Columbia Meter Co., incorporated in 1909. The officers were Charles Test – President, and Skiles Test – Secretary & Treasurer. At the time, Charles Test was President of the National Motor Vehicle Co. and his son, Skiles Test, had just graduated from High School. They both lived at 795 Middle Drive, Woodruff Place, Indianapolis. Later, Skiles became an eccentric farmer/inventor who became famous for his home on the northeast side of Indianapolis: The House of Blue Lights.

Central City Realty Co., incorporated in 1911 by Ralph S. Norwood. Ralph might be related to George Norwood, a wagon maker and owner of the “Norwood Block” in early Indianapolis.

Central Amusement Co., incorporated from 1910 to 1927; theater owners with an office at 133-135 N. Illinois St. Directors were Max Flaskamp, born in Germany in 1879, and seems to have been a professional wrestler and promoter in Chicago in the early 1900s; Benjamin V. Barton – theater manager; and Martin Hugg – general practice lawyer. In 1910 they owned the Lyric Theater and two 5-cent moving picture shows in Indianapolis.

German-American Boating Club of Indianapolis, incorporated on February 2, 1906. Its purpose was “to promote friendly and social relations among its members and their associates, and to build and maintain boating facilities for its members”.  They didn’t say where these boating facilities were to be built. Incorporators were Ernest A. Kottlowski – a general contractor & builder; Gus Breuminger – a department manager at Vonnegut Hardware; and William E. Krieger – an undertaker.

Frank Bird Transfer Co., incorporated from June 24, 1890 to April 30, 1929. (Its unusual to find a company in business for this many years in these incorporation papers). Its purpose was “to carry & transmit freight, passengers and baggage to & from the railroads & other points in said city {Indianapolis}”; with their office on Union Street, 319 E. New York Street, and later at 23 W. Henry Street. The officers were Frank Bird – proprietor; Francis L. Golibart – bookkeeper; and Charles Gilliland. The original incorporation papers were notarized by John S. Tarkington, who in 1890 was the manager of Fletcher’s Safe Deposit Co. He was the father of the future author Booth Tarkington and they lived at 598 N. Pennsylvania St.