Indiana Club
Life Span: 1884-TBD
Location: 3349 Indiana Avenue
Architect: TBD
- Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago, 1887
Indiana Club—3349 Indiana.
- Indiana Club
1884
The Chicago Clubs Illustrated, 1888
The Indiana Club was organized in 1883, for the purpose of promoting social intercourse among its members and their families. The Club occupies the premises at 3349 Indiana Avenue, a handsome and commodious two story brick house, furnished throughout with every comfort and luxury. The billiard and pool rooms, the bowling alley and the dressing rooms are on the first floor, and on the second floor are the parlor, the reception room, the card room and a spacious dancing hall. The Indiana is essentially a family club, the wives and children of the members being entitled to all its privileges.
During the course of the year, entertainments of various kinds, lectures, concerts and balls, are given under the auspices of the Club. The initiation fee is fifty dollars and the dues are twenty dollars a year.
Mr. William H. Harper was elected as the first President of the Indiana, and retained the office for three succeeding terms. Mr. Harper was also again elected in 1887. In 1886, Mr. E. F. Gorton filled the position.
The present management of the Club is as follows: President, Mr. C. E. Seaton; Vice-President, Mr. J. E. Kimball; Secretary, Mr. W. E. Frost; Treasurer, Mr. J. B. Marsh; Board of Directors, Messrs. J. M. Phelps; E. E. Barnard, H. H. Carr, James H. Cooley, J. H. Gilman, C. E. Seaton, J. E. Kimball, W. E. Frost, and J. B. Marsh.
Chicago Tribune, March 28, 1895
After a twelve years’ existence as of the best known family clubs on the South Side the Indiana club, No. 3349 Indiana avenue, has gone out of existence. Decreasing membership, hard times, and the inability to build a new club are some of the reasons for its discontinuance. Unlike most defunct clubs, the Indiana club leaves neither debts nor unpleasant memories to harass its former members. When it was found the amount requisite for the erection of a building was not forthcoming members talked the matter over. Their decision was soon reached. They decided to close club while it was still a place of comfort and good-fellowship and not let it sink into failure. And so, Tuesday night, when the members came for their usual euchre party, they were told what was to happen. They played just as long and earnestly club ever did, but when they left the that night the house old Indiana club, as a club, went out into the night too.
Those euchre parties have been a feature of South Side life for more than ten years. Away back in 1883 a few men lived around Thirty-fourth street and Indiana avenue and who liked bowling got together and rented an alley at No. 3349 Indiana avenue. The bowling alley became so popular that it was decided to make a club of the rest of the house and it was rented. Aug. 2, 1883, articles incorporation for the Indiana club were taken out. The first charter bears the names of A. A. Libbey, E. Gorton. W. Clay, E. A. Turner, T. S. Fauntleroy, W. H. Harper, C. M. Hodgkin, Lumley Ingledew, and B. W. Dodson. The initiation fee was fixed at $50 and the yearly dues were $30. The club was a success at the start and the membership soon reached 150. No liquor of any kind was sold in the club and the place was always open to the women of the members’ families. This increased its popularity and it did well until three years ago. Then the advance in rents caused many of the members to move and the succeeding hard times brought trouble. The rest of the club’s story is told by VicePresident B. R. De Young:
- Two years ago, it became apparent we would need a new clubhouse. The one we had was not modern and had not the conveniences a clubhouse should have to attract members. Many of our members were rich men, and we attempted to get 100 of them to give $250 each for the building of a new house. All we could raise was $4,000. The membership sank to between sixty and seventy and so we determined to close it up. I presided at the last meeting of the club, and a we then found we could close with a small balance to our credit. There is general regret at the closing of the club and there has been some talk of organizing a new one, but I do not think it will come to anything.
Among the prominent, members of the Indiana club were: Ed Pardridge, J. B. Stubbs, Judge Hanecy, Silas Huntley. J. B. Marsh, George L. McCurdy, Chauncey E. Seton. W. H. Purcell, L. C. Streight, S. H. Sweet, Abner Taylor, C. A. Weidenfeller, E. Sturtevant, O. D. Wetherell, Levi B. Dowd, A. A. Libbey, W. D. Marsh, W. H. Harper, E. A. Clark, and F. E. Burley.
This story was turned in by a school child whose name was inadvertently lost. If he or she will communicate with THE TRIBUNE a check for the amount due will be forwarded.
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