1890 - 1899
1890
Year Events
February 1890 - first sidewalks built. Stone 3 - inches thick or brick. Not
less than 4' wide.
Streets were lighted with pioneer type street lights - Oil fueled glass
lamps on wooden post. Used very sparingly. streets were dimly lighted.
October 1890 - Proposal by the newly formed Batesville Electric Light
Company to install electric lights on Batesville's streets. Proposal turned
down.
The Mineral Water Manufactury , located in the north part of town, began
business in April 1890. It was owned and run by Quirin Vonderheide, son of
John, who ran a similar business some years previously. He
reorganized it in 1896
The Bessler Company was built the summer of 1890. Located in the eastern
part of the town, John Gauck entered into partnership with George Bessler,
calling the company the Bessler Lumber and Veneer Company. In 1902, because
of the lack of water utilities to the Bessler firm, it was entirely destroyed
by fire. Batesville citizens assisted Mr. Bessler to rebuild. However,
after a long fight over water availability, he
moved his business to Lawrenceburg in 1906.
John and Frank Meyer founded the Meyer Lumber Company in the 1890s in
Batesville working as builders and contractors. They also founded the Meyer
Hardware and Furniture Company in 1903. The hardware store was first
operated adjacent to the lumber yards and offices on W. George Street.
Later John bought the hardware business and Frank retained the lumber and
building business. John built the large brick store at the corner of George
and Main Street in 1909 and moved the hardware business into the store. In
1930, after the death of John, the Meyer Hardware and Furniture Company was
divided between John’s son, Roman and his son-in-law Quirin Walsman.
Partitions were built to separate the ground floor with galleries added to
the furniture side. The 2 divisions were named the Meyer Hardware Company
owed by Roman and the Meyer Furniture Company owned by Quirin.
1891
Year Events
1891 - Taxable property in the town valued at $391,053
Frank and Henry Walsman bought the hardware stock of Hillenbrand and
Mitchell in March 1891 and established a hardware firm at the corner of
Main and George Street adjacent to the Sherman House. In 1892 they moved
to the Gold Mine building on Broadway. By 1898, the brothers dissolved the
partnership with H.J. continuing the business while Frank retired.
Donald McCallum was born in Canada in 1846. He moved to Batesville in 1891
and assumed control of the local newspaper as editor and owner. He was a
staunch Republican and when he bought the Ripley County Independent he used
it as a medium to advance his party’s and his own political views. He called
the paper the Batesville Tribune. He was a forceful speaker and had wide
fame as an orator, especially during political campaigns. He was a good
writer and penned many editorials and articles. He spend 20 years in
Batesville until his death in 1923.
Michael Benz the Second came to Batesville in 1891 as a butcher, locating
in the John Pfalsgraf building on Main Street. The business was known as the
Benz Brothers and dealt in meats and other related products. It developed
into one of the most efficient , as well as the largest meat-market in
southeastern Indiana. The abattoir in the northern limits of the city was
thoroughly modern, efficient and sanitary.
In 1891, an article appeared in the Independent Record listing 5 hotels: the
Sherman House, just across Main Street from the Big 4 depot; the Batesville
Hotel on the corner of Main and George Street; the Germania Hotel on the
northwest corner of Broadway and Main; the Globe House on the northwest
corner of Main and North Street (now Boehringer Street); the Hammerle House
on the corner of Walnut and Hillenbrand Avenue.
1892
Year Events
1892 - Newspaper Democratic Herald established - R. E. Bragg first editor
1892 - Batesville Home Outfitters organized as Hillenbrand & Mitchell
Company. This was a furniture store, deliveries made with a wagon and a
team of horses. This was changed later to Hillenbrand Company. Later
changed to Harry Schwier Company. 1918 the Home Hardware Company and the
Star Hardware Company combined with the Harry Schwier company and added a
hardware line to the store. 1926 - Joseph Schraeder and Edward B. Oswald
purchased the building and merchandise. Operated under the Harry Schwier
Company name. Name changing contest in which the public participated, the
name Batesville Home Outfitters was chosen.
Batesville was at one time home to a book binding company called The Book
Bindery. The company produced blank books, rulings, and book bindings. It
was founded by Mr. George Johanning, a bookkeeper at the Union Funriture
Factory and John Schwartz, who was employed by the Wm. Donaldson and Co.
Book Binders of Cincinnatti, Ohio. This company was purchased by the Herald
Printing and Publishing Company in 1892.
In 1892 there were four blacksmith shops in Batesville. Leo Kirschbaum on
West Pearl, John Hafner and Joseph Mutz on Depot, and Adam Moser on Greeman
Avenue.
Batesville was at one time home to a book binding company called The Book
Bindery. The company produced blank books, rulings, and book bindings. It
was founded by Mr. George Johanning, a bookkeeper at the Union Funriture
Factory and John Schwartz, who was employed by the Wm. Donaldson and Co.
Book Binders of Cincinnatti, Ohio. This company was purchased by the Herald
Printing and Publishing Company in 1892
Cigars were the nicotine of choice and in 1892 the Batesville area had 3
factories: Batesville Cigar Company on west Pearl Street, another operated
by Henry Timmerman near Huntersville and a third owned by Chas. Johnson on
Broadway. By 1898, William St. Clair’s was flourishing and in 1902, Chas.
Lehmkuehler began operating one on west Pearl Street. In 1911 Paul Moeller
bought John Schorr’s cigar factory.
Tailors in 1892 included John Meister at Pearl and Walnut and George
Lindenmaier on Broadway. Shoemakers were Henry Brockman, Fred Machenstadt,
Casper Grasmick and Fred Brummer. George Mehlon built a frame tailor shop on
Boehringer Street in 1910 after starting his business in the Thoman Building
on Broadway in 1894. George Thieman was a tailor and clothier in the Big
Four building in 1892. In 1903 both Frank Walsman and F.W. Dieckman opened
shoe stores. Mr. Dieckman was located on west Pearl Street.
