History of the Raridan Property on Main Street

History

• 1836: Ira Lackey purchases lot 23 Oct 1836.
• 1837: Ira Lackey and George W. Whitman begin building.
• 1845: sold to Leonard S. Avery
• 1851: sold to James Raridan
• 1852: Leander Starr occupies the property
• 1863: sold to Elizabeth J. Hare
• 1864: sold to Margaret S. Raymond
• 1871: sold to E.W. Tuttle
• 1873: sold to J.W. Carpenter
• 1874: sold to W.S. Pierce
• 1878: sold to Anna M. Spriggs
• 1900: sold to Catherine R. Amann
• 1903: sold to Omer Guyton and wife
• abt 1906: sold to Mrs. Hahn, who d. 1931
• 1931: sold to E.H. McCaffrey
• [add more]

References

Source:Cambridge City Tribune (Cambridge City, Wayne, Indiana, United States), 23 Jul 1931, p 1.

HISTORICAL PIONEER RESIDENCE RETAINS BEAUTY, THOUGH NEARLY 100 YEARS OLD, HAS CHANGED OWNERSHIP MANY TIMES

The above is a very correct picture of the beautiful and attractive colonial type residence owned by E.H. McCaffrey and daughter and husband, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Ludington. It is located on the south side of Main street, opposite the Tribune building. The house has been recently redecorated in a cream color trimmed in grass green. The picture shows the vines and shrubbery surrounding in their full foliage and colorings, Nature at its best. We give herewith a brief history of this property, gathered from official records and information given by long-time residents.

These lots were purchased at the public sale of lots of the addition of Cambridge City, west of the river, on October 23, 1836, by Ira Lackey, one of the founders of both east and west Cambridge City, and in 1837 he and George W. Whitman began the erection of this building. The four large columns are of solid timber and were turned and grooved by hand, a task unusual, at least it would be at this time. They sold the property in 1845 to Leonard S. Avery, who occupied it until 1851, when he moved to the property on Capitol Hill now owned by W.E. Eliason, having sold the property of which this is a sketch, to James Raridan, since which time the property is almost always referred to as the Raridan property.

Marshall Starr of Straughn, a half-brother of Franklin S. Reynolds of this place, claims his father Leander Starr occupied this home about the year 1852. Mr. Starr's great-grandfather, John L. Starr is buried in Capitol Hill cemetery and has a marker on the grave furnished by the Government, showing him to have been a veteran of the War of 1812, and it is thought he was also in the Revolutionary War of 1776.

In 1863, Elizabeth J. Hare bought the Raridan property and sold it a year later to Maragret [sic] S. Raymond. In 1871 it again changed owners, E.W. Tuttle taking possession and occupying it until 1873, when it passed to J.W. Carpenter. A year later, 1874, Carpenter disposed of it to W.S. Pierce who kept it for four years, when it 1878 title again passed on to Anna M. Spriggs. She retained the property until 1900 when Catherine R. Amann purchased it and sold it again in 1903 to Mr. and Mrs. Omer Guyton.

Mrs. Hahn became the owner a few years later and made it her home until her death in March of 1931. Mr. McCaffrey and daughter purchased the property during April of this year from the estate of Mrs. Hahn. Both the interior and exterior of the house have been remodeled and modernized throughout by Mr. Guyton and Mrs. Hahn and the present owners. This is one of the finest residence properties built west of the river. It is almost ninety-five eyars old and is still in splendid condition.