1

DOWNTOWN HOBART

Compiled by: Hobart Historical Society1979

The years have brought many changes to Downtown Hobart, but in the almost century and a half since the first little store was opened, the commercial area has not been extended to any great degree. Businesses have changed hands, a few buildings have been razed and new ones built. There has been a good deal of remodeling, but little change of pace.

We have begun a history of Downtown Hobart with a bit of oral history, interviewing "old-timers" who remember "way back when" or have "heard tell." There are undoubtedly errors as memories do falter; however, this should be a springboard for further research, documentary or in-depth, before the history of Downtown Hobart is lost in antiquity. If you have additional information, drop a note to the Hobart Historical Society.

In 1847 when George Earle built his grist mill and opened for business in a town he platted and called "Hobart" for a brother in England, it, with a saw mill, trading post and one-room school, was the nucleus around which the commercial community grew. Blue clay and abundant timber as well as the fertile farm lands were factors in the early life of the town.

A number of enterprises — a foundry, pottery, factories, brick yards, etc. — were started within a mile or two of downtown Hobart, but as large industrial complexes were developed in neighboring areas, Hobart's small industries faded. The winding river and pleasant surroundings were attractive locations for homes, and Hobart became the comfortable home community it now is. Downtown Hobart continues to serve the city of homes.

With numbers as a key on the outline map, you may refer to the explanatory notes for the story of Downtown Hobart.

FOURTH STREET

(1) 706 E. Fourth Street. This Tudor-typ[e building, now the Hobart Historical Society Museum, was originally the Hobart Public Library, built in 1915 under a Carnegie grant through efforts of the Woman's Reading Club (now the Hobart Woman's Club). The women raised the money to buy the lot, razed the small residence on the property and supervised the establishment of the library. To spread the tax base it became a township library and was absorbed into the Lake County Public Library system. When a new library was built in 1968, the building was purchased by the Hobart Historical Society.

(2) 654 E. Fourth Street. The First United Methodist Church congregation built a small brick church here in 1871. It was replaced in 1914 and many additions have since been made.

(3) 550 E. Fourth Street. This two-story brick building was built by Dr. Andrew Willing in 1887 and was where he and his daughter, Dr. Mary Willing, practiced medicine. Dr. Andrew Willing moved his practice to Wheeler. Dr. Mary married W. Leonard Owen, son of W.B. Owen, who also became a doctor and they moved to South Bend. The

2

building was bought by Mr. Bullock and used as a home and rental property. Sam Routes later owned the buildings and his son, John, had his dental office here. It is now occupied by Manis Transmission.

(4) Fourth St., south side, between Main and Center. This was the first site of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (511 Fourth St.). The building was moved to another site.

(5) Southwest corner of Fourth and Main Streets. A Mrs. Ellis had a hat shop on this corner in the early 1900s. Later the home was used as a youth center, "The Ho-Hive." The building was razed and the space used as a city hall parking lot.

(6) 454 E. Fourth Street. Sherman Henderson, who became Hobart City's first mayor, built a home and ice cream factory here. Hobart bought the building for a city hall, jail and fire-fighters' office in 1925.

(7) West end of Fourth Street at the lake. Hobart's first fire station was built here.

THIRD STREET

(8) 701 E. Third Street. Jerry Killigrew's blacksmith's shop was on this lot in the 1880s. Roper Brothers built the building in the 1920s and were the agency for Chevrolet cars and later Ford cars. Paul Heuring was the next owner and sold Fords. When Heuring relocated, Express Auto opened.

(9) 626 E. Third Street. This was the site of the Scholler warehouse for farm machinery and at the alley hung a fire bell that called volunteer firefighters when they were needed. Ittel Realty now operates here.

(10) 655 – 651 E. Third Street. Site of Scholler's Blacksmith Shop, the last one operating in Hobart, and the Ballantyne wagon shop. Attorney Ray Kostbade remodeled the buildings in the 1950s as offices, now occupied by Kneifel and Behnke, Attorneys.

(11) 619 E. Third Street. The Alwin Wild building was erected in 1910. Here Mr. Wild had a funeral home and furniture store. It was once used as township trustee's offices and as a church by a Baptist congregation. Two apartments upstairs have been cut into smaller units. Epperson's Furniture Store does business here today.

(12) 618 E. Third Street. Dr. L.M. Friedrich built the two-story brick building in 1910 and had his doctor's office and home here. A photographer was on the second floor as well. The first floor at different times housed a variety store (bread was 5 cents a loaf), a bakery, a fancy work shop, a book store, offices of the Hobart Gazette, and a beauty shop. The east half was rented for the Hobart Post Office from 1923 until 1937. A restaurant was once here, also township trustee's offices. Smith Insurance now has offices here.

