The Riverside Historic District [†] encompasses an area of approximately 340 acres of mostly residential neighborhoods generally east of downtown Logansport. There are few empty lots in the area, which appears to have begun development in the 1850s, saw its greatest period of development in the interwar years and has had infill housing and some new development in the years after World War II. Building generally stopped in the area (aside from some commercial infill) by circa 1965. Housing ranges from Greek Revival, to Italianate to Queen Anne, Bungalow and even some ranches. A log cabin (1863) is next to the Jerolaman-Long house and is included in the National Register listing for that property. The cabin was moved to its location in 1974 from the nearby Cass County town of Galveston, Indiana. The styles and eras of the homes in the district tend to be intermingled on the streets. Some of the district is blighted with houses that are boarded up. Others have been divided into numerous apartments. Still others, built as expressions of affluence, remain in fine original condition. The district also includes Riverside Park, some commercial sections, particularly along Market and 12th Streets, and numerous churches. Many of the lots, especially in the northern streets of the district, slope up from the streets and have small retaining walls. The streets are flanked by sidewalks with tree lawns, almost all of which feature mature trees. In areas where trees were removed, younger trees have been planted, adding both continuity and charm to the district. Among the four generally east/west streets, Broadway and Market streets tend to have the bulk of the grander homes, but Market also has the newest development, especially commercial development. The north south streets and the southern sections of the district tend to be lined with worker homes. Most homes have detached garages. In all there are 1330 resources in the district, 14 resources are already listed on the National Register, an additional 1024 are contributing and 293 are non-contributing to the historic district. Most resources are buildings and the vast majority of these are residences—there are also two contributing sites: Riverside Park and the 9th Street Cemetery. There is one contributing object that was previously listed on the National Register, the Dentzel Carousel. Most residences are, or were, single-family dwellings, but many were either built as doubles or were converted to that configuration or another configuration of multi-family housing in the historic period. Most noncontributing resources are garages; there are two non-contributing structures: an ATM and a bank drive-through structure. The district is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its intact architecture, spanning almost 140 years, and for its association with the suburban development of Logansport.
In general terms, properties were considered contributing unless they were constructed after the historic period or had several significant alterations. Typical alterations included new windows, enclosed porches, vinyl or other newer cladding materials and additions. Three or more significant alterations of this sort, or those that made a large addition visible from the facade of the house lowered the property to non-contributing status. Although porches were generally open originally, enclosing a porch did not lower the property's status to non-contributing, unless other changes were made. Alterations made in the historic period (prior to the 1960s) did not typically lower the property's rating to non-contributing. Changes in exterior cladding did not lower the property to non-contributing unless it was obvious that the original cladding had been removed before new cladding was added and other changes had occurred. Because houses in this district were being converted to multi-family units as long ago as the 1930s, these conversions did not make the building non-contributing unless it added significant alterations to the exterior. There are many garages in the district and most of these were constructed in the historic period. Garages were considered contributing unless they were constructed after the historic period, or had significant changes, such as new cladding and changed fenestration, or a large addition. As is true with other resources, changes made in the historic period (as are common in the district) did not lower garage ratings.
The properties described below represent common types of resources within the district. Those described may not be the best examples of this type for they were chosen also to show the distribution of resources across the expanse of the district. All properties described are contributing unless noted otherwise.
Significance
The period of significant from 1828-1967 is the period in which growth happened in the district. The first and remaining oldest resource, the 9th Street Cemetery with its earliest burial in 1828, and the newest contributing resource, the YMCA building on Broadway was completed in 1967.
Riverside Park Historic District is the largest contiguous residential district in Logansport dating to the first 140 years of the town's existence. The district includes the 9th Street Cemetery, which contains burials from as early as 1828 and was officially laid out by the city in the mid-1840s. From this pioneer-era site, the range of resources includes some of the best examples of 19th and early to mid-20th centuries residential architecture in the county. Also within the district, church congregations built premier examples of monumental religious buildings in styles such as gothic regival Revival, Neo-Classical Revival, and Tudor Revival. Some sanctuaries were planned with conventional interiors, some with Akron plan interiors. The city's first, and for many years most important, park, Riverside Park, founded in 1887, is an important part of the district. It contains one of its main attractions, the Dentzel carousel, a National Historic Landmark that was moved to its current location in the 1940s.
