.


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A week later, the News reported another victory for Marvin at Crown Point, although this time he won only the first race.

Inspired, perhaps, by Marvin's successes, local bikers organized themselves into the Hobart Motorcycle Club "for pleasure, profit and mutual benefit," and no doubt Marvin was one of the two dozen initial members. I'm surprised he was not one of the officers — Emerson Whisler was president, Milton Ballantyne vice-president, Bert Hoff secretary, and Elmer Ballantyne treasurer. (As to what relation, if any, this club bears to these guys, I can only speculate.) The club leased the Valparaiso Fairgrounds as the venue for their races.

The July 31 News, which reported on the motorcycle club, also carried this article:



as well as this notice:



I suppose this would be the Hoover Motorcycle Shop recalled by an old-timer in 1979.

The 1920 census shows a W. Frank Hoover living in Hobart, married to Ida; his sons Marvin, then 21, and Willard, 18, had probably been the "& Sons" part of the business — four-year-old Robert was just a bit young to be involved. However, W. Frank and Marvin both told the census-taker they were carpenters, while Willard described himself as a wage-earning machinist in a shop, so we shall see what becomes of the motorcycle business.

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And here's what was playing across the street from the motorcycle shop:


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From the Hobart News of July 31, 1919.

I'd heard of Harold Lockwood, but I did not know until just now that he died of the Spanish influenza.

Hadn't heard of Elsie Ferguson.


Sources:
♦ 1920 Census.
♦ "Local and Personal." Hobart News 10 July 1919; 17 July 1919.
♦ "Notice to the Public." Hobart News 31 July 1919.
♦ "The Hobart Motorcycle Club, Organized with Two Dozen Members." Hobart News 31 July 1919.
♦ "W.F. Hoover & Sons to Open a Motorcycle and Repair Shop." Hobart News 31 July 1919.

Outlaw Bikers, 1919

Speaking of those motorcycle-riding Ballantyne boys, one of them was a wanted man by June 1919:


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From the Hobart Gazette of June 17, 1919.

I don't know who Marion Hoover was, nor why the article would be headed "Motorcyclist Arrested" when the story doesn't say one has been yet.

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Speaking of automotive matters, the Roper Bros. are planning a new building for their auto sales business.


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From the Hobart Gazette of June 20, 1919.

The Hobart News of June 26, 1919, included this item in the "Local and Personal" column:

Roper Bros. last week sold their garage on Third street to E.E. Whisler and a Mr. Donovick of Gary, who will take charge the first of July. Roper Bros. will build a garage on their own lot at the corner of Third and School street, work to begin within the next few days.

I've been wondering where "School street" was ever since an obituary of Fred Thompson located his home there. Now I gather it was East Street, or perhaps just the part of it closest to the Hobart Township High School.

This 1922 map shows both the Brahst Bros. building and the new Roper building.

Ballantyne Brothers (WWI-Era Photo Album)

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Images courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

In front of the same house we've just seen, two daring young men doing stunts on motorcycles. The handwritten notes behind the photo reads:

Ballantyne Bros.
Spring – 1918

Looking at the family of James and Tillie Ballantyne in the 1910 Census, I'm guessing these two are Elmer and Milton, who would have been about 21 and 17, respectively, in 1918.

Below this photo on page 49 of the album, we encounter a blank space where there was probably once a photograph, and below it this caption:



"Bally" is a likely nickname for a Ballantyne. "Brick" is a likely nickname for any man living in Hobart.

The End of Company K

The bad news came to Captain Charles Reeve late in January 1919: Co. K was doomed. The adjutant general of Indiana had ordered more than a dozen state militia companies mustered out of service, and Hobart's was one of them. (Valparaiso's was another.)

Co. K had over a hundred men in its ranks, with uniforms and rifles; several hundred dollars in its treasury; a silk flag, and a great deal of pride.

Captain Reeve set about preparing for the end, whenever it might officially come. He had to prepare discharge papers for all his men, compile muster rolls, and collect, list and pack up any company property that had to be returned to the state, such as uniforms. Early in February he notified the Indiana attorney general that by the 11th his work would be done and his company ready to be mustered out at the state's pleasure.

A week or so later, Captain Reeve heard back from the state. February 27 was set as the day.

But the captain's preparations were not quite complete. A young Michigan City man named Pedroski (first name not given) had at one point joined Company K and received a uniform; he still had that uniform and failed, or outright refused, to return it. After tracking Pvt. Pedroski down in South Bend, Captain Reeve sent Sgt. Kenneth Humes and Pvt. Milton Ballantyne after him. They returned the evening of Sunday, February 16, with their prisoner, and put him in the Hobart jail. On Tuesday night, facing a court martial, Pvt. Pedroski told a "hard luck tale," presumably to the effect that he was hanging onto his uniform because he had no other clothes to wear and no money to buy them. The court's response was to give him a suit of civilian clothes, make him promise to pay back $20 in costs, and — once he had changed his uniform for the civvies — let him go.

(Incidentally, beside this story in the News ran a short article reporting that the subject of the previous summer's manhunt had been caught, and tried and convicted of the assault on Mrs. Davenport: one John Sims of Gary, a former serviceman who appeared in court in uniform. The article did not say how he had been found.)

