In 1959, Daniel Graham and his sons Leroy, William, and Jimmie all left Missouri and found themselves living and working in Hammond, Indiana.

R. L. Polk & Company of Detroit, Michigan published a city directory of Hammond that year, “containing an Alphabetical Directory of Business Concerns and Private Citizens… and Much Information of a Miscellaneous Character…” Our Grahams appear in several entries on page 247 among dozens of other unrelated Grahams.

Our first entry is Jimmie D. Graham, Daniel’s youngest son, residing in the rear apartment at 6651 Howard Avenue. He was listed as a taper at Mill Saps Drywall Construction Company.

The next entry is for oldest son Leroy Graham, living in a home at 747 Logan Street with his wife Lorice and, presumably, their children, who are not listed. (There appears to be no house at 747 Logan today, according to Google Maps.) Leroy was employed as a decorator with J & S Decorating Service. On page 229, Leroy’s phone number is given as WEstmore 1-3307.

Our next listing reads “Van (Blanch)”, misspellings of Dan and wife Blanche. They were also living at 6651 Howard Ave with Jimmie, and Dan was a taper at Mill Saps like his son. No phone is listed for 6651 Howard Ave.

William, listed as “Wm C,” was also at 6651 Howard with his parents and Jimmie, but he worked as a taper at J & S Decorating with Leroy.

I’m not sure where Mill Saps Drywall or J & S Decorating were located. Neither one appears to have an entry in the directory, and they don’t appear to be in business today.

Bibliography

Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Title: Hammond, Indiana, City Directory, 1959