EARLY CHILDHOOD - Part 2

Alfred Moehlmann gave us a short introduction to his parents and grandparents prior to his birth and now tells us about his early days:

"It was on October 5^th, 1894 that I was born in a modest 4 room home at 1611 Spann Avenue, Indianapolis a few squares south of the Big 4 Tracks (now the New York Central Ry.)  This was a neighborhood of the working class of people – Since Indianapolis was quite a railroad center there were a lot of employees that lived in this section – Across the street lived a Mr. McCarty, a locomotive engineer, Mr. Kennedy a blacksmith, a colored family 3 doors east of our home by the name of English and he was a porter on a Pullman Car.  Mr. Reed a newspaper man, Uncle Bill Lichtsinn who worked for the Home Stove Co. and kept a team of horses in a barn, back of his home. Father worked at the freight house for the Pennsylvania R.R.  And there were a lot of children in this neighborhood – both Catholic and Protestants. Some of the things that came to mind are that Father’s wages were 28⁰⁰ per month.  Our grocery bill was never allowed to exceed 10⁰⁰ per month.  I have no idea what the payments on our home were."  

 Once again we are given a lot information in this one section.  I might add that I have kept the spelling and punctuation as he wrote it.  He often uses dashes rather than periods at the end of a thought.  

Alfred & Matilda Moehlmann, 1611 Spann Ave. Indianapolis

This is the childhood home of Alfred Moehlmann at 1611 Spann Avenue in Indianapolis, Indiana. Alfred and his mother are standing in the front yard. This photo was taken in about 1900.  

This past November I visited this area of Indianapolis.  Alfred's boyhood home is still there, as are all the homes on Spann Avenue, although a second story has been added to his four room home. When I drove down the street there were cars parked all along the right side of the street and there was barely room for one car to pass down the street. These homes were built before the automobile and so were not designed to accommodate them and, of course, there are no garages. There is an even narrower alley behind the homes.

In an 1889 directory of Indianapolis, Alfred's father's occupation is listed as tallyman.  A tallyman is responsible for the freight in the railway cars. In the 1900 census, many of Alfred's neighbors are working for the railroad.  That $28 salary seems extremely low, but it is equivalent to about $725 today.  

Alfred mentions his Uncle Bill Lichtsinn.  His aunt Anna Moehlmann married William Lichtsinn when she was just 18 and by 1900 had been married 12 years and had six children.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Center, Marion, Indiana; Roll: 389; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0130

So we have a feeling for the neighborhood Alfred lived in and the next installment will tell us more about his schooling and other activities in his neighborhood.
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