Community Planning and Development applies to the cemeteries, which were established as one of the first community efforts in the city and have remained community assets. Criterion A/Entertainment and Recreation applies to Riverside Park, which was and is a significant spot for recreation. Criterion C applies to the architecture of the district. The district was home to merchants, railroad workers, clerks, doctors, skilled craftsmen and domestic workers during its period of significance.
The Riverside Historic District is largely residential, but churches, schools and commercial buildings have always been intermingled in this residential neighborhood. Some of the earliest buildings in the district are churches; though numerically insignificant, the district's churches are highly visible and architecturally noteworthy. The earliest churches are St. Vincent DePaul, a Gothic Revival building built in 1860; the Gothic Revival First Universalist Church built in 1863; and St. James Lutheran Church, a notable Gothic Revival church built in 1867-68. The churches in the district provide an array of building types. Included among them are three that show some of the differing approaches to church design. St. Vincent DePaul and St. James are traditional steeple-front sanctuaries, but Grace Evangelical, circa 1880, has a dramatic, two-story high apse-like polygonal bay placed on the front of the church, between the flanking towers. Classicism influenced American church design for a time, and the district includes notable examples. Christ Scientist, 1913, Faith United Methodist, 1925, and Baptist Temple, 1911 are classical temple-type buildings, the Christian Scientist example even features a central dome, emulating the Pantheon-Villa Rotunda-Monticello design formula. Broadway United Methodist, architect J. E. Crain, and Market Street United Methodist are Romanesque Revival in style. The 9th Street Christian Church, 1906, has an Akron Plan interior and its exterior combines Gothic Revival pointed arches and tracery with Romanesque Revival rock-faced stonework and turrets. An eclectic copper-clad dome with a drum pieced by pointed arch windows housed in gablets caps the massive church. Trinity Episcopal Church, another stone Gothic Revival building, shows a return to Gothic traditions with its side-tower plan and conventional nave. Congregations anchored their place in the community by building rectories and church schools, including the St. Vincent DePaul School designed in 1895 by local architect, J. L. Rhodes.
The district has homes of nearly every popular domestic style constructed in the U.S. between 1850 and the 1960s. The oldest of the extant buildings appear to be Greek Revival in style. One of the earliest homes, the Lincoln House or Hamilton House at 719 Market Street, was constructed circa 1850 (shown in background of as a private home in Greek Revival style and later added on to and turned into a hotel. It is one of a few Greek Revival buildings in the district, distinguished by that style's symmetry and relatively unadorned design. A few vernacular Italianate houses from the last quarter of the 19th century can be found in the district. The Kendrick Baldwin House at 706 E. Market Street (listed on the National Register) is one example. The style, along with Gothic Revival (which is not common in the district), was popularized in the U.S. by Andrew Jackson Downing in The Architecture of Country Houses and other writings. Styles from the turn of the century: Queen Anne and Eastlake-influenced houses are represented in the district. These were America's adaptation of English styles distinctive for their irregular massing, complicated roof lines and elaborate decoration. The house at 621 Market St. is a large-scale Queen Anne house. Its complex massing, brick walls with stone trim, and original wooden porch make it a good example of the style. Italianate houses are commonly found in the blocks of the district that are closer to downtown in what would have been the walking suburb of the late 19th century.
The largest numbers of homes of a particular period are those from the first quarter of the 20th Century. Two-story Craftsman style homes and bungalows are well-represented within the district. The popularity of the Arts and Crafts movement, which began in England and crossed the Atlantic to become popular in America in the early 20th century, is displayed in Craftsman-style homes in the district, see for instance the house at 1616 High Street. The bungalow plan was a referent to houses in India during the heyday of the British Empire. In the U.S., the bungalow is an American house style which also has antecedents in the British Arts and Crafts Movement. Although the bungalow was considered a modern house style, the Arts and Crafts Movement from which it and the larger two-story Craftsman style homes sprang was a celebration of the craftsmanship of artisans of previous centuries. The bungalow at 1131 High Street is an example.
The most common house plan in the district is the American Foursquare. There are Foursquares with Craftsman details and Foursquares with Colonial Revival details. There are stucco, brick and frame Foursquares in the district. While some cite influences for the American Foursquare springing from the work of the Prairie-style architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, there were a handful of earlier architects who used this plan prior to Wright. As its name implies, the American Foursquare is considered an American architectural style. There are a great number of 20th Century Revival style homes within the district. American Colonial Revival homes became popular especially following the Chicago Exposition of 1893, where Daniel Burnham's classically inspired White City prompted Americans to revisit their roots. There are a number of Colonial Revival style homes within the district, ranging in construction dates from about 1920 to about 1940. European Revival style homes became popular after World War I when soldiers returning from Europe brought back with them an interest in the architectural styles of older countries. Tudor Revival styles are probably the most common of this type within the district, but there are also a number of English Cottage-style homes.
