Irvington Historical Society

08/29/2026

Come join us! We are hosting our second Art and Wine Event at the Bona Thompson Memorial Library on Saturday, October 3 from 6-9PM. We will have three different wine vendors and plenty of non-alcoholic drinks as well. Click on the link for details and tickets. As always, thanks for your support! https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/

08/18/2026

Lost Irvington...

Renowned artist, William Forsyth, and his family used to live on the southeast corner of East Washington Street and Emerson Avenue with...

08/06/2026

Special Display: Stop by the Irvington branch of the Indianapolis Public Library to see two display cases filled with toys from International Harvester. The artifacts are on display throughout August courtesy of Kent Hankins, whose family had deep ties to the plant formerly located on Brookville Road.

08/03/2026

Special Moment: On Sunday, the Irvington Historical Society dedicated the "Steve and Sue Barnett Greater Irvington History Gallery" at the Bona Thompson Memorial Library. The Barnetts have donated thousands of hours for our organization so we wanted to thank them for their service. One room is probably not enough!

08/02/2026

Good morning, Irvington! We are aware that this has not been the greatest weekend for outdoor events, but our little Ice Cream Social will take place today from 1-4 at the Bona Thompson Memorial Library (5350 University Ave). We will have some seating indoors in case Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate. And to further entice you, we realize that we left one of the flavors off our initial list…Cookies and Cream! There will be music by Audio Diner, food from the Wild Boar truck, games by the Black Hat Society, and lastly, we will dedicate our new “Steve and Sue Barnett Greater Irvington History Gallery.” Join us!

07/31/2026

Some of you have asked about the flavors for this year's Ice Cream Social on Sunday....here you go!

07/30/2026

https://vintageirvington.blogspot.com/2026/07/kids-gathered-on-emerson-heights-porch.html

On May 13, 1946, three kids stopped playing at 862 North Bosart Avenue and posed for a photographer who might have been a family membe...

07/27/2026

Don't forget that this Sunday, August 2 is our annual Ice Cream Social from 1-4 at the Bona Thompson Memorial Library. (5350 University Avenue) We wish to thank Sundaes Homemade Ice Cream for being our sponsor. See you then!

07/22/2026

Mystery Location Solved: For years, we wondered where the man in the horse and buggy might be parked. He is not a mystery as “Wesley Cline” was written on the back of the postcard. He gave the image to “Jeffie Lancaster,” a relative. She lived in Indianapolis. If you zoom in, you will see a monument behind him in what looks like a town square. Researching the Cline-Lancaster connection, we were able to figure out that at least one branch of the Cline family lived in Scott and Jefferson Counties in Indiana. And from that we could determine that Wesley (whose real name was Cortez Wesley Randolph) Cline was parked near the Scottsburg, Indiana courthouse. The monument behind him is of William H. English, who was born in Scott County and later became a politician and owner of the English Hotel and Opera House in Indianapolis. Thanks to Glory-June Greiff’s research we know that John Mahoney, the sculptor, dedicated the new monument on the courthouse square in 1907, so Mr. Cline posed sometime after that. Did you follow all of that? Mr. Cline later lived in Indianapolis with his wife and children.

07/18/2026

Before buses and the future Blue Line, there were streetcars in Irvington.

As workers for the new Blue Line (a bus route) work on infrastructure along Washington Street in 2026, they are likely finding remnant...