Kruge-Frey Television & Electronic Corp. December 4, 1930 – 1931.                                                        “to generally deal in & with all kinds of electrical supplies, machinery, articles and appliances, including telephones, television, radios, batteries, lamps, and mill factory supplies”. This is a very early date to be selling televisions retail to the public; I don’t think there was a television station in the area. Maybe Kruge and Frey wanted to impress the public that they were modern, cutting edge electricians. Anyway, the business didn’t last. The owners were: August W. Krug – 42 years old, earlier worked for an electric supply company, and later got a job as an engineer for the Omar Baking Company. Helen Kruge –  36 years old, August’s wife. Lewis W. Frey – 36 years old, earlier  worked for the National Car Company as a machinist, and I think later moved to Detroit, Michigan,  to work for an auto company.

An Archive volunteer came across a Civil War burial card for Pvt. John Auten. Auten enrolled at South Bend, Indiana, on April 17, 1861, five days after the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter, the beginning of the Civil War. He joined the 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Co. L, commanded by Indianapolis native, Brig General Thomas Morris. They engaged the Confederates at Laurel Hill, Virginia, the first land battle in the Civil War. Auten was killed  on July 10, 1861, when the 9th Regiment charged the Confederate breastworks, becoming the first Indiana soldier killed in the Civil War. The burial card noted he died at nearby Belington, VA, (now West VA). Three days later his funeral was held at the South Bend, IN, Courthouse.

H. Lauter Furniture Industries, 1907 – 1932. “for the purpose of manufacturing furniture”. This business was located at 55 South Harding St, at the corner of West Washington Street and Harding Street. This was the largest furniture maker in Indianapolis at the time, and its building now houses the H. Lauter Lofts, Luxury Condominiums. This company was earlier started by Herman Lauter, a German immigrant, who was also instrumental in the founding of Manual High School.  I think the company mainly made office desks. Herman died in 1907,so this incorporation must have been a reorganization of the Company’s directors : Alfred Lauter – 35 years old and the son of Herman. Six female family members were also designated as directors.

L.A. Share Company, incorporated on January 26, 1903, “for the purpose of manufacturing, buying and selling Wood Rings, Saddle Reeds, Boxes, and other articles”. The directors were: Horace O. Wright – wholesale dry goods merchant.                                   David Wright – merchant. Louis A. Share – woodworker. Fletcher Hines – grandson of Calvin Fletcher, Indianapolis pioneer, lawyer, banker, large land owner in Marion County. At this time Hines was a horse breeder at Millersville, just northeast of Indianapolis. He might have been living at his uncle’s, Stoughton Fletcher’s, mansion in Millersville, Laurel Hall. There was a horse stable there for many years, through the 1970s, across the street from Laurel Hall.

An Archive volunteer, working on the records of the Soldiers and Sailors Childrens’ Home in Knightown, IN, came across a photo of a the Home’s van made by Indiana Truck. The van is sitting in front of the Home’s original administration building and the photo is marked “ca 1920”. Indiana Trucks were made in Marion, IN, from 1910 to 1933. The company was owned by George C. Harwood and Charles G. Barley.