This interview was conducted by Jude Odell, long time friend and neighbor of the Mullin’s family. Prentis ‘Slim’ was diagnosed with dementia before the project started and this interview may not capture the full impact of Slim as the “Unofficial Mayor of Twin Aire”. His daughter Sheila, who has lived next door to her parents since she was 21, also joins in for this interview.

Prentis moved to Twin Aire in 1955, after arriving from Frankfort Kentucky at 16 years old. Two of his 15 brothers and sisters had already moved to Indianapolis, and were able to get him a job in the area. Slim was the youngest son of a jack of all trades; his father was a farmer, a railman, a blacksmith and he raised horses on their family farm. He also created a set of banjos that were found under the Prentis house in 2020, still in playable condition.

He discusses his work at the Glass Company in the neighborhood that many people talk about being employed in. His coworker sold him his house for $8000 after a divorce and his first daughter Sabrina was born in the house in 1957. Twin Aire was described as “busy and pretty nice”; he met his wife Jenny at a carnival on Washington St where they were watching acrobats and monkeys and he bumped into her accidentally. Slim has a hard time recalling some of these stories and others in the interview help fill in some of the blanks. 

He talks about the coal yard in the backyard of his house owned by Stuck’s Oil Company, located south of Washington Street on Rural. He discusses how the rail cars were unloaded and gas and coal distributed through the neighborhood. His daughter, Sheila (b. 1962), also tells a story about being a child, playing in the little house and in the coal piles left behind when the company closed in the 60s.