840 McKinley Ave History - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Peter Paul Fiechtl (1890-1977) purchased these lots by a deed recorded in 1934. He was born in Louisville to parents from Austria and Germany. He worked as a miner and carpenter, and it is believed that he never married. His family home when he was growing up was at 801 Spruce. His brother, Benedict, operated a farm at 500 Spruce Lane. Records indicate that Peter Fiechtl lived with his brother's family over a long period of time. Records showing that Peter Fiechtl lived at 840 McKinley could not be located. It is not known whether or not he even intended to live there; it is possible that he built the house for its rental income potential. Although it appears that Peter Fiechtl didn't live at 840 McKinley while he owned it, directories and the 1940 federal census records show that his nephew and his nephew's wife did reside in the house. George Fiechtl (1914-1997) was the son of Peter's brother, Benedict. George was married to Dorothy Spindler (1915-1982), who had grown up on Lincoln Avenue and who was related to the Dalby family of Louisville. The 1940 census indicates that George and Dorothy Fiechtl also lived in the house in 1935, five years earlier. The 1943 directory for Louisville shows that George and Dorothy Fiechtl had moved out, but Dorothy's cousin had moved in. This was Grace Dalby Davies (1904-1996), who was married to George Davies (1901-1980). George Davies was from Wales and worked as a blacksmith in the coal mines in the area, according to the 1940 census. At the time that they lived at 840 McKinley, they had a young son, also named George, who had been born in 1941. Callahan/Brugger Family Ownership, 1945-2007 In 1945, Leo Callahan purchased 840 McKinley and it became the home of him and his wife, Marie Helburg Callahan. Leo Callahan (1892-1957) was born in Colorado to Irish parents. After Leo's father died in 1910, he moved with his mother and siblings to Louisville. He lived with his mother at 905 McKinley, which is catty -corner from 840 McKinley, for many years. In the early 1940s, Leo Callahan married Marie Helburg (1911-1980). Her father, Victor Helburg, was the Louisville town marshal who was killed in 1915. Records show that Leo and Marie Callahan initially lived with his mother at 905 McKinley after they were married, then they moved to 840 McKinley. Leo worked as a miner and died in 1957. Marie worked for 15 years as a bookkeeper for the Public Service Co. in Louisville, then as head teller for 21 years at First State Bank of Louisville (later the First National Bank of Louisville). The following images show the photo of the house from the 1948 County Assessor card and a ground layout sketch of the house at that time, during the ownership by the Callahan family. 2