(13) 600 E. Third Street (northeast corner of Third and Center Streets). First a frame building was on this corner and housed an inn. A two-story brick replaced it as a hotel and tavern. It became a restaurant (the Green Café) and later a saloon before it was razed

3

and brick store buildings built by Dr. A.G. Miller. Downstairs once was a bowling lanes, then an antique store, sport store and now a locksmith is here.

(14) 607 E. Third Street. Scheddell and Reissig had a drug store here. After they closed, Otto Bray opened a meat market and later Marshall Parry operated a grocery store before he moved to Main Street. More recently the Hobart Gazette was published here. Now occupied by Coburn Ceramics.

(15) Southeast corner of Third and Center Streets. Paul Newman and his son, Mickey, operated a hardware store in a long frame building on this corner. Later he converted the Third Street part to be a garage and car sales (Newman Motor and Hardware Sales, 601 E. Third St.). They sold Krit and Brisco cars. He also had agencies for Pontiac, Ford and Chevrolet. After Mickey Newman's death, American Tire Company used the building. Epperson's Furniture rented the building from Hobart Development Corporation at one time after it had been extensively remodeled. It is now occupied by Nature's Way. In the rear of the building is the Hobart Beauty College (315 Center St.). Dick Wheaton briefly had his appliance store in this room. Apartments are upstairs.

(16) 538 – 534 E. Third Street. The Guyer Building, built in 1897, had living quarters upstairs and downstairs housed a variety store and grocery. From 1910 until 1923 the Hobart Post Office was on the east side and Sauter and Mackeldy, then Brand and Fleck, and later Sothmans ran a grocery store on the west side. Peter Bates used the east side as a candy store before he moved to Main Street. Then W.B. Mitchell had a hardware store here before he moved to Illinois and Georgianna. Now Streight's T.V. and Appliancesuses the entire first floor. A dentist office was on the second floor and a chiropractor had offices here.

(17) 530 E. Third Street. Where Elinor's Shop is now located was once Hamman's livery and later Batterman's machine shop. There was a roller skating rink on the second floor. Later there was a dancing school upstairs as well as Phi Delt club rooms. Betz bought the building and after a fire in 1929 rebuilt it. In the 1940s the A&P rented the first floor and there was a bowling alley in the basement. Earlier Howard Rees had a furniture store here. Harvey's Dime Store was located in the building until in the 1950s a fire razed the building. It was rebuilt for Elinor's.

(18) 524 E. Third Street. A wagon shop was next to Batterman's machine shop in the late 1800s. Later a new building housed Dell Beach's jewelry shop. Beach sold to Rod Cubberley and moved to Valparaiso. Cubberly subsequently moved to Main Street and Dick Wheaton had an appliance store here until the Harvey Dime Store fire. Since then it has been a liquor store. On the alley was situated a motorcycle shop, then a saloon, later a barber shop before it became Dollstedt's meat market, then Maurer's Market.

(19) 510 E. Third Street. In the rear of the Roper building (Third and Main) was once a Chinese laundry. Hobart's Post Office was in the building from 1889 until 1910. Here also has been Baumer's bakery, dental office, art supply store and barber shop. Partlow's law office, Pfeifer's barber shop, and the Oasis saloon are now here. Upstairs are Peddicord and Troutman law offices and Krull's surveyor offices with a residence over

4

the Oasis. Different owners have had beauty parlors on the second floor. The Jewel Shop (237 Main St.) now occupies the corner rooms.

(20) Southwest corner of Third and Center Streets to mid-block. George Stocker built the Union Block so many remember as Stommel's store (529 E. Third St.). Residences were upstairs and for many years the offices of Dr. Clara Faulkner. The building was razed and the Hobart Federal Savings and Loan building (555 E. Third St.) is now here. Next to this site was Charles Borger's harness shop with a residence above (525 E. Third St.). The House of Fabrics (525 E. Third St.) is now here and also uses the next building which was Charlie Gruel's meat market. Other butchers were Paul Schulze (Superior Market, 521 E. Third St.), Dollstedt and Uremovich. A barber shop once used a small room which is now the office of Gearhart Realty (519 E. Third St.). In the rear a locker plant operated until home freezers became common. Residences are upstairs.

(21) 517 E. Third Street. Hillman's saloon, The Hub, was at the alley and Third Street and was later operated by Henry Ittel. Bob Wheaton opened an electric shop here and then again it was a saloon and pool hall. A dancing school and nursery school used the building before Shorei Goju Karate. Living quarters are upstairs.

(22) 501 – 505 E. Third Street (southeast corner of Third and Main Streets). Scheidt and Keilman's Bee Hive Store had one entrance on Third Street. Remodeling, the building became part of the First State Bank offices. Again remodeled, and a small building added, Binder opened a jewelry shop in the small room which was later owned by Matt Seling. It is now an antique shop. In the former bank building on the Third Street side is now a Christian Science reading room (503 E. Third St.) and Prudential employment office.

(23) Address unknown; building is no longer standing. This small building has housed a taxi stand, an antique shop, and is now used by Hobart Hardware.

