The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-10
THE CITY's WHOLESALE cEyTER.
How South Meridian Street Got It's Start az
Leading Business Thoroughfare.

a Leading Business Thoroughfare.
Said Augustus Keifer, the wellknown whole
sale druggist to Journal reporters do you
know that the month of September we have
just passed through was the best business
month, take it for all in ALL that this city has
ever had! 1t is fact, and the man VINO says
that indianapolis is not now fairly and squarely
upon her feet, with better business standing
and prospects than ever before, either willfully
shuts his eyes against the truth or is too stupid
to understand the situation
The reporter strolled out upon Meridian street
and took look up and down that thoroughfare.
He was forced to the confession that he had
never seen it when it seemed to have its working
clothes on in as good shape. when came on
this street." said Henry Schnull, who is really
the father of this wholesale stretch of road, Il
think the wholesale trade of Meridian street
could not amount to more than half million
dollars year. Including the offshoots on the
side streets, but all called Meridian, it is scarcely
less than $l5 900, 900 annually. Capt. Michael
titzgibbon was on the street before [ was He
started on the northeast corner of Meridian aud
Louisiana streets with a wholesale stock of gro
ceres and llquors-they always went together
IN those days-in 1855 The remainder OF the
up to Maryland, was residence property
The First Baptist Church stood on the southwest
corner of Maryland and Meridian. Immediately
south of it was Lewis Hasselmans residence, q
two-story stone-front house, the finest residence
in the city Next to that was the residence Of
James Russell, the old postmaster. The Sanders
property was at the southwest corner of Georgia
and Meridian, the Ross property south of 1t.
forgot TO mention wholesale house built at the
northwest corner of Maryland and Meridian, in
1851, and occupied by Elliott & Ryan with liq-
uors. 1t was three stories high, with the old
Athen@um Theater in the upper stories. The
drug house OF Daniel Stewart spreads over that
site now.
"a. & Fl. Schnull, my brotaer and myself
were IN the grocery business at the southeast
corner of Washington and Delaware. The
Baptist Church, on Meridian street, burned in
the fall of 1859, and the next morning after the
passed that place. | looked at that cor
ner and said to myself, Why
ought not that to be as good place
for A. & II. Schnull as where we arer
| thought OF it all the way down to Louisville
Whom | came back spoke to my brother about
it. but he thought could not afford to leave
Washington street. had great deal of trouble
to persuade him to 60 in with me, and buy that
corner. We bought ffty-fve feet from the
First Baptist folks at 800 foot, front. 1t was
only ninety feet deep Then we bought, adjoin-
ing it on the west, Maryland-street lot, paying
800 foot, front. We had plans drawn to build
on the ffty-fve feet In the meantime, Mrs.
Hasselman did not like the idea of having bust.
ness crowd her residence, and Mr.. Hasseman
asked me to buy him out. | bought his place
individually at $75 foot, 'front.' paying 1000
Then we took the vacant ground north of the
house adjoining our contem plated building aud,
changing our plan, began to build four-story
brick ninety feeG front. When completed
A. & I'll. Schnull occupied the Maryland street
corner and rented the three other rooms on the
front, and the one on Maryland. We had some
little trouble in securing tenants but got them
by offering very low rents Grassland & PEGS
wholesale dry goods Hendricks 81 Ed
munds, wholesale boots and shoes, and
Donaldson & Carr, hats and CAPS took the Merid-
ian-street rooms, and Dessar Bros, wholesale
clothing. the Maryland street room. These houses
were doing the largest business in their lines
in the city, and concluded the street had made
good wholesale start had intended to move
my family to the Hasselman residence, but came
to the conclusion it would be better to tear il
down and build two more rooms to join my
building on the south. Next bought the prop.
erty of John d. Morris, on the southwest corner
of Georgia and Meridian paying $4,000 for
ninety feet of frontage | sold it to Elijah
Alvord for $4,000 with the agreement that he
was to build a four story business block. That
was in 1863, and | was still, you see, keeping in
mind the making of a wholesale street. J.
bought the Sanders property from Rob-
istrators of the estate siSty-five feet and
paid $4,000. There was large brick dwelling
On the property. 1t was torn down and built
the block now occupied by McCune and by
Syfers, Mcbride e. Go. At the same time Doug
lass Mcclure bought the Russell property, sixty
five feet, and built on that tho block now occu-
pied by Schwartz & Reinhard and A. Kiefer &c
Co. / bought several places on the street that
have not mentioned and sold them again, usual
ly with the requirement that the purchaser
sho uld build upon them. I used every means
could to encourage and stimulate building up
the street There Is no property for sale on the
street now, and the average value per footIs
from $500 to $500"