Polk's Indianapolis (Marion County, Ind.) city directory, 1947, Part 2

Author:
Publication date: 1947
Publisher: R.L. Polk
Number of Pages: 1572

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Mt Jackson Tire & Battery Co 59 Moynahan Apartments .right top corner cards, 8 and 45 Muesing-Merrick Coal Co Inc . 44 Mutual Benefit Lite Ins Co of Newark N J. 111 Mutual Fire Ins Co of Indianapolis .left top corner cards and National Cash Register Co The 39

106 National Household Distributors 79 Nemec Heating & Supply Co 77

North Side Chevrolet Inc ... . lett bottom lines and 17 Smith Harry & Co 160 Wiegand's Evergreen Nursery. left side lines and 146

North Side Lumber & Hardware Co Northwestern Garage 23 . right side lines and 128 Northwestern Mutual Life Ins Co . left side lines and 106 Nu-Wa Home Supply Co 82

Off C & Co 23 Old Line Automobile Ins .right side lines, page Z and 107 Old Trails Cabinet Co 117

Olive Frank C

.Legal Blue Book

Spink Arms Hotel .lett top lines and - 89 1 York Brothers Co 176

132

Union Central Life Ins Co 107

Union Federal Savings & Loan Assi . right bottom lines and 37

ITion Title Co. . front cover, right side lines and 3

Union Trust Co of Indianapolis ..... top lines and 30 Utility Insulation & Sales Corp left top lines and 91

VanAusdall & Farrar

148

VanCamp Hardware & Iron Co .. left bottom lines and 72

Washington Hotel

right side lines and

Washington Park Cemetery

.left side lines and

Wasson H P & Co . .right bottom lines and 52

Waterman H A Co

Weather-Seal Distributors Inc .backbone and

61 80

Wege Marble & Tile Co of Indiana .left top lines and 134 Welch John R & Sons .left side lines and 175

Williams Fred Jr Inc

.left top corner cards and 25

Woodsmall Il H Agency Inc .. right top lines and 103

71 Woodsmall Harry C Ins Agency .right bottom lines and 113

Superior Chevrolet Inc .front cover. right top corner cards and 14

Tarpenning-LaFollette Co The, 181

Taylor 1 H Transfer & Storage Co .back cover, right side lines, 141 and 187 Telephone Answering Service 186 Thirtieth & Central Sales Co . . . right top lines and 24

Trimble Corners 24

Tri-State Construction Co The 17

Turner Building & Savings Assn 38

Underwood Transter Co Inc

Page

Patterson Shade & Floor Covering Co 189

105 Pearson Co Inc ... left bottom lines and 69

Marott Shoe Store

. front cover, left side lines and 182

Marsh & McLennan Inc 111

Potts C & G & Co .. 64

Pratt Printing Co .left bottom lines and 162

Sharp Harry A Co ..... right top corner cards and 13 Vonnegut Hardware Co .. right side lines and 73 24 Wallerich C H Co Inc .. right top lines and 60 Washing Machine Parts & Service Co

INTRODUCTION

R. L. POLK & CO., publishers of more than 750 city, county, state and national Directories, present to sub- scribers and the general public, this, the 1947 edition of the Indianapolis City Directory, which also includes Beech Grove, Broad Ripple, Speedway City, University Heights and Woodruff Place.

Confidence in the continued growth of Indianapolis' industry, population and wealth, and in the advance- ment of its civic and social activities, will be maintainedas sections of this Directory are consulted, for the Direc- tory is a mirror truly reflecting Indianapolis to the world.

The enviable position occupied by R. L. POLK & CO.'S Directories in the estimation of the public throughout the country, has been established by rendering the best in Directory service. With an unrivaled organization, and having had the courteous and hearty cooperation of the business and professional men and residents, the publish- ers feel that the result of their labors will meet with the approval of every user, and that the Indianapolis Direc- tory will fulfill its mission as a source of authentic information pertaining to the community.

Seven Major Departments

The seven major departments are arranged in the following order :-

THE MISCELLANEOUS DEPARTMENT, pages 13 to 30, on white paper presents lists of city, township, county, state and federal officials; post office, public school and court Directories; statistical review; and manufacturing, trade and civic surveys.

THE ALPHABETICAL LIST OF NAMES of residents and business and professional concerns is included in pages 51 to 962, on white paper. This is the only record in existence that aims to show the name, marital status, occupation and address of each adult resident of Indian apolis and vicinity, and the name, official personnel, na- ture and address of each firm and corporation.

