This photo from the collection of Vernon Earle.

It was taken around 1922 looking north on Bellefontaine (Guilford Avenue today) from about where the Kroger was. On the right is the still standing Mustard Hall. North across 63rd Street (Broad Ripple Avenue today) is the Broad Ripple Traction Station, as listed in the Polk City Directory. Today this is part of Brothers Bar and Grill [G5 on map]. According to the city directory, the Broad Ripple Post Office was the white building to the east of that.

On the west side of Bellefontaine is a sign that appears to say The New Cafe. There is no record of that in any of my materials. The directory simply lists it as Charles Dressendorfer, grocer. To the left of that is Stewart and Nutt Furniture/Undertakers. Part of the sign can be seen in the photo. Today, Starbucks is on that corner.

It is interesting to see the confusion way back in the 1920s as to 62nd Street, 63rd Street, and Westfield Boulevard. The city directories often completely intermingle them showing an incorrect picture of what stores were next to each other. For example, it lists Watt's Drug Store (more commonly remembered as Lobraico's Drugs and later Chelsea's, on Westfield Boulevard) as across the street from Stewart and Nutt Undertakers on 63rd.

Vernon Earle was BRHS Class of 1943. He attended our Broad Ripple History Saturday meetings. We visited often and he allowed me to catalog his vast Broad Ripple history collection.