iiliiiiil! 
 
 iaffliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiir:

 
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 X 
 
 H 
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 Greater Indianapolis 
 
 The History^ the Industries^ the Institutions^ and 
 the People of a City of Homes 
 
 BY 
 
 Jacob Piatt Dunn 
 
 Secretary of the Indiana Historical Society 
 
 VOLUME I 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 CHICAGO 
 
 1910
 
 Copyright. 1910, 
 
 by 
 
 THE LEWIS PUBLISHING CO.
 
 PREFACE 
 
 If any a])<rlogy were lUH'dod for tlu' apiJi'urance of a history of Indian- 
 apolis at this time, a sufficient one wonld he found in the fact that no sueli 
 history has lieen published for more tliaii a quarter of a century; and in 
 that period Indianapolis has de\elop(d from an overgrown town to one 
 of the leading cities of the country, tlie material growth being acconi- 
 ])anied by a development in government and institutions that is perhaps 
 the most interesting feature of the history of the city as it now is. But 
 there are other considerali<ins tliat made a new history desirable. The first 
 history of Indianapolis was prepared by Ignatius Brown, and published 
 as part of the citv directory of 18.57'. Mr. Brown was a patient delver in 
 historical material, and in tlie course of tlie next decade he found so many 
 errors in his first publication, and acquired so much additional informa- 
 tion, that he revised and enlarged his work and republished it in the 
 city directory of 1S()8. This second publication was more than four times 
 as large as the first, and lias been the basis of all the history that has 
 since been published, being closely followed by others, errors and all, 
 with the exception of J. H. B. Xowland, whose two books, Early Reminis- 
 cences (18T0), and Skctdies of I'romiiiciit CHIzens (1870), were on a 
 wholly independent basis. 
 
 ^Ir. Brown's history was moi-e ]>n)perly a chronology, the events being 
 grouped by years. In 1870 ilr. ^^'m. K. llolloway published his Historical 
 and Statistical Sketch, juade an effort at topical treatment, but was still 
 largely chronological, and tlii-refore disconnected. In 1884, Berry R. 
 Sulgrovc, who wrote a large ])art of the llolloway publication, issued his 
 Historti of Indianapolis and Marion Countij. This made a still further 
 effort at topical treatment, but it was also biographical, and the biographies 
 are so mixed with the historical text that it is difficult to get trace of any 
 special subject. In both of these 'Wr. Brown's work is closely followed. 
 
 In the present history, the method followed is strictly topical, the 
 chapters being ari'anged as nearly iji chronological order as was prac- 
 ticable. The entire ground has been gone over from the beginning, with 
 consultation of original authorities, a number of which were not in reach 
 of previous writers. Especially full treatment has been given to disputed 
 questions; and free citation of authorities has been made to facilitate 
 research by those who may care to investigate any question more fully. 
 Effort has been made to secure not only full illustration, but illustration 
 of a historical character. The biographical matter, while essential to the 
 history, has been placed in a separate volume where it will not obstruct 
 the general reader. It would be extraordinary if some errors had not crept 
 into a work of this size: but the publishers and the author feel that they 
 are offering the public a history that is accurate, "accessible", and com- 
 prehensive.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CPTAPTER I. 
 In the negiiiiiing 1 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 Tlie Lay of the Land 7 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 The Xaviga1)le Stream 10 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Phmning tlio City 26 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Tlie First Settlers 36 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 The R(>giiiiiini;-: of CDvernnient 47 
 
 CHAPTER Vll. 
 Tlie Primordial Life 61 
 
 (TIAPTER VIII. 
 The Coming of the Capital 7-1 
 
 CHART Kl{ l.\. 
 The floral Foundation 82 
 
 CI! Ai'TFR X. 
 Development of the Town 9;! 
 
 cjiAr'i'Ki; XL 
 
 The State Build.< 101 
 
 CIl.M'TLI! .\I1. 
 'I'he Town (love rnments 112 
 
 (■ir\l"i'Ki; .XIII. 
 The iviiiy SchiHils 121 
 
 {'lIVrTKI! .XIV. 
 Thr McNiran War 13-1
 
 vi COT^^TENTS : 
 
 I 
 CILM'TER XV. I 
 
 Advent of ilio Kaili-oads 1-12 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Becoming n Pity 1-5-1 i 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. i 
 
 'The Volunteer Fire Com]wnie^: 167 j 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 Some Old-'l'ime Religion 177 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 As Others Saw Us ISC, 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 The Germans in Indianapolis 302 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 Civil War Times 217 
 
 CPIAPTER XXII. 
 
 The Colored Brotlier 2,10 ; 
 
 1 
 
 CHAPTRR XXIII. ' 
 
 Railroad Development 2.")4 i 
 
 CHAPTE1£ XXIV. < 
 
 The Pul)lie Schools 2GS '] 
 
 CHAPTER XXA^ 
 The Paid Fiiv Department 2S1 
 
 CHAPTER XXVr. 
 .\ Political Epoch 292 i 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 The City Charter 300 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. ; 
 
 Public Utilities 322 
 
 CHAP'I'ER XXIX. i 
 
 Business Di>velopment . 340 i 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 Insnranee Companies 3f;0 1 
 
 fllAI'TF.i; XXXI, 
 Fraternal Organiza'. i n* 3^1 ^
 
 CONTENTS vii 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 The rro>? :588 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 Tender the Charter 41G 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 'I'lie Suburban 'I'owns 434 
 
 CHAPTER XXXY. 
 "The Demon Rum" 445 
 
 CllAl'TKR XXXVI. 
 1"lie Tlioater and Theatricals 4.58 
 
 CHAPTKi; XXXVII. 
 The Fine Arts 4T3 
 
 CTFAPTER XXXVIII. 
 The .Social Swirl 490 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 Tlie Eiterary .Vtmo^jibere 504 
 
 CFIAPTKR XL. 
 The Soul of Mu-^ie 521 
 
 CIlAl'TKi; XiJ. 
 Tlie ^fcdioal Profession 541 
 
 r||\r'l'i!:H XLll. 
 Courts, Renoh and Piar 554 
 
 CHAPTER X I.I 1 1. 
 The Churclies riG7 
 
 CHAPTER XEIV. 
 The CJiurohe.'^ (Continued) 591 
 
 CHAPTKH XLV. 
 The Churches (Continued) (51.-, 
 
 Ill AI'TKI! .XI.Vl. 
 Roster of City Officials, 1847-1909 634
 
 INDEX 
 
 Abundance of Game, 65. 
 Academy of Music, 468. 
 Act for Removal of Capital. 75. 
 Adams. H. Alden. 765. 
 Advance in Commerce. 350. 
 Advent of Railroads, 142. 
 Adventists. 6.'50. 
 African Methodist Church. fiOn. 
 African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 603. 
 .Agiiculture. 96. 
 Agricultural Papers, 396. 
 Air Line 2'>B. 
 Allison. William D., 967. 
 All Souls Unitarian Church. 622. 
 Amendment to State Constitution, 159. 
 American Manufacturers Mutual Insurance Com- 
 pany, 362. 
 Amusements, 490; Early, 84. 
 Ancient Order of Druids, 384. 
 Ancient Order of Hibernians. 385. 
 Ancient Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, 376. 
 Annexation of Irvington. 428. 
 Annual Report of Public Schools. 1S66. 268. 
 Anti-Masonic Movements, 373. 
 Arrivals in 1820. 46; in 1821. 46. 
 Artists, 473. 
 Art Publications. 486. 
 Asbury Chapel, 598. 
 Ashby. Samuel, 1061. 
 As Others Saw Us, 186. 
 Atkins, Ellas C. 1054. 
 Atkins. Henry C. 1058. 
 "Aunt Cheney." 239. 
 Australian Ballot Law, 307. 
 Automatic Electric Alarm System, 288. 
 Averill, Charles E.. 780. 
 Ayres, Alexander C, 755. 
 Ayres, Levi. 755. 
 
 Bachman. Valentine, 1077. 
 
 Racon. Hiram. 250. 
 
 Rad Roads. 75. 
 
 Raggs. Mrs. Anna C. 177. 
 
 Bailey. Francis P., 740. 
 
 Bailey, ,Tames F.. 1125. ' 
 
 Baker, Albert, 1095. 
 
 Baker. Conrad, 1093. 
 
 Baker. .Tames P., 979. 
 
 Baker. .John E., 121. 
 
 Baker, Milledge A., 1028. 
 
 Ballenger, Walter S., 947. 
 
 Bals. Henry C. C. 1016. 
 
 Banking Facilities, 350. 
 
 Banks. 351. 
 
 Bank of Commerce, 353. 
 
 Baptists, 86, 122, 567. 
 
 Barbour, Lucian, 1159. 
 
 Barnes Chapel, 575. 
 
 Barnhill, John F., 1095. 
 
 Barnhill, Robert, 36. 
 
 Barrett, Charles E., 1126. 
 
 Barrett, Thomas F., 901. 
 
 Bartholomew, Pliny W., 734. 
 
 Bass, George F., 1119. 
 
 Bass, William H., 1152. 
 
 Bassett. Edward W., 1115. 
 
 Bates, Harvey, 49. 
 
 Bauer, George, 1070. 
 
 Beck, Frank A., 1227. 
 
 Becoming a City, 154. 
 
 Beech Grove, 441. 
 
 Beecher, Henrv Ward, Rev.. 110, 149, 170. 24:1 
 
 396, 582. 
 Beecher's Church, 1893, 277. 
 Beecher's Home. 195. 
 "Bee Line," 150. 
 Beginnings of Government. 47. 
 Bell. Eliza C, 1230. 
 Bell. William A.. 274, 398. 1228. 
 Bellis. William K., 989. 
 
 Belt Railroad and Stockyards Company. 256. 
 Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, 382. 
 Bennett, Henry W., 851. 
 Bennett. William H., 1242. 
 Berry. David F., 663. 
 Berryhill. James M., 749. 
 Berryhill, John S., 964. 
 Beveridge, Albert J., 704. 
 Big Four R. R., 1.50, 255. 
 
 Birdseye View of Indianapolis. 1854. 138. 191. 
 Birdseye View, Indiana|)olis. 1907, 315. 
 Blackford Street Church. fiOI. 
 Black Hawk War. 135. 
 Black. .Joshua. 781. 
 Blackwell. John J.. 1113. 
 Blaine Avenue Methodist Cb\irch. 598. 
 Blair. Willet B.. 893. 
 Board of Park Commissioners, 637. 
 Boards of Aldermen. 640. 
 Boards of Health. 637. 
 
 Boards of Public Health and Charities. 637. 
 Boards of Public Safety, 635. 
 Boards of Public Works. 635. 
 Board of Trade Map, 1853. 355. 
 Bobbs, John S., 982. 
 Boice, Augustin. 1028.
 
 INDEX 
 
 Bolton, Mrs. Sarah T., 504. 
 
 Books Scarce in Early Days, 507. 
 
 Bookwalter, Charles A., 1103. 
 
 Bowen-Merrill Fire, 284. 
 
 Boyfl. Linnaes C, 766. 
 
 Bradford, Chester, 1122. 
 
 Brenneke, David B., 1215. 
 
 Breiuiig, George T., 1163. 
 
 Brigham, Edwin B., 1134. 
 
 Brightwood 438. 
 
 Brightwood Methodist Church, 602. 
 
 Bristor, William A., 717. 
 
 Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church, 601. 
 
 Brown, Arthur V., 1182. 
 
 Brown, Demarchus C, 1193. 
 
 Brown, George P., 279. 
 
 Brown, Hilton U., 757. 
 
 Brown, Parker. 1177. 
 
 Brown, William T., 688. 
 
 Browning, Eliza G., 953. 
 
 Broyles, Moses, 574. 
 
 Bruce, James A., 973. 
 
 Bruce, Margaret T., 973. 
 
 Bruett, Jean Baptiste, 541. 
 
 Bryson, Robert H., 959. 
 
 •'Buck Town," 434. 
 
 Buennegal. Jacob, 1160. 
 
 Building Inspectors, 635. 
 
 Bull. Ole, 529. 
 
 Bullitt Law, 313. 
 
 Bunting, George W., Sr., 1216. 
 
 Burckhardt. Louis, 1182. 
 
 Burford. William B., 711. 
 
 Buschmann, Charles L., 876. 
 
 Buschmann, William, 877. 
 
 Bush, Rev. George, 576, 579. 
 
 Business Development, 342. 
 
 Butler. Amos W.. 1239. 
 
 Butler. Ovid. 131. 116.5. 
 
 Butler University, 131. 
 
 Cahier, Madame, 540. 
 
 Cahier. Madame, as "Orpheus," 535. 
 
 Canals, 20. 
 
 Cannon, William T.. 1048. 
 
 Capitol, 107. 
 
 Capitol, First, 105; Second, 111. 
 
 Capitol Avenue Methodist Church, 602. 
 
 Capitol Building, Vincennes. Erected 1806, 3. 
 
 Captains of the Watch, 635. 
 
 Carey, Ada M., 1043. 
 
 Carey, Jason S., 1042. 
 
 Carey, John N., 972. 
 
 Carr, Carroll B., 1099. 
 
 Carter, Vinson, 834. 
 
 Catching Fish, 67. 
 
 "Caterpillar Deadening." 15. 
 
 Catholic Knights of America, 386. 
 
 Catholic Order of Foresters, 386. 
 
 Catholics. 132. 615. 
 
 Caven. John, 164. 
 
 Center Township, 51. 
 
 Central Bank, 352. 
 
 Central Canal, 20, 23. 
 
 Central Art Association, 486. 
 
 Central Avenue Methodist Church, 599. 
 Central Christian Church, 608. 
 Central Medical Society, 545. 
 Central Trust Company, 356. 
 Chamber of Commerce, 234. 
 Chambers, Dr. John, 550. 
 Change in Theater, 234. 
 Changes in Street Names, 31. 
 Chanticleer. The, 394. 
 Chapman, George A., 388. 
 Chapman, Jacob P., 388. 
 Charter. City, 156. 309. 
 Chase, William Merritt, 480. 
 Chase, William M., First "Pot-Boiler," 479. 
 Cheyne, Frederick H., 695. 
 
 Chicago. Indianapolis, & Louisville R. R.. 255. 
 Chief Anderson, 38. 
 Chief Fire Engineers, 635. 
 Chiefs of Assessment Bureau, 637. 
 Chiefs of Police, 635. 
 
 Childhood Home of Mrs. Robert Louis Steven- 
 son, 516. 
 Chipman, John W^., 1165. 
 Chislett, John, 1131. 
 Choral Union, 530. 
 Christ Church. 609. 611. 
 Christian Church, 606. 
 Christian Church Union. 610. 
 Christian Scientists, 623. 
 Christian. Wilmer, 783. 
 Churches, 567-633. 
 Church of Christ. 610. 
 Church of God, 631. 
 Church of the Assumption, 619. 
 Church of the Holy Innocents, 613. 
 Church of the Holy Trinity, 620. 
 Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. 620. 
 Cincinnati, Hamilton & Indianapolis R. R., 255. 
 Cincinnati. Indianapolis & Western R. R., 255. 
 Cincinnati & Indianapolis Short Line, 254. 
 Citizens Company, 336. 
 
 Citizens Gas Light and Coke Company. 323. 
 Citizens National Bank, 351. 
 Citizens Trust Company, 356. 
 Cily Attorneys. 634. 
 City Charter. 156. 309. 
 City Clerks, 634. 
 City Common Councils, 638. 
 City Commissioners, 636. 
 City Comptrollers. 634. 
 City Gas Inspectors. 636. 
 City Government, 154. 
 City Gravs, 219. 
 City Guards. 219. 
 City Judges, 634. 
 City Hospital. 551. 
 City Library. 512. 
 City Marshals, 635. 
 City Officials. 634. 
 City Regiment, 232. 
 City Sanitarians, 6:'.7. 
 City Seal, 157. 
 City Solicitors, 634. 
 City Weigh Masters, 636. 
 Civil Engineers. 634.
 
 INDEX 
 
 SI 
 
 Civil War Times. 217. 
 
 Clark, Edmund D., 993. 
 
 Clark, Salem D., 687. 
 
 Cla.v, Joseph T.. 1137. 
 
 Claypool, .Jefferson H., 713. 
 
 Cla.vpool. John W., 1066. 
 
 Claypool. Solomon, 1063. 
 
 Clerk of Park Board. 638. 
 
 Clerks, Board of Aldermen, 641. 
 
 Coburn, Henry, 1237. 
 
 Coburn. Heniy P., 1235. 
 
 Cocknim. .Tohn B., 658. 
 
 Coe. Dr. Isaac, 542, 577. 579. 
 
 Coffin, Charles F., 1218. 
 
 Coffin. Charles E., 703. 
 
 Coffin. David W., 939. 
 
 Coffin. Orlando S., 914. 
 
 Coldest Day on Record, 234. 
 
 "Cold Spring," 59. 
 
 Coleman, Christopher B.. 649. 
 
 Coleman. Lewis A.. 1187. 
 
 Collins. James A.. 1162. 
 
 Colonial Theater, 472. 
 
 Colored Brother. The. 239. 
 
 Colored Methodist Episcopal Chtirch. 603. 
 
 Cohimhia Club. 1192. 
 
 Coming of the Capital. 74. 
 
 Commercial Club. 311. 358. 416. 
 
 Commissioners. First Meeting of. 4: Report of. 7. 
 
 Conduitt. Allen W., 809. 
 
 Cones, Constantine. 1071. 
 
 Congregationalists. 604. 
 
 Conner. William, 4. 
 
 Cook. George J.. 948. 
 
 Cool. Dr. Jonathan. 541. 
 
 Cooper, Charles M., 701. 
 
 Cooper. John J.. 699. 
 
 Corbaley. Jeremiah. 36. 
 
 Corporation Counsels, 635. 
 
 Corydon. 74. 
 
 Cost of War to the Town, 238. 
 
 Cotton. Fassett A.. 1026. 
 
 "Cotton Town." 434. 
 
 Coulnn. Charles. 162. 
 
 Council Men. 1832-1847. 120. 
 
 Councilmen-atl.arge. 639. 
 
 County Divided into Townships. 51. 
 
 County Jail. 57; First, 58: Second, 59: New. .59. 
 
 County Library. 511. 
 
 County Seal Adopted. 51. 
 
 County Seal Now in Use. 51. 
 
 Court House. First. 61. 
 
 Court House. 560. 
 
 Court Proceedings, 555. 
 
 Courts. Bench and Bar. 554. 
 
 Cowan. John. 36. 
 
 Cox. Jacob. 474. 
 
 Cox, T-inton A.. 1024. 
 
 Coy. Sim. 293. 
 
 Craig, Charles W.. 1077. 
 
 Cross, Charles M.. 828. 
 
 Cruse, James S., 688. 
 
 "Da Capo," 525. 
 
 Daily Evening Republican. 394. 
 
 Daily. Thomas A.. 1105. 
 
 Daniels. Edward, 772. 
 
 Dark, Charles E , 761. 
 
 Dark, Wilbur W., 763. 
 
 Davis. Frederick A. W., 912. 
 
 Davis, Henry. 36. 
 
 Davis. Samuel, 36. 
 
 Day, Thomas C, 986. 
 
 Decatur Township, 51. 
 
 Delawares, 64. 
 
 Democrat, 71. 
 
 Denny, Caleb S., 166, 675. 
 
 Depots, 151. 
 
 Deschler, Louis G., 738. 
 
 Deterding Missionar,v Training School, 437. 
 
 Deutsche Haus, Das, 215. 
 
 Deutsche Klub, Der, 215. 
 
 Development of Town, 93. 
 
 Disciples, 130. 
 
 District Councilmen. 641. 
 
 District Schools, 123. 
 
 Dodds. William T. S.. 716. 
 
 Dorsey. Francis O., 1196. 
 
 Dorsey, Robert S.. 1194. 
 
 Dowd. Frank T., 1171. 
 
 Downey. Brandt C, 1120. 
 
 Downing, Michael A., 857. 
 
 Dougherty, Hugh, 829. 
 
 Drake. Mrs. Alexander, 458. 
 
 Dress of Early Settlers, 69. 
 
 Duncan. John S., 59, 698. 
 
 Dudley Letter. The. 299. 
 
 Dunlap, James Boliver. 475. 
 
 Dunlap. James E.. Work of, 476. 
 
 Dunn, Jacob P., 1255. 
 
 Dunn, John G., 474. 
 
 Dye. William H.. 1112. 
 
 Dyer, Sidney, 569. 
 
 Eaglesfield. Caleb S.. 1014. 
 
 Eaglesfield. James T.. 1013. 
 
 Eaglesfield, William. 1012. 
 
 Early Amusements, 73, 84. 
 
 Early Criminal History, 59. 
 
 Early Fires, 282. 
 
 Early Fourth of July Celebrations, 88. 
 
 Early Mails, 71. 
 
 Early Manufactures. 94. 
 
 Earlv Reminiscences, 99. 
 
 Early Social Life. 490. 
 
 Early Sunday Schools, 87. 
 
 Early Wearing Apparel, 69. 
 
 Earnshaw, Emeline C, ^243. 
 
 Earnshaw, Joseph, 1242. 
 
 East Washington Street Presbyterian Church, 588, 
 
 Eastman, Joseph, 1106, 
 
 Eastman, Joseph R.. 1110. 
 
 Eastman, Thomas B.. 662. 
 
 Edenharter. Frank T.. 1146. 
 
 Edenharter. George F., 975. 
 
 Edwin Ray Methodist Church. 601. 
 
 Egbert. James. 1046. 
 
 Elani. John B.. 850. 
 
 Elder, John R.. 1011. 
 
 Elder, William L., 1012.
 
 xu 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Elections, Early, 74. 
 
 Election, 1862, 230. 
 
 Electric Lighting, Gas Heating and Illuminating 
 
 Company. 328. 
 Elevation of Tracks, 430. 
 Eleventh Presbyterian Church, 588. 
 Eleventh Regiment, 219. 
 Elliott, Byron K., 665. 
 Elliott. David M.. 711. 
 Elliott, George B., 874. 
 Elliott. Joseph T.. 990. 
 Elliott. William F., 665. 
 Emmanuel Baptist Church, 573. 
 Emmaus Lutheran Church, 614. 
 Emrich, John H., 1046. 
 End of Early Steamboat Navigation, 19. 
 English, William E., 887. 
 English. William H., 159, 880. 
 English's Opera House, 470. 
 Episcopalians. 129, 611. 
 Erdelmeyer, Frank, 807. 
 Evangelical Association. 633. 
 Ewing, Calvin K.. 899. 
 "Ezra House," 518. 
 
 Fahnley. Frederick, 763. 
 
 Fairbanks, Charles W., 1183. 
 
 Family Visitor, The, 394. 
 
 Farmers Trust Company. 356. 
 
 Fauvre. Frank M., 697. 
 
 Federal Building. 305. 
 
 Feuerlicht, Rabbi Morris M.. 629. 1102. 
 
 Fidelity Trust Company. 356. 
 
 Fifth Christian Church, 608. 
 
 Fifth Presbyterian Church, 586. 
 
 Financial Conditions Improve, 102. 
 
 Finch, Fabius M.. 44. 
 
 Fine Arts, The, 473. 
 
 Fire Association, 171. 
 
 Fire Companies. Volunteer. 167. 
 
 Fire Department Headquarters, 290. 
 
 Fire Department Paid. 281. 
 
 First Adventist Church, 631. 
 
 First Baptist Church. 571. 
 
 First Child Born on Donation, 36; First Born on 
 
 Original Townsite. 36. 
 F^rst Church, Evangelical Association. 633. 
 First Church of Christ, Scientist, 623. 
 First Church Organization. 86. 
 First Congregational Church, 605. 
 First County Treasurer, 50. 
 First Election, 49. 
 
 First English Lutheran Church. 614. 
 First Exposition, The. 483. 
 First Fire, 167. 
 First Friends Church, 626. 
 First Free Methodist Church, 604. 
 First Free Will Baptist Church. 575. 
 First German Baptist Church, 572. 
 First German Methodist Eniscopal Church. 597. 
 First Indiana Regiment. 139. 
 First Justices of the Peace, 53. 
 First Masonic Temple. 1848-50, 375. 
 First Mayor, 160. 
 First Medical College, 547. 
 
 First Military Execution. 232. 
 
 First Musical Festival, 533. 
 
 First Musical Instruction, 521. 
 
 First National Bank, 351. 
 
 First Negro on Site, 239. 
 
 First Odd Fellows Hall. 380. 
 
 First Physicians, 36, 541. 
 
 First Presbyterian Meetinghouse, 575. 
 
 First Presbyterian Church, 586. 
 
 First Presbyterian Church and School, 1823, 86. 
 
 First Railroads, 14, 142. 
 
 First Recorded Fire, 176. 
 
 First Reformed Church. 632. 
 
 First Religious Organization, 591. 
 
 First Roads, 78. 
 
 First Sale of Lots. 32. 
 
 First School Exhibition, 92; School House, 90; 
 
 School Teachers, 91. 
 First Schools. 90. 
 First Settlers. The. 36. 
 First State Fair Grounds. 347. 
 First Step to Increase Funds. 101. 
 First Street Railway, 335. 
 First Surveyors, 28. 
 First Theater, 464. 
 
 First United Presbyterian Church, 589. 
 First Universalist Church, 622. 
 First Water Works. 330. 
 First White Child Born in County. 36. 
 First Woman Librarian. 108. 
 Fishback, Frank S., 993. 
 Fitton. Bertha B., 1017. 
 Flack. Joseph F., 938. 
 Flanner. Francis W.. 1053. 
 Flat Boat Trade, 346. 
 Fletcher. Calvin. 49. 423. 562. 643. 
 Fletcher's. Dr. W. B. Sanatorium, 955. 
 Fletcher Place Methodist Church, 595. 
 Fletcher, Stoughton A. II, 1129. 
 Fletcher, Stoughton A. Jr., 647. 
 Fletcher. Stoughton A. Sr., 1128. 
 Flood of June. 1875, 13. 
 Floods of 1904. 430. 
 Fordham. Ellas P., 28. 
 Fort Benjamin Harrison, 443. 
 Fortune, William. 685. 
 Foster, Captain Wallace, 479. 
 Foster. Chapin C. 1207. 
 Fourth Christian Church, 608. 
 Fourth National Bank. 351. 
 Fourth of July Celebrations. 88. 
 Fourth Presbyterian Church, 585. 
 Fox, William H., 960,' 
 Francis, J. Richard, 742. 
 Francis, Joseph M., 651. 
 Frank. Henry, 1091. 
 Frank. Johanna S.. 1092. 
 Franklin Fire Insurance Company. 363. 
 Franklin Institute. 127. 
 Franklin Township. 51. 
 Fraternal Organizations, 371. 
 Freeman, John, Case. 244. 
 Freeman. The. 394. 
 Freemen's League. 207. 
 Free Methodists, 604.
 
 INDEX 
 
 Xlll 
 
 Free Soil Banner, 395. 
 Free Will Baptist, 575. 
 Freie Presse. 204, 395. 
 Freight Bii.siness, 357. 
 Friends, 130, 62C. 
 "Fundamental School." 
 Furnas, ,Iohn H., 1230. 
 Furs and Hides, 342. 
 
 126. 
 
 136, 480, 1174. 
 
 Gall, Alois D., 931. 
 
 Garden Baptist Church. 572 
 
 Gardner. Fred C, 1024. 
 
 Gas, 322. 
 
 Gates, Harry B., 974. 
 
 Gavin. Frank E.. 1125. 
 
 Gavisk. Francis H.. 838. 
 
 Ga.v, George A.. 926. 
 
 Gazette. 71. 588. 
 
 General Lew Wallace, 
 
 General Tijjton, 4. 
 
 German-American Trust Company, 356. 
 
 German American Veterans Club, 215. 
 
 German Evangelical Church, 633. 
 
 German Fire Insurance Company, 360. 
 
 Germans in Indianapolis, 202. 
 
 German House, The. 213. 
 
 German Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 
 
 German Newspapers, 395. 
 
 German Population in 1850, 202. 
 
 Gillette. Doctor. 177. 
 
 Gladding, Nelson A.. 1254. 
 
 Glossbrenner, Alfred M., 987. 
 
 Goar, Charles S., 706. 
 
 Golt, Walter F. C, 847. 
 
 Goss. David K., 279. 
 
 Government, City, 154. 
 
 Governor .Jennings. 4. 
 
 Governor Morton, 226. 
 
 Governor's Mansion in the Circle, 103, 
 
 Grace Episcopal Church, 612. 
 
 Grace Methodist Church. 601. 
 
 Grace Presbyterian Church. 589, 
 
 Graf. Carl H., 1137. 
 
 Graham. Edward F.. 868. 
 
 Grain Dealers National 
 
 Company, 362. 
 Greeley, Horace, 225. 
 Greenfield, Miss, 529. 
 Gregg, Harvey. 388. 
 Greiner, Louis A.. 746. 
 
 William A,. 1127. 
 
 Claude T.. 824. 
 
 Humphrey. 1009. 
 
 Theodore E.. 822. 
 Gristmill, First, 72. 
 Grout. Charies S., 654. 
 Growth of Town. 99. 
 Grubhs, Daniel W., 166. 
 
 Hack. Oren S., 848. 
 
 Hiulley, Oscar. 784. 
 
 Haines. Matthias L.. 581. 
 
 H.ill Place Methodist Church, 
 
 Hammond, Rev. Resin. 85. 
 
 Ilanna, Charles T., 938. 
 
 361. 
 
 Mutual Fire Insurance 
 
 Greyer, 
 Griflflth, 
 Griffith, 
 Grifl^th, 
 
 599. 
 
 Handel and Haydn Society, The, 526. 
 
 Hanson, Josiah, 242. 
 
 Harding, George C, 401. 
 
 Harding, Robert, 36. 
 
 Harding. William N., 1220.- 
 
 Harlan, Isaac N., 1062. 
 
 Harlan, Levi P., 1138. 
 
 Harold, Cyrus N.. 805. 
 
 Harris, Addison C, 1179. 
 
 Harris. Charles O.. 747. 
 
 Harrison, Benjamin, 227. 
 
 Harrison, General Benjamin, 1192. 
 
 Harrison, Russell B., 1192. 
 
 Harugari, 384. 
 
 Harvey Gregg Library. 508. 
 
 Harvey, Lawson M., 1005. 
 
 Haughville, 440, 
 
 Hawkins, Edward. 1075. 
 
 Hawkins. Roscoe O., 1097. 
 
 Hays, Bartin S., 478. 
 
 Heath. Frederic C, 922. 
 
 Heeb. Emmett ,1.. 1172. 
 
 Hempstead, Harry N., 1106. 
 
 Henderson, John O., 1181. 
 
 Henderson, Samuel, 160. 
 
 Hendrickson, Alonzo P,, 1087. 
 
 Herald. The, 392. 
 
 Herron Bequest, 487. 
 
 Herron, John, 487. 
 
 Hesperian Club, 506. 
 
 Highest Price in First Sale of Lots, 32. 
 
 Hill, Albert A.. 1145. 
 
 Hiileary, Mary C, 1066. 
 
 Hilleary. Ridgely B.. 1065. 
 
 Hillside Avenue Christian Church, 610, 
 
 Hines, Cyrus C, 849. 
 
 Hines, Fletcher S.. 849. 
 
 Hodges. Mrs. Edward F., 648. 
 
 Hoffmeister. August, 202. 
 
 Hollett. John E,, 694. 
 
 Holliday, John H.. 196, 217, 1O06, 
 
 Holliday. Rev. William. 127. 
 
 Hollowell. Amos K., 936. 
 
 Holmes. Ira M., 1209. 
 
 Holt, Steriing R., 1154. 
 
 Holt. William A.. 1105. 
 
 Holtzman. John W., 1123. 
 
 Holy Angels Catholic Church, 620. 
 
 Holy Cross Catholic Church, 619. 
 
 Home Heating and Lighting Ciuniiany, 330. 
 
 Home Presbyterian Church. 589, 
 
 Hood. Arthur. M., 941. 
 
 Hood, Harrison P.. 941. 
 
 Hooton. Elliott R., 681. 
 
 Hoosier City, 394. 
 
 Hospitals of Indianapolis, 549. 
 
 Hospital Square, 34. 
 
 House Built by Henry Ward Beecher, 583. 
 
 Howe, Aaron B., 900. 
 
 Howe, Daniel W., 753. 
 
 Howe, Mary S., 901. 
 
 Howe, Thomas C. 683. 
 
 Hugg, Martin M.. 861. 
 
 Hume, James M., 724. 
 
 Hume, George E., 726.
 
 XIV 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Humorous Journals. 407. 
 
 Hungarian Ohev Zedek Congregation, 630. 
 
 Hunt, Phineas G. C, 844. 
 
 Hunt, George E., 844. 
 
 Hurst, Charles F., S54. 
 
 Hurty, .John N., 741. 
 
 Immanuel Church, 633. 
 
 Important Legislation, 159. 
 
 Impressions of Town on Visitors, 186. 
 
 Improved Order of Red Men, 379. 
 
 Improvement of Fire Department, 286. 
 
 Improvement of Town. 70. 
 
 Inadequate School Buildings, 272. 
 
 Inaugurating the Government. 416. 
 
 Independent Order of B'nai B'rith. 387. 
 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 377. 
 
 Independent Relief Company. 169. 
 
 Independent Zouaves. 219. 
 
 Indiana American, 395. 
 
 Indiana Banking Company, 352. 
 
 Indiana Admitted to the Union, 1. 
 
 Indiana and Marine Fire Insurance Company. 
 360. 
 
 Indiana Central University, 442. 
 
 Indiana Democrat. 388, 394. 
 
 Indiana During War Years. 225. 
 
 Indiana Female College, 130. 
 
 Indiana Journal. 71, 388. 
 
 Indiana Lumbermen's Mutual Insurance Com- 
 pany. 362. 
 
 Indiana Millers Mutual Fire Insurance Company, 
 362. 
 
 Indiana National Bank. 351. 
 
 Indiana Pythian Building. 381. 
 
 Indiana State Library, 1193. 
 
 Indiana State Sentinel, 388. 
 
 Indiana Trust Company, 356. 
 
 Indiana Volksblatt, 204. 
 
 Indianapolis, Birdseye View. 1907, 315; Birdseye 
 View of, 1908, 429; in 1820. 68: in 1854, 138 
 in 1871. 365; Banks, 351; Churches, 1854 
 600; Description by John H. HoUiday, 196 
 Description by Madame Pulszky, 186; First 
 Case Heard in, 559; First Law School in, 564 
 First Library in, 509; Hospitals, 549; Legis 
 lature Organized, 81; Impressions on Visitors 
 186; Map of, 1855. 271; Material Progress of 
 237; Mayors. 160. 
 
 Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western R. R.. 254. 
 
 Indianapolis & Cincinnati Junction R. R.. 255. 
 
 Indianapolis and Cincinnati Railroad. 152. 
 
 Indianapolis and I^afayette Railroad. 153. 
 
 Indianapolis & Vincennes Road, 254. 
 
 Indianapolis Branch Bank. 351. 
 
 Indianapolis Daily Citizen, 394. 
 
 Indianapolis Daily Herald. 388. 
 
 Indianapolis Daily Sentinel, 388. 
 
 Indianapolis. Decatur & Western R. R., 255. 
 
 Indianapolis Depots, 151. 
 
 Indianapolis Dramatic Society. 470. 
 
 Indianapolis Female Institute. 128. 
 
 "Indianapolis Female School." 121. 
 
 Indianapolis Fire Company, 167. 
 
 Indianapolis Fire Force. 288. 
 
 Indianapolis Fire Insurance Company. 360. 
 
 Indianapolis Gas Company, 328. 
 
 Indianapolis Gas Light and Coke Company, 322. 
 
 Indianapolis Handelian Society, 521. 
 
 "Indianapolis High School," 127. 
 
 Indiana Historical Society, 510. 
 
 Indianapolis Horticultural Society, 225. 
 
 Indianapolis Maennerchor, 206. 
 
 Indianapolis National Bank, 351. 353. 
 
 Indianapolis Natural Gas Company, 324. 
 
 Indianapolis News, The. 757. 
 
 Indianapolis Opera Company, 532. 
 
 Indianapolis, Pittsburg and Cleveland Railroad, 
 
 150. 
 Indianapolis Public Library. 953. 
 Indianapolis Sabbath School Union. 87. 
 Indianapolis Savings Bank, 351. 
 Indianapolis Socialer Turnverein. 215. 
 Indianapolis Southern R. R., 255. 
 Indianapolis Street Railroad Company, 336. 
 Indianapolis Times. 410. 
 
 Indianapolis Traction and Terminal Company, 339. 
 Indianapolis Turngemeinde. 202. 
 Indians, 64. 
 
 "Inductive School," 126. 
 
 Inspectors of Scales. Weights and Measures. 636. 
 Insurance Business. 360. 
 Insurance Companies, 360. 
 Interior of a Filter Bed, 333. 
 Interior of St. John's Church, 618. 
 Interurban Railroads, 338. 
 In the Beginning, 1. 
 Invincible Company. 169. 
 Irvington, 434. 
 Irvington Presbyterian Church. 589. 
 
 Jackson. Gustavus B., 788. 
 
 Jacobs. Harry A., 1177. 
 
 Jacoby, Elias J., 966. 
 
 Jameson. Ovid B.. 1061. 
 
 Jameson. Patrick H., 1058. 
 
 Jeffersonville Railroad, 153. 
 
 Jerry Collins and Doctor Cool, 450. 
 
 Jessup. Roscoe C, 812. 
 
 Jeup. Bernard J. T., 777. 
 
 Jewish Temple, 630. 
 
 Jews. 628. 
 
 Johnson, Emsley W.. 794. 
 
 Johnson. Eudorus N.. 1199. 
 
 Johnson, .Joseph T., 1039. 
 
 Johnson, Minnie L., 1201. 
 
 Johnson. Richard O., 895. 
 
 .Johnson. William F., 1043. 
 
 Johnston. Eliza A.. 1004. 
 
 Johnston. Samuel A.. 1003. 
 
 Jones. Aquilla. 866. 
 
 Jones, Aquilla Q., 866. 
 
 Jones. Lewis Henry, 279. 
 
 Jones, Homer I., 1164. 
 
 Jordan. Arthur, 1155. 
 
 Joss, Frederick A.. 1017. 
 
 Journal. 388. 
 
 Journal Cartoon. November. 18SG. 296. 
 
 Judges. Early. 554. 
 
 Judge Harrison, 28.
 
 iNi>i-:x 
 
 .Iiine, George W.. 1088. 
 .rune. William H.. 1088. 
 .Justices of the Peace, First, 53. 
 .luvenile Court. 321. 
 .Juvenile Prodigy, 536. 
 
 Kelly. Walter F.. 854. 
 
 Kenasses Israel Congregation. 630. 
 
 Kendall. Calvin N.. 279. 
 
 Kennedy. Bernays. 1004. 
 
 Kenyon. Clarence A., 1210. 
 
 Kern, .John W., 783. 
 
 Kes.sler. Walter. 1115. 
 
 Ketcham. John L., 1191. 
 
 Ketcham, William A., 1143. 
 
 Kiefer. Augustus. 1147. 
 
 Kimball. Howard. 750. 
 
 "Kinderhook." 434. 
 
 King .Avenue Methodist Church. 602. 
 
 Kiser, Sol S., 809. 
 
 Kitchen. John M., 796. 
 
 Klausmann. Henry W.. 1025. 
 
 Knabe. Hclene E. H., 852. 
 
 Knight. William W., 1044. 
 
 Knights and I^adies of Honor, 382. 
 
 Knights of Columbus. 386. 
 
 Knights of Father Mathew. 386. 
 
 Knights of the Maccabees of the World. 385. 
 
 Knights of Pythias. 379. 
 
 Knights of Pythias. Colored. 381. 
 
 Knights Templars, 376. 
 
 Koehne. Armin C, 1039. 
 
 Kolmer. .John, 932. 
 
 Korbly. Charles A.. 817. 
 
 Krauss. Paul H., 1021. 
 
 Kregelo, Charles E., 962. 
 
 Kregelo. Laura J., 964. 
 
 Kring, ,Iohn L., 946. 
 
 Kuhn. August M.. 1158. 
 
 Kurtz, .John A., 942. 
 
 Kyle, John J.. 752. 
 
 Lack of Mills. 72. 
 
 Ladies' Fair. 234. 
 
 Ladies' Protective Association, 229. 
 
 "Lake McCarty," 14. 
 
 Landers, Jackson, 759. 
 
 Landers, William F.. 761. 
 
 Landes, Joseph Jr.. 905. 
 
 Landes, William F., 905. 
 
 Landon. Hugh McK., 914. 
 
 Latta. Will H., 665. 
 
 Law Journals, 408. 
 
 T^aw Librarv and Bar Association. 565. 
 
 Lawyers, 554. 
 
 Lawrence. Ann. 91. 
 
 Lawrence. Henry W.. 872. 
 
 Lawrence, Rice B.. 91. 
 
 Lawrence Township, .'il. 
 
 I^ayoock. Thomas B.. 1117. 
 
 Laycock, William H.. 1117. 
 
 Layman. James T.. 1089. 
 
 Lay of the Land. 7. 
 
 Leathers, Douglas A.. 910. 
 
 Leathers, James M.. 1166. 
 
 Lemcke. Julius A., 702. 
 
 Lemon, Marguerite, 538, 539. 
 
 Lemon, Marguerite, as "Eva" in Die Meister- 
 
 singer, 539. 
 Lesh, Charles P., 1032. 
 Lieber. Albert, 944. 
 Lieber, Carl H., 866. 
 Lieber, Herman, 864. 
 Lieber, Peter, 943. 
 Lieber, Richard. 980. 
 Light, Robert C, 870. 
 Lilly, Charles, 1102. 
 Lilly, Eli, 689. 
 Lilly. James E., 826. 
 Lilly, James W., 903. 
 Lilly, John O. D., 1100. 
 Lilly, Josiah K., 693. 
 Lindenmuth, E. Oscar, 793. 
 Linseed Oil, 344. 
 Literary Atmosphere. The, 504. 
 Little Sisters of the Poor, 621. 
 I^ittleton. Frank L,, 1147. 
 Locomotive. The, 394, 514. 
 Log Rollings. 73. 
 Long. John B., 739. 
 Loomis, Frederic M., 1103. 
 
 Louisville, New Albany & Chicago R. R.. 255. 
 Lukenbill, Orestes C, 1153. 
 Lutherans. 129, 613. 
 
 Macauley, General Dan., 165. 
 
 Macadamizing, 117. 
 
 Mack, Frederick J., 816. 
 
 Macy. David, 1149. 
 
 Madison Avenue Methodi^-t Church. 601. 
 
 Madison Railroad, 142. 
 
 Maennerchor, 210. 
 
 Maennerchor Hall, 206. 
 
 Magruder. Uncle Tom. 243, 
 
 Magruder, Louisa and Daughter, Last Home of, 
 
 243. 
 Maguire, Douglass. 388. 
 Mail Service Poor. 80. 
 Maintenance of Order. 115. 
 Majestic. The, 472. 
 Malarial Diseases, 9. 
 Malott. Volney T., 1048. 
 Manner of Organizing a New County, 49. 
 Mansfield. Henry A., 827. 
 Mansur. Isaiah, 980. 
 Manual Training, 276. 
 Manufactures of Early Period, 343. 
 Map of Indianapolis, 1855, 271. 
 Mapleton. 441. 
 
 Maplelon Methodist Chnrch, .598. 
 Marion County Agricultural Society, 96. 
 Marion County Seminary. 122, 125. 
 Marion Fire Engine Coniiiany. 167. 
 Marion Guards, 136. 
 Marion Rifle Men, 136. 
 Marion Trust Company. 356. 
 Market Masters (East Market). 636. 
 Market Masters (Southside Market), 636. 
 Market Masters rW'est Market), 636. 
 Marmon. Daniel W.. 1186.
 
 INDEX 
 
 Marmon, Walter C, 1187. 
 
 Marraon-Perry Company, 329. 
 
 Marott, George J., 917. 
 
 Marott. John R., 959. 
 
 Marott, Rebecca C, 959. 
 
 Marshall, Augustus L., 1130. 
 
 Marshall, Thomas R., 681. 
 
 Martin, Henry C, 369, 1035. 
 
 Martin, Paul F., 650. 
 
 Martintlale. Elijah B., 1221. 
 
 Mason, Augustus L.. 767. 
 
 Masons, Colored, 377. 
 
 Masonic Hall, 374. 
 
 Masonic Lodges, 376. 
 
 Masonry, 371. 
 
 Masson, Woodburn, 780. 
 
 Masters, John L., 1136. 
 
 Matson, Frederick E., 1207. 
 
 Maus, Casper, 697. 
 
 Maxwell, John, 36. 
 
 Maxwell, Samuel D., 163. 
 
 Mayer, Charles, 806. 
 
 Mayer, Ferdinand L., 1112. 
 
 Mayflower Congregational Church, 605. 
 
 Mayors of Indianapolis, 160, 634. 
 
 M. & I. R. R., Opening of, 148. 
 
 McAllister. Frank, 1073. 
 
 McBride, Bert, 1127. 
 
 McBride, Robert W., 789. 
 
 McCarty, Nicholas Sr., 668. 
 
 McCartney, William, 48, 
 
 McClung, Rev. John, 85. 
 
 McClure, Robert G.. 773. 
 
 McCormick, Amos, 37, 42. 
 
 McCormick, James, 36. 
 
 McCormick, John. 36, 
 
 McCoy, Isaac, 38. 
 
 McCready, James, 161. 
 
 McCulloch, Carleton B., 1162. 
 
 McCulloch, Oscar C. M., 606. 
 
 McCullough, James E., 715. 
 
 McDonald. Joseph E., 706. 
 
 McDonald, Josephine F., 710. 
 
 McFadyen, John, 945. 
 
 McGowan, Hugh J.. 1188. 
 
 McGuire, Newton J., 843. 
 
 Mcintosh, Andrew J., 1121. 
 
 Mcintosh, James M., 791. 
 
 McLean Seminary, 129. 
 
 McKee. Edward L., 797. 
 
 McMaster, .John L., 166. 
 
 McMichael, Henry S., 1068. 
 
 McPherson, Carey, 927. 
 
 Mechanic, The, 389. 
 
 Mechanic Rifles, 219. 
 
 Medical Journals, 407. 
 
 Medical Pioneers, 543. 
 
 Medical Profession, The, 541. 
 
 Mercantile Banking Company, 357. 
 
 Merchants National Bank, 351. 
 
 Merchants' Exchange. 234. 
 
 Merchants Heat and Light Company, 330. 
 
 Meridian Street Methodist Church, 594. 
 
 Merrill, Catherine, 506. 
 
 Merrill, Charles W., 1038. 
 
 Merrill, Samuel, 1037. 
 
 Merrill, Samuel, Jr., 1038. 
 
 Merritt, George, 1197. 
 
 Messing, Rabbi Mayer, 629. 
 
 Methodists, 85. 178. 591. 
 
 Methodist Hospital, 552. 
 
 Methodist Hymns, ISO. 
 
 Methodist Protestant Church, 604. 
 
 Metropolitan Hall, 464. 
 
 Metzger, Albert E., 721. 
 
 Mexican War. 134. 
 
 Meyer, August B., 795. 
 
 Military Funerals, 234. 
 
 Military Park, 348. 
 
 Military School, 121. 
 
 Military Uniforms. 136. 
 
 Miller, Blaine H., 1117. 
 
 Miller, Samuel D., 1234. 
 
 Miller, William H. H., 1231. 
 
 Miller, Winfield, 811. 
 
 Millikan. Lynn B., 978. 
 
 Mills, 344. 
 
 Mission Hall, 623. 
 
 "Miss Hooker's Female School," 121. 
 
 Mitchell, Major James L., 165. 
 
 Mitchell. Dr. Samuel G., 36, 542. 
 
 Modern Art, 486. 
 
 Modern Woodmen of .America, 385. 
 
 Moffitt, Charles F., 921. 
 
 Money Appropriated to Build State House, 104. 
 
 Monon R. R., 255. 
 
 Montgomery Guards, 219. 
 
 Mooney, William J., 1171, 
 
 Moore, DeWitt V., 665. 
 
 Moral Foundation, 82. 
 
 Moravian Church, 631. 
 
 Moriarty, John A.. 661. 
 
 Morrison, John I., 940. 
 
 Morrow. Joseph E., 667. 
 
 Morss, Samuel E., 264. 
 
 Most Exciting Day in Indianapolis, 237. 
 
 Mount Jackson, 441. 
 
 Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 574. 
 
 Mueller, J. George, 1068. 
 
 Municipal Improvements, 417. 
 
 Munsell's Map of Indianapolis, 1830, 52. 
 
 Murat Temple, 469, 472. 
 
 Murphy, Augustus, 652. 
 
 Murphy, Charles S., 652. 
 
 Musical Festival, First, 533. 
 
 Myers, Charles R., 934, 
 
 Names First Suggested, 26. 
 
 National Guards, 219. 
 
 Natural Gas, 324. 
 
 Negley. Harry E., 996. 
 
 New Albany & Salem R. R., 255. 
 
 New Bethel Baptist Church, 575. 
 
 New Charter, 116. 
 
 Newcomb, Horatio C, 160. 
 
 Newcomb, John R., 1217. 
 
 New Jail, 59. 
 
 "New Lights," 85. 
 
 Newspapers, Early, 71. 
 
 New Purchase, The. 2, 47.
 
 INDEX 
 
 New Union Depot. 263. 
 
 .Nicholson, Mereditli. 652. 
 
 .Nintli Piesb.vterian Church, 587. 
 
 .\ippert Memorial Church, 602. 
 
 .Voel, James W., 862. 
 
 Xordyke. Addison H.. 673. 
 
 Xorth Baptist Church. 572. 
 
 -N'orth Indianapolis. 440. 
 
 -North Street Methodist Episcopal Church. 599. 
 
 .Northwestern Christian University, 131, 435. 
 
 .Northwestern Fire Company, 170. 
 
 Notable Incidents, 231. 
 
 O'Donaghue, Rt. Rev. Denis. 615. 
 Odd Fellows. Colored. 378. 
 
 Offices of City Treasurer & City Assessor Abol- 
 ished. 160. 
 "O. K. Bucket Company." 170. 
 Old Bacon Home, 248. 
 Old Bates House. 221. 
 Old Blake Home, 390. 
 ■Old Buckhart," 114. 
 Old Fire Alarm Tower, 285. 
 Old Indiana Medical College, 544. 
 Old Lion Guard, 394. 
 Old National Bridge, 21. 
 
 Old National Hoad Bridge over White River, 118. 
 Old Supreme Court, 110. 
 Old Watch Tower System, 288. 
 Oldest Brick Building. 38. 
 Oldest Brick House, 97. 
 Oldest Frame House, 83. 
 (H.l.st Living Settler, 42. 
 Order of B'rith Abraham. 387. 
 Order of the Eastern Star. 377. 
 Oren, Mrs.. 108. 
 Original Methodists, 604. 
 Original Wesley Chapel, 1829, 178. 
 Orlopp. Jeannette, 537. 
 Osenbach, William, 818. 
 Other Benefit Associations, 385. 
 Other Insurance Companies. 367. 
 Outline Map. Indianapolis, 1857, 168. 
 
 Packet "Governor Morton," 21. 
 
 Page. Lafayette F., 1034. 
 
 Paid Fire Department, 281. 
 
 Paine. Dan. 525. 
 
 Panic of 1893. 420. 
 
 Parker. Harry C. 860. 
 
 Parvin. Theophilus. 995. 
 
 Park Purchases, 422. 
 
 Parry. David M., 819. 
 
 Patrick, Katheryn C. 1071. 
 
 Patten. William T., 855. 
 
 Patterson Homestead, 82. 
 
 Patli. Adelina. 529. 
 
 Pattison. .Joseph H.. 902. 
 
 Pautzer. Hugo C. 1161. 
 
 Payne. Gavin L., 786. 
 
 Pearsall. Professor Peter Roebuck. 529. 
 
 "Peedee," 434. 
 
 Peirce. .lames D., 1015. 
 
 Pennsylvania Street. 1856, 183. 
 
 Pentecost Bands of the World, 625. 
 
 Pentecost Tabernacle, 624. 
 
 Permanent Seat of Government, 4. 
 
 Perrin, .John, 1251. 
 
 Perry, Charles C, 751. 
 
 Perry Township, 51. 
 
 Peru and Indianapolis Railroad. 150. 
 
 Pfaff. Orange G., 1001. 
 
 Physicians. 541. 
 
 Physicians, Early, 9. 
 
 Pickens, Samuel O.. 850. 
 
 Pickens, William A., 676. 
 
 Pierce, Oliver W., 720. 
 
 Pierson, John C, 879. 
 
 Pierson, Samuel D., 1178. 
 
 Pike Township, 51. 
 
 Pioneer Table, A, 42. 
 
 Plan for the City Adopted, 29. 
 
 Planning the City, 26. 
 
 Plymouth Congregational Church, 604. 
 
 Pogue, George. 36. 
 
 Political Epoch. A. 292. 
 
 Political Journals, 4(l9. 
 
 Political Parties, 119. 
 
 Politics, Town, 113. 
 
 Poor Mail Service, 80. 
 
 Pork Packing. 344, 348. 
 
 Portteus, Theodore. 854. 
 
 Post Office. The. 357. 
 
 Potter. Merritt A., 935. 
 
 Potts, Alfred F., 1121. 
 
 Price. C. Lawrence, 869. 
 
 Price of Manufactured Articles, 65. 
 
 Primordial Life, 64. 
 
 Pritchard, James A., 693. 
 
 Presbyterians. 86, 127, 575. 
 
 Present Fire Department. 288. 
 
 Presidents Board of Aldermen. 641. 
 
 Press, The, 388. 
 
 Professor FoUansbee's Grand Ball, 497. 
 
 Propylaeum. The. 506. 
 
 Protestant Deaconess Society, 552. 
 
 Public Schools, 268. 
 
 "Pulilic Squares," 33. 
 
 Public Utilities, ,322. 
 
 Pugh, Edwin B., 804. 
 
 Pulszky, Madame Theresa, 186. 
 
 Quakers, 130. 
 
 Quill, Leonard M.. 758. 
 
 Railroad Development. 254. 
 Railroads. First, 142. 
 Raising Tobacco. 96. 
 Raising Troops. 222. 
 Ralston. Alexander. 28. 239. 
 Ralston Plat of 1821, 30. 
 Rappaport, Leo M., 933. 
 Rates of Forria.ge, 53. 
 Rattlesnakes, 69. 
 Rauh. Samuel E.. 814. 
 Reardon. Michael H.. 1163. 
 Reasons for Location of Capital. 7. 
 Record of Adjusted Losses. 288. 
 Record of Fire Alarms, 288. 
 Recruiting Active, 228.
 
 IXDEX 
 
 Reed, Jefferson H.. Iii74. 
 
 Reformed Methodists. 604. 
 
 Reformed Cburch. 632. 
 
 Relics of 1S47. 147. 
 
 Religious .Journals. 405. 
 
 Religious Jleetings. 85. 
 
 Reminiscences, 99. 
 
 Remster, Charles, 661. 
 
 Remy, Charles F.. 664. 
 
 Report of Commissioners, 7. 
 
 Richards. William J., 12;i9. 
 
 Richardson. Benjamin A., 836. 
 
 Richardson. Daniel A., 923. 
 
 Richardson, Sarah C, 924. 
 
 Richie. Isaac N., 907. 
 
 Riley. James Whitcomb. 1211. 
 
 Ritter. Eli F., 774. 
 
 Ritzinger's Bank, 353. 
 
 River Avenue Baptist Church, 573 
 
 Roads. First, 78. 
 
 Roberts. George H., 1086. 
 
 Roberts, John, 911. 
 
 Roberts Chapel. 177, 595. 
 
 Roberts Park Church. 597. 
 
 Robison. Edward J.. 988. 
 
 Ross. David. 956. 
 
 Roster of City Officials, 634. 
 
 "Rough Notes," 369. 
 
 Royal Arcanum, 382. 
 
 Royal Arch Masons, 376. 
 
 Royal and Select Masters, 376. 
 
 Rubush. Preston C, 903. 
 
 Ruckelshaus, John C. 667. 
 
 Ruddell, Almus G.. 804. 
 
 Ruick. Samuel K.. Jr., 1146. 
 