It's probable that at least a few residents of Riverside Historic District also purchased mail-order kit homes or hired the Architect's Small House Service Bureau to design them, but none of these types were conclusively identified. Small houses are found as infill on some streets, such as the group of three noted on North Street and were probably constructed as the first homes on some lots in the district in the 1920s.
The Art Deco style, which emerged after the Exposition internationale des arts decoratifs et industriels modernes in France in 1925 is represented by the former Longfellow School 729 High Street.
By the late 1940s and stretching to the end of the 1960s, a new American style emerged. The ranch home swept the nation from the west to the east coast. A few modest ranches are found in the district as infill. The district includes stellar religious architecture and a few contributing commercial buildings from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, as well as two substantial buildings from the 1960s: the U. S. Post Office (1965) and the YMCA (1967). Both of these buildings had and continue to have significant impact on the district. The Post Office was constructed to plans from the Post Office Department Building Design book shown on Plate 43. 8 A simple, modern, 4,000 square-foot building, it occupies one side of a block of Market Street, one of the city's most important commercial corridors. Construction of the modernist YMCA began with the demolition of four homes on Broadway, but the "new" building became important, both in terms of recreation and because it is a substantial modernist architectural statement occupying a prominent location in the district. Buildings within the district span more than a century and a half of construction and range from relatively modest to relatively high-style architecture. The Riverside Historic District is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C for this collection.
Community Planning and Development
The earliest remnant of the pioneer era remaining in Logansport is the 9th Street pioneer cemetery. Its planning and use were among the first communal activities of nascent Logansport. General John Tipton donated the ground in 1828. He did not officially record the land, however, and after his death in 1839, his will administrator, represented by Chauncey Carter as commissioner appointed by the court, conveyed three hundred acres of land designated as 9th Street Cemetery, to the city of Logansport as a graveyard and burial ground. On September 29, 1846, Chauncey Carter, as surveyor, platted the ground by direction of the city council. Although the city first laid out the cemetery in 1846, the earliest burial there on this land was in 1828. General Tipton established another early family burial ground on land he called Spencer Square, also located in the vicinity 9th Street. Although it was not designated as a cemetery, Tipton buried his wife there in 1838 and then other family members. He was also buried on the land in 1839. After his death much of the surrounding land was sold and subdivided. The city lost a lawsuit against Tipton's heirs in which it was stated that the land was intended to be a public square. The land was eventually sold, Tipton's and others' graves were removed to the 9th Street Cemetery, and St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church, according to Jehu Powell's History of Cass County (1913), is built on top of some of the remaining burials.
The Riverside Historic District includes nine early additions to the original plat of Logansport and General John Tipton's First Addition laid out in 1833. Included in this area Tipton's Second, Third, and Fourth Additions laid out by 1835; Tipton's Administrator's First and Second Additions, platted by 1843; John P. Usher's 1863 Addition; George T. Tipton's First Addition of 1853; part of Noah S. LaRose's First Addition, 1867; and the 1873 Sarah M. Tipton Addition.
Enterprising businessmen began operating "herdies," horse-drawn hacks, in the city in 1881. The route of the "herdies" included streets within the Riverside Historic District: it ran along Broadway, to 12th Street, igniting some commercial development in that area, then south to Smead (outside the district), then east to 15th Street and back along Broadway. However, after an initial interest in the novelty, ridership diminished until the service closed about six months later.
As late as 1885, the Sanborn Map of the city showed few new additions/subdivisions in the area that is now Riverside Historic District, but streets were laid out through the area and residential development was occurring, aided, in part, by the introduction of the city's first mule-drawn streetcars in 1883. The Janny Electric Light Co., was already in operation where today's power and light company is now, by 1885. Along 11th and 12th streets some commercial development had occurred, including a cigar store, drugstore, a butcher, barber, and a blacksmith on 12th Street. Market Street has been an important commercial street in the city from the earliest years and commercial development expanded along that street as the city stretched out to the east. Although many in the surrounding neighborhoods could walk to these commercial spots, the Logansport Street Railway bolstered commercial areas, providing easy access to those outside of an easy walk from the original commercial and residential development near downtown Logansport. By 1885 the Logansport Street Railway was located at northeast corner of Broadway and 18th St.
