Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 98, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 March 1915 — Removing An Old Landmark of Rensselaer. [ARTICLE]

Removing An Old Landmark of Rensselaer.

F. M. Parker is tearing away the old house on the corner of McCoy and College avenues, and on the site will erect a modern 7-room' frame bungalow this season. Mr.' Parker expects to sell his fine large home at the north side of town and, with his daughter, Mrs. Clara Andrus, occupy the new house. By the way, the old house now being torn down, is one of the early landmarks of Rensselaer. In its day it was the finest residence in the city and was pointed out with pride by the citizens of the town. As near as The Democrat can learn it was built along in the early 50’s, by James Ballard, who was engaged in the drug business herd and was one of Rensseraer’s yearly druggists. The Ballard family were among the elite of Rensselaer, and their home the pride—and envy .of some—of northwestern Indiana. Mr. Bal.lard was engaged in the drug business here with a man by the name of Clark. At that time there were no other houses along the north side of what is now McCoy avenue, east or west to the river. There was a fine sulphur spring just east of the Ballard place, where the W. S. Parks!, tenant house is now located, and "this spring used to be quite a resort, in fact was about the only place to go, and a walk over to the spring to get a nice cool drink of sulphur water and admire the Ballard home was the proper caper of our local “sawciety” folks in those days.