317 Project: Babe Denny beans and raising a family
The 317 Project tells stories of life in all of Indianapolis’ vibrant neighborhoods – 317 words at a time. Have a tip for a story in one of Indianapolis’ neighborhoods? Let us know at 317project@indystar.com.
When Oretha Harris-Eldridge walked out the front door of her Babe Denny neighborhood home in the 1960s, she made her way across West McCarty Street to her seat at N.K. Hurst Co., a local dry bean business.
Her 40-year-plus routine placed her near a factory front window just before 7 a.m. where she could see her house, and more importantly, if her children left for school on time.
"I want to do something but I can't because she is watching,” Hildermon Harris, her son, recalled thinking, because his mother always kept watch.
Harris-Eldridge, 96, and her husband bought their home around the time that N.K. Hurst Co. brought its growing business of beans to the factory at 230 W McCarty Street 76 years ago.
The company expanded bean packaging to Boone County in 2017. By 2019 no more production happened under its roof.
The factory, since converted to a special events space, pays tribute to its past and the battle to keep it standing, with beans in barrels on display in the company’s now historically protected space.
“The neighborhood itself was our place of work for my entire career, my father's entire career and my grandfather bought our building,” Rick Hurst, president of N.K. Hurst Co., said. “A lot of people from around the neighborhood worked for us for a long time.”
Many neighborhood residents, like Harris-Eldridge, have watched as their area is picked over for more parking for nearby Lucas Oil Stadium.
Looking around Harris-Eldridge's old southside, though, every street is a reminder. She can see her longtime employer, where she was born and other reminders of raising nine children in the place where she said they had "everything."
From Harris-Eldridge's front porch, where she would arrive home for her lunch break across four decades, she now enjoys Christmas lights sparkling on the former factory.
"She loves seeing them," Harris said.
Rachel Fradette is a suburban education reporter at IndyStar. Contact her at rfradette@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Rachel_Fradette.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 317 Project: Babe Denny beans and raising a family
