Saturday, October 11, 2025
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: STEPHENSON RIFE ATTORNEYS
HISTORY: AUTOMOBILES OF 1923
from the files of David Craig, Shelby County Historian
The brand names Nash, Studebaker and Hupmobile probably mean little to today’s car shopper. In 1923, these makes of automobiles were very popular.
In 1923, Studebaker was the world’s largest manufacturer of six-cylinder cars. These autos were known as the “Studebaker Light Six.” The Studebaker was manufactured in South Bend, Indiana. There were also plants in Detroit, Michigan and Walkerville, Canada.
The Studebaker touring car of 1923 was a convertible, as were many cars of the period. There were storm curtains to cover the sides of the car to protect against inclement weather. The 1923 Studebakers had no plastic body parts. The body was all steel. The spring seats were leather-covered and plush.
The Studebaker roadster was a single-seated auto. It was advertised as a three-passenger vehicle. Some of the refinements of the roadster were a one-piece windshield, cowl ventilator, and storm curtains that opened with the door. A very spacious trunk was another convenience of the Studebaker roadster. The parking lights of the 1923 Studebakers were located at the base of the windshield.
The Hupmobile was another product of Detroit, Michigan. In 1923, the Hupmobile dealership in Shelbyville was located at 26 West Jackson Street. Hupmobile manufactured a large five-passenger touring car for 1923, and also a five-passenger closed-compartment sedan. The model most popular with doctors and traveling businessmen was the Hupmobile two-passenger coupe.
Between August 7 and October 6, 1922, a Hupmobile was driven on a durability test. The course was in the Rocky Mountain region of Idaho and Utah.
The Hupmobile ran for 58 days until the fan belt broke. The belt was replaced and the car driven another two days. During the run, the Hupmobile averaged 21.5 miles per gallon. Eighteen drivers worked eight-hour shifts during the 60-day run. The Hupmobile dealers used the 1922 endurance test as a major selling point for the 1923 models.
Another automobile line popular in 1923 was the Nash. The Nash auto was manufactured in Milwaukee and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Nash touring car of 1923 could be purchased with a folding or permanent top. An automatic windshield wiper was standard equipment. Silken window shades could be purchased for the five-passenger sedan.
Another well-known automobile manufacturer was Buick. For 1923, Buick offered seven six-cylinder models and four four-cylinder models. The main office of the Buick Motor Car Company was located in Flint, Michigan. The Buick engine featured a valve-in-head design. This was to prevent damage to the engine.
One very popular model was the Buick three-passenger roadster. The roadster had a large space behind the seat for suitcases. There was also a spacious trunk. The three passenger roadster was priced at $1,365 ($25,000 in today’s money).
An extremely large seven-passenger open car was also available in 1923. Two seats unfolded from the rear of the front seat to allow for extra passengers. The price of the seven-passenger model was $1,585 ($30,000 in today’s money).
The price of a new automobile in 1923 seems relatively low to today’s prices. However, we have features that no one even dreamed would be on cars in 1923.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: FULL CANOPY REAL ESTATE
NOTEBOOK:
Shelbyville will once again take the national stage this December as host of the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships, an event expected to draw more than 14,000 visitors, nearly double the city’s population. City and event organizers are inviting Shelbyville and Shelby County business owners to a briefing and collaboration meeting at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 13, in the City Hall Council Chambers, 44 W. Washington St. The session will outline the event’s economic impact, strategies for managing increased visitor traffic, and opportunities for local marketing and promotion. Businesses will also learn how to be featured at no cost in a city-sponsored marketing packet for visiting athletes and families. A virtual attendance option is available at zoom.us/j/81944873331.
HOOSIER NEWS: The Indianapolis Colts hope to demolish a former industrial building at 315 W. McCarty St., south of Lucas Oil Stadium, to create more parking for fans. The 13,000-square-foot structure, once home to Indianapolis Welding Supply, was part of a $5.45 million land purchase in 2020. The team will ask the Marion County regional center hearing examiner on Oct. 23 for approval to replace it with a gravel lot. Over the past five years, the Colts have bought more than 12 acres around the stadium, largely used for tailgating and game-day parking, with no current plans beyond surface use. The expansion follows ongoing redevelopment nearby, including a $75 million apartment project by TWG Development and a proposed hotel and apartment complex on South Meridian Street. (IBJ)
NATIONAL NEWS: U.S. corn farmers are bracing for losses of more than $160 per acre in 2025 as rising costs for fertilizer, seeds, pesticides and equipment continue to squeeze profits, according to industry estimates. Despite financial strain, modern technology has made farms remarkably productive: farmers harvested 2% fewer acres last year than in 1924 but produced 729% more corn. The broader agricultural market also faces global pressures. Roughly 60% of the $45 billion in U.S. soybeans, meal and soy oil produced each year is exported, but America’s share of global corn exports has fallen to 33%, down from 59% in 2004. The decline stems from trade wars and rising competition from countries like Brazil, which has overtaken the U.S. as the top exporter of both corn and soybeans after investing heavily in farmland, technology, and infrastructure. The last trade war alone cost farmers more than $27 billion in export losses, partially offset by $23 billion in federal aid. Today, most U.S. corn and soybeans are used for fuel, animal feed, or exports, with only a small portion processed into food products, about 3% of corn goes into corn syrup for sodas and energy drinks. (Wall Street Journal)
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LOCAL LOOK-BACK
Hendricks Elementary Yearbook, 1985-86
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: MAJOR HEALTH PARTNERS
This Day in Shelby County History
Local headlines reported on or around this date in Shelby County history. Selections are curated by The Addison Times from Shelby County Public Library Genealogy Department materials.