(24) 447 E. Third Street. The Hobart Employment Agency was originally Dr. Lowell E. Dupes' office.

(25) 437 – 439 E. Third Street. The two-story building next was built by Harry Livingston for the telephone company which used rooms upstairs. Livingston installed his hardware store downstairs. At various times the building has housed a barber shop, Red Cross quarters, restaurants, a craft shop, book store, party hall, and other short-lived ventures. Hobart Sports (437 E. Third St.) occupies the first floor, Walker's Printing in the basements (439 E. Third St., Lower Level) and offices upstairs.

(26) 431 – 435 E. Third Street. The one-story building at the bridge and Third was built for Joy Cleaners (435 E. Third St.). Kenneth Halsted had a barber shop (431 E. Third St.) for many years in one room where Beverly's Dress Shop is now. A third room is vacant.

(27) 109 – 111 E. Third Street. This large building was once a street car barn built in 1912, with a residence on the second floor. It is now owned and used by Boyd Construction Co.(109 E. Third St.). The Hobart License Bureau has a room in front (111 E. Third St.).

5

(28) 101 E. Third Street. The next building was the last site of an A&P store in Hobart. Colley Optical was once here, then Creative Interiors.

(29) 150 E. Third Street. Hobart's last large ice storage building (built by Barnes) was here. It burned in the 1920s and a filling station, Tower Mobilgas Service, was erected. This has been remodeled into rooms for the present Costume Shop.

CENTER STREET

(30) 447 Center Street. The Spencer family, retired circus and theater people, lived here. They operated a small grocery store for many years. Some of the family were school teachers and they also organized an orchestra and played for many functions. Across the street was the Nickel Plate Railroad depot.

(31) 426 Center Street. The first Trinity Lutheran Church was built here about 1876. A parsonage was added and when the new church was built on Main Street the buildings were used for a Lutheran Day School. The Unitarian Church bought the property when a new school was built on Linda Street. Later the Wooddale Baptist church owned the property, building a Sunday School building. Today, Denny's Radio & T.V. (426 Center St.) is in the church building, Rose Lee's Beauty Shop (426½ Center St.), Creative Interiors and March of Dimes office are in the Sunday School building.

(32) 223 – 225 Center Street. Dr. A.G. Miller built the large apartment house with his offices and clinic downstairs in 1929. Since his death the offices have been a dental office, beauty shops and now a realty office. Luigi's Pizza Parlor (225 Center St.) is in the south room.

(33) 219 Center Street. Hobart's first school, built by the townspeople in 1845, was on the site of the Masonic Temple. Lake County Old Settlers' records relate one oak was cut down and made into enough lumber to build the entire school and all the furniture in it. It was moved in 1925 to Water Street.

(34) 201 Center Street. Dr. Edwin Gordon, local doctor who was also County Coroner, built this large house with a ball room on the third floor. Dr. Brink later lived here as well as Mayor Owen Roper and his family (201 Center St.). Dr. Charles Bradley bought thehome and before St. Bridget Church owned it, it was rental property.

(35) 139 Center Street. This is the Rifenburg home, the first house in Hobart to have central heating and a full bathroom. Dr. Richard Mackey owned the house after Rifenburg, and it is now cut into apartments and owned by Sothmans. The home has been featured as one of the Historic Homes of the Midwest in a series in the Chicago Tribune.

(36) 130 Center Street. "The Caring Place" was built as a convent for St. Bridget Church and was rented to small businesses when the convent was moved. It was once the site of the Stocker, later the Jake Kramer, Jr. (130 Center St.), home.

(37) Southwest corner, Center and Front Streets. This corner once boasted a small store or trading post. When George Earle came to the locality to establish the town of Hobart he

6

bought all the land nearby, built a log house and, with Henry Sylvester Smith, a sawmill. In 1847, he built a grist mill on the site now occupied by Gary National Bank (66 Main St.). Another Earle building was Earle's Art Gallery, built in 1858. St. Bridget's purchased this for their first church in 1874. This area, block 35 and 36 on the town plat, was called "Earle's Reserve."

(38) 55 Center Street. Kip Humes had a garage on the corner where Isakson's is now, and before Isakson's expanded our Chief of Police Williams Woods once lived in a frame house just north of the garage.

(39) Northwest corner, Center and Front Streets. The home of the American Legion was at this location. They bought Pletcher garage in 1936. The Lions Club and other organizations met here. A Pentecostal Church was organized and met in the building. It is now a laudromat.

(40) Intersection of Center and Main Streets. The filling stations, Verplank's and Art Behrend's, were built at Center and Main Streets, Verplank's with living quarter upstairs. Harry Grey operated the Home Service Station ("Main Street at the bridge") and later Frank and Dennis Lindborg (40 Main St.). William Walker continued Verplank's. Verplank's has been remodeled and Trustee Bill J. Rosser had offices here as well as Langbehn. City Judge Cefali and his son (17 Main St.) now have offices in the building.