THE BUYERS' GUIDE, preceding the Classified and separately paged from 1 to 192, on goldenrod paper, con- tains the advertisements of leading manufacturing, business and professional interests of Indianapolis and vicin- ity. The advertisements are indexed under headings des criptive of the business represented. This is reference ad- vertising at its best, and merits a survey by all buyers eager to familiarize themselves with sources of supply. In a great commercial and industrial center like Indianapolis, the necessity of having this kind of information immedi- ately available, is obvious. General appreciation of this fact is evidenced by the many reference users of this City Directory service.

THE CLASSIFIED BUSINESS DIRECTORY is included in pages 1163 to 1279, on yellow paper. This depart- ment lists the names of all business and professional concerns in alphabetical order under appropriate headings. This feature constitutes an invaluable and indispensable catalog of the numerous interests of the community. The Directory is the common intermediary between buyer and seller. As such it plays an important part in the daily activities of the commercial and professional world. More buyers and sellers meet through the Classified Business Directory than through any other medium.

THE POSTAL UNIT GUIDE, on pink paper, follows the Classified and is separately paged from 1 to 8. This section is reproduced verbatim from copy supplied by the postal authorities.

THE GUIDE TO STREET-CAR, BUS AND TRACKLESS TROLLEY LINES follows the Postal Unit Guide and is separately paged from 9 to 11, on pink paper.

THE DIRECTORY OF HOUSEHOLDERS, INCLUDING STREET AND AVENUE GUIDE, on pink paper, follows the Guide to Street-Car, Bus and Trackless Trolley Lines and is separately paged from 13 to 962. In this section the names of the streets are arranged in alphabetical or der; the numbers of the residences and business concerns are arranged in numerical order under the name of each street, and the names of the householders and concerns are placed opposite the numbers. The names of the intersecting streets appear at their respective crossing points on each street. Special features of this section are the designation of tenant-owned homes and the designation of homes and places of business having telephones.

Community Publicity

The Directory reflects the achievements and ambitions of the community, depicting in unbiased terms what it has to offer as a place of residence, as a business loca tion, as a manufacturing site and as an educational cen- ter. To broadcast this information, the publishers have placed copies of this issue of the Directory in Directory Libraries, where they are readily available for free public reference, and serve as perpetual and reliable advertise- ments of Indianapolis and vicinity.

The Indianapolis Directory Library

Through the courtesy of the publishers of the Indianapolis City Directory, a Directory Library is maintain- ed in the offices of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, for free reference by the general public. This is one of more than 500 Directory Libraries installed in the chief cities of the U. S. and Canada by members of the Asso- ciation of North American Directory Publishers, under whose supervision the system is operated.

The publishers appreciatively acknowledge the recognition by those progressive business and professional men who have demonstrated their confidence in the City Directory as an advertising medium, with assurance that it will bring a commensurate return.

R. L. POLK & CO., Publishers.

INTRODUCTION

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INDIANA STATE SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' MONUMENT

Universally admitted to be the grandest achievement of architectural and sculptural art in the world, designed to glorify the heroic epoch of the Republic and to commemorate the valor and fortitude of Indiana's soldiers and sailors in the War of the Rebellion and other wars.

Begun, 1887 ; completed, 1901; dedicated, 1902; cost, $600,000; diameter of plaza surrounding monument, 342 feet 7 inches; diameter of terrace, 110 feet; height of terrace, 16 feet 4 inches ; monument foundation, 69x53 feet; depth of foundation. 30 feet; height of monument, including foundation, 314 feet 6 inches ; height of monument from street level to top of statue, 284 feet 6 inches; height of Victory statue, 38 feet ; shaft at top, 13 feet 3 inches; balcony, 16 feet.

The balcony, 2281% feet above the ground, is reached by an electrie elevator or by stairway consisting of 32 flights-324 steps. On reaching the balcony, visitors look over a beautiful panorama of Indianapolis and vicinity-a delightful view, not surpassed anywhere. Below the balcony is a bronze astragal bearing the dates 1861-1865 on the four sides of the shaft. Midway the monument is a second bronze astragal, em- blematic of the Navy, and further down, a third bronze astragal, representing the Army. On the east and west sides of the monument are the two largest groups that have ever been earved out of stone-the one on the east representing War, the other, Peace. On the south front are two heroic statues, each cut out of a huge block of stone; one representing the Infantry, the other an ideal Cavalry Scout. On the north front are the Artillery and Navy representatives, same as on the south. On the east and west sides of the terrace are magnificent cascades, over each of which flow 7,000 gallons of water per minute. With eight immense candelabra and four groups of huge flood-lamps, Monument Place is brilliantly and beautifully lighted. On subordinate pedestals occupying positions in the four segments are bronze statues of Gov. Morton, Gov. Whiteomb, Gen. Wm. Henry Harrison and Gen. George Rogers Clark.

