Ok class, today we're going to talk about the origins of the mansion.

We're going to start with her founding fathers, so go ahead and get your tea and crumpets and sit back as I try to pick through the - limited - information I have. I can assure you that the gaps will be filled over time as I plan to pick through the Cass County and Indiana Historical Society's collective brains to figure out the rest. So far I've been informed they have old photos of the home and documents pertaining to the house and her inhabitants... Needless to say, I want copies.

Anyway, on with the history lesson... Albeit a reader's digest version.

It all started when a stately Jewish man by the name of Eli Greensfelder opened a shop at 315 Marketstreet Logansport, Indiana in 1860. It was a men’s shop, selling the finest suits and accessories that could be found in that day and age in Logansport. At that time, Logansport was a bustling railroad city-town that also boasted a leg of the now defunct, and largely destroyed, Wabash-Erie canal that had reached the city in 1937 or 1938. So busy was this town that it garnered for itself the nickname of “Little Chicago” which, incidentally, is only a 2 hour (or so) drive away and perfect for a weekend day trip.

The Greensfelder Mens Store dated 1913

A generation later, and Eli’s twin sons, Herbert and Melvin, took up the reins to continue their father’s legacy of excellence. In 1902 the mansion was constructed, just a short hop away from their beautiful shop, and stood as a beacon of excellence in the city. You see, the Greensfelders were a minority family at the time as there were only a handful of Jewish families in the town, and even fewer running businesses. As such, the family was extremely influential and civic service minded. Logansport was their baby, and they treated it as such.

Herbert and Melvin Greensfelder

One of the most interesting pieces of history that I’ve found is the fact that the Greensfelders were absolutely fearless in their approach to keeping Logansport safe. When the KKK opened an office, they were the first to make it known that their formidable new neighbors weren’t welcome. This has been accounted for in several archives and texts, but the most compelling story of their bravery comes from Jan Lewis, a professor at the esteemed Rutger’s University, who happens to be the granddaughter of Melvin Greensfelder. Her story was accounted in the New York Times and speaks of the family legend in which the story is chronicled in great detail;

Herbet, Melvin, and their close friend Frank McHale, an Irish-Catholic lawyer, took a trip to Chicago where they hired a group of mobsters to handle business in the KKK’s Logansport office. Some accounts state the office was trashed, others state that KKK members were trashed, others speak of a clandestine op that MI-6 would have been proud of. Regardless, something monumental happened to the KKK in Logansport in 1933, and the Greensfelders were behind the infamous organization’s decision to pack it up and head on out of Dodge. Interestingly enough, there aren’t any police documents to back the stories… But… Let’s be real. We all know things get dusted under the county rug at times, and this was definitely for the betterment of Logansport. However, let it be known that a very interesting document was uncovered after Melvin’s death in 1975; a typed KKK roster outlining some 250 names of members… And it was dated, you guessed it, 1933, and was undoubtedly taken during the break in. The document is now housed at the Indiana Historical Society and I’m going to do my best to obtain further information about it, and a picture.

The rest of the information I've found were pieces of history pertaining to military history in WWI and WWII. These men were honorable and just, and I'm quite proud to be preserving part of their legacy via the restoration of the mansion. As I find more information and hear more stories, I'll be sure to include them and make amendments. I actively encourage people to eMail me with more information, and have reached out to Professor Lewis in hopes of uncovering more anecdotes and information about the house and Logansport in general. I can be easily reached at StormShyArts@gmail.com

Until next time!