2005: Work began to install a long-awaited traffic signal at the busy intersection of East State 44, Lee Boulevard and the exit ramp of I-74.
1995: About 60 homeowners from the Briarpatch Woods subdivision north of Pleasant View attended a county commissioners meeting to again complain about chipped and sealed roads in front of their homes. Previous complaints led to the county running an automatic sweeper over the roads to reduce the dust and loose gravel.
1985: After 28-year-old Peter Douglas of Geneva had been killed in a farm accident, more than a half-dozen neighbors joined forces to finish the Douglas family’s soybean harvest. Eight combines worked the 70-acre field near Flat Rock, completing in hours what would have taken Douglas several days.
1975: A dance and Bump Contest was held at Blue River Inn, 23 West Jackson St. from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. to celebrate the bar’s ninth anniversary.
1965: The Geller Company announced plans to open a Dollar Discount Store in the former Penney Store location at 42 E. Washington St. The company would have 12 employees.
1955: The Major T. Jester Department Store celebrated its 45th anniversary with a monthlong sales event. The store, originally founded as Goodman’s in 1910 and purchased by Major Jester in 1938, was located on Public Square. To mark the milestone, more than 150 prizes valued at over $600 were awarded during the celebration.
1945: In the postwar “Air Age,” many Shelbyville residents were learning to fly and supporting efforts to build a municipal airport, The Shelbyville Republican reported. Local leaders cited the growing importance of air travel and freight transport, predicting that cities without airports would be left behind much like towns bypassed by railroads after the Civil War.
1935: More than 1,300 schoolchildren and over 100 decorated vehicles participated in Shelbyville’s Discovery Day parade, sponsored by the Lions Club minstrel committee and the Shelbyville Recreation Association. The event featured the Shelbyville High School band led by drum major Jack Estell and drew hundreds of spectators along the downtown route. Parade prizes were awarded to T.Y. Mings ($2), J. Krebs ($1, oldest bicycle rider), H.K. Morris (one-year subscription to The Democrat for youngest rider), and Patricia Hulsman ($1, best float).
1925: Petty thieves stole a number of car accessories from vehicles parked downtown for the Fall Festival. Steering wheels, dash lights and flash lights were all taken.
1915: Harry E. and Lena Rigelsberger traded their business building on East Washington Street to Samuel N. Patterson of Greensburg in exchange for several properties in Woodruff Place, Indianapolis. The Shelbyville property was valued at $12,000, while the Indianapolis holdings were valued at $16,000.
ADDISON TIMES MAJOR SPONSOR: Freeman Family Funeral Homes & Crematory
OBITUARIES
Judith “Judy” Lee Schoentrup, 87, of Shelbyville, died Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. She was born Oct. 28, 1937, in Bellevue, Ky., to Wayne and Virginia (Brinkman) Hiser. Judy was the wife of John Schoentrup for 61 years, until his death in 2019.
In 1954, Judy graduated from St. Paul High School. A woman of deep faith and strong community ties, she was a dedicated member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. After retiring in 2015 from Cossairts Florist, where she worked for 17 years, Judy continued to volunteer with Shelby Senior Services and Major Hospital. She served on the Shelby County Fair Board as second vice president and treasurer, and was active in the Friendly Fennettes Home Demonstration Club and Kappa Delta Phi, Psi Iota Chapter, where she was a 68-year member.
Judy’s legacy is carried on by her son, John R. Schoentrup, and his wife, Sandra; and her grandchildren, Anthony and Sara Schoentrup. In 1976, Mette Videcrantz was welcomed into the Schoentrup home as an exchange student and became like a daughter.
She was preceded in death by her husband and her parents.
Visitation is Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Freeman Family Funeral Homes and Crematory, 819 S. Harrison St., Shelbyville. The rosary will be recited at 4:30 p.m. A funeral service will follow at the funeral home, with inurnment at a later date in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made at the family’s request to Kappa Delta Phi in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared with Judy’s family at freemanfamilyfuneralhomes.com.
Kelly A. Burton, 63, of Shelbyville, died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, at Methodist Hospital. She was born Dec. 10, 1961, in Shelbyville, the daughter of Jan Land and Wanda Sue (Smith) Land. She married David Burton on June 4, 1987, and he preceded her in death on Jan. 3, 2011. Survivors include her father, Jan Land of Corydon; three children, David Burton (Kimmie) of Mooresville, Kristy Burton (Matt Metelko) of Shelbyville, and Michelle Johnson (Brandon) of Shelbyville; 10 grandchildren, Dia Johnson, Jaylin Butler, Derrick Burton, Aireus Butler, Jasmine Johnson, Brandon Johnson Jr., Myklynn Burton, Lukas Metelko, Khloee Metelko and Brylee Burton; and several great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her mother and her husband, David.
Kelly lived in this area her entire life and graduated from Shelbyville High School in 1979. She worked in retail sales for Kroger and Walmart for several years. Kelly enjoyed reading, making jewelry and spending time with her family and grandchildren. She also dearly loved her cats.
Visitation will be Friday, Oct. 17, 2025, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Glenn E. George & Son Funeral Home, 437 Amos Road. Memorial contributions may be made to Autism Speaks, in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be shared at glennegeorgeandson.com.
Another great David Craig article