In the year 1887 the city exchanged 23 building lots with Sarah and Nibah Richardson for the land along the south bank of the Eel River that became Riverside Park. By the 1890s, Sanborn Maps reveal that streetcars ran along High, North, Broadway, Market and Spencer streets which all ran through the city in an east/west direction, and along the north/south direction streets of 8th, 9th, and 12th streets. Streetcars sometimes followed and sometimes opened development. The housing stock in the district, which with some exceptions is generally older closer to downtown and newer as one goes further east away from downtown, shows this progression of development occurred in tandem with streetcar access in this period, a trend that occurred across the nation in the late 19th century.
The 1887 City Directory shows the occupations of some of the residents of the district. Along High Street, many residents were working class, but there were also some wealthier residents in large homes there. W. H. Anderson was a railroad brakeman who lived at 11th and High Street. John Baker, a driver, lived at High and 16th. Florence Barrett, was a domestic, probably working and living in the house shown as her residence at 1229 High St., an Italianate cube that is extant. William Bell was a farmer residing at 1225 High Street with his son. That address no longer exists on High Street. Charles Morris was a brakeman for the C, St. L. & P. R. R. and shared a dwelling with John Morris, butcher, at 721 High. Lizzie Smith, a teacher, lived at 1134 High. Kate Fox was a domestic at 927 Market. Mary Brennake was a domestic at 813 North. John D. Dunkle was an entrepreneur in "oils' living at 1110 Broadway. Jacob Herz, a merchant tailor lived at 1006 Broadway. James B. Lynas was a physician at 1128 Broadway, now an empty lot. Mollie Morphet was a domestic at 1006 Broadway, also an empty lot. Daniel E. Dryer, was a druggist living at 710 Broadway, his business was at 516 Broadway.
In 1898 the Logansport Common Council approved the installation of sewers to 19th Street and from Spear to High Street in the district. Costs were assessed to the property owners who benefitted from the connection to city sewer, all of whom lived in the historic district.
By 1901, most of the streets of the district were lined with houses. That year's City Directory entries only stretched to the 2300 block on the city's east side. Residents within the district included working-class, middle-class, and some wealthy persons: John J. Hildebrandt, president of John J. Hildebrandt, and Katherine Hildebrandt lived at 817 High Street. He was "the celebrated manufacturer of hand made fishing tackle," according to Western Field Magazine. Benjamin Stevens, of the firm Stevens & Busjahn and an officer in the Indiana State Medical Association, lived at 817 Market. Edward Gohl, engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad Panhandle line, resided at 1127 Market. Linus J. Olson, (wife Alma S.), a foreman at C. A. Eberlein a roofing slate and galvanized tin company, 1127 North St. Philip M. Shank (Lillian), was a harnessmaker for Thomas Meyer; they lived at 1127 High St. Jennie Bryer, a dressmaker, resided at 724 North. Ballard E. Emerson (Ella F.), editor of Ballard Pub. Co., lived at 1207 North Street. Francis M. Johns, (Henrietta C.) a conductor at the Panhandle line, occupied 1616 Market. John Turley, a postal carrier, and Carl Turley, a railroad brakeman, lived at 1616 North Street. Teresa Baker, (widow of John) owner of the Baker Ice Co., and several of her children live at 1600 High. Samuel E. Howe (Catherine), a manufacturer of handles, lived at 704 North Street. Frank B. Wilkinson (Julia) Secretary and Treasurer of the Logansport Foundry Co., lived at 907 North. George Westerman (Addie) was a grocer residing at 2322 Broadway; his business was at 1401 Broadway. J. B. Skinner (Sarah L) was a manager at Central Union Telephone and Wm. S. Skinner (Mathilda), was electrician. They all lived at 2314 Broadway. Hugh Hillhouse (Sarah E) was a carpenter living at 1231 Market. Albert H. Douglass (Elizabeth E.) was the superintendent of public schools; his office was in the high school building at 7th and Broadway, and his family lived at 1219 Broadway. Zola Hipsher, domestic, worked and resided at 719 Market.
The Sanborn Map of 1906 shows that streetcar service extended to at least 19th Street on the east/west direction streets of Broadway, North, Market and Spear, but the furthest north/south direction street with a streetcar track was 14th. Soon enough the family car would become the most important means of transportation in Logansport. Along with the car came garages usually built behind the houses.
By 1913 all of the area in the district was incorporated into the City of Logansport. In 1916, the Logansport newspaper included a special section about local manufactureres. Some of those noted were within in the district. Frank H. Lux, a producer of "Pure Milk and Cream" lived and had his business at 1318 High Street. Mrs. Ella Henderson was a milliner producing ladies' hats at her home at 1504 High Street.