MAIN STREET

(41) Northwest corner of Main and Front Streets. This is known as the Hobart Mill site. Here George Earle, who had come from England to the Liverpool area, built a grist mill, damming Deep River to form Lake George. He moved his interests to the Hobart locale including the federal post office. Liverpool is in the western part of Hobart and part of it north in Hobart Township. The mill passed through a number of ownerships. In the 1880s William Ballantyne owned it and other owners were Roper and Brown, Frank Brown, and Lake County Co-op. After the mill burned in 1953, the Gary National Bank (66 Main St.) bought the property and built a branch office. A plaque memorializes the site.

(42) 100 – 128 Main Street. Lot #1 of Hobart's plat was the site of Lew Hammond's tavern, a stage coach stop. In 1886 it was run by Mrs. David Young as Young's Hotel. John Gordon came from Pennsylvania that year to visit his brother, Dr. Pliny Gordon. He walked from the Pennsylvania Railroad station down Front Street and inquired at the hotel where he could locate his brother. He was told he was upstairs at a dance. John Gordon bought a ticket for $2.50 and was handed a slip of paper. This, he was told, was a deed to a lot in the new cemetery on Front Street and the dance was being given to raise money to build a fence around the cemetery to keep the pigs and cows from grazing there. Mr. Gordon relates the hotel later burned down. At least four homes were built in this block, Henry Sylvester Smith's being one. All but one have been razed or moved. In the 1930s a beach was developed with a block house built on the shore of Lake George. When the beach was closed, the little building was used as school rooms for Lake Shore School for the Retarded. When classes outgrew the building, they were moved to the West Hobart School building and the Chamber of Commerce used the building. The Lake

7

County Public Library (100 Main St.) chose this site to build a new library for Hobart in 1968. In the middle of the block Harrigan Real Estate (124 Main St.) has built an office building. One residence, originally built by Henry Sylvester Smith, still stands (128 Main St.).

(43) 134 Main Street. The second Trinity Lutheran Church was built on the corner in 1900. When the congregation built a third church on Linda Street, the old church was razed and the Lakeview Apartments (134 Main St.) built.

(44) 100 block of Main Street, east side. The Jarvis Roper home was built here in 1892. Just before St. Bridget Church bought the house for a convent, there was a beauty shop there. There were a number of small homes in this block. In one was a jewelry store and probably the post office (1881-1885). One home was used as a club house. The block is now covered by St. Bridget School (107 Main St.) with a filling station on the southeast corner.

(45) Southeast corner of Main and Second Streets. The George Pederson building was on the corner of Main and Second. An apartment upstairs was his home. He operated a wagon shop on the first floor, and in the rear Ernest Niksch had a blacksmith shop. Niksch also had a blacksmith shop on Main Street on the lake (114 Main St.). Dr. Storer, Dr. Markle, and Dr. Pruitt had offices in the building after Pederson left. Northern Indiana Public Service Company offices were here before they built across the street. At one time the Hobart License Bureau also was here. A new building on the site is Edward's Store for Men (201 Main St.).

(46) Middle of 200 block of Main Street, east side (northerly part). A tinsmith and plumbing shop occupied a building at the rear of the next lot. Walker's Print Shop once rented rooms here. The next land on the east side of the 200 block of Main Street was Killigrew and Black property. The Joseph Black brick building was built in 1858. Here he operated a trading post and for 8 years (1861-1869) the Hobart post office. Black's son, Fred, continued the store and old timers recall, as boys, seining minnows and selling them to Black for his bait supply. The business was closed in the 1920s. Later a grocery store was located in this area. The Black building was razed in 1935 and the Hobart Post Office (221 Main St.) was built in 1937 on the Black and Killigrew property. (Leon Killigrew was Joseph Black's grandson.)

(47) Middle of 200 block of Main Street, east side (southerly part). A billiard parlor, a plumbing shop and the Hoover Motorcycle Shop were businesses along the street. When the buildings were razed, Vernon Traeger built a sheet metal shop on the alley.

(48) 231 – 235 Main Street. Lawrence Traeger's building was the next structure. He lived upstairs above his saloon. These rooms have always been used as a saloon. A small building north of the saloon has always been a lunch room. Some of the owners have been Mrs. Mitchell and her son, Harry, Rufle Lautzenhizer, Kenny and Emma Keilman and Elmer Kittredge. Eva Theodoras now runs G&E Lunch (231 Main St.).

8

(49) 237 Main Street. The large brick building on the corner was built by James Roper. There Rob Randhan had a meat market in the downstairs rooms. This was later Roper's Market and then Carstensen's market. Remodeled, it became the American Trust and Savings Bank. When banks closed during the Depression, Peter Bates opened a saloon and candy store. Into these rooms the Hobart Federal Savings and Loan moved from space in the 300 block of Main Street. Now Matt Seling's Jewel Shop is here.

