Driving down the Lloyd Expressway, I noticed another old building meeting its fate. Let's take a look at the life of what was once dubbed the North Side's "Motor Row"
The building at 14 W Indiana St, situated opposite the drive-thru of the North Main McDonald's was a sizable brick building that had been vacant and for sale for some time. The rear portion of the building dates back to around 1900 and was built as a expansion of the Newton-Kelsay Co, manufacturers of hames and other collar pieces. At one time there appears to have been a catwalk over the alley to the main buildings fronting Division St. The building was later expanded to Indiana St most likely for the same company.
Around 1929 the building was remodeled for a Reo distributor, and it became the sales and service agency for the Reo-Evansville Company. The building still standing (to the right,west) was built about this time for the Tri-State Motor Sales Co, a Desoto dealer. The two helped earn the nickname Motor Row for the growing North Main area. Nearly a block of Indiana St from Main St to Baker Ave was devoted to automobile sales and service.
The building was the Capital Paper Company around 1950 and later a wholesale liquor. The building was for sale recently, but with no takers it met the wrecking ball this week.
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