February 27 arrived at last, and brought with it Colonel Charles A. Garrard of the Indiana militia. That evening he completed the mustering-out of all of Co. K's members, excepting the captain and two lieutenants. Some $700 in the company's treasury was distributed among its members in proportion to their attendance at drills. The silk flag was given into the custody of the members who were Odd Fellows; they intended to display it, and a membership roster, in a glass case at the Hobart public library.

Afterwards, the former militiamen and their families held a dance in celebration of the adventure and companionship of Co. K, and the little company marched into history.

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The following Co. K membership list comes from a list on display at the Hobart Historical Society. It may be the membership roster mentioned above, but I don't know for certain. I promise it's the last Co. K membership list I'm going to post!

Militia Roster 1917-1919


Sources:
♦ "Co. K Militia Boy Given Summary Courtmartial." Hobart News 20 Feb. 1919.
♦ "Co. K Mustered Out." Hobart Gazette 28 Feb. 1919.
♦ "Co. K Ready to Be Mustered Out." Hobart Gazette 7 Feb. 1919.
♦ "Hobart Militia Co. One of Fourteen to Be Mustered Out." Hobart News 30 Jan. 1919.
♦ "Hobart Militia Co. to Disband." Hobart Gazette 31 Jan. 1919.
♦ "The Negro Assaulter of Mrs. Davenport Convicted and Sentenced." Hobart News 20 Feb. 1919.
♦ "Will Muster Out Co. K February 27." Hobart Gazette 14 Feb. 1919.

More Jory

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Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

This photo of the Jory house is undated. According to the caption on the display at the museum, this house stood at 808 South Linda Street. It's not there anymore.

From Porter and Lake Counties (Goodspeed/Blanchard):

MATTHEW W. JORY was born July 18, 1836, in England, and is the eldest son of five children born to Thomas and Anna E. (Lane) Jory. The elder Jory was a queensware merchant in Davenport, England. When about seventeen years of age, Matthew W. came to the United States and remained in Philadelphia about one year, and then went to Wilmington, De., to learn his trade of carriage-body making. When about twenty-one, he returned to Philadelphia, and after a few months went to St. George, Del.; then went to New York. He then went to Port Tobacco, Md., and was sick for two years with malarial diseases. His physician ordered him to Fredricksburg, Va., where his health improved rapidly, and he went into business. In 1862, he was among those driven out of the place in the noted battle. He lost everything, except his tools, which, strangely enough, had been saved in a cellar, and he found them after the war. He went to Richmond, where an attempt was made to press him into service, but, on account of physical disability, he was made Hospital Steward. At the close of the war, he went to Mechanicsville, and began business again, remaining until the latter part of 1870. In 1870, he came to Valparaiso, but soon settled in Hobart, engaging in carriage and wagon making, and continuing up to March, 1882 [1882 was the year the book was published]. He owns a half interest in the Hobart Mills. He is a member of the A., F. & A. M. and I.O.O.F. orders, Past Master in the former and Past Grand in the latter. He is a member of the Unitarian Church. He has held the offices of Secretary of the S.S., Masons and Odd Fellows. He has always been a Democrat, but is now entirely independent, but favors the Prohibition movement. He was married, August 14, 1861, to Ann M. Brown, a native of Virginia. They have four children living — Ida L., Thomas A.J., Mary E. and Eva P.

It's a rather tight fit according to that chronology, but we do find Matthew W. Jory, 34, listed in the 1870 Census as a carriage maker in Hobart. His household includes his wife Ann and daughter Ida, along with a female domestic servant and male apprentice carriage-maker, both 14 years old. I don't find any Jorys in Hobart in the 1880 Census, but the 1900 Census shows a few of them, including Ann, now widowed and living with her married daughter, Eva.

Apparently Matthew and/or his son Thomas went into the furniture business at some point:


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Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

The caption tells you who these people are. Matthew's son, Thomas, had married Margaret Ballantyne in November 1890. Herbert was born to them around 1892, and judging by the boy's apparent age, I would place this photograph at around 1898. Jane (Jennie) Spray was Hobart's first postmistress.

As a young man Herbert joined the army and rose to the rank of lieutenant:


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Image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

[7/3/2011 update: I came across this item in the "Local Drifts" column of the Hobart Gazette of September 6, 1918: "Friends will be pleased to learn that a former Hobart boy, Herbert Jory, has received a commission as 2d Lieutenant, stationed at Camp Taylor."]

Hobart Then and Now: SW Corner of Third and East

Circa 1930 and 2011




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Top image courtesy of the Hobart Historical Society.

Someone must have cared for that little house, to take a picture of it in all its plainness, don't you think? And the little house definitely is the star of this picture. Not the Ballantyne Repair Shop next door, nor the Scholler Blacksmiths, and certainly not the massive two-story brick building with the bay windows.

I left the image fairly large so you can see some of the details better. Notice the tricycle by the front porch, the milk bottles on the back porch, the little boy on the back steps, and the beautiful lace-curtained window of the house behind the corner house. And the sign: "School children cross here. Drive carefully."

Now it's a parking lot. Well, we need those, I suppose.