 Runnels, Orange S., 969. 
 
 Russe, Henry, 824. 
 
 Rush. Fred.erick P., 929. 
 
 St. Anthony's Church, 619. 
 
 St. Brigid's Catholic Church, 618. 
 
 St. Catherine's Church. 620. 
 
 St. David's Episcopal Church. 613. 
 
 St. Francis de Sales Church. 619. 
 
 St. George Episcopal Church. 614. 
 
 St. John's Catholic Church, 616. 
 
 St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church. 597 
 
 St. Joseph's Church, 617. 
 
 St. Mary's Catholic Church, 610. 
 
 St. Patrick's Church. 617. 
 
 St. Paul's Episcopal Church. 612. 
 
 St. Paul's Evangelical Church, 614. 
 
 St. Paul's German Reformed Church, 632. 
 
 St. Peter's Lutheran Church, 614. 
 
 St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, 616. 
 
 St. Philip's Episcopal. Colored, 613. 
 
 St. Philip Neri's Church. 620. 
 
 St. Vincent's Hospital. 552. , 
 
 St. Vincent's Infirmary. 621. 
 
 Sacred Heart Church. 618. 
 
 Sacrifices of the War. 230. 
 
 "Salt Water Wells." 331. 
 
 Salvation Army, 623. 
 
 Samuel McCormick's Home, 97. 
 
 Sanitary Fair, 348. 
 
 Laws. 269 : Journals, 
 
 Sarah Davis Deterding Missionary Training ] 
 School. 437. ' 
 
 Sawmill. First, 72. < 
 
 Saxe Horn Band, 524. : 
 
 Schmidt. Lorenz, 1079. 
 
 School Days. 122. 
 
 School Expenditures. 279; 
 398; Statistics, 280. 
 
 Schools. Early. 121; Grading of, 273. 
 
 Schroeder, Henry C, 801. 
 
 Scott, John E., 772. 
 
 Scott, William, 1133. 
 
 Scudder. Caleb. 95, 161. 1014. 
 
 Seal. City, 157. 
 
 Sealers of Weights and Measures, G36. 
 
 Second Adventist Church. 631. 
 
 Second Baptist Church. Colored, 573. 
 
 Second Christian Church. 608. 
 
 Second Church of Christ. Scientist, 623. 
 
 Second Church. Evangelical Association. 633. 
 
 Second Evangelical Lutheran Church. 614. 
 
 Second German Methodist Church, 601. 
 
 Second Jail. 59. 
 
 Second Masonic Temple. 386. 
 
 Second Presbyterian Church, 582. 
 
 Second Reformed Church. 632. 
 
 Second United Brethren Church. 632. 
 
 Secretaries Board of Public Safety, 635. 
 
 Secretaries Board of Public Works, 635. 
 
 Security Trust Company, 356. 
 
 Sedwick, Charles W., 1041. 
 
 Sedwick. James B.. 1040. 
 
 Seidensticker, Adolph, 1223. 
 
 Seidensticker. Adolph, 1226. 
 
 Seidensticker, George. 1225. 
 
 Selection of Name "Indianapolis," 27. 
 
 Sentinel. 71. 388. 
 
 Sentinel Office. 1850. 409. 
 
 Seventh Christian Church. 608. 
 
 Seventh Day Adventists. 630. 
 
 Seventh Presbyterian Church, 587. 
 
 Severin. Henry Jr., 875. 
 
 Severin, Henry Sr., 875. 
 
 Sewall. Mrs. May Wright. 506. 
 
 Sewer Tax. 14. 
 
 Shaare Tefila Congregation. 630. 
 
 Sharpe, Ebenezer. 1080. 
 
 Sharpe. Joseph K.. Jr.. 776. 
 
 Sharpe. Thomas H., 1082. 
 
 Shideler. John E., 660. 
 
 Shiel, Roger R.. 1201. 
 
 Shirley, Cassius C. 696. 
 
 Shiriey, Foster C. 1131. 
 
 Shortridge, Abraham C. 273. 
 
 Shute. Hamlin L.. 859. 
 
 Sigler, George A., 842. 
 
 Sipe, Jacob C, 719. 
 
 Sisters of Charity. 621. 
 
 Sisters of the Good Shepherd. 621. 
 
 Site of Union Railway Station. 1838. 12. 
 
 Sixth Christian Church, 608. 
 
 Sixth Presbyterian Church, 586. 
 
 "Sleigho," 434. 
 
 Smith. Charles W., 676. 
 
 Smith. Sol, 458.
 
 Ni)i:x 
 
 Smith, Theresa H., 969. 
 
 Smock. William C. 778. 
 
 .-Socialistic Turnverein, 203. 
 
 Social Swirl. 490. 
 
 Sccial Turnverein. 202. 
 
 s. i. Illy for the Cultivation of Church Music. .521. 
 
 Sm. i( ty .Totirnals. 409. 
 
 Sucii'ty of Friends, 625. 
 
 Soldiers and Sailors Monument. 487. 
 
 Some Old Time Religion, 177. 
 
 Sons of Hermann, 384. 
 
 Sons of Temperance, 452. 
 
 Soul of Music. 521. 
 
 Southerland Presbyterian Church. 589. 
 
 Southern Drivin.a; Park Association. 348. 
 
 South Street Baptist Church, 572. 
 
 Sowder, Charles R., 679. 
 
 Spaan. Henry N.. 1135. 
 
 Spades. Michael H., 1205. 
 
 Spahr, William H., 894. 
 
 Spann. .John S., 363, 389, 1213. 
 
 Spann, Thomas H., 1214. 
 
 Spears Case. 241. 
 
 Spencer, M. J., 920. 
 
 Spink. Mary A., 955. 
 
 Stalnaker, Frank D., 957, 
 
 Stanton. Ambrose P., 1176. 
 
 State Bank. 342. 
 
 State Bank of Indiana, 350. 
 
 State Board of AKriculture, 98, 348. 
 
 State Capitol. 107. 
 
 State Fair, 229. 348. 
 
 State Guard, 392. 
 
 State House and XJ. S. S. Kearsarge. 424. 
 
 State House, April, 1865, 233. 
 
 State House at Corydon, Built 1811, 77. 
 
 Stale Institutions, 109. 
 
 Stale lournal Building. 1850, 397. 
 
 State Library. 106. 509. 
 
 State Librarian. 106. 
 
 State Savings Bank, 352. 
 
 State vs. Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad 
 
 Company. 263. 
 Steam Mill Company, 104. 
 Steele, Theodore C. 791. 
 Steffen. Andrew, 952. 
 Stein. Theodot-e. 756. 
 Stempfel. Theodore. 860. 
 Stephenson. .John C. 878. 
 Sterne. Albert E.. 802. 
 Stevenson, iMrs. Robert L.. 515. 
 Stevenson. William E., 856. 
 Stewart, Alexaniler M.. 726. 
 Stewart. Daniel M.. 924. 
 Stewart, Martha. 925. 
 Stewart. William K., 1044. 
 Stock Yards. 257. 
 Stone. Charles S., 1201. • 
 Strange Chaijel. 596. 
 Strange. .Tohn. 591. 
 Street Commissioners. 636. 
 Street Imiirovemcnt, 117. 
 Street Imiirovements, 309. 
 Street Lighting. 322. 
 Street Railroad System, 235. 
 
 I 
 
 •'Strin.etown," 434. 
 
 Suburl)an Towns. 434. 
 
 Sugar Grove Methodist Church. 598. 
 
 Sulgrove, Berr>- R., 171. 
 
 Sulgrove, Berr.v. 527. 
 
 Sullivan. George R.. 1072. 
 
 Sullivan. .Jeremiah. 67S. 
 
 Sullivan, Thomas L., 160, 677. 
 
 Sun, The, 410. 
 
 Superintendents City Dispensary, 637. 
 
 Superintendents City Hospital, 637. 
 
 Supreme Court. Old. 110. 
 
 Surgical Institute. Burning of, 286. 
 
 Sw-amps, 11. 
 
 Swain, Mrs. Harold. 537. 
 
 Taggart. Alexander, 1170. 
 
 Taggart, .Joseph, 1000. 
 
 Taggart. Thomas, 1204. 
 
 Talge, John H.. 1002. 
 
 Tally Sheet Forgeries, 292. 
 
 Tanner. George G.. 1021. 
 
 Tarbell, Horace S., 279. 
 
 Taylor, Dr. H. W., 10. 
 
 Taylor, James H., 1175. 
 
 Taylor, Major, 1142. 
 
 Taverns, Early, 32. 
 
 Tavern Rates, 53. 
 
 Tax Rates, Early, 54. 
 
 Telegraph, The, 346. 395. 
 
 Telegraph and Tiibune, 395. 
 
 Telephone, First, 339. 
 
 Temperance Chart. 394. 
 
 Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad, 152. 
 
 Terre Haute, Indianapolis and Hlastern Company, 
 
 339. 
 Thalia-verein. 208. 
 "The Aig.ger," 10. 
 Theater and Theatricals, 458. 
 Theater, Change in, 234. 
 -The Baby of Uncle Tom's Cabin," 242. 
 "The Capital in the Wilderness," 101. 
 "The Demon Rum." 445. 
 The Freeman. 394. 
 The Indiananian, 399. 
 "The .Teff," 153. 
 
 The name "Indianapolis" in other Slates, 27. 
 The Navigable Stream, 16, 
 The State Builds, 101. 
 "The Soldier's Friend," 226. 
 Thespian Corps. The, 460. 
 "The West Market," 34. 
 "The Wigwam." 63. 
 Third Christian Church. 608. 
 Third Presbyterian Church. 584. 
 Third Reformed Church. 632. 
 Third Wesley Chaiiel, 593. 
 Thomas, Edwin C 1116. 
 Thomas, William H.. 655. 
 Thompson, Charles N., 1140. 
 Thompson, James L., 765. 
 Times. 388. 
 
 Town, Development of, 93. 
 Town Governments. 112. 
 Town Incorporated, 112.
 
 INDEX 
 
 Town Officers, First, 112. 
 
 Town Politics, 113. 
 
 Township Library, .511. 
 
 Tr.iiie .Tournals, 395. 
 
 Transfer and Belt Railway Compaay, 258. 
 
 Treat, Edward R. L., 1252. 
 
 Treasurer, First Annual Report of, 56. 
 
 Tribe of Ben Hur, 383. 
 
 Tribune, 395. 
 
 Trinity Danish Church, 614. 
 
 Trinity Lutheran Church. 614. 
 
 Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church. 599. 
 
 Troub Memorial Church, 588. 
 
 Trustees. 1832-1847, 120. 
 
 Tuck, Claude T., 1044. 
 
 Tutewiler, Harry D., 1086. 
 
 Tutewiler. Henry W., 1084. 
 
 Tuxedo Methodist Church. 602. 
 
 Tuxedo Park Baptist Church, 573. 
 
 Twelfth Presbyterian Church, 588. 
 
 Tyler, S. E., in Uniform of Indianapolis Band, 523. 
 
 "Uncle Tom's Cabin," 242. 
 
 Under the Charter, 416. 
 
 Underground Railroads. 250. 
 
 Underground Railroad Lines ia Indiana, 250. 
 
 Union Company, 170. 
 
 Union Depot and American Hotel, 1854, 256. 
 
 Union Fire Insurance Company, 361. 
 
 Union Literary Society, 103, 513. 
 
 Union Railway Company. 263. 
 
 Union Traction Company. 339. 
 
 Union Trust Company, 356. 
 
 United Brethren, 631. 
 
 United Brothers of Friendship, 385. 
 
 United Hebrew Congregation, 630. 
 
 United Presbyterians, 589. 
 
 Unitarians. 622. 
 
 Universalists, 622. 
 
 University Heights, 444. 
 
 University Place Baptist Church, 573. 
 
 University Square, 34. 
 
 Van Arsdel, William C. 831. 
 Van Camp. Cortland, 907. 
 Van Camp. Frank, 935. 
 Van Camp. George, 1010. 
 Van Vorhis. Flavius J.. 718. 
 "Virginia River," 14. 
 Volksblatt, 395. 
 
 Volunteer Fire Companies, 167. 
 Volunteers of America, 623. 
 Vonnegut. Bernard, 965. 
 Vonnegut. Nannie S., 966. 
 Voss, Gustavus H., 968. 
 
 Wales. Ernest DeW., 815. 
 
 Walk, ,Tulius C, 727. 
 
 Walker. Lewis C, 771. 
 
 Walker, Merle N. A., 906. 
 
 Walker. Sarah Layton, 535, 540. 
 
 Wallace, General Lew, 136, 480, 1174. 
 
 Wallace, Harry R., 1020. 
 
 Wallace, Henry L., 1175. 
 
 Wallace, Lew, 1000. 
 
 Wallace, William, 998. 
 
 Wallace, William J., 162, 1019. 
 
 Wallace, Mrs. Zerelda G., 505. 
 
 Wallick. John F., 928. 
 
 Wallingford. Charles A.. 961. 
 
 Ward, Marion, 1098. 
 
 Ward Councilmen, 640. 
 
 Warren Township, 51. 
 
 Warman, Enoch, 912. 
 
 Warrum, Henry, 985. 
 
 Washington Hall Tavern. 445. 
 
 Washington Street, 1862, 158. 
 
 Washington Street Views, 1854. 173. 
 
 Washington Township, 51. 
 
 "Waterloo," 114. 
 
 Water Works Company of Indianapolis, 332. 
 
 Waugh, Henry W., 474. 
 
 Wayne Township, 51. 
 
 Welch, John R., 833. 
 
 Wesley Chapel, 593. 
 
 Wesley Chapel, Present, 602. 
 
 West, Henry F., 161. 
 
 West Indianapolis, 440. 
 
 West Park Church, 610. 
 
 West Washington Street Presbyterian Church. 
 587. 
 
 Westbrook, Adjutant Emma. 623. 
 
 Western Censor and Emigrants Guide, 71, 388. 
 
 Western Liberties Company, 169. 
 
 Western Presage, 395. 
 
 Whallon. Thomas C, 950. 
 
 Wheatcraft, Charles O., 1181. 
 
 Whetzell, Jacob, 39. 
 
 Whetzell. Lewis, 39. 
 
 White River, 16; First Large Boat on, 18: Im- 
 provement of, 17. 
 
 White Water Valley Canal. 20. 
 
 Whitehead, Herbert L., 1008. 
 
 Whitfredge. Thomas Worthington, 477. 
 
 Wholesale Trade, 345. 
 
 Wick, William Watson, 48. 
 
 Wicks, Frank S. C, 1078. 
 
 Wiegand, Antoine, 710. 
 
 Wild, John F., 1111. 
 
 Wilkins, John A., 1034. 
 
 Wilkinson, Philip. 1141. 
 
 Williams, Charles N., 740. 
 
 Willis. Frank B., 1069. 
 
 Wilson, George S., 1092. 
 
 Wilson, Isaac, 36. 
 
 Winter, Carl G.. 919. 
 
 Wilson, Medford B., 748. 
 
 Wishard, Dr. Milton M., 550. 
 
 Wishard, William H., 65, 1244. 
 
 Wishard, William N., 1248. 
 
 Wood, Edson T., 842. 
 
 Wood, Horace F., 813. 
 
 Wood, Samuel F., 839. 
 
 Wood. William A., 841. 
 
 Woodruff Place, 439. 
 
 Woodruff Place Baptist Church, 573. 
 
 Woodruff Avenue United Presbyterian Church, 
 589. 
 
 Woodbury. Herbert L., 1169. 
 
 Wolf, George, 723.
 
 INDEX 
 
 XXI 
 
 Woolen Manufactures, 344. 
 Woollen. Greenly V.. 867. 
 Woollen, Leonard. 781. 
 Woollen, Milton A., 782. 
 Worrall, .Josephus Cicero, 12G, 177. 
 Wright. Anna Haugh, 658. 
 Wright, Charles E., 657. 
 Wulschner, Emil, 1132. 
 Wvnn, Wilbur £f., 769. 
 
 Yandes, Daniel. 50, 555, 728. 
 
 Yandes, Simon, 555, 731. 
 
 Year of Donations, 1907, 432. 
 
 Youngest Prosecutor, 59. 
 
 Young Men's Library Association, 512. 
 
 Young Men's Institute, 386. 
 
 Zion's Church, 633. 
 Zouave Guards, 217.
 
 History of Greater Indianapolis. 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 IX THF. BEGINNING. 
 
 The time had come when ludiana had need 
 of a new capital — not, indeed, that there had 
 been any lack of capitals, for they had been 
 iiuniorous and varied. The first seat of govern- 
 iiicnt was Paris, France, — shifting to Aler- 
 saillcs — with tiie provincial capital for the 
 northern ]iart of the state at (^ncliec, and inter- 
 mediate authority at Detroit ; while the ^oiitli- 
 ern end of the state had its provincial capital 
 at Xew Orleans, with intermediate authority 
 at Fort Chartres, in Illinois. This continued 
 until the close of the Seven Years War, when, 
 by the 'J'reaty of Paris, in 1763, the capital 
 became T^ondon, and the provincial govcrn- 
 nipnt was centered at Quebec, with intermedi- 
 ate authority at Detroit. This, in turn, con- 
 tinued until Gen. George Kogers Clark took 
 forcible possession of the region for Virginia, 
 in HTS, and the capital came over to Rich- 
 mond. 
 
 Virginia acted promptly, and. in October, 
 1TT8, establislied the (!i)unty of Illinois, includ- 
 ing all of her territory ''west of the Ohio 
 river."' On December 12. Col. .Tohn Todd was 
 appointed ('ounty Lieutenant, with power to 
 appoint subordinate ollicials, except that, by the 
 law, "all the civil otncers to which the said 
 inhabitants have been accustomed, necessary 
 for the ])reservation of ])pace and the adminis- 
 tration of justice, shall be chosen by a major- 
 itv of the citizens of their res])ective district*.""" 
 'i'odd came West in ITTfl. and called an 
 
 ^IfrnitHi's Sliilx. Ill Lnnjr. 
 Vol. I— 1 
 
 \'(ii. :i. 
 
 election for the "general court"" of \"in- 
 cennes, wdiich was the first election ever held 
 in Indiana. The persons then elected were 
 commissioned by Todd, excepting one known as 
 Cardinal, who "refused to serve." It is not 
 recorded whether this uniq\ie action was due 
 to modesty, or to fear of being led into temp- 
 tation in an American ofiice. The A^irginia 
 rule continued until the organization of the 
 Northwest Territory, when the capital w-as 
 transferred to Marietta, Ohio. It tarried there 
 until 1800, when, on the organization of In- 
 diana Territory, it came to Vincennes. Here 
 it remained until 1813, when it was removed 
 to Corydon. 
 
 But now Indiana had left the territorial 
 status, and had been admitted as a sovereign 
 state of the Union in 1810. It was putting 
 away the things of childhood. It must have a 
 permanent capital, and not merely one suited 
 to the temp(n-ary convenience of the existing 
 population. This involved its location near the 
 center of the state, for no ]U'inciple was nioi'e 
 firmly fixed in the minds of the early settlers 
 than that "equality is equity,"' so far as dis- 
 tance from the seat of government is con- 
 cerned. Travel, at that time, w-as tedious and 
 difficult, and from the time the Americans be- 
 gan settling in the Northwest there had Iteen 
 complaint on this subject. And Congress had 
 recognized the justice of the complaint. In 
 the report of 1800, on the division of North- 
 west Territory, the House Committee said : 
 "The actual distance of traveling from the
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 places of holding courts the most remote from 
 each other is thirteen hundred miles, and in a 
 countrj' so sparsely settled, and so little re- 
 claimed from its native wildness. this distance 
 alone seems to present ijarriers almost insuper- 
 aljle against the exercise of the functions of 
 government." hi the debate of 1804, on the 
 separation of ilichigan, it was urged that "it 
 was unjust to deprive the citizens of Detroit 
 of the benefits resulting from the administra- 
 tion of justice;'" and that Michilimackinac, 
 '"exporting annuallv produce of the value of 
 $->00,000, from which the United States had 
 a revenue of $1T,000. was more than 800 miles 
 from the present seat of government." Mich- 
 igan had the best ground for complaint, and 
 was separated in 1805, but other sections were 
 also clamorous. In 180.5 the people of Dear- 
 born County — then all of Indiana east of the 
 Greenville Treaty Line — ])etitioned for reun- 
 ion to Ohio, on the ground that they were "at 
 a Distance of Xearly Two Hundred Miles from 
 the Seat of Government ; that the Interme- 
 diate Space is a Wilderness oecupy'd only by 
 Indians, and likely for many years to Remain 
 Unoccupied by any Other persons." In the 
 same year, the ]X'op]e of the Illinois settle- 
 ments asked for separation on the ground that 
 they were separated from Vincennes by "about 
 one hundred and eighty miles, through a 
 dreary and inhospitable wilderness, uninhab- 
 ited, and which, during one part of the year, 
 can scarcely afford water to sustain nature, 
 and that of the most indifferent quality, be- 
 sides presenting other hardship!^ equally se- 
 vere, while in another it is in part imder water, 
 and in places to the extent of some miles, by 
 which the road is rendered almost impassable." 
 Congress refused these petitions, but after 
 others to the same effect in 1806 and 1807, 
 provided for the separation of Illinois in 1809; 
 one of the chief reasons given being that, "The 
 great difficulty of traveling through an ex- 
 tensive and loathsome wilderness, the want of 
 food and other necessary accommodations of 
 the road, often presents an unsurmountable 
 barrier to the attendance of witnesses;" and 
 that when witnesses did attend, the expense 
 was "a cause of much embarrassment to a due 
 and impartial distriliution of justice. "- 
 
 These considerations wt're uppermost in the 
 
 -Ind. Hist. Soi: I'nhs.. \\ 
 
 No. M. 
 
 minds of everybody in connection with tlie 
 establishment of the permanent capital, and 
 it was a matter of common consent that the 
 capital must be in the central part of the state, 
 which was then an unsettled wilderness, held 
 by the Indians. It was equally understood 
 that it should be located on the West Fork 
 of White River — properly the main stream — 
 which was the only stream in the central part 
 of the state that was considered navigable. 
 After the admission of the state. Congress, by 
 resolution of December 11, ISKi, made a dona- 
 tion of four sections of land for a capital, to 
 be selected by the state legislature from "such 
 lands as may hereafter be acquired by the 
 United States, from the Indian tribes witiiin 
 the said territory ;" and all of these lands lay 
 to the north of the existing settlements. 
 
 The original title to this region was in the 
 iliamis, with a special claim in the l'iaid<e- 
 shaw tribe of that nation; but about 1T5() tlic 
 Piankeshaws had sold the right of occupancy, 
 if not their full title, to the Delawares, who 
 then formed their settlements on White River. 
 The controversies that arose over the title, be- 
 tween the Miamis and the Delawares, were so 
 threatening that Governor Harrison secured 
 ail agreement in the treaty of Ft. Wayne, in 
 1809, tliat the iliamis "explicitly acknowledge 
 the equal right of the Delawares with them- 
 selves to the country watered by White River," 
 and that "neither party shall have the right 
 of disposing of the same without the consent 
 of the other." Accordingly, at the opening of 
 Octolier, 1818, both triiies were assembled at 
 St. Marys, Ohio, wliere Jonathan Jennings, 
 Lewis Cass, and Benjamin Parke, for the 
 United States, made treaties with them. On 
 October .T, the Delawares relinquished "all their 
 claim to land in the State of Indiana." On 
 October fi, the Miamis ceded all their lands in 
 Indiana lying between the Wabash and the 
 lands already acquired by the whites in the 
 siuitbern part of the state, except a few small 
 reservations, together with a smaller section 
 tiuit they still held in nurtbwestern Ohio. The 
 lands so acquired wei'e popularly known as 
 "The Xew Purchase," and by that name have 
 passed down in history. They covered about 
 one-tliird of the -state — the central third, as 
 distinguished from the north and south ends. 
 The government surveys of them were begun 
 in 1819, and continiu'd for several vears after.
 
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 HISTOKY OF (JKKATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 All thf jjifliniiiiarios being: now anangcd, 
 the legislaturi', which repR'sunted the southern 
 end of the :<tate. and which was in no hurry 
 for the actual removal of the capital, passed an 
 act on January 11, 1820, appointing ten com- 
 missioners to locate the capital. The men 
 named by the law were George Hunt, of Wayne 
 County; John Conner, of Fayette; Stephen 
 Ludlow, of Dearborn: John Gilliland, of 
 Switzerland; J ose]ih Bartholomew, of Clark; 
 John Tipton, of Harrison: Jesse B. Durham, 
 of Jackson; Frederick Kapp, of Posey; Will- 
 iam Prince, of Gibson: and Thomas Kmmer- 
 son, of Knox. They were all men of promi- 
 nence in their several communities: and all 
 except William Prince accepted the appoint- 
 ment and served. By the law they were re- 
 quired to meet "at the house of William Con- 
 ner, on the West Fork of White River, on a 
 day to be named in the proclamation"' (it was 
 May 22). and proceed to select "a site which, 
 in their opinion, shall be most eligible and ad- 
 vantageous for the permanent seat of govern- 
 ment of Indiana." The house of William Con- 
 ner was at what was known as Conner's Sta- 
 tion, or Conner's Prairie, some four miles 
 below Noblesville. Conner and his brother 
 John, who founded Connersville, had been 
 captured by the Indians when children, and 
 had been brought up by them. William Con- 
 ner had served as an interpreter and as Indian 
 agent for a number of years, and had estab- 
 lished his trading station at this point in 
 180-2.^ The law required the commission- 
 ers to employ a clerk, who was to make 
 a record of their proceedings, and sub- 
 mit it to the next legislature. This report 
 was prepared, signed by the nine members who 
 served, and submitted, but it is merely a sum- 
 mary statement of the final action of the com- 
 mission.* But General Tipton kept a journal 
 of his trip which is comparatively full. The 
 original is now in the possession of John H. 
 Hollidny of Indianapolis, and it has l)con print- 
 ed twice.'' 
 
 Tipton started from Corydon on ilay 17, in 
 compan)' with Governor Jennings, who was with 
 
 'Obitnarv sketch in Jndinnapolis Journal. Au- 
 gust 23, 18.5.5. 
 
 *U(iu.sp Journal, 1821, p. 2.5. 
 
 '••Xcu-s, April IT, 1879; Indiana QuarlcrUi 
 Ma;/, of Hist., Vol. 1. p]). !»-I5; ', \-:'.K 
 
 the party during the trip. They took with 
 them a negro boy named Bill. On the next 
 day they reached Colonel Durham's, at Val- 
 lonia, where Durham and General Bartholo- 
 mew were awaiting them, and they were also 
 joined here by Gen. John Carr, and Ca])tain 
 ])ueson, of Charlestown, who were going up to 
 look at the country. The party traveled north 
 in quite a direct line, passing about a mile east 
 of Irvington, directly through Castleton, strik- 
 ing and crossing White Kiver at the Hamilton 
 County line, and reaching Conner's at 1 o'clock 
 on the 22nd. Here they found Himt, Conner. 
 Ludlow, Gilliland, and Emmerson : and that 
 evening they met and w'ere sworn in. Eapp ar- 
 rived on the following day, and the commis- 
 sion organized by electing Hunt chairman and 
 Benj. I. Blythe clerk. They then adjourned 
 to meet on the 24th at "the mouth of Fall 
 Creek." The next three days were spent in 
 exploration, the commissioners going down the 
 river as far as the Bluffs. On the 27th the 
 commissioners met at the mouth of Fall Creek 
 and definitely "agreed to select and locate the 
 site Township 15 north of K. 3 E., which town- 
 ship was not divided into sections." But the 
 surveyors were working on it; and. in reply to 
 a note of inquiry. Judge Wm. B. Loughlin of 
 Brookville, who was in charge of the survey- 
 ing party, informed the commissioners on the 
 morning of the 28th that the work would be 
 sufficiently advanced in ten daj-s to allow tlie 
 location by sections. The main point — the 
 lf)cation at the mouth of Fall Creek — being 
 now disposed of, two of the commissioners, 
 .Tohn Conner and George Hunt, returned home 
 and the other seven, with Governor Jennings, 
 went up to Conner's Station. The time was 
 passed in various ways until June 5, Tipton, 
 Bartholomew and Durham examining the lands 
 as far down the river as Spencer. They recon- 
 vened on June 5, and the section lines lutving 
 been run, passed the Gth "in reading and walk- 
 ing aroinid the lines of the sections that wo 
 intend to locate." On June 7. Ti])ton savs: 
 ■■\Ve met at McCormick's. and on my motion 
 the commissioners came to a resolution to 
 select and locate sections numbered 1 and 12, 
 and east and west fractional sections num- 
 bered 2, and east fractional section 11, and 
 so much off the east side of west fractional 
 section number .3, to be divided by a north and 
 south line running parallel to the west bound-
 
 THSTOItY OF m^EATEi; IXDIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 ary of said sectiou, as will equal in amount 4 
 I'litiro sections in tp. 13 >.'. of IJ. 3 li. \\\; 
 left our clerk making out his minutes and our 
 leport, and went to cam]) to dine. Keturned 
 after dinner. Our paper (not) being ready 
 H.(artholomew), D.(urliam) and myself re- 
 turned to camp at 4. They went to sleep 
 and me to writing. At 5 we decamped and 
 went over to JlcCormick's. Our clerk having 
 his writing ready the commissioners met and 
 signed their report, and certified the service 
 of the clerk. At 6:45 the first boat landed 
 that was ever seen at the seat of government. 
 It was a small ferry flat with a canoe tied 
 alongside, both loaded with the liousehold 
 ^■oods of two families moving to the mouth of 
 [•"all Creek. They came up in a keel lioat as 
 far as they could get it up the river, then re- 
 loaded the boat and brought up their goods 
 in the flat and canoe. I paid for some corn 
 and w(hiskey) 621X>- 
 
 The clerk of the commission. Benjamin 1. 
 Blythe, was a Pennsylvanian of Scotch de- 
 scent, who afterwards located at Indianapolis. 
 lie was also clerk of the surveyors who laid 
 off the city, and for a time the state agent 
 for the sale of lots. He was captain of the 
 first artillery company, which welcomed the 
 steamer "Robert Tlanna"" with a national salute 
 when she arrived here A])ril 11, 1831. i^atei- 
 he was well-known and successfvil in the bus- 
 ini'ss of the city, especially as a dealer in hides 
 and leather, and as one of the pioneer pork- 
 packers. Mc(!'ormick'"s, where the commission- 
 ers lield their meetings and took their meals, 
 was an ordinary double log cabin that stood on 
 the triangle now made by Wgihington street. 
 Xaticnal avenue, and the river. It fronted 
 the river. Alost of the time the commission- 
 ers camped on the west side of the river just 
 al)Ove the mouth of Fall Creek, which was 
 then about 200 yards north of the National 
 iJoad l)ridge. They named the bank where 
 they camped "Bartholomew's i'lulT," but the 
 name did not last. The lands they selected, 
 and which were duly confirmed by the legis- 
 lature, are bounded, east of the river, on the 
 norlh by Tenth street; on the east by Shelby 
 •street extended north to the L. E. & \V. tracks 
 above Massachusetts avenue; on the south by 
 Morris street: and on tlie west hv the river 
 lielow Washington street, and by Hiawatha 
 slriTt above \Vashin<;ton street. West of the 
 
 river they are bounded on tln' north by Ver- 
 mont street: on the east by the river; on the 
 south by Maryland street; and on the west by 
 Lynn street. Outside of these lines the lands 
 were sold by the United Stales to individuals, 
 and those that have since been added to the 
 city were laid out as "additions" by individ- 
 uals. 
 
 On June 8th, Tipton records that he started 
 home "in company with Ludlow, Gilliland, 
 Blythe, Bartholomew, Durham, Governor Jen- 
 nings and two Virginians.'"'" Who the Virgin- 
 ians were is not mentioned, but probably they 
 were JIatthias R. Xowland and .\ndrew Byrne, 
 brothers-in-law from Kentucky, who had been 
 looking at lands in Illinois, and who had come 
 up from Vincennes \rith a ])art of the com- 
 missioners. There were several others at- 
 tracted to this point at the time, among them 
 John and Absalom Dollarhide, who coiTie up 
 with a f)art of the commissioners from their 
 farms rn-,n- the southern line of Marion County. 
 John H. B. Xowland, son of Matthias R., 
 says that their party came up White River 
 from Vincennes, past the Bluti's, where they 
 found "about a half-dozen families settled, in- 
 cluding that of Jacob Whetzell." At the mouth 
 of Fall Creek they stopped for a day, and 
 "inost of them were favorably impressed." 
 N'owiand told the commissioners that if they 
 located here he would move out in the fall, 
 and try to induce other Kentuekians to join 
 lum. This mention of the favorable impres- 
 sion is of interest in connection with a vener- 
 able tradition of a strong conflict of opinion 
 among the commissioners as to the location, 
 which is stated by Brown as I'ollow^s: "They 
 met as directed at Conner's, where, after very 
 serious disputes between them as to sites at 
 the Blutt's, at the mouth of Fall Creek, and at 
 Conner's, the present hication was chosen by 
 three votes against two for the Blufl's." This 
 has commonly been followed by other writers, 
 but it is manifestly incorrect, for Tipton ex- 
 plicitly states that the choice was made at 
 McCormiek's, on M;iy 'i'l. and there were then 
 nine commissioners present. It is incredible 
 that four of them did not vote, and there is 
 no contem])orary mention of material disagree- 
 ment in Tipton's journal or elsewhere. Tlie 
 Indiana Sentinel. iiul)lished at Vincennes, said 
 on .lune :5 : "We understand from a gentle- 
 man who has been some time in company with
 
 G 
 
 llLsruliY or GKEATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 tlie comiiiissioiicr!;. tliat it is most probable 
 the permanent Seat of Government of Indiana 
 will be fixed inunediately Ijelow the mouth of 
 Fall Creek, that empties into the West Fork 
 of White River, on tiie east side" On June 
 17, the same paper announeed the location by 
 sections, and added : "It is just below the 
 mouth of Fall Creek, which is in full view 
 from the town scite. Fall Creek is a beautiful 
 stream, at this season forty yards wide at its 
 mouth, witli a rapid current and deep water. 
 We are happy, also, to say that the business 
 of the commissioners proceeded with ]3erfect 
 concert and harmony, and that they suffered 
 no interest but the public's to guide them in 
 the selection." 
 
 The presence of Governor Jennings with the 
 commissioners, who were not only his ap- 
 
 ]K)intees but also his personal and political 
 friends, would naturally tend towards una- 
 nimity of sentiment, and there was no show of 
 (piestioniug tjie locatuin afterwards. In fact 
 the press of the state treated the action of 
 the commissioners as settling the location, and 
 the legi.elatiire adopted their decision without 
 any recorded question or debate. 
 
 When the exact surveys were made, it was 
 found that section 1 contained 6.58.2 acres; 
 section 2, 61]..5.'5 acres; section 12, G40 acres; 
 and east fractional section 11, 448.2 acres; 
 leaving 202.07 acres to be taken from section 
 3, west of.the river, to make the full donation 
 of four sections, or 2, .560 acres. The lands 
 were so platted, falling between now existing 
 streets as mentioned nl)ove. 
 
 I
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 THE LAY OF THE LAND. 
 
 'rhv report nl' llir (•(iiiniii^siniuTs tn tlu' k'f;- 
 islature makes no stali'iiiciit of their rca50ii>^ 
 for the location chosen beyond the following: 
 "The nnilersigned have endeavored to connect 
 with an eligible •^ite the advantages of a naviga- 
 ble stream and fertility of soil, while they 
 have not been unmindful of the geographical 
 situation of the various portions of the state ; 
 to its political center as it regards both the 
 jiresent and future population, as well as the 
 inesent and future interest of the citizens."' 
 
 Among tiie features that went to make 
 ii|i the "eligible site," tradition records 
 the consideration that the banks of the 
 river at this ])oint afforded a good boat 
 landing, and that Fall Creek and Eagle Creek 
 were good mill streams. - 
 
 But there were other considerations that no 
 doulit had weight. At this time the TJ. S. 
 Commissioners to locate the National Road 
 had finished their work in central Indiana, 
 and had located the inad abotit fifteen miles 
 south of Indianapolis, 'i'his was brought to 
 the attention of the legislature at this same ses- 
 sion, and on January S, 182L it adopted a me- 
 morial to (jongress asking for a change in the 
 lim^ of the road, so that it wcndd come to the 
 new ca])ital. Hi this memorial the legislature 
 urged that the site of the capital was not 
 only nearer the center of the state, but that 
 it had "many other advantages," among which 
 was the fact that at this point there were 
 '■'elevated banks on both .=ides of the west 
 branch of White lliver ;" and that this condi- 
 tion insured "in time of hish water a certain 
 
 passage, and that a similar advantage is not 
 to be found on the said river at less than 
 thirty miles sonth of the location aforesaid."' 
 This was also true of the river for some ten 
 miles above — to the head of the backwater above 
 Broad Ripple — there being bottom-land on one 
 side or the other when not on both. Of course in 
 those days a heavy fill was a much more seri- 
 ous undertaking than at present, and there 
 was no point near here that afforded as great 
 natural advantages for a crossing .as the pres- 
 ent Washington street crossing of the river. 
 Indeed, it is almost certain that the commis- 
 sioners gave weight to this consideration, for 
 they located on both sides of the river and 
 the only place where the lands selected come 
 to the river on both sides is from a block 
 below Washington street to abo\it the same dis- 
 tance above. Congress, however, did not 
 change the location of the road until ISi."), 
 when Jonathan Jennings secured an anu'nd- 
 ment, bringing the line to Lidianapolis.'' 
 
 But there was another reason for the selec- 
 tion. Tipton says: "The bank of the river on 
 which McCormick lives is from '2') to 30 feet 
 above the water at this time — the country back 
 is high, dry and good soil ;" which (lemon- 
 strates that 1S20 was not a wet year. Hut at 
 an<ither jilace he speaks of the site as being 
 "level and rich;" and his objection to the 
 HhifFs is recorded in these words: "Back of 
 the bluff runs a beautiful creek; they front oit 
 the river near 1 mile — if they were level on 
 top it would be the most beautiful site for a 
 town that T have ever seen." It is certain 
 that the other commissioners also ijave weight 
 
 ''Ilniisr ./oiiniitl. IS-iJl, p. ■>:>: Iiiil. Ilisl. Soc. 
 I'lihs.. Vi>l. 1, p. ].■>;!. 
 
 -//((/. Ilisl. Soc. Pubs.. Vol, -2, p. :i8(): \'ol. 
 ■J. p. :!i:. 
 
 ■\Acfx of is:i. p. ] ;■:.. 
 
 *Stah. (ll Liirijr. \',,|. -I. pn. I'.'S. :i.^>l : Cun,;. 
 Pchates, Jan. i: and 1S. IS-.'."), pp. -MO. -Jl.-,. '
 
 8 
 
 IIISTOKV OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 to the fact that at this point tln-iv was an 
 abundance of level ground for a town. When 
 Stephen Ludlow, tlie Dearborn county com- 
 missioner, returned to Lawreneeburg, he was 
 met l)_v William Tate, a young mechanic from 
 Boston, wlu) inquired how they had succeeded. 
 "Oh. splendidly," was the reply, "l tell you. 
 Billy, we have got the finest piece of land you 
 ever .<aw. It's as level as a barn Hoor."" 
 
 "Oh pshaw!" said Tate, '"what did vou do 
 that for?"" 
 
 '■And why not?" 
 
 "Why, what will tliey over do for drainage?'"' 
 
 Stephen scratched his head for a moment, 
 
 and then responded, "Well, I'll lie d d. 
 
 A'ol)ody but a Yankee would ever have thought 
 of tliai." 
 
 It was natural eno\igh that the commission- 
 ers should be attracted by this feature of the 
 site, for they were all from the south end of 
 the state where the alternation of knobs and 
 channels of streams makes it difficult to place 
 more than two houses on a common level, but 
 its effects on the future city were somewhat 
 serious, and they are not yet wholly overcome. 
 The plain on which the city stands has an 
 average elevation of about 720 feet above sea 
 level, and is quite flat, with somewhat higher 
 ground on all sides. Jt has been conjectured 
 by geologists tliat it was in some past age the 
 bed of a lake, .\cross it runs the valley of 
 Pogue"s Run, which has lost much of its origi- 
 nal breadtli liy filling, and which was formerly 
 ratlier swampy in character. 
 
 Xortheast of the city — north of the Atlas 
 Works — was an extensive swam]), later known 
 as Fletchers Swanij), which in wet seasons dis- 
 charged its overflow through the site of the 
 city in what were called "the ravines;" and in 
 time of floods Fall Creek also discharged much 
 of its surplus water through this swamp and 
 the same channels. From the swamp the 
 water ran south past the Atlas Works, then 
 ■westerly, crossing the L. E. & W. tracks in 
 the low ground still seen about Fifteenth 
 street. Below there it divided, one ravine go- 
 ing a little west of southerly, and crossing New 
 Jersey street at Walnut ; from there it ran 
 southerly between Alabama and New Jersey 
 streets, crossing Washington street at Xew Jer- 
 sey, where there was a culvert for it in Xa- 
 (ional Road days, and emptying into Pogue":- 
 Run. The other ran a little south of westerlv. 
 
 crossing Penn>ylvania street at the big elm, 
 which still stands in front of X^o. I'il'y, and 
 which is sometimes called "the McC'ulloch 
 elm,'" on account of Rev. Oscar McCulloch"s 
 devotion to it. From there it veered to the 
 south, crossing ileridian street at Eleventh and 
 Illinois at St. Clair; then between Illinois 
 and Capital avenue across Vermont ; then 
 southwesterly past the corner of the State Cap- 
 itol grounds to-the old canal bed on Missouri 
 street, and down it, and across, emptying into 
 the river just above Kiugan's packing-house 
 through what was called "the big ravine," or 
 sometimes "the River Styx,"" and which, when 
 subsequently dammed uj), became the lower 
 basin of the canal. 
 
 In these ravines tliere were a number of 
 deep places where the water stood most of the 
 year; and outside of them, scattered through 
 the dense forest, were many low places whert' 
 the water stood for weeks, especially in wet 
 seasons. Southfl-est of Oreenlawn Cemetery 
 was a body of stagnant water known as "Grave- 
 yard Pond,"' of wliicli was said: "In the sum- 
 mer it is covered with a green, filthy scum, 
 and is the habitation of various kinds of rej)- 
 tiles and bull-frogs. At the lower part of this 
 pond is a bridge, supposed to have been built 
 by Governor Scott's army, to get to the ford 
 of the river, about the year lTi)0.""" These 
 conditions made a natural field for malarial dis- 
 eases, whatever the direct cause of those dis- 
 eases. The favorite theory, until quite recently, 
 was that they were the jiroduct of miasma' 
 and there was certainly ami)le cause for 
 miasma in the dam)) soil and the de- 
 caying vegetation. But some, esiieiially 
 in later years, held to the theory that malarial 
 diseases were caused by alternations of heat 
 and cold. Dr. Tlios. 15. Harvey, one of the 
 best physicians Indianapolis, or any other eitv, 
 ever had, was a warm champion of this theory, 
 and there was ample basis for it here, ilore 
 recently the mosquito theory has been gener- 
 
 4(5. 
 
 ''N^oirhnnf's Tlriiiiniscrnces. ]i 
 
 "Locomotive. M»y 27, 1848. 
 
 ~Ind. Hist. Soc. Piihs.. Vol. ?. p. 400; ('Jkuh- 
 hrrlaiii's Gazetteer, p. 41 ; Bejioi-t.-i Stale Jleallli 
 Comm.. 1880, p. 339. 
 
 ally accepted, though there are a few old doc- 
 tors who scoff at jt, and declare that they have 
 known people to be "almost eaten up by mos-
 
 lIISTOIiV OF (MtKATKi; 1 XDI A \ Al'OLlS. 
 
 9 
 
 iiitos" without liaviiifi' malarial iliscasui^. I'os- 
 - bly I'lirther scientiiic invt':^tigation may dera- 
 astrate that, on the germ theory, tiie germs 
 iiay be introduced into the blood otherwise 
 lian througli mosquitos, and that there is a 
 "issibility of acclimation or inoculation, by 
 A hich the individual may develop an anti- 
 "xin that makes him to some extent immune, 
 '.lit doctors disagree as to everything, except 
 '■rhaps the number of bones in the human 
 u'ldy, and the writer has no desire for a medi- 
 cal controversy. 
 
 Suffice it to say that, whatever the causes of 
 malarial diseases, they were here in abundance 
 and so were the diseases, especially in wet . 
 years. Old settlers maintained that it rained 
 much more in the earlier years of the settlc- 
 mejit of Indianajiolis than later"* and tliis 
 is ])robable enough because the conditions 
 were peculiarly favorable to local evap- 
 oration and reprecipitation. Brown says: 
 "The summer of 1S21 was distinguished by 
 the general sickness resulting, it was thought, 
 from the lieavy fall of rain. It is said that 
 storms occurred every day in June, July and 
 Augu.st. Clouds would suddenly gather and 
 send a deluge of water, tlien as quickly break 
 aw*y, while tiie sun's rays fairly scorched the 
 drenched herbage, generating miasmatic va- 
 pors with no wind to carry them oil. Sicknes.s 
 began in July, but did not become general till 
 after the lOtii of August, on which day .Mat- 
 thias Xowland had a raising, all the men in 
 the settlement assisting. Kemittent and inter- 
 mittent fevers, of a jieculiar type, then began, 
 and in three weeks the community was pros- 
 trated. Thomas Chinn, Enoch Banks and 
 Nancy Hemh-icks were the only persons who 
 escaped. Though so general, tlii' disease was 
 not deadly, about twenty-five cases only, most- 
 ly cliildren who had been too much ex])osed, 
 dying out of several iumdrcd cases. The few 
 wlio cduld go about devoted their time to the 
 sick, anil many inslances of generous, devoted 
 friendship occurred. Their mutual suffering 
 at this time bound tiie early settlers together 
 in after life, and none recur to this period 
 witliout emotion. Xew comers were disheart- 
 ened at till' prospect, and some left the coun- 
 try, c-ircuhiting extravagant repm-ts alioiit the 
 
 health of the town, greatly retarding its sub- 
 sc(pient growth.""' In fact tiie conditions here 
 were not much worse than at iiiany other places 
 in the state, and the year was noted foi- the 
 ])revalent sickness.'" 
 
 The doctors fared no l)ctter than the rest 
 of the community. Dr. ^litchell and all of 
 his family were prostrated with ague, as was 
 Dr. Livingston Dunlap, who was then living 
 with them. These two physicians were not 
 only unable to minister to others, but were in 
 so helpless a state that Matthias Xowland took 
 Dunlap on his back and carried him to his 
 caliin to care for him.'^ Xowland and his fam- 
 ily were soon in as bad a plight. His son 
 vividly portrays their situation by recording 
 tliat one day '"my father was suffering for 
 water, and no one able to draw a bucket. He 
 crept to the door of the cabin and saw a man 
 passing. He beckoned to him and requested 
 him to draw a bucket of water. 'Wiere is 
 your friend Blake?' the man inquired. 'He. 
 too, was taken sick this morning,' was the 
 answer. 'What on earth are the people to do 
 now?" said (lie man; 'God had spared him to 
 take care of the people; they would now suf- 
 fi'r as they never had before." ""'- Indeed "riule 
 Jimmy"" Blake was a guardian angel. He w^as 
 then a bachelor, and though he was having 
 chills every other day the malady was not bad 
 enough to disable him, and Xowland says: "He 
 would employ the well days in gathering the 
 new corn and grating it on a horse-radish 
 grater into meal to make mush for the con- 
 valescent. Indeed our family, as well as the 
 others, would havi' suffered for food had it 
 not been for his kind offices in this way, not 
 only because the mush made from the new corn 
 was more i)alatable, but the old could not be 
 got, as there were no mills nearer than (lood 
 Landers", on the Whitewater IJiver." '■ |)i-. 
 ('oe was the only physician able to altenil to 
 patients, and he was kept going night and dav. 
 comliating the disease single-handed iiniil |)r. 
 Jonathan Cool arrived in the fall. 
 
 In fact the ague was so ])rominent a feature 
 of earlv Indianapolis, that it calls fur special 
 
 ''Hroini's I iiiliiiiiiiiiiills. |i. 'i : Juiiniiil . .June 7, 
 
 °ffis:f. of lililidliiliiolis, p. .'>. 
 ^"Chauibt'rlaiu'x Gnzctircr. j) 
 ^^Novhiiid's ririniiiisrciiccx. p 
 ^-Nnirltnid's Rcmiiiiscrnrcx. p. (il. 
 ^"fiJarli/ UrminiKcences, p. (II. 
 
 lit. 
 4.5.
 
 10 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 notii-c as one of the institutions of lliu jilacu; 
 not that it was worse than elsewhere, but the 
 natural conditions were favorable to it. and 
 th()ii<;]i it becanie le.ss common as the land was 
 cleared, it continued to some extent for many 
 years, csijecially in wet reasons. The writer 
 passed the summer of 1870 with it, having six 
 recurrent attacks after the disease was sup- 
 posed to be "broken" in each case. Most nf 
 the early settlers could say as Demas Mc- 
 Farland did, that he "served a regular appren- 
 ticeship at the ague, and worked at journey 
 work at the chills and fever, and thought he 
 had gi'aduated.""''' T'sually the disease was not 
 fatal, unless complicated with sometliing else, 
 although Mrs. Beecher portrays it as vcrv (laii- 
 gerous in her "F'rom Dawn to Daylight." but it 
 was decidedly annoying. The popular view of 
 it was never better expressed than in tlie fol- 
 lowing dialect poem by Dr. H. W. Taylor, 
 wjiich a])|icared in The Ciinriit. in ISS."): 
 
 THE AIGGER. 
 
 Em folks at thess moved thrum the East 
 
 Haint gut the least 
 Idee of Aigger, thess a-tall I 
 Haint no Aigger hee-yur ess Fall, 
 Haint seed Aigger anywhawr 
 
 Thess sencc the War. 
 
 Now-days, feller gits the chills 
 Thess well quit payun boardun bills, 
 Yusen to be. ef Aigger tuck 
 
 Holds on a feller, it thess ud whet 
 His ap-tite up — harder he shuck 
 
 The more he et. 
 
 A feller ats ben 
 
 Round hee-yur when 
 Terry Hut wair thess in the bresh. 
 Hez seed the right Aigger, thess ])linn fresh, 
 
 .\pt to feel thess ornery mean 
 Time the pawnds uz tnrnun green. 
 
 Thess along when Dawg-days come 
 
 Ef a feller swum 
 
 Thess en the Wabash. 
 Git kivvered uth at-air yeller scum, 
 Fn et thess, thess, a mess a trash. 
 He gut ut, shore! 
 Cawn-trairyest Aigger to kee-yore. 
 
 ^^Loroiiiollfc. .Tune 1:3, 1S.")!1. 
 
 Thess git out un set en the sun 
 Lack a torkle on eend of a log, 
 Caillestest theng yevver done I 
 Feel too ornery fur a dog ! 
 Thurreckly the theng has taken its track 
 Streekun un streakun up yer back 
 
 Zef a slice 
 
 Thess plum ice 
 Thess a-meltun long the sken 
 
 T'n freezun en I 
 
 Draw a feller euto a knot I 
 After a spell, he gits so hot. 
 Rasslun roun un makun a furss, 
 Tho-un the kivvers evvurwhurs ! 
 
 Feller"d thenk 
 He's thess a fish, to see him drenk; 
 Long's UTver kin hold the cup — 
 Un en turn roun un tho ut up! 
 
 Thess when the theng hcz gut you het 
 
 Thess hot enough to thess about bile. 
 Hit starts a dad-burned ornery sweat. 
 
 Smells zef yous bout to spile 
 
 Worse un a key-yarn ! 
 Smells fur's thrum hee-yur to the barn I 
 That air sweat that usen to pour 
 Clur throo un throo ar feather-bed • 
 
 Thess onto the floor ! 
 
 Run en a stream j)!uni outen the door I 
 
 At is, a-peerntly hit did, 
 
 Ez the feller said. 
 
 ************ 
 
 Third-day Aigger, sometimes, brung 
 
 Enfurmation en strifFen of the lung. 
 
 Take the feller's maidjur thess long down 
 
 Ez you brlmg the doctor u]) thrum town. 
 
 Curn-jestuff chills uz thess the same ; 
 
 .\irry a defPerunce. thess en tlie nami'. 
 
 I hed the second un, wunst cumun on. 
 
 Thinl un. a feller az good az gone. 
 ************ 
 
 Shake? thess dad-lnmi my hide 
 Ef I haint thess tried un tried 
 
 Shake the clabljoards offen the ruff! 
 
 Tliess ast Sniiryniuss ef she haint hilt 
 
 ^le thrum sliakun ofTen the bed 
 By settin on the end of the quilt. 
 
 Shuck the teeth right outtm inv head. 
 
 Leave it to pa]). 
 
 Woosli I may drap 
 
 Right en my tracks 
 
 Ef them haint facks.
 
 IITSJTOnV OF (IKKATRK IXDIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 11 
 
 This dialect was broader than was often 
 heard in Indiana, but it might be heard in 
 some regions where the popuhition was South- 
 ern in origin, for most of the so-called "Hoo- 
 sier dialect" came to us from the South, and 
 especially from the mountain districts.'"' A few- 
 explanations may aid tlie uninitiated, "Thess"' 
 is just; "Thrum" is from: "Key-yam" is car- 
 rion, and in words like this, "Hee-yur,"" "Kee- 
 yore," etc.. the first syllable is very short — in 
 fact would be better represented by the in- 
 itial consonant alone. "Curn-jestuff" is con- 
 gestive; "Knfurmation"' is inflammation; and 
 "Striffen" is a detached membrane, especially 
 the diaphragm. Hon. John E. Wilson used to 
 tell of a woe-begone Virginia neigliljor who 
 complained of his health, and. when asked 
 wliat was the trouble, replied: "Obi my strif- 
 fen hez rotted out, and my lungs hev dropped 
 down into my stummik."" 
 
 This description of the symptoms and the 
 course of the malady is excellent. l)ut neither 
 the afflicted nor their doctors had any idea 
 of what caused it, according to the present 
 accej)ted mosquito theory, which has been de- 
 veloped almost wholly since 1898; and a state- 
 ment of it, in plain language, is ai)rt)pos here, 
 even at the risk of incurring medical criti- 
 cism, ilalaria is a germ disease of the mos- 
 quito, which does not appear to bother the 
 nios()uito, but one stage of the life-cycle of 
 the jiarasite is passed in the blood of man, and 
 possiV)ly some other animals. There are three 
 common genera of mosijuitos. cidex, stegomyia. 
 and ano])lieles. The first and second are not 
 germ-carriers, and are easily distinguished in 
 the larva state by the fact tluit their "wiggle- 
 tails" appear '"with flowing mane and tail 
 erect" — or, in other words, rest witli their 
 tails at tlie to)) of the water and their heads 
 and whiskers below. But a "wiggle-tail"" that 
 lies flat at the surface of the water belongs to 
 the anopheles, and these are the ones that make 
 the tro(d)le. Various s])ecies of anopheles carry 
 different germs, which cause respectively three 
 t^-pes of malarial disease. The first two are 
 known as tertian and quartan, according to 
 the period of re[)rodnetion of the germs, every 
 other day or every third day. and the attend- 
 ant convulsion. When two or more alternat- 
 ing shifts of germs are working on the victim 
 
 ■7»'/. //I'v/. S(h: I'lihs.. Vol. 
 
 X. 
 
 he will have a chill every day. Those of the 
 third type are the aestivo-autumnal fevers 
 which are commonly known as bilious remittent 
 and typho-malarial. These are the dangerous 
 ones. A patient may get over them without 
 treatment, but he is much more apt to die if 
 not intelligently treated. How the experience 
 of Indianapolis hinges with the recent theory, 
 developed since we exterminated yellow-fever 
 in Cuba, that malaria is a cause of physical 
 and mental deterioration, and was responsible 
 for the decadence of Greece and Rome, I leave 
 to the mosquito experts and historians of those 
 countries. 
 
