Foreclosure happens now, but it happened then, too.
Exactly 140 years ago, in January of 1879, Mr. Hugh Love began foreclosure proceedings against Mr. Thomas M. Abell. The mortgage was for Mr. Abell’s residence of 4 years – the house at 22 Washington Avenue (modern day 284).
The mortgage he got to buy the house had a 1-year term.
In today’s money, he had a year to repay some $55k.
“Loan shark!”, you exclaim?
No. I don’t think so.
Thomas Abell had been operating a lumber mill with his brother, Simon, for several years when the loan was signed. I think things took a turn for the worse, resulting in an inability to pay. The 1880 census listed Thomas working as a life insurance salesman instead of a lumber dealer like it had done in 1970.
And the man who had loaned the money, Hugh Love, actually waited three years before taking the matter to court. So I think that everyone had the best intentions.
As it happens, when the court made their September 1879 decision in favor of Mr. Love, the Abell’s neighbour at 20 Washington Avenue (to the west) came to their rescue: A widow in her 70s, Chloe L. Sperry.
She bid for the deed, and Mr. Love agreed to assigned it to her.
The Abells were able to stay in their house (city directories from the period consistently show them at the house), and Ms. Sperry sold it back to the Abells when they were able to repay her in 1887.
The court journals are dotted with the signature of Charles A. Harrington, the Abell’s neighbor to the east at 24 Washington Avenue (modern day 272) and the namesake of ‘Harrington House and Gardens’. The deed to Ms. Sperry was witnessed by Charles’ son Frank (who by this time had assumed ownership of the house at 24 Washington).
The Abells finally sold the house in 1897, at which time they retired to their daughter’s house in Findlay. (Frank Harrington had passed away in 1893, and Charles had moved to 188 N. Park (demolished in 1927, present day YWCA) so there was no further neighborly connection.)
Mrs. Abell passed away in 1900, and Mr. Abell followed in 1908 (at an astonishing 85yrs 3months and 24days old!)
Mr. Abell’s passing was on the front page of the Tribune in a short article which credited him as being a “well known citizen of this city”.
So here we have a story of the fighting for light that follows the darkness, and an example of loving your neighbor.
We hope that this story inspires you as it has inspired us.
I cannot express what a privilege it is to not only have uncovered the story, but to own ALL THREE of the parcels over which they occurred.
What a special place to be.