Her Soiled Bedding

Last Sunday at the Merrillville-Ross Township Historical Society museum, we received some items from the estate of the late Jean Halsted. Among them was a book of handwritten probate records recording the settlement of local estates, mostly in the 1920s. Many of the names are familiar to me, from Hobart and from Ross Township. For example, I previously wrote about this young man's accidental death at the Hobart motorcycle racetrack.


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Image courtesy of the Merrillville-Ross Township Historical Society.
I took this picture with my phone. I hope to get better images if I post any more of these.

I was surprised to see that Mary McAuliffe charged the estate quite a bit of money — $26 would be about $400 in today's terms (CPI Inflation Calculator) — "for bedding soiled by decedent, etc." He had lain in a McAuliffe bed for some 24 hours, until he died the afternoon following the accident[1]. New sheets circa 1919 cost about $2.00 each. This makes me wonder what the "etc." could have been.

Three doctors tried to save him, and failed.

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[1] "Dies as Result of Accident," Hobart Gazette, 27 Aug. 1920; also Indiana Death Certificates.

The Racetrack's First Fatality

Hobart's motorcycle racetrack opened May 30, 1920; not quite three months later it claimed its first victim.

The Hobart Motorcycle Club had gathered at the track around 2:30 on the afternoon of Sunday, August 22. That was the usual time for races, but this was no big event, just a practice race among the club members. As they organized as the starting line, one among them — Emerson Whisler, the club secretary — warned them to be careful. Or so said a witness, after the disaster.

It was Emerson Whisler, taking the curve at the south end of the track, who lost control of his bike and took a bad spill, striking his head. He was unconscious when the other riders stopped to help him. They carried him to the McAuliffe house. There he remained unconscious, as a doctor was sent for, and probably his family as well, as the hours went by with no improvement. About 1:30 Monday afternoon, Emerson died without ever having regained consciousness. The cause of death was concussion.

I do not know whether Hobart's motorcycle racers ever wore much in the way of protective headgear. We've seen images among the glass-plate negatives like this one of cyclists wearing ordinary caps or a rudimentary leather helmet. At an informal race in August, riders may well have gone bareheaded.

The 29-year-old Emerson left a wife and two children, besides his parents and four or five sisters. He had come to Hobart four years earlier, working first as a streetcar conductor, and then going into the Gary mills. In addition to the motorcycle club, he belonged to the local Odd Fellows lodge; his brothers there took charge of the funeral. It was held on Wednesday, August 25, at Emerson's home west of Hobart on Ridge Road. The motorcycle club "turned out in a body," according to the News, "and the long line of motorcycles at a funeral was an impressive sight as well as an unusual occurrence." The fallen rider was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.


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Sources:
♦ "Dies as Result of Accident." Hobart Gazette 27 Aug. 1920.
♦ "First Fatality at Hobart Speedway Last Sunday." Hobart News 26 Aug. 1920.

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.