Sposeep
Wabash, Indiana
10/26/25
One dollar, you could own this building, for one dollar. So where are all the buyers? The poorly kept secret about this limestone building is yes, it costs 1 dollar. But it’ll also take nearly $1,000,000 to rehab. Except, what is this structure and why are the people in Wabash trying so hard to save it? Unknown to many today, this downtown Wabash building was known for scrapers and junk collection throughout the 19th century. From rural Russia to Wabash County, let me take you through the history of the Sposeep building.
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Dating back to 1890, Simon Cook constructed the building out of beige limestone from the Wabash River. As a warehouse, it operated under the name the Charles and Wheeler Junkyard. By January 1893, it was listed as a “junk shop,” continuing as one for the next few decades, until 1920 when it briefly operated as a Paper & Rag Warehouse.
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On the other side of the world, Abraham and Jeanette Sposeep were crossing the Atlantic from rural Russia to Fort Wayne in 1912. Years later they settled in Wabash, purchasing the junkyard in 1926. The Sposeep’s operated the business under the Sposeep name for nearly a century. A former resident recalls selling furs to the Sposeep family during hard times. While another spoke about how, as a boy scout, he would rig the scale to increase profits. “...I guess Abe bought us half a dozen times. I think he knew it all along.”
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This family business was passed down for years, from Abraham’s son Sam in 1939, to son Michael, a former Wabash city judge in the 70s. But after nearly a century, Sposeep would close its doors in 2018. While the memories of this prominent family persist, the remnants of the Sposeep site sit abandoned. As of recently, the City of Wabash and the Redevelopment Commission of Wabash are attempting to preserve the site. And in 2024 and 2025, the building was included on Indiana’s top 10 most endangered places. With such a step price to restore this iconic structure, the future of Sposeep remains in limbo.
REFERENCES
“Invitation for Bids: 55 West Water Street.” Grow Wabash County, n.d.,
www.growwabashcounty.com/news-and-resources/latest-news/p/item/47910/city-of-wabash-indiana-redevelopment-commission-invitation-for-bids-public-offering-for-sale-of-real-estate-55-west-water-street-formerly-known-as-the-abe-sposeep-&-sons-inc-office-building.
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“Wabash Jewish History.” Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, n.d.,
www.in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation/files/wabash_jewish.pdf.
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“Samuel Sposeep.” Find a Grave, n.d.,
www.findagrave.com/memorial/33567178/samuel-sposeep.
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“Sposeep Chapel and Gardens.” Temple Christian Academy of Wabash Valley, n.d.,
templecav.org/sposeep-chapel-and-gardens/.
“Sposeep-Related Photograph.” Wabash Memories, Facebook, n.d.,
www.facebook.com/WabashMemories/photos/a.1201068233271860.1073741881.101086183270076/1277588872286462/.
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“Video on Sposeep or Related Topic.” YouTube, n.d.,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmCSALuJikc.
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“Sposeep & Sons Building.” Indiana Landmarks, n.d.,
www.indianalandmarks.org/endangered-property/sposeep-sons-building/.
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“10 Most Endangered Historic Places.” Indiana Landmarks, n.d.,
www.indianalandmarks.org/10-most-endangered/.
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“Indiana Album Photograph.” Indiana State Library Digital Collections, n.d.,
digital.library.in.gov/Record/PPO_IndianaAlbum-E6D24581-3E7D-408B-925A-994689694424.
Thomas, Graham. “Rare Photographs of Pre-Revolution Russia.” WordPress, 20 Apr. 2021,
grahamthomasauthor.wordpress.com/2021/04/20/rare-photographs-of-pre-revolution-russia/.