Above the entrance facing the south is the inscription of dedication :

"To Indiana's Silent Victors"

INTRODUCTION

INDIANAPOLIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE North Meridian St., Opp. University Park

INDIANAPOLIS

"THE CENTER OF INDUSTRIAL AMERICA" Capital of Indiana; County Seat of Marion County

Some of The Things That Serve To Visualize The Importance of This Modern and Progressive City In Its Commercial, Financial and Industrial Aspects

THE LOGICAL LOCATION FOR BUSINESS INSTITUTIONS HAVING NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

Prepared by the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce

When Indiana was admitted to the Union in 1816 it became the nineteenth state. Congress adopted a resolution donating four sections of land to the State for its capital. The present down- . town square mile, chosen in 1821 as the site for the location of the state capital, after considerable discussion, was named Indian- apolis. On this one mile square, at almost the geographical center of Indiana, the city was laid out by the same engineer who de- signed the street plan of Washington, D. C. Not only is Indian- apolis near the exact center of the state of Indiana, but it is like- wise near the center of the great Middle West, called the most typically American section of the nation.

Population

The Federal Census for 1940 gave Indianapolis a population of 386.972. It is the capital and largest city of Indiana, and is the twentieth city in population in the United States. It is the second largest state capital. Indianapolis has maintained a steady, normal growth in population.

1946 Estimate 420,000

1940 386,972

1930 364,161

1920 314,194 Per Cent Distribution

Color, Nativity and Citizenship

1940

1930

1920

1940

1930

1920

Total population

. 386,972

364,161

314,194

100.

White

335,755

320,064

279,411

86.7

87.9

83.9

Native

325,200

306,324

262,453

84.0

84.1

83.5

Foreign-born

10,565

13,740

16,958

2.7

3.8

5.4

Negro

51,142

43,967

34,678 105

13.2

12.1

11.0

Other races

130

The Bureau of the Census established a metropolitan district for Indianapolis, having an area of 311.75 square miles and a total population in 1940 of 460,926, of which 386,972 were in the city of Indianapolis and 73,954 outside. The estimated 1946 metropolitan area population is 510,000. The general rule followed has been to include with the central city all surrounding contiguous minor civil divisions having a density of not less than 150 inhabitants per square mile, but to include also any minor civil division of less density, if it directly adjoins the central city or is nearly surrounded by other minor civil divisions that have the required density.

STATE HOUSE

Indianapolis is the center of and the capital of a state having a population of 3,427,796 in 1940, and is within 70 miles of the population center of the United States. It is nearly in the center of the corn belt and the wheat belt. It is in the center of the Mid- West manufacturing region that produces thirty per cent of the nation's industrial output. In the heart of the city is a magni- ficent circle, surrounded by a street ninety feet in width and one- fifth of a mile around, in the center of which stands a 28412-foot massive stone monument erected in honor of the soldiers and sailors of Indiana who participated in the Civil and other wars. Radiating from this circle are four wide avenues affording outlets to all parts of the city. It has been around this regularly-platted area that Indianapolis has grown from a mere village in 1821 to its present population. More than 97 per cent of its inhabitants are American-born.

Topography

The topography of the territory surrounding Indianapolis has never hindered the city's growth in any direction. Indianapolis covers an area of 53.62 square miles.

Climate and Precipitation

There are less than four months in the year in which the lowest daily temperature runs below freezing. Yet summer temper- atures do not range excessively high, and are rendered unoppres- sive by the low humidity which usually prevails. The average January temperature in Indianapolis (74-year average) is 21.7 degrees, and the average July temperature (74-year average) is 86 degrees. There are times during the summer when as much as 16 hours of outdoor work may be performed without artificial light. The average annual precipitation for 74 years has been 39.69 inches.

National Market

Finished goods are sold, not to square miles, but to population. So far as theoretical analysis goes, Indianapolis stands supreme as a center from which to serve the national market, either for finished products going directly to the consumer, or for semi- finished goods requiring further manufacture. Indianapolis is already famous as a center for national distribution and is rapidly increasing its prestige in this respect.