(50) 200 Main Street. Main and Second Streets where the NIPSCO offices are was the site of a large livery stable. Operators at different times were Ed Rohwedder and Ross Graham.

(51) 204 – 206 Main Street. In 1891 Fred Rose, Sr., built the home that the Hobart Development Corporation razed this summer.

(52) 210 Main Street. Around the 1920s Dr. Fred Werner built a brick building for his home and dental office. After Dr. Werner's death, a beauty shop operated here. Dr. Lowell Dupes had an office in this building. It is now Earl's Barber Shop.

(53) 214 Main Street. In this building Dr. Dwight Mackey practiced. Living rooms were upstairs. Dr. Ralph Banks used the rooms for his dental office when he moved from the Roper building rooms on Third Street. Dr. Gutowski has dental offices here today.

(54) 216 – 220 Main Street. Frame homes were razed when the Ben Ack Building was erected in the 1920s. All of Downtown Hobart was once owned by Chief Ben Ack of the Potawatomi Indians. This area was one of the floats awarded him when the U.S. Government purchased Northwest Indiana from the Potawatomi in the 1832 Treaty of Tippecanoe. Most of his land was bought by George Earle. The second story of the Ben Ack building is apartments, three stores make up the first floor. These stores have been occupied by various businesses. NIPSCO's first business office used one, Dick Wheaton sold TVs before he moved to Third Street. An auto agency, a chicken franchise, a newspaper store, Mundell's Flower Shop (1940-1947) (218 Main St.), a realty office and a children's wear shop were briefly here. Now Henri's Dress Shop (216 Main St.) has two rooms, and Nawrocki's Hobart Liquor Store the third (220 Main St.).

(55) 230 Main Street. The three-story and basement Hobart House was built in 1867 by Edward Roper. On the third floor was a ballroom. Hotel rooms were on the first and second floors and a kitchen and dining room in the basement. William Jahnke and later C.E. Fraley operated a livery stable on the alley. Later Charles Bradley ran a machine shop in a building along the lake. This building has since been used by Tucker Iron Works and other concerns. In the basement of the Hobart House at one time was a Chinese laundry. Manteuffel also had a saloon here. In the 1920s the Hobart House was no longer a hotel. In the early 1920s Hobart schools were so crowded first grades were taught in these rooms. During the Depression years the township trustee housed welfare families in the building. The building was condemned and razed and Ed Prusiecki built the Art Theatre in 1941.

(56) 232 Main Street. The small building Mr. Prusiecki uses for his office was built in a walkway space between the theater and Mellon's Insurance office (232 Main St.).

9

Mellon's office was first the Hobart Bank. When the bank moved to the Strattan building Estil Pearson had his law office here. Joseph Mellon opened his real estate and insurance office which was taken over by his son, Byron, and now operated by Byron's son, James.

(57) 236 Main Street. The building just south was the Colonial Theater owned by Ed Spencer who sold to Pliny J. Truesdell who sold to H.T. Coons of Chicago, August 19, 1913. The Theater was called "The Gem" until Sam Routes bought it and renamed it "The Strand." In 1913 the program listed three one-reel movies and two acts of vaudeville. Prusieckis took over The Strand in 1939. It is now a saloon. This building and the next one on the corner were built in 1893.

(58) 238 Main Street. On the corner Vossberg's Clothing Store with residences upstairs was once Cully Swanson's General Store. John Fiester succeeded Swanson here and also ran a bowling alley and pool parlor in the basement. Then it was a drugstore and proprietors were McComber, Penneman, Mr. and Mrs. Dyche, Badanish and Scholl. Dr. Brink and later Dr. Ader, then Dr. Kraft had offices upstairs. In the rear was a building Leon Calvert used for his tin shop.

(59) 301 – 305 Main Street (southeast corner of Main and Third Streets). George Stocker built most of the buildings in the 300 block of Main Street. The building on this corner was erected in 1888. It housed the First State Bank when it was organized in 1899. Scheidt and Keilman's "Bee Hive" was in the south room. They also had a front on Third Street. The First State Bank was closed in 1929 and Gary National Bank opened a Hobart branch here. When they built on the old mill site, Lincoln Loan opened offices. Now Knight Coin & Stamp (301 Main St.) uses the rooms. Dr. Weisjahn had a dental office upstairs. Now the upstairs rooms are residences. Where Scheidt and Keilman had the Bee Hive, a restaurant later opened. Marshall Parry moved his "Royal Blue" store here from Third Street. Leonard Blair succeeded Parry in the grocery business and Hobart Fetterer followed Blair. Later a shoe store and a carpet store were here. And it is now the Craft Corner.

(60) 307 Main Street. George Stocker made shoes when he first came to Hobart and had a store in the next building, now Atseff's Unity Shoe Shop. Stocker, as postmaster, had the post office here.

