Allison, James, 1872-1928

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James Ashbury Allison was born in 1872 in Marcellus, Michigan. The Allison family moved to South Bend, Indiana in 1874 and eventually settled in Indianapolis in 1880. James Allison's father Noah operated the Allison Coupon Company, printing coupon books for coal mine company stores. James took over the business when his father died in 1890. Allison's rise to fortune started with his partnership with Carl Fisher and Percy Avery. They began manufacturing carbide gas-based headlights and their Prest-O-Lite company grew quickly and made its owners rich. Allison then partnered with Fisher, Arthur Newby, and Frank Wheeler to open the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1910. James Allison married Sarah Cornelius in 1907 and soon after they began planning a grand estate called Riverdale near the White River. This was the era of landscape architecture and Allison hired Jens Jensen to create a beautiful landscape for Riverdale. Allison and Sarah divorced in 1928 and Allison died later that year shorty after entering into a second marriage. Allison's mother inherited the estate and lived their until her death. In 1937, the Sisters of St. Francis bought the estate and transformed it into Marian College.

From the description of Photograph album, 1914-1928. (Indiana Historical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 55530773

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Allison, James A. Photograph album, 1914-1928. Indiana Historical Society Library
referencedIn Haurowitz, Felix, 1896-1987. Mss., 1920-1985 Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
referencedIn Economic History of Indiana in the Twentieth Century, 1976-1980 Indiana University, Bloomington. Center for the Study of History and Memory
referencedIn Matthew Paul Deady Papers, 1850-1923 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Putnam, Frederic Ward, 1839-1915. Papers, 1807-1971 (bulk: 1855-1935) Peabody Museum Archives, Harvard University
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Allison, Sarah. person
associatedWith Deady, Matthew P. (Matthew Paul), 1824-1893 person
correspondedWith Frederic Ward Putnam, 1813-1915 person
correspondedWith Haurowitz, Felix, 1896-1987 person
associatedWith Indiana University Center for the Study of History and Memory corporateBody
associatedWith Jensen, Jens, 1860-1951. person
associatedWith Riverdale (Indianapolis, Ind.) corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Indiana--Indianapolis
Subject
Architecture, Domestic
Interior architecture
Landscape architecture
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1872-08-11

Death 1928

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SNAC ID: 4125287