This Middle Western district is the heart of the nation's manufacturing activities. Among the first 18 cities in the United States with respect to the annual value of manufactured products 10 are in this great section of the country. The manufacturing density of this district in relation to its area is five times the average for the country as a whole. The center of population of the United States, the center of manufacture, the corn center and other centers are located in the immediate center of this area. The territory as a geographical unit is probably the richest and most intensified producing region in the world. Although repre- senting less than 6% of the total area of the country, it contri- butes 30% of the total of manufactured products. It has a population of 25,000,000, or 20% of the total population of the United States.

Trading Radius

Indianapolis is located in the heart of a rich buying market. Few cities enjoy such stability of commerce and industry. Its security is its surrounding farm land, where great agricultural wealth abounds and where 2,000,000 prospective buyers within two hours' ride, over 10,000,000 within a few hours' ride, and more than 60,000,000 within a radius of 500 miles can be reached over-night. The immediate trading radius includes the central portion of Indiana. It extends practically 70 miles in every direction. The business of this district is so closely tied up with that of Indian- apolis as to be practically inseparable. To the people living in cities in this district, whether 1,000 population or over 30,000, Indianapolis is the market place. One distinguishing feature of this district is the transportation situation. A network of steam railways, together with numerous motorbus lines and four major air lines, welds this territory in one compact unit. County seats and hundreds of smaller towns and villages around Indianapolis · have direct connections with the city. The annual purchasing power of the Indianapolis trading area is estimated to be $1,600,000,000.

INTRODUCTION

Manufacture

Indianapolis is a city of diversified industries. The products of these are motor vehicle parts, airplane parts, meat-packing and slaughtering products, metal and machine shop products, hosiery, pharmaceuticals, etc. The 903 industries of Indianapolis use a wide variety of raw materials and turn their finished and semi- finished products into many different lines of consumption. More than 1,200 different commodities are manufactured in Indian- apolis. The city is not dominated by any one industry or one group of related industries. Diversification has long been recognized as a desirable characteristic of a city's industry.

At the time of going to press, statistics from the latest U. S. Census of Manufactures have not been made available. Hence the enormous increase in peace-time industrial production since the war has not been reflected in some of the statements relating to the city's business life. Indianapolis ranked as one of the most important war-production centers in the U. S., and Indiana ranked fifth among the states with respect to the volume of war contracts awarded up to Jan. 1, 1945. As of Oct. 1, 1946, Indian- apolis had approximately 94,500 persons employed in industry. On that same date, total employment in Indianapolis was 295,000 persons.

Trade

Indianapolis is a wholesale center of importance. According to the 1939 U. S. Census, there were 846 wholesalers and distrib- utors, and 5,208 retail establishments in Indianapolis. The territory has 37 towns of 1,000 population or more, served by these jobbers and retailers. Many of these organizations reach over the entire country. Indianapolis, although 20th in population, is 13th in volume of retail sales.

WHOLESALE

According to the data collected, in the Census of Distribution taken in 1939, the volume of business done by the 487 wholesalers proper located in the city of Indianapolis during the year 1939 amounted to $149,398,000. These wholesalers employed 6,824 men and women, paid them $11,132,000 in salaries and wages, and carried a stock at the end of the year, the cost value of which amounted to $13,742,000.

In addition to the wholesalers proper, there is also a large number of establishments in the wholesale field, such as manu- facturers' sales branches and bulk tank stations in the petroleum industry, which operate very much like wholesalers. The total volume of business transacted by all establishments in the whole- sale field in Indianapolis in 1939 amounted to $374,483,000. This volume of business was reported by 846 establishments which employed 10,056 men and women, paid them salaries and wages of $17,268,000, and carried a stock at the end of the year, the cost value of which amounted to $18,470,000.