 In addition to the sii-kiiess which was an in- 
 direct result of the topography, there was con- 
 siderable annoyance from floods. When the 
 swamp northeast of the city overflowed, and 
 Fall Creek overflowed through it, the "ra- 
 vines" became raging torrents. They did little 
 damage in the early years, because the cabins 
 were out of their reach, but they obstructed 
 travel. Where the east ravine crossed Wash- 
 ington street there was ((uite a broad valley, 
 reaching from Xew Jersey stri-et well over to- 
 wards Alabama, and so deep that after Wash- 
 ington street was graded for the National Road 
 the property owners there did not have to dig 
 cellars, but had to fill their lots. Before that 
 time' old settlers say that in flood time the 
 water at this p)int "would swim a horse." With 
 this ravine and l'ogue"s Kun on the east and 
 south, and Fall Creek on the north and west, 
 with the river occupying the same valley or 
 bottom as the creek, the city was in flood time 
 almost on an island; and when the streams 
 were all flooded at once, as often happened, 
 the jilaie was almost isolated, for there were 
 no bridges for several years. In April and 
 May, 1821, the publication of the Gazette 
 was sus]>endcd for a month, because the edi- 
 tors ba(l gone out of town and could not get 
 back through the floods. On May 10, 1824. 
 the W'steni Censor apologized for its limited 
 amount of outside' news for the reason thai 
 the mail carriers had been unable to get out 
 of or into the town. In Manh and April. 
 1820, the mails were slopped for some <lays. 
 The worst of these early floods were in 1824 
 and 1828, and of these the latter did the 
 greater damage, becauM' farmers had begun to 
 cultivate the hottom-hinds. and fences were
 
 HISTOKV OF (iKK.Vl'Ki; 1 XDIAXAPOUS. 
 
 z 
 
 « 
 
 'fl 
 
 O 
 
 Oh 
 
 c 
 z 
 
 < 
 
 .9 K 
 K 
 
 g "3 
 
 ■^ Z 
 
 =• Z 
 
 .-a O 
 
 z 
 
 o
 
 JilS'JUUY Ui" UREATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 13 
 
 washed away, and fertile fields were envered 
 with sand and gravel. 
 
 The '"ravines"' also made some tnnible liy 
 the seejjage of water, which made it dithcult 
 to get dry cellars along their liiu's. When 
 David V. Culley, liegister of the Lai\d Otlice, 
 moved his family here in 1838, they lived for 
 a time in a honse on the point between In- 
 diana avenue and Tennessee street (now Capi- 
 tol avenne) just above New York street. The 
 west ravine crossed Tennessee street liack of 
 liis house, and was furnished with a foot- 
 l)ridge for the accommodation of jiedestrians. 
 One day, in a wet season, his daughter (Mrs. 
 Hannah Mansur) went down cellar for some 
 peaches and while there the cellar «all caved 
 in, burying her to the neck. When her mother 
 came in response to her calls for help, she 
 cried: "Send .some one to dig me out. Tve 
 saved the peaches." Possibly there is a con- 
 nection between this and the fact that Mr. 
 Culley later made the first stone-walled cellar 
 in the city.'" 
 
 Altogether the "ravines" became such uui- 
 sances that the legislature, by ail <>( l-'i lnuaiy 
 4, 1837, appointed Calvin Fletcher and Tbouia-; 
 Johnson "commissioners to superintend the 
 drainage of the swamps aiul lowlands immedi- 
 ately northeast of Indianaixdis, the outlet of 
 which overllows the grounds wes-t, northeast 
 and north of the State House square." The 
 state engineer was directed to make the neces- 
 sary surveys, and the coinmissionei-s to take 
 subscriptions for the work, and |)i'oseeute it '"as 
 they may deem most expedient."" rejjorting their 
 proceedings to the county commissioners. They 
 didy proceeded to cut "the state ditch"' from 
 near the present crossing of Twentieth street 
 and the L. E. & W. tracks, in a direction 
 slightly south of west, to Nineteenth and CVn- 
 I tral avenue; thence west along the south linf 
 of ^lorton i)lace to Delaware street: thence, 
 north to the Fall Creek bottom ; thence west- 
 erly, along tlu' south line of the bottom-land to 
 Fall Creek at Twenty-second street. 
 
 For some ten years this disposed of ti-oulde 
 with the "ravines," but in December, 184G, 
 there were heavy rains on a hard frozen sur- 
 face, and on January 1, 1847, all the streams 
 wore running over. 'I'he bank of the ditch gave 
 way, and the water came down its old channels 
 
 in volume that startled those wlio had invaded 
 them. For exanii)le, Israel Jennings, who had 
 been living peacefully at the northwest corner 
 of Walnut and New Jersey streets, was awak- 
 ened by a noise in the night, and on rising 
 from his high-post bed to investigate went into 
 water almost to his waist. He managed to 
 get ashore with his family ; and in the morn- 
 ing rescued his belongings by aid of a wagon 
 and team. The Hood of 184? was quite gen- 
 eral throughout the state, and did so mucli 
 damage that the legislature ])rovided foi' 
 the reappraiscment of real property that 
 had been injured, and for change of the' 
 tax duplicates to the extent of the in- 
 jury.'" The state diteli was repaired, and no 
 further trouble was ex])erienced until the peo- 
 ple had almost forgotten the "ravines," when 
 in June, 18.58, the bank of the state ditch 
 either broke, or was cut by uuschief-makers, 
 near Central avenue, at a time of very high 
 water in the creek and river; and the water 
 sought its ancient channels, making its way 
 as far down the west ravine as Illinois and St. 
 Clair streets, where it was stopped by the street 
 fills.'" Fortunately the break was discovered 
 and stopped before any great damage was done. 
 Again the ditch was repaired, and a long 
 period of immunity followed in which there 
 grew up a generation that knew not the "ra- 
 vines," except as the youth of their neighbor- 
 hoods utilized the remains of their cdd chan- 
 nels for coasting and skating places. But on 
 .June 1, 187."), the city was visited by a severe 
 electric and wind storm, followed by a deluge 
 1)1' rain. After nightfall on June 2, the bank 
 III' the state ditch broke again, and the waters 
 surged down through what was then becoming 
 the fashionable residence district of the city. 
 The merchant police displayed their utility 
 liy waking the residents and warning them nf 
 danger, and hundreds of ])ec)|>le turned out to 
 see the unusual sight, and pre])are for any 
 emergency. The water playetl havoc with the 
 new block pavement on Delaware street — the 
 first laid in the city — and covered several other 
 streets for some blocks. The Kaufman and 
 Caylor residences (then 618 and 620 N. Penn. 
 street — now about 1210) were flooded on the 
 first floors, and so were several othei-s northeast 
 
 '"Locomollrc. Jlav 12, 184!). 
 
 'Mr/.t /,"?.'/ 7, p. nC. 
 "•■/niirnal. .lune 11. 1S,-)8.
 
 H 
 
 iiisi(ii;v OF (;i!L-:ateh ixdiaxatolis. 
 
 ol' thiit point.''' At this tiiiii' tiiree vouiig laeii. 
 George Curry, Charles Culley, and Louis New- 
 burger, rowed iu a boat from near Eleventh 
 street, on Pennsylvania, to beyond Eighteenth 
 and Alabama. 
 
 This was the last time the state ditch broke 
 its bounds, and the old "ravines"' have been so 
 completely tilled that there is little trace of 
 their course now except in the slope of some 
 street grades and lots towards their old loca- 
 tions. After they were filled there was quite 
 a i)revalent impression that there were "ty- 
 phoid belts'" along their old channels and trib- 
 utary swales. The medical profession did not 
 seem to attach much importance to this, but 
 very generally held that they affected the wells, 
 wliich were then commonly sunk only to the 
 first level. Dr. Samuel E. Earp, the first city 
 sanitarian, expressed his opinion that "the dug- 
 well supply of a greater portion of this city 
 is none too good, becaijse it is drawn from a 
 swampy source, which formerlj' extended from 
 al)ovc the Atlas Works to somewhere near the 
 State buildings.""-" 
 
 I'ntil the coming of the first railroad, in 
 1847, the region south of Pogue"s Eun was 
 "country," and its flood conditions were of 
 little importance. The city made its first 
 rapid growth in that direction between 1860 
 and 18"0, and it was then that the topography 
 of that section first demanded serious atten- 
 tion. There were two natural features that 
 made trouble. "Lake McCarty"' and "Virginia 
 Eivcr."' Lake ilcCarty was a pond in the low 
 ground in the vicinity of the J. M. & I. tracks, 
 between Eay and ilorris streets. It was partly 
 natural and partiv due to the excavations and 
 fills for the road! In 1866 the City Council 
 ordered Nicholas ^fcCarty to cut a ditch 
 through his land to White River and drain 
 the pond. He complied, but notified the coun- 
 cil that this was for temporary accommoda- 
 tion only, and that a different arrangement 
 would have to be made. In 1868, the city 
 fathers having become convinced that under- 
 ground sewers would have to be adopted, a 
 s])ecial sewer tax of 1.5 cents on ^100 was 
 levied, which produced about $-'50.000 ; and 
 one of the first appropriations from this was 
 for a sewer throuirh Hav street to the river. 
 
 draining Lake McL'arty. It is still in use. 
 When it was finished ilr. McCarty was given 
 leave to fill the pond.-' 
 
 The decision for sewers was hastened by the 
 j)erformances of "A'irginia Eiver," which was 
 described by the Committee on Sewers, in a re- 
 port to the council in 1869, as follows: "The 
 so-called Virginia Eiver rises in a wet tract 
 southeast of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and 
 after a winding course of about two miles, 
 tlu'ough Fletcher"s pasture and Fletcher and 
 Stevens" addition, ]iassing down East street and 
 Airginia avenue to Pogue's Eun. In former 
 days when entirely unobstructed, it was. after 
 heavy rains, a swiftly flowing stream, from lo 
 to 100 feet wide, and deep enough iu places 
 to swim a horse. It drains a territory half as 
 large as the city plat, and now, when obstruct- 
 ed by street grades and culverts, forms many 
 deep ponds along its course ; but its channel 
 is deep and rapid, carrying a formidable body 
 of water after long-continued heavy rains. It 
 has already cost the city many thinisands of 
 dollars in culverts and embankments and tliere 
 have also been large sums claimed as damages 
 from its overflow." The committee urged that 
 these evils would increase with future street im- 
 provements, and recommended a sewer through 
 Virginia avenue from the corner of Pine and 
 Elm streets to Pogue"s Eun."-' Instead of this 
 the "river"'" was lodged in the South street arul 
 Kentucky avenue sewer. 
 
 The chief source of the trouble, and the im- 
 mediate cause of final action was the eidvert 
 under Virginia avenue, for the other culverts 
 did their work fairly well. When Virginia ave- 
 nue was a country road there was at this point a 
 wooden culvert or bridge 10 feet wide with a 
 waterway of 4 feet under it. But when it was 
 improved as a street in 18.59, there was sub- 
 stituted for this a culvert of masonry "214 feet 
 wide and 3 feet high. This worked very well 
 in dry weather, but in floods the water could 
 not get out fast enough, and backed up like 
 a reservoir. By the statements of several wit- 
 nesses, Herman Huffer, whose property was a 
 short distance above it. "had to swim out'" 
 repeatedly, and after the heavy flood of 1866 
 he sued the eitv for his accumulated immer- 
 
 "City papers, .lu)u> ;i and 4. 1ST 
 
 ^"AVh'.s-. .laniiarv 2.5. ISST. 
 
 H'niniril I'm,-.. isiKI-T. p. 68:5: 1867-8. n. 
 
 160. 
 
 --('oiiikH I'nii.. ISCil-Tll. pp. 1.57-8.
 
 HISTOUY OF G1;EATJ:U lM)lANAi'ULlS. 
 
 1." 
 
 sions. He iveovered dainajji's, and the city 
 appealed to the Supreme Court, wliieh attirnied 
 the city's liability for the insutticient culvert. 
 Further consideration of the drainage will be 
 found in a later chapter on the city irovcrn- 
 ment under the new charter. 
 
 There was another natural feature of the 
 site that may be mentioned here. When the 
 pioneer .settler located in the forest lands of 
 the New Purchase, he prepared for his tirst 
 years crop by makinji a "deadening." In 
 other words he killed the larger trees by gir- 
 dling them with an a.\, and, having cleared out 
 the underbrush, planted his crop between the 
 deadened trees. Fortunately for the first set- 
 tlers at Indianapolis, nature had done this work 
 for them, for there was in tiie northwestern 
 part of the city an irregular strip of land, 
 variously estimated at from 100 to 200 acres, 
 on which the large timber Mas dead. Tipton 
 passed through it twice, coniing from and go- 
 ing to Conner's Station, and describes it thus: 
 "The most of the timber tor some distance 
 from the river having beuit sugar tree has 
 been killed abt 2 years since by the worms, 
 and is now thickly set with ]irickly ash — near 
 
 tlie creek the timber is better. "-■' This tract 
 began a short distance north of ililitary Park, 
 and extended irregularly northeast towards Fall 
 Creek in the vicinity of Senate avenue. It 
 was sometimes called "'the Caterpillar Deaden- 
 ing," and is said to have been the work of 
 "locusts or caterpillars,"' but locusts and cater- 
 pillars do not kill sugar trees, and it was no 
 doulit caused by maple-borers.-* The first 
 settlers united in making a cominon 
 lield of the soutliern end of this, by 
 clearing out thi' underbrush, wliich W'as used 
 for a fence to keep out their cattle. Their 
 crops were in and well started before the sick- 
 ness of 1831 became prevalent, and this fact 
 saved them from the danger of starvation. This 
 tract was cultivated by the settlers for several 
 years, while the clearing of other land was in 
 ])rogress, and was notable for the fine vegetables 
 it produced.-'' 
 
 -■'Iiul. Miui. of Hid.. \'i)l. 1. pp. 12, 1.".. 
 -*Fifih Bcpl. of U. S. Kiiluiiioliii/ii'dl Com., 
 pp. 3T4-90. 
 
 -'-Xew.i. ^rarch 29. 1S79.
 
 CHAPTER 111. 
 
 thp: xayigable steeam. 
 
 I doubt that any other watercourse ever had 
 White Kiver's experience of being a navigable 
 stream for nearly a century, and then losing its 
 character. Tliis was due to a manifest change 
 in the legal meaning given to the word "navi- 
 gable," and is an illustration of "judge-made 
 law"' that may possibly result in somewhat 
 serious consequences in connection with future 
 movements to improve the river. The ordin- 
 ance of 1787 provided: "The navigable waters 
 leading into the ilississippi and St. Lawrence, 
 and the carrying places between the same, shall 
 be common highways, and forever free, as well 
 to the inhabitants of the said territory as to 
 the citizens of the United States, and those of 
 any other states that may be admitted into the 
 confederacy, without any tax, impost, or duty 
 therefor." It is beyond question that "navi- 
 gable" in this provision means navigable by 
 canoes and bateaux, for no other craft were 
 used on these streams at the time, nor could 
 any other be used in approaching "the carry- 
 ing places between the same." The United 
 States courts have always recognized this pro- 
 vision of the Ordinance as continuing in force, 
 and, in one of the cases, as to the Wabash at 
 Terre Haute.' By the act of Congress of 
 17 9(). for the survey and sale of the 
 public lands, it was expressly declared 
 tliat "all navigable streams within the 
 territory to be disposed of by virtue of this 
 act shall be deemed to be and remain public 
 highways." As such their beds were always 
 excluded from the lands surveyed and .sold. 
 The United States surveyors were governed 
 by these provisions in Clarion County, and did 
 not include the bed of White River in tlic sur- 
 veys, but "meandered" the stream, and the 
 land was sold onlv to the meander lines. Xever- 
 
 theless, when the question of the navigability 
 of White Eiver came before the Indiana Su- 
 preme Court in 1876, the court, by Judge Per- 
 kins, said: "The court knows judicially, a-; a 
 matter of fact, that White River, in Marion 
 County, Indiana, is neither a navigated nor a 
 navigable stream;" and as to the bed not Ijcing 
 surveyed and sold, he said: "The idea that tbe 
 j)ower was given to a surveyor or his deput}', 
 upon casual observation, to determine the ques- 
 tion of the navigability of rivers, and thereby 
 conclude vast public and private rights, is an 
 absurdity.""- Hence he held that tliere were no 
 "vast pulilic rights,"" and the whole stream be- 
 longed to the owners of the banks. 
 
 The reasoning of this case, at least, was 
 abandoned by the same court in 1878, when it 
 held that the Wabash in Warren county was 
 "a navigable stream, the bed of which has 
 neither been surveyed nor sold.""-' This put 
 the court in line with the legislature 
 which had always recognized the action 
 of the United States in its surveys and 
 sales as conclusive. Thus the act of Janu- 
 ary 23, 1829, "relative to navigable streams de- 
 clared highways by the ordinance of Congress 
 of 1787," prohibits any obstruction to "any 
 stream or river which is navigable, and the bed 
 or channel of which has not been surveyed and 
 sold as land by the United States."' And so 
 the law of 18.32 provides a penalty for obstruct- 
 ing "any navigable stream, the bed or chaniud 
 whereof may not have been surveyed and sold 
 as land by the United States."'' Tlie survey and 
 sale were not mere acts of a surveyor or his 
 deputy. Their work was ratified and eontirmed 
 by their superiors, and was as much the action 
 
 'G McLean, p. 237. 
 
 =.i4 Incl. -J:1. 
 ="64 Ind., p. 162. 
 *Rei: Siafs.. 18.V2. 
 
 Vol. 
 
 ]). t:?2. 
 
 16
 
 I!IS'|-()|;V OF (illKATKI! IXDIAX.VroUS. 
 
 17 
 
 i>f the T'nitod StatL':^, being in pursiuiiu-L' of a 
 ilirt'ct requirciiiciit of law, as any otlit-ial action 
 • ould be. Mo;it of the states have been more 
 fortunate than Indiana in the attitude taken 
 as to i)ublic- rights in such streams, and the 
 general rule is that any stream that will carry 
 commerce, even by floating logs, is a navigable 
 stream.^ 
 
 The decision in the Marion County case was 
 quite imnecessary. The (luestion in the case 
 was the right of a riparian owner to gravel in 
 the bed of the stream ; and while the decisions 
 are conflicting there are a number that sustain 
 that riglit without regard to the navigability of 
 the stream, subject, of course, to the easement 
 for navigation." Rut the most important jioint 
 in the (|uestion of navigability was not raist'd in 
 the Marion Cotintv case, and was not considered 
 by the court at all. It is the well established 
 law ill this country that a state has plenary 
 power over navigable streams completely within 
 its borders, at least, until Congress acts.' This 
 power is to be exercised by the legisla- 
 ture and the legislature of Indiana had 
 acted repeatedly and consistently as to 
 thi- miviKability of White h'iver. The 
 act of January 17, "[f^-iO. declared '•Wliite 
 River from its mouth to the main forks; the 
 west fork from thence to the Delaware towns," 
 and certain other streams, to I)e "public liigh- 
 ways"' and made it a ))enal offense to obstniet 
 "any stream declared navigable i)y this act," the 
 only e.\ce])tion being the erection of dams undei' 
 certain conditions, by any person who has "pur- 
 chased from the Tnited States the bed of any 
 stream by this act declared navigalde." This 
 law has never been repealed, hut was slightly 
 modified by the act of February 10. 1831. which 
 declared the West Fork of White ll'wrv na\i- 
 gablc as high as Yorktown, in Delaware County. 
 This law was notable for r'eeognizing that a 
 navigable stream need not be navigal)le at all 
 seasons, for it i)rohil)ited any obstruction that 
 would "injure or impede the navigation of any 
 stream, reserved by the ordinance of Congress 
 of 1787 as a public highway, at a stage of 
 water when if wnuld Dlherwise be naviirable." 
 
 ■■2 Mich.. 21!) ; 1!) Oregon, .3:.',; 3.-5 \V. \\v- 
 ginia, I.T: W liorhoiii: X. W.. 0; 14 Kentuckv 
 Law, r,-2] : 87 Wisconsin, ^:U. 
 
 " ol 111.. ?fif, : 42 W'is., 20.3. 
 
 M2.5 TT. S., 1 : 148 I'. S., 320. 
 Vol, 1—2 
 
 If this law was not repealed by the Supreme 
 Court, it is still in effect. 
 
 As has been note<l the .'^eat of government was 
 located at this point on the understanding that 
 the river here was navigable. On ac<'ount of 
 the ]wor roads, the peo])le here, and inde<'d 
 throughout the state, gave much more thought 
 to navigai)le streams then than they did later 
 on. A j)ublic meeting held at Cruml)augh''s 
 Tavern on September 26, 1822, ])etitioned the 
 legislature for the improvement of White River, 
 but the legislature was then using its avail- 
 able means for the improvement of the Wabash, 
 and nothing was done at the time. But on 
 February 12, 182.5, the legislature made Alexan- 
 der Ralston a commissioner to survey White 
 River and report the probaiile expense of keep- 
 ing it clear from obstriu-tions. He nuule the sur- 
 vey that summer, and reported tiie distance from 
 Sample's Mills, in Randolph County, to this 
 point, 130 miles: from here to the forks, 28.5 
 miles; from there to the Wabash, 40 miles; 
 and that for this distance of 4.5.5 miles the 
 stream could be made navigable for three 
 months in the year by an ex|)eiiditure of $1,.50(). 
 lie found two falls, or ra])ids. one of IS imlies, 
 eight miles above ^Martinsville, and one of !) 
 feet in 100 yards about 10 miles above the 
 forks. There was also a great drift at the line 
 between Daviess and Greene counties. On this 
 report, the legislature, on January 21, 182(), 
 passed a law "to improve the navigation of the 
 Fast and West Forks of White Ri\'er," a,s high 
 u]) as Saiuide's ^lills in Randol]ih County. It 
 ilirected the county boards of the counties on 
 these streams to appoint supervisoi-s for them, as 
 for highways, and to call out all persons' liable 
 for road work within two miles of the streams, 
 and im|)rove the streams as hinhways. It 
 sei'ms rather startling to contemplate navigat- 
 ing White River 130 miles above Indianapolis, 
 but it was actually done in the spring, and a 
 number of loaded flatboats. usually about fortv 
 feet in length, came down the ri\(i- fi-oin Ran- 
 dolph County in an early <\:\\^ Tins law was 
 niaile general by the act nl' M.i\ 31. 1S.52, 
 which empowered all county boai-d< to declare 
 streams navigable, and to work them a< higb- 
 wavs." 
 
 The act of January 28, 1828. appropriated 
 
 "[[isl. lldiiiluljjh ('(Jiiiih/. p. 
 Virv. Slafs., 1852, Vol.' I. p. 
 
 3::!.
 
 18 
 
 ISTOlii' OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 $1,000 for "tliL' purposo of improving the navi- 
 gation of tlic We^it Fork of White River, from 
 Andersontown in' the eounty of Madison to the 
 junction of the same with the East Fork of said 
 river."' These appropriations, like those for 
 state roads, were made from "the three per 
 cent, fund." which was derived from the sale 
 of pulili'^ lands. When Congress provitied for 
 their sale it reserved five per cent of the net 
 proceeds for roads and canals, and provided 
 that three-fifths of this should be expended 
 under direction of the legislatures of the states 
 in which the lands were located. This was 
 "the three per cent, fund;" and in 1828 it lic- 
 gan to be used for canals, the first appropria- 
 tion for that purpose being then made to the 
 Wabash and Miami — later the Wabash and 
 Erie — canal. In a few years the entire ener- 
 gies of the people were turned in that line, 
 under the delusion that they could make new 
 watercourses better than they could improve 
 natural ones. But they did not wholly forget 
 the streams, for when the general law was 
 adopted in 1843 putting the authorization of 
 mill-dams in the courts, it required the court 
 to inquire whether by the proposed dam '"or- 
 dinary navigation will be oljstructed."'" While 
 the legislature retained this power, it looked 
 after navigation. Thus the act of June 13. 
 1826, granting John W. Cox power to construct 
 a dam across White River, in Morgan Countv. 
 required him to put "a good and sufficient lock 
 or slope in said dam at least sixty feet wide 
 and tliirty-six feet long, so as in no^'i.^e to ob- 
 struct the passage of water-craft, either in 
 ascending or descending the said stream." 
 
 Moreover, White River was not only offi- 
 cially recognized as a navigable stream but 
 also was actually navigated by boats of con- 
 siderable size. Hundreds of flatboats went out 
 over it. loaded with the produce of the country 
 and several came up tlie river in the early 
 times when there were no roads, or only very 
 bad ones. In the spring of 1821, Matthias R. 
 Xowland and Elisha Herndon loaded a keel 
 boat at Frankfort, Kentucky, witli flour, bacon, 
 whiskey and other necessaries of life and 
 brouglit it up to this point. It was on this 
 boat that A. W. Russell came to Indianapolis, 
 and on it the picnic party went to .Vnderson's 
 
 s])ring on the Fourth of July, 1821." In May. 
 1822, the keel-boat, "Eagle"' of fifteen tons bur- 
 then, arrived here from Kanawha, loaded with 
 salt and whiskey ; and the same month the keel- 
 l)oat "Boxer." of thirty-three tons, arrived here 
 from Zanesville, loaded with merchandise. The 
 same j'ear Luke Walpole came up the river 
 with two large keel-boats bringing his family, 
 household goods, and a large stock of assorted 
 merchandise. In May, 1824, the "Dandy", of 
 twenty-eight tons, came up with a load of 
 salt and whiskey, and Mr. Brown says that 
 "many other boats arrived from the lower 
 river, and departed loaded with produce."' '- 
 The flat-boat commerce down the river increa.«ed 
 in importance as agriculture developed, and 
 continued until the first railroad furnished a 
 more expeditious exit. 
 
 But Governor Xoble was convinced that the 
 river was capable of still more extensive naviga- 
 tion, and in 1828-9 he offered a reward of $200 
 to the first captain who would bring a steamlioat 
 up to this point, and also to sell his cargo free 
 of charge. This induced two attempts in April. 
 1830. Captain Saunders came up to Spencer 
 with the "Traveller,"' and the steamer ""\'ic- 
 tory" came within fifty-five miles of this point, 
 but the river began to fall rapidly and both 
 soTight safety down the river. But this did not 
 discourage Indianapolis. Gen. Robert Hanna 
 and several others, who had taken contracts on 
 the Xational Road, determined to bring xip a 
 boat to haul stone and timbers for bridges. 
 They invested in a medium-sized boat, and 
 after some difficulty she arrived here on April 
 11, 1831. loaded and towing a loaded barge. 
 This event was hailed with joy by the whole 
 population. A public meeting was called, and 
 Lsaac Blackford, James Morrison. James P. 
 Drake. Alfred Harrison. Samuel Henderson. 
 John H. Sanders. Samuel G. "Mitchell. A. W. 
 IJussell, Nicholas ilcCarty. ^forris Jlorris. 
 Homer Johnson. John ^filroy. Daniel Yandes 
 and Eivingston Dunlap. were ajipointed a com- 
 mittee "to make arrangements to demonstrate, 
 in some appropriate manner, the high gratifi- 
 cation which is and should be felt by all who 
 feel interested in our commercial and agricul- 
 tural prosperity."' The committee met and 
 adopted resolutions, the chief one l)ein'g that. 
 
 ">Rrr. Stiil.<.. \K '.n: 
 
 "A'oH'/((//(/\- tt'i'iii Itiisci'iicrs, 11. 2^ 
 ^"Hisfdri/ /)itliaii(iiiolix. ]i. 20.
 
 IIISTOUY Ub' liUEATKii IMUlAXAi'OJ.lS. 
 
 19 
 
 •"The arrival of tlie stcainboat 'Gen. llaniia/ 
 from Cincinnati, at tliis plat-c. should be vie wed 
 bv the citizens of the Wliite Kiver countrv, and 
 of our state at large, as a proud triumph, and 
 as a fair aud unanswerable ilenionstration of 
 the fact that our beautiful river is susceptible 
 of safe navigation for steam vessels of a much 
 larger class than was anticipated by the most 
 sanguine." The committee also resolved "that 
 Captain Blythe's company of artillery be in- 
 vited to parade on this day at 2 oVloek near the 
 boat to fire a salute in honor of the occasion," 
 whicii was duly done. It also extended an in- 
 vitation to the proprietors and officers of the 
 boat to a public dinner, but this was declined 
 by General Hanna, because "our arrangements 
 make it necessary that she should leave this 
 place for the BiutTs early tomorrow morning." 
 However, the boat made two excursions up the 
 river on the Tith with large loails of passen- 
 gers. In one of these she ran into an over- 
 hanging tree, knocking down her pilot-house 
 and chimneys, greatly frightening the passen- 
 gers, a number of whom took to the water. 
 Tlie boat started down the river on the 13th 
 but grounded on a bar at Hog Island, and did 
 not get oil' for six weeks; and went out of the 
 river in the fall. 
 
 This ended steanilioai navigation in this jiart 
 of White River until 1865, when the Indian- 
 njiolis and White River Steamboat Company 
 Iniill and launched the "Governor Morton"'. 
 Slie was a sidc-wheeler, 100 feet long, '2\. feet 
 beam, and 'i feet 4 inches deep. Her regis- 
 tered capacity was l.")0.87 tons, and tlie in- 
 spector permitted her to carry 'iOO passengers. 
 but she carried more if more desired to ride. 
 She was laimclied on July 1, and made her 
 trial trip on August 25, 1865, running up the 
 river ])ast tlie mouth of Fall Creek, as far as 
 Crowder's IoimI. successfully going over all 
 ripples, though with some bum[)ing. She was 
 licensed at the port of Cinciniuiti, on October 
 1 1. "to carry on tlie coasting trade" between In- 
 (liana])olis and points unnamed, 'i'he highest 
 point up the riMT she ever made was Cold 
 Spring, (111 .V|)ril 'i'.K ISdi;. In an ctl'ort to 
 repeat this achievement in I lie latter part of 
 July she grounded, and was liadly strained in 
 getting off. f)n .\ugust (I. 1cS(;(;, she sank at her 
 luniirings below the .N'ational bridge, with no 
 one aboard but the watchman, and he as!e(>p. 
 It wa- l)clic\ccl that she was scuttled, whirli 
 
 would not have been difficult, as she was built 
 of soft ])ine. Sli(! was raised and dismantled, 
 the hull being sold for $1,200 to Levi Comcgys, 
 who used it for some time to haul bowlders 
 for paving pnriioses. The "Governor Morton" 
 was a source of much joy to the people of 
 Indianapolis, both those who cared for boat 
 riding, and those who constructed jests on nav- 
 i<ration. Henry M. Socwell was captain. He 
 came here from Vevay in 1859, and had ac- 
 cumulated much steamboat experience on the 
 Ohio and Mississippi before coming. He was 
 dubbed "A'ice Admiral," and other sea-faring 
 terms were introduced into the Indianaijolis 
 vocabularv. Michael R. Scudder and Hiram 
 Minick acted as pilots. As a financial venture 
 the boat was a failure. It was alleged that 
 her most profitable trip was one when she 
 stuck on a sandbar for several hours, and the 
 bar took in •$168 for drinks, at 25 cents per 
 quench. It was expected that governmental 
 aid would be obtained for the removal of ob- 
 structions from the river, and memorials were 
 made for that ])urpose, but nothing came of 
 them. It was really surprising that the boat 
 went as far as she did, with the accumulated 
 drifts and bars of forty years to contend 
 against. 
 
 rn((uesfionably White liivor is not so easily 
 navigalile now as it was ninety years ago, 
 though probably as much water passes out 
 through its channel in the course of a year as 
 there did then. The flow is not so steady be- 
 cause the clearing of the land and improved 
 drainage make the surface water pass off more 
 rajiidlv. .\iid this has increased the obstruc- 
 tions in the streams, for the soil, sand and 
 gravel wash much more easily from cleared 
 Tand. Moreover, in the natural state, most of 
 I 111' timber that got into the river came from 
 the undermining of banks on which it stood, 
 and this usually did not float away but hung 
 bv the roots where it fell. But after the ax- 
 men got to work, every freshet brought down 
 logs and rails which formed drifts at some 
 places. Some logs stranded as the water went 
 down, decayed, became water-logged, and made 
 bases for sand and gravel bars. The wash of 
 the sand and gravel is the worst source of ob- 
 struction to navigation, for the timber can 
 be easilv removed — much of it could l)e burned 
 at low water in a dry season. The early work 
 diuic on the liars was wasted, for it usually
 
 20 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEE INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 eonsis-tcd ol' ciittiiii;' rhaniicls iln-dugh tlu'iii. 
 and the channels would till in the eourse of a 
 year or two. Tims the act of January 31, \S:H, 
 for tlie improvement of the Wabash, called for 
 cutting, "at tlie riyiples and rapids channels 
 at least two and oni'-half feet deep from the 
 surface of the olistruction. and tliirty feet 
 wide." 
 
 The first cause of the neglect of naviga- 
 tion of our streams was the internal improve- 
 ment system, which was largely one of canals. 
 Xoliody seemed to realize the practical impos- 
 sihility of high-line canals with retaining walls 
 of loose earth, and the numher iniilt and 
 abandoned is astounding. In ISSO the total 
 of aiiandoned canals in the Fniled States was 
 i;>.")o miles, which cost $44,0i;i,l(!{;. and of this 
 Indiana had 4.53 miles that cost $r,72.5.2Gv'. 
 The Whitewater Valley canal, the first com- 
 pleted in the state, washed out twice before 
 it was finished, and the damage was estimated 
 at $n(),000. The small amount constructed 
 at and near Indianapolis — about seven miles 
 of the Central canal — was little used for com- 
 merce, liut is still in use for water-jiowcr. It 
 has been put out of commission repeate<lly by 
 breaks at the points where it was built up in- 
 stead of dug out. An energetic miiskrat would 
 dig a hole through the bank, and, unless the 
 opening was very quickly di,<covered, that was 
 an end of the canal for weeks.''' The company 
 paid a bounty on muskrat scalps for years, on 
 this account, and it never made a more profit- 
 able investment. But with all this experience it 
 is doubtfnl if the American people have yet 
 learned that if you want to make a |icrma- 
 nent waterway yon must dig it out and not 
 build it U]) — indeed \lc have already started 
 on a re|)etition of the same old absurdity with 
 the L'anaina Canal. 
 
 In fact White River does not present a dif- 
 ficult i)roblem in practical connnereial naviga- 
 tion. The elevation above sea level of the 
 tracks at the Union Depot in Indianapolis is 
 707 fent, which is about 33 feet above low wa- 
 ter level in White River at this jioint. The 
 relative level of the river below here will not 
 vary materially fnun the relative level of rail- 
 road tracks at towns on its bank, which are 
 as follows: Brooklyn. <i58 feet, Martinsville, 
 ."iOil, (ios])ort, .j!)(). Spencer. .5.58. Bloomfield, 
 
 •5 ■.'!». Wortbingt<in, .5 "25, Sandy Hook, Rogers 
 and Blackburn (stations nearest the forks on 
 both sides), each 44ts feet. The railroad at lUack- 
 burn is 43 feet above low-water level. In 
 other words the total fall in the 285 miles 
 from here to the forks, where the river is now 
 navigated, is 260 feet, or an average of less 
 than one foot to the mile. The low-water flow 
 at this point was estimated at 840 cubic feet 
 l)er second by Rudolph Hering, when he re- 
 IKjrted on a sewer system for Indianapolis:'* 
 i)ut Prof. Sackett, of Purdue, in 1905, re- 
 ported the average flow at Indianapolis 103,- 
 000,000 feet in 24 hours, or 1,200 cubic feet 
 |)L'r second; and the Indianapolis Water Works 
 report for l!)0(i, which is based on weir meas- 
 urement, makes it 117,000,000 feet in 24 hours, 
 or 1,350 cubic feet per second. This last is 
 the most reliable, and is for the low-water 
 flow at a point above the mouth of Fall Creek 
 and the discharge of the canal.'"' There 
 is a rock outcrop at ilartinsville, and several 
 below Spencer, but none that would present 
 a serious obstacle to imjirovement. Indeed, 
 they would afford advantagecnis sites for 
 dams, of which several would be needed, as 
 they would furnish .solid bottoms and solid abut- 
 ting sides. The lower one-third of the channel 
 between here and the forks is outside of the 
 "Drift" area, and contains practically no 
 gravel, though there are a number of sand- 
 bars. The solution of the problem is the con- 
 struction of a few dams and locks, and the 
 deepening of the. channel at ])oints by the re- 
 moval of sand and gravel. 
 
 It is a singular fact that more real progress 
 towards making the river iiractically naviga- 
 Ide has been made in the last ten years than 
 ever before, and W'ithmit any intention of it. 
 For years people have been taking sand and 
 gravel from the bars for various n.ses, but in 
 18i)7 was begun the business of pumping them 
 from the bottom of the stream, where they 
 could not be reached by the old process of 
 shovel and wagon. Tliis business has devel- 
 oped until now there arc si.\ steam pumps 
 working on the river at Indianapolis, and sev- 
 eral at otlu'r )ioints. These jiumps arc set on 
 scow boats, averaging from 50 to Go feet in 
 
 '■f.ocoiiioiiri'. Septend)i'r ;!0. ISIS. 
 
 "('1(1/ li'i-jils. Tinnnl <i{ Worh<. 1S!I2. 
 ''■/'roccedinf/a first ('(iiirciil ion /mliiniii 
 Ili'inrh iif L'irrrx mid llarliors CoiKjresg, p. 104.
 
 iiisToKV OF (;i;k.\'ii:i! ixni.WAPoi.is. 
 
 21 
 
 Q 
 
 5 
 
 ffil 
 
 < 
 
 o 
 
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 z 
 
 a 
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 o 
 
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 OS 
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 o 
 
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 E- 
 
 a 
 
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 22 
 
 HISTORY OP GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 length and --'O to 25 in width, and by centrif- 
 ugal suction power draw up a mixture of 
 water, sand and gravel through 8-inch pipes. 
 The pipe entrance is protected from tlie admis- 
 sion of stones over four or five inches in diame- 
 ter, to avoid clogging. The stream passes out 
 over screens that separate the material into two 
 grades of sand and two of gravel. The prod- 
 uct is used for plastering, locomotive sand, 
 concrete work, asphalt mixture, rooting and 
 street improvement. Formerly Lake Michigan 
 sand used to be shipped here in considerable 
 amount, but now its place is filled by this prod- 
 uct. The capacity of a pump is about loO 
 cubic yards a day, and the actual product 
 about 30,000 yards in a working year. In 
 otlier words these six pumps now at Indian- 
 apolis are taking about 180,000 cubic yards of 
 obstruction out of the river annually, and mak- 
 ing money at it. They are shipping by rail 
 over 30,0b0 cubic yards to the suburbs and 
 to outside points, and the balance of their prod- 
 uct is used in the city. They take out the 
 material to an average depth of fifteen feet, 
 and in the eleven years that this work has 
 been in jirogress over three miles of Indian- 
 apolis river front has been made actually navi- 
 gable for any kind of river craft. In addi- 
 tion to these pumps there have been two steam 
 dredges working at Indianapolis on Fall 
 Creek. They operate from the shore, and have 
 taken out large quantities of gravel. 
 
 Either system is easily applicable at almost 
 any point on the river, and of course it would 
 be needed only at intervals for improving nav- 
 igation for there are now long stretches of 
 deep water, and there are few localities on the 
 river where sand and gravel are not in de- 
 mand for highway and other purposes. In 
 fact thousands of dollars have been paid to 
 riparian owners for gravel from the river bed 
 for public uses, when the river bed shouUl 
 justly belong to the state. The American peo- 
 ple have shown a fearful lack of foresight in 
 the exhaustion of the natural resources of the 
 country. They have seemed to exert them- 
 selves to put mineral lands and forest lands 
 into private hands. They have taxed them- 
 selves to encourage the exhaustion of our for- 
 ests and coal mines by tariff laws, when they 
 could have got timber and coal from abroad 
 cheaper than they could be produced at home. 
 But of all stupid aberrations of public policy. 
 
 none ever was more absurd than this aban- 
 donment of public right by a hasty and ill- 
 considered Supreme Court decision. We have 
 now reached the point where the "good roads" 
 movement — and it is a very important move- 
 ment to Indiana — is handicapped by this dona- 
 tion to private parties of the best road material 
 found in many localities, and which can be 
 taken from the river by the pumping process 
 at a cost of 20 to 25 cents a cubic yard. And 
 by taking it out the work would be promoted 
 of luaking practical highways of streams that 
 would be of immense commercial value to the 
 state. It is practically certain that the "Lakes 
 to Gulf Canal" movement is going to result 
 in a vast improvement of the Mississippi and 
 its tributaries, and Indiana approaches partic- 
 ipation in that result with an impediment to 
 reaping its benefits that should never have 
 been created. 
 
 Can it be removed? That is a question for 
 the courts. They can reverse the decision if 
 they wish, and there is ample authority for the 
 position that the beds of streams not sold by 
 the government belong to the state. It is not 
 easy to conceive where any court obtained the 
 jiower to annul the declared policy of the 
 United States and the expressed legislative 
 will of the State of Indiana, as was done in thi: 
 case. Can the Supreme Court repeal a law 
 that is consistent with the Constitution, ap- 
 plying to a matter over which the legislature 
 has unquestionable power, merely because tlu 
 judges differ from the legislators in opinion; 
 That is not commonly understood to be a pre 
 rogative of the courts. It may be irrged that 
 the decision has become "a rule of property," 
 hut this is hardly tenable in fact. Discreel 
 conveyors of property bordering on White 
 River in Marion County do not warrant titlt 
 to the center of the stream, but only to the, 
 meander line, and quit-claim from there to the 
 center. It may be thought by some that this 
 property right would be of little value to the 
 state, but a moment's reflection on the amount 
 of gravel taken out now should dispel this 
 delusion. In fact the state fovnid it worth 
 while to maintain an agent for years to sell 
 gravel from the frontage of the old ferry sitt 
 on the west side of the river (Outlot 1), and 
 old residents remember when ''Bill Aleck" 
 IMorrison used to superintend the taking of 
 gravel from the bar there prior to the sale of
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 23 
 
 the property iu 1889, under authority of the 
 aet of ^farch 9, of that year. 
 
 The United State;; authorities liave always 
 treated the river as navigahle. In fact, in 
 18!)!l. when a controversy arose? over the dam 
 at Riversiile Park, Cajit. Geo, A. Zinii of the 
 Euf^ineers Corps, informed the Park Super- 
 intendent that they could pay no attention to 
 state decision.*, so long as U. S. laws and de- 
 cisions made a stream navigable, as they did 
 White River.'" In connection with this con- 
 troversy the Xeirs sent an "expedition" down 
 the river, consisting of F. D. Xorviel and two 
 other men, on a house-boat 22 feet by 8, It 
 went to the forks of the river, and Norviel 
 reported that the river was navigable for that 
 distance, which he estimated at 218 miles, and 
 ought to be improved.'' This e.xpedition was 
 made in a very dry season when the river was 
 "abnormally low." In 189.5 the engineering 
 corps of the War Department made a survey of 
 lower White River, and reported that the navi- 
 gation could be improved to the forks, and 14 
 miles up the West Fork without dams and locks, 
 but that these would be needed on the West 
 Fork above that point for "slack water naviga- 
 tion." This is leased on an estimate of a flow of 
 only .'i.'JO cubic feet |>er second near the mnutli <if 
 the West Fork, which is not reconcilable with 
 the estimates at this ])oint. Inasmuch as the 
 commerce on the lower river could not lieconie 
 imjiortant until the Wabash was improved, the 
 engineers recommended that work on White 
 River be deferred until then."* 
 
 In this connection may be mentioned the 
 canal, which was made for navigation, and 
 which originally had a flow of about 20{) cubic 
 feet per second — it now does well when it has 
 half that amount. The Central Canal was 
 one branch of the "internal improvement sys- 
 tem'' of 183G. It was to start at a conven- 
 ient point on the Wabash & Erie Canal, thence 
 south to iliincie. theiU'C down the vallev of the 
 West Fork of White River to the forks, ami 
 thence by the most practicable route to Evans- 
 ville. (!onsi(lernble excavation was done at 
 various ))oints, but the only yjart ever put in 
 operation was some seven miles, frcuii Itroad 
 
 '"Netvs. November 7. 1899. 
 "Xfirs. December 2.5. 1899. 
 ^'Ifoiisr Donimnil No. .j:. Vol. •.'•). 
 Session .")lth CdUKress. 
 
 Ripple to Indianapolis. The line of the canal 
 iu Indianapolis was as at present, except that 
 there was a stone lock at the IxMid above .Market 
 street, and the canal continued on a lower level 
 from there down the line of Missiouri street 
 to the edge of the river bottom near Kansas 
 street, where there were two wooden locks, and 
 thence across the bottom. This lower part was 
 abandoned in 1870, and a sewer laid in the 
 channel from Market to Kentucky avenue, 
 where it connects with the main sewer; and 
 the whole channel has since been filled and 
 restored to its original street use. At the west 
 end of the arm that runs south of Military 
 Park there were two basins, one extending 
 north and one south, on the line of Bright 
 street. At the north end of the north basin 
 was a grist mill which operated by an overshot 
 wheel, the waste water from which ran north 
 to about New York street, past the old Burton 
 cooper shop, then west to Geisendorf street, 
 then south to the lower level of the canal. The 
 "tumbles'' were as at present, and the lower 
 level. At the corner of ilarket and the south 
 basin was the Caledonia paper mill, and at the 
 lower end of the basin, half-way to Washington 
 street, were the Gibson mill on the east side 
 and the Carlisie mill on the west, both front- 
 ing on Washington street. Just west of the 
 Carlisle mill was the Chandler & Taylor plant 
 which also used water ])ower. At the lock at 
 Missouri street were the Sheets paper mill on 
 the west, now occupied by Balke & Kraus as 
 a store room, and a flour mill on the east, now 
 covered by the store room of the Deere agri- 
 cultural implement company. These were all 
 the mills on the upper level, or "hydraulic." 
 On the lower level there was Merritt's woolen 
 mill at the corner of Washington street, and 
 the W'ater Works Pumping StatioiL and the 
 paper mill south of it as at present. The Mer- 
 ritt mill is now occupied by the Sandstrom 
 Short-Turn Buijgy Co. ; the Gibson mill is 
 replaced by the .\cme i\rilling Co.: the Cale- 
 donia Paper Mill by the Johnson-Smith Ex- 
 celsior factory, and the site of Carlisle's mill 
 is covered by an extension of the ChaniUer & 
 Taylor plant. The basins or arms nf the 
 "hydrdaulic" were filled u]) years ago, ami the 
 whole of the water power is concentrated at 
 the old or low(-r pumping station, where there 
 ai'e fdU'- tui-liiTic>. but sometimes not water 
 enou'di to run one. Tiic liu-k nl' water is due
 
 •ii 
 
 HISTOEY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 to tlie smaller low-wator flow above Broad 
 Ripple, where the level now is often below the 
 top of the dam, but forty years ago the com- 
 pany commonly used "splash-boards"' on top 
 of the dam in low-water, and had at least a 
 foot more of water in the canal than at pres- 
 ent. 
 
 It was naturally cxpegted that there would 
 be considerable traffic on the canal, especially 
 as everybody expected it to be soon opened to 
 Xo^lesville on the north and ^lartinsville on 
 the south, and considerable preparation was 
 made for it. As soon as it was opened to 
 Broad Ripple an effort was made to utilize 
 it on an outing basis, and the following ad- 
 vertisement appeared in the local papers in 
 July, 1839: 
 
 THE CANAL BOAT. 
 
 "iSi"ow running on the canal between Indian- 
 apolis and the Broad Ripple will ply daily. 
 The boat leaves Indianapolis at ten o'clock 
 in the morning, and retui'us at six o'clock in 
 the evening. Good order will at all times be 
 maintained on the boat, and every attention 
 paid to render those comfortable who nuiy 
 take passage. Fare $1. Persons visiting the 
 Broad Ripple are assured that good entertain- 
 ment will be found by those desiring eat- 
 ables, etc. 
 
 "Robert Karl." 
 
 Alluring as the triji miglit seem, there were 
 few persons in Indiuajjolis at that time, when 
 .50 cents was the legal allowance fnr a day's 
 \vork on the roads, that could indulije in such 
 luxuries very often, and as there was very 
 slight occasion for travel over this line on busi- 
 ness the canal boat was soon found an unprof- 
 itable venture, and was drop|)ed altogether. 
 At a later day the com])aiiy used boats \vitli 
 .scythes attached to the stern to cut the moss 
 and grass, which almost stopped the flow of 
 water at times, but in the early period they 
 got rid of it by .'ihutting off the water jiiiil 
 raking it out. So for twenty-five years theic 
 was no navigation oxc( pt a limited and inter- 
 mittent use of skiff's. 
 
 T'ractically all of the "commerce" that oc- 
 curred on the canal was the work of Aldrich 
 & Gay. Frank .\ldrich. and his father-in- 
 law, Alfred (iay, came here in 1858, and 
 started a saw-mill with George D. Stevens un- 
 der tlie firm name of Gay i^- Stevens. It was 
 
 located on the iladison tracks one S(|uare south 
 of the old iladison depot on South street, 
 and used the first circular saw^ operated in 
 Indianapolis. Mr. Aldrich was with the Army 
 of the Tennessee during the war, and after it he 
 and ;\[r. Gay started a wood yard, first at the 
 corner of Michigan street and the canal, but 
 later moving north of North street, where the 
 yards of the Western Construction Co. now are. 
 They bought the timber on a lot of land above 
 Broad Ri]:)ple, and established a camp of ref- 
 ugee negroes to cut it. It was brought down 
 the canal in two scow boats, 8.5 feet long, 25 
 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, each of which car- 
 ried about 25 cords of wood. They also brought 
 down considerable C(uantities of corn, bowlders 
 for street paving, and flour from the mill at 
 Broad Ripple. There were formerly locks at 
 Broad Ripple through which boats could be 
 taken into the river, and a fair tow-path up the 
 south side as far as "the big slough," opposite 
 what is now known as "the rip-rap." These 
 boats were also quite popular for Sunday 
 school and other picnic parties which were 
 towed up to (Jolden Hill (D. :\r. Parry's 
 grounds) or the site of Fairview Park. 
 
 The canal was a great disappointment to tlie 
 people of Indianapolis, who had been warm 
 supporters of the internal improvement system. 
 When the bill passed the senate, on January 1(3, 
 183(i, there was a general illumination of the 
 town, and in the summer of 1839, when the 
 canal was open(Hl from here to Broad Ripple, 
 there was an excursion by boats to that place. 
 But the crash of that year put an end to the 
 work that had cost so much. There had been 
 Jfl.nOO.OOO expended on the (V'utral Canal, 
 and comparatively little more would have put 
 it in o|)eration from Xoblesville to ilartins- 
 \ille. 'I he state operated what there was of 
 it until 1850, but not very satisfactorily. The 
 ehnnnel was much impeded by moss, and the 
 1)1(1 plan was to turn off the water to clean it 
 <iut. which naturally' caused complaint from 
 the lessees of water-power. The flood of 1847 
 washed out the banks and the aqueduct over 
 Fall Creek, and the canal was dry for months. 
 Lessees refused to pay rent and stiits 
 were brought. lly tlie acts of January 
 19 and 21. 1S50. the governor was au- 
 thorized to com]ii'omise the suits and sell 
 the whole ]jro])erty to the highest bid- 
 der. He reporlecl tii the next .session that he
 
 liisTouv OF (;i;i:atei£ ixDi.vxAi'ou.s. 
 
 liail rokl all of the canal north of Morgan 
 Coiiiity to George G. Shoup, James h'ariilen 
 ami John 8. Xewman, for $2, "^4.3, anil that 
 in Morgan County, which was simply laud 
 with partial excavation, to Aaron Alldredge, 
 lor •$()(»().''•' These purchasers assigned to the 
 Central Canal Manufacturing. HydrauTu- and 
 Water Works Company, under which name were 
 incori)orated Francis Conwell, Henry Von 
 Bergess, Wm. Jiurnett, Luther G. Bingham, 
 and David F. Woi'cester, on Fehruary i:i. 1S.J4. 
 They did not find it profitahle, and the title 
 became somewhat involved by sheriffs" sales, 
 _but in 1859 it was transferred to the Indiana 
 Central Canal Company, which cleared \\p the 
 title, and rented water power for some years, 
 finally transferring the property to the In- 
 dianapolis ^\'ater Works Company, the pres- 
 ent owners. 
 
 'Ifotisc JiiiiniitJ. lS.-)()-l. 
 
 .'W. 
 
 Since the Water Works Company has owned 
 the canal it has broken several times at built- 
 up points, especially at the aqueduct over Fall 
 Creek, and near F'airview Park. One of the 
 most disastrous breaks was during the iiood 
 of 1904, when the creek was already high, the 
 added flood carrying it over the levee at 
 "Cerealine town" and causing large damage 
 there. A number of the breaks have been due 
 to the burrowing of niuskrats, and the canal 
 patrol — the company has for years had the 
 bank patrolled daily by two men — is specially 
 charged with the duty of watching for and 
 killing these animals. It has also paid a bounty 
 of five cents for tail tips, and distributed 
 traps free of charge to farmers along the line. 
 One would naturally expect fur-bearing ani- 
 mals to be almost extinct in this vicinity, but 
 for the past five years there have been over 
 one hundred muskrats killed annually in this 
 little stretch of canal.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 PLAXNIXG THE CITY. 
 
 By the act of January fi. 1821, by whicli 
 the legislature ratified the scleetion of the site 
 for the capital that had been made by the com- 
 missioners, it was also provided that the house 
 and senate should elect by joint ballot three 
 commissioners to lay out a town on the site, 
 and an agent for the sale of lots. These com- 
 missioners, "or a majority of them", were di- 
 rected to meet on the site on the first Monday 
 in April, 1821, and "proceed to lay out a town 
 on such part of the land selected and hereby 
 established as the seat of government as they 
 may deem most proper, and on such plan as 
 they may conceive will be advantageous to the 
 state and to the prosperity of said town, having 
 specially in view the health, utility and beauty 
 of the place." They were authorized to em- 
 ploy a surveyor and such assistants as were 
 needed; and after the survey was completed 
 .were to advertise the sale of lots, and sell as 
 many as they deemed expedient, "reserving \m- 
 sold every second odd number commencing at 
 number one." Purchasers of lots were to pay 
 one-tifth down, and the balance in four an- 
 nual installments, with forfeiture if payment 
 were not completed "within three months after 
 the last installment beconu's due." At any time 
 prior to advertisenu'nt and sale on forfeiture, 
 the purchaser could redeem by ])aying arrear- 
 ages and costs. The agent was to keep his 
 office at the town, and within nine months of 
 the passage of the act to fix his permanent 
 residence there. The money received from the 
 sale of lots was to be kept as a separate fund 
 by the State Treasurer, and to be used for 
 "erecting the necessary public buildings of the 
 state." No sale of lots was to carry any 
 right of ferriage to the purchaser, but this 
 right was permanently vested in the city. 
 
 By the same law the new capital was nanicd 
 
 Indianapolis, after a prolonged discussion by 
 the House, in Committee of the Whole. The 
 circumstances of the naming were stated by 
 Judge Jeremiah Sullivan, of the Supreme 
 Court, who was a member of the legislature 
 at the time, as follows: "The bill (if 1 re- 
 member aright) was reported by Judge Polk, 
 and was in the main very acceptable. A blank 
 of course, was left for the lunne of the town 
 that was to become the seat of government, 
 and during the two or three days we spent iu 
 endeavoring to fill the blank there was iu the 
 debate some sharpness and much amusement. 
 General Marston G. Clark, of Washington 
 County, proposed Tecumseh as the name, and 
 very earnestly insisted upon its adoption. 
 When it failed he suggested other Indian 
 names, whicli 1 have forgotten. They all were 
 rejected. A member ])roposed 'Suwarrow,' 
 which met with no favor. Other names were 
 proposed, discussed, laughed at, and voted 
 down, and the house without coming to any 
 agreement adjourned until the ne.xt day.. There 
 were many amusing things said, but my re- 
 uuuid)rance of them is not sufficiently distinct 
 to state them with accuracy. 
 