In 1918, although the city tried to stop it from doing so, the Fort Wayne and Northern Indiana Traction Company removed the streetcar tracks that had carried travelers along High Street. The Broadway line continued in operation. That year local society news noted that a resident of the district, Mrs. L. E. Murray, 1000 High Street, hosted a group of young women making Red Cross compresses for the soldiers in World War I. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Kelly lived at 705 North Street. Mrs. James Hooley's daughter 1613 High Street, was in training at Cincinnati Hospital and like many others that were mentioned in the newspaper in 1918, she had contracted the influenza. In 1923, the owners of the brick Italianate house at 1012 Market Street, placed their "modern" home up for sale. The advertisement noted that it had nine rooms, hardwood floors, three beautiful fireplaces, four bedrooms, and a full cellar. Perhaps already feeling the hard times that would hit the country as a whole in a few more years, the owners noted in the ad that they would accept a small house in lieu of cash on the sale.
By the late 1930s America was in the throes of the Great Depression. But local "society" continued to make the news, although much of that news was about church organizations. Mentions in the newspaper for January 5, 1937 included that members of Baptist Temple met with Mrs. C. B. Parrish at her home at 1432 High Street. Members of Market St. Methodist Episcopal Church met at Mrs. C.R. Messerley's at 1931 High Street. Dorothy Ann Latz lived at 923 Spear Street. She was either celebrating her 8th or her 80th birthday (the type is unclear). Miss Flora Wharton hosted a Daughters of the American Republic meeting at her home at 720 E. Market Street. Mrs. P. H. Copeland, of 823 North Street, held a meeting of the Women's Progressive Club.
In 1938, Rev. and Mrs. R. E. Vance of 1400 High Street entertained members of Broadway United Brethren (U. B.) Church. Mrs. Blanche Huffman at 901 North Street entertained the Broadway U. B. women. Mrs. Garnet Davis entertained members of Mizpah Lodge at 2302 High Street. Mrs. A. A. Williams hosted the G.I.A. Social Club of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers at 1923 North Street. Mrs. Leroy Collins 1304-1/2 East Broadway hosted the 9th Street Christian Church Guild. Mrs. Ella Henderson, of 1431 High Street, hosted a luncheon for the White Rose Club. And Mrs. A. E. Pruitt entertained members of 9th Street Christian Guild Division at 1419 North Street. In 1939, probably at least partially funded or supported by a Franklin Roosevelt make-work program, the city constructed the Art Deco Longfellow School in the district.
A decade later, World War II was over and the streets in the district retained most of their existing housing. In May 1949, Ralph E. Hall invested $100 in repairs for his house at 1531 High Street. Likewise, Alice Weber chose to repair her existing house at 712 Broadway to the tune of $75. Harry Houston invested $400 on a wall (presumably in his yard) at 2216 North Street. Most modern development took place along the fringes of the city, east of 26th Street in the Roselawn addition and along east Spear Street, for instance. Within the district, the residents who had older homes were building garages for their new cars. The streetcars were no longer running in Logansport and the family automobile had become the transportation choice for these residents. The 1950s and 1960s brought more new construction, A few open lots in the district were infilled with modern houses in the post-war years, including a row of three houses in the 2200 block of North Street. Modest ranch houses were infilling some of the empty lots where larger, older homes had stood. Although evidence suggests that some of the larger houses were subdivided into apartments even as early as the mid-1920s, by the end of the 1960s and accelerating after, some of the several old homes and churches in the district were subdivided into apartments. Several houses in the district, most notably along High Street have been remade into multi-family units. A new joint YMCA/YWCA was constructed on Broadway in 1967, the last significant contributing building constructed within the district boundaries.
Recreation: Riverside Park
The city purchased the land that became Riverside Park, which forms part of the boundary on the north side of the district, in 1875. It was the city's first public park and was a locally significant outdoor recreation spot for Logansport. It included 10 acres of land on the south side of Eel River. For several years, the city did little to develop the park. An 1890 plat of the park, supported by the Logansport Federation of Trade, included drives, playgrounds, artificial lakes and flower gardens. However, the improvements did not come quickly.
