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Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue
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Biographical on Charles J. WackerCharles J. Wacker, who was born in Indianapolis, April 6, 1880, has proved, himself so keenly alive to his opportunities and has made such vigorous and effective use of them and of his own talents and abilities that today he ranks as on of the principal general contractors in the city, with general offices in the Chamber of Commerce Building and with a splendid organization representing a large amount of capital, machinery, and tools and an organization of expert men capable of handling almost any contract in the building line. Mr. Wacker was born at the old home of his parents in North Indianapolis on Thirtieth Street. His father is August Wacker, who has for many years been engaged in developing and building up Indianapolis and has specialized in constructing homes on property owned by him, selling the finished improvement. Charles J. Wacker spent the first fifteen years of his life at his father's country residence or farm in what is now Riverside Park. The next three years he was learning a trade in a blacksmith shop in Haughville, and became very proficient and expert blacksmith and horseshoer. He abandoned the trade to go to work for his father in building homes. He made a close study of building operations, and had opportunity to perfect his abilities during such work as excavating for foundations, laying cement sidewalks, or walls for houses, and gradually his experiences enabled him to take larger and more important contracts and develop into the general contracting business. His first real contract was for the construction of the Shelter house at Riverside Park. Then built a Shelter house at Military Park, and from that his program of work has been constantly varied and has assumed almost enormous proportions. Among more extensive contracts handled by him should be mentioned the following: T. T. B. Laycock plant, additions to the Parry manufacturing plant; excavation for the Meridian Street Church; drop forge works; St. Vincent's Hospital; addition to the Methodist Hospital; Castle Hall on Ohio Street; part of the Indiana New Building on North Senate Street; J. B. Bright wholesale coffee house; Oaks manufacturing company plant on Roosevelt Avenue; Polk Milk Company garage; City Baking Company plant at Sixteenth and Bellefontaine; Indianapolis Baking Company on Vermont Street; Wabash Packing Company on Dakota and Ray; Oliver Chilled Plow Works warehouse at Donalson and Norwood; Meridian Hotel; Judah Peekham Building on North Capital; Memorial Fountain at University Park; Indianapolis Heat & Light Building of Kentucky Avenue; Terre Haute Theater at Eighth and Main. A some what unusual contract now in process of fulfillment is the construction of a huge Dutch windmill, built almost entirely out of concrete, located at Miami, Florida and owned by Carl Fischer. As the brief record of business shows Mr. Wacker is a thoroughly progressive man of extraordinary energy and of unusual business equipment. He is on of the prominent member of the Builder & Contractors Association of Indianapolis, and is a member of the Canoe Club and the Turnverein. Indiana and Indianans : a history of aboriginal and territorial Indiana and the century of statehood Chicago: American Historical Society, 1919, Dunn, Jacob Piatt, pg. 2089-90  |
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