1909 Illinois Street Indianapolis Indiana

1909 vintage postcard. Looking North on Illinois Street from Maryland St in Indianapolis, Indiana, we see a charming street scene featuring storefronts, trolleys, early automobiles, and even a Robert Mantel 10-cent Cigar store. This would look great framed or make an excellent addition to any collection.

Details of shops:

The photographer stood north of the Maryland Street intersection, facing north. The scene features various vehicles on the street and several pedestrians on the sidewalks, with multiple businesses visible.

To the left, on the west side of the street, a sign reads Schaub. The 1905 R. L. Polk city directory mentions Schaub & O’Day, a hat business operated by Frederick L. Schaub and Edward O’Day at 42 South Illinois Street, near this sign. By the 1909 directory, only Frederick L. Schaub is listed. A sign on the third building to the north advertises The Reliable, identified as the Reliable Furniture and Carpet Co. located at 32-42 South Illinois Street in both the 1905 and 1909 directories, with David I. Nachman as the manager.

Across the street, the meaning of the Pool 2½ ______ sign is unclear, but directories from 1905 and 1909 indicate a billiard hall nearby at 37 East Pearl Street. The 1909 directory also mentions the New Occidental Bar at 27 South Illinois Street, which is associated with the New Occidental Hotel at the same address, managed by Thomas S. Meeker and Hamilton S. Meeker. The 1914 Sanborn fire insurance map shows the New Occidental Hotel in the Sentinel Building, known for its six-story turret, at the southeast corner of South Illinois and Pearl Streets. The Hotel sign in the scene likely advertises this establishment.

Just past the Regal Shoes sign, another sign proclaims Any Hat $1.00, presumably for the Dollar Hat Store listed in the 1905 directory at 31 South Illinois. By 1909, it rebrands as the American Hat Co. The Regal Shoes sign is for a business at 33 South Illinois, identified in the 1905 directory as Stout's Special Shoe Co. A Stout’s Shoes sign appears near the right edge of the postcard, corresponding to a location at 51 South Illinois Street listed in the 1909 directory. Notably, Regal Shoes is not listed in the 1905 or 1910 directories, appearing instead at 4 East Washington Street in 1909.

The Model $ Hats sign is located on a building that also features The Hat Store painted on the front. This single-story structure, identified in the 1914 Sanborn map as 37 South Illinois Street, has a jeweler listed there in 1905, while the 1909 directory names it The Model Hat Company.

The Deutsch Tailoring Co. sign identifies a business at 41 South Illinois Street, listed in the 1905 directory under Henry Deutsch, and noted in the 1909 directory for a hat business run by Harry Levinson at the same address. Next door, at 43-45 South Illinois Street, John D. Brosnan advertises Cloaks and Suits at his shop, listed in both the 1905 and 1912 directories. Another sign nearby promotes Hats, and while no directories note a hat shop at 47 South Illinois, the 1909 and 1910 directories mention a millinery run by Samuel Whitman. The sign above the awning is partially obscured but may read Whitman.

Lastly, the Wilson sign on the right edge of the scene advertises Edgar H. Wilson’s drug store at the northeast corner of Illinois and Maryland Streets (53 South Illinois Street). This business appears in the 1905 directory and remains listed at the same address in 1912. The awning of his store promotes Robert Mantell 10c Cigar.

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