In 1898 the city considered selling the park, but citizens strongly favored saving it. Judge D. H. Chase was one of many who spoke out against selling Riverside Park in the Logansport Pharos- Tribune. He said: "The council should do no such thing. It should instead at once proceed to fill in those lagoons, and level the ground, plant quick growth trees and otherwise put Riverside Park in shape for public use."37 Citizens saved the park and improvements began soon after, continuing into the early years of the 20th Century. By 1916, the newspaper reported often about local company's baseball teams vying against each other at the park's diamonds.
Although baseball games received the most press, Sunday School classes, social clubs and class reunions were reported as in society news when they gathered in the park for picnics under the trees. The city's July 4th and Labor Day celebrations occurred in the park in the 1910s, and in 1920 municipal government invested the money required to add tennis courts, a pavilion, lighting, and other park fixtures.
Families and larger groups continued to use the park as a sports and recreation venue and gathering spot over the subsequent years. In 1949, Harold Thomas moved the Dentzel Carousel from Logansport's Spencer Park (where only 2 customers had ridden it in 1948) to Riverside Park. Spencer Park, founded 1892, is located about 10 blocks east of the east edge of the Riverside Historic District. At Riverside Park, the carousel became another popular attraction until it closed after its owner's death in 1969. Various community groups have funded its maintenance and restoration campaigns over the years. Now housed in a specially designed building, the carousel continues to attract families to the park, as do the park's baseball diamond and river viewing possibilities.
Riverside Park Historic District is the largest contiguous residential district in Logansport. It is also the district with the oldest identified resource. Development began in the district with the birth of the city with 9th Street Cemetery, which contains burials from as early as 1828 and was officially laid out in the mid-1840s. From this pioneer-era site, the development in the district includes some of the best examples of 19th and early to mid-20th centuries residential architecture in the county. The district also contains most of the best examples of monumental religious buildings in the city in numerous styles. The city's first public park, Riverside Park, is a 19th century entertainment and recreation resource in the district. The Riverside Historic District expanded over the 140 years of its existance, giving us a unique look at close-in suburban development in the city, from its earliest years when residents could walk to work from their own front doors, to the late years of the 19th century when streetcar service allowed them to build homes further away from work, and on to the years when the family automobile expanded suburbanization even further east. Although the district has evolved over time, with some losses, and some infill construction, and the division of single-family homes into multi-family residences began here in the early 20th century, Riveside Historic District has substantial integrity of residential, commercial and religious buildings built within its period of significance
Developmental History/Additional historic context information
The Indiana General Assembly organized Cass County in 1829. Commissioners named Logansport the county seat A year earlier the state had authorized construction of the Michigan Road. The route ran through Logansport.
Logansport was numbered on the Philadelphia Plan with each block containing 100 numbers. Even numbers were on south and west side. First Street was established as the basis for numbering east to west and High Street was the basis for numbering north to south between the rivers.
In 1841 Job Elridge, Thomas Cummings, and Isaac Clary built the first courthouse in Logansport. Just seven years later, in 1848, the Lake Michigan, Logansport & Ohio River Railroad Company constructed a rail line through town. The New Castle & Richmond, Logansport & Chicago and Toledo, Wabash & Western followed in the 1850s. 44 In 1867 the Logansport & Burlington Turnpike Company built a 14-mile gravel road through the city. Other companies built more turnpikes over the coming years. The first streetcar started less than 20 years later on May 20, 1883.
By the early 20th Century, Logansport was expanding to the east, but streets nearer downtown were also continuing to fill with houses into the 1920s. In 1921, the Indiana Service Corporation abandoned streetcar service to Logansport's "Northside." Within a short time, the company shut down all streetcar service in the city. On April 1, 1925, Logansport celebrated the opening of a new city hall, a new hospital, a new fire station, and the new Barnes hotel. This development represented almost a million dollars in investments.
The Great Depression stymied growth in the city, as it did across the nation, but the U.S. entry into World War II brought an end to the depression. The war years were hard, both at the front and at home. After the war, the population increased and new housing began to spring up, particularly around the city's fringes. In 1940, the population of Logansport was 20,177; by 1949 it had reached 23,200. Part of the explanation for the increase was the new factories that had located in the city. To accommodate these new residents, between 1940 and 1946, 243 new homes were built in Logansport, increasing the city's total count of residences to more than 5,500.
Between 1960 and 1969, an additional 231 new homes were constructed in Logansport and its environs, mostly at the city's edges. This relatively low number includes infill housing within the Riverside Historic District and modern homes added along the eastern blocks of Broadway.
† Connie Zeigler, owner, C. Resources, for the nomination, Riverside Historic District, nomination document, 2019, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.