(61) 313 Main Street. The next building, built by Stocker, was two stories with residences upstairs. Hobart Town offices were in rooms upstairs at one time. On the first floor was Murray's saloon, also Scheddell's Drug Store. Hartman operated a furniture store and later Herman Pflughoeft was in the furniture business here. When Schultz Brothers Variety Store first opened, the building was still two-storied but was later remodeled to one story.

(62) 325 Main Street. This two-story brick once had Smalings Dress Shop downstairs and later Roper and Robinson. Mrs. Pardus had a craft shop. It is now Candle Glow.

10

(63) Address unknown. On the next lot a building on the alley housed Wells Garage with access on Main Street. A little frame building was built on Main Street and here Attorney R.R. Peddicord had an office.

(64) 327 Main Street. Next was a little frame building where the Hobart Gazette was published for so many years. These buildings were razed and Jacob Ittel built a warehouse-type building and Consumers Chain grocery (later to be called Kroger's) moved from across the street to Ittel's building around 1940. When Krogers left, Vossbergs moved their clothing store from the west side of Main and just recently traded locations with Scholl Pharmacy.

(65) 337 Main Street. The next two-story brick had living quarters upstairs and a store below. Ahrens Saloon was here, later Redding ran the saloon. Baumer's Bakery and then Stevens Baker and lunchroom preceded a pool room. Tempas had an ice cream parlor here before Burkes opened a restaurant. The Brown House stationery store used the rooms before the Bridal Boutique opened.

(66) 339 – 341 Main Street. Next was a two-story brick building put up by the Earle family. This was purchased by Attorney Ray Kostbade and remodeled to one story. Mrs. Charles Lee and Mrs. George Watkins had a restaurant here. Dr. Richard L. Mayer has his offices (341 Main St.) in the building with Abbott's Restaurant (339 Main St.) on the east side.

(67) 347 Main Street. The next two buildings have had a varied history. Ammerman's Harness Shop was at the corner in 1876. Bruce had a plumbing shop here and a shoe shop was operated by a Mr. Shoemaker, then Mr. McClary and Mr. Flood. Simon's CigarFactory and Ben Lax's Clothing Store were other businesses here. Odell Smith (347 Main St.) moved the jewelry store from across the street and rebuilt the corner building which housed a restaurant until Odell's expanded.

(68) 300 – 302 Main Street. Strattan's Opera House, a two-story building, was built by George Stocker in 1876 and sold to B.W. Strattan. On the second floor was a theater with a stage, seating area that could be converted to a ballroom, and a balcony. At one time a superstructure was used to store scenery so it could be rapidly pulled up and down. Hobart was to Chicago what Philadelphia was to New York. Plays were tried out in Hobart before being put on in Chicago theaters. In 1923-24 Hobart High School used the theater as a basketball court. Many exhibitions and dances were held here before it was condemned. The second floor on Main Street front once housed the Hobart telephone exchange. Offices were used by various concerns — Strom's Tailor Shop (300 Main St.), Findling's Insurance Office, Calumet Finance and JP office. Other rooms were residences. Hobart Art Guild is now upstairs. The Hobart Bank was moved to the corner room on the first floor. Stocker and Strattan both operated general merchandise stores in first floor rooms. The A&P Store was here at one time, also Mundell's Flower Shop and a pool hall. Hobart Hardware now uses all the first floor. Rexall Drug Store once used the middle store and the third room on the east has been an ice cream parlor, bakery and newspaper store. Vossberg's Clothing also occupied the middle store at one time.

11

(69) 308 – 310 Main Street. The next brick building was known as the Morton Building. Upstairs were living quarters and Dr. Morton had his dental office here. The store room downstairs has been an ice cream parlor, first Henderson's, then Fifield's and later Ellenberger's. Consumers Grocery Store was here and now it is Leon Gardner's Walgreen Agency. Dr. Storer once had offices upstairs.

(70) 314 Main Street. The Orcutt Building, now Bates Tavern, replaced the Mander Building where John Mander had a store and at one time the post office. Orcutt was Mander's son-in-law and opened a restaurant and hotel in the new brick building. At one time Fred Baumer had a bakery and catering business here.

(71) 318 – 328 Main Street. The next two-story building was razed when Albert Verplank built a one-story four-room store building. In the old building were various early Hobart businesses — a furniture store, undertaking establishment, shoe store, etc. The new building housed a menswear shop, dress shop, first offices of the Hobart Federal Savings and Loan, electric and gift shop, beauty parlor and dress shop, Guzzo's fruit and vegetable store, Johnson's Grocery, and now the Hi-Style Beauty Salon (328 Main St.), a children's wear store, health food shop and wig shop.

(72) 332 Main Street. The next two-story brick housed the Masonic Lodge on the 2nd floor until 1925. Manteuffel shoe store was on the first floor and a residence in the rear. A gift shop and a loan office were there, and now the Hoosier Coffee Shop is here.

