Downtown Hammond in the 1920s....
 

Probably more photos of downtown Hammond, Indiana, have been taken from this location on Hohman Avenue than any other place.
It is where Hohman Avenue bends south and is referred to as "Broken Corner" by early residents. The camera
could safely be set up on the sidewalk and the photographer could look straight north for this iconic picture.
One can see remnants of the Liberty Hall construction on the right. The fence seems to be in place and the wooden
building sits in the front yard of Central School. Taken from a glass plate negative (Calumet History Room, IUN)
the photo is dated 1926. The water fountain that once sat on the curb at the right is removed, suggesting that
the use of horse drawn carriages has diminished.

 
Looking North on Hohman Avenue from Broken Corner.
To the extreme right you can see the water fountain for horses. It was in front of Central High School (not pictured).

Taken from the third floor of the Goldblatt's Department Store, looking northeast at the intersection of Homan and Sibley, crowds assemble for a parade in 1917. Children relish being able to run in the streets while traffic is halted. The sign for the Towle Theater can be seen at the far right.

	1917 was not without its challenges. Here the Hammond Fire Department reports to a fire alarm. What do you see in this picture? Can you see the horse drawn pumper in the middle center? Where is the fire? Look at the spectators. Where are they assembled and where are they looking?  It appears it is the old Lion store (Kaufman & Wolf) is having a fire... The fire engine with the ladder will reach the roof of the store that is on fire, but wait! Can you put the ladder up against the building with the power lines in the way? And where is the photographer who took this picture? Is he on the roof of the burning building? It is approximately 10 a.m. on a warm day. See the length of the shadows from the east? Although the men seem to have business suits on, a convertible in the lower right suggests it was warmer than 70 degrees. (View: Hohman & Sibley, from the west side of the street, looking north)
	This rare 1911 high resolution image is taken from the corner of Hohman Avenue & State Street, looking North. The hotel on the left (west side of Hohman) is named the Maine Hotel and was later to become the Indiana Hotel. The railroad tracks comprise "the Diamond" where two sets of rails intersect with one another. Streetcars were used constantly to get around the region. A man on a bicycle can be seen peddling north near the railroad crossing.

			This is what you were apt to see in the display windows of retail shopping stores in downtown Hammond, Indiana, during the 1920s.

Downtown Hammond, Indiana, during the 1920's. This picture, looking South from the NW corner of
Hohman and Sibley shows active retail shopping and automotive traffic.
(Photo courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress. Not to be lifted or posted without credit to sources.)

Downtown Hammond, Indiana, during the 1920's. This picture, looking South from the NE corner of
Hohman and Sibley shows active retail shopping and automotive traffic.
(Photo courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress. Not to be lifted or posted without credit to sources.)

Downtown Hammond, Indiana, during the 1920's. This picture, looking South from the NE corner of
Hohman Avenue and State Street (then called Ivy) shows active retail shopping and automotive traffic.
(Photo courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress. Not to be lifted or posted without credit to sources.)

The State Theater on State Street in downtown Hammond. The Granada Theater shares the
complex and is located at the right of the building (west end).
(Photo courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress. Not to be lifted or posted without credit to sources.)

State Theater in 1926 photo. Movie theaters were the first to have air conditioning
and it was very popular when temperatures outside soared.

These images and the web pages are maintained by Richard Barnes, HHS'59.

Visit us for more pictures and history of Hammond, Indiana at
www.hhs59.com
email us at:
hhs59@yahoo.com

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