 "I had gone to Corydon with the intention 
 of proposing Indianapolis as the name of the 
 town, and on the evening of the adjournment 
 above mentioned, or the next morning, I sug- 
 gested to Mr. Samuel Merrill, the representa- 
 tive from Switzerland County, the name I pro- 
 posed. He at once adopted it and said he would 
 support it. We, together, called on Governor 
 .Jennings, who had been a witness of the amus- 
 ing proceedings of the day previous, and told 
 him what conclusion we had come to, and asked 
 him what he thought of the name. He gave 
 us to iinderstand that he favored it, and that 
 he would not hesitate to so express himself.
 
 iriSTORV OF GURATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 27 
 
 When the House met and uoiit into loiiveu- 
 tioii on the bill, 1 moved to fill the blank 
 with Indianapolis. The name created quite 
 a laugh. Mr. Merrill, however, seconded the 
 motion. We discussed the matter fully; gave 
 our reasons in support of the proposition ; the 
 members conversed with each other inform- 
 ally in regard to it, and the name gradually 
 commended itself to the committee, and was 
 accepted. The ])rincipal reason given in favor 
 of adopting the name proposed, towit: that the 
 Greek termination would indicate to all the 
 world the locality of the town, was, I am sure, 
 the reason that overcame the opposition to the 
 name. The town was finally named Indiana- 
 polis, with but little, if any, o|i]i()sition.""' 
 
 The tradition in the Merrill family is that 
 the name was originally suggested by Mr. Mer- 
 rill himself, but he never cared to insist on 
 his claim. Indeed there was no great in- 
 diicement to do so, for the name was not re- 
 ceived with universal applause. The Indiana 
 Ccntinel. publislied at Yinccnncs, which had 
 favored the name "Tecumseh,'" announced the 
 new name on January 15, 1821, in the fol- 
 lowing passage: "One of the most ludicrous 
 act';, however, of the sojourners at Corydon. was 
 their naming the new seat of state government. 
 Such a name, kind readers, you would never 
 tind by searching from Dan to Beershelia; nor 
 in all the libraries, museums, and pat<'nt of- 
 fices in the world. It is like nothing in heaven, 
 nor on earth, nor in the waters under the earth. 
 It is not a name for man, woman, or child ; for 
 empire, city, mountain or morass; for bird, 
 beast, fish nor creeping thing; and nothing 
 mortal or immortal could have thought of it, 
 except the wise men of the East who were 
 congregated at Corydon. It is composed of 
 the following letters: 
 
 "1— X-D— I— A— N— A— P-O-I— l-S. 
 
 "Pronounce it as you please, gentle readers 
 — you can do it as yon wish — there is no dan- 
 ger of violating any system or riile, either in 
 accent, cadence or emphasis — suit your <iun 
 convenience and be thankful you are enabled 
 to do it. by this rare effect of the scholastic 
 genius of the age. For this title your future 
 capital will be greatly indeiitcd, either to some 
 learned Ifrhniist. some veneraiile Grecian, some 
 
 sage and sentimental Bnilimin, or some pro- 
 found and academic Faullowatlumie." 
 
 A weeJv later the Ccntinel gave the name 
 an editorial broadside in similar vein, and also 
 |)ublished a communication which closed with 
 these words: "Or should you require the ety- 
 nwloqif of the word itself, I beg leave to refer 
 you to the P A T A P H R E A Z E L Y (a 
 new work and very rare) under the head "S 
 I L." (This work serves as a Lexicon to the 
 ancient Hindoo language!) and reversing the 
 letters you have SILOPANA IDNI 
 which signifies "A HEAD WITHOUT 
 HHAINS."- 
 
 There has been more or less facetiousness 
 evoked by the name ever since, but really, 
 «hen one becomes accustomed to it, it is no 
 more stilted than "Philadelphia." Its inven- 
 tors had precedents not only in ancient names, 
 but also in "Annapolis" and "Gallipolis" in 
 this country: and they have had successors in 
 "Cassopolis," "Minneapolis," "Iliopolis," "Ten- 
 toiiolis,'" "Lithopolis" and "Kanopolis." Jlore- 
 o\er "Indianapolis"'" itself, has four times been 
 appropriated, once by Te.xas; once by Colorado; 
 once by Iowa, and once by Oklahoma, without 
 the slightest regard to its meaning — City of 
 Indiana— -but solely for its melody and dig- 
 nity; and in consequence our postotiSce author- 
 ities were subjected to much annoyance by the 
 miscarriage of mails and finally succeeded in 
 having all but the Oklahoma town aliolished. 
 And, really, why is not the (Ireek ending just 
 as rational as the German "burg,"" or the 
 l-'rench "ville," or the .\nglo-Saxon "wick," 
 or any of the common Indian endings that sig- 
 nify "town" or "place"? "Indianapolis" may 
 not be so suggestive as the old Miami name of 
 "Clianktunoongi," or "Makes-a-Noise-Place", 
 but it at least serves to command attention, 
 (•\(n if some occasioind, sensitive barbarian 
 mav — 
 
 "Shriek 
 To arms! they conic! the (Jreek, the Greek." 
 
 I'.ut. to resume the story; on January 6, 
 l^'.M. the same day that the law was approved. 
 the Hc)use and Senate met in joint session and 
 elected (Jen. John Carr agent for the sale of 
 lots, and James W. .fones, Samuel P. Booker 
 and Christopher Ifarri~<in, commissioners to 
 
 ' 11 ijll(iiriii/'s 1 11(1 iitiDi imlis-. p. 111. 
 
 -luiliiina Crnhnrl. .lanuarx' 22, 1821.
 
 ■v'S 
 
 H18T0KY OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 lay out tliu town. Ol tlivsc liarrijiou alone ap- 
 peared at the site at the time fixed, Init he was 
 not a man to be disturbed by a little thing 
 like that. Judge Jlairisou, as he was called, 
 wa.< one of the most interesting characters that 
 ever reached Indiana. He was not oi the Har- 
 risons of Virginia, but a ilarylander, of some 
 wealth, fine education, and a taste for art. Dis- 
 appointed in love, it is said with Elizabeth 
 Patterson who married Jerome Bonaparte, 
 afterwards King of Westphalia, Harrison came 
 to Indiana and for seven years lived a her- 
 mit near Hanover, on a blutt' overlooking the 
 Ohio River. In 181.5 he decided that he had 
 served full time for his Rachel, and went to 
 Salem and, opened a store. In ISKS he was 
 put on the ticket \fith Jonathan Jennings, and 
 elected lieutenant governor of the new state. 
 He followed the uneventful life appertaining 
 to this office until 1818, when Governor Jen- 
 nings was appointed a commissioner to make 
 treaties with various Indian tribes, and ac- 
 cepted the appointment.- Inasmuch as the con- 
 stitution of the state provided that "no per- 
 son holding any office under the United States 
 shall exercise the office of governor or lieuten- 
 ant governor," Harrison declared that Jennings 
 had vacated his office, and thereupon proceeded 
 to act as governor. But Jennings dissented; 
 and, when he had finished tlie treaties, re- 
 sumi'd governing, and the legislature recog- 
 nized him. Then Harrison resigned, and the 
 legislature adopted a resolution that his con- 
 duct had been "both dignified and correct dur- 
 ing the late investigation of the differences 
 existing in the executive department." In 
 1819 he ran for governor against Jennings, 
 and was badly beaten, but that did not inter- 
 fere with the public appreciation of liis talents; 
 and so he was chosen commissioner by a legis- 
 lature that would not have done anything dis- 
 pleasing to Jennings.' 
 
 When he found that the other members of 
 the commission were not coming he decided 
 himself "a majority thereof,'" organized him- 
 self, and proceeded to business. His maiuige- 
 ment of the survey and sale of lots was legal- 
 ized by act of Xovemlier 28. 1S21. He em- 
 ployed Alexander Ralston and Elias P. Ford- 
 ham as surveyors, and Benjamin 1. Hlytlie. who 
 
 iiad been clerk to the site commissioners, as 
 clerk. Ralston was a Scotchman, of good abil- 
 ity, who as a young man had been intrusted 
 with important engineering work on the estate 
 of Lord Roslin. After coming to this country 
 lie assisted ilajor L'Enfant in the survey of 
 Washington City until that eccentric genius got 
 angry and resigned, and for some time after- 
 wards was employed by the government. Later 
 lie removed to Louisville, and after some years" 
 residence there, to Salem, Indiana. In 1823 
 he removed to Indianapolis, and there built a 
 ([uaint little brick house on the north side of 
 .Slaryland street, west of Capitol avemu' — a 
 square story-and-a-half in the center, with a 
 one-story ell on each side, well supplied with 
 doors and windows — where he lived with his 
 colored housekeeper, "Aunt Chaney" Lively, 
 until his death on January .5, 1827. While 
 here he served as county surveyor. Ralston 
 was thought by some to have been implicated 
 in Aaron Burr"s consjjiracy, but so was every- 
 body that was known to speak to Burr; and it 
 is not probable that Ralstou"s conspiracy ex- 
 tended beyond surveying some property on the 
 Washita River, in Arkansas, known as "the 
 Bastrop lands."'" which Burr had purchased. He 
 was held in high esteem here — he fed the birds 
 in severe winters, and all the children doved 
 him — what higher certificate of character could 
 one have ?* 
 
 Fordham dropped so completely out of local 
 record and tradition that Sulgrove says of him: 
 "Of Mr. Fordliam little appears to have been 
 known at the time, and nothing can be learned 
 tiow.""^ He deserved iietter. Elias Pym Ford- 
 ham was a young man from one of the oldest 
 families of the east of England, who came to 
 this country in ISIT with ^lorris Birkbei-k and 
 ids family, ami went to the celebrated Illinois 
 colony, where he located land on "English 
 Prairie." He was well educated, and of keen 
 intellect, as appears from Ids writings. He 
 was considered an excellent engineer, having 
 been a pupil of George Stephenson, the inven- 
 tor of the locomotive steam engine. He trav- 
 eled in southern Indiana in 1818, and at other 
 times — in fact Birkbeck"s c(donv was in pretty 
 close touch with southern Indiana — and quite 
 
 ■■'Woollen's Sl-t'tclifs. |). Kid; 'rhmiipxnrs 
 !^t<irii's (if liiiliniHi. ]i. 128. 
 
 KToiiniiil. Jaiinarv 9. 1827 ; .Vr/,'.v. March 22. 
 187 9. 
 
 ''Illsl. f llllllllHI jlollS, p. 2.").
 
 H18TU1;Y of laiKATEK INDIA.N Arol.lS. 
 
 29 
 
 probably formed the acMjuaiutancc of Kaliitoii 
 and Harris^oii Ix'fore loiiiing here." 
 
 The plan for the city which was adopted was 
 largely influenced by the plan of the city of 
 Washington, which Halston had assisted in sur- 
 veying, and which had nunu'rous admirers 
 throughout the country. It had been taken as 
 a basis for the rebuilding of Detroit, after the 
 great tire of 180.5, by (Ihief Justice Augustus 
 ]•?. Woodward, who was jn-actical dictator there 
 at the time." "The Federal City" wa^ modeled 
 on Versailles, cither at the suggestion of Presi- 
 dent Washington, or with his approval, and so 
 the plan of the final capital of Indiana was 
 based in ])art on the capital built in France for 
 the first ruler of Indiaiui. But it was not wholly 
 so. When the plan of '"The Federal City'" was 
 under consideration, Thomas Jefferson favored 
 a city of regular s(|uares made by streets inter- 
 secting at right angles, but L"Enf'ant preferred 
 tlie "spider- web" idea of Versailles, with its 
 principal avenues i-entering at the royal palaces, 
 and Washington agreed with him. The plan 
 adopted for Indianapolis was a rational com- 
 bination of the two. The original plat, now 
 commonly known as "the mile squai'e". be- 
 tween North, South, East and West streets, 
 was divided ])riniarily l)y nine north and south 
 streets, and nine east and west streets into 100 
 squares, with certain modifications — but the 
 streets do not run direct to the points of the 
 compass, as commonly supposed; they bear 
 about two and one-half degrees east of iKirtli. 
 and south of east, owing to variation in ilic 
 magnetic needle. Most of the streets in the 
 additions, outside of "the donation", follow the 
 Section lines, which were run on the basis of 
 the true meridian, and are tJiercfore more nearly 
 with the points of the compass. The four 
 central .squares or blocks of the city, taken to- 
 gether, were called "the Governor's Square", 
 and at their center was jdaced a circle, nearly 
 four acres in extent, surrounded by a street 80 
 feet wide, which was designed for tlie governor's 
 residence, but is now ^Monument Place. From 
 the four corners of the Governor's Square there 
 were four diagonal streets, now called avenues, 
 running to the four corners of the plat, each 
 of which cut four of the primarv s(pKircs into 
 
 "See Fordhams I'itsohuI .Xdrral Iri- : ('Irve- 
 land, inofi. 
 
 ' Lit nihil II rl-!< of Di'lrnil. p. ■^'.'!. 
 
 two triangles. Each diagonal street afforded a 
 "short cut"" to the center of the city, and on 
 this account these have all become po])ular 
 thoroughfares and business streets; they have 
 been adopted for street-car lines, and arc real 
 conveniences to the public. All of these streets 
 were 90 feet wide except Washington street, 
 which was 120 feet. The boundary streets, 
 Xorth, South, East and West, were not in- 
 cluded in the original plat, but were added 
 afterwards by Harrison, at the suggestion of 
 James Blake, who urged that "fifty years later 
 they would make a fine four-mile drive around 
 the city". In fact no one then contemplated 
 the city's growth beyond "the mile square.'"' 
 Xo subdivision of the donation lands outside 
 the plat was made at the time, and Ralston, 
 gazing proudly on the map, declared that "it 
 would make a beautiful city, if it were ever 
 built"". 
 
 The only departure from the regularity of 
 the i)lan was in the southeastern part of the 
 city, and was caused by Pogue's Run. South of 
 it. a street called South Carolina street was 
 run from the corner of Meridian and South 
 streets diagonally to the corner of Georgia and 
 East streets. A block and a half north of this 
 — north of Pogue's Run — Xorth Carolina street 
 was run, ])arallel to Soutii Carolina street, from 
 .Meridian street, at the alley between Georgia 
 and Louisiana streets, to East street, at the 
 alley between Washington aiul ^Maryland streets. 
 Xorth Carolina and Soutli Carolina streets 
 were each (JO feet wide. The I ract between 
 tliem was divided into three huge irregular 
 blocks, which were given s(|uare numbers 80, 
 84 and 8."). Of the jirincipal city streets. A'ir- 
 ginia street (now \'ii'ginia avenue) alone 
 crossed this tract but there was a small street 
 across it from flic corner of Delaware and South 
 Carolina streets, at right angles with the lal- 
 ter, which was named Short street. The ac- 
 companying cut of the plat is from I he copy 
 used as an original in the otlice of the audi- 
 tor of state, worn with age, and bearing the 
 inscription: "St;i1e nf Inili.ina. I. .lobn Can-, 
 -Vgent for the town of hulianapolis, do hercliy 
 certify that the above is a true plat of the Town 
 of Indiana])olis. John' Cahh. July 9. 1822." 
 
 This arrangement contin\ied until 18:!1. 
 wlien part of the donati(ni lands having been 
 subdivided into "outlots"" in pursuance of acts 
 iif the leiiislalure in 182 1 and 182."). a com-
 
 30 
 
 ISTOI.'V OF GKEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 t.\ -J J-DglLj. A. — I 
 
 ' '/^^'■^ 1^'lrv- HI 
 
 f''~ .\«*'"' ,-<-^ r — II — n r — ir — t'" ^Ji — i<i 
 
 >^y>i\ 1 1 ' ir : , I L — IIJ — I LUJL — i 1 \* •■ itj 
 
 £.:^/^-. 
 
 
 
 
 
 OF THE town: 
 
 ;^A^^tf 
 
 hlM&U- ».^k" 
 
 ''•''"< l.y H.Tl.n.Col'" 
 
 3 •»^'^v 
 
 < 
 
 tiTTie tha^fi yaanf Ai ' i :. 
 
 " arf Ttnrvtd JiS rriifitm< jnrjm. J 
 
 Sqaawj t.S. t^S.'3. TO, aj|_ nrJ J 
 
 iffliXft, "ileMtRerr SftanV ' ' '^ 
 
 H''. //. ■ift'^'i Photo Compan}!.) 
 
 THE RALSTON PLAT OF 1821.
 
 11 IS TORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 31 
 
 plc'tu ."-urvey ol' the doiiatiuii was ordered, with 
 two maps, which Avere to be filed as "otlieial 
 records". This survey and these maps were 
 made bv Bet Intel F. Morris, aud in them North 
 Carolina, South Carolina and Short streets 
 were dropped; the north and south streets — 
 Pennsylvania, Delaware, Xew Jersey and Ala- 
 bama — were extended across I'ogue's Hun ; and 
 blocks 80, 84 and 8o. thus cut up, were added 
 to former fractional squares. In the orifiina! 
 plat this Pogue's Run tract had made a break 
 in the square numbers, whicli bejran with NO. 
 1, in the northeast corner of the phit and num- 
 bered to the left to 10; then drop])ed a tier 
 and numbered back to the right to 20, and so 
 on. until Xorth Carolina street was struck: 
 an<l there the fractional and irreguhir squares 
 introduced an extra square numbei'. so that 
 the soutlieastern square of the phit wa* num- 
 bered 101 instead of 100. and still retains 
 that number. But, in the readjustment of 
 1831, square numbers 83 and 85 were dropped, 
 so that now there are only 99 squares, or 
 square numbers, in the original plat, or ■•mile 
 square". 
 
 After IS.'il no changes were made in the 
 original street names until 1894-."), when the 
 City Council changed the name of Mississippi 
 street to Senate avenue, and Tennessee street 
 to Capitol avenue." 
 
 The former was due to the efforts of John 
 Puryear, a well-known and enterprising col- 
 ored ]nan, who rejiresented the Fourth Ward in 
 the Council for six years. 'I'he reason he 
 ga\c for it was that he "hateil the name of 
 Jlississippi". Various roads which originally 
 came to the mile square have taken street names 
 within the extended city limits. The Blulf Road 
 is Meridian street. The Madison Road is Mad- 
 ison avenue. The Brnokville Road is Brook- 
 ville avenue. Tiie Michigan Road is Southeast- 
 ern avenue below the old city line, while at 
 the north it is called West street as far as 
 Sixteenth, and beyond tlial Xorthwesteni ave- 
 nue. Th(^ l-afayette Road is Indiana avenue. 
 I'ndcr an act of 1827, the alleys in squares 
 nmubered 1 to '^O, and 78 to 101 were vacated, 
 
 " Thi' Capitol avenue ordinance was intro- 
 duced liv Wni. II. Cooper, and ])asseil May 'i\. 
 l.'^iM. The Senate avenue ordinance was intro- 
 duced bv Henrv Magel, and |)assed Sei)tember 
 23, ISO.';. 
 
 and those squares were sold as ■"oatlots". Hence 
 no alleys appear in them in the map of 1831, 
 but in it the principal alleys remaining were 
 named. The names of the Xorth and South 
 alleys, or streets as they are now commonly 
 called, beginning in the west tier of squares 
 aud proceeding east, were Columbia, Osage, 
 Huron, iluskingum. Severn, Scioto, Susque- 
 hanna, Hudson, Erie and Choptank. The east 
 and west alleys, between Vermont and Georgia 
 streets, were Tippecanoe, Miami. Wabash, Po- 
 tomac, Cumberland and Cliesa])eake. Most of 
 these names are still retained, but there have 
 been the following changes: 
 
 Columbia is now Toledo. 
 
 Huron is now Roanoke. 
 
 Severn is now Bird. 
 
 Erie is now Ogden. 
 
 Choptank is now Adelaide. 
 
 Potomac is now Court. 
 
 Cumberland is now Pearl. 
 
 In the original plat there were no alleys in 
 tlict sqiuires that were intersected by diagonal 
 streets, and the alleys now existing in these, 
 and also in the squares where the alleys were 
 vacated in 1827, were usually made by the vol- 
 untary donation of the owners. In each of 
 the full, regular squares there were two alleys, 
 one fifteen feet wide, and one thirty feet wide, 
 intersecting each other at right angles, and di- 
 viding the square into four equal parts. As 
 each square contained 4.05 acres, inclusive of 
 alleys, there was nearly an acre in each (piarter 
 thus made, and each quarter was divided into 
 three ecjual lots. The lots fronted in various 
 directions, according to the supposed import- 
 ance of streets. Those abutting on the large 
 alleys were (i7 feet 6 indies wide and 195 feet 
 deep. Those abutting on the smaller alleys 
 were t!5 feet front, and 202 feet G inches deep. 
 
 The center of the original plat is about 200 
 yards northeast of the center of the donation, 
 and was selected because the circle was a nat- 
 ural knoll, covered with fiiu' sugar trees, and 
 because of the relative ])osition of Washington 
 street. There is no question that Washington 
 street was expected to be the principal street, 
 on account of its extra width and the fact 
 that the Govi'rnor's Square, the Court House 
 S(|uare, and the State tlouse St]uare all fronted 
 on it. The obvious rea,-;on for its preeminence 
 was the natural crossing jilace where it struck 
 the river, which was certain to make it the
 
 32 
 
 HISTOKV OF (il! EATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 I 
 
 main tlutroughfarc of the new town. In fact, 
 it Mas for years more commonly known as 
 "Main street'' tiian as Washington street. The 
 general understanding of this is very evident 
 from the prices paid at the sale of lots, which 
 began on October 8, IS'il. The survey had been 
 completed some time befin-e, notwithstanding 
 that the surveyors had been much impeded by 
 the bayous, whicli the wet season had kept 
 flooded. It has been said that the sale was 
 delayed on account of the prevalent sickness, 
 and that Harrison left the place for some time 
 on account of the sickness, but, whether this 
 was true or not, the time fixed for the sale was 
 fortunate. October brought clear weather, and 
 a general improvement of health. Many per- 
 sons came to attend the sale : business became 
 brisk : and everything took on a hopeful and 
 cheerful air. 
 
 By this time there were three "taverns" at 
 Indianapolis, besides McCormick"s. ^latthias 
 R. Xowland had opeiied one in his cabin "on 
 the west bank of the ravine" (i. e., ^fissouri 
 street), between Washington and Maryland 
 streets. .Judge Harrison had made this his 
 headquarters during the survey, and Nowland 
 had built an addition to the cabin for an of- 
 fice. It was here that the sale was held. Maj. 
 Thos. Carter had built a log tavern north of 
 Wa.shington street and east of Illinois — just 
 west of the present Ncir.i office. John Haw- 
 kins had opened "The Eagle Tavern" in a 
 double log house north of Washington street, 
 between Meridian and Pennsylvania streets, 
 about where the Ijombard Building now stands. 
 The attendance at tlie sales was so large that all 
 these were crowded, and many found lodging 
 in private houses or camped out. Nowland 
 says: "This sale continued one week, during 
 which time there was not the least disturbance 
 of any kind. Although the woods were filled 
 with moneyed people, there was no robbery or 
 attempt at the same, nor was there the least 
 appreliension or fear. There were no confidence 
 men to pray upon the credulity of the peo])le ; 
 although strangers, tliey looked upon each 
 other as their neighbor and friend. Their 
 money was almost entirely gold and silver, and 
 was left in their leather bags where best they 
 could procure a shelter, and was considered as 
 safe as it now would be in the vaults of our 
 banks". 
 
 r'unouslv enoiigli. all of our loial histor- 
 
 ians but Sulgrove say the sale began on Octo- 
 ber 10, and he says it was October 'J. In 
 reality, it began on October 8 — "The 
 second Monday in October", as advertised, but 
 for some reason only one lot was sold on that 
 <lay. Brown says: "The first day was cold 
 and raw with a high wind, and a man at the 
 sale came near being killed by a falling limb." 
 Possibly that may have been the cause of it. 
 but at any rate the sale was adjourned to the 
 next day after the selling of lot 3 in square TO, 
 Just back of Rowland's house, where the sale 
 was held. It went to Jesse ilcKay for $152.' -"i, 
 but he did not seem to a]i]>reciate his bargain, 
 for he assigned his certilicate, which finally 
 came to Nicholas ^[ct'arty, who forfeited the 
 lot and applied the money already paid to 
 payment on other lots. After this one trans- 
 action the sale was adjourned to the following 
 morning when it was resumed in earnest, with 
 Maj. Thos. Carter as auctioneer, and James M. 
 Ray as clerk. The bulk of the selling was 
 from the 9th to the 12th. and there were four- 
 teen sales on Saturday, the l.'ith, when the sale 
 closed. 
 
 The highest price received was for lot 12 in 
 square 57 — the northwest corner of Delaware 
 and Washington streets — which brought $5<i0. 
 The next highest was lot (J in square 52 — the 
 nortliwest corner of Senate and Wasliington, 
 which brought $500. The third was the north- 
 east corner of Capitol avenue and Washington, 
 which brought $450. These high prices were 
 due both to the location and the lay of the 
 lots. The last two fronted the State House 
 Square, and had each a half-square depth on 
 Washington street, which would naturally be 
 expected to become the actual frontage, as it 
 since has. The one to the west was considei-ed 
 the more valuable because tlie most of the 
 settlement was at that time west of Senate 
 avenue. The first fronted Washington street, 
 but had its depth facing the Court House 
 Square, which was the conuuon business center 
 in county seats : and it was purcha.-;ed by Gen- 
 eral Carr, the state agent, who ]u-nmptly started 
 business in that direction by establishing his 
 office on the north end of the lot. 
 
 The estimates of comparative value wrre ra- 
 tional eno\igh at the time, but they have been 
 u]iset in the development of the city. General 
 Carr"s high-priced lot now has an as.«essed 
 ground tax value of $128,830, but lot 7 in the
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIA>fAPOLIS. 
 
 33 
 
 same block, the northeast corner of Pennsyl- 
 vania and Washington is now taxed for $330,- 
 000 on the land, and it brought only $300 at 
 the sale. All the lots fronting on Washington 
 street between the State House and Court House 
 Squares sold at from $200 to $300. Lot 6 in 
 square 66, the southeast corner of Hlinois and 
 Washington, brought $325, while the one diag- 
 onally opposite, where the Claypool Hotel 
 stands, sold for $243.7.5. The latter is now 
 assessed for taxation at more than ten times 
 that amount per front foot for land value. 
 The second highest in the sale — lot 6 in square 
 52 — is now assessed on the land for onlv 
 $61,630. 
 
 In all, 314 lots were sold, at a total price 
 of $3.5,596.25, of which $7,119.25 was paid in 
 cash. But of the total, 161 lots were after- 
 wards forfeited, or relinquished under the re- 
 lief act of January 20, 1826, which permitted 
 this, with the application of the payments al- 
 ready made on other lots, provided that these 
 lots to which such payments were applied should 
 then at once be paid for in full. As specula- 
 tive investments for immediate returns the 
 Indianapolis lots were not successes. The town 
 grew slowly for several years, business was 
 comparatively small in extent, and sickness was 
 prevalent long enough to give the place a bad 
 name: besides all which the actual transfer of 
 the capital did not take place until 1825. Con- 
 sequently few lots advanced in value, and many 
 declined. The total cash receipts from sales 
 up to 1831 were less than $35,000. In 1831 
 an effort was made to close out all of the dona- 
 tion lands, the sale of outlots being authorized 
 at a minimum price of $10 per acre, and the 
 receipts for the next five years aggregated 
 nearly $40,000. The total receipts, up to and 
 including 1S44, when the agency business was 
 wound up and turned over to the auditor of 
 state, were less than $100,000. There were a 
 number of transactions after that date, mostly 
 with forfeitures and delinquencies, the last 
 recorded receipts being in 1871. The entire 
 receipts for the donation lands were less than 
 $125,000. But the money that was received came 
 op[ioi-tunely. and served to construct the court 
 house, the "executive mansion" in the Gover- 
 nor's Circle, the clerk's oflice, which stood on 
 the west side of the Court House Square, and 
 the house and office of the treasurer of state, 
 which were opposite the State House Square on 
 Vol. 1—3 
 
 Washington street, and finally the first state 
 house. Part of it was also applied to the con- 
 •struction of the state prison at Jetfersonville. 
 General Carr had been appointed at a salary of 
 $600, but it was reduced the next year to 
 $300, and in September, 1822, he resigned. He 
 was followed in the office successively by James 
 Milroy, Bethuol F. Morris (December 24, 
 1822)", Benjamin I. Blythe (February 1, 1825), 
 Ebenezer Sharpe (April 8, 1828), John G. 
 Brown (September, 1833), Thomas II. Sharpe 
 (January, 1835), and John Cook (1843). 
 
 There is a difference in the two plats of 
 1821 and 1831 in the "public squares" des- 
 ignated. On the former three full squares are 
 set apart for "religious purposes." They are 
 the ones adjoining, diagonally, the corner 
 squares at the northeast, northwest and south- 
 west corners of the plat, i. e., square 12, bounded 
 by Senate avenue, Missouri, Michigan and Ver- 
 mont streets; square 19, bounded by Alabama, 
 N"ew Jersey, ^Michigan and Vermont streets; 
 and square 90, bounded by Senate avenue, Mis- 
 souri, Georgia and Louisiana streets. Exactly 
 what was contemplated in this reservation is 
 not known. Possibly it was meant for a com- 
 pliance with the indefinite provision of the 
 law directing the survey which requires the 
 commissioners to designate on the plat each 
 square intended "as public ground, and for 
 what intended, whether for civil or religious 
 purposes." Wliatever the original purpose, they 
 were dropped in 1831, and no peculiarly re- 
 ligious character has attached to tlicni since 
 then. 
 
 Their disappearance was doulitlcss acceler- 
 ated by a petition from the Baptists of Indian- 
 apolis for a donation of part of one of them, 
 commenting on the church record of which, 
 Sulgrove says: "The church petitioned the leg- 
 islature in November, 1824, for a lot to build 
 a house of worship upon, but failed. The 
 order says: On motion, agreed that the church 
 petition the present General Assembly for a 
 site to build a meeting-house upon, and that the 
 southeast half of the shaded block 90 be se- 
 lected, and that Brothers J. Hobarl, H. Brad- 
 ley and the clerk (J. W. Reding), be ap- 
 pointed a committee to bear the jjctition Sat- 
 urday in February. What is meant by a 'sliaded 
 block' can only be conjectured, but it probably 
 referred to a grove that made a pleasant shel-
 
 34 
 
 HlS'l'oltV Of GlIEATEK J XDJAXAPOLIS. 
 
 tcr/"" The real n'fcreiRi- is to tlif faft 
 that the ■"rt'ligimis jmrpost'"" lilofks were 
 shaded on Ralston's phit, and they were 
 at the time eoiiimonly called "the shad- 
 ed hk)eks." The petition was presented by 
 Senator Milton Stajjp, on January 17, 1825, 
 and a bill granting the petition passed the Sen- 
 ate, with the amendment : "Provided that the 
 ground donated under this act shall never be 
 converted to any other use or purpose than that 
 of erecting Iniildings for religious worship and 
 education ; nor shall any jKirtion of it Ije used 
 or appropriated for a burying ground under 
 and pretext whatever.'"'" The house committee 
 to which it was referred reported it with "sun- 
 dry amendments,*' not set out, and on January 
 "1, the following amendment was offered, and 
 defeated: "Provided, nevertheless, that noth- 
 ing herein c(Uitained shall be construed to ])re- 
 vent any regular preacher of the gospel, in good 
 standing in his own society, from preaching in 
 such houses, when the society' to which they 
 belong are not using them for that purpose. "'' 
 The legislators now began to realize that they 
 were confronting a large problem, and on the 
 next day the ])iil was indefinitely postponed. 
 Thus ended the nearest approach to a connec- 
 tion of church and state ever known, in Indiana. 
 On the plat of 1831 there were two public 
 squares that did not appear on the plat of 1821, 
 and which were reserved by the act of Janu- 
 ary 26, 182T. The.se wvvv the University 
 Square, No. 2.5 — now commonly known as Uni- 
 versity Park — and Hospital Square, Xo. 22, 
 bounded by Alabanui. New Jersey, Vermont and 
 Xew York streets. The latter was set apart 
 for a state hospital and insane asylum, and a 
 row of log cabins located there was used for 
 that purpose until the building of the central 
 part of the present Insane Hospital in 1846-7. 
 After th(! removal of the insane the cabins 
 were rented for a few months to some German 
 families, and on July 12, 1849, the whole prop- 
 erty was sold in lots by the state.'- On both the 
 plats of 1821 and 1831 are two half-.squares 
 reserved for markets, one at the present market 
 .«ite. and one on the north side of Market street, 
 between ^lissouri and West streets — the south 
 
 half of S(juarc 50. This was held by the city 
 until the era of internal improvement arriveil, 
 when the state wanted it for "watcr-])ower" in 
 connection with the canal, and proposed by act 
 of l-"el)ruary, 1837, to exchange for it the north 
 half of Square 48, i. e., the north quarter of the 
 present state capitol grounds. To this the city 
 assented and made a deed for the land on Jan- 
 uary 24, 1838. •■ The new site was u.sed 
 for a- market until 1872, commonly known 
 as "the West Market'", when the ground was 
 wanted for the new capitol, and on Xoveniber 
 25. 1872, the City Council adopted a resolu- 
 tion relinquishing all claim to Square 48 to 
 the state, and consenting to the vacation of 
 Market and Wabash streets, between Tennes- 
 see and ilississippi streets.'* After extended 
 consideration the attorney-general decided that 
 this w^as not a sutHcient transfer, and on August 
 6. 18' 7, the state house commissioners asked the 
 city government for deeds to the property, 
 which request was promptly complied with.''^ 
 It is the uniform tradition, with all known 
 facts tending to support it, that Indianapolis 
 owes its distinctive plan, its radiating avenues 
 and broad streets, to Alexander Ralston, and 
 there has always been a sentiment that he should 
 be publicly cDUimemorated. In 1827, shortly 
 after his death Samuel Jlerrill called attention 
 to the fact that Kalston had advocated the 
 early establishment of a city park, and urged 
 the citizens to follow his advice. There was 
 no general interot taken in this at the time, but 
 in 1879, Rev. J. C. Fletcher recalled the fact 
 and proposed that University Square be called 
 Ralston Park."' but no action was taken. 
 In 1890 a movement was started for a 
 sul)scription fund for a monument to 
 Ralston, and $325 was collected, which 
 was deposited in Fletcher's bank, and still re- 
 mains there in trust. In 1907, E. B. ilartin- 
 dale and E. F. Claypool. two of the contributors 
 and representing all. offered to turn this over 
 to the Park Board if the city would add $675 
 to it and erect a statue. They had a model for 
 a statue prepared by Rudolph Schwartz, who 
 agreed to execute the work for $1,000. The 
 model met general criticism on account of the 
 
 "//I'.S/. IlKlitllKI/KlUs. p. .390. 
 
 ^"Senafr Journal. ]>. 73. 
 ^^Ifoiixp JoiiniaJ. p. 140. 
 '=.A>;rs. Julv 25. 1908. 
 
 *^See Record Board nf Int. Imps., pp. 65. 95. 
 '*Counril Frocrrdini/.i, ]>. 746. 
 '■•Cnuitril Prorceiliiif/s. pp. 311. 554. 
 '"Netvs, August 2, 1879.
 
 iiis-i'()i;v ()|- (;i;i-;a'I'Ki: i xiuanai'oi.is. 35 
 
 ilrc.-s, anil till' I'ai'k Roiird (leolincd i(j MccL'pt on (i recti lawn Ci'iiielerv, and ivr^ted there for 
 
 the gnjuntl that Ilie faee did not jxirporl to be nearly half a century. On Seiiternlier "^l. 
 
 a likeness of KaUton, but sugirested future ac- ]8'4. Calvin Darnell made a motion in 
 
 tion in the line of a memorial fountain, with the City Couneil for a committee to remove 
 
 a tablet of bronze acknowledging Kalstou's the remains of Alexander Kalston to Crown 
 
 service.'' Jialston"s renuiins were liuried in Hill. It carried, and Messrs. Darnell, Gimber 
 
 and Ballman were named as the committee. On 
 
 September 30, the remains were escorted to 
 
 ".Vcic.s. June H. 1!I(I7 ; Slur, November 2'i, Crown Hill bv half a dozen old citizens, and 
 
 23, 24, IDOT: X'-irs. November 22, 2(i, 30, De- buried in the' "Teacher's Lot" by the side of 
 
 ceinber i:!. lim:. John B. Dillon.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE FIRST SETTLEES. 
 
 Although Tipton mentions no settler near the 
 mouth of Fall Creek, when the commissioners 
 came to make the location, except John McCor- 
 mick, there were some fifteen families here, 
 including those of James McCormick (John's 
 brother); George Pogue; John Maxwell and 
 John Cowan, who came early in March, 1820, 
 and located near the present city hospital ; 
 Isaac \Yilson who came on April 6 and located 
 on what is now the State House Square, build- 
 ing the first house on the town plat; Henry 
 and Samuel Davis, chair-makers, who located in 
 the Fall Creek bottom near where Walnut street 
 crosses; the widow Harding and her married 
 son, Robert Harding, both of whom located 
 near John McCormick's; Robert Barnhill and 
 his son-in-law, Jeremiah Corbaley, who came on 
 March 6, and located on Fall Creek, above In- 
 diana avenue; and probably two or three others 
 whose names are not preserved. Richard Cor- 
 baley, born August 7, 1820, was the first white 
 child born in the county; and Mordecai Hard- 
 ing, second son of Robert, was the first child 
 born on the donation. James ilorrow, son of 
 Samuel Morrow, was the first child born oi^ 
 the original town site.' 
 
 For many years there has been a controversy 
 as to whether the first of these settlers was 
 John McCormick or George Pogue — or rather 
 a difference of opinion, for, curiously enough, 
 it never took the form of a direct controversy, 
 as such things usually do. The most notable 
 champion of Pogue was Ignatius Brown, while 
 McCormick's most stalwart defender was John 
 H. B. Nowland, and these two were the most 
 careful of the early historians, though both 
 trusted too much to unverified tradition. Mr. 
 Brown declared Pogue's priority in his origi- 
 
 nal history of the city, published in the city 
 directory of 1857, and reiterated it in his re- 
 vised history, published in the city directory of 
 1S68. On February 25, 1870, in the Sentinel. 
 Mr. Nowland proposed a celebration of the semi- 
 centennial of the coming of John McCormick, 
 whom he asserted to be the first settler. In 
 his "Early Reminiscences," published in the 
 same year, he renews his statement that John 
 iEcCormick was the first settler. In his "Prom- 
 inent Citizens/' published in 1884, he refers to 
 liis statement of 1870, and says: "This fact had 
 been patent up to that time, and had never been 
 denied, biit I was surprised that some person 
 had informed one of the city editors that I 
 was in error, and that George Pogue was the 
 first settler, and had come here in March, 
 1819." = 
 
 On August 17, 1898, after it had been pro- 
 posed to demolish the old National Road bridge, 
 a sort of old settlers' indignation meeting was 
 held on the bridge, and here, for the first time, 
 the McCormicks got their story before the 
 public in such a way that its essential features 
 went into print. On September 9, 1899, ^Ir. 
 Brown printed in the News a review of the 
 wliole matter, in w-hich he said that for "more 
 than fifty years" after Pogue's arrival "the 
 tradition in his favor was universal and un- 
 questioned, not only by those who had come 
 liere shortly after him, but all their descend- 
 ants ; and all the later comers had heard and 
 believed the story." To this he made but one 
 exception, which he had himself discovered, 
 that in 1822, Dr. S. G. Mitchell, the first physi- 
 cian at Indianapolis, had published an article 
 in the Gazette — the one Indianapolis paper at 
 that time — in which he denied the Pojnie storv. 
 
 'News, March 22, 1879. 
 
 -'p. 14. 
 
 36
 
 lllSrOKY OF GREATER IXDIAXAi'UJ.l.S. 
 
 aud stated tliat John MeCormick was the first 
 settler. He found the copj' of this number of 
 the Gazette in the possession of Calvin Fletcher, 
 but it has now disappeared, ilr. Fletcher's 
 bound files of newspapers were presented to the 
 City Library, but the Gazette goes back only to 
 June 1, 1824, though an earlier volume of this 
 paper was evidently in existence.-' However, 
 ^[r. Brown's statement as to this, or any other 
 matter of fact in his knowledge, is entirely 
 reliable. 
 
 In the light of all the evidence, the statements 
 <if both Nowland and Brown are too sweeping, 
 and the case is one of the co-existence of two 
 conflicting traditions, the holders of which for 
 many j-ears either ignored, or were not aware 
 of, the opposing claims. And after these claims 
 were made jiublie none of the historians re- 
 corded a simple statement of the story of either 
 the I'ogue family or the ^IcCormick family, 
 as they are preserved today : nor have I found 
 any newspaper record of their full stories. Tho 
 Pogiio story is that George Pogue and his 
 family, excepting his three older children, 
 started from Connersville in February, 1819, 
 and arrived hero on starch 2. The party con- 
 sisted of Poo\ie and his wife :* Joseph — an 
 adjilt son ; John — then aged 1 ', : lieiinett — 
 aged l.j : and two yoxinger cliildiiii. James 
 and Stincy. They came in wagons, and cut 
 their own road through the woods, following 
 the general line of the Brookville road. Pogue 
 had intended going farther, but found White 
 River too high to cross, and turned back and 
 located on the high ground east of Pogue's Run, 
 near where Michigan street crosses it. The 
 exact location was on the premises now known 
 as 420 Highland avenue, and there was a fine 
 spring some three rods west of the cabin, which 
 long since disappeared. The McCormicks did 
 not come till February, 1820, and stopped at 
 the Pogue cabin while building their own. The 
 year after the Pogues came, two of the boys 
 went back to Connersville and helped move out 
 Hains Tyner, one of the old residents of War- 
 ren Township. The clearest living witness to 
 
 ''■Jouninl, .Tune 7, IS.").'). 
 
 * Her name is given Cassa Ann in the land 
 roiords and the census returns of 1S;!(). Miss 
 Xaney Pogne savs that her niai<len name was 
 Pavne. 
 
 this story is Miss Nancy Pogue, daughter of 
 Bennett Pogue, now 65 years of age, who lives 
 with her brother, James Pogue, northeast of 
 Brightwood. She says that her grandmother 
 lived until she was sixteen j-ears of age; that 
 she was with her much of the time; and that 
 she has often heard her tell the story as above. 
 The same tradition is given by Thomas Pogue, 
 of Sullivan County, and other members of the 
 Pogne family." 
 
 The MeCormick story is that John MeCor- 
 mick started from Connersville for the mouth 
 of Fall Creek, with his family, in February, 
 1820. He was accompanied by his family, his 
 two brothers — James and Samuel — and nine 
 employes who served as teamsters and axmen. 
 They followed Whetzell's trace to a point near 
 Rushville, and cut their own road from that 
 point. When they reached Buck Creek, some 
 twelve miles east of White River, they were de^ 
 layed for several days by a heavy snow. They 
 started on again on the morning of February 
 25, and arrived at White River on the 26th at 
 10 o'clock in the morning. The twelve men at 
 once set to work on a cabin, and had it up 
 and covered by night, so that John McCormick's 
 family occupied it. Pogue and his family ar- 
 rived in March, and did not build a cabin, but 
 moved into one that had been built and aban- 
 doned in 1819 by Ute Perkins, of Rush County, 
 on Pogue's Run, which was known as Perkin's 
 Creek until the time of Pogue's disa])])earance 
 in 1821, when it began to be called Pogue's 
 Run. The oldest living witness to this is Amos 
 MeCormick, a son of Samuel, who was brought 
 here a baby, one year old, in the fall of 1820. 
 He lived at Indianapolis until he was si.xteen 
 years old and now lives on his farm near Car- 
 te rsburg. The accompanying cut shows him 
 seated at the table at which the commissioners 
 ate, when they were selecting the site for the 
 capital in 1820. It is a solid cherry table, and 
 originally had balls at the ends of the legs; 
 but it has been slid over rough floors until 
 these are all worn away except a small disc on 
 one leg. The same story is told by descendants 
 of all three of the JlcCormick brothers. They 
 have been holding annual family reunions since 
 1901, on August 23, which is the birthday of 
 
 '■' See also N'eir.'<. JainiMry ■.'; .iml Aiigusi IS, 
 1 !)()()■, Star, Se])teinber 1.'). l!Hi:.
 
 38 
 
 mSTOltV OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 Amos >rc('oriiiiik. and tlicso liavo liecn duly 
 noticed in the citv |)ii])ei's.'' 
 
 After gcttinj; John McCorniifk settled James 
 and Samuel returned to (^'oniiersvilie, James 
 came back with his family on March T, and 
 Samuel with his family on October 4. They 
 located northwest of Military Park, Samuel's 
 cabin standinfi about wliere the ilaus brewery is 
 located. In liS"^:> they moved farther north, 
 .fohn built a sawmill on the ea.st side of White 
 River at the upper end of Riverside Park, op- 
 posite "Sycamore Island", where the remains 
 of the dam are to be seen at low water to this 
 day. Samuel located just below Emmerichs- 
 ville, on what was later known as the Garner 
 farm, and in 188~ erected the brick lunise which 
 still stands Just west of the Riverside dam. The 
 brick for it were made on the place, and it is 
 now the oldest brick building standing iu In- 
 dianapolis. At this point he operated a ferry 
 for a number of years, and his account book, 
 in which he entered the names of all who crossed 
 and the toll paid, is still preserved by his grand- 
 son, Louis ilcCormick, of Cartersburg. 
 
 In tliis ])eculiar conflict of the two families 
 for precedence there have been occasional 
 charges of misrepresentation and bad faith, but 
 none of the members of either family that I 
 have met have shown any inclination to mis- 
 represent the facts as they understand them, 
 and all declare that the statements above given 
 are as told to them by their parents and grand- 
 )iarents. Of necessity one of the traditions has 
 become distorted — possibly both to some e.xtent 
 — and as a preliminary to their consideration it 
 will be well to take a glance at the condition 
 of the region at the time. It was well known 
 to the Indians, and fairly well known to the 
 whites, (^onner had been at his trading-post 
 sinci' 18()'2. and a number of white men had 
 ])assed through the region at intervals. Tipton 
 and Bartholomew identified several ])laces 
 where they had stopped on an ex])edition 
 against the Indians in 1813. Among other 
 white visitors are recorded Dr. Douglass, who 
 came up the river as far as the Blutfs in the 
 fall of 1818; Isaac JlcCoy, the missionary, who 
 went ut) the river and visited Thief .Vnderson 
 
 in 1818, and again in hSllt; and James Pa.\ton, 
 who came down the river from the head-waters 
 in the winter of 1819-21). To the whites the 
 place was known as "the mouth of Fall Creek", 
 which was virtually the Indian name, for they 
 designated it simply by the name of the creek. 
 Chamberlain gives the Delaware name of the 
 creek as "Soo-sooc-pa-hal-loc", and says it means 
 "S])ilt Water." This is fanciful. "Sook-pe- 
 liel-luk", or "Sokpehellak" is the Delaware 
 word for a waterfall, and the name refers to 
 the falls at Pendleton. The Miami name is 
 Chank-tun-oon-gi, or "Makes a Noise Place", 
 which also refers to the falls; but they also 
 applied this name to the site of Indianapolis, 
 and to the town itself in its earlier years. 
 
 There was no Indian village at this point. 
 The nearest one. some twelve miles north, was 
 what Tipton calls "the Lower Delaware Town", 
 but it was not inuih of a town. On the east 
 side of the river, a Delaware known as "The 
 Owl" had a clearing of about \'i acres, whicli hi' 
 cultivated ill a way, and he also raised souie 
 pigs and chickens. On the west side was a 
 l-'rench half-breed doctor, named Brouett 
 ( yBrouillette)— often called Pruitt — who had 
 a white wife that had been captured and brought 
 up by the Indians.' He practiced medicine 
 after the Indian fashion, and had considerable 
 l)atronage. Both of these were just north of 
 the Hamilton County line, and they constituted 
 the "town". Just south of the line, on an ele- 
 vation on the east side, were ti'aces of Indian 
 occupancy, and the old settlers called that i)oint 
 "the old Indian town". The place was com- 
 mon! v called "Brouettstown". and was some- 
 what noti'd for the wild ])lnni thicket there.'' 
 The Delaware's had a sugar camp within the 
 present confiiu's of the city where they com- 
 nionlv made sugar in the spring, and sometimes 
 eamjK'd when hunting. It was not far from 
 the end of Virginia avenue, on what was know n 
 a> the Sander's place, later the Birkenniayer 
 |jlace, and still later the Weghorst ])lace.'' 
 
 The whole county at that time was covered 
 with a dense forest, with more or less under- 
 growth, and the few ojien spaces were .still more 
 
 "See also Strir. August 2(i, li)0-i and Deeeni- 
 her 31. 1!)0.-): Sun. ?ilay M. li)()(i; Xms. Jan- 
 uarv 27. IDoc. Aui;ust is. 1 !)()(;, August li). 
 ]S9!1. 
 
 "Broirii's llisl., p. 1. 
 
 "Xnirlniid's Eurlij Urntiiilsccnces, ji. loT. 
 
 •' The northeast quarter of section 13 : i. e., 
 east of East street and south of Morris street. 
 See Xoirland's Bcininixrrnrrx. pp. Tt'l. 4(11. 40.5.
 
 iii.sToKY UK (;i;i;atku i.xdiaxai'uljs. 
 
 ;?!) 
 
 (leiiisely oovt-rod with undercrowtli. It was im- 
 [Mifsible t(i taki' a waf;on aiiywluTO without 
 euttiiifT a road, but there were several Indiau 
 trails that eould he followed on horseback. 
 The i)rinei]ial trail from Coiiuer's to the Bluffs 
 crossed to the east side of the river at Brouetts- 
 town, and from Indianapolis down the river 
 followed quite closely the line of the Blutf 
 road. 
 
 In the summer of liSlS Jncoij Wlu-tzell visited 
 Chief Anilerson. and obtained |)ermission to 
 out a road from Connersville to the Bhitfs on 
 White Hiver. He was the eelel)rated Indian 
 fighter— brother of Lewis Whetzell. the still 
 more celebrated Indian fi^diter. Tlieir father, 
 John Whetzell, a "Pennsylvania Dutchman", 
 settled near Wheeling. West Virginia, in KliSl, 
 and in KTi liis house was attacked by Indians. 
 John Whetzell was killed, and his two sons, 
 Lewis, aged Hi, and Jacob, aged 11, were taken 
 captive. Young as they were, the boys made 
 their eseajK' on the fir.st night out, evaded pur- 
 suit, and returned to the settlements, where they 
 vowed eternal vengeance against the red man : 
 and most fearfully they ke()t their vnw. But 
 the Delawares had long been friendly, and 
 Whetzell who had been living on the White- 
 water since l.sil, desired to ))ush farther into 
 the wilds — in fact it is said that he urged the 
 commissioners to locate the capital at the mouth 
 of Fall Creek, rather than at the Bluffs, as he 
 did not desire to he crowded by a town. Hav- 
 ing obtained Chief Anderson's consent, he be 
 gan cutting iiis trace in July, ISIS, aideil by 
 his son Cyrus and four men. Its general 
 course was slightly south of west. ])assing aliout 
 si.\ miles south of l{ushvillc, and about four 
 miles north of Shelhyvillc. In Man-h. ISli), the 
 Wliotzells moved to the Bluffs over this trail,' 
 and located aiiout a quarter of a mile below 
 Waverlv, arriving llicrr nn March !!•. This 
 trace was mucli used by early immigrauls.'" 
 \t practically the -auv time the fii'st 
 wagon road was o]iened to the Delaware towns. 
 It ran west of north from Connersville to 
 Bucktown. a few miles above Anderson, where 
 it crossed the river and went down it to .\nder- 
 son, Strawtown and Conner's. .\ number of 
 settlers went in over that road in March and 
 Ajiril, 1S1!I. including George Shirts. Charles 
 
 Lacey, George Bush, Solomon Finch (uncle of 
 Judge Fal>ius .M. Finch) and Israel Finch." 
 These located northeast of Conner's Prairie, and 
 the settlers there rai.sed an abundant corn crop 
 in 1820, which was a godsend to the people at 
 Indianapolis and the scattered settlers else- 
 where. In fact, Conner's Prairie was a granary 
 for the whole region for several years. In 
 IS'^'i Benjamin Thornburgh of Morgan County, 
 bought a boat load of corn there and floated it 
 down White River to a ])oint near Mooresville.'" 
 In IS'M and 1S25 c-orn was brought from Con- 
 ner's to Johnson County when squirrels and 
 raccoons had destroyed the crops there.''' 
 
 If Pogue came to Indianajwlis on March 2, 
 1819, he started from Connersville only a few 
 days before the Whetzells started to the Bluffs, 
 and the other families to C'onner's Prairie, from 
 the same point : and in that case they would 
 certainly have known of it. But the Finches 
 and their associates claimed to be tlu' first 
 fanulies that located in the New Purchase ex- 
 cept the Whetzells.'* and it seems improbable 
 that they would have gone by their cir- 
 cuitous route, which took them two 
 weeks, if Pogue had o])ened an almost direct 
 road to the mouth of Fall Creek. The Whetzells 
 were in e(|ual ignorance, for on March Id, 1870, 
 Cyrus Whetzell wrote to Xowland: "T'lie sub- 
 ject to which you call my attention I thought 
 was settled many years since, i. e., that John 
 McCormick built the first house in Indianapolis 
 in February, 1820, and that George Pogue set- 
 tled on the bank of the creek that takes its 
 luune from liim the following ^larcb. 1 am con- 
 fident that there was not a whiti' man living 
 in Marion County in 1S19. My father and 
 self settled where I now live in the spring of 
 181S), when I was in my nineteenth year, and 
 at an age calculated to retain any impression 
 niailc iin my iiiiiul." '' 
 
 -Vt first blush this would seem to bear as 
 strongly against the Perkins story as against 
 the Pogue story, but it does not. .V solitary 
 man might have come into this region, and have 
 
 '"Judge I ». I), r.aiita. ill llisl. ./iilnisiiii Co. 
 
 tip. •.'!i:i-(;. 
 
 "Sliirt.s' Hist, (if Ildiiiillijii ('('.. p. !>. 
 
 '-Hist. Morgan Co.. pp. 101-'.'. 
 
 "'Johnson Co.. pp. 331-2, 3 11. 
 
 '*Sul!/rorc's I ndiannpolis jip. -.'1. "-Ml I); 1 ii- 
 diamipolis papers, Mai-cli I'.'. llHio -death n|' 
 Judge Finch. 
 
 ^^Nowldnil's I'rdnniiriit ('ili;rns. p. II.
 
 40 
 
 HISTOKV OF GREATEll IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 built a cabin in llie dense forest, more thau a 
 mile from any known trail, without even the 
 Indians knowing it. But it is not possible that 
 the Pognes could have cut a wagon road branch- 
 ing off from Whetzell's trace, without the 
 knowledge of the Whetzells, when they moved 
 in over the trace two weeks later. The Ute 
 Perkins story has very strong contirmation out- 
 side of the McCormick family. His grand- 
 daughter, ]ilrs. Laura A'ewman, and his great- 
 grandson, Mr. Orville Bartlett, both of Eush- 
 ville, inform me that it has always been the 
 Perkins family tradition that Ute Perkins 
 came to the site of Indianapolis in 1819 and 
 built a cabin, but became dissatisfied and re- 
 turned to Rushville. Ellsbury Perkins, a well- 
 known old-time printer of Indianapolis, and a 
 grand-nephew of Ute Perkins, says he has al- 
 ways heard the story in the several branches of 
 the Perkins family. Hon. John F. Moses, the 
 historian of Kush County, furnishes me the 
 following statement from Jefferson Carr, 75 
 years of age, a native of Rushville. and a son 
 of one of the first settlers there : "He knew the 
 Ute Perkins in question well, is familiar with 
 the tradition of his having built a cabin on the 
 site of Indianapolis, and says that in early 
 days it was a matter of common report locally, 
 and generally accepted as true. After quitting 
 his cabin, Ute Perkins came back here and 
 spent the remainder of his life in this neighbor- 
 hood. His home was a cabin on the Brookville 
 road, about one mile southeast of Rushville. 
 He supported himself and family by making 
 hickory baskets. Ho was a large man, five feet 
 ten inches or more in height, and quite corpu- 
 lent. He had keen, black eyes and even when 
 well advanced in years his jet black hair was 
 almost unmixed with gray. He possessed pe- 
 culiarities which made him a well-known char- 
 acter in his lifetime."" Perkins was a native of 
 Xorth Carolina. His descendants do not know 
 why he was called "Ute", but say that was his 
 proper name. He died at Rushville in ^larch, 
 1S.")S, aged 75 years. 
 