(73) 336 Main Street. The next two-story edifice, the Reissig building, housed a farm machinery sales room, Knapp's Variety Store and later Roger's News Depot (336 Main St.). Residences are on the second floor.

(74) 340 Main Street. The next two-story building has a residence upstairs. It once was a furniture store but for most of the time a barber shop. It is now Judd's TV.

(75) 342 Main Street. The next little building was a cigar store and later a barber shop. There was another small building next to it that was Odell's Jewelry Store where Mrs. Odell also sold her homemade ice cream. When the jewelry store moved across the street a number of proprietors operated a restaurant in the building. Mrs. Margaret Fleck had a fancy work shop here which was sold to Kittredge's Fabric Shop who later moved to Third Street when the buildings were torn down and the Hobart Development Corp. built the shop for Kellen's Florist (342 Main St.).

(76) 348 Main Street. The small brick building next was Looker's Cigar Store, Newman's Newspaper Store, then Thompson's Beauty Shop and later a restaurant and a succession of short-lived businesses. Now this is where Calumet Finance does business.

(77) 350 Main Street. A small frame building on the northwest corner of Main and Fourth was replaced by a two-story brick. With residences upstairs, a saloon was on the first floor. Later there was a hat shop, then a dress shop here. A bakery owned by Baumer and then Corey used the rooms. A mail order office was here for a short while. Now this is where The Trunk Inc. (350 Main St.) does business.

12

(78) 405 Main Street. Odd Fellows Hall was built on land donated by the Earle family. In storerooms downstairs various businesses have been — Calvert and Ittel's Hardware, Hobart Hatchery, a furniture store, an appliance store and now a craft shop. In the one-story part was where the Hobart News was printed. Mrs. Sohn had a dress shop here and the Hobart Herald had offices around 1953. Kentucky Fried Chicken was here and now it is Ginter Realty (405 Main St.).

(79) 409 Main Street. The next building was a residence until Kellen's opened a florist shop. Now it is Le Counte Auto Supplies.

(80) 411 – 413 Main Street. Carstensens built the two-story brick for a home upstairs and grocery and meat market downstairs. George Sauter bought out Mrs. Carstensen and Ed Gernsey (Gernsey's Cash Food Shop) bought from Sauter. Harkins followed Gernsey. The room was next used for a Laundromat, then Sanz Electric shop. Ruchti's had their paint and paper store there. It is now the Hobart Gazette office.

(81) 431 Main Street south to the railroad tracks. From here to the railroad tracks was a blacksmith shop, Veal's and Mueller's, and a large garage built by William Campbell(Campbell Bros., 431 Main St.). He sold Studebakers. Later Christensen sold Chevrolets here. This garage was razed and the Bank of Indiana (433 Main St.) built.

(82) 414 – 426 Main Street. Two houses were on the west side of the 400 block of Main before Hendersons built their ice cream factory (416 Main St.) with a residence upstairs. Both buildings were razed and the Hobart City Hall (414 Main St.) built in the 1960s.The Nickel Plate Garage operated at 426 Main St.

i

INDEX OF SURNAMES

Surname Item No(s). Surname Item No(s).

Abbott .............................................................(66)Ack..................................................................(54)Ader ................................................................(58)Ahrens.............................................................(65)Ammerman .....................................................(67)Atseff ..............................................................(60)Badanish .........................................................(58)Ballantyne .............................................. (10), (41)Banks ..............................................................(53)Barnes .............................................................(29)Bates ............................................. (16), (49), (70)Batterman............................................... (17), (18)Baumer.................................. (19), (65), (70), (77)Beach ..............................................................(18)Behnke ............................................................(10)Behrends .........................................................(40)Betz.................................................................(17)Binder .............................................................(22)Black...............................................................(46)Blair ................................................................(59)Borger .............................................................(20)Boyd................................................................(27)Bradley................................................... (34), (55)Brand...............................................................(16)Bray.................................................................(14)Brink ...................................................... (34), (58)Brown .................................................... (41), (65)Bruce...............................................................(67)Bullock..............................................................(3)Burke(s) ..........................................................(65)Calvert.................................................... (58), (78)Campbell.........................................................(81)Carstensen.............................................. (49), (80)Cefali...............................................................(40)Christensen .....................................................(81)Coburn ............................................................(14)Colley..............................................................(28)Coons ..............................................................(57)Corey...............................................................(77)Cubberley........................................................(18)Dollstedt................................................. (18), (20)Dooling ...........................................................(66)Dupes ..................................................... (24), (52)Dyche..............................................................(58)Earle............................. (37), (41), (54), (66), (78)Ellenberger......................................................(69)Ellis ...................................................................(3)Epperson ................................................ (11), (15)Faulkner ..........................................................(20)

