Collection #

M0900

 

 

rosemary sandy
family materials, 1862–1965

 

Collection Information

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content Note

Contents

Cataloging Information

 

 

 

Processed by

Brent Abercrombie and Dorothy Nicholson
May 2007

Manuscript and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269

www.indianahistory.org

 

COLLECTION INFORMATION

VOLUME OF
COLLECTION:

Manuscript Materials: 1 Box
Visual Materials: 1 Photograph Box, and 1 OVA photograph
Artifacts: 3 artifacts

COLLECTION
DATES:

1862–1965

PROVENANCE:

Rosemary Sandy, May 11, 2005

RESTRICTIONS:

None

COPYRIGHT:

 

REPRODUCTION
RIGHTS:

Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society.

ALTERNATE
FORMATS:

 

RELATED
HOLDINGS:

 

ACCESSION
NUMBER:

2005.0216

NOTES:

 

BIOGRAPHiCAL SKETCH

John A. Sandy was born on March 19, 1843 in Morgan or Montgomery County in Indiana.  He first enlisted into the Army at Martinsville on September 16, 1861. He served with “H” Co. of the Indiana 33rd Infantry. He was discharged in 1862 for a “physical inability.” He enlisted again on February 14, 1865 and was assigned to “F” Company of the Indiana 148th Infantry where he served until September of the same year.  After the war, Sandy married Savannah Walters on August 30, 1867. He farmed and lived near Paragon in Morgan County. John died July 8, 1910 in Morgan County at the age of 67.  Savannah died June 18, 1918.  They had a son named James, born in 1868. 

James Sandy became a police officer and business manager at Riverside Amusement Park in Indianapolis in the early years of the 20th century. He increased park attendance by not charging admission and generated revenue from fees for individual rides and concession leases. He also introduced live entertainment and streetcar service to the park.  According to notes supplied by the donor he was killed by a train during construction of the Virginia Avenue Viaduct in 1906. James Sandy and his wife Rosa had two children, Forrest, who was born in 1893, and Otto, born on January 21, 1895.  After James was killed Rosa married Ed Boyce, the advertising inspector for Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus. He traveled with the circus and in the off season lived in Indianapolis.

Otto Sherrill Sandy married Mary M. Sauer on February 10, 1918.  He was a mechanic and before WWI worked with airplanes in New Jersey, New York, and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After the war he continued working as a mechanic with the Nordyke & Marmon Company, the Pennsylvania Railroad, and Capitol Motors. 

The donor is the daughter of Otto Sandy and supplied notes on the family history.

 

Sources:

Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994
Reference Room Collection: F534.I55 E4 1994

http://www.civilwardata.com/active/hdsquery.dll?SoldierHistory?U&1928622. 5/31/2007. 

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=ancestorsearchresults.asp.  5/31/2007. 

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/search/frameset_search.asp.  5/31/2007. 

http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgibin/sse.dll?db=1900usfedcen&indiv.  5/31/2007.  

http://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgibin/sse.dll?indiv=1&db=inmarr1880%2c&rank=0&gsfn=Otto&gsln=Sandy&sx.  5/31/2007. 

Information found in collection. 

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Sandy family materials are arranged chronologically. They begin with photographs, Civil War papers and artifacts for John A. Sandy and his wife Savannah.  Following this are photographs of their son James Sandy and his wife Rosa and their children Forrest and Otto. There are several views of them along with employees and the roller coasters at Riverside Amusement Park.

Next are the Otto Sandy materials with photographs of him and his fellow airplane mechanics, views of airplanes, his draft papers, and 8 letters and telegrams related to his employment in the aircraft field. There is a scrapbook containing newspaper clippings of stories about early aviators and daredevil flying stunts. Of particular interest are two small notebooks with photographs of Otto Sandy and his fellow mechanics. The earliest one is dated 1916 and is titled “Speedway Aeroplane & mechanicians & bosses.” In it are photographs at a flying field in Speedway, Indiana. At the back of the notebook are Sandy’s notes on a flight to Boston. The second notebook documents Sandy’s trip to New Brunswick, New Jersey, Port Washington and Mineola, on Long Island in New York in 1917. There is a log and notes of the flight at the back of the notebook beginning 4/15/17 and the return trip to Indianapolis Sept. 23, 1917. The photographs date from May 1917 to September 17, 1917.

The printed circus materials and schedules for 1933–1935 follow. Concluding the collection are hand-written notes on the Sandy family history from the donor.

CONTENTS

CONTENTS

CONTAINER

Civil War Furlough and Discharge Papers of John A. Sandy, 1862–65

Box 1, Folder 1

4 Tintypes:
John Sandy, Savannah Sandy, and unidentified girl,
ca. 1870s

Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 1

3 photographs: ca. 1880
John, Savannah, and James Sandy,
Nancy Duckworth Walters (Savannah’s mother)
John Walters (Savannah’s brother)

Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 2

33rd Indiana Wild Cats ribbon 1886
“Grand Army of the Republic 1861 Veteran 1866” button
Terre Haute Photo Button, n.d.

Artifacts:
2005.0216

James Sandy portrait, in police uniform, and at Riverside Amusement Park, ca. 1900

Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 3

Group photo at Riverside Amusement Park, James Sandy in bowler hat with cane, his wife Rosa to his right, Otto Sandy is the small boy in front, to his left is older brother Forrest, ca. 1905

OVA Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 1

Group photo with James Sandy and his wife Rosa at Riverside Amusement Park, ca. 1905

OVA Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 2

View of empty roller coaster cars in the loading area, ca. 1905

OVA Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 3

View of roller coaster loading area, ca. 1905

OVA Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 4

Two views of wooden roller coaster ramps, ca. 1905

Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 4

“Speedway Aeroplane & mechanicians & bosses,” Indianapolis, 1916 [duplicate photographs from notebook]

Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 5

Otto Sandy with fellow mechanics and airplanes on trip to New Brunswick, New Jersey, Port Washington and Mineola, Long Island, New York, 1917
[duplicate photographs from notebook]

Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 6

“Speedway Aeroplane & Mechanicians & Bosses,” [notebook with photographs of Speedway and notes on trip to Boston, April 1916–Nov. 1916]
[Notebook with photographs of Otto Sandy’s trip to  New York April–September 1917]

Photographs:
Box 1, Folder 7

Otto Sandy, military draft notice, and discharge, 1917
Telegrams and letters of recommendation for Otto Sandy concerning his employment with different aircraft companies and the U.S. Army, 1917

Box 1, Folder 2

Scrapbook of clippings concerning Indiana aviators and daredevils, employee passes, 1917–1965

Box 1, Folder 3

Printed Circus Material:
Circus Fans Association of America, Membership Roster, 1933–34
Interesting facts and illustrations of the Royal Padaung Giraffe-Neck Women from Burma, 1933
Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus Official Route Card,1933
Cole Bros. Circus With Clyde Beatty Official Route Card, 1935

Box 1, Folder 4

Family history notes from the donor

Box 1, Folder 5

CATALOGING INFORMATION

For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:

1.      Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog:  http://opac.indianahistory.org/

2.      Click on the "Basic Search" icon.

3.      Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.

4.      Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M0900).

5.      When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.