 Of equal, if not higher rank as evidence 
 than these traditions is the recorded statement 
 of Dr. S. G. Mitchell, which is presented by 
 Brown as follows: "Pogue's claim as the first 
 settler has been contested, and in a published 
 article by Dr. S. d. ;Mitchell, in the Indian- 
 apolis Gazette, in the summer of 1822, it is 
 stated that the ^rcCormicks were the first emi- 
 
 grants in February, 18:20, and that Pogue ar- 
 rived with others in March, 1820, a month later. 
 It is singular that this statement, if ill founded, 
 should not have been contradicted publicly in 
 the paper at the time, but the weight of tra- 
 dition is against it and concurs in fixing 
 Pogue's arrival in 1819.'"' This is all that is 
 now known concerning Dr. Mitchell's article, 
 for the paper containing it has disappeared, 
 but so far as it goes Mr. Brown's statement may 
 be accepted without question. It is much to be 
 regretted that the article itself is not pre- 
 served, for it would probably give some clue as 
 to why it was published. And why was it pub- 
 lished? If the Pogue tradition were correct it 
 is not only singular that this article was not 
 denied, but it is at least equally singular that 
 it should be published at all. Dr. Mitchell 
 had no conceivable personal interest in the 
 matter, and was an intelligent and reliable 
 ■ man. He got his information on the subject 
 from others. The Pogues, McCormicks and 
 others familiar with the facts were here at the 
 time. No possible explanation can be given 
 for such a publication if it were not true. 
 
 But, on the other hand, if the McCormick 
 story be true the cause of the publication is 
 i[uite obvious. Pogue had disappeared in the 
 spring of 1821. The little stream, formerly 
 kno\\Ti as Perkins Creek, was beginning to be 
 known as Pogue's Run. It would be natural for 
 newcomers to inquire the reason of the name, 
 and for the information to be given that it was 
 named for the first settler on that stream. Like- 
 wise, if a newcomer should inquire whose was 
 the first cabin built here, the answer would be 
 ■"Pogue's"; because both traditions agree on 
 that point. From these conditions the impres- 
 sion would naturally develop among the later 
 arrivals that Pogue was the first settler and Dr. 
 Mitchell, meeting this growing error in his pro- 
 fessional rounds, was moved to correct it, in 
 the village newspaper, and settle it permanently. 
 It is hardly possible that such a publication 
 would be made at that early day unless there 
 was some difference of opinion to call for it. 
 .\.fter it had been made, those who had taken up 
 the Pogue theory, and might he disposed to 
 question the article, found on investigation no 
 basis for questioning it among the then living 
 witnesses. On this basis the incident is nat- 
 ural enoujrh. but on the thoorv that the Posiie
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 41 
 
 irailitiou is correct it is wholly incoinprehen- 
 >ible from begiuuing to end. 
 
 One other item that might be classed as 
 primary evidence is Mr. Brown's quotation of 
 Gen. John Colmrn as saying that "iiis father- 
 in-law, Judge Charles H. Test, was a chairman 
 in the surveying jjarty under Judge Laughliu ; 
 that the party camped for a long time in 1819 
 on the river l)ank where Kingan's packing-house 
 now stands" ; and that Judge Test spoke fre- 
 quently of repeated visits to Pogue's cabin while 
 there. This is clearly erroneous, for Laughlin 
 did not do any surveying here in 1819. The 
 township lines were run in 1819, those for 
 Township 15 being completed on August 10, 
 but that would not have called for any lengthy 
 stay, and, as shown by the field notes on file 
 in the office of the Auditor of State, that work 
 was done by John McDonald. Tlie subdivisions, 
 or section lines, were run by Judge Wm. B. 
 Laughlin's ])arty in the summer of 1820, as 
 shown by Ti]iton's Journal and by the field 
 notes. This Coburn statement, which Mr. 
 Brown treats as conclusive, is simply an error 
 of one year. 
 
 Passing to what may be called secondary evi- 
 dence, Mr. Brown states that, when he was 
 preparing his original publication of 1857, he 
 found so much of coiillict in the statements of 
 old-timers on various points that he called a 
 meeting of a number of old settlers at his office, 
 and those wlio attended w^ere "Sidney D. Max- 
 well (son of John), James Vanblaricum, An- 
 drew Wilson, Calvin Fletcher, James M. Ray, 
 George Norwood, James Blake, Douglas Ma- 
 guire, and Daniel Yandes." As 'Sir. Brown 
 justly observes, "their united testimony would 
 settle questions of property or life in any court 
 in the country"', and yet he furnishes conchi- 
 sive evidence of their united fallibility in tra- 
 ditional matters by the statement that when he 
 mentioned Dr. Mit^^hell's article to them, they 
 unanimously denied that any such publication 
 had ever been made. On being convinced that 
 it had been, thoy explained the fact that it 
 had never been denied on the inferential basis 
 that "it was so generally known to be untrue 
 tliat nil one ihouglit it necessary to denv it". 
 But they all agreed that the common tradition 
 was that Pogue was the first settlor. Maxwell, 
 who was the first to come of those ])resent, 
 having arrived with his father earlv in ^rarch. 
 1S-3II. .aid tlint ■■he iiersonallv knew MilcheH's 
 
 story to be false, for Pogue's cabin had evi- 
 dently been built for a considerable time, prob- 
 ably a year, while the McCormick cabins were 
 not then completed.'" '" Vanblaricum aiul Wil- 
 son confirmed this; and, according to J[r. 
 Brown, they came "about two months after the 
 McCormicks"', which is probably correct, al- 
 though Nowland places both of them in 1821.^' 
 
 This argumentative conclusion, however, is 
 not well founded, for the facts would apply 
 quite as w'ell to a cabin built by Ute Perkins 
 as to one built by George Pogue. But evi- 
 dently none of those present had heard of Ute 
 Perkins ; and, indeed, it is singular how little 
 had been heard of him generally. It is certain 
 that Mr. Brown never heard the Perkins story 
 until the old bridge meeting in 1898, and Mr. 
 Xowland's daughter, who did all of his writing 
 in his later years, informs me that her father 
 had never heard it until then. Nevertheless 
 this idea that a cabin was built here in 1819, 
 and tenii)orarily abandonded, crops out repeat- 
 edly in the confused traditions of the early 
 settlers. At the semi-centennial celebration 
 which was held at "the Crown Hill picnic 
 ground" on Jime 7, 1870, this story was told, 
 i)ut the builder was said to be "Samuel Hard- 
 ing, of Connersville,"' and some denied this 
 story and ascribed ]n-iority to the ^[cCormicks.'*' 
 On "May IC, 1870. ^Irs. Beriah King, widow of, 
 John ^rcCorniick, was reported by tiie Journal 
 as saying in an interview that Pogue, the Mc- 
 Cormicks. and others, twelve in all, came here 
 in 1S19 and built a cabin into which her hus- 
 band witli herself and family moved in the fol- 
 lowing spring. In this interview. iMrs. King, 
 M'ho was tlien seventy-five years of age, was 
 either woefully confused or sadly misrepresent- 
 ed by the reporter: and the latter is not im- 
 probable, for he calls her "Xlrs. Bethiar King'", 
 and avers that she said she was "the first ])erson 
 that ever wore a bonnet in this neck of woods". 
 
 While Mr. Brown's assembly of old settlers 
 agreed in the tradition that Pogue was the 
 first comer, there were others who did not. 
 The Nowland family held to tlie ^IcCormick 
 tradition, and ^fattjiias R. Nowland and his 
 brother-in-law. .\nilrew Bvrne, were hen> with 
 
 '"See al-ii sanif statenieiit in uliiniiii'v sketch 
 of Saniuei 1). ^laxwell, Xrirs. Jiih "i. Is;:!. 
 '' l-!iirh/ Ii'riiiiinsrcnrcx. p]i. 80. 1 1 1. 
 ^''.Jiiiiniiil. June 8. 1870.
 
 42 
 
 HISTORY OF GHEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
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 J 
 
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 z 
 
 o 
 
 H 
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 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAl'OIJS. 
 
 43 
 
 the commissioners in 1820. Xowiand returned 
 with his family on Xovember 4. 1820, and 
 Byrne in Mareli, 1821. Lsaac Wilson arrived 
 on April 6. 1820, and ilrs. Frank Riley, who is 
 a jrranddaughter, lioth of Isaac Wilson and of 
 Robert Patterson, who came in 1821, informs 
 iiie that her family always put the McCormicks 
 lirst, and that her mother, Mrs. Patsy Patter- 
 son, and her aunt. ilrs. Betsy Harris, both 
 daujrhters of Isaac Wilson would wax indignant 
 if anyone claimed that the Pogues were the first 
 settlers. It must he l)orne in mind, however, 
 that tradition is an uncertain guide — more un- 
 certain than is commonly realized. To ilhis- 
 trate. Sarah T. Bolton would naturally he sup- 
 posed to be informed on this subject, as her hus- 
 band's family were among the earliest settlers, 
 and she had live(l here from the vear 1831 ; and 
 yet in her poem "The Last Adventure and 
 Death of (Jeorge Pogue." written for the meet-, 
 ing of llie Pioneer Association, on October 2, 
 1878, .she says: 
 
 "It chanced one year in autumn, that a liardy 
 
 pioneer. 
 From bis Iiome in obi Kentucky, came and made 
 
 his cam]i fire here ; 
 Witli Ills wealth on two stout horses, he had 
 
 threaded the pathless woods. 
 One bearing his wife and children, the otlier 
 
 bis JiouseJiold goods. 
 
 * * ;(c 
 
 While the wild birds sang aliovc him. and the 
 
 free waves sang below. 
 He built the first log cabin six and lifty years 
 
 ilf-'o. 
 
 It was built of Inickeye sa]dings, with mmlar 
 
 and chunks between. 
 But it led the van of our city, the beautiful 
 Railroa<l Queen". 
 
 It is unipu'stionabb' tbat I'nguc canir in 
 ^farch, instead of autvimii: and tliat be lanie 
 from Rushville, and not from Kentncky. It 
 is ('([uaJly certain that his wife and children 
 were not on one horse, for there were five of 
 the children, and two of them were grown boys. 
 "Six and fifty years ago" would make 1822, 
 and no one questions that Pogue came at least 
 two years earlier than that. Xo pioneer ever 
 built a cabin of "saplings"": and it is not prob- 
 able that there was ever a cabin built of "buck- 
 eye"" logs in Indiana, altbcmgh it has been tlie 
 
 literary fashion to sav so ever since John Fin- 
 ley introduced it in "The Hoosiers Xest"'. 
 Buckeyes were not so plentiful as that, and 
 there was an abundance of l)etter limber. 
 
 In all this traditional conflict, tlie real ques- 
 tion is whether the Pogues came in 1819 or in 
 1820 ; for all agree that they came in the month 
 of March, and all agree that the ilcCormicks 
 came in February, 1820. Aside from the rela- 
 tive question of priority tjiere is considerable 
 direct evidence that the Pogues came in 1820, 
 and it includes nearly everything in the natitre 
 of documentary evidence. The original Pres- 
 byterian church records jiut the first settlement 
 in 1820, the historical entry, made by Dr. Isaac 
 Coe, in 1823, mentioning the sale of lots in 
 1821, and adding, "a few families, however, 
 settled in and around the town the year pre- 
 vious"'. In 184(i, Rev. .1. ('. I'letcher wrote a 
 series of articles for tbe ■Imtninl on "Indian- 
 apolis a Quarter of a Centui-y Ago", in which 
 he made this statement: "As early as February, 
 1820, Samuel and James ^IcCormick erected 
 a cabin near the spot now occupied by the steam 
 mill. Soon other cabins crowded the banks of 
 White River near the place where now stands 
 Scudder and Hannaman's Carding ]klachine. 
 In ^larch, ilessrs. Harding, Wilson, ^laxwell, 
 Cowen and Pogue made ini])rovements near the 
 town."" '" These articles, as Mr. Fletcher stat- 
 ed, were based on the diaries of his father and 
 mother, reinforced by inquiries of them, and of 
 other old settlers. The earliest historical pub- 
 lication in book form relating to this region, 
 that mentions the subject is Chambi'rlaiii'a 
 Gazetteer-" and it states that Pogue came in 
 1820. Tliis statement is entitb'd to weight, 
 liccause wliile the ])ook was jmblished over 
 ('haniberlain's name,-' most of tbe historical 
 matter was prepared by Samuel Merrill, who 
 came here in 1824, as Treasurer of State, lie 
 was a very careful and methodical man, nmcli 
 interested in liistorieal matters: and by bis 
 labors contributed materially to tbe preservation 
 of tbe early bistm'v of tbe state. It may be taken 
 as assured that his statenu'iit was made on tes- 
 timonv tbat was at least satisfying to him. 
 
 '"■/(jiiniiil. Xovemln'r 2i), IS 1(1. 
 
 -"184<)-r)0, p. 2.55. 
 
 -'Chamberlain was a bookseller, who bad a 
 little store at what was then 2(! Fast Washing- 
 Inn street — now in tbe neiLibborbodd <if Xo. .-)2.
 
 44 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 Sulgrove quolus Robert Duncan as stating 
 that he heard George Rogue's widow say at an 
 old settlers' meeting, in 1854 he thought, that 
 they came on llarch 3, 1820.-- As to this Miss 
 Nancy Pogue says that her grandmother was 
 liere in 1854. but that if she ever attended an 
 old settlers' meeting she never heard of it; and 
 she feels certain that she never said they came 
 in 1820, because she hoard her say repeatedly 
 tliat they came in 1819. Nevertheless, Mr. Dun- 
 can was a very accurate man, and there was an 
 old settlers' meeting here on June 6, 1854, at 
 the house of Jlorris Morris, where an association 
 was formed, limited to those who were here 
 prior to 1826, which was to meet annually OJi 
 the first Tuesday in June. This was a very 
 early meeting of the kind, and the JoxLrnal, 
 some months later, said that if the idea of such 
 meetings did not originate here, this meeting 
 at least "gave an impulse to the formation of 
 such companies." Meetings were hold there- 
 after, at Calvin Fletcher's in 1855 ; at James 
 Blake's, in 1856; and at the Fair Grounds in 
 1857 and 1858. In 1859 the meeting was post- 
 poned to September,-^ but was not held. There 
 is no mention of Mrs. Pogue in the reports of 
 the meeting of 1854, nor indeed of others, 
 though there were more than fifty present who 
 came before 1826. Neither were there lists of 
 those in attendance at any of the meetings pub- 
 lished in any of the newspaper reports. And in 
 none of the reports of any of the meetings is 
 there any reference to the Pogue-McCormick 
 question, except, constructively, in the fact that 
 in 1856 Mrs. King (widow of John McCor- 
 mick) claimed and received a bouquet as "the 
 fir-^t lady settler," "* 
 
 But Mrs. Pogue was at the meeting of 1855, 
 for Calvin Fletcher kept a diary, which is still 
 preserved, and in his record of this meeting, 
 at his house, he speaks of the presence of "Old 
 Mrs. Pogue, one of the first settlers, whose hus- 
 band was killed by the Indians in 1820 or 1821. 
 He went to an Indian camp for his horses but 
 never returned. She is now about 90 vears of 
 
 "TTist. of Iinlianapolis, ]>. 22. 
 
 -"Locomotive, June 18, 1859. 
 
 -'' The best reports are JounuiJ. June 12, 
 1854; June 7, 1855; June 10, 1857; Locomo- 
 tive. June 11, 1856: June 13, 1857: June 26, 
 18.58. 
 
 age. ]\[r. Hiser-^ and wife brought her in"". 
 And again he mentions, "Old Father Mat- 
 thews, 84, and Mrs. Pogue, 90, the old- 
 est present." In his account of the meeting 
 of 1854, Mr. Fletcher says: "The 55 present 
 registered their names and the time of arrival 
 in Indianapolis from its settlement in 1820 
 till 1825". This registration was continued at 
 the later meetings, and in 1855 !Mr. Fletcher 
 again speaks of "the first settlement in 1820". 
 But on this day Mrs. Pogue was his guest, and 
 attracting his especial notice, and if she had 
 registered as coming in 1819 he would hardly 
 have made this error. Further, in the Journal's 
 account of the meeting of 185G, at James 
 Blake's, Berry Sulgrove, the editor, .says: "Be- 
 fore the meeting was called to order, we spent 
 some time in looking over the register of names, 
 which contains the date of arrival of each Old 
 Settler and his place of birth. The earliest 
 arrival that wc noticed, was that of Fabius M. 
 Finch, who came (to Conner's Station) in Sep- 
 tember, 1819"".-" Mr. Fletcher includes this in 
 liis diary, and it is very conclusive 
 proof that ^Irs. Pogue did not register 
 as of ilanli 2, 1819. at the meeting 
 of 1855. Probably 1855 is the meeting 
 to which Mr. Duncan referred, for ]\Ir. Fletcher 
 would have been apt to mention Mrs. Pogue if 
 she had been at the meeting of 1854, and he 
 did not. Considering Mrs. Rogue's advanced 
 age, a divergence of one year in her story of 
 this and later years woiild not be at all sur- 
 prising. W 
 In 1884 Elijah Hackleman published a series 
 of "Reminiscences" in the RushviJle Republi- 
 can, in one of which was the following sketch 
 of George Pogue, apparently obtained chiefly 
 from his oldest .son. William Pogue :-^ 
 "George Pogue cuiigrated fmni South Caro- 
 lina in the year 1841. and settled at tlie 
 'Block-house' at William Wilson's, on the west 
 fork of Whitewater, six miles above the town 
 of Brookville, Franklin County. At that time 
 it was necessary for all immigrants to settle 
 near some military post, for protection against 
 Indian invasions. In the spring of 1816 he 
 
 -^Samuel IToizor, a neighbor and friend of 
 ^[rs. Pogue. 
 
 -'■Journal. June 11. 1856. 
 
 -" Republislicd in Ilisl. Fai/i'th' Citiiiil i/. jip. 
 19J-5.
 
 IIISTOT^V OF GIIKATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 45 
 
 moved to Fayette County, about live miles 
 >outliwest of Conuertville, and in 1818 he 
 moved to the town of Counersville, remaining 
 there until 1S20, when he fitted up a team, and 
 with two or three of his sons started to locate 
 a home on White River. Mr. Pogue was ac- 
 loiiipauicd by John McCormack and family 
 (a wife and two children) wlio had resided 
 for many years in the vicinity of Conuersville. 
 Mr. McCormack went out with the douljle pur- 
 pose, hrst of boarding Mr. Pogue's hands while 
 engaged in building a cabin and clearing a few 
 acres of ground; and secondly of locating a 
 home for himself. * * * (His (Pogue's) 
 famil_v, after the cabin was built, immediately 
 moved from Counersville to their new home. 
 The next year (1821) Mr. Pogue's ncigiibors 
 were John Willson, Thomas Chinn and Harris 
 Tyner. * * * The land on which the cabin 
 stood was bought by Governor Noble, and the 
 only time I ever visited the site was on the occa- 
 sion when the Great Commoner from Kentucky, 
 Jlenry Clay, made his first and only visit to 
 the capital of our state, in October, 1842, and 
 made his celebrated speech to 30,000 persons 
 assembled in tlie beautiful grove near the resi- 
 dence of Governor Noble. » * * After the 
 speech, William Pogue invited me to take a 
 walk with him, a few rods north from the speak- 
 er's stand, and visit the site where he. twenty- 
 two years before, had helped his father erect the 
 first cabin in all that country, on the banks of 
 a beautiful little creek that still bears the name 
 of Pogue's Run. * * * After the erection 
 of Pogue's cabin, ^Ir. McCormack located and 
 built up a home somewhere in the vicinity, 
 probably on what was aflcrwards the 'Donation', 
 but of the e.\act site neither history nor tradi- 
 tion affords any satisfactory information at this 
 late day. Mr. McCormack died a little over 
 fifty years ago, and part of his large family 
 found homes in Rush County. * * * ]y{j.g_ 
 McCormack always claimed to be the first white 
 woman that lived within the limits of Indian- 
 apolis, and her claim was probably correct. She 
 died, abo\it the year 1878, having lived a num- 
 ber of vcars with a second husband, a Mr. King, 
 near tlie Ttlufi's of White River." -^ 
 
 It will be noted that this version of the Pogue 
 story varies in several respects from that given 
 by the Pogue's of Marion County, as is very 
 
 commonly the case with family traditions when 
 the branches of the family are separated. But 
 they agree in several respects, and one note- 
 worthy point of agreement is that Harris Tyner 
 came "the next year" after the Pogues. This 
 was impressed on the Marion County branch 
 of the family because two of the boys went back 
 to move him out, and because he was here when 
 Pogue disappeared, in the spring of 1821. They 
 preserve a story of Mrs. Pogue going to Tyner's 
 house for aid and counsel after Pogue's dog 
 came back alone. But Hackleman states that 
 Tyner came in 1821, and this is confirmed by 
 Tyner himself, for he went on record to that 
 effect at the old settlers' meeting in 1857. ^'■' 
 On the whole evidence, the conclusion seems 
 irresistible that Ute Perkins came here in 1819, 
 and built the first cabin ; that Johir McCor- 
 inick was the first permanent settler; and that 
 George Pogue came on March 2, 1820, and oc- 
 cupied the Perkins cabin. The JlcCormick and 
 Perkins traditions, with their coufinnatory evi- 
 dence, cann<it be explained away on any rational 
 l)asis. The Pogue tradition is readily explained 
 as an error of one year in date which probably 
 developed after the tradition had been started 
 l)y the facts that Pogue was the first settler on 
 Pogue's Run. and that his cabin was the first 
 one built at Indianapolis. Dozens of erroneous 
 traditions have growoi up on slighter founda- 
 tion. Its persistence is largely due to Pogue's 
 Hun which has been a permanent and obtru- 
 sive memorial to Pogue, while I'erkins and Mc- 
 Cormick have had no monuments to keep their 
 memories alive. Moreover Pogue was a center 
 of romantic interest, for he was the one man in 
 all the settlement that was killed, or supposed 
 to be killed by the Indians. In the spring of 
 1821 he missed his horses. One story is that 
 111- was told by a straggling Indian, known as 
 "Wyandotte John", that he had seen horses 
 "with iron hoofs" at the camp of a party of 
 Delawares on Buck Creek, and went there alone 
 in search of them.'''" Another is that he went 
 to Conuersville in his search, and on his return 
 sto]iped at the house of his relative Rieliard 
 'I'yner, on Blue River, near Morristown. Here 
 lie heard of some horses at an Indian town on 
 Sugar Creek, aiul wi'ut after them. All the 
 
 ■'Hist. Fayette Co., pp. 194-5. 
 
 -''Locomotive, June l.'i, 18.-(7. See also Sid 
 grove, p. 614. 
 
 ■"'Nowl(ind'.<< Early liemiuiscrincx. p. 2il.
 
 4(i 
 
 lIlSTOliV ol' (MfEATEli INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 stories agree that he never returned, and the 
 mystery of liis fate was naturally a common 
 topic in early times, giving rise to several 
 somewhat conflicting stories.''' Of his children, 
 Joseph died here in 1855, John in 1858, and 
 Bennett in ]85"i. The yonnger children, John 
 and Stincy, died earlier, the latter soon after 
 her marriage to James Sailors. Pogne had 
 three older children who never lived here, ac- 
 cording to Jliss Xancy Pogne. Of these, 
 'J'hoinas died at Cumberland, William at Ensh- 
 villc, and Anna (Airs. Fuller) at Crawfords- 
 ville. Ill addition to iliss Xancy Pogue and 
 her brother Joseph there are two grandchildren 
 now living at Indianapolis — Mrs. A. L. Mar- 
 shall, of 151 r Yandes street, and A. W. Pogue, 
 of 15 X. Tacoma avenue. 
 
 In addition to the very early settlers of In- 
 dianapolis that have been named, the following 
 may be mentioned among the arrivals in 1820 
 and 1821: 182(i: Samuel Morrow, William 
 Townsend (miller). Thomas Anderson (wagon- 
 maker), Conrad Brassell (baker), Henry Brad- 
 ley, James B. Hall (carpenter), Milo E. Davis 
 (plasterer), Robert Wilmot (merchant), Thom- 
 as Johnson (farmer), Jacob E. Crumbaugh 
 (justice of the peace), Michael Ingalls (team- 
 
 '■"Nowland's Jlfiiiliiisrences, pp. 20-22: Uol- 
 loway, p. 9 ; Brown, p. 2 ; Sulgrove, [i. 2^5. 
 
 .-ter). 1^21: Daniel Shatter (January — mer- 
 chant), Daniel Yandes (January — tanner). 
 Dr. S. G. Mitchell (April), Dr. Isaac Coe 
 (Jlay), Alexander Eussell (May — merchant), 
 Caleb Scudder (cabinet maker), Jos. C. Eeed 
 (tirst teacher), David ilallory (barber), John 
 G. Osborn, ilaj. Thos. L'arter (tavern keeper), 
 Dr. Livingston Dunlap (July), James Blake 
 (July 25), Dr. K. A. Scudder, Rice B. Law- 
 rence (teacher), Daniel Larkins (grocer), Lis- 
 mund Basye (Justice of the peace), James Kit- 
 tleman (shoemaker), Wilkes Reagan (butcher), 
 Obed Foote (lawyer), Amos Hanway (cooper). 
 James iL Ray (first county clerk), Samuel 
 Rooker (painter), James Linton (millwright), 
 John \A'ilkins (tanner), Enoch Banks. Demas 
 L. JIcFarland (farmer), Calvin Fletcher 
 (lawyer), George Smith (printer), James Scott 
 (Methodist preacher). James Paxtoit (October 
 9), George Myers (potter), Xathaniel C. Bol- 
 ton (editor), John Sluink (hatter), Isaac Lynch 
 (shoemaker), Robert Patterson (farmer), Sam- 
 uel Henderson (first postmaster), Harvey Gregg 
 (lawyer), Xathaniel Cox (carpenter), Morris 
 Morris (October), Dr. Jonathan Cool, Hugh 
 O'Xeal (lawyer), James and Jolin Givan (mer- 
 chants), John Wyant, Samuel ilcGeorge, John 
 Hawkins, David Wood, Xicholas McCarty, 
 Aaron Drake, John McClung (Campbellite 
 preacher) James Loucks (carpenter).
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 THH BKCIXMNCS OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 After the acquisitidii of 'Flic New I'ui-chaso, 
 the legif^hiture added small traets of it to the 
 counties of Fayette, .lackson and Wayne. By 
 the aet of January ''O. 1S30, it also added sniail 
 traet.-i to the eounties of Franklin. Handolpli 
 and Jennings, and divided all the remainder 
 into Wabash and Delaware eounties. A map of 
 the state published in Cary and Lea's American 
 Atlas in IS'i'i purports to show these new eoun- 
 ties, and it was rc]iroduecd in the t^iatc Legisla- 
 tive Miiiniiil for lUO.i.' Ii\it the boundaries 
 shown arc wholly erroni'iiu>. In ccality the two 
 counties were divided by the Second Prin- 
 cipal .Meridian, all the region east of it 
 being Delaware County, and all west Wa- 
 bash County. To insure immediate govern- 
 ment, the circuit courts of all the counties bor- 
 dering on The N'ew Purchase were given con- 
 current jurisdiction in it in civil cases; that is 
 to say, the courts of V'igo, Owen and Monroe 
 were given concurrent jurisdiction in Wahasli 
 Countv. and those of Jackson, .Jennings, Ripley, 
 Franklin, Fayette, Wayne and Randoljih were 
 given concurrent jurisdiction in Delaware 
 County. 
 
 But these counties of Wabash and Delawai'c 
 were never organized, an<l by the ne.xt session 
 of the legislature it was felt necessary to make 
 some provision for government at Indianapoli.-. 
 Accordingly, by aet of January H, IS-.'I, the 
 Governor was authorized "to appoint and com- 
 mission two or more persons to act as justices 
 of the peace, at Indianapolis, who shall continue 
 in otlice until the county of Delaware is organ- 
 ized, and justices of the ])eace shall be elected 
 and (|ualifleil." Provision was made for ap|ieal 
 from their <lecisions to the circuit court of Bar- 
 tholoiiiew Countv, which was created at the 
 
 same session, and added to tlie second judicial 
 circuit. I'nder this law, Governor Jennings on 
 January !) commissioned .John .Maxwell, and 
 on February '■}, Jacob R. Crumbaugh. as justices 
 of the jjcace for Indianapolis. Maxwell re- 
 signed in June, and his place was vacant for 
 some time. On Septeiuber 24 William Vande- 
 griff was eommi.ssionod ; but this was "recalled", 
 and on October 2, a commission was issued to 
 James Mcllvain, who served until justices were 
 elected for Marion County. Mcllvain seems to 
 have had most of the iiusiness, and Brown says 
 of him: "His twelve-foot cabin stood on the 
 north-west corner of Penn.sylvania and Michi- 
 gan streets,- where he held court, pipe in 
 mouth, in bis cabin door, the jury ranged 
 in front on a fallen tree, and the first 
 constable, Corbaley. standing guard over 
 the culprits, who nevertheless often esca|)ed 
 through the woods". But escapes were not 
 mourned. There was no jail here, and none 
 nearer than Connersvillc .\t that time the 
 criminal jurisdiction of a justici' extended only 
 to the imposition of a line not exceeding $3 for 
 jietty offenses. For anything more serious all 
 he could do was to bind the prisoner over to the 
 circuit court. For this reason criminal business 
 was largely dis])osed of on a basis of "bluff". 
 Brown records a characteristic instance. Ivirly 
 on Christmas morning, lS-^1, four tough Ken- 
 tucky boatmen, who had strayed to the Bluffs, 
 and had come up from there for a Christmas 
 spree, undertook to break into the grocery of 
 Daniel Larkins. where tlu're was a barrel of 
 
 ')>. I K 
 
 - His grandson. S. II. Mcllvain, informs me 
 that it was at the southwest corner of Ohio and 
 Meridian, where the City Library stands: and 
 this is confirmed bv Rev. J. C. Fletcher. .Yews, 
 May 31, 1879. 
 
 47
 
 48 
 
 lIlsroKY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 whisky. The alarm was spread, and citizens 
 gathered at the scene. When asked to desist 
 the Kentuckians showed fight. But Indian- 
 apolis did not lack nerve. A consultation was 
 held, and James Blake offered to grapple the 
 leader if the rest of the citizens would take the 
 other three, and this program was speedily exe- 
 cuted. The prisoners were taken before Mcll- 
 vain who bound them over to the Fayette cir- 
 cuit court, and, in default of bail committed 
 them to jail at Connersville. But getting the 
 prisoners to Connersville would have been a 
 greater hardship on the community than the 
 punishment would have been to the prisoners, 
 so while ostentatious preparations were made by 
 a posse for the journey on the following day, 
 the guard was cautioned not to be too watchful 
 that night, and under cover of darkness the 
 broilers softly and silently vanished away, to 
 the great relief of the settlement. 
 
 But the sitiuition involvi?d more serious con- 
 siderations than mere inconvenience. The legal 
 power of a justice was to bind an offender over 
 to the circuit court of his county, but there 
 was no county in fact and no court. The courts 
 of the bordering counties had been given con- 
 current jurisdiction in civil cases, but the law 
 said nothing about criminal cases, and in gen- 
 eral a criminal case had to be heard in the 
 county where the offense was committed. More- 
 over the constitution provided that "justices 
 shall be elected in each township in the several 
 counties", and said nothing about their ap- 
 pointment, even where there were townships for 
 them to serve in. In the fall of 1821 a meet- 
 ing was held at Hawkins' Tavern to consider 
 the situation, and it was decided to ask the 
 legislat\iro for the organization of a new county. 
 James Blake and Dr. S. G. Mitchell were se- 
 lected to go to Corydon to secure the passage of 
 the law. 
 
 They were successful in their mission, and 
 on December 31, 1821, the law creating Marion 
 County was approved. The county was unique 
 in two respects. It was surrounded entirely by 
 unorganized territory — not touching any other 
 organized county, although cut out of what 
 had been set off as Delaware County ;, but it was 
 touched at the southwest by Morgan County, 
 and at the southeast by Shelby County, both of 
 which were created at the same session. It 
 was made twenty miles square, with its present 
 boundaries, but for the time being there was 
 
 added to it, for governmental purposes, a tract 
 of land larger than itself lying to the northeast. 
 This tract began at the first section corner east 
 of White River on the north line of the county, 
 the boundary running thence north 20 miles to 
 the present north line of Hamilton County ; 
 thence east 24 miles to a point two miles west 
 of the present east boundary of Madison 
 County; thence south 18 miles to the present 
 south line of Madison County; thence west 21 
 miles; thence south 2 miles; thence west 3 
 miles to the place of beginning. The object 
 of this addition was to provide government for 
 the settlements forming at Anderson, Pendle- 
 ton, Strawtown, and near Xoblesville and Con- 
 ner's Station ; and tlie law provided that '"the 
 inhabitants of the said district of coimtry shall 
 i)e entitled to all the privileges of citizens of 
 said county of Marion, and shall be subject to 
 ilie same taxation and other regulations and re- 
 strictions". The "privileges" were construed 
 to include office-holding, and one of the first 
 county commissioners of Clarion County was 
 Wm. McCartney, who lived at Pendleton. 
 
 For judicial purposes the new county was 
 added to the Fifth Judicial Circuit, including 
 also the coimties of Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan. 
 Green, Owen, Henry, Rush, Decatur, Bartholo- 
 mew, Shelby and Jennings. The court was to 
 sit "in the county of Morgan on the fourth 
 ^londays in March and September, and shall 
 sit three days if the business require it; in the 
 county of Marion on the Thursdays succeeding 
 the rising of the courts in Morgan, and shall 
 sit three days if the business require it". At 
 that time the circuit court consisted of a "presi- 
 dent judge" who was appointed by the Governor 
 for the whole circuit, and two "associate 
 judges" Avho were elected by the people in each 
 county. On January 3, Governor Jennings 
 appointed William Watson Wick president 
 judge of the Fifth Jtidicial Circuit. He was a 
 young Pennsylvanian who had settled at Con- 
 nersville in 1810, and had for some time served 
 as a clerk in the State Senate. He was after- 
 wards prominent at Indianapolis, and in the 
 state. 
 
 The act creating the county established 
 square 58 as "the seat of justice", and provided 
 that the courts should be held at the house of 
 John Carr "until a court house or other house 
 more suitable can be had". It gave to the new 
 cciunty $8,000 from the proceeds of the sale of
 
 isToin' OK (;i;i;ati 
 
 XDI.WArol.lS. 
 
 49 
 
 lots to build a court liou.su, wIulIi w;i- to be "in 
 eizo at least lil'ty feet squaiv. to lie Iniilt of 
 brick of the bust <[uality and two stories hiuli, 
 to be completed in a workmanlike manni'r, 
 which shall be coniiiunced within one year from 
 the taking eti'ect of this act, and be completed 
 within tlireo years thercal'tcr, and when the said 
 court house shall be completed it shall be lor 
 the use of the CJeneral Assembly, the Supreme 
 and federal court, until a state house shall lie 
 completed at the seat of Government"". The act 
 furtlier reserved 'i per cent of the receipts from 
 the sale of lots for a county library; and pro- 
 vided that "the .said new county of ilarion siiall 
 form and after the first day of April next, en- 
 joy all the rights, privileges and jurisdictions 
 which to separate counties do. or may properly 
 appertain and belong'". 
 
 The manner in which a new county should 
 organize "as prescribed by the general law of 
 January '2. 1818, which directed the Governor 
 to issue a writ of election to some resident of 
 the county whom lie should appoint as sheritf, 
 until a sheriff should be elected at the next 
 general election. This appointed sheriff was to 
 call a special election, on the day set in the writ, 
 at sucli ]daces as he misjlit designate, for choos- 
 ing two associate circuit judges, a clerk of the 
 circuit court, a recorder, and throe county com- 
 missioners. The election was by ballot, and 
 was managed wholly by the sherifC, who gave 
 10 days notice by posting three notices in each 
 election district or precinct. He a])pointed the 
 elect inn ollicers, administered the necessary 
 natlis, received the returns, canvassed the vote, 
 issut'd certilicates to the successful candidates, 
 and Sent co])ies to the Secretary cd' Slate, who 
 issued their commissions. 
 
 On January 1, 1822, Harvey Bates was com- 
 missioned sheriff — an excellent man for tiu' 
 place, though not a resident of the county at 
 the time. He was born in ^7^5 at Fort Wash- 
 ington (later Ciiuiiuiati). his father being a 
 master of transportation during the Indian 
 wars that ended in that year. He ha<l a fair 
 Knglish education, and, on attaining manhood, 
 moved to Brookville, Indiana, where he married 
 Miss Sidney Sedwick, a cousin of Senator 
 James >Joble. Soon afterward he moved to 
 Connersville, where he lived until after his ap- 
 pointment, and then came to Tndianajiolis, ar- 
 riving here on February 22. On the same day he 
 issued his proi-lainalion foi- the I'lrelioii In be 
 Vol. 1—4 
 
 held on A]iril 1, fixing the \oting places at 
 (icneral John Carrs house in Indianapolis, at 
 John FiuclTs above Conner's Station, John 
 l*aige"s at Strawtown, John Berry's at Ander- 
 son, and W'm. AicCartney's at Pendleton. 
 
 The campaign hail l)egun in fact before the 
 law for the creation of tlie county was passed; 
 and Galvin Fletcher notes in his diary that on 
 Christmas, 1821, he found the candidates a.s- 
 sembled at ^IcGeorge's store, treating promiscu- 
 ously. Mctieorge had the oidy barrel of cider 
 in town, and it had frozen on to[); so a hole 
 was bored through the ice with a red hot poker 
 and the concentrated Huid was disilt out to the 
 crowd, after which, says ^Ir. Fletcher, ■"they 
 took brandy, which soon produced intoxica- 
 tion"". At least it did with some, for ]Mr. 
 Fletcher thought it best to guide one of his 
 overloaded friends home, leaving the crowd, as 
 to which he adds: "The candidates led the con- 
 course from one place to another until sun- 
 down"".'' He also mentions a [lart of the can- 
 didates, as follows: "For associate judges 
 James JIcMllvain and .\lr. I'atti'rson; county 
 clerk James M. Ray, ^lorri> Morris, .Milo K'. 
 Davis, J. Hawkins, et al.; for inunty coinini>- 
 sioners Messrs. Hogdeii, (Jsborii and .Morrow". 
 l>ut, as the campaign warmed up, more candi- 
 ilates came out, there being a total of li.'i an- 
 nounced in the Gazelle, and Mr. Fletcher men- 
 tions several others, making in all lU'ar -40. 
 
 Theoretically there were no parties, no con- 
 ventions, no caucuses, but the election was a 
 free fight for all comers. Yet Rev. J. C. 
 Fletcher writes: ".Vlthough caucuses we're not 
 known in the first political canvass in Indian- 
 apolis, yet there was a great deal of free inde- 
 l>endent campaigning and there were cliques 
 and inner circles. The divisions were not ac- 
 cording to the political ]iarties of the day. 
 They •\vere local, or rather geographical divi- 
 sions. My father informed me that the combat- 
 ants Were ranged under the titles of 'White- 
 water' and 'Kentucky". The emigration from 
 these two sections was simultaneous. The peo- 
 ple fnuii Whitewater were as clannish as those 
 from Kentucky. Each wished to have the dis- 
 tribution of the ])ublic loaves and fishes. The 
 Whitewater paity had some advantages over 
 Kentucky in that it had received some acces- 
 sions from people from Ohio and Pennsvlvania, 
 
 Sews. A|n-il i:. is: It.
 
 50 
 
 HISTORY OF (IIJKATKR I XDIAXAP* )LIS. 
 
 who had re^idi'il \in\g enou<ih in tlio casteru 
 part of the state to qualify them as voters. 
 Here the Keiitueiviaiis were at a ilisailvautage 
 for many of them had not resided a year in the 
 state. The Whitewater peo()le were eonsum- 
 mate politicians; they had been led and disci- 
 ])lined by such men as Governor Jennings, the 
 two Xohles, and Jesse 1?. Tlionias, ])revious to 
 their arrival in the 'Xew Fureliase". My 
 father informed me that they were men of 
 talent, and that greati'r adepts at political 
 warfai'e never lived"".'' 
 
 But in reality this contest was one of the state 
 political organizations. Whitewater was not 
 merely clannish from local prejudice. Jt had 
 been molded in the old Territorial struggle 
 over the slavery question into a \erv com])act 
 mass. In the race of Jennings with Randolph 
 for Congress, in 1807, the upper Whitewater 
 district had given Jennings every vote but one. 
 and as politics developed that solidarity had 
 been nourished and preserved. The organiza- 
 tion Ijecame as compact as any political organi- 
 zation of today, and any one who doubts it may 
 profitably read Oliver H. Smith"s account of 
 the manner in which Seiuitor Xoljle. (Jovernor 
 Jennings, and William Hendricks controlled 
 legislation, ami divided patronage."' 
 
 The contest centered principally on the otfice 
 of clerk, which was considered the most im- 
 portant county office at the time. Whitewater 
 put forward James M. Ray, an excellent young 
 man from X'ew Jersey, who had studied at C'o- 
 luml)ia College and had had jn-actical experi- 
 ence as a deputy clerk at Lawrenceburgh and 
 Connersville. Kentucky's candidate was Morris 
 Morris, a strong and able man, who fired the 
 first gun by issuing a campaign i)ami)hlet on 
 January 30, — the first literary ])roduct of the 
 city outside of the newspaper. Calvin Fletcher 
 had alhliated with Whitewater, and was evi- 
 dently put in ciiarge of the literary bureau, for 
 on January ;iO Mrs. Fletcher entered in her 
 diary: "Mr. Morris has written a pami)hlet and 
 had it put in print. Mr. Fletcher has just left 
 me to write an answer to it, and I am all alone 
 this evening". On February 2, she noted that 
 Mr. Osborn. Whitewater candidate for county 
 commissioner, "canu' and staid all night"": and 
 on Sundav, Fcbruarv .'!: "The handiiills canu' 
 
 *Xewg. A])ril -.'(i, is:!i. 
 ''Knrhj Iiiilidiiii Trials, p. 84. 
 
 out in opposition to what Mr. Morris wrote" . 
 On February 1"). ilorris came back with an- 
 other handbill and that next night Mrs. 
 Fletcher wrote: "1 went to bed early, i)Ut ilr. 
 F. was writing an answer to the handbill ami 
 did not go to bed that night. Sunday, Mr. F. 
 went to bed early in the afternoon and sle]it 
 until after 8 p. m. when I aw^akened him, and 
 we both went to the printing office and stayed 
 until two o'clock in the morning"". And so the 
 war progressed. ^Irs. Fletcher mentions nu- 
 merous long consultations, and threats of libel 
 suits; and probably grew weary of the whole 
 business, for on May 31, the day before the 
 election, she wrote: "I spent the day very un- 
 satisfactorily, for there were so many candidates 
 coming in that I could lU'ither read nor write, 
 nor do anything else"". 
 
 The election was a lan<lslide for Whitewater. 
 Bars were not closed on election days then, aiuJ 
 any man who went thirsty neglected the privi- 
 leges of a freeman. Mr. Fletcher says that 
 "Whitewater and whisky carried the day against 
 Kentucky and whisky"", and it is probalile that 
 whisky did not much affect the result, for both 
 sides supplied it in almost unlimited quantity. 
 James M. Ray received the highest vote — 217 
 out of 33G votes cast in the county. There 
 were 22-1 votes cast in Indianapolis. James 
 Mcllvain and Eliakim Harding were elected 
 associate judges; Joseph C. Reed recorder, and 
 John McCormick, John T. Osborn and Wm. 
 McCartney County ccunmissioners. Among 
 those who went down in defeat was Alexander 
 Ralston, who hail been a candidate for recorder. 
 
 The newly elected commissioners met on 
 .Vpril 15, but McCormick not being present they 
 ailjourned to the next day, at .lohn Carr's 
 hou.^e, where their first business was the ap- 
 pointment of Daniel Yamles as county treasurer 
 and the approval of his bond. He was a Penn- 
 sylvanian who had served in the war of 1812, 
 attaining the rank of major at the age of 21. 
 He came to Indiana in 1818 and located near 
 Connersville till the spring of 1821, when he 
 came to Indianapolis, and built him a log- 
 cabin at the northeast corner of Washington 
 and Illinois streets. He brought with him 
 about $4,000, which made him the ranking 
 capitalist of the ))lace for some years. His 
 service as Treasurer was so satisfactory that he 
 was reappointed every year until 1829, when he 
 withdrew to give his attention to his j)crsoual
 
 HISTORY OK C 
 
 .VVVAl INDIAXAl'OI.lS. 
 
 51 
 
 atfairs. The next business oi' the eoniiiiissioiiers 
 was (lividins; tlic c-ouiity proper into nint' towii- 
 sliips, practieally as they still exist — Pike, 
 Washiiiirton ami Lawrence at the north; Wayne, 
 Centre and Warren aeross the center of the 
 county; and Decatur, I'erry and Franklin at 
 the south. The principal change since made 
 in tlieni is in the line between Decatur and 
 Perry, which was originally an extension of the 
 west line of (.'enter townshi]), but later was 
 made White Hiver — the part of Decatur east 
 of the river being added to I'erry. On March 
 ;!, l!-i".i.S, three sections of Pike townsiiip — o, !l 
 and Ki — were added to Washington. Otherwise 
 the townsiiips stand as originally made. But as 
 the population did not justify tJie immediate 
 establishment of nine separate township gov- 
 ernments, they were consolidated for the time 
 being into four, known as "Washington-Law- 
 rence", ''Cent re- Warren". "Decatur-Perry- 
 Franklin", and "Pike-Wayne". These combi- 
 nations were continued only until population 
 and |)ul)lic convenience called for separation. 
 Decatur first was made a separate township on 
 August 12, 182;!. Pike and Wayne were sep- 
 arated on May 10, 1S24; Centre and Warren 
 on .May 1, 182(1; Washington and Lawrence on 
 Octoijer (i, 182(i : and l-'rankjin and Perry on 
 Septendier :i, 1827. 
 
 The tract to tiie north, which was a<lded for 
 temporary governmental purposes, was divided 
 as nearly as possible into four equal parts. The 
 northeastern (piarter was made Antlerson Town- 
 ship, and included the settlement at Anderson. 
 Till- southeastern was named Fall Creek Town- 
 ship, and included the settlement at Pendleton. 
 'I'he southwestern was named Delaware Town- 
 ship, and included the settlements at Conner's 
 Station and near .Noblesville. The northwest- 
 ern was named White Uiver Township, and in- 
 cluded the settlement at Strawtown. This con- 
 nection of this territory lasted onlv about a 
 year, as both Hamilton and Madison counties 
 Were established by tiie legislature in January, 
 lM2;i, and were organizeil a few months later. 
 .\ similar adilition to the county was nuule li\' 
 the act of February 12, 182."), of a tract of ter- 
 ritory eight miles wide and twelve miles broad 
 (east and west) in the southeast cornt'r of 
 Hoono County, it was ailded to i'ike Townsiiip 
 bv the countv eninnn>-inners'' iiiul mi i-eniameil 
 
 till the creation of Uoone County iiy the act of 
 January 2!), 18;i(i. 
 
 Xext came provision for the election of 
 justices of the ])eace for the townships, of which 
 two were assigneil to each of tlie eombiuation 
 townships exce)it Centre-Warren, which was to 
 have three. For the outside district one justice 
 was assigned to each township. The election 
 was set for May 11, and the voting-places and 
 the election ins])ectors were specified as follows: 
 Washington-Lawrence, house of Klijah Fox, 
 with Joel Wright as inspector; Centre- Warren, 
 house of John Carr, with Thomas Carter as in- 
 spector ; J)ecatur-l'erry-Franklin, house of 
 Peter Harmonson, with Peter llarmonson as in- 
 spector ; Pike-Wayne, house of Mrs. Barnhill, 
 with Jeremiah J. Corbaley as inspector; Fall 
 Creek, house of Wm. ilcCartney, with Adam 
 Winsell (Wincbell) as inspector; Anderson, 
 bouse of John Berry, with John Berry as in- 
 spector; Wliite Kiver, house of John Paige, 
 with John Paige as inspector; and Delaware, 
 house of John Finch, with Solomon Finch as 
 inspector. 
 
 On Ai)ril IT, the c(unmissioners adopted a 
 comity seal, desci-ilied as follows: ".V star in 
 til. centre, with the letters 'M. C. C." around 
 the same, with inverted carved stripes tending 
 to the centre of the star and "Marion County 
 Seal" written thereon". This si'al did not come 
 inlo actual use, for on May 1 I the commission- 
 ers adopted another described thus: "The words 
 '.Marion County Seal, Indiana" around the out- 
 side, with a pair of scales in the centre emblem- 
 atical of justice, under which is a |)loiigli anil 
 sheaf (d' wheat in representation of agricul- 
 lure"". This seal was continued in use until 
 Dec. 8, 1811, when the commissioners adopted 
 the one now in use, described as follows: "On 
 the margin of the eirch' the woi'ds ■Commis- 
 sioners Seal of Marion County" and inside of 
 this marginal engraving the engraving of a 
 P.asket of fruit and likewise the representation 
 (d' a Berkshire pig"".' 'I'radition ascribes this 
 ch.-uige to the intluence (d' John W. 
 Hamilton, who was llien county auditor. 
 It doubth'ss ri'presenti'd an advancing] senti- 
 ment in farming, for Henry Ward Beecher 
 and his allies were jusi then preaching fruit 
 culture and the improvement in stock in In- 
 diaiia])olis, and llie "l!erk-liii-e pig" deliniMled, 
 
 ''•Pifvord. p. l!i;. 
 
 '•Record, p. Kii.
 
 53 
 
 MISTOKV OF (iltHA'I'Kli IXDIAXAPOUS. 
 
 13 
 o 
 
 < 
 z 
 
 < 
 
 Q 
 Z 
 
 c 
 
 a. 
 
 CO 
 
 Z
 
 HISTOEY OF GKEATEl!. I M )1 AX APOLIS. 
 
 53 
 
 was a maniic'st iinprovenient on the "razor- 
 back", which had hekl exclusive possession in 
 this region, both in quality and in disposition. 
 On September '27, 1832, the Circuit Court 
 adopted the same seal as tlie commissioners — 
 the scales, sheaf and plough — but at a later date 
 the sheaf and plough were dropped, and the seal 
 now appears with the scales only. When the 
 court adopted the seal it also entered an order 
 to "ratify, confirm and approve all legal \ises 
 of the same by tiie Clerk since the organization 
 of this county of JIarion, as the seal of this 
 court". Inasmuch as the clerk originally pro- 
 cured ibe seal for the commissioners, under 
 their direction to get a differing one, it is ob- 
 vious tluit the responsibility for the first seal 
 devolves on James .M. Eay. 
 
 Following the adoption of the seal came two 
 ri'gulations of rates that seem odd now, but 
 M liich were reasonable enough then : when many 
 persons were forced to travel, and when fer- 
 ries and taverns along the roads were in the 
 nature of monojiolies. Many things were left to 
 local control tlicn that are not now, and often 
 the powers of control in one county differed 
 from those in others, for it was an era of spe- 
 cial legislation — the special laws of a legisla- 
 ture being usually more voluminous than the 
 general laws. The first of these regulations was 
 of the rates of ferriage over White l{iver at 
 Washington street, which were fi.xed as follows: 
 For each wagon and four horses or o.\en.$.C3i4 
 For each wagon and two horses or oxen. . .37V-> 
 For each wagon (small) and one horse 
 
 or ox 311/4 
 
 For each extra horse or ox l^^^ 
 
 For each man or woman and horse f2i/o 
 
 For each head of neat cattle 03 
 
 For each head of swine 02 
 
 For each head of slieep 03 
 
 For each footman 0(ji/4 
 
 The "tavern rates" were lixcd as I'dllnus: 
 
 Fncb half-pint of whiskey $.l'2i'o 
 
 iviih hair-]iiiit of imported rum. brandy 
 
 gin. or wine 25 
 
 Kach ([uart of cider or beer 12i/> 
 
 Kaeb i|uart of porter, cider wine or cider 
 
 oil 25 
 
 Each half-pint of ])eaeh brandy, cordial, 
 
 country gin, or apple brandy 18% 
 
 l']acli nu'al 25 
 
 Ka.-h iiiglit's bidixing ^•>^U 
 
 Each gallon of corn or oats 12V^ 
 
 liach horse to hay per niglit 25 
 
 These tavern rates were revised on February 
 11, 1S23, 'but the only change made was to in- 
 crease the price of a half-pint of imported 
 goods from 25 to 50 cents. Possibly this may 
 have been because somebody had actually made 
 an importation, or was thinking of it. llaving 
 now disposed of the most pressing affairs of 
 government, the commissioners adjourned for 
 that session. 
 
 The people now proceeded to the election of 
 justices of the peace, which resulted in the se- 
 lection of Wm. D. liooker and Joel Wright for 
 Washington-Lawrence; Abraham Hendricks 
 and Isaac Stephens for Pike- Wayne ; Peter 
 Harmonson for Decattir-Perry-Franklin — there 
 was no other chosen then, or, at least, none 
 commissioned; and Wilkes Reagan, Lismund 
 Basye and Obed Foote for Centre-Warren. For 
 the district outside the county proper, Wm. C. 
 Blackmore and Wm. Bush were chosen for 
 White Kiver and Delaware townships ; and 
 Judah Learning and Abel Ginney for Ander- 
 son and Fall Creek. This election was not so 
 exciting as tlie former, but the result in Cen- 
 tre-Warren was contested by Moses Cox. His 
 objeeUoiis are not set out specifically in the 
 record, but the decision of the commissioners 
 is to the effect that votes had been received 
 that were "evidently and constitutionally il- 
 legal, although received unintentionally", and 
 therefore they held the election "null and 
 void"", and ordered another on May 25." At 
 this election tlie same justices were again 
 chosen, and on Juiu' G and 7 all of the justices 
 elected were commissioned by the Governor. 
 
 Aside from the county oilicials, the justices 
 were the only local officials for the next ten 
 years, and therefore filled important places in 
 the commtinity. Keagan was the village butcher 
 with a .shoj) at (he northwest corner of Dela- 
 ware and Washington strec^ts, and a little 
 slaughter-bouse on Pogue"s Run, between New 
 Jersey and East streets. His supplies of jus- 
 tice and meat were both very satisfactory. 
 Basye was a Swede, who was not very learned 
 in the law, but is credited with having usually 
 decided for the plaintiff, wliich secured him 
 business, and was quite as apt to be right as 
 
 ^Urronl. pp. ;')0-3-.'.
 
 iiisToKv OF <;i;eater Indianapolis. 
 
 wrong, if mil inni-c sci; inr. as one of tlie old- 
 tiiiu' jii:<titt's argued: "It stands to reason that 
 a man would not bring a lawsuit against an- 
 other unless there was some eause for it.'"'" Now- 
 lantl says that Nathaniel Cox, wlio was the 
 recognized village joker, approached Basye dur- 
 ing the campaign and asked: "Should you be 
 elected, ^Ir. Basye, and a jjerson was brought 
 before you charged with ijurghiry, and jiroved 
 guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt, what 
 would you do with hiin ?"" Basye studied the 
 case for a moment, raised his spectacles, looked 
 wise, and replied, "I would fine him one hun- 
 dred dollars, and compel him to marry the 
 woman"". Possibly this was au early effort at 
 fiction, but it is recorded that Squire Basye was 
 at one time going to send a man to the peni- 
 tentiary, who had been brought before him on a 
 charge of larceny, and Prosecuting Attorney 
 Fletcher had some difficulty in convincing him 
 that his power extended only to binding him 
 over to the Circuit Court. 
 