Fetterer ........................................................... (59)Fiester ............................................................. (58)Fifield ............................................................. (69)Findling .......................................................... (68)Fleck.......................................................(16), (75)Flood............................................................... (67)Fraley.............................................................. (55)Friedrich ......................................................... (12)Gardner........................................................... (69)Gearhart.......................................................... (20)Gernsey........................................................... (80)Ginter.............................................................. (78)Gordon....................................................(34), (42)Graham........................................................... (50)Grey................................................................ (40)Gruel............................................................... (20)Gutowski ........................................................ (53)Guyer.............................................................. (16)Guzzo ............................................................. (71)Halsted............................................................ (26)Hamman ......................................................... (17)Hammond ....................................................... (42)Harkins ........................................................... (80)Harrigan.......................................................... (42)Hartman.......................................................... (61)Henderson........................................ (6), (69), (82)Heuring............................................................. (8)Hillman........................................................... (21)Hoover............................................................ (47)Humes............................................................. (38)Isakson............................................................ (38)Ittel ......................................... (9), (21), (64), (78)Jahnke............................................................. (55)Johnson........................................................... (71)Joy .................................................................. (26)Judd ................................................................ (74)Keilman ......................................... (22), (48), (59)Kellen .....................................................(75), (79)Killigrew...................................................(8), (46)Kittredge.................................................(48), (75)Knapp ............................................................. (73)Kneifel ............................................................ (10)Knight............................................................. (59)Kostbade.................................................(10), (66)Kraft ............................................................... (58)Kramer............................................................ (36)Krull ............................................................... (19)Langbehn........................................................ (40)Lautzenhizer ................................................... (48)

Surname Item No(s). Surname Item No(s).

ii

Lax ..................................................................(67)Le Counte........................................................(79)Lee ..................................................................(66)Lindborg .........................................................(40)Livingston .......................................................(25)Looker.............................................................(76)Mackeldy ........................................................(16)Mackey .................................................. (35), (53)Mander............................................................(70)Manteuffel.............................................. (55), (72)Markle.............................................................(45)Maurer.............................................................(18)Mayer..............................................................(66)McClary ..........................................................(67)McComber ......................................................(58)Mellon.............................................................(56)Miller ..................................................... (13), (32)Mitchell.................................................. (16), (48)Morton ............................................................(69)Mueller............................................................(81)Mundell.................................................. (54), (68)Murray ............................................................(61)Nawrocki.........................................................(54)Newman................................................. (15), (76)Niksch.............................................................(45)Odell ...................................................... (67), (75)Orcutt ..............................................................(70)Owen.................................................................(3)Pardus .............................................................(62)Parry....................................................... (14), (59)Partlow............................................................(19)Pearson............................................................(56)Peddicord ............................................... (19), (63)Pederson..........................................................(45)Penneman........................................................(58)Pfeifer .............................................................(19)Pflughoeft .......................................................(61)Pletcher ...........................................................(39)Pruitt ...............................................................(45)Prusiecki ....................................... (55), (56), (57)Randhan ..........................................................(49)Redding...........................................................(65)Rees.................................................................(17)Reissig.................................................... (14), (73)Rifenburg ........................................................(35)Robinson.........................................................(62)Roger...............................................................(73)Rohwedder......................................................(50)Roper.... (8), (19), (34), (41), (44), (49), (55), (62)Rose ................................................................(51)Rosser .............................................................(40)Routes ...................................................... (3), (57)Ruchti..............................................................(80)

Sanz ................................................................ (80)Sauter......................................................(16), (80)Scheddel .................................................(14), (61)Scheidt....................................................(22), (59)Scholl......................................................(58), (64)Scholler.....................................................(9), (10)Schultz...................................................................Schulze ........................................................... (20)Seling......................................................(22), (49)Shoemaker...................................................... (67)Simon ............................................................. (67)Smaling........................................................... (62)Smith .................................... (12), (37), (42), (67)Sohn................................................................ (78)Sothman..................................................(16), (35)Spencer ...................................................(30), (57)Stevens ........................................................... (65)Stocker................. (20), (36), (59), (60), (61), (68)Stommel ......................................................... (20)Storer ......................................................(45), (69)Strattan ...................................................(56), (68)Streight ........................................................... (16)Strom.............................................................. (68)Swanson ......................................................... (58)Tempas ........................................................... (65)Theodoras....................................................... (48)Thompson....................................................... (76)Traeger ...................................................(47), (48)Troutman ........................................................ (19)Truesdell......................................................... (57)Tucker............................................................. (55)Uremovich...................................................... (20)Veal ................................................................ (81)Verplank.................................................(40), (71)Vossberg........................................ (58), (64), (68)Walker ........................................... (25), (40), (46)Watkins........................................................... (66)Weisjahn......................................................... (59)Wells............................................................... (63)Werner............................................................ (52)Wheaton ............................... (15), (18), (21), (54)Wild................................................................ (11)Willing.............................................................. (3)Woods............................................................. (38)Young............................................................. (42)