The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-20
DREAM OF FASHIONABLE
QUARTER NOT FULFILLED
Governor Hammond Thought
City's Aristocracy Would Group
About Statehouse.
OLD SETTLERS TAI

ut is still called 'Hammond's Row, ex-
claimed an old citizen yesterday. on reading
in the Journal about the sale by Henry ID.
Pierce, of property on Senate avenue near
the Statehouse. ''And Ex-Governor Ham
mond put what was almost q fortune for
those times into his row of houses on the
square lust off the corner below Washing
ton street" The old resident then went on
to relate how the Governor, as he sat in
the gubernatorial rooms OF the old State
house, looked out, day after day. at the
houses gathering about that square and
came to believe it would be the attractive
residence quarter of Indianapolis. The ar
istocratic homes had been in earlier days
on South Meridian street above the old
Union depot, as it was then called Here
thine Morrises. Vajens, Hasselmans and
others had lived in fine mansions, which
were giving way to business houses; and
Governor Hammond thought they would
gather around the StatehOuse square as
they did opposite Military park, where
Caleb b. Smith, President Lincoln's Score
tary of the Interior; Oscar b. HOrd, Wm
Coughlin. Dr. Winslow 8. Pierce, the father
of Henry d. Pierce; Supreme Judge s. Z.
Perkins and others OF note in early days.
lived.
But Governor Hammond and his bosom
friend, Captain Fitzgibbon, Indiana's earl
lest Beau Brummel, said an old resi-
dent, believed in the Statehouse region as
the coming neuclus of the future Hoosier
nabobs."
How about this, General Coburn?" said
Yes, replied the general, there was
Oliver H. Smith, the grandfather of ex-
poii i He built the residence now now
about to be torn down. just east of the
Statehouse. and lived in the north half of
it, while his son-in-law. the late General
John Love, of Calling gun fame, lived in
the south half
Another remarked that Vice President
Hendricks afterwards bought the latter.
secret" said another of the group, that
her unconcealed grief at being obliged to
give up her old home opposite the State
real cause OF the late Mrs. Hendricks S
death some weeks ago"
WAS this idea confined to those you
manner" asked the reporter.
by no means; there was John NJ. Tai
bott, who lived on the corner of Tennessee
and Ohio streets. where his son, Henry NJ.
Talbot. of Dickson & Talbot grew up;
tant general; William o. Fleetwood, an
early capitalist; Pearsall, our earliest great
musician; all lived nearby
Yes" said General Coburn, there were
our renowned treasurers of state, who
lived where the Lorraine hotel is now in
the old State treasury, Samuel Hanna and
George III. Dunn; while those famous early
preachers, Jim Hill and William Daily,
lived where Condos carriage works is now,
and Caleb Scudder, one of the founders of
the First Presbyterian Church All of them
looked into the Statehouse grounds from
their homes.
"Elias Marcus, an early investor not to
be outdone by William A. Hammond, even
if he was a Governor over there in the
of the same number and character, and op-
pOsite 'HammOnd's Row. said the old
resident, and it was one of these Marcus
homes that Henry d. Pierce bought for a
trifle when the dream of aristOcracy was
dispelled, and sold at such marvellous ad-
vance in price yesterday"
Still another citizen called attention to
the fact that the Statehouse in Harrisburg.
Pa, is surrounded by the finest homes in
that capital, and that Springfield, H., is
another example.
But neither of these observed Henry
d. Pierce, lis a business city like Indian
apOlis, or records later such a marvellous
growth"
At the suggestion that the fine houses
instead of encircing the capitol here. went
Capitol avenue, some one remarked that
they should have gone south where the
grade was higher, the water better, and
drainage more choice; something the earlier
Ketchams, Merrills, MaTsees, Batess etc.
realized and proved. by their homes there.
In fact, General Coburn has gone back in
that region TO the old home of the Bateses,
later owned by DelOss Root Thomas A.
Hendricks and Winslow S. Pierce; and
Coburn lives there yet-a South Slider
again in his ripper years.