1893
Year Events
City order to begin laying water mains and install fire hydrants
Fred Schrader built a brick residence on the pike north of the Batesville
Corporation limits in 1893. It was christened "Frederick’s Ruhe " or
"Frederick’s Rest" by Mr. Schrader. The home was built on a terrace,
protected by low hills on the north. Between the hills and the house,
magnificent magnolias grew into a bower of pink each Spring. A goldfish
pond in the meadow and a grove of beech and maple trees between made the
property an ideal site of the Country Club which it became in 1928.
Frank Dirscherl opened a new business in 1893 as an undertaker. Severinghaus
and Bruns were operating by 1895. Ben Kessing and Ed. A. Zierer dissolved
their partnership in 1910 with Mr. Zierer continuing alone. He bought
Henry Severinghaus’ outfit. In 1913 William Weigel and Joseph Burst
purchased the undertaking outfit of Charles Tekulve begun in 1910 with Ben
Kessing. Edward Zierer and Walter B. Meyers formed a partnership in 1924.
The first auto hearse was used in Batesville in 1919.
Schrader and Krieger’s hardware store was located at Broadway and Pearl in
1893. By 1903 hardware stores were being run by H.J. Walsman and John Thie,
and the Meyer Hardware store was established. Star Hardware took over the
Walsman business in 1909 and John Kessens bought a partnership in the Home
Hardware Company in 1915.
In 1893 dressmakers included Mrs. J.F. Huche, Lou Schlosser, Louisa Meister,
Carrie Vonderheide and the misses Lizzie and Clara Prell. In 1901 Mrs. McKee
opened a shop on north Walnut Street and so did Julia Rosenmund and her
sisters on north Main Street. Bea Lemmermohle and Cora Lamping set up shop
on Walnut Street. A millinery shop was added by the Prell sisters in 1894
to their dressmaking business. In 1893 2 millinery shops were opened, one by
M.L. Johnson on Boadway andthe other by Louisa Koester on west Pearl Street.
Adora O’Brien opened her store on south Walnut in 1894. By 1901, Ida Wissman
and Lottie Chrader made hats and dresses at their shop on west Pearl and in
1905 Bessie Julian opened hers on north Walnut. Miss Lou Adrian opened a hat
shop on north Walnut Street and continued in business until 1933. Others
included the Bradley sister on west Pearl Street in 1911, Catherine Cruea on
George Street in 1913 and the Vogue Hat Shop on west Pearl steet in 1925,
owned by Naomi Roell and Vyola Canfield.
Philip Boerstler, the only jeweler, was located on Broadway in 1893, but in
1895 Edward Beer also opened a store on Broadway. Ralph J. Timmerman opened
his jewelry store on west Pearl Street in 1903 and Dr. A.T. Nutter opened a
jewelry and optical supply store on east Pearl Street in 1914.
1894
Year Events
Jan 29, 1894 - First arc-light (electric?) placed in front of city hall -
trial, six more added later that year
The Park House Hotel was built in 1894 or 96 at the corner of Walnut and
Pearl Street. Jacob Engel later added various gaming features and a summer
beer garden. Bowling alleys were dedicated in 1897. In 1908 he added a
confectioanry counter to his ice cream parlor facing on Pearl Street.
He built a frame addition along Walnut Street in 1910. Charles A. Pruiss
purchased the ice cream parlor in 1922 and established the Palace of Sweets,
specializing in the making of candy.
William St. Clair completed St. Clair’s Hall on September 27, 1894. It was a
one story frame structure 40 x 116’ with 30 windows. The architecture was
based on the summer pavilion plan with all the windows opening wide to
admit air freely from all sides. He installed a large Victor graphaphone
which shared with the orchestra to provide music for dancing. The hall was
also used as an opera house. By 1922-23, H.W. Winkler and son operated a
skating rink there.
1895
Year Events
1895 - Petition presented and accepted to purchase land on West Pearl Street
for a new school.. Land - $700. Building approximate cost $5000
May 1895 - Town Marshall salery increased to $10 per day. His patrol was
specified, with the beat to cover the main part of town four times a day. A
book was placed at each reporting post, where he was expected to write a
report each time he checked in.
August 1895 - Contract made with the Batesville Electric Light Company for
the placing of lights on the streets at the principle crossings in town.
1896
Year Events
1897
Year Events
All electric light use was discontinued.
The Enterprise Coffin Company was organized by Fred Morgan and Frederick
Kops in 1897. E. C. Timmerman resigned as cashier at the Batesville Bank to
become its bookkeeper.
1898
Year Events
Agreement reached with the Batesville Electric Light Company to reduce rates,
and the lights would only be used when necessary.
The Oak Palace Saloon and hotel at the northeast corner of George and Main
Street was sold to Ben Schene in 1898. He refurbished it in 1911 and
advertised it as "containing 12 guest rooms and a bar." In 1923 it became
the location of the Case Variety Store and in 1926 the lower floor was
remodeled into a "drive-in gas, filling and repair and supply station for
automobiles" operated by Jack Zimmerman.
1899
Year Events
Franchise granted to the Southern Indiana Telephone Company and the
Batesville Telephone Company to set telephone poles through the town.
Batesville would be connected to Cincinnatti and Indianapolis by telephone.
Adolph and Herman Kaiser bought the stock of the Lefler Livery Barn in the
Spring of 1899. They operated the livery business at the south end of Walnut
Street for 30 years. In 1907 they also carried the mail from the Post Office
to the trains and back. They upgraded the business in later years from
horse-drawn vehicles to automobile service.
Back To History Index
Next
Top Of Page