The 1939 census of wholesale distribution for Indianapolis covering 487 wholesale establishments (exclusive of manufacturers'

MERIDIAN STREET LOOKING NORTH FROM MARYLAND STREET

U. S. COURT HOUSE AND POST OFFICE

sales branches with and without stocks, bulk stations, agents and brokers) lists the following number of firms under each classifi- cation and their volume of business for the year:

Business Classifications

No. of Firms

Sales Volume

Automotive

20,941,000

Chemicals and paints

10 694,000

Coal and coke

2,725,000

Dry Goods (general and specialty lines)

2,252,000

Electrical goods

8,464,000

Farm products-consumers goods

15,338,000

Farm products-raw materials

6,000,000

Farm supplies

11,267,000

Furniture and house furnishings

3,106,000

Groceries (general line)

9,307,000

Hardware

6,502,000

Jewelry

518,000

Lumber and construction materials

2,575,000

Machinery-equipment-supplies

9,007,000

Metals and metal work (except scrap)

1,958,000

Paper and its products

4,840,000

Petroleum and its products

1,466,000

Plumbing and heating equipment and supplies 18

2,716,000

Tobacco and products (except leaf)

6,801,000

Waste materials

4,737,000

All other products

3,118,000

RETAIL

Indianapolis is a much more important retail center than its population indicates because of the flow of retail trade constantly attracted to the city by its unusual retail facilities from a large territory that blankets central Indiana.

The Retail Distribution Census for 1939 reveals that Indian- apolis had a total of 5,208 retail establishments doing a business of $188,553,000, with 4,285 active proprietors employing 25,614 persons who received in wages and salaries that year, $25,223,000.

There were 1,685 stores in the food group which did an annual business in 1939, of $34,498,000. This group had 3,581 employees who received $3,061,000 in salaries and wages.

In the general merchandise group, which includes dry goods, department and variety stores, there were 149 establishments, with $37,755,000 in sales, and 6,502 employees who received $6,626,000 in wages.

In the apparel group there were 265 stores which did a volume of business in 1939, of $14,135,000, giving employment to 1,930 persons who received $2,108,000 in salaries and wages.

The automotive group according to the 1939 census, had 157 places of business doing a sales volume of $28,836,000. This group gave employment to 1,911 persons who received $2,800,000 in sal- aries and wages.

This census also listed 543 filling stations which did an annual business for 1939, of $10,868,000, and gave employment to 965 persons who were paid $868,000 in salaries and wages.

$ 718,000

Beer, wines and liquors

16 10,277,000

Clothing and furnishings

626,000

Drugs (general and specialty lines)

7,574,000

Groceries and foods (specialty lines)

5,871,000

Amusement and sporting goods

INTRODUCTION

The lumber-building-hardware group was shown to have 121 stores which did $5,285,000 in business in 1939 and employed 539 persons who received $701,000 in wages.

This census also revealed a total of 975 eating and drinking establishments in 1939, doing an annual business of $14,247,000 and giving employment to 4,137 persons who received $2,472,000 in wages.

According to the 1939 census, Indianapolis had 283 drug stores which did $11,566,000 in business that year. These stores employed 1,559 persons and paid $1,233,000 in salaries and wages.

All other retail stores (which include cigar stores and stands, florists, fuel and ice, feed, farm supplies, jewelry, office and school supply dealers, sporting goods stores and miscellaneous classifi- cations) numbered 616 establishments doing $18,582,000 in business in 1939. These stores employed 2,525 persons and paid $2,983,000 in salaries and wages.

Transportation

The geographical location of Indianapolis, and the topography of the surrounding region, have operated to the city's advantage as a transportation center. The location of Indianapolis places it in the pathway of the country's great east-west traffic flow, and the absence of any hazards of land formation has made the unhampered development of transportation facilities possible. Sixteen steam railroad lines lead in every direction from Indian- apolis. Companies having one or more lines serving Indianapolis are the New York Central System (Big Four), Baltimore & Ohio, Illinois Central, C. I. & L. (Monon), Nickel Plate and Pennsylvania. The Belt Railroad . in Indianapolis has direct connection with eleven entering lines, and insures rapid interchange of traffic from one to another. It swings around the east, south and west sections of the city, and provides switching facilities for hundreds of acres of excellent factory-site property. All switching and wheelage charges are absorbed by the railroads, so that the Indianapolis manufacturer, whether he is located on the Belt or on an individual railroad line, can ship or receive goods via any one of the sixteen lines without cost other than the regular freight charges as established by the Indiana Public Service Commission and the Interstate Commerce Commission.

One hundred twenty-six railroad passenger trains arrive and depart from Indianapolis daily.

There are more than 125 motor truck lines operating out of Indianapolis, giving scheduled package freight delivery service and having also the facilities for special contract work.

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Polk's Indianapolis (Marion County, Ind.) city directory, 1947, Part 2

Author: Publication date: 1947 Publisher: R.L. Polk Number of Pages: 1572

Author:
Publication date: 1947
Publisher: R.L. Polk
Number of Pages: 1572