 The justice who had most of the business, 
 and far outranked the others, was Obed Foote. 
 He was a native of Delaware, a man of nat- 
 ural abilit}' and well-informed, but quite er- 
 ratic. He had read law and practiced some. 
 He was at the time of his election a bachelor, 
 and had acquired some characteristic bachelor 
 habits while keeping "bachelor"s hall"" with his 
 brother. He made a fad of French, and read 
 a chapter in his French bible every day to 
 keep in practice. He affected a brusqueness 
 in speech, but in reality was a very kindly 
 man, and a friend of the children. But he 
 had no tolerance for cither ignorance or con- 
 ceit, and was very outspoken in his views ; so 
 much so that he incurred the displeasure of 
 Basye's friends by his criticisms of his colleague. 
 All of his peculiarities cropped out in his 
 administration of justice. He was fond of 
 roasting potatoes in the ashes of the open fire- 
 place in his office, and when he settled down for 
 a hearing he would cock his feet on the table, 
 extract a potato from the ashes, and observe: 
 "Now, Messieurs Pettifoggers, you can pro- 
 ceed with your arguments while 1 eat my pota- 
 toes."'" But his decisions were pretty sound, 
 and he was re-elected to the ol!ice up to the time 
 of his death in May, 1833. He was indicted 
 for malfeasance in otlico in 1823. but was tri- 
 
 ■■fn,l. Hist. Sor. Piihs.. Vol I. 
 
 umphantly accpiittcd. and the Court ordered 
 the indictment erased from the record.'" 
 Basye also sued him for slander, but 
 after some legal fencing it was dis- 
 missed, on a written agreement, entered of 
 record, as follows: "This eause is to be dis- 
 missed at defendant's cost, and indemnifying 
 ]ilaintiif against his attorney's fees, and de- 
 fendant stati's and acknowledges that whatever 
 he stated against plaintitt' in the premises he 
 stated in a passion and in heat of })lood, antl 
 that the foundation of the charge he is now 
 convinced originated in a mistake of himself or 
 jilaintift' on a law question."" '' In all his ail- 
 vertisements. and both lawyers and doctors 
 advertised then, Foote announced that he would 
 "attend to any business in his profession, not 
 coming under the dciiominatiim of jicttifog- 
 .iiing"'. 
 
 On May 13, 1822, the county commissioners 
 met again in regular session, and. the tax 
 listers having finished their work, the fir.-t 
 action was the approval of their reports. This 
 was the necessary legal preliminary to estab- 
 lishing the tax-rate, which was fixed on the 
 next day as follows: 
 For every horse, mare, gelding, mule 
 
 or ass, over three years old $ -37'/^ 
 
 For stallions (once' their rate for the 
 
 season) 
 
 For taverns, each 1 <>.()() 
 
 For every ferry . 00 
 
 For every $100 of appraised valuation 
 
 of town lots .50 
 
 For each and every pleasure carriage 
 
 of two wheels . 1 . 0( t 
 
 For each pleasure carriage of four 
 
 wheels \ .'ir, 
 
 For every silver watch 2.") 
 
 l"or every gold watch .jO 
 
 For every head of work-oxen over 
 
 three years old, and upwards, per 
 
 head 2.J 
 
 On each male person over the age of 
 
 twenty-one years .50 
 
 Provided that persons over the age of fifty 
 years and not free holders, and such as are 
 not able from bodily disability to follow any 
 useful occupation, and all idiots and paupers 
 shall be exempt from said last naiutvl tax. 
 
 '"Order Bool-. Mav 9, 1823. 
 ''Order linnl- 1. p" 12(5.
 
 mSTOEY OF OKKATKR TXHIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 These taxes were for eouuty purjxises oiiJy, 
 and in reality were nearly all fixed by law, the 
 diseretionary powers of the commissioners ex- 
 tending only to ferries, which were "not less 
 than five nor more than twenty-five dollars"', 
 and taverns, which were "not less than ten 
 nor more than fifty dollars'", as the commis- 
 sioners might determine. There was no such 
 thing as a general ])roperty tax in Indiana, un- 
 til established by the act of February ",. ISlio, 
 but the property subject to taxation, and the 
 rates, were specified by the legislature. At 
 this time the state was experimenting with 
 the principle of the separation of the sources 
 of state and nuinici|>al revenue, a ])i'inciple 
 that might be adoj)ted now with manifest ad- 
 vantages. Hy the acts of January '^1, 1820,'- 
 and .lannai-y 8, 18".il,''' the state tax was levied 
 exclusively on lands, not including town lots, 
 at rates from $1 to $1.50 per 100 acres, ac- 
 cording to quality fixed in three grades, to- 
 gether with 'io cents on each $100 of bank 
 stock-, and these Avere not taxable for county 
 jmrposes; while the objects above named as 
 taxed for county purposes were not taxable for 
 state purposes. 
 
 The "tavern license" was practically a retail 
 licjuor license, for at that time, in order to get 
 a retailer's license, it was necessary to give 
 l)on<l "to keep constantly on hand the bed- 
 ding and stabling, with the other acci)mnio<la- 
 tiohs necessary for the comfort and convenience 
 of travellers"', and also to produce a certificate 
 of "4^velve respectable householders that such 
 l)er.<on is of good moral character, and that it 
 would be of lienefit and convenienc(! to travel- 
 lers for such person to be licensed'". The ap- 
 ]ilicant had also to give bond to prevent gam- 
 bling and disorder, and not to sell on Sundays 
 "exce])t to travi'llers"".''' This continued until 
 the act of January 24, 1828 authorized 
 dro])ping the "bedding and stabling"" ipiali- 
 fieation wheir llie licensee was not a tav- 
 ern-keeper. ;ind aniliorized such licenses to 
 sell "foreign and domestic groceries."" Fur 
 some years afterward the two forms of retail 
 license were known as "tavern license"" and 
 "grocery license"'. In 1831 it was provided that 
 
 '-Arts p. 1,-iO. 
 '■'Arts. pp. 8, 9. 
 
 '*Arl i,f Jdinian/ .'S. ISIS: Rrr. Sluts.. ISJJ,, 
 p. ioT. 
 
 incorporated towns Tuiglit impose a license tax, 
 equal to and in addition to the county tax. on 
 "what is commonly called a tijipling house".''' 
 I'nder all these laws the retailer was rc- 
 ipiired to keep the legal rates |)osted, and 
 could not sell to children, apprentice oi" 
 servants without tlu' consent of tbi' pai-- 
 ent or master, nor to anyone "in a state of in- ' 
 toxication'". There was an interval, from the 
 act of January, 1821 to the act of January, 
 1824, when the licenses were granted by the 
 Circuit Court instead of the commissioners, but 
 the commissioners fixed the I'atc during that 
 ])eriod. 
 
 After the a])i)roval of the reiiorts of the tax 
 listers the sheriff was directed to let the "clear- 
 ing"" of the court house yard to the lowest bid- 
 der, and in due time the contract was let to 
 Earl Pearce and Samuel Hyde, who on August 
 14, were awarded $59 for their services. At 
 the suggestion of James Blakt', two hundred 
 sugar trees were reserved for a grove, but when 
 the surrounding forest was gone these were so 
 readily damaged by wind that within a few 
 years they were all cut down and removed. On 
 April 12, 18:58, the county commissioners 
 turned the square over to the common council 
 of Indianapolis "for ornamentation"", authoriz- 
 ing it to .set out "a ])roper number of shade 
 tni's with necessary shrubbery""'" and a num- 
 ber of young trees were planted, lint in Jan- 
 uary, 1843, Henry Ward Beecbcr wrote that 
 they were promptly destroyed by llu' jailor"s 
 cow, which was pastured on the sipiare : and "a 
 gentleman not without a taste for horticulture, 
 from day to day, saw, from his office door, this 
 destruction, as he infoiiiicd me with great iwi- 
 vr.ir, as though it were a sin to interfere and 
 save the trees"".'' But this is not so shocking 
 when it is remembered that the |)lanting oc- 
 curred while the horrible delusion of planting 
 evergreens and black locusts prevailed in the 
 west, and Mr. Heecher says these court house 
 trees were cbielly locusts. Since- llieii there 
 have been no shade trees on the sepuire, l)nt 
 some young ones are now planted, and may 
 eventually produce shade if some change of 
 official |)olicv does not call for their removal. 
 
 1'he board next took up petitions for ojiening 
 
 '■■Her. St<ils.. p. 527. 
 
 "7iV'c. ;). 11. 2(i5. 
 
 ''fii/I. MiUj. of llisl.. \.
 
 56 
 
 HISTOKV 01-' Ch'i'lA'I'l'. 
 
 Mil.W.Vrol.IS. 
 
 new roads. Win. TDWuseud, the lirst Quaker 
 in the settlement wanted two — one to "the 
 Mills at the Falls of Fall Creek", and the other 
 from the north end of Pennsylvania street to 
 Strawtown. Viewers were appointed for both. 
 The first, as established was the continuation 
 .of Massachu.setts avenue beyond East street, 
 and the old Pendleton road. The second has 
 now become l"t. Wayne avenue. Central ave- 
 nue, Sutherland avenue in part — the old Xobles- 
 villo road. Eliakim Harding asked for a road 
 west of the rivei-, on the future line of the Na- 
 tional road. John ilcCormiek wanted a road 
 from the end of Indiana avenue to his mill on 
 ■Wliite Kiver — about the line of the old La- 
 fayette road. Demas JIcFarland wanted a road 
 to the southwest — the line of the old iloores- 
 ville road. All of these were ordered "viewed", 
 and in due time "cut out"', so that in dn' 
 weather a driver had no difUeulty in getting 
 through, if he could steer around stumps. 
 
 On the 14th the commissioners divided the 
 county into road districts and appointed road 
 supervisors. The "donation" was made a sepa- 
 rate district, with John Yanblaricum as super- 
 visor. The board then appointed constables as 
 follows: in the outlying districts — for Fall 
 Creek Township, Isaac Jones ; for Anderson, 
 Allen Makepeace; for White Kiver, Levi Dick- 
 son ; for Delaware, Chapel W. Brown and Ed- 
 ward M. Dryer: in the county proper — for 
 Washington-Lawrence, Wm. Cris and John 
 Small ; for Pike-Wayne, Joel A. Crane and 
 Charles Eckard; for Centre- Warren, Israel 
 Harding, Josejih Duval, Francis Davis, George 
 Harlan, Wm. Phillips, Caleb Eeynolds, Daniel 
 Lakin, Lewis Ogle, Samuel Eoberts, Joseph Cat- 
 terlin, Henry Cline, Joshua Glover and Pat- 
 rick Kerr. Later in the day Elias Stallcop 
 was appointed for Dt>catur-Perry-Franklin. The 
 large number appointed for Centre- Warren may 
 have been in view of probable calls on them for 
 police duty in the town. The preponderating 
 element in the settlement was determined to 
 preserve order, and indictments for "assault and 
 Ijattery" and "affray" were quite common in the 
 early days. 
 
 On May 15 the commissioners made np their 
 lists of petit and grand jnrurs — 72 of the for- 
 mer and 54 of the latter — from which the 
 sheriff was to take his venires. As the treas- 
 urer. Daniel Yandcs, declined to take cliarge of 
 the tax duplii-atr. Harris Tyner was a])p(>inted 
 
 collector of taxes, as provided by law. At that 
 time there was no treasurer's office, and the 
 collector usually gave public notice "to all who 
 have any taxes to pay" to call on the collector 
 at some specified place and pay. And this they 
 were in no greater hurry to do in those days 
 than at present, as appears from the first an- 
 nual report of the treasurer, which was made on 
 Xovember 13, 1822, as follows: 
 
 DANIia YAXDES, COIM'V TltKASLlilCll. Uli. 
 
 To amount of receipts up to this date, 
 for store licenses, tavern licenses, 
 and taxes on certificates and sales 
 and writs $169.93% 
 
 To certified amount of county 
 
 revenue assessed for 1822 726. TO 
 
 To the balance in vour favor on set- 
 tlement this day 79 . 11^4 
 
 $975.81 
 
 TREASURER CR. 
 
 By payment to grand jurors to this 
 "date" '. 2.25 
 
 By payment to county commission- 
 ers ' ." 36.00 
 
 Bv pavment to listing, appraisers, 
 "etc. ". 70.50 
 
 By payment to prosecuting attorney 15.25 
 
 By payment to expenses of the courts 
 
 and juries 40 .30 
 
 By payment to returning judges of 
 
 of elections 9 . 50 
 
 By payment to building county jail ^ 
 account 140 . 50 
 
 By payment to Mork on court house 
 "square 59.00 
 
 Bv pavment to viewers and survevors 
 
 of roads ."... S.lSi/o 
 
 P.y payment on poor account 5.00 
 
 By payment on school section ac- 
 count 1 . 50 
 
 By payment for printing 32.871/^ 
 
 $421.00 
 To treasurers per cent, on $421.00 
 
 at 5 i)er cent 21 .00 
 
 By amount of county revenue yet due 
 from Harris Tvner, collector, for 
 
 the year 1822 490.841/2 
 
 Bv amount deducted from revenue 
 'by delinquents 42 . 871/2 
 
 $975.84
 
 insTORV OF (; 
 
 AT 
 
 IXDl.WAI'OI.IS. 
 
 The "county jail"' iiiuutioiiud in tliis state- 
 ment was ordered ou ilay 15. IS'i'i. when Har- 
 vey Bates, sheriff was directed to take bids for 
 a log structure, fourteen feet cquare inside, and 
 two stories higli. The lower story, or dungeon, 
 was to be of hewed logs at least 12 inches square, 
 with two rounds of oak or walnut logs under- 
 ground. The sides and second floor were of 
 logs of the same size, '"of walnut, oak, ash, 
 beech or sugar tree"". The third floor, or more 
 properly the ceiling of the second story, was 
 of logs six inches thick and at least one foot 
 wide, .\bove this was a roof covered witli 
 jointed shingles. There was no door in the 
 lower story, and but one window, which was 
 one foot square and furnished with grate liars 
 of iron 11^4 inches thick, let 3 inches into the 
 logs. There was a similar window, two feet b}' 
 six inches in the second story, and also a door 
 four feet by two, by which the jai! was en- 
 tered. This door was reached by "a carpenter's 
 ladder" on tlie outside, and the prisoners were 
 put into the dungeon over another ladder from 
 a traj) two feet .square in the center of the 
 second floor. Both doors were of double thick- 
 ness of two-inch oak iilank and furnished with 
 heavy strap hinges and locks. The contract was 
 awarded to Xoah Leverton. on a bid of $312, 
 and the jail was built on the northwest corner 
 of tlie Court House Square, and accepted liy the 
 commissioners on August 12. 
 
 But liie grand jury was more critical than 
 the commissioners, and six wi^eks later, on Se]i- 
 tember 28, it reported that it found "the lower 
 room in the jail of said county insuflicient to 
 hold criminals for want of sealing the inside 
 and boxing the corner.s". and further "the said 
 lower room in said jail at this time needs 
 cleansing" ; from which it would appear that 
 Jeremiah Jolinson, the first jailor, set the pace 
 for his successors in oflice, for there have been 
 few jail examinations since that time that did 
 not result in some criticism. The Grand Jury 
 was quite right as to the insecurity of the jail, 
 for though such a structure might seem impreg- 
 nable to the uninitiated it was far from secure 
 to people wiio were aeeuslonied to jirying up 
 a log in a cal)in wall and throwing out the cross 
 log under it for an entrance when they did not 
 want to take time to cut a door. .Vnd experi- 
 ence convinced tlie commissioners of this, for 
 in July, 1825, they ordered the jail rebuilt, or 
 rather reinforced by building a second log struc- 
 
 ture around it, leaving nine inches between the 
 two all around, which space was filled by logs 
 set on end. This looked safe, but they had over- 
 looked the to]), and the prisoners did not. On 
 January 19, 1831, the aroused commissioners 
 ordered the sheriff "to have a new log put in the 
 upper loft of the jail, and have the said loft 
 of logs closely spiked over with two-inch plank, 
 and all other necessary repairs requisite to 
 make the jail secure for prisoners, as well debt- 
 ors as criminals" ; also to "have chains and bars 
 to secure any prisoner safel}' in the criminal 
 room, so as to render confinement entirely se- 
 cure therein, and also to employ a sutlicient 
 guard", if deemed necessary. 
 
 This brought peace to the commissioners for 
 a few months, but on September 24, 1831, the 
 Journal contained this discouraging item: "The 
 fall term of the Marion Circuit Court com- 
 mences on ]\Ionday next. Those persons who 
 were confined in jail on suspicion of criminal 
 offences have made their escape." After ma- 
 ture deliberation, on Xovember 9, 1831, the 
 commissioners ordered "the upper log to be 
 spiked up, and the jail made as secure as it 
 was before the late General Jail Delivery". 
 These precautions sufliced for a time, presum- 
 ably because the county had a less ingenious 
 class of prisoners, but in the summer of 1833 a 
 new nightmare arose before the commissioners. 
 The original "Buffalo J^ill"' came to town — a 
 strolling negro, wearing a black cap with a red 
 leather band, and leading or riding at jileasure 
 a ijuffalo, from the exhibition of which he eked 
 out a precarious existence. For offense against 
 the peace and dignity of the state he was locked 
 up in the dungeon, and, whether inspired by the 
 spirit of the youth "who fired the Ephesian 
 dome", or that of Samson in the tenqile of the 
 Philistines, he set fire to the building. He did 
 it so efi'ectually that he narrowly escaped death, 
 and left nothing of the jail but the Imle- where 
 the underground logs had lain, which re- 
 mained many years to mark the spot. 
 
 The commissioners took some time to devise 
 a system of imprisonment that would imprison, 
 and on January (i, 1834. ordered a new jail 
 "built of brick principally", that was at least 
 ingenious. It was 4fix20 feet and two- stories 
 high, with a hall G feet wide across the middle, 
 making two rooms 20 feet square on each side, 
 on both floors. One side was occupied by the 
 jailor, and on the (itliev I he upstairs room was
 
 58 
 
 HISTORY OF HEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 THE FIRST JAIL. 
 (From a sketch by James B. Dunlap.)
 
 ]I1ST()|;V OF (iREATEi; IXDIANAI'Ol.lS. 
 
 .".!» 
 
 for ili'blur.- anil thai iluwn.-tairs i'or (jrunioals. 
 Tlie walls of the criminal room rested on a 
 brick foundation 32 inches thick, and were 
 made with it inches of brick outside, then 10 in- 
 ches of log, and inside 1.'5 inches of brick. He- 
 tween each two layers of logs there were three 
 courses of brick the width of the wall. On the 
 inside, at intervals of 3 feet, were scantling, 
 ''ironed into the timber between the two walls", 
 and over these a sheath of two-inch oak plank, 
 fastened with (j-inch spikes. The floor was on a 
 base of 8-inch timliers laid close together, above 
 which were two courses of brick laiil in mortar; 
 then scantling l(i inches apart and "levelled u|i 
 between with bricks and mortar", to which was 
 spikeil the floor proper of "-i-inch oak plank. 
 The ceiling was of brick, set on edge and archeil, 
 with a spring of 18 inches. And finally, the 
 walls and floors were covered with "thick 
 sheet iron'', nailed on with 8-penny nails which 
 were not more than 4 inches apart in any direc- 
 tion. The contract for this jail was let to 
 Jacob Turner, for $2,500, and it served to hold 
 the prisoners thereafter. The only reinforce- 
 ment it received was a cover of weather-board- 
 ing which was put on in IS-H).'" Sulgrove 
 states that "a hewed-log addition" was 
 
 ' made on the north side of the jail in 
 !m4.") "fni- the confinement of the \\ih>\ 
 [irisoners", but there is no mention of this in 
 the commissioners' records. .\ singular fatality 
 
 j occurred in this jail on .\ngnst .'!, lS5;i. (ieorge 
 Lingcnfelter was arrested and confined in the 
 u])per room for into.xication. He fell through 
 the hatchway to the lower room, and as he 
 fell caught the open trap door with his hand, 
 pulling it to on his head. Jt wa.< of honvy onk, 
 cased with iron, and crushed his skull, killing 
 him instantly. 
 
 By 18.);} this jail bad liccmiie ant iipuitrd. 
 It was too small, and there was no provision 
 for separation of prisoners. It was decided to 
 build an up-to-date jail, and on February 12 of 
 that year a new jail was ordered, with walls of 
 <-ut stone, 18 inches thick. It was 24 feet high, 
 including 2 feet of hard limestone underground, 
 and till' floors were of flagstones .'! inches thick, 
 laid on 2 feet (d' concrete. Within were twd 
 rows of cut-stone cells, set back to back, if, in 
 all, se])arated by walls of cast or hoiler iron. 
 For the building of this jail $10,000 of ccnnity 
 
 '"/.Vc. .">, pp. i; I. 111.",. 
 
 bonds wci-e issued, and a spi'cial tax of 15 cents 
 on each $100 of jjroperty, and 25 cents poll, 
 was levied to meet the bonds and jiay interest. 
 Jnchuled with the jail was a jailor's house of 
 brick, 45x20 and two stories high. There were 
 rooms in this that were used by some jailors 
 for the confinement of favori'd prisoners, who 
 were willing to pay for .separation from the 
 common run. These buildings stood at the 
 northeast corner of the square, and were fairly 
 serviceable, though there were occasional es- 
 cajH's, one ])ai-ty resorting to the ungentlemanly 
 mode of pulling up a flagstone in the floor and 
 crawling out through the sewer. The citv out- 
 grew the jail and the additions that were made 
 to it, and when the Hoard of State Charities 
 was organized in 1889, the jail fell under its 
 condemnation. It had been overcrowded for 
 several years, and the ventilation and sewerage 
 were wholly inadecpiate. There was no suHi- 
 cient provision for (deanliness of either the 
 prisoners or their clothing. In 1891 a new 
 jail was decided on, and $15(1,000 of bonds 
 were issued for its construction. Over consid- 
 erable protest it was located half-a-scpiare south 
 of the Court IIou,se Square, and, on its com- 
 pletion the old jail was removed and the Court 
 lIou.se alone left on the s([uare. 
 
 In taking leave of the old jail it is worthy of 
 note that it was the scene of the only judicial 
 executions that ever occurred in Marion ('(uinty. 
 Marion County had hecm singularly free from 
 cold-blooded homicide, until, on Se|)tember 13, 
 18()8, the community was startled and shocked 
 by "the Cold Spring murder", the most cele- 
 brated in its annals. The dead bodies of Jacob 
 'I'oung and his wife were found in a chun]) of 
 willows on a gravel-bar, now in Riverside Park, 
 just above "the Cold S])ring", which is at the 
 west cml of the foot bridge over White I{iver 
 just at the north of Emmerich's (irove. The 
 ease was puzzling at first, but investigation soon 
 wove a web of circumstantial evidence about 
 Xancv E. Clem, her brother Silas W. Hartman, 
 and \Vm. J. .\brams, who was proved to have 
 bought the gun found on the ground. They 
 were indicted on October 20, and on the elec- 
 tion of the defense to try Mrs. Clem first slu- 
 was brought to trial on Decend)er 21. (ien. 
 !'>' nj. Harrison, W'ni. P. Fishhack and John 
 T. ! )ye were employetl to assist in the prosecu- 
 tion of the case. The prosecutor, John S. Dun- 
 can, was the voungest that I'ver hrld the office —
 
 CO 
 
 ISToi;^- OF GREATER IXDIAXAl'OMS. 
 
 not yet 22 — but he won his spurs in the trial. 
 The defense was ecjndiicted by John Hanna, 
 (ien. Fred Knefler, and W. W. Leathers — Jon- 
 atlian W. Gordon was added at the second trial. 
 The evidence was wholly circumstantial. On 
 the night that the State finished its case the 
 defense held a consultation and Leathers, who 
 was i^erhaps the best criminal lawyer at the 
 bar, desired to i;o to tlie jury on the State's 
 case, as the defense had nothing to otfer but a 
 weak alibi ; but he was overruled. The jury dis- 
 agreed, eleven for acquittal and one for con- 
 viction, and that one, Anton Wiese, stood on the 
 gi'ound that if Jlrs. Clem was not at the scene 
 of the murder she could prove where she was, 
 and she had tried it and failed. 
 
 A second trial soon followed, and in it 
 the State had some additional evidence in the 
 statements of two witnesses who had seen Mrs. 
 Clem and Hartnum driving in a buggy from the 
 direction of the tragedy on the afternoon when 
 it occurred. On iMareh 2, the jury returned 
 a verdict of murder in the second degree — prob- 
 ably a compromise verdict. A few days later 
 Hnrtman made a confession, which nobody be- 
 lieved, intended to exculpate his sister, but 
 merely establishing his own guilt. It was pub- 
 lished with critical comment on March 10, and 
 that night Hartman committed suicide by cut- 
 ting his throat, or, as some believed, was killed 
 by Abrams, who was his cell-mate. ]\Irs. Clem's 
 case went to the Supreme Covirt and was re- 
 versed.^" It then went to Boone County on 
 cliange of venue, and the trial resulted in an- 
 other conviction of murder in the second de- 
 gree; but it was likewise reversed by the Su- 
 preme Court.-" Following this the case was 
 dismissed by Prosecutor Wall, of Boone County. 
 There was much jiublic dissatisfaction at the 
 result, and some urging of a now indictment, 
 l)ut some important, witnesses had left the state, 
 and it was thought impossible to make a case. 
 On :\rarch IS, 1874. the Board of County Com- 
 missioners recorded a declaration that they 
 "would incur no further expense in the prose- 
 cution of Nancy E. Clem".-' IMeanwliile Ab- 
 rams was convicted and sentenced to life ini- 
 ]irisonment, but he was pardoned by Governor 
 AVilliams, on .Tulv -T. 1878. There was evidence 
 
 "33 Ind., 418. 
 ="42 Ind.. 420. 
 -']'rrnr/l 12. p. ().")•"). 
 
 adduced in the cases tending to show that 
 Mrs. Clem was operating a system of inter- 
 changeable loans, like the more recent Cassie 
 Chadwick system, and at a certain point fright- 
 ening her duped creditors into silence by threats 
 of exposure of participation in the profits of 
 counterfeiting, or some other illegal business. 
 It was commonly believed that the Youngs were 
 involved with her in the business, and that 
 they were killed to get possession of a large 
 sum of money that was in their possession. 
 The theory of the character of the business was 
 .-trengthened a few years later by the disclos- 
 ures in a case where Mrs. Clem was convicted 
 of perjury, for which she served a term of four 
 years in tlie Women's Prison. 
 
 The next shocking crime after the Cold 
 Spring murder was Wm. Cluck's murder of his 
 wife, on April 2.'), 1872. He was a natural 
 brute, made unnatural by liquor, in which he 
 indulged freely. He habitually mistreated his 
 wife, and one day, after snapping a gun at her, 
 informed her that he would pour coal oil on 
 her and her child while they slept, and burn 
 them up. The terrified woman left him at the 
 first opportunity and took refuge with a friendly 
 family. On the day mentioned, Cluck came 
 there and undertook to drag her to his house. 
 She broke away from him and he shot her — 
 shot her a second and a third time as she was 
 on her knees begging for life. He w-as con- 
 victed and sentenced to be hanged on December 
 20, 1872. His case was taken to the Supreme 
 Court and aflirmed.^^ Some well-meaning ]ieo- 
 ple became active in his l)e]iall', jn-obably 
 influenced most by tlie idea that an execu- 
 tion would be a disgrace to the county. 
 Governor Baker declined to commute the sen- 
 tence, hut gave the man a respite to January 3. 
 to make preparation for death. He prepared 
 by issuing a letter in which he denounced his 
 lawyers, the press, and the ]nibiic in genci-al,-''' 
 and securing a sufficient amount of morphine 
 which he took on the night of December 31, 
 lie ended his existence. 
 
 On December 24, 1877, William Greenley, a 
 negro, killed Ida Kersey, a married woman with 
 whom he was maintaining illicit relations. He 
 was indicted at the January term, 1878, con- 
 victed and sentenced to death. The case was 
 
 "40 Ind.. 2r>3. 
 
 -•'Jnunifil. Deceinber 30. 1872.
 
 IIISTOKY OF CltEATKIJ IXDI ANArOT.IS. 
 
 61 
 
 appealed to the Supreme Cuurt and allinuod,-' 
 but Governor Williams commuted the sen- 
 tence to imprisonment for life on May 15, 
 1S78. On July 3, came the pardon of 
 Abranis, and following it came a carnival 
 of blood. On July 16, John Achey, a 
 gambler, killed (Jeorge Leggett, a supposed 
 partner whom he charged with robbing him, 
 and who probably did. On September 16, 
 Wra. Merrick, a livery-stable keeper, killed his 
 wife under peculiarly atrocious circumstances 
 — a woman whom he had seduced, robbed, and 
 married to secure the dismissal of bastardy pro- 
 ceedings ; and who sued for divorce before 
 her child was born on account of bad treat- 
 ment. On Se])tomber 19, Louis Guetig killed 
 Mary Mc(ilrw. a waitress at his uncle's hotel. 
 who had declined to accept his attentions. Achey 
 might have escaped the death penalty but 
 for the state of public mind caused by the 
 combination. He was convicted on Xovember 
 7 and sentenced to death. Guetig was con- 
 victed on Xovember 28 and sentenced to death. 
 Merrick was convicted on December 13 and sen- 
 tenced to death, the jury being out only eleven 
 minutes. They were all sentenced to be hanged 
 on January 29, 18T9, but Guetig's case was 
 appealed to the Supreme Court which reversed 
 it on a small technicality in an instruction. 
 Achey and Merrick were hanged at the same 
 time, on one scaffold, in the jail yard, on Jan- 
 uary 29. Guetig was tried again, convicted, and 
 sentenced to death. The Supreme Court af- 
 firmed this decision-"' and he was hanged on 
 September 29, 18'<9, at the same place. 
 
 After these executions there was a lull in 
 capital offenses until 1885. On June 24 of that 
 year Kobert Phillips, a negro, killed his wife, 
 in a fit of insane jealousy, and cut his own 
 throat. Tlie doctors patched him up sufli- 
 ciently to allow of his conviction on December 
 14, and his execution on April 8, 1886. These 
 four cases were the only executions that ever 
 occurred within the county limits, and as on 
 March 6, 1889, an act was passed requiring all 
 future executions to be made at the state pris- 
 ons,-" it is probable that they will be the last. 
 But the death penalty has been pronounced sev- 
 eral times. On .Vugust 24, 1889, Edward Az- 
 
 nian murdered Bertha Eltf and then cut Iiis 
 (jwn throat. He was rescued by the surgeon, 
 convicted, and sentenced to death; but the Su- 
 preme Court reversed the case-^ and on 
 change of venue to Johnson County he was 
 allowed to plead giiilty to murder in the sec- 
 ond degree and take a life sentence. On April 
 
 14, 1893, Parker and McAfee, two young negro 
 toughs, murdered Chas. Eyster, a druggist on 
 North Senate avenue. They were convicted 
 and sentenced to death, but the Supreme Court 
 reversed the decision-'' and on change of venue 
 to Johnson County they received life sentences. 
 On September 9, 1902, Orie Coppenhaver mur- 
 dered his wife, and his sentence to death was 
 affirmed bv the Supreme Court-" and he was 
 hanged at":Michigan City. On May 12, 1903. 
 Edward Hoover murdered his father-in-law. 
 Frank Sutton. Hoover's wife had left him, and 
 he sent word to her father to come and get her 
 things or he would sell them; when he came 
 Hoover shot him. The Supreme Court affirnicil 
 the death sentence^'' and he was hanged at 
 :\Iichigan City. On January 26, 1905. 
 Bei'kely Smith was convicted and sentenced 
 to death for murdering his wife; and he 
 was executed at ilichigan Citv on June 3(1. 
 On September 30, 1906, Patrolman Chas. J. 
 Russell and I'>dward J. Petticord were killed 
 by Jesse Coe and George Williams, two negro 
 desperadoes, while resisting arrest. Williams 
 was captured, convicted and sentenced to death 
 on Octol)cr 12, and banged at .Michigan City. 
 Coe escaped, and liafllcd pui-suit for nearly two 
 years, but was betrayed by a cousin, lured into 
 a trap and killed by officers on August 25, 1908, 
 in Kentucky. 
 
 The act of December 31, 1821, cstablisiiing 
 the co\inty as mentioned, bad donated $8,000 
 for a court bouse, suitalile for use as a state 
 house until a state bouse should be built, wjiich 
 was to be commenced within one year after the 
 taking effect of the act, and to.be completed 
 within three years thereafter. This matter 
 was given prompt attention, and by August 
 
 15, 1822, satisfactory plans luid been prepared 
 by Jolni E. Bak(>r and James Paxton, which 
 were adopted by tlie commissioners, and on that 
 
 ='60 Ind.. 1 11. 
 "' 66 Ind., 94. 
 -\icix ISSO, p. 192. 
 
 " 123 Ind., 3-11. 
 
 "136 Ind., 284. 
 
 =M60 Ind., .540. 
 
 ■"•161 Ind., 318.
 
 (;•> 
 
 IIISTOIJV (»!•' (IKKATEU IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 date the clerk was iiistriiuted to advertise for 
 bids for the erection of the building. It was 
 to be forty-live feet front, facing Washington 
 street, by sixty feet deep, and '•ninety-four feet 
 high", but of this last dimension forty-nine feet 
 six inches was cupola, dome, belfry, spire and 
 vane. The building was two stories liigh, the 
 first story "K; feet between joists"' and the 
 second lo. It stood on a foundation 3 feet 
 thick and j feet high, of which 1.S inches was 
 under ground. The walls were of brick, "-iT 
 inches thick in the lower story, and 'i'i inches 
 in the second. The specifications called for a 
 roof of jjoplar shingles, five inches to the wea- 
 ther, and "a Doric cornice gutter on the roof, 
 and four tin conductors with capitals". The 
 entrance from the front was into a hall 13 14 
 feet wide running across the building, east 
 and west, except that a room I0I4 feet square 
 was cut oflE the west end. Back of these was the 
 main court room, or house of representatives, 
 which was 40^/0 feet square. From the hall a 
 stairway led to the second story, to a similar 
 hall with a similar room cut oil' the west end. 
 Back of these, on each side, was a room 1(> 
 feet square, and lietween them a hall led to the 
 second court room, or senate chamber, which 
 was 411/4 feet by 'i'>. At a special meeting 
 on September 3, the commissioners awarded 
 the contract to the architects John E. Baker and 
 James Paxton, for $13,990. This was a stiff 
 advance on the legislative appropriation of 
 $8,000, but by act of January -i. 1824, the 
 legislature appropriated the additional $.5,991). 
 This was with a jiroviso that the commissioners 
 should provide a gallery across the south end of 
 the representative hall, ■"surticient and suitable 
 for the accommodation of spectators and others, 
 with at least two rows of seats therein"' ; and 
 should furnish the two legislative chambers with 
 "good, suitable, suthcient and complete seats, 
 with good, substantial, sufficient and complete 
 tables in front of the same, for the accom- 
 modation of one hundred persons: ami the 
 said tables sliall have in them one hundred 
 drawers, of a large and convenient size, with 
 good locks and keys thereto for the use of sena- 
 tors and representatives, and the said seats and 
 tables shall he made substantial, firm, sulfi- 
 eient and suitable and be finished in good and 
 complete, plain, workmanlike manner"", other- 
 wise the agent of state >lioul(l "pay over none 
 of the a])pro|)riation." The conditions were 
 
 jironiptly accepted; in fact the commissioners 
 Went beyond them, and on February 11, 1824, 
 called for a contract to furnish "eighty Windsor 
 chairs of a plain, substantial kind, to be suit- 
 ably painted and finished.""-" 
 
 But, to return to 1822, the commissioners 
 proceeded on their march of improvement <<[ 
 the Court House Square by providing, on No- 
 vember 13, for a public well, "to be dug so deep 
 that there will be at least three feet of water 
 therein"", to be curbed with a good, strong and 
 sufficient frame, as customary, with fit boards"", 
 and also with "a strong and suitable sweep". 
 On February 11, 1823, they provided further 
 for a pound, at the northeast corner of the 
 square, to be made 50 feet square and se- 
 curely fenced — the posts to be made of walnut 
 and the rails of oak — and with a strong gate, 
 fastened by a heavy lock. These were the 
 only additional structures on the square for 
 some years. The court house was completed 
 and accepted on January T, 1825, by the com- 
 missioners, although they were not then in 
 office for other purposes. By the act of Jan- 
 uary 31, 1824. boards of county commissioners 
 were discontinued in Indiana, and the county 
 business was transacted by boards coni])osed of 
 the justices of the peace of the county. Part 
 of the counties were put hack under the old 
 system by special acts — Clarion County by act 
 of January 19, 1831 — and the commissioner 
 system was restored. By special act of Feb- 
 ruary 7, 1835. Marion County again went back 
 to the Board of Justices. This act was re- 
 pealed on February 7, 1837, and the Commis- 
 sioners were permanently restored. 
 
 The court house was tlie only public building 
 in Indianapolis for some years, and the only 
 one suitable for public meetings. In addi- 
 tion to its use as a state house and a court 
 house for federal, supreme and local courts, the 
 Board of Justices on March ',, 1825, provided 
 that "the Representative Hall shall be appro- 
 priated for religious worshij) on particular 
 occasions"", and put the buihling in charge of 
 the sheriff with an evident understanding that 
 others might use it. for they "provided, that 
 each society or other person using any of the 
 rooms shall leave such room in as clean and 
 >rood order a> tlir >.-nrii' mav lii' in when rc- 
 
 ■■'L'rronl. p. 12!.
 
 HISTUIJV OF Clv'KATKi; 1 XDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 ti;! 
 
 ceivi'd by tliclii""."- Tlu' public, liowcvur, did 
 not cxiTfisr as jtrcat can' of tbe i)uibling as 
 Ava? aiiticipatfd. Toi- on September 4, IS'.i'i, as 
 the eierk bad ottered to provide rooms for bis 
 and the recorders" oHices "in a good brick buihl- 
 ing, in a ])ublic |iart of Indianapolis, at his 
 own expense, it i.- m-dci-ed that the said ((uii't 
 house be kept closed bv the sheriff of the county 
 excej)! at courts or sessions of the Hoard or 
 Legislature, after the clerk's otlice is rc- 
 niove<r'.''"'' The c(Hnmissioners paid $;],U()1.-II 
 for repair- tn the liuilding on Ai)i'il 'i'i, 1S4(I, 
 and tliere i> no i-ci-di-d of tlie building being 
 opened to the public till September 8. 184"^, 
 when it was ordered that it might be used by 
 "any iteligious society, or any Horticultural or 
 Agricultui-al society, or the Washington or 
 other temj)erance society", the occupants 
 to be res])onsible for any damages and 
 to ])ay the sherilf foi- extra work occa- 
 sioned. From that time on it was the 
 chief assembling ]ilace for all sorts of meetings 
 and entertainments until private halls wcie 
 built. 
 
 On January 'iii. lS-.'7, the legislalure appro- 
 priated !f;.")()0 to build an ollice for tbe (dcrk of 
 the Supreme Court, on the Court House Sipuirc. 
 This wa.s a one-story brick building, l!(ixl8, and 
 stood next to Delaware street, opposite Court 
 street. It stood until 1855, when it was tmii 
 down, and the otlice moved to the state house. 
 On June 7, 1844, the commissioners ordered a 
 building for the county ollicers, which was 
 built on the west side of the square, east of 
 the little otlice of the clerk of the Supreme 
 Court. It was a onc-.story brick (il '/-.'x;?!. di- 
 vided int« three offices, each of which hail a 
 fire-proof vault. .\ second story was ;idded to 
 it in 1805, and it was used unlil tlu^ prcs- 
 
 ^^Record, p. 182. 
 "■'■Rcronl. p. -'I!). 
 
 cut court house was completed. In preparation 
 for tile building of the present court house. 
 a temporary court house was constructed in 
 18U8 north of the county oflices. It was at 
 first intended to rent quarters for the courts, 
 but the lawyers were of opinion that the courts 
 were legally l)ound to sit on the Court House 
 Sipiare, and so it was built there. It was a 
 two-story brick, 'i'he contract was let to ^lil- 
 liT \' Schaaf on .May .">. for •$()..■>■; <l, and it was 
 completed and accepted on Scptendn'r ■;. When 
 the Superior Court was created in 1871, more 
 room was needed, and an addition 44x50 was 
 built on the west side, reaching to Delaware 
 stre(>t. The contract for this was let to George 
 I'arkci- for $;!,lll(l. These were the only offi- 
 cial buildings erected on the Court Honso 
 Square. in 18G4 the rcjiublicans put up a 
 rough Iranic structure, HOxlO on the south 
 side of the sijuare, for political meetings. It 
 was "dedicated" Septendjcr 21 by Senator 
 Henry S. Lane, and the Journal tried to chris- 
 ten it "the Union Tabernacle", but everybody 
 i-alled it "The Wigwam". It stood for a year' 
 or so and was ust'd for other meetings after 
 tbe campaign. In 18t)7 a temporary building 
 was ])ut uj) in the southeast corner of the 
 square for the saengerfest. This closed on 
 September (J, and the Y. M. ('. A., with com- 
 mendable enterprise secured the building for 
 "big meetings" on September 7 and 8 ; after 
 which it was also used for a short time for 
 other meetings. In 187'^ another "Wigwam"' 
 was built by the republicans on the northwest 
 corner of the square. It was here that Henry 
 Wilson, candidate for Vice President, spoke on 
 .Vugust 5, but that is not so well remembered 
 as the speech by Hen Hntler at the same place, 
 in which, incensed by some s\iggestion of 
 "spoons" in tbe Scniuii'l. he paid his respects 
 to J. .1. Hiiigham ami also lt> Thos. A. llen- 
 di'icks in his most caustic style.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Till-; IMJLMORDIAL LIFE. 
 
 On Decembur 1, 1823, Calvin Fletcher wrote: 
 "Seven Indians in with venison and bear's 
 meat. Vouison hams arc I2V2 t-ents a piece, 
 Captain John, a Wyandotte chief, is among the 
 number."" Tliis serves to introihiee tliree not- 
 able classes of denizens of this region when the 
 settlement began, the Indians, the deer, and 
 the bears. Altliough one occasionally finds a 
 statement from some old settler that "the 
 Indians were very bad"" in the early times, it 
 is unquestionable that they were not. The Del- 
 awares, under their treaty of 1818. were al- 
 lowed to occupy their lands for three years, and 
 after their removal the Indians of the north- 
 ern part of the state occupied part of their 
 villages, and hunted throughout the region for 
 several years. As a rule they were very well 
 behaved, but they were fond of the white man's 
 firewater, and occasionally made some small 
 disturbance under its intiueuce. The Wyan- 
 dotte Jolin mentioned above was considered a 
 dangerous man because he had left his tribe 
 on account of some oJl'ense ; but no charges of 
 any kind are recorded against him, although he 
 lived about the settlement for some time, oc- 
 cupying a liollow sycamore log on the east bank 
 of the river, just above' Washington street. It 
 was quite commonly believed that George I'ogue 
 was killed Ijy Indians, but there were many 
 who did not believe it. The only real Indian 
 tragedy anywhere near Indianapolis was the 
 brutal murder by white men of an inoffensive 
 party of Indians, east of Pendleton in 1824. 
 This caused some alarm lest the Indians should 
 retaliate, but they were entirely satisfied bv the 
 prompt execution of the chief offenders, Hiul- 
 son. Bridges and Sawvi'r.' 
 
 \Siiiit]i'K Indiana Trinja. pp. .SI-' ; Diuin' 
 True Indian Stories, p. 1!)7. 
 
 Uut there were many people who were afraid 
 of Indians, and sensible people took some pre- 
 cautions to prevent pilfering by them. Con- 
 sequently an occasional Indian, with an ab- 
 original development of the bump of humor, 
 would undertake to scare somebody. Xowland 
 records a case of a drianken Delaware, called 
 Big Bottle, who started to chop down John 
 McCormick"s door, in 1821, because Mrs. 
 ilcCormick had refused to ferry him over the 
 river; but he promptly tiesisted when her cries 
 brouglit several white men to the scene, and 
 explained that he merely wished to "scare white 
 squaw". He was put across the river with the 
 admonition that any further jesting would 
 probably result in his being shot by her hus- 
 band. Complaint was also made to Chief 
 Anderson \\ho took measures to prevent any 
 similar annoyance thereafter. In 1822, a small 
 party of Indians passing Samuel McCornuck"s 
 house, about where the ^laus brewery st^inds, 
 picked up Amos ilcCormick. aged three years, 
 and started off with him. His mother's cries 
 brought some men who were working in "the 
 deadening", and the Indians dropped him wWen 
 they saw that the joke was getting serious. Some 
 wliite men were similarly facetious. Nat Cox 
 iunl an Indian costume, and it was a favorite 
 diversion of his to dress in it, and sit scowling 
 on a log, to see people shy away from him. 
 These were as near Indian hostilities as ever 
 occurred at tins ]ioint. Berry Sulgi-ove re- 
 lates an incident of his grandfather being 
 alarmed by an Indian following him in the 
 woods where West Indianapolis is. He was on a 
 horse, with a child before him. and whipped 
 up to avoid his pursuer, but t]u> Indian in- 
 creased his speed also. Seeing that ho would 
 be overtaken, Mr. Sulgrove stopped, and when 
 the Indian came up he held out a shoe which 
 
 (U
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATEK lM>iA.\ Ai'ULlS. 
 
 05 
 
 the child had lost aud which he desired to 
 return. - 
 
 So far as the abundance of game was con- 
 cerned, this might be called a hunter's para- 
 dise. There were plenty of bears and wolves, 
 and an occasional panther, or catamount as 
 they were commonly called, but the chief 
 trouble the settlers had with them was in pro- 
 tecting their stock from them. Probably Elisha 
 Reddick, the first settler in Lawrence Township, 
 had the most varied experience in this line. He 
 was the first settler there, and brought in with 
 him twenty-five hogs and a dozen sheep. Soon 
 after his arrival he had a lively fight with a 
 predacious panther that weighed about a hun- 
 dred pounds, and finally succeeded in killing it 
 with an ax. He also killed three bears and 
 fifty wild cats before he got peaceably settled.'' 
 The venerable Dr. AVm. H. Wishard had an un- 
 pleasant experience with wolves, in 1826, when 
 a boy of twelve. His parents lived at the edge 
 of Morgan County and ho had come up to get 
 some meal ground at the old bayou mill. It was 
 nearly dark when he got started home, and in 
 the darkness of night, in the dense forest, he 
 found his path obstructed by a pack of wolves 
 that had pulled down a deer on the trail. But 
 he was "nervy"', aud with considerable effort 
 he succeeded in making his way around them, 
 through the thick underbrush, and got safely 
 home. Amos Hanway aud Cloudsberrj' Jones 
 (older brother of Wm. Jones, of Cobum & 
 Jones) when boys, saw a black bear on Gov- 
 ernor's Island, which was opposite Greenlawn 
 Cemetery before the river shifted its channel ; 
 and some years later a large bear was chased 
 out of the corn fields near Xorth street. Row- 
 land mentions a bear being killed near where 
 Morton place now is, about 1846.'' 
 
 Deer were very abundant, and not very shy. 
 Robert Duncan said he had killed many of 
 them, but never shot at one running, because 
 powder and lead were expensive and he could 
 get all he wanted standing. Owing to the 
 dense underbrush, the larger part of the deer- 
 liunting was done on the river. Says Mr. 
 Duncan : "As an evidence of the great abund- 
 ance of wild game in this section of the coun- 
 try at that early day, and the easy manner of 
 
 'Hist. Iiidianapolis. p. G9. 
 'Sulr/rnve Hist., p. .537. 
 *Rem{niscences, p. 42. 
 Vol. 1—5 
 
 capturing the same, it is only necessary for 
 lue to state that Robert Harding, one of the 
 very early settlers named in my former sketch, 
 during the summer of the year 1820, on one 
 occasion pushed his canoe containing his hunt- 
 ing material from the mouth of Fall Creek 
 (near which he was living) up the river to a 
 jioint about the fourth of a mile below where 
 the bridge across While Eiver on the Michigan 
 road is situated, being about five miles north of 
 Fall Creek, from which point he started home- 
 ward about 10 o'clock p. m., and on his way 
 home killed nine deer, all bucks, having de- 
 termined that night to kill nothing but bucks. 
 On another occasion, during the fall of the 
 same year, he and his brother Eliakim, who had 
 by this time joined him, at a point near where 
 the pork-houses of Kingan and Ferguson now 
 stand, killed thirty-seven turkeys out of one 
 dock, Robert killing twenty-five and Eliakim 
 twelve. Tills kind of slaughter was not fre- 
 quent but the killing of three or four deer, a 
 half dozen to a dozen turkeys, and fifteen or 
 twenty pheasants by a single person in a single 
 day or night hunt (deer being mostly killed in 
 the night time) was not unfrequent." ■' 
 
 Rev. J. C. Fletcher bears testimony to the 
 abundance of game at a later date. He says 
 that one day, in 1834, when walking with 
 lus father, he saw a flock of turkeys light in a 
 tree in what is now Military Park. Soon ;Mr. 
 Pulliam, partner of Samuel, Henderson in the 
 tavern, and Jacob Cox, the early artist, who 
 were pursuing them, came up, and Pulliam 
 killed nine and Cox three out of the flock. Mr. 
 Fletclier also makes the following statement: 
 "In the first week of January, 1831, I was 
 with my uncles James and John Hill, who 
 were on their way to the farm of the former 
 (which was very near where Brightwood is 
 now) and I saw a large herd of deer bound 
 across the road into the woods not far from 
 the present locality of Fletcher & Thomas's 
 brick yard. Wild 'turkeys in 1821 were \-2\'.> 
 cents apiece, but if several were bought there 
 was a large discount. In the spring of 1822, 
 wild pigeons were sold at 25 cents by the 
 bushel. In marked contrast to this were the 
 prices of all manufactured or imported ar- 
 ticles. There were two stores, if sucli little two- 
 penny shops could be dignified by that name. 
 
 '"hid. Hist. Soc. Pubs.. Vol. 
 
 ].. 387.
 
 (Hi 
 
 HISTOEY OF GlJEATErw INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 Thesi' wcro kc[)t liy .1. iS; J. (iivan ami by •!. '1". 
 Of^ljonu-. The lattur alturwards weut to Nuw 
 Orleans. The roads rroui this place ti) the 
 Ohio Were almost impassable, and most of the 
 importation came from the Whitewater coun- 
 trv. I'oor coffee was 50 cents per pound, tea 
 $1.50 ditto, while coarse, thin, shabby muslin 
 for shirting was from 43% to io cents per 
 yard. 1 do not find the price of flour in my 
 mother's journal in 18-.il, but 1 learn that, in 
 1822, good flour, brought from 'Goodlander's 
 mill, in yonder on Whitewater" was from $7 
 to $8 per Ijarrel : a coarser flour brought $3 
 per hundred pounds. Corn meal was 75 cents 
 per bushel and corn was 50 cents per bushel; 
 jiork was from $2 to $2.50 per hundred, and 
 beef \v:is from $2.50 to $3 per hundred"." 
 
 Turkeys often came into the town. Xow- 
 land mentions one being killed at the corner 
 of Washington and Missouri streets on Decem- 
 ber 24, 1820, that weighed twenty-three pounds, 
 and was so fat that it burst open when it fell 
 from the tree ; also one being shot from the 
 top of Hawkins" tavern in 1825, during the 
 session of the legislature; and adds that "it 
 was no uncommon thing, about the years 184(i- 
 T for turkeys to be killed on the northern ])art 
 of the Donation"".' .\aron D. Olir caught one 
 in the (i()\i'rnor"s Circle in 1841. it bad been 
 frightened by hunters from the woods 
 about the present Blind Asylum and 
 on being pursued took refuge in the base- 
 ment of the old mansion house. Waterfowl 
 of all kinds were abundant, especially ducks 
 and geese, in the fall and s])ring. Swans were 
 rare. Amos Ilanway saw Hocks on the river at 
 three times, but the only one killed, of which 
 there is any record, was bagged by George 
 Smith, the pioneer ]iublisher, in the spring of 
 1822. The smaller fur-bearing animals were 
 very numerous, especially raccoons and squir- 
 rels, which occasionally did very serious dam- 
 age to the crops. At the same time many a 
 settler was enabled to hold out while he cloareil 
 his farm, and got a start by the sale of 'coon 
 skins, which always had a cash value. In fact 
 this advantage of the abundance of game ranks 
 next in importance to its increase of the supply 
 of food, and that was almost vital to some. 
 Robert Brown wlio li\cd for eiijht vears cm 
 
 ^Xrirs. :Marcli 2!i. 18:!). 
 ''Remniisii'iii-i's. pp. Ki. 42. 
 
 the site of the Blind Asylum, would kill 
 enough game to last his family for a week or 
 two, and then go out and work on his farm, 
 south of Irvington, until he got it cleared, and 
 a house built. 
 
 The last Indianapolis man who made any 
 business of hunting was George W. Pitts, who 
 said of his experience: "I commenced trapping 
 about this town with my father in 1838. as 
 a boy only fourteen years old, and made a 
 business until 1849 of hunting and trapping. 
 1 u.sed to take my traps and float down 
 White I\iver, staying out until the stream froze 
 up. I knew all the hollow sycamores along 
 the river, and many a night have I slept in 
 them with a big fire blazing out in front. I 
 trapped muskrat, mink, "coon, otter and fox. 
 "Coon skins paid the best. I gave a cow and 
 a calf to old Josh. Hinesly for a "coon dog. 
 He was a good "un. Many a time in one night 
 I got enough "coons with him to pay for that 
 cow and calf. * * * j always went alone 
 
 * * * and nuide my living trapping. ^Yhen 
 1 was going to school to the old Clarion County 
 .seminary I kept up my tr<ipping on Fall Creek 
 and the river as far as iIcCarty"s farm. I 
 made enough money outside of school hours to 
 ])ay for my schooling and something over. Dur- 
 ing the winter, while going to school, I caught 
 one night in Pogue's Run, near its mouth, 
 three otters at one slide, and one about wliere 
 the Belt crosses the run. Along in "45 I cleared 
 as high as $(50 a week, trapping between this 
 town and Waverly. * * * I think I caught 
 the last otter ever trapped in Clarion County. 
 That was in 184!), upon Fall Creek a mile 
 north of the Fair (irounds. (i. e., ilorton 
 Place.) I got twelve dollars for the skin. 
 
 * * * In tliose days wild turkeys wero 
 plenty all "round town, esjjecially north 
 of town in the Fall Creek bottoms. I have 
 sliot goliblers weighing twenty-two pounds when 
 cleaned. I used turkey for bait for "coon and 
 mink; jiarsnip is best for muskrat. In 1847 
 I killed a deer, a big buck, on the river, twelve 
 miles below town. Around Crown Hill used 
 to be, along about '40, a splendid place foi 
 turkeys and .squirrels ; some deer there too. Any 
 man who could shoot at all could calculate on 
 getting fifteen oi' twenty squirrels in an hour 
 or so in the afternoon. I used them to bait 
 with. They were a great pest to the farmers, 
 in '44 or "45 thev came travelling through here
 
 HlSTOliY UV CKKATKi; I.\ DIAXAI'OIJS. 
 
 from tilt' iiortli : st-oivs and scores of tiiousamls 
 of tlu'iii. 1 haw si'iMi tht'iii swiiniiiing the river 
 iu great clrovi's, anil stood on the bank witli 
 a eluh and killed them. They were verv lean 
 and seemed to have been starved out. They 
 were the old fashioned gray squirrel. Fox 
 gquirrels were rarely seen then, but about 'i-j 
 they began to appear, and soon drove the gray 
 squirrels out. * * * There was no end 
 of fish in the streams in those days. I went up 
 to ^Ie('ormick"s dam (just above the Country 
 Club) four miles above town on the river one 
 day and sat down at a chute that had broken 
 out and where the fish were running through. 
 
 * * * There were wagon loads of fish, and 
 I threw out with my hands eighty-seven bass, 
 ranging in size from one pound up to five. 
 
 * * * The boys used to shoot fish Indian 
 fashion with bow and arrow, the arrow being 
 seeureil with a string so that it would not 
 be lost." * 
 
 There was no dillieulty about catching fish 
 in the early times. Xowland says that his 
 father introduced hook and line fishing hero in 
 June. 1820, and that, after finishing his day's 
 work, he would often "catch enough to sup- 
 ply our family for several days"." But there 
 were others, for on ^lay '2'), ]S2(l. Tipton re- 
 cords: "Bartholomew. Durham and myself 
 went fishing — caught plenty of fine, large 
 
 fish. Amos Hallway's favorite mode of 
 
 lisliiiig was with a gig, at night, befin'e be tmik 
 to seining, but Xowland says: "He was ei|ually 
 successful with hook and line, and his favorite 
 bait was a worm which he called helgramite, 
 which be ])rocured under old logs." " This 
 demonstrates that there was good founda- 
 tion for his reputation for knowledge of lish 
 and their ways, hut there was little need of 
 skill or cunning in the early days. The fish 
 were numerous, hungry, and not shy. Almost 
 any bait was good for a bite, and a bite was 
 usually gootl for a fish, for minnows were not 
 usciv and tlierc was no "letting a bass run". 
 
 Hook and line was too slow a process for most 
 pi iipli'. mid the popular methods were the spear 
 nr gig when the river was ojien and clear, and 
 stumiiiig them by striking the ire above them 
 
 ^■hiiiniiil. Octiilirr n. issn. 
 "Uriiiinisrciiccx. pp. 40, 41. 
 "7/1-/. ^f^(|. of Ifisl.. Vol. 1. p. 12 
 
 ' ' L'l IllillisCCIICI'S. |1. 0" . 
 
 with a club or a.'i when it was frozen. John 
 .McCormick was verv skilful with a gig, and 
 used not only to sui)i)ly his tavern table with 
 choice lish, but occasionally to take a canoe- 
 load of gars and other worthless varieties to 
 feed his hogs. Perhaps the most notable of the 
 early fishermen was the Kev. Amos Hanway, 
 before he became a fisher of men. He was a 
 son of Amos Hanway, the cooper, who came 
 here in 1.S2], and enjoyed the distinction of 
 living in the first shingled house — the shingles 
 split out and shaved by himself. Young Amos 
 jneferred fishing to coopering, and probably did 
 better at it, for he says: "for years 1 supplied 
 the family with coffee, sugar and tea, to say 
 nothing of many other things, hy fishing". The 
 varieties of fish taken, he says, were '"bass, sal- 
 mon, red horse, ordinary suckers, quillbacks, 
 or as they were sometimes called s})earbacks, 
 perch, pike, catfish, etc. * * * The big- 
 gest salmon I ever caught weighed sixteen 
 potmds. I once catight a pike that measured 
 four feet and two inches ; at another time a 
 gar-fish that measured over three feet, and a 
 blue catfish that weighed sixteen and a quarter 
 pounds. The finest rock bass I ever took was 
 one which weighed eight and a quarter pounds, 
 and that was near Waverly ; while the liiggcsi 
 river bass 1 ever lifted from the water weighed 
 six and luii'-rniirtb pounds." '- 
 
 By "rock bass" lu' means the big-moulhcil, 
 black bass: by "river bass"' the little-mouthed, 
 black bass: bv "perch" the rock bass or redeye; 
 by "salmon" the wall-eyed pike or pike-percli. 
 The "(piilliiack" is the carp-sucker. .\s the 
 market for lish develo|>eil, young Hanway pro- 
 cured a good-sized seine, with which he used 
 to take fish by wholesale. He says that once 
 in Morgan County, above the Cox dam, when 
 the fish were running, he and his brother Sam 
 "at one haul seined twelve barrels of fish, and 
 thei-c were thirty fish that averaged, undressed, 
 ten ])ounds each. They were mostly bass and 
 salmon, but there were also large redhorse. 
 white i)erch, (piillbacks and ordinary suckers". 
 Koberl Duncan tells of seeing a haul with a 
 seine at "(!onner"s Hole", near ('onner's Sla- 
 tinn at which a large wagon-load of lish was 
 taken, and the fishermen threw away a ])ile of 
 gars as large as a haycock.' ' It i> a pity thai tlif 
 
 '-Xnrs. .\ugus( !l, IS^!). 
 '■'./(iiinnil . Septelliber ".'."). 1S^
 
 68 
 
 HISTORY OP GREATER INDIANAPOLIS.
 
 HISTOEY OF GKEA'IEU i.NDlAXAPOLIS. 
 
 C9 
 
 gars were not cxtenninatod, but tlicre are still a 
 few in the river. On a bright day they may 
 often be seen in Riverside Pari<, liasking at the 
 top of the water below the bluU' ;it Eniniericlrs 
 grove. Some of the other varieties that were 
 common in the river then are seldom taken at 
 Indianapolis or higher up the river now, and 
 have not been for thirty years or more, prob- 
 ably on aceount of the pollution of the river 
 by sewage at this point. One of these is the 
 white perch — commonly known as the sheeps- 
 head or fresh-water drum on the great lakes, 
 and as the croaker, or crocus in northern In- 
 diana — but it is still common below Waverly. 
 Another is the pike-perch, or wall-eyed pike, 
 which is found in the river below, and in the 
 Wabash and its other tributaries. In 190-4, 
 there were 900,000 of the fry of this fish placed 
 in the river at Riverside Park, in the hope 
 that this would permanently stock the stream, 
 at least from that point up. 
 
 The expense of manufactured goods had a 
 marked effect on the clothing of the early set- 
 tlers. In summer, home-made tow-linen was 
 widely worn, and in winter, home-made linsey- 
 woolsey by the women and jeans by the older 
 and more sedentary men. But, says Mr. Dun- 
 can. "The outer apparel of the male population, 
 particularly the younger and more active, soon 
 became buckskin. This material was fre- 
 quently procured already tanned by purchase 
 from the Indians, but more frequently by tlie 
 party killing the deer, dressing and tanning 
 the skin himself, and thus making it ready for 
 the tailor. Usually the only articles of cloth- 
 ing made of this material were pantaloons and 
 coats, called in these times 'hunting-shirts', be- 
 ing much in the shape and style, barring the 
 neat fit, of the sack coat so much in use among 
 the gentlemen of the present time". The owner 
 was usually his own tailor, "the thread used 
 in the manufacture being the sinews taken 
 from the legs -of the deer, or a thread called 
 'wliang', ])repared by cutting a long strip, as 
 small as possible so as not to make it too 
 weak for the purpose intended ; a large needle 
 and a shoemaker's awl being used in the sew- 
 ing process. * * * jj. ^j,g gQQjj found that 
 tliis l)uckskin apparel was the very best that 
 could have been devised for the country and 
 times. It resisted the sting of the nettles, the 
 scratch of the briers, the bite of the rattlesnake, 
 and the pcnetratiou of the cold, lileak winds of 
 
 winter, and at that time was cheap and within 
 leaeh of all. * * * Indian-made moc- 
 casins, which were abundant and cheap, were 
 much worn by both sexes (particularly the 
 younger and more active classes) in dry 
 weather both winter and summer, being very 
 comfortable and pleasant to the feet, and pre- 
 senting a rather neat appearance. For wet 
 weather strong, well made leather shoes were 
 used. Bare feet were quite as seldom seen 
 then as now. The head dress for the male 
 population for winter use consisted mostly of 
 a strong, well made wool hat with a low, broad 
 brim something in the style of the hat in use 
 by the elder of the Quakers at this time. A 
 rather unsightly but very warm kind of fur 
 cap was used by some, made out of a well- 
 preserved 'coon skin. For summer wear, a 
 rather rough home made straw hat was made 
 out of the straw of rye, which was consider- 
 ably grown for that purpose — the hat being 
 very much in appearance and style of similar 
 hats now in use. The female head-dress con- 
 sisted in part of a straw bonnet made of the 
 .same kind of straw, and in part of a sunbonnet 
 generally made out of some kind of fancy 
 colored calico worked over a stiff pasteboard; 
 both straw and sunbonnets being of a style 
 then in use, and of such shape and construc- 
 tion as to protect both the face and neck from 
 the hot rays of the summer sun and the cold 
 blasts of the winter winds".'* 
 
 The mention by Mr. Duncan of "the bite of 
 the rattlesnake", is a reminder of this the one 
 venomous reptile found in this region. It was 
 not uncommon in the very early days, one 
 species in stony places, and another in swampy 
 or prairie lands. The most notable "den" of 
 them was discovered in the winter of 1835-6 
 on the farm of Isaac Hawkins, about half a 
 mile east of Valley Mills Station, and in the 
 spring a number of the neighbors assembled 
 and dug them out. There were 120 snakes of 
 various kinds, over 100 of them rattlesnakes, 
 that were coiled u|) togi'tlier in a ball, and all 
 were killed. Dcmas McFarland gave a vera- 
 cious account of this to the Gazette, but Mr. 
 Bolton improved the story by making it "150 
 snakes from 10 to 3 feet long", and in reply 
 to McFarland's protest blandly desired to Icnow 
 
 '*r>i,l. Hist. Soc. I'lilis., \'(,1 •.'. pp. ;590-393.
 
 ro 
 
 HISTORY OF (iUHATEU mDIAN^APOl.IS. 
 
 wliMt Uii< the ditt'creiu-t' in a snake .-torv.'' 
 TIh' stoiy IS antlicntic-, howuxur."' ami rat- 
 tlesnakes were at least eoniniun enough to call 
 for the following advertisement in July anil 
 Augu>t. lS->: : 
 
 •■ RATTLE SN'AKE OIL.'' 
 "The suhseriher is authorized to purchase a 
 quantity of pure RATTLE !5^XAKE OIL at 
 his store in Indianapolis. The mode of saving 
 it is, after taking off the pieces of fat, put them 
 into a ghiss, pewter or tin vessel, and expose 
 it to the heat of the sun one day, then pour it 
 into a glass bottle and cork it tight — if any 
 pieces of the fat are not melted squeeze them 
 through a rag. 
 
 JEg'^lf the snake bites itself the oil must not 
 be saved. 
 
 John Givan". 
 
 But rattlesnakes, and all other kinds of 
 sn;d\es. disaiqieared very rapidly as hogs, tame 
 and wild, multiplied in the woods. They were 
 fond of snakes, and an old-fashioned razor- 
 hack could and would kill any snake, and eat 
 it. ilany years have ])assed since a rattlesnake 
 was heard of in Clarion County. 
 
 Buckskin continued to be more or less worn 
 for a number of years, and in evidence of its 
 recognized cheapness and durability may be 
 iu)ted the fact that on June 8, 1843, the County 
 Commis.sioners allowed Hervey Hindman "$'l, 
 for making buckskin pants for pau]>ers"".'' 
 ( )f ciiurse the clothing here described means that 
 of the masses. There wa,< always a class that 
 used manufactured textile fabrics, as is evident 
 from the advertisements of such goods. (4ivan 
 and Oshoi'iie did not hold the monopoly of 
 "stores" very long. Luke Waljxjle arrived in tlie 
 summer of IS'i'i. coming uj) the river in a keel 
 boat, in wliich, in addition to his family of 
 thirteen and a coloreil servant girl, with their 
 baggage and household furniture, he lirought 
 a general stock of goods, a large part of which 
 he sold at airction in the fall of 1S23. In 
 .March, 1823, Robert Siddill advertised "a neat 
 assortment of dry-goods, queensware, hardware 
 and groceries, consisting of calicoes, ])laids, 
 
 '"GilzHtr. 
 
 April 1 
 
 . lS-.'( 
 
 IS.-).-). 
 
 
 
 "''Su1,l:i'ii\c 
 
 . ///.-•/.. 
 
 p. .Mi: 
 
 ^'('oiiirx. 1 
 
 •>;:. 1. , 
 
 1. 132. 
 
 Irish linen, steam loom and power shirtings, 
 Hag handkerchiefs, etc., knives, spoons, Ijutts, 
 hinges, screws, nails, etc., tea, coffee, loaf sugar, 
 tobacco, scgars, pejjper, allspice, nutmegs, etc.", 
 at his store on Washington street. In June 
 John Hawkins advertised "an assortment of 
 <lry goods, groceries and medicines""; and on 
 July 2, Conner, Tyner k Co. announce the 
 opening of their store with a detailed list of 
 dry goods, hardware, ([ueensware, groceries, 
 tinware, etc., too lengthy for reproduction. In- 
 dianapolis had a hatter from 1821. when John 
 Shunk. the pioneer in that line, came and es- 
 tablished himself in a cabin near Kingan"s 
 jiork-house, where he manufactured old-fash- 
 ioned beaver, or "plug"" hats, as well as other 
 kinds, until he roasted to death, in a drunken 
 stu])or, at his own fireside. And he soon had 
 rivals and successors. XoY was the town with- 
 out a tailor after Andrew Byrne returned in 
 March. 11S21, following liis visit with the com- 
 missioners in ]82(). 
 
 In fact the arts and crafts were creditably 
 represented in Indianapolis at a very early 
 date. On February 25, 1822, the Gazette said: 
 "Tlie improvement of this town since the sale 
 of lots in October last, has surpassed the e.x- 
 ])ectations of those wlio entertained the great- 
 est hopes of its future prosperity. There have 
 been erected 40 dwelling houses and several 
 workshops since that period, and many otiier 
 buildings are now in contemplation. One grist 
 and (one) saw inill are now in operation with- 
 in one mile of the centre of the tow'n, and sev- 
 eral others are nearly ready to be put into 
 operation equally as near. Business is com- 
 ])nratively lively at this time. We liavc al- 
 leadv mechanics and professional men of the 
 following description and number, to wit.: 
 thirteen carpenters and joiners, four cabinet 
 makers, eight blacksmiths, four boot and shoe 
 nuikers, two tailors, one hatter, two tanners, 
 one saddler, one cooper, four bi'ickhiyers, two 
 merchants, seven houses of entertainment, three 
 groceries, one school master, four jihysicians, 
 one ministci' <if the gospel, and three counsel- 
 lois at law"'.'"' TJiis, it will be noted, mod- 
 estly overlooks the press, which was early on 
 hand. Oeorge Smith, a Pennsylvania printer, 
 married the widow Xancy Bolton, who had one 
 son, Xatbanicl, born Julv 2.-). 1803. She was 
 
 "Ouotcd in ]'iiiii'iiiii'y Sim. Mai'cb '.I. 1S22.
 
 insTOlfV OF CKKATKh' IX Dl AXAPOT.IS. 
 
 1 
 
 a sister of Xathaniel Cox, ht'ttiT kimwii as 
 "I'ncle Nat. Cox", a pioneer par))entei', iuinter, 
 and all-roiiiid iiieelianical sieniiis of liuliaii- 
 apolis. In 18"2() tliey were all seizeil witli the 
 fever of emigration, ami floated down the 
 Allcjilieny and Ohio IJivcrs to Jetfersom iile on 
 a timl)erl)oat. Here they o|)ened a printing 
 oftice with a Mr. IJrandon, wliile awaiting the 
 sale of lots at Indianapolis, to whieh .Mr. Smith 
 went on foot. lie lionght two lots, on one of 
 which was a cabin Iniilt by a Kentucky .squat- 
 ter who had become homesick and deserted it. 
 It was at the corner of Maryland and Missouri 
 streets. Smith trudged back to Jeifcrsonville 
 and packed back with his belongings and fam- 
 ily, except Bolton wlio remained tem|iorarily 
 for some state ])rinting work, arriving at In- 
 dianapolis aliout the middle of December. The 
 cal)in Avas (piickly tittetl up for a joint resi- 
 dence and ])rinting otfiee. Iik le Nat Cox and 
 a journeynnin printer wiio had been hii-ed for 
 a time, being lodged in tlu' neighboring cabin 
 of Dr. Ivenneth A. Scudder. 
 
 On January 28, the lirst number of ilie 
 Gazette apjieared. It was printed on an old- 
 fashioned, two-pull, Ramage hand jjress. The 
 forms were inked by hand with buckskin balls 
 stuffed with wool, which wiic kept soft when 
 
 I not in use by being greased with "coon oil. 
 
 ! The two outside ])ages were usually printed 
 early in the week, and the two inside on Fri- 
 ilay, the paper being circulated on Saturday. 
 Mr. Smith became one of the associate judges 
 of the circuit court on August S, 18"^."). and re- 
 tired from active managi'ment. lea\ing Xa- 
 thaniel Holton in exclusive charge. Tlir '/"- 
 zelti' was the only pajx'r until March ". 18-^;i, 
 when the first number of the Wi'strni Crnxur 
 and Einujranls' Guide ai)])eared. It was jjub- 
 lished by Harvey Gregg and Douglass Maguire. 
 Mr. Gregg was the chief editor until October 
 2!l, when he retired and was succeeded by .lohn 
 Douglass, Mr. Maguire taking on the editorial 
 work. On January 11, 18-J."), the i)a])er was 
 enlarged and the name changed to The Indiana 
 Journal. Later on the Dcmoerat, and still 
 later the Sentinel, were successors to the 
 Gazelle, 'j'he oTiginal office of the Censor was 
 on Washington street. o[)|iosite the New York 
 store. Both pajiers were fairly regular in tbeii' 
 i.=sues after getting well started, though there 
 was an occasional failure of an issue on arcmint 
 
 of inaliility to get paper, or a suspension of tlte 
 mails. 
 
 The relation of the neusjiapers and rlie mails 
 was close and important. Tlieie had lx;en no 
 |iost-office at the place, and no regidar mail up 
 to the start of the daielle, but a news|)aper 
 could not be published withinit "disiiatches"', 
 especially at a time when local news was "all 
 over town" by the time it got to the editor. 
 So Mr. Smith got busy with an agitation for 
 mail I'eform. On January 'M) a citizens" meet- 
 ing was ht'ld at Hawkins' tavern lo make ar- 
 rangements for a ""private mail'", which was 
 not uncommon at the time, i. c. to have all 
 the mail for this point gathered at one post- 
 ottice, and brought here by a private carrier. 
 The meeting selected Aaron Drake as carrier 
 and postmaster, and made an agreement with 
 him to bring the mail from Connersville once 
 a month. Drake at once issued a circular to 
 the postmasters, whom Indianapolis mail was 
 likely to reach, asking them to forward it to 
 Connersville. Says Brown: "\\v returned 
 fi-om his first trij) after nightfall, his horn 
 sounding far through the woods, arousing the 
 people who tumetl out in the bright moonlight 
 to greet him and learn the news"". By uu'ans 
 of this enterprise, the message of President 
 ilonroe, delivered December 3, 1821, came to 
 hand in Februarv% 1822. and began to appear 
 in our homo paper — it took two or threi' issues 
 to print a message, though Moni"oe"s messages 
 were mere epigrams as compared with those of 
 recent years. Meanwhile the congressional 
 dehgation was laboring in Washington, and in 
 l-'ebruai'y lndiana])olis was made a postotlice, 
 and Samuel Henderson was ap])ointed post- 
 master, lie began business on March " , and 
 showed his diligence by ])id)lishing a list of 
 live letters '"not calle<l for"", on .Vpril .'!. .Vt 
 first all the mail canu' from Connersville, but 
 nn ()ctol)er ."). 1822, Wetum Jonathiin Meigs, jr., 
 I'oslmasti'r (ieneral, advertised in the Vin- 
 cennes Sun for proposals for carrying the mails 
 to Indianapolis from two other points. 
 
 "l'''rom Washington, by Burlington, Spencer 
 ill Owen County, and ^lartinsville in M(U"gan 
 1(1 I iidiaiia])olis, oikc in two week.-, r.'."i miles, 
 heave Washington I'very other Tuesdav at li 
 a. 111. iind arrive at Indianapolis on Friday 
 by Ki a. m. Ijcave Indiaiutpolis every other 
 I'riday at 2 p. m. and arrive at Washington on 
 Monday by (i ]). m."'
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER liVDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 "From Liuvreiicfburgli by Xapoleon to In- 
 dianapolis, once in two weeks, 89 miles. Leave 
 Lawrenceburgh every other Friday at 6 a. m. 
 and arrive at Indianapolis on Sunday by 10 
 a. m. Leave Indianapolis on Sunday at 2 p. 
 m. and arrive at Lawrenceburgh on Tuesday 
 by (j p. m." 
 
 From this time on there was a constant im- 
 provement in the mail service, but the Censor 
 evidently started in "agin the government" for 
 it promptly registered a complaint on June 1 1, 
 1823. It admitted: "We believe there is no 
 town in the state, of the same age and popula- 
 tion, which is better supplied with mails than 
 Indianapolis. We have regular weekly mails 
 from Madison and Brookville, and semi-weekly 
 (it means fortnightly) mails from Centreville, 
 Lawrenceburgh and Washington'". But the 
 system was bad. Most of the eastern mail was 
 sent "by the Lawrenceburgh mail, which ar- 
 rives here but once in two weeks", while it 
 might just as well come by Brookville or Madi- 
 son, and thus the public was deprived of the 
 latest news. The public was not apparently 
 much disturbed, for correspondence at the time 
 was rather expensive, and the charges were 
 based on distance as well as matter. A letter 
 from New England cost 37i?^ cents postage; 
 one from Xew York 25 cents; and one from 
 Ohio 12i/2 cents. It was perhaps not wholly 
 due to oversight that within a year the regular 
 advertised list of unclaimed letters at the In- 
 dianapolis postoflice often numbered one hun- 
 dred or more. But even at the high rates of 
 postage the Indianapolis office was decidedly a 
 luxury to the national government. The total 
 postage receipts here for the year ending March 
 31, 1827, were onlv $372.36'; for 1828, $379.- 
 23; and for 1830, $.359.12. And yet the state- 
 ment of the Postmaster General on January 
 14, 1825, showed the character and cost of the 
 service to this point as follows: 
 
 Route — 
 
 Dayton, 0., to Indianniwlis 
 
 Corydon to Indianapoiis. . . 
 
 Indianapolis to Washingrton. 
 
 Indianapolis to Lawrenceburgli. f'tnightly 
 
 Indianapolis to Terre Haute. . f'tnightly 
 
 Indianapolis to HrooUnJlc. . 
 
 Pieces 
 
 Time. Miles, carried. Cost. 
 
 . weekly 7il 13.832 $ 560 
 
 . weekly lOfi 11,024 1.042 
 
 f'tnightly 103 5,356 260 
 
 90 4,680 204 
 
 91 4,732 500 
 weekly 06 6.864 300 
 
 One of the worst drawbacks to Indianapolis 
 life in 1821 was the lack of mills. Man may 
 not live by bread alone, but he seldom enjoys 
 hini-self without it, no matter how plentiful 
 fish, game and vegetables mav be; and grating 
 
 corn on a piece of tin with holes jjunched iu 
 it is monotonous, to »ay the least. But this 
 evil was soon to disappear. In the summer of 
 1821 came James Linton, millwright; and by 
 November he had completed the first grist mill 
 for Isaac Wilson on Fall Creek, where Walnut 
 street crosses the old bed of the stream, and 
 also a saw mill for himself on Fall Creek just 
 above Indiana avenue. Tliese are the mills re- 
 ferred to by the Gazette on February 25, 1822, 
 as quoted above. They were quickly followed 
 by the saw mill of Daniel Yandes and Andrew 
 Wilson on the bayou west of the river, and in 
 the summer by the saw mills of William Foster 
 and John McCorraick on the river. Linton 
 also added a grist mill to his establishment on 
 Fall Creek. On March 7, 1823, its first issue, 
 the Censor said: "The town now contains 
 about ninety families, among which are me- 
 chanics of almost every description, and men of 
 all professions. * * * There are at this 
 time four saw mills in operation in the county, 
 three of which are within less than a mile and 
 a half of the town. There are also two grist 
 mills wdthin the same distance, and several 
 more grist and saw mills are now building, 
 together with carding machines, etc." In fact 
 the town was sufficiently advanced in civiliza- 
 tion to admit of the formation of a trades 
 union, for, on April 23, the Censor gave notice 
 i)f a meeting of master -carpenters, at the school 
 house, on the 26th at 2 p. m., to consider "'the 
 propriety of organizing a society and regulat- 
 ing the prices of work". There had been an 
 evident anticipation of much carpenter work, 
 for the Yandes & Wilson saw mill started in 
 on a large scale. On April 13, 1822, Mrs. 
 Fletcher records: "The waters are very high 
 at this time, and have been for a week back. 
 .Mr. Levington and many other men have been 
 ten miles up the river, on the public lands, cut- 
 ting saw-logs for several weeks. They have 
 made a contract with Daniel Yandes to deliver 
 him 2,000 logs at one dollar per piece, and 
 since the rain the saw-logs are coming down 
 tbe river"'.'" 
 
 This performance, of going ten miles up tlie 
 river to cut logs on the public lands, was de- 
 lightfully American, for at this time there 
 were hundreds of thousands of feet of fine tim- 
 ber on the town site that evervbodv wanted 
 
 ''■'Xcws. June 2. 1879.
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER INDJAxVAPOLlS. 
 
 73 
 
 ivinovfd. Ill tlie ])i-«:-c(ling Fall the State 
 AjU'ut had oflVred tho timber in ihe streets to 
 anvone who would cut it, aud Lisiimiid Basye, 
 tempted by the cheapness of it, undertook to 
 dear Waslunjitim street. After getting a large 
 amount of the timber cut he concluded that 
 there would be no profit in it, either because the 
 saw mill was not yet in operation or because of 
 the trouble of getting it to the mill, and aban- 
 doned his nndertaking, leaving the trees where 
 they were felled. The street, which was the 
 one thoroughfare of the place, was completely 
 blocked by the logs, stumps and brush, and the 
 whole community joined in clearing it by fire.-" 
 This occurrence was long a favorite topic of ■ 
 the old-timers, and gave rise to Uncle Jimmy 
 Blake's justly celebrated joke: "The early set- 
 tlers spent their evenings one winter in cutting 
 and rolling logs in Wa.shington street. They 
 employed two or three hundred negroes to cut 
 the logs in two and keep the heaps burning".-^ 
 This really needs a diagram, for there 
 is no dictionary or glossary, that I know 
 of. that gives the exact meaning of the 
 word '"nigger"' in backwoods parlance. As a 
 noun it means a small log, rail or chunk of 
 wood, that is set well ablaze and used to fire 
 log heaps, brush heaps, etc. By laying a hraiid 
 or two of this kind across a large log and re- 
 ]ilacing them if the fire dies, or keeping it u|) 
 with brush, the log is burned through: and 
 this is what is meant by "niggering off" a log. 
 One man can keep twenty or thirty of such fires 
 going and cut as many logs in less time than he 
 could do it with an ax. At the same time the 
 "nigger" did all the work, and the employer, 
 like the Irish hod-carrier, had nothing at all 
 to do but carry it to the place. This was prob- 
 ably the idea that gave origin to the term, for 
 "nigger" was the common expression for any- 
 one who had to do drudgery: hut ])ossibly it 
 might Jiave come from tli(* thought that this 
 was a lazy man's way of working, or it may 
 even have come from the old Xorthumberland 
 dialect in which "nigger' is used for an andiron 
 or fire-dog. It may he added that "nigger" is 
 used in this backwoods sense in the expression 
 "a nigger in Ihe wood pile", i. e., something 
 that destroys the jmrpose of the wood pile, 
 and not that an African is despoiling the wood 
 pile, as is verv eommnnlv supposiMJ, Hut. to 
 
 ■" Bni«ir> llisl.. p. (I. 
 
 -'J'lKI-Udl. .luilc 111. IS.-)'. 
 
 get back to the subject, these logs that were 
 Imrned up, and thousands of others not cut in 
 other streets, could have been used at the 
 Vandes & Wilson mill just as well as those ten 
 miles up the river. Even in the absence of 
 heavy wagons, they could easily have been 
 sledded to the river while the snow was on the 
 ground. 
 
 . Notwithstanding the improvement of local 
 conditions of living, the growth of the town 
 was not as rapid as had been expected by 
 some. There was no advance in real estate as 
 had been anticipated. The capital did not 
 come in fact. More or less people were coming 
 in, but others were moving to the country. 
 Why invest in a town lot when you could get a 
 farm for the same money? Others sought 
 more rapidly developing localities. On Sep- 
 tember 22, i823, the Censor declared that the 
 ])lace contained between 600 and TOO souls, 
 and the estimate was probably liberal. A cen- 
 sus in April, 1824, by the Sunday school visi- 
 tors showed 100 families, with 172 voters and 
 45 unmarried women between the ages of fif- 
 teen and forty-five years. The number of chil- 
 dren is not stated but it was presumably not 
 far from the number of voters, for a census in 
 February, 1826, showed a loin I nf 730 souls, 
 209 of whom were children of school age. 
 Aloney was not very plentiful, but that did not 
 cause much inconvenience, except in the pay- 
 ments for lots and lands, as business was al- 
 most universally conducted on a basis of barter, 
 with money prices as the measure of value. 
 Hides and furs were always practical legal 
 tenders. The newspapers advertised from time 
 to time that they would accept "country sxigar", 
 "corn", "poultry", "clean linen and cotton 
 rags", "furs and tallow-", and other commodi- 
 ties. Tn April, 1824, James Givan advertised 
 that for general merchandise he would accept 
 "ginseng, beeswax, honey, sugar, deer and fur 
 skins, or almost anything else in preference to 
 ]iromises", but cash only would be taken for 
 "powder, shot, whisky and salt". The prices 
 of agricultural iiroducts decreased somewhat 
 as farms were cleared. On January 12. 1824, 
 Amos Grilfith. cabinet maker, advertised that 
 he would accept corn at 37i/> cents per liushel, 
 ]iotatoes at the same price, and pork at $2. .'50 
 ])er hnndicd. On Pecember 2(i. 1820, the 
 Jouninl staled lliat one could purchase here 
 "corn at l-"i lo 20 cents a bu-lu'l and ])ork and 
 bee!' ill $!..■>(• iier hundred".
 
 CHAPTER Vlll. 
 
 TIIK l()MlX<i OF THE CAPITAL. 
 
 For its first five years. Inilianapolis was an 
 answer to tlie conuutlriini, "WlK'n is a capital 
 not a capital ?"" The one essential jnirijose of 
 its existence was to Iw the seat of state gov- 
 ernment, but the legislature showed little dis- 
 position to make it that in fact. By the con- 
 stitution of 181t), Corydon was made "the seat 
 of government of the State of Indiana until 
 the year eighteen hundred and twenty-live, and 
 until removed by law".' The important point 
 was to secure the removal as soon as the consti- 
 tution permitted it. Of course it was useless to 
 talk about moving the state offices here until 
 there were buildings for the transaction of state 
 business, but there was no haste about getting 
 the buildings. The people early realized that 
 they must have representation if they wanted 
 their interests cared for. and on Septendjcr 
 2t), iJS'-^'i. a meeting was held at C'rumiiaugh"s 
 which petitioned for representation. The peti- 
 tion was successful and, by act of January T, 
 1823, .^[arion County was included in a reju'c!- 
 sentative district with Madison, Johnson and 
 Hamilton counties, and in a senatorial district 
 with Decatur. Kush, Henry, Shelby. .Madison, 
 Hamilton and Johnson counties. The election 
 came on August 4. There were oidy two can- 
 didates for representative, .James Pax ton and 
 John W. Ueding, and Paxton carried every 
 county in the district, being elected l)y :{T4 
 votes to 13(). For the senate there were foni' 
 candidates. James (iregory of Shelby County, 
 Dr. S. (J. Mitchell of >Iarion. John Hryson 
 of Decatur, and Wni. B. i>aughlin of Hush. 
 The votes received bv them were Uregorv. I'^M; 
 :Mitchel!, 291 ; Bryson, 299 ; Laughlin, 2S9. 
 A bill was introduced at the next session, mak- 
 ing Indianapolis "the ))erniancnt seat of gov- 
 
 ernment of this state upon. from, and after the 
 second .Monday in January (January 10) in 
 the year one thousand eight hundred and 
 twenty-five", and recpiiring all state officials 
 to be established there at that time. The bill 
 was warmly contested, and would have been 
 lost but that "Whitewater" stood loyally by 
 the New Purchase. It was passed by the 
 House, but was amended in the Senate and 
 then ])assed only by the narrow margin of 9 
 to 8. H came back to the House and on Janu- 
 ary 1. Dennis Pennington, of Harrison, moved 
 to amend by striking out the words ""second 
 Monday in January in the year one thousand 
 eight hundred and twenty-five", and inserting 
 "first ^londay in Decendwr one thousand eight 
 hundred and twenty-five": luit the jirevious 
 ipicstion was demanded, and the amended bill 
 par-scd by a vote of 2.") to \',.- On 
 January 23, Pennington introduced a bill to 
 suspend the operation of this act until 182G, 
 but it was laid on the table until the following 
 Tuesday, and remained there ])ermanently. The 
 act was approved on January 20.-' It was hailed 
 with joy by Hulianapolis, and on February 2lt a 
 sn|)per was given in honor of Paxton and Greg- 
 ory at Washington Hall, at which some thirty 
 gentlemen were present. After the edibles were 
 disposed of Dr. S. G. ^[itchell was chostMi presi- 
 dent, and Judge Wick vice-president, and "nu- 
 merous toasts and sentiments were proposed 
 and dnmk", beginning with one by the presi- 
 dent: "The Representation from the Xew Pur- 
 chase — Our thanks are due to them for their 
 industry and .zeal in jiromoting our welfare and 
 prosperity". This was drunk standing, and 
 "Colonel Gregory in behalf of Colonel Paxton 
 
 An. II. Sei (inn I 1. 
 
 -Si'll. ■Jiiiinifll, ]l. 188; House .Iniininl, |i. 1 ".';!. 
 ■■Hvr. L'liry IS'J,. i). 3:0.
 
 IIISTOKV OF CKKA'I'Hi: IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 75 
 
 and himsolf. n-tunicd thanks in :i very ^lll)I•t, 
 but feeling and appropriate manner". \\'e are 
 told that '"Great Iiarniony and good feeling 
 prevailed during the festivities of the evening". 
 
 The act for removal provided: "And Samuel 
 Merrill esqr. is iu'rel)y apixiinted on lielialf 
 of the state, to superintend, generally, the re- 
 moval of the reeords. dociuuenis and ]>uldi(: 
 projjerty of every description, as well those 
 above referred to as all and e\eiy other article 
 or species of ))roperty, which now is or here- 
 after may be ri-maining at ('(u-ydiin. the picsciit 
 temporary seat of government, which may be- 
 long to the state, U) Indiamipolis, aforesaid. 
 previous to tiie said second ilonday in .lanu- 
 ary, in the said year one thousand eight hun- 
 dred and t wenty-fivi' : and he is i^ecpiired to keep 
 a fair and exact a<-connt of the expenses neces- 
 sarilv iticurri'(l in the said transportation and 
 renu)val. to be submitted to the gi'iu'ral as- 
 sembly at their ne.xt regular session". This 
 was modified by a joint resolution of January 
 30, which authorized Mr. Merrill "to sell at 
 public vendue, to the highest bidder, all the 
 chairs, tables and other fnrnitui'e lielonging to 
 the state, which, in his opinion, cannot be ad- 
 vantageously removed to lndiana|)olis", giving 
 twenty days notice of the lime ami place of 
 sale in the Indiana Giizrllc, a))proi)riating the 
 proceeds to the expense of the removal, and 
 rendering "a just account" to the next general 
 assembly.* 
 
 Samuel Merrill was an ideal man for such a 
 task, thoughtful and jiainstaking. lie made a 
 two weeks' trip to Indianajiolis in Septendter, 
 1824, to arrange for ])laces for his fandly and 
 the state property,'' and in Ndvcndier disposed 
 of the state's surplus funiilni'i' at auction, and 
 started for Indiana|iolis. aciiiin|)<inied by .Inlm 
 Douglass, the state |)rinter, and Ids fandly. Says 
 Colonel Merrill. "The joui'ney of about one 
 hundreil and si.xty miles occu|)ied two weeks. 
 The best day's travel was eleven miles. One 
 day the wagons accomplished hut two ndles, 
 passages through the woods having to he cut 
 on account of the imjiassable character i>( the 
 TiM\i\. Four four-horse wagons and one or two 
 saddle horses fornu'd the means of conveyance 
 for the two families, consisting of about a 
 dozen persons, and for a printing press and 
 
 'Sl,frl,ll Arts. IS-.M. p. 1 i:l. 
 "Jldllsr ■hiiinidl. IS'.'C. p. IS I. 
 
 the state treasury of silver in .strong wooden 
 boxes. The gentlemen slept in the wagons or 
 im the ground to protect the silver, the families 
 found shelter at night in log cabins which 
 stood along the road at rare though not incon- 
 venient intervals. The country people were, 
 nnuiy of them, as ru<le as their dwellings, 
 which usually consisted of but oiu^ room, serv- 
 ing for all the pur))oses of domestic life. — 
 cooking, eating, sleejiing, spinning and weav- 
 ing, and the entertainment of company. At 
 one place a young man, who perhaps had come 
 miles to visit his sweetheart, sat up with her 
 all night on the (mly vacant space in the room, 
 the hearth of the big fireplace. He kept on 
 his cap, which was of coonskin, the tail hang- 
 ing down behind, and gave the children tlv 
 im|)ression that he was a bear''. 
 
 It was the venerable .Mi-s. Ketcham, then one 
 id' Samuel ilerrill's tots, who awoke in the 
 night to see the coonskin cap in the flickering 
 light of the dying fire, and dropped asleep 
 again thinking she had seen a bear. The one 
 other vivid impression of the trip on her in- 
 fantile mind was the memory of how their "am- 
 bitious teamster would ])ut on all his bells in 
 honor of the Treasurer of State and the State 
 Printer, so that every man, wonutn and cliibl 
 would run to the frimt to see", whenevci- I bey 
 apjjroachcd a \illagc on the road. But the 
 feature that made the most lasting impression 
 on Samuel Merrill was the bad roads, and. 
 twenty years aftcrwai-ds, he wrote: 
 
 "Though the <li>tani-c was only l"^.") ndles, 
 such was the stall' wf the roads that it rc- 
 i(\dred about ten days Id pcrroiin the journey in 
 a wagon. Specimens of bad roads that it is 
 thought cannot well 'be beat", nuiy still be found 
 ai some season- of the year: but the xctcran- 
 of those days, unless their memories deceive 
 them, have seen ami experienced of the depth 
 and width of iniul-h(des that cannot wcdl be 
 coiu-eivcd in this 'degenerale age.' " The writer 
 of this article, on two dccasions. after bmii-s 
 of weary travel, fiuind bimsclf. vcrv unwill- 
 ingly, at his starting place in llic moi-ning. ami 
 his good friends the jn-escnt Postmaster al 
 Indianapolis and I be .\iiditoi- id' States, after 
 a day's travel, as they thought, towards Cin- 
 cinnati. ])aused in wonder at evening, at their 
 own town, which al lir<l they su]i|)osed was 
 some unknown .-ctlleincnl in the wilderness. 
 .\ res])ectahlc cilizen of Ohio having tra\iTsc>d
 
 re 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER IXDIAIiAPOLlS. 
 
 this state about that time, was asked, on his 
 return home, about his travels, and whether 
 he had been pretty much tlirough the state. 
 He said he could not tell with certainty, but 
 lie thought he had been pretty nearly through, 
 in some places." The closing jest was ilr. 
 Merrill's favorite story in later life. The get- 
 ting lost did not occur on the journey to In- 
 dianapolis, but is illustrative of another fea- 
 ture of the difficulties of early travel. The 
 Indianapolis trip was made at the best season, 
 for if an Indiana mud road is ever dry, it 
 should be so in Xovember. What it must have 
 been in the spring can be left only to the im- 
 agination, with no danger tliat any imagina- 
 tion will picture the road worse than it 
 actually was. 
 
 Of course this tedious removal of all the 
 state's belongings over these appalling roads 
 was an expensive aifair. Here is the bill that 
 Samuel Merrill rendered to the next legisla- 
 ture for the cxjiense of it:' 
 
 To Messrs. Posey and Wilson for boxes $ 7.56 
 
 To Mr. Lefler for one box .50 
 
 To Seybert & Likens for transporta- 
 tion of 3,945 lbs. at $1.90 per hun- 
 dred 74.95 
 
 To Jacob & Samuel Kenoyer for trans- 
 portation of one load 35.06 
 
 Deduct for proceeds of sale of fur- 
 niture at Corvdon, Xovember 23nd, 
 1824 ■. ' 
 
 $118.07 
 
 52.53 
 
 $65.55 
 
 One is moved to wonder if there is not a typo- 
 graphical error in the specific appropriation 
 act of February 12, 1825, which allowed to 
 Samuel Merrill, "sixty dollars and fiftj'-five 
 cents for cash advanced by him for expenses 
 incurred in removing the property of the state 
 from Corydon to Indianapolis". There is surely 
 a need for some explanation of that cut of five 
 dollars. However, the legislature was generous, 
 and allowed Mr. Merrill ''also one hundred 
 dollars for his personal trouble and expendi- 
 ture in packing and moving the property of the 
 
 "Chnmhfirlniit's Gazetteer, p. 
 'Sen. Jonrnal, 1825. p. 7. 
 
 125. 
 
 state". And all future generations must 
 acknowledge that this was not a case of "graft", 
 for evidently he must have done most of the 
 work himself or have exercised an ability in 
 getting it done that could hardly be measured 
 in mone}^ And this covered also a two-weeks' 
 trip to Indianapolis to prepare there for the re- 
 moval ! Yerily, we shall not soon see his like 
 again. 
 
 Arrived at Indianapolis, the clerk of the Su- 
 preme Court was installed temporarily in the 
 13x13 room in the southwest corner of the sec- 
 ond floor of the court house, and the Secretary 
 of State in the similar room immediately below 
 it. The Auditor and Treasurer went into rented 
 rooms until the state provided a building for 
 them, and rents were not exorbitant at that 
 time, for they were each allowed $20 a year 
 for office rent— the Agent of State had only 
 $16. The Governor was the only official who 
 was allowed house rent, and the appropriation 
 for that purpose was $200 annually. ^Ir. Mer- 
 rill's family moved into James Ijlake's pala- 
 tial tenement with Calvin Fletcher, evidently 
 displacing Mr. Blake, who had been boarding 
 there. Mrs. Ketcham recalls the residence thus : 
 "It was on Washington street, south side, half 
 way between Tennessee and Illinois streets, — 
 a small one-story, red frame ; two rooms, two 
 doors in front and two windows ; occupied by 
 two families. Calvin Fletcher had the west 
 side. I cannot remember how thev managed, 
 except in each room was a big bedstead and a 
 trundle one that wheeled out at night and under 
 in the daytime. A door opened into Mrs. 
 Fletcher's apartment from our room, and from 
 hers out on to a rough porch or covered space 
 that led to a large log kitchen. I suppose tjoth 
 cooked by the same large fireplace and prob- 
 ably ate on this porch, and I remember the 
 wind taking our dining-table over clear to the 
 fence — a half square." Even these restricted 
 quarters were diminished later, for the log kitch- 
 en burned down during the joint tenancy. 
 But people in those days had not acquired the 
 delusion that thev needed residences so large 
 that all their time and strength would be ex- 
 pended in caring for them — a condition to 
 which, in our higher civilization, the flat-dwell- 
 ers are rapidly returning. 
 
 Bad roads were not a matter of concern to 
 Samuel IMerrill alone. They weighed on every- 
 body. The necessity of roads to the capital
 
 mSTORV OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 
 (M'. ;/. «.!»» rhol'i Compan:/.)
 
 "8 
 
 iiis'|-()i;v OK (;i;i:.vi"i;i; indiaxaj'oi.is. 
 
 had boeii ivalizi'd Irimi tlif lir>t and tht- legis- 
 lature of 1821 hail ordcTt'd t^tate road^ to lii- 
 iliaiuipolis, and made appropriations for thcni. 
 as follows : 
 
 From the Hi-h Bank- of White 
 
 RivLT '. $7,U2-2.UU 
 
 From the Horse Shoe Bend, via Pa- 
 
 oli, Palestine and Bloomington. . S,4"?().00 
 From Mauk's Ferrv, via Salem and 
 
 Brownstown . . .' 8/J8S.0()' 
 
 From Bethlehem, Clark County, via 
 
 Xew Washington and Lexington o.O.'kxOO 
 From Madison, via Vernon and Co- 
 lumbus (i.:{.-):.(H) 
 
 From liawrenceburgh (i, :!:>;). 00 
 
 From Ohio line, via Brookville. . . . 4,:i()"2.4-t 
 
 From Ohio line, via Connersville. . 4,-.'4!).Oi) 
 
 From Ohio line, via Sali^l)urv. . . 4.1S-^.00 
 
 From Ohio line, via Winchester... ■.',tM'2..J(l 
 
 Total $.5r),(;-M.!14 
 
 It also ordered a state road from Indian- 
 apolis to Terre Haute, hut made no api>ro)iria- 
 tion for it. The road from Indianapolis to Fort 
 Wayne was ordered by act of February 10. 
 1825 ; the road to Crawfordsville by act of 
 January 23, 1828 ; the ^lichigan Road by act 
 of January 24, 1828; and the road to Lafayette 
 by act of January !), 1829. For the improve- 
 ment of all these roads additional a])pri)pria- 
 tions were made from time to time. The Mich- 
 igan Road was a special undertaking, and was 
 cut 100 feet wide. All the others were 48 feet 
 wide. The "cutting"' of a road meant the re- 
 moval of the timber, the law requiring that 
 the smaller trees should bo cut even with the 
 ground, while "such as are eighteen inches 
 and upwards shall be cut at the usual height 
 of twelve inches,"' Supervisors were appointed 
 for each five miles of state road to be cut, in 
 the several counties, and after they were cut 
 they were cared for as county roads, with the 
 addition of an occasional state appropriation 
 for improvement. .\t the same time that these 
 state roads were under construction, the county 
 authorities were jnisliing the work on local 
 roads. At their first session, as mentioned, the 
 county commissioners ordered roads to Con- 
 ner's Station ; to the western county line on 
 about the line of the National Road ; to ifc- 
 Oormick's mill, just above the Country Club: 
 
 an<l soutlnvest to the county line. At the Au- 
 gust session it ordered a road "commencing at 
 or near the Indian Camp, where the county 
 road prayed for by I'^liakim Harding and others 
 crosses Eagle Creek"", northwest ]«ist Tiiomas 
 ^Iartin"s farm to the county line, i. e., the gen- 
 eral line of the present Eagle Creek and White 
 Ijick Road: also on petition of Joel Wright, a 
 continuation of the road to ^IcCorniick"s mill 
 to the north : al.~o on petition of Jeremiah Cor- 
 baley, a road from the west end of Ohio street 
 to Isaac Wilson "s mill, on Fall Creek, thence 
 imrth and "across AVhite River at the Big Rif- 
 He"", thence northwest to the county line. Ad- 
 ditional roads and extensions were ordered at 
 nearly every future session for several years. 
 The tii'st step in the construction of either 
 a state or a county road was the ai)]iointment 
 of "viewers"' to select and mark tlu' line of 
 the i-oad, and on their reports the roads were 
 established, subject to future changes if the 
 lines selected were not found the most desir- 
 able. In the imsettled state of the country 
 these reports weie not always in terms that 
 are readily intelligiiile now, as may be judged 
 from the following official record of the report 
 of the viewers of the road to Conner"s Sta- 
 tion, before mentioned : "John Smock and Za- 
 dock Smith, two of the viewers of the Fall 
 Creek Road now report that they have laid out 
 and marked by two eho]is with a tomahawk 
 on the trees aiijacent to the said road, and 
 recommend the route and ground running thus: 
 Beginning at the north end of Pennsylvania 
 street (i. e.. the corner of Pennsylvania and 
 Xorth streets) thence to the half mile stake 
 dividing Section 3(), Township Ki. Range 3 east 
 (i, e,, up Fort Wayne avenue to the corner of 
 Central avenue), and north with the dividing 
 line until it intersects with the road leading 
 to Reagan's brick yard (i, e. about Twenty-tiftii 
 street), in Section 2.") in said Townsliip and 
 Range, thence, north three degrees and fifteen 
 minutes east, with said road until it strikes 
 Fall Creek, thence with said Creek to Wm. 
 Rooker's, thence with the Indian trace crossing 
 said Creek at the Rocky Ford in Section 9, 
 Township Ui, Range 4 east (i. e., Millersville). 
 thence with said trace on the west side of said 
 Creek to MoClearin's improvement. Section 3, 
 said last mentioned Townsliip and Range, 
 thence leaving the trace on the west in a north- 
 east direction until it strikes Fall Creek at
 
 IllSTUKY OF GKKAl'Ki; IXDlA.XAl'Ol.lS. 
 
 79 
 
 tliu Indian Camp in Section 2 said Eange and 
 Township, thonte north oU degrees east until 
 it intersects the Indian trace at the hill, tlicncu 
 with said traic to the county line tlividiug 
 Sections 16 and '.K Township K. itauge .5 east, 
 determining at a hackberry marked with the 
 letters M C J.."" Or, as we would ])ut it 
 now, the general lines of the Millersville Road 
 and the Fall Creek and .Mud Creek Free Gravel 
 Koad. 
 
 Tlie next step was cutting the road, and mak- 
 ing the worst jilaces passable. The means lor 
 this were supplied by a road tax payable in 
 work, or its ecpiivalent in money at the rate 
 of dO cents a day. Each male, between 'i\ 
 and 50 years of age, whether living in town 
 or country, and owning real estate or not, was 
 required to do three days of road work an- 
 nually, excepting only "preachers of the gospel" 
 and |)ersons excused for cause by the county 
 board. The owiu>r of from 40 to 80 acres of 
 land was required to do one day's work addi- 
 tional; the owner of 80 to KiO acres two days' 
 additional; and one day additional for each 
 IGO acres above that, up to ten days, whieh 
 was the maximum tax. Owners of town lots 
 were required to do one day's work additional 
 for each lot owned, up to a maximum of six 
 days. The ''owner of a wagon and team of two 
 or more horses or oxen used as a road wagon" 
 was required to do two days" work additional. 
 .\ licensed tavern keeper, store keeper or gro- 
 cery keeper was reipiired to do a total of six 
 days' work, if not an owner of real estate. If 
 the work and money thus siijiplied were not 
 sutlicient to ]uit the roads in re]iair, it was 
 the duty of the supervisor to call out the 
 hands assigned to liini and ])ut them in repair. 
 In all this work the supervisors were author- 
 ized to go upon any adjoining land, cut any 
 ditches that might be necessary to drain a rojul, 
 take any sand, gravel or stone needed, and eu( 
 timber adjacent or near to the road. In addi- 
 tion to all this there was a s])ecial ])rovision that 
 road supervisors in the New I'urchase "shall 
 ha\e a right to call out the hands, allottt'i! to 
 them severally, six days in each year, in order 
 to put and keep the roads assigned to them 
 respectively in re|)air." .Vnv unexpended bal- 
 ance of the road tax could be used for bridges, 
 for which the county commissioners were also 
 auliiorized to acce|it donations or order a tax, 
 or, if a tax were considered linrdensotne, they 
 might authorize loll bridges. 
 
 This was the road law of 1824. By the law 
 of 1831 the universal tax was reduced to two 
 days' work, the tax on nonresidents was made 
 one-half of the state tax on their lauds, and 
 the tax on owners of town lots was made one- 
 half of the county tax on their lots; this to 
 he applied to work on the streets, and with the 
 privilege of paying the tax in work at 50 cents 
 a day. A person furnishing a plough or wagon 
 with team and driver, at the request of the 
 supervisor, received credit for three days' work 
 for each day of the team's use. There was 
 also a provision for "'cart ways'' from "a plan- 
 tation or dwelling-house to a public highway''. 
 These were made on special petition, and were 
 made 18 feet wide. If one that was ordered 
 crossed the unimproved land of anyone who 
 objected to it, the land was vahied by ap|)rais- 
 ers and paid for, after which the road was pn.i- 
 ceeded with. 
 
 Koads made as these were necessarily went 
 out of repair cjuickly. Every stum[) at the 
 surface, and every root, made a jolt which 
 sank the opposite wheel into the ground and 
 started a chuck-hole which was helped on by 
 standing water, more jolts, and occasional wal- 
 lowing hogs. The more the road was traveled 
 the worse it hei-ame. The roads in the central 
 part of the state were usually worse, so far 
 as mud was concerned, than those in the south 
 part, for the surface soil here was conuuonly 
 a .soft loam with a coating of mold and dead 
 leaves. Almost the only improvement at- 
 tem[)ted to the natural surface was coriluroy- 
 ing, or as it was more commonly called "cross- 
 laying'' or ''cross-waying" in s|)ecially swampy 
 places. 'I'liis was done by laying small logs, 
 close togethei', ci'osswis(> the road, and cover- 
 ing them with dirt. II' badly laid, or out of 
 repair, this const I'Uction was sometimes worse 
 than nothing, for a horse was liable lo break 
 his leg in it. Mven where there were t'ewfr 
 chuck-holes the roads were very bail. ('apt. 
 Basil Hall, who crossed the southern part of 
 the state in 182T-8, savs: "The country is hilly 
 nearly all the way, the roads execrable, and the 
 carriages maile as rigid as if they had been cast 
 in one piece of metal. This is (piite necessary, 
 1 admit, considering the duty thev have to go 
 through. Oni' other refiueniciii in these ve- 
 hicles 1 must mention. In ex'cry othei- part of 
 tlie Union we found at least one door, tliougb 
 there were I'arely tun. in any stage coach. But 
 upon this occasion, wlieie so large an o|)ening
 
 80 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 was a weakness that could not be afforded, the 
 passengers had nothing left for it — females as 
 well as males — but literally to mount the coach- 
 man's seat by aid of -the wheel, and then scram- 
 ble in at the front as well as they might." * 
 
 As soon as the capital was moved, the south- 
 ern part of the state began to experience the 
 disadvantages of the bad roads leading to it 
 and the poor mail service ; and their woes found 
 expression.. On Friday, January 14, 18'<25, the 
 Lawrenceburgh Palladium said: "On Monday 
 last the legislature met at Indianapolis, but 
 owing to the present arrangement of the mail 
 to that place, it will be impossible to have any 
 information from the legislature before the 
 middle of next week, nine days from the com- 
 mencement of the session! (We can have in- 
 formation from the City of Washington in 11 
 days, which is more than five times the dis- 
 tance to Indianapolis.) But this isn't all — 
 it will be (after the mail arrives next Wednes- 
 day) the 2nd of February before we have an- 
 other return of the mail, nearly the close of 
 the session, should it not continue longer than 
 4 or 5 weeks, as is expected. It is an old 
 adage, and may be a true one, that 'every evil 
 has its good', but we can't see this connexion 
 here, unless the legislature was wanting to 
 have a place unconnected with the stir and 
 bustle of the world, where they might digest 
 and make laws and regulations for the 'good 
 of their constituents, in peace and quietness; 
 where they might vote as they pleased, and no 
 person know anything about it — just abridge 
 the Journals a little. They have found just 
 such a place we guess as Cowper was wishing 
 for, when he said — 
 
 'Oh, for a lodge in some vast wilderness ! 
 Some boundless contiguity of shade.'" 
 
 And yet Lawrenceburgh was an early bird 
 as compared with Vincennes, for the account of 
 the opening of the session did not get into 
 print there until January 29. But the condi- 
 tions gradually improved, and communication 
 with the outside world became comparatively 
 rapid. On September 8, 1833, the Journal 
 published the advertisements of four lines of 
 stages then in operation from the capital: that 
 of A. L. & W. L. Ross to Brookville, leaving 
 and returning twice a week ; Johnson's two lines 
 of "mail stages" to Lawrenceburgh and Madi- 
 
 ^Travds in North America, Vol. 3, p. 38(). 
 
 son, each three times a week; and the line of 
 P. Beers to Dayton, also three times a week. 
 In those days of rapid transit one could go 
 from the capital to the Ohio River, or return, 
 in two days, and there was little improvement 
 on that until the railroad came. Judge C. P. 
 Ferguson, as a small boy, made the trip up 
 from Madison in 1836. His father had been 
 elected to the legislature, and arranged for the 
 boy to go with Judge Dewey from Cliarles- 
 town, by way of JIadison, while he rode through 
 horseback. Says Judge Ferguson: "The pro- 
 gramme was carried out, and the judge and 
 myself took passage on the steamboat Roches- 
 ter, at the Charlestown landing. * * * q^ 
 the boat the judge met several friends, among 
 whom was Randall Crawford, a great lawyer 
 and father of the now distinguished Harr}', 
 who was also on his way to Indianapolis. At 
 ]\radison we three took lodgings at Pugh's 
 Hotel and occupied the same room. Next morn- 
 ing, before it was light, the stage drove up 
 to the door agd we got in, after which the 
 driver picked up a few passengers at private 
 residences, one of whom, upon entering was 
 addressed as judge, and I got to learn that he 
 was Stephen C. Stevens, who had been a sii- 
 jireme judge, and, having resigned. Judge 
 Dewey had been appointed to fill his place. 
 
 "From Madison to Columbus made one day's 
 journey, and there we expected to meet an 
 Indianapolis stage, that would take us on. We 
 passed the night at the Jones hotel, and the 
 Indianapolis stage failing to meet us, a pri- 
 vate conveyance was provided— a common farm 
 wagon — and in that way we were sent on to 
 Franklin. At Franklin, late in the next morn- 
 ing, the stage was on hand ready to take us 
 im. It was not a coach, but a large, covered 
 spring wagon, drawn by four horses. Getting 
 so late a start, we trudged the balance of the 
 day and into the night through mud and 
 chuck-holes and over corduroy roads. * * * 
 A little after dark on this last day's journey, 
 while perched upon my seat, drowsy and worn- 
 out, Mr. Crawford aroused me and said, in his 
 ]ieculiar tone of voice, which those who knew 
 liirn will recollect, "Now you can see the lights 
 of Injprtnapolis'', and shortly afterward?; we 
 were in the town. What a contrast with the 
 present! There were no brilliant lights, no 
 jingling of bells and shrieking of whistles; 
 no yelling of the names of different hotels, 
 but in darkness and quiet the stage drew up in
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 81 
 
 front of tlie ilansion lloust', kopt by Bai^il 
 ]5ro\vn, and there emerged therefrom and en- 
 tered the hotel, eohl and tired — a supreme 
 judge, an ex-supreme judge, a great lawyer, 
 anil a little countrv boy.'" " 
 
 'J'he coniiiifT of the capital did not have any 
 immediate and marked effect on the fortunes 
 of the town. There was no boom in town lots, 
 and no rapid increase of population, though 
 there was a general stiffening of prices and a 
 feeling of stal)ility that had formerly been 
 wanting. The condition was cjuite similar 
 to that of a college town. The sessions, which 
 were then annual, brought a nundjer of people 
 to town, and business of all kinds livened up. 
 Considerable money was put in circulation, 
 and very soon the session marked the common 
 fiscal year. People made bills payable when 
 the legislature was in session, and there was 
 a general settlement of accounts at that time. 
 But the most notable effect was social. There 
 were usually a number of persons of more or 
 less prominence here besides the legislators, 
 and a great many families took one or more 
 boarders in their liomes. In anticipation of 
 the coming, a number of young men of the 
 place met at the Land Office one evening in 
 the Tall of 1824 and organized the Indianapolis 
 Legislature, with jurisdiction over all known 
 subjects, and especially over such as came be- 
 fore the real legislature. Among the early 
 members were William Quarles, Dr. K. A. 
 Scudder, Austin W. Morris, John Frazee, Is- 
 rael Griffith, Alexander W. Russell, William 
 Xew, Joseph K. Fvooney, Douglass ^laguire, 
 John Cain, Jose|)h M. Moore, Thomas H. 
 Sharpe, Thomas A. ^[orris, William 1'. Br\ant, 
 Xewton S. Ileylin, Andrew W. Ingram. Hugh 
 CXeal, George W. Kindierly, r.enjamin S. 
 Xoble, Fahiu.s ^1. Finch, Simon ^'an(les. and 
 Xathaniel P. Bolton. Benjamin I. Blythe, who 
 had been a mend)er of the legislature from 
 Dearborn County, was chosen the first speaker, 
 and the organization was launched. 
 
 It was popular from the lirst. and soon 
 many other young men joined, and also a num- 
 ber of the older citizens, including Judge Wick, 
 Tliram Brown, Morris ^Forris, Calvin Fletcher, 
 and later Governor Xoble and General Hanna. 
 It held its sessions in the senate chamber of 
 the old court house, on Salurdav ni"lits. ami 
 
 during the sessions was very generally attended 
 l)y the members of the state legislature. Much 
 interest was taken in the discussions, and it is 
 said that many of the ]n-oblenis of the real leg- 
 islature were settled by its debates. The ladies 
 of the town were quite regular attendants, 
 and were always welcomed. This organization 
 met weekly, winter and summer, for over ten 
 years, and was a source of both amusement and 
 education to the community. It elected a 
 governor at intervals, and his "message" was 
 always an elaborate, and often humorous docu- 
 ment, which was generally printed by the local 
 jiapers. 
 
 But according to ^Ir. Bolton the legislative 
 inffuence was still more extensive, for he says: 
 "After the removal of the seat of government 
 to Indianapolis, the social intercourse of the 
 ))eople seemed to partake more or less of a 
 legislative character, particularly amongst the 
 young of both sexes. At a wedding party a 
 society was instituted, consisting of young la- 
 dies and gentlemen, on the legislative prin- 
 ciple ; yet not quite so democratic, in one of 
 its departments, as that of our state government. 
 The aristocratic branch consisted of four young 
 ladies, who constituted a council, or board of 
 directors, having a strong veto power on all 
 matters brought before the society. The 
 other branch was purely democratic, and 
 consisted of ladies and gentlemen. The 
 subjects brought before the society were 
 generally such as tended to matrimony. 
 There was a marshal or sergeant-at-arms ap- 
 i)ointed, whose special business it was to carry 
 out the decrees of the council or board of di- 
 rectors. James Blake, the Indianapidis mar- 
 shal of thirty years standing, was first elected. 
 Moonlight excursions on a large ferry boat on 
 the river were projected; and the society, on 
 fine evenings, would proceed to the boat, where, 
 l)y the light of the soft silver moon, as nur 
 bark floated over the waters, to the sound nf 
 sweet music, many a tale of love was told. .V 
 grave charge was made against several of the 
 lirst directory of ladies, who instead of atteml- 
 ing to the interests of the society at large, were 
 file first to form matrimonial alliances for 
 themselves. When their wedding jiarties cauK! 
 on, these charges were a source nl' much amusc- 
 nienf'.'" 
 
 "hid. lllsl. Snr. I'lihs.. \n\. 
 Vol. 1—6 
 
 1' 
 
 "•/■«(/. Hist. Sor. Pi(h.<.. Vdl. 1, |i. 1
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Till-: MolIAh FOUXDATION". 
 
 In its beginnings Indianiipolis had most of 
 the characteristics of an American frontier 
 settlement, varied by the fact that it was not 
 on any line of travel. They were not so 
 marked as usual in the matter of lawlessness, 
 as has been noted, and they were more 
 marked than usual in the physical conditions 
 and the social relations because the place was 
 isolated — set down in the primeval forest, with 
 almost no roads, and very limited waterways. 
 The settlers were thrown on their own resources 
 for almost everything, and there was a very 
 slow advance towards those social distinctions 
 that are found in older communities. There 
 was practically no help to hire — the only way 
 to get it was to get into troul:)le and trust to 
 sympathy. People did their own work when 
 jjossible, and helped each other when necessary 
 or mutually desirable. The following entries 
 from the diary of Mrs. Calvin Fletcher in 
 1821, will illustrate the condition: "November 
 5, 1821. Mr. Fletcher has been helping ]\Ir. 
 Blake husk corn." (Mr. Blake — James — (jwned 
 the house in which the Fletchers lived, and 
 boarded with them.) '•December T. We killed 
 a l)eef. Mr. Paxton and Mr. Blake hei])ed to 
 butcher it." "November 22, 1821, 1 spun 
 some candle wicking." "November 24, 1821, 
 Mrs. Nowland was making a bonnet. She 
 came to me to know whether I could make it. 
 I did not understand it, but gave her all tlie 
 instruction I possibly could.'" There are nu- 
 merous references in this journal to visits, 
 small dinner parties, teas, quiltings, etc., and 
 evidence that general fellowship and good feel- 
 ing pervaded the community. And the first 
 settlers evidently nuide the most of their lim- 
 ited opportunities for amusement. On Decem- 
 ber 2?, 1821, Mrs. Fletcher notes the return 
 of Mr. P)lakc fi'iim ('(irvdoii, and sa\s. "Mr. 
 
 F. has gone to see him, and when 1 write a 
 few more lines I will go also, although 1 feel 
 very much fatigued, for it is a long time since 
 I have heard the fiddle played. (Mr. Blake 
 was a performer.) I thiidv it will seem very 
 melodious, and I am just about to start to hear 
 it"". A few days later she writes: "I visited 
 ilrs. Nowland, and Mr. Russell played a few 
 tunes on the fiddle, and we also danced a few 
 reels'". The crowning dissipation of the sec- 
 ond year was the New Years ball at Wyant's 
 tavern, which may be regarded as the opening 
 of "society" in Indianapolis. They had writ- 
 ten invitations, the following one being pre- 
 served : 
 
 "The company of Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher is 
 requested to a party at J. Wyant's, Tuesday 
 the 1st of January, 1822, at 3 o'clock p. m. 
 Indianapolis, December 28th, 1821. 
 Managers, 
 
 A. W. Russell, 
 K. A. 8cudder.'" 
 
 Calvin Fletcher records in his diarv for New 
 Years 1822, "About 3 of the clock, "Mr. Hog- 
 den called with a carriage and carried Mrs. F. 
 and myself to Mr. Wyant's, on the river, where 
 we met about twenty couple. We enjoyed our- 
 selves very much and returned about twelve, 
 and not fatigued"".' ilrs. Martin — daughter nf 
 (ieorge Smith, the first iniblisher — then thirteen 
 vears of age, also went to this iiall in Ilogdcn's 
 "carriage"", which she describes as "a great 
 lumbering thing" similar to the "mud wagons"' 
 that were used iii stage-coach days \\hen an or- 
 dinary stage could not navigate the flooded 
 roads. The refreshments were elaborate. Rev. 
 J. C. Fletcher records Mrs. Martin's account 
 
 Wars. April 12. is:!l. 
 
 82
 
 TFISTOKY OF GHKATKr! TXDTAXAPOLTS. 
 
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 84 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 of them tliiiii: "Aofording to Mrs. Martin 
 there was in the great open fire place an im- 
 mense kettle or cauldron, which contained no 
 less than sixteen gallons of coffee; and there 
 were pans, skillets and other cooking and bak- 
 ing vessels, in which were biscuits, sweet bread, 
 ginger bread, and that best of all cakes which 
 is a lost art among the modems. I refer to 
 the real, old-fashioned pound cake, which has 
 given way to a lot of insipid and indigestible 
 sweetnesses under the names of marble, cocoa- 
 nut, chocolate, mountain and icing cakes, to 
 say nothing of ribbon, fig and I do not loiow 
 how many other combinations of cakes. That 
 Xew Year's party was composed of every grade 
 in society, so that the candidates had an ex- 
 cellent opportunity to see the people, for mv 
 father told me that invitations were extended 
 to everybodv. froni the Helvey neighborhood 
 on the school section down to the humblest in- 
 habitant of the meanest log cabin nn the dona- 
 tion."" - 
 
 There was dancing as well as eating. The 
 music was furnished by Col. Alexander 
 W. Russell, who enjoyed the distinction of 
 coming to Indianapolis on the first keel boat 
 that came up this far, in May. 1821. He was 
 also a brother of John W. Russell, the steam- 
 boat ca]itain. celebrated in Western annals 
 for an achievement at Xatchez. One of his 
 passengers had been robbed in one of the gam- 
 bling dens that lined the river. Russell de- 
 manded the return of the money: and when re- 
 fused had a gang of hands fasten a hawser 
 around the house, and started the boat. The 
 ganil)lers tossed the poeket-book out of tl^o win- 
 dow, and cried "enough". Alexander W. was 
 a TCentuckian. notable later as county sheriff, 
 militia officer, merchant and postmaster. He 
 was a "fiddler"" of note, and was in demand 
 at all of the early entertainments. On this oc- 
 casion, under his inspiring strains 'Mattbias R. 
 Xowland invited ^frs. Wyant to open the dance 
 with him. Others followed, and all was goins 
 merry as a wedding bell when Mr. Wyant en- 
 tered and ordered the music to stop. Accord- 
 ing to J. H. B. Rowland: "Mr. Wyant said 
 that 'as far as himself and his wife were con- 
 cerned, they were capable of and able to do 
 their own dancing, and that he thought it 
 would look better for every man to dance with 
 
 his own wife; those that had no wife could 
 dance with the gals'". This order, as far as Mr. 
 and ilrs. Wyant were concerned, was strictly 
 adhered to and faithfully carried out the bal- 
 ance of the night. ■■ •' Tliis numifestation of re- 
 ligious or moral scruples on the ]>art of the tav- 
 ern keeper was characteristic of the time. ^Ir. 
 Fletcher records: "On December ;?!, 1823, visit- 
 ed, or rather attended, a theatrical performance 
 at Thomas Carter"s tavern. The jierformers were 
 Jfr. and ilrs. Smith purporting to be directly 
 from the Xew York theaters. They both were 
 not less than 50 years of age, representing the 
 ■Jealous Lovers' and 'Lord What a Snow Storm 
 in May and June". Admittance 2.5 cents. No 
 music at first; fiddle strings broke. Russell 
 and Bolton were requested by our host. Thomas 
 Carter, to play nothing but 'note tunes or 
 ]>salms" as he called them." Carter, who was a 
 strict Baptist, always insisted on this form of 
 ])ropriety in his house, and Xowland records 
 a similar instance in the winter of 1825-(3. in 
 which a ilr. Crampton was the trou]je and Bill 
 Bagwell was the orchestra.* 
 
 Just who "Mr. and Mrs. Smith"", the first 
 players, were, is not known. Their entertain- 
 ment was exactly like those given by "Old Sol 
 Smith"" — uncle of Sol Smith Russell, and a 
 theatrical pioneer of the Ohio valley — and liis 
 wife, when "touring the provinces", and they 
 were at a Cincinnati theater that winter, but 
 they were much under fifty years of age then, 
 and Smith makes no mention of any visit to 
 Indianapolis in his reminiscences. Crampton 
 was a well-known player in the west, and 
 Smith mentions playing with him elsewhere.' 
 Whoever they were, they seem to have done 
 well, for they came back the following sum- 
 mer, when they made the awful mistake of ad- 
 vertising in the Gazette, and not in the Censor, 
 and on June 22, the Censor observed: "Mr. 
 and Mrs. Smith whose performances were 
 treated with so much contempt and ridicule 
 last winter, arrived in town a few days ago, 
 and c(mimenced their performance last night, 
 with what cjicouragement we have not yet been 
 informed. We have not the same objection 
 which exists in the minds of many people 
 
 -Neirs. A]iril 2n. 1S?0. 
 
 ^liniiiitiscenci'x. p. 12S. 
 'nrmiilisci'iicrs. p. Gfi. 
 ''7'lii'iilrirnl 'Mannfjcmnit in 
 Soiilli fur Thirl 1/ Yrar^. N". Y., 
 
 ////' Wi'sl iind.i 
 
 1 SiiS. ',
 
 IsroiiV OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 85 
 
 ngaiii?t the ])frlormaiiLe, by regular and re- 
 speetaljle companies, ol' tragedies and eoniedies; 
 but the eneouragenuMit of thin conipanij, whose 
 exhibitions we understand (for we have never 
 witnesseil them ) alt'ord neither instruction nor 
 rational entertainment, would be a reproach 
 upon our understandings, and would evince a 
 want of taste and discrimination in our citizens, 
 which we are proud to believe does not exist." 
 This seems to have reached the public con- 
 science, for, on June 29, the Censor said: 
 '"Mr. Smith and his cotnitamj, we understand, 
 have absconded, without taking from us any 
 of our cash." Bolton also attended the first 
 Smith entertainment, and says "a musical so- 
 ciety had just been established, of which I 
 was a member, whicli was invited to be pres- 
 ent", lie puts Smith's age at 55, and Mrs. 
 Smith's at (iO, and states that the latter, in 
 addition to the plays, sang the Star Spangled 
 Banner, and danced "a Imrnpipe, Ijlindfolded, 
 amongst eggs"." 
 
 Indianapolis was unquestionably more moral 
 and religious than the average frontier town, 
 and presumably so because it was out of the 
 line of travel, and because there was nothing 
 here for some years to attract the vicious or 
 even the speculative element. There was quite 
 an influx of si)eculators at the sale of lots in 
 October, 1821, but that was of short duration, 
 and as the town gave no evidence of becoming 
 a "boom town", and had nothing to make it 
 such, the speculative element sought other 
 fielils. and the town was left to those who had 
 come to make homes. These were naturally 
 sober-minded, and mostly religious people: and 
 there were religious meetings held in the 
 cabins of the settlers by representatives of all 
 the leading sects long before any of them could 
 afford a meeting-house. There is some ques- 
 tion as to who ])reached the fir.«t sermon here, 
 .some claiming the record for Rev. Resin Ham- 
 mond, of Charlestown, a ^lethodist. who 
 preached at Isaac Wilson's cabin in the spring 
 of 1K21. and some for Rev. John ^IcClung, a 
 "New Light"' who addresseil an open-air mecl- 
 
 ■/»-'/. Il'isl. Soc. Fub.i., Vol. 1. p. 107. 
 
 ' '•N'l'W light" is a rather indefinite term. At 
 ill'' time of the founding of Indianapolis it was 
 nifpsl commonly applied in the West to the fol- 
 lowers of Barton W. Stone, of Kentuckv. Their 
 tcMcIs wei-e almost the same as those of llu' fol- 
 
 ing about the same time, with the probabilities 
 favoring JlcClung. He was at least the first 
 preacher who settled liere, locating on Fall 
 Creek, not far from the present State Fair 
 Grounds, where he died on August 18, 1823. He 
 was originally a Presbyterian, but joined the re- 
 form movement, and for seventeen years was one 
 of their most active preachers in the Ohio Val- 
 ley. His obituary sketch says: "About two years 
 ago he moved to this, then commencing .settle- 
 ment, and continued to preach to verv general 
 acceptance until about the 1st of April last, 
 when he called together the church he had 
 formed, and informed them that having, after 
 careful and prayerful examination, become sat- 
 isfied that the distinguishing doctrines of the 
 society were not scriptural, it became liis duty 
 as an honest man to withdraw his member- 
 ship from the church. * * * por his 
 labors in our infancy as a settlement, and be- 
 fore any other regular preaching was estab- 
 lished in this place, we are under much obli- 
 gation." » Some doubts as to points of doctrine 
 prevented his joining any other church until 
 a short time before his death, when he returned 
 to the Presbyterian fold. 
 
 Rev. Resin Hammond was only a visitor, but 
 in the summer of 1821 the :\Iet'hodists formed 
 a class which met at Isaac Wilson's, and which 
 was the nucleus of the first church. In the fall 
 of 1821 Rev. Wm. (.'ravens was sent here by 
 the i\Iissouri Conference, in which Indiana was 
 then located, to organize a circuit, and In- 
 dianapolis was made a station in his circuit for 
 the year following. Ci'avens was a forcible 
 speaker, with special antiiiathy to slavery and 
 to the sale or use of intoxicating liquors, and 
 he preached at them straiglit and hard." \Wv. 
 James Scott, a Methodist minister, located here 
 on November 28, 1822, being in charge of a cir- 
 cuit that included the northern part of ^Marion, 
 with Hamilton and Madison counties; though 
 he was in charge of tlie camp-meeting held here 
 in September, 1822, and performed various 
 
 lowers of Alexander Campbell, but udl (piite sd 
 damp — they did not consider innuersion es.sen- 
 tial. ]\[ost of the two sects united in IS.IS, and 
 "New Light" and "Campbellife" came In he 
 nearly synonymous. 
 
 'Wexterii Censor. .Vugust 2.'), 1823. 
 
 '•'nollidui/s Indiana ^fefhodlsm. p. 58; 
 Smith's Indiana Miscelianif. p. 1(10.
 
 86 
 
 11IST(»1;V OF (iHEATEE INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 iiiinistfi-ial fuiittious; at a latiT date."' The 
 Jlctliodists did not iindei'tako to maintain a 
 meeting-house until ISS."), when they located 
 in a log building on the south side of ilarvland 
 street, west of Meridian, which they occupied 
 for four years. 
 
 The McCormicks, the first permanent set- 
 tlers, were Baptists, and others soon followed. 
 There were some religious meetings at private 
 houses and in 18"22 the Baptists formed the 
 first church organization at this point. The 
 original minutes of the church, which are pre- 
 served, show that a preliminary meeting was 
 held at the school house, at the point between 
 Kentucky avenue and Illinois street in August, 
 and it was decided to organize on September 
 22. Samuel McC'ormick was directed to write 
 to Lick Creek and Franklin churches, and John 
 W. Reding to Little Flat Rock and Little 
 Cedar Grove churches for "helj)s"" in organiza- 
 tion. On the appointed day Elder Tyner from 
 Little Cedar Grove appeared as a help, and, 
 letters having been presented by Benjamin 
 Barnes, Jeremiah Johnson, Thomas Carter, 
 Otis Hobart, John Hobart, Theodore Y. Denny, 
 John McCormick. Samuel McCormick, John 
 Thompson, William Dodd, Jane Johnson, 
 Xancy Carter, Nancy Thompson, Elizabeth 
 McCormick and Polly Carter, it was decided 
 to adjourn to October 10. On that day the 
 parties assembled, with John W. Reding and 
 Hannah Skinner added, and Benjamin Barnes 
 was selected to speak for the members. 
 "Brother Tyner went into an examination, and 
 finding the members sound in the faith, pro- 
 nounced them a regular Baptist church, and 
 directed them to go into business"'. In Janu- 
 ary, 1823, arrangements were made to secure 
 the school house for meetings, and in June an 
 agreement was made with Benjamin Barnes 
 to preach once a month for the remainder of 
 the year. In the spring of 1825 ^lajor Chinn 
 invited the church to \ise his house, on the 
 north side of Maryland, between Meridian and 
 Illinois, for regular meetings, which was ac- 
 cepted. In June. 1825, the church purchased 
 of William Wilmuth lot 2 in square 60. where 
 the Hebrew Synagogue on East Market street 
 now stands, and meetings were held in a log 
 house that stood on it, whicli was rented for a 
 
 school house on week days. In 1829 the church 
 purchased a lot on the southwest corner of 
 ^[eridian and Maryland streets, and erected its 
 first regular meeting-house there. 
 
 The first Presbyterian who preached here 
 was Rev. Ludwell G. Gaines, of Ohio, a mis- 
 sionary of the General Assembly who held an 
 open air meeting in August, 1821. Rev. David 
 C. Proctor, under the direction of the Connec- 
 ticut Missionary Society, visited Indianapolis 
 for about a week in May, 1822. In February, 
 1822, Dr. Isaac Coe organized a bible class, 
 and in the fall of that year arrangements were 
 made with ]\[r. Proctor to preach three-fourths 
 of his time at Indianapolis for the year begin- 
 
 "See Gazette. June 15, 1824; Western Cen- 
 sor. March 15. :\ray 24. September 14. 1824. 
 
 FIRST PRESBYTERI.A.X CHURCH AND 
 SCHOOL ERECTED. 
 
 (From an olc! cut.) 
 
 ning October 1, 1822. the other one-fourth be- 
 ing given to the church at Bloomington. In 
 the spring of 182:5 a subscription was made 
 for a meeting-house, the first in Indianapolis, 
 which was begim in May and completed in 
 Julv. A formal church ortranization was made 
 on July 5. 1823. at Caleb Scudder"s caiiinet 
 shop. Rev. Isaac Reed, who preached at Xew 
 Albany, and made occasional missionary tours 
 into the back settlements, writes: "My first 
 visit to Indianapolis was through many perils 
 of waters by the way, in company with ilr. 
 Proctor, the 3rd of .July. On the afternoon 
 of the 4th. 1 ]ireached to the Presbyterian 
 friends at ;i cal)in('t maker's sliop : and at the
 
 lllsroK'Y OF CliKATKi;, I M )1.\ \ Al'Ol.lS. 
 
 same place, on iliu morning of thu .Jtli, I 
 preached as moderator in the formation of the 
 cliun-li of Indianapolis. The same day two 
 other ministers arrived. The next day was the 
 Sabbath, and there were four ministers with 
 this new formed cluireh. The chureh was or- 
 ganized with fifteen members. Dr. Isaac Coe 
 and t'aleb Seudder were elected elders. A 
 church edifice had been begun in ^lay before 
 the organization of the church, and was so far 
 completed that it was occupied at the sacra- 
 ment of the I.i()rd"s Supper on the Sal)bath, the 
 next day after the organization of the church." 
 The early religious meetings, especially 
 where there was preaching, were generally at- 
 tended, without regard to denomination. 
 Among the notes in Mrs. Fletclier's diary for 
 her first year here are the following: "Sun- 
 day, November 18, 1821. 1 attended prayer 
 meeting at Mr. Ste])hens"." "Sunday. Novem- 
 ber 2'}, 1821, 1 attended in'caching at Mr. Haw- 
 kins' when! 1 heard a very good sermon by a 
 Newlight minister."' "Sunday, December 30, 
 
 1821, 1 heard a sermon delivered by a Newlight 
 minister which I did not think commendable, 
 but w^e must allow for it as it has not been but 
 about three months since he began to speak in 
 public." ■^'Sunday, jWay 12, 1822, I attended 
 jireaching at tiie (Jovernor's circle, it was the 
 first sermon ever delivered at that |dace. Kev. 
 ^^r. Proctor took his text from the :iOth chap- 
 ter of Proverbs and 17tli verse. * * * '['],g 
 preacher is a Presbyterian and a very good 
 orator. He will speak again on Tuesday p. 
 ni." "Tuesday, 14th. In the morning it rained, 
 and in the afternoon was clear b\it muddy. 
 Mr. F. attended preaching at the school house." 
 "Sunday, !lth .luiie. Mrs. Wick and I attended 
 Jfethodist preaching.'" "Sunday, l()th June, 
 
 1822. Mr. lUake went to Sabbath School." 
 •'Sunday, 12th duly. This day attended Bap- 
 tist preaching at the school house." In Se\> 
 lemlier, 1822, is the note: "Camp meeting com- 
 menced the l.'itb of Septendier and lield four 
 days." 
 
 The Sabbath school to which Mi-. Pilake went 
 nn dune lO, 1822, was presumably Dr. Coe's 
 bible class, for there is no record of any Sab- 
 bath sdiool here until the union school was 
 organized the next spring at Caleb Scudder's 
 cabinet shop. Mrs. Fletcher w-rites of it: 
 "April (i. 182.'i. Our school commenced, which 
 I hope will be (d" .i;n'Mt benefit to the children 
 
 of our town." This school organization was 
 named the Indianapolis Sabbath School Union, 
 and included all denominations as well as non- 
 church members. James .\1. Kay, the first su- 
 perintendent, and James Blake, orre of the 
 active workers, were not then church members. 
 Among the ,teachers were Caleb Seudder, Doug- 
 lass JIaguire, Henry Bradley, B. F. Morris, Dr. 
 Dunlap, the Mis.«es Coe, Mrs. Morris, Miss 
 .McDougall, Mrs. Seudder, and ^Irs. Paxton. 
 It followed the general plan of the American 
 Sabbath School I'nion, and served a valuable 
 educational purpose aside from the religious 
 instruction. The school was divided into four 
 "classes", or as they would now be called 
 "grades", and each class was divided into 
 "sections"' corresponding to modern "classes"'. 
 Those of the first class studied the scriptures 
 direct; the second memorized hymns, cate- 
 chisms, etc.; the third included "those who 
 spell in two or more syllables, and the fourth 
 those who are learning tlie aljihabct anil mono- 
 syllables"'. In August, 1826, the Indiana Sab- 
 bath School Union was organized at Indian- 
 apolis, and at its first annual meeting, August 
 3-6, 1827, elaborate directions for Sabbath 
 School organization were issued, based on the 
 work of the Indianapolis school, of which the 
 following extract will give a comprehensive 
 idea: "The first class should memorize Mat- 
 thew, begiiining at the 2d chapter, John, Acts 
 and Eomans. A selection, as given in the ap- 
 pendix, from Genesis, Ivxodus and Deuteron- 
 omy, with such other parts of scripture or cate- 
 chisms as may be thought advisable. The sec- 
 ond class should memorize catechisms and 
 liymns — those published by the .\merican Sun- 
 day School Fnion are prepari'd by a committee 
 consisting of the principal religious denomina- 
 tions in the I'nited States, and contain no 
 doctrines in which all do not unite. In the 
 Indianapolis school, Watts' First Catechism, 
 Milk for Babes, Watts' Divine and Moral 
 Songs. Doddi'idges P(x>tical Lessons, and Tav- 
 lor's Original Hynms are learned in course, 
 before commencing the Testament. The third 
 class should use some spelling book. And the 
 fourth class some spelling book or primer con- 
 taining the alphabet and words of one syllable; 
 and both classes should memorize their spelling 
 lessons, 'i'hc Sunday School Spelling Rook 
 and I'liion Primer were designed for these 
 classes, but inii,dit, the (■iiMiniitt<'e believe, be
 
 S8 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 still better titled for the object they are in- 
 tended to accomplish, particularly the last, — 
 the vocabulary of monosyllables in Webster's 
 spelling book appears better calculated, they 
 believe, to advance the young beginner." 
 
 The memorizing was the chief feature of the 
 worlc, and to encourage it the distribution of 
 liooks from the Sunday School library was 
 made dependent on it. The library was com- 
 l)osed chiefly of publications of the national 
 Union, and of these three depositories were 
 established in the state, at Madison, New 
 Albany and Indianapolis. Any school joining 
 the Union, and paying one dollar, could obtain 
 these books at cost ; to others an advance of 
 fifteen per cent, was charged. The books were 
 classified by price, and the pupil could "draw a 
 book from the library of the value of four 
 times as many cents as the average lesson as- 
 signed by the religious instructor to the class 
 consists of verses, or their equivalents, which 
 book may be kept one week and no longer". 
 For "every dirt or grease spot, turned down or 
 torn leaf, or week over-kept" there was a fine 
 of from one to seven cents, according to the 
 value of the book, which was to be paid in 
 money or memorizing. The class record was 
 devoted to this matter of memorizing, as ap- 
 pears from the following model prepared and 
 circulated bv the Union: 
 
 "TEACHER'S CLASS BOOK 
 Male. — Peter Punctual, Teacher. 
 
 1st Class. 1st Section. Ma.v B. 13. 
 
 C V M C V M 
 
 Israel Industry 23 SO .iO 24 41 50 
 
 Solomon Steady 20 1 50 21 17 40 
 
 Simon Sober 19 1 50 20 21 50 
 
 Abraham Active 10 23 40 11 21 45 
 
 Charles Careless 4 1 20 4 21 15 
 
 O stands for chapter. V, verse, where lesson begins. M 
 number of versos memorized." 
 
 The Sunday School was a success from the 
 start, there being 70 in attendance on the third 
 Sunday. On April 23, the Censor said: "It 
 is highly flattering to witness the success that 
 has attended the formation of the Sunday 
 School in this town. The exertions of the 
 Directory and Superintendent have produced 
 the most flattering prospects. The school on 
 the two last Sabbaths was numerously at- 
 tended, and the order and harmony that pre- 
 vailed, considering the inexperience of those 
 engaged in teaching, furnish the strongest 
 proof of the practicability of rendering such 
 establishments emiiK'ntly useful in improving 
 
 tile condition of the rising generation."' The 
 chief promoter of the union Sunday School 
 was Dr. Isaac Coe, who became its "clerk"; 
 but he was warmly seconded by the press" and 
 all public-spirited citizens. The school was dis- 
 continued in the winter months of 1823-4, but 
 was renewed on April 24, 182-1:, and was con- 
 tinuous thereafter, meeting in the Presbyterian 
 church when it was completed. It was the only 
 Sunday School until the spring of 1828, when 
 the ^Methodists organized a separate school, and 
 the Baptists did likewise in 1832. 
 
 An interesting feature of the early Sunday 
 schools was their participation in the celebra- 
 tion of the Fourth of July, which began in 
 1828. The glorious Fourth had not been over- 
 looked before that time. Even in 1821 the 
 young people of the place had celebrated by 
 obtaining a keel-boat that had recently come 
 up the river, aud going up to Anderson's spring 
 for a picnic. Anderson's spring is still the 
 finest spring in this vicinity, though it is little 
 known because of its out-of-the-way location. 
 It is at the foot of the bluft' south of Emmer- 
 icli's grove, on the west side of the river, about 
 half way between the Cold Spring and the 
 Emmerichsville bridge. At present it is partly 
 harnessed to a hydraulic ram. and pumps water 
 to a tank in the garden farm of Mrs. Denke 
 just above. It took its name from Thomas 
 Anderson, one of the earliest settlers, who lo- 
 cated at that point. In 1822 the citizens met 
 at Hawkins' tavern on June 17, and made 
 arrangements for a public celebration on the 
 Military Reserve, which then extended south 
 to Washington street as well as including the 
 present Military Park. The celebration opened 
 with a sermon from Rev. John McClung. from 
 the text, '"Righteousness exalteth a nation but 
 sin is a reproach to any people" ; which was 
 followed by a brief speech and the reading of 
 the Declaration of Independence by Judge 
 Wick, Washington's Inaugural Address by 
 Squire Obed Foote. Washington's Farewell Ad- 
 dress, by John Hawkins, and a prayer and 
 benediction by Rev. Robert Brenton. Then 
 followed a dinner, the central feature of which 
 was a barbecued buck that had been killed the 
 day before by Robert Harding, with patriotic 
 toasts, and an ample supply of the spirit of the 
 maize. The toasts, fourteen in number, were 
 
 ^Censor, ^lanh l!l and 26.
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATKR IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 89 
 
 written by Calvin Fletcher, the last one being, 
 "Indianapolis, ilay it not prove itself un- 
 worthy the honor the state has conferred upon 
 it by making- it her .-cat of wovcrnnK'nf.'-' .\t 
 night there was a ball at C'nuiibaugbV immtii 
 and justice Aw\>. at the corner of Market and 
 .Mis.-ouri streets.''- In 18-.?3, tbe Cmisur says: 
 "The day was ushered in by the firing of mus- 
 kets and rifles. About ten o'clock, agreeably 
 to a previous notice, the citizens of the town 
 and vicinity assembled in a handsome shade 
 on the town plat, where, after an appropriate 
 prayer by the I?ev. Mr. Proctor, and the read- 
 ing of the Declaration of Independence by D. 
 B. Wick. Esq., an oration was delivered by 
 Jlorris ilorris, Esq., and the services of the 
 occasion -were closed by prayer from the Rev. 
 Jlr. Reid." The dinner was at Wilkes Rca- 
 gans with the customary toasts, and the festivi- 
 ties closed with a ball at the same place. 
 
 These celebrations increased in splendor as 
 the militarv and civic organizations developed. 
 In 1827 the Journal says: "The day was an- 
 nounced by the discharge of 2-1 rounds of can- 
 non, amid tbe cheers of the citizens. At an 
 early hour, the artillery, commanded by Captain 
 Morris, and the rifle company, commanded by 
 « 'aptain Reding, paraded and placed in front of 
 ilie procession formed by Captain ^IcFarland, 
 who acted as marshal of the day. Then fol- 
 lowed the committee of arrangements, the 
 President and Vice-president, Chaplain and 
 leader of vocal music. Orator and Reader of the 
 Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary 
 -oldiers and citizens." This imposing body 
 moved to the court house where a large con- 
 lourse, with many ladies, was waiting. The 
 dinner, at the tavern of Mr. Hays was made 
 memorable by 2-i regular toasts and 18 volun- 
 teers. But in 1828 the procession was more 
 impressive, for "the scholars of our two Sab- 
 bath schools, attended by their superintendents 
 and instructors, together with a large number 
 of ladies from town and country took a con- 
 spicuous part". The services were at the court 
 hou.'^e, and tliere was "music from a select choir 
 of singers, aecompanied by instrumental music 
 from the members of the Indianapolis Han- 
 dolian Society"''. After the services two pro- 
 cessions were formed ; one of the niale patriots 
 to repair to the dinner at the Sugar Grove, 
 
 '"■Ncirs, June 7, 1879. 
 
 '■"'See alsi) X(Jirlitiiirs }?cmiiilsrniirs, p. 131. 
 
 cast of the town, and the otlier of the Sabbath 
 .-cnoot scholars, and ladies "to return to the 
 schools". This innovation gave such general 
 satisfaction that the Sunday schools thence- 
 forward became star attractions, as may be 
 seen from the order of formation in 1829, 
 w-hich the Gazelle gives as follows: 
 
 1. Artillery. 
 
 2. Ladies and I'emale Teaciiers. 
 
 o. Four Female Teachers and Bannei' 
 ■1, Female scholars, smallest in front 
 5. Music. 
 U, Eour Male Teachers and Banner. 
 
 7. Male scholars, smallest in front. 
 
 8. Two Clergymen, Reader and Orator, 
 
 9. Superintendents, Teachers, Etc. 
 
 10. Citizens, four abreast. 
 
 On this occasion the adtlress was liy J udge 
 James Morrison, who gave a history of the 
 Sabbath school movement. At that time he 
 saitl there were 190 on the rolls of the Lnion 
 school, with an average attendance of 110 
 scholars and 30 teachers; while the Methodist 
 sciiool had 98 scholars and 19 teachers. The 
 work had been prosecuted outside of town till 
 18 schools had been formed, and the attendance 
 at all the schools in the county was between 
 1,100 and 1,200. As illustrating their bene- 
 lit he mentioned one locality where there were 
 only 30 children in the day schools, but 90 
 attended the Sunday school. 
 
 The jjarticipation of the Sunday schools in 
 the Fourth of July celebrations continued un- 
 til 1857, and as they were shut out of the 
 dinners it became the custom to stay the juve- 
 nile stomachs by a distribution of rusk and 
 water, until home and something more sub- 
 stantial could be reached. And as tiie various 
 denominations formed independent Sunday 
 schools it became the custom for each school 
 to join the procession as a separate organiza- 
 tion. All of the schools joined, with two ex- 
 ceptions. The Episcopalians did not join in 
 this diversion, but just why is not recorded. 
 The Universalists, after a brief and unsuccess- 
 ful ell'ort at organization in the 'iOs, reorgan- 
 ized in 18.53, and maintained a Sunday school, 
 but it always llocked by itself on tlu' Fourth, 
 usually holding a picnic in the woods north of 
 the University, on College avenue, wliich Ovid 
 Butler furnished for tlie occasion. The picnic 
 was the microbe that destroyed the old-time 
 celebration. In early days the tendency of the 
 seeker for recreation was to get out of the
 
 !10 
 
 IIISTOKV OF (IliKATEU JXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 woods and into town, but as physical conditions 
 clianged this tendency was reversed. Occasion- 
 ally even a Sunday school cut the parade and 
 went to the woods for a picnic. And so it 
 came to pass that the celebration in 1857 was 
 a fizzle. The National Guards had gone to 
 Lexington, Ky., to the laying of the cornerstone 
 of the Henry Clay monument, and had taken 
 the city band with them. The firemen had 
 gone to a picnic near Franklin. Several of 
 the Sunday schools had taken to the woods. 
 The Journal lugubriously observed: "The Sun- 
 day school children made the only display that 
 was made, and even they fell short of their 
 
 dropped entirely, and the timc-lionored jiaradc, 
 with "Uncle Jmnny" Blakc as marshal, ha.- be- 
 come only a fond memory of the older citizens. 
 Although the Sunday school was organized 
 in large part to supjjly the deficiency of day 
 schools, the early settlers were not unmindful 
 of the latter. In 1821 they got together and 
 ])ut up a log school house on the edge of a 
 large pond that was located at the corner of 
 Kentucky avenue and Washington street, and 
 here Joseph C. Reed was installed as the first 
 riacher.'° Its construction was voluntary, and 
 the school was a "pay school", for there was no 
 otficial school organization as vet. A descHp- 
 
 THB FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE. KENTUCKY A\^. AND ILLINOIS ST. 
 (From a pencil sketch by James B. Dunlap.) 
 
 usual numbers and spirit. There was no 
 music in the city, no firemen's parade, no mili- 
 tary displa}", no movement of any kind after an 
 early hour in the morning. The tlnnidering of 
 the cannon, rapidly fired by the Artillery boys, 
 opened the day well, but the promise of a 'good 
 time' was illy fulfilled. The remark was uni- 
 versal that 'so dull a Fourth was never seen'. 
 At night tliere was some compensation for the 
 sleepiness of the day in a profusion of fire- 
 works and bonfires, but that was all."''' In 
 lS.-)8, tlie Fourth came on Sunday, and |)art of 
 the communitv celebrated on Saturday. ]iir1 on 
 Mondav. Thereafter tlie ancient cnstini was 
 
 *-l()nni(il. .)iil\ 
 
 is.-,r. 
 
 tion of this school lio\ise is given in tlie notes 
 left by :Mrs. ^Martin, who, as Miss Betty Smith, 
 (hiughter of George Smith, the pioneer pub- 
 lisher, went to school there at the ago of thir- 
 teen. She says: "The first school house was a 
 cabin with rough-bewinl floor and benches, and 
 a slab of the same kind was fastened to the wall 
 to write on; and back of tliat a log was sawed 
 out, and sticks put in to paste paper on, and 
 the paper was greased to make it light, so we 
 were pretty well fi.xed. We nsed to have sing- 
 ing school of evenings, and prayer meetings, 
 and on Saturday and Sunday the sheep used 
 to occupy our school room in our absence. .\nd 
 
 ''Bn 
 
 I iiiliii 
 
 nil ji 
 
 ,lis.
 
 lllsrolJV t>K (illKA'lEi; IXDI.WAI'OI.IS. 
 
 91 
 
 how do vou su]ipos(' tlicy got iu? W'ull, Hr'V 
 got in by tliu cliiniiiov. 1 ^^iippor^e you think 
 the fliiiniu'v \va^ not very higli — it was about 
 four feet high, and six feet wide, so you see 
 we could have a good tire." The occupancy 
 by the slieep was not regular, liowever, for the 
 school house was often used for preaching and 
 otlicr meetings. The state law, which was very 
 rudimentary, provided for putting the "school 
 sections" under tlic care of superintendents, 
 leasing them, and applying the returns to the 
 use of schools; but no appointments could be 
 made until after the county commissioners 
 were elected in the following spring; and even 
 then the j)rofits from the school lands were 
 only nominal for several years. Tlie law also 
 provided for the election of school tiustees l)y 
 the ))eople, and gave these trustees power to do 
 almost anything "not inconsistent uiih tlic 
 constitution and the law"" for the "encourage- 
 ment of schools."' Mr. Keed's service was evi- 
 dently acceptable, for he was elected County 
 Recorder the next spring, but that left the 
 school witliout a teacher. A meeting was hehl 
 on June '^0, 1822, and trustees were elected, 
 but the scliool was very irreguhir, on account 
 of the difliculty of getting a teacher. Several 
 are said to have been tried but with -o little 
 satisfaction that not even their names aiv pre- 
 served. 
 
 But relief was coming from another source. 
 8avs Kev. J. C. Fletcher: ''Jt is a noted fact 
 that from 1822 to 1S3!> the .Methodists had the 
 liest preaeiiers in Indianapolis and the Presby- 
 terians the best schools.""'" It certainly was a 
 blessing to the community that the first Presby- 
 terian Board of Trustees included those two 
 energetic educational cranks Dr. Isaac Coe as 
 chairman and James Blake as secretary. The 
 new churcli for which subscriptions were taken 
 ill May. lS2.'i, was eom])leted that snniiiier, and 
 it included a school room arranged for use on 
 week days as well as Sundays. On March 1). 
 1S24, the trustees announced that school woiilil 
 be opened on the first Monday in Ajn-il liy .\li-. 
 and ifrs. Lawrence, who were certified to be 
 f[ualified instructors in "Eeading, Writing, 
 .Vritlimelic. I'jiglish Grammar and Geography"', 
 in addition to which Mrs. T>awrence taught 
 nc'cdlc-work. The tuition was $2 per quarter. 
 and realizing that even this seeming small 
 
 "'•Xcw.i. .lune 2S, IKTi). 
 charge would be a burden, the trustees sav 
 
 "It has been a matter of serious solicitude with 
 the Trustees that the school should be of the 
 greatest advantage to tin- public; and believ- 
 ing that many from the largeness of their 
 families, and the difficulties attending a re- 
 moval to a new settlement, are but ill prepared 
 to pay for that schooling they would wish their 
 children to have, and which it is of high im- 
 portance they should enjoy, the board have re- 
 served the privilege of sending six children 
 gratis, and provision will be made by a num- 
 ber of young men and others to pay for the 
 instruction of several more." They also pro- 
 posed to "give one scholar his tuition for giv- 
 ing the signal for school, and making the fire 
 each morning one hour before its opening"'. 
 
 The Lawrences — Kiee B. and Ann — were 
 very competent teachers, from Xew York origi- 
 nally, but direct from Troy, Ohio. Mr. 
 Brown says they tauglit for a time in the log 
 school house, but if so it was a short time, for 
 they came here in the last of October, 1823. 
 They were Presbyterians, and active workers 
 in the Sunday school as well as the day school. 
 The second cpiarter of this school was an- 
 nounced to open on July 2(5, but Mr. Law- 
 rence fell ill, and died on July 31; and the 
 school, which was continued by Mrs. Lawrence,, 
 ojicned on August 9. The third term opened 
 Xovember 15, and this was the last one adver- 
 tised, but Mrs. Lawrence evidently continued 
 to teach in 182.'j, for a time, for Mrs. Ketcbam 
 describes her attendance there in summer, and 
 her family did not come to Indianapolis until 
 -Xovember, 182-1. There was an interim, how- 
 I'vcr, between her school and that of Ebenc/.i'r 
 Sharpe, her successor, in which Samuel Merrill,. 
 Rev. George Bush, and Mrs. Bush made rec- 
 ords as volunteer teaehei's. On November 7, 
 1S2G, the trustees announced that Ebenezer 
 Sharpe had begun school, or rather had 
 "opened the Indianapolis .\cademy"', for it was 
 low on a more pretentious basis. There were 
 two assistants. Miss Isabella Sharpe and 
 Thomas H. Sharpe, the latter "then a blonde- 
 haired young gentleman of eighteen", and 
 s(unething of an athlete, for he soon established 
 a reputation as the fastest sprinter in this lo- 
 cality. P^benezer Sharpe was a Marylander, of 
 classical education, who was one of the earlv 
 professors at Transylvania University, at Lex- 
 iiij;ton, Kentucky. He remained tiiere until 
 Ih-. Holly, of Boston, was elected president, 
 when, on account of Dr. Hollv being a I'ni-
 
 '.)2 
 
 HISTORY OF GllEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 tarian, several proiessors, including Mr. Sharpe, 
 resigned. iMr. Sliarpe then established an 
 academy at Paris, Kentucky, from wliich place 
 lie came here. He raised the standard of the 
 school and giaded the rates — 
 
 •"For spelling and reading per qr., $i.UO. 
 Writing and arithmetic, $2.50. 
 Geography, English grammar, mathematics, 
 the languages and philosophy, $3.00."'" 
 
 This school gave the first public exhibition 
 at the court house, on October 6, 1827, and so 
 successfully that tlie Journal was moved to re- 
 mark: "The original pieces that were spoken 
 on the occasion were of a charcter well deserv- 
 ing commendation."' And so were those not 
 original, for tradition records that T^om Morris 
 (later General) enacted the part of a miser so 
 well, in his recitation, that old farmer Mc- 
 Dowell, who had the reputation of being "a 
 little near", took offense, and left the room 
 with audible denunciations of the whole per- 
 formance. In fact this may almost be called 
 the beginning of amateur theatricals, for 
 Thomas appeared in costume, with knee- 
 breeches and a wig which he had himself con- 
 structed from cows tails. About 1830 Mr. 
 .Sharpe removed his school to a frame building 
 at the corner of Ohio and Meridian streets, and 
 continued it there until a short time before 
 his death in 1835. The opening of the "old 
 seminary"" in 1834 marked a new epoch in In- 
 dianapolis schools, to be considered later. There 
 were several other private schools in the early 
 period, but little is recorded concerning them. 
 Among the teachers were Messrs. Lambert, 
 Fleming, Bryan, Tufts, Austin W. Morris, 
 Wm. Daily (later president of the state uni- 
 versity), MePherson (who was drowned by 
 Vanblarieum), and •'Seotch'"'" Mayne. The last- 
 named was an eccentric Scotchman, with an un- 
 tiring devotion to snuff and the ferule, both of 
 which went chiefly to the head. 
 
 As illustrative of the homogeneous character 
 of the settlement prior to the actual coming 
 of the capital, may be mentioned one other 
 dance that occurred towards the close of that 
 period, and which was as celebrated in tradi- 
 tion as the opening ball at Wyant's. In the 
 summer and fall of 1823 James Blake and 
 Samuel Henderson erected a new frame tavern 
 on Washington street where the New York 
 store now stands, and started out as tavern- 
 
 keepers — just imagine "Uncle Jimmy" Blake 
 taking out a retail liquor license. The new 
 house was christened Washington Hall, and 
 was opened with a ball on Christmas eve, con- 
 cerning which Calvin Fletcher recorded: "De- 
 cember 24. "We this day have had a ball at 
 Keepers Henderson & Blake's. Mr. Foote, Mr. 
 liaiston, Mr. Culbertson, Douglass Maguire 
 and myself were the managers. The day was 
 clear and cold. Our fiarty was attended by 
 about 30 couple. Supper splendid — and every- 
 thing surpassingly agreeable." This ball was 
 fruitful of reminiscences in the old settlers' 
 meetings, and Douglass Jilaguire is authority 
 for the statement that "Mr. Blake did some 
 very good dancing and Mr. Fletcher was the 
 best manager in a ball room that he ever saw.""^ 
 Of course it will be remembered that at this 
 time these gentlemen had not become church 
 members, and it must not be understood that 
 there was no objection to dancing in the com- 
 munity. The Methodists prohibited it at that 
 time, and so did some of the other sects. On 
 January 2(5, 1827, the Presbyterian minutes 
 say : "It having been ascertained that the chil- 
 dren of one of the members of this church have 
 in two cases recently attended a dancing party 
 in this place, resolved thereupon that Jlr. Bush 
 lie requested to visit and converse with, and if 
 necessary admonish that member in the name 
 of the session on the impropriety of her con- 
 duct." On the whole Indianapolis at the time 
 was quite deserving of the following editorial 
 puff which appeared in the Weittcrn Censor of 
 October 10, 1821: "Our town is well supplied 
 with schools and they are beginning to be estab- 
 lished in different parts of the country; we 
 have jDreaching in town every Sabbath, and our 
 society is excellent. The moral and correct de- 
 portment of our citizens is a subject of remark 
 to every observing and intelligent traveler. And 
 here we cannot avoid mentioning as one among 
 the most important of the moral engines in 
 operation for the restraint of vice and the pro- 
 motion of virtue and religion, and as being an 
 ornament to the town, the existence of the In- 
 dianapolis Sabbath School, an institution in 
 the encouragement and support of which all 
 denominations tmite, which is attended by chil- 
 dren of both sexes and all conditions of life, 
 and on the rolls of which there are nearly one 
 liundred scholars." 
 
 ^'Locomotive, June 14, 1856.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOWN. 
 
 There wns never any approach to general pri- 
 vation and hardship in Indianapolis after the 
 iirst two vears, though there was some incon- 
 venience for a time on account of the isolation 
 of the jilace. The difficulty and expense of 
 transporting goods from the outside operated 
 somewliat like a tariil" tax to stimulate domestic 
 manufacture, but even that condition was im- 
 proved by the gradual improvement of wagon 
 roads. As early as ]\Iay 15, 1839, the editor 
 of the Democrat (Xathaniel Bolton) was in- 
 dulging in reminiscent articles on "Indian- 
 apolis — the past and the present" ; and on that 
 date he said : "We have been assured by several 
 old settlers that our ]iei-sonal friend, the ven- 
 erable Mr. .John ITager. now clerk of the court 
 in Hancock County, frequently brought the 
 latest intelligence from Cincinnati by his ox 
 cart. Mr. Hager is well known here to our 
 old citizens as among the most enterprising, 
 active and industrious of the old pioneers. 
 When an immense and almost trackless forest 
 stretclied over the now Ijcautiful and improved 
 country, Isir. Ilager was busy in the wilderness. 
 It is even now a joli of some diffioilty to haul 
 from Cincinnati with o.xen. even if the road is 
 fine; anyone acquainted with a western wilder- 
 ness can form some faint idea of the task of 
 driving through a roadless, trackless, unin- 
 habited forest, and run the risks necessarily 
 incident to such an undertaking. Old Johnny 
 Hager, who first by his team brought the neees- 
 .sarics of life to the first settlers, is still alive, 
 and long may he live to see the improvements 
 of the country in which he spent the vigor of 
 his life. Yes; seventeen years ago, the inhabi- 
 tants of this part of the country anxiously 
 flocked around the ox-cart of ;Mr. Hager to 
 hear the latest eastern news !" 
 
 As has been mentioned, the speculative class 
 
 of the earliest comers did not remain here, 
 there being so little prospect of any speedy ad- 
 vance in real estate that they let their first 
 ]iayments go.* On December 6, 182G, Benjamin 
 I. Blythe, the State Agent, reported that under 
 the relief act of January "^(i of that year, there 
 had been transfers of payments on 25 lots, 
 amounting to $1,857.52, but there had been 
 relinquishments of 99 lots on which $2,619.00 
 had been paid. But meanwhile the country 
 was steadily settling and improving. On Feb- 
 ruary 20, 1827, comparing the situation with 
 that at the sale of lots in October, 1821, the 
 Journal said : "At that time the whole popu- 
 lation in what was called the Xcw Purchase, 
 embracing all the territory williin 50 miles of 
 this place, was returned Ijy the Marshal at 
 about 1,300. The population within the same 
 bounds must now amount to upwards of 55,- 
 000 and that of this town to abotit 1,000 souls. 
 There are now 25 brick, GO frame, and about 
 80 hewn log houses and cabins in town. The 
 ptiljlie liuildings are a Court House GO feet 
 by 45, a .lail, and Meeting Houses, belonging 
 to the Presbyterian. Baptist and ^lethodist so- 
 cieties. The former have a settled preacher 
 and upwards of 30 members in their church. 
 The Baptist church has 3G and the Methodist 
 93 menii)crs. .\ Sunday school, which all de- 
 nominations join in supporting, has existed 
 without interruption foi- more than five years. 
 The present number of teachers is about 20 
 and the scholars from HH) to 200. There are 
 weekly schools in which some of the teachers 
 would not disoedit their calling in any part of 
 the Union, and the same niav be said of some 
 of the members of each of the U-arned ]irofes- 
 sion?." 
 
 These estimates were conservative. The re- 
 [xut of the Sunday School, on .\pril 10, showed 
 
 93
 
 D4 
 
 IIIS'IOKV OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 4 superintendents, 8 religious instructors, 31 
 teachers and 188 scholars on the books, with 
 an average attendance of 150. The census 
 taken by the Sunday School visitors on Xovem- 
 ber 27 and .28, showed a total population of 
 1,0(56, composed of white males, 529; white 
 females, 479; colored males, 34; colored fe- 
 males, 24.' The Sunday School work gave espe- 
 cial cause for satisfaction. The Indiana Sab- 
 bath School I'nion had established one of its de- 
 positories of books at this point, and the local 
 school had put in circulation a library of 152 
 volumes. The children seem to have been quite 
 as well behaved as their elders. One of the 
 teachers testified to the Journal : "I have had 
 under my care for the last six months an aver- 
 age number of between 70 and 80 scholars; in 
 atl that time there has been but one complaint 
 (and that was in the case of a new comer) 
 against any of those children for profanity or 
 ([uarreling. Not even a pane of glass has been 
 Ijroken in the school room, though frequently 
 a large part of the scholars spend their inter- 
 mission time there.""- The women had organ- 
 ized a Female Bilde Society on April 18, 1825, 
 and in its second year they distributed gratui- 
 Kmsly 50 testaments and 7 bibles, besides sell- 
 ing 69 testaments and li bibles. The men fol- 
 lowed by organizing the Clarion County Bil)ic 
 Society on November 13, 1825. They did not 
 a])]iarentlv secure so great results, but they were 
 xcrv strong on reports and resolutions.'' Tiie 
 Imiianapolis Tract Society was also organized 
 in the spring of 1825, and maintained a useful 
 existence for many years. 
 
 But while moral conditions were excellent, 
 the Journal, which already leaned to ''the 
 .Vmerican system" of tariff, lamented the large 
 importation of merchandise. On October 2, 
 1827, it stated that it had been making inves- 
 tigations of the imports for consumption for 
 the past year, and that, ''witliin the time men- 
 tioned, twelve of our merchants and inn-kec])- 
 ers have purchased f(U' home consumption from 
 manufacturers without the coimty, 76 kegs of 
 tobacco, 213 barrels of whisky. 200 barrels of 
 flour, 100 kegs of powder, and 4,500 lbs. of 
 spun cotton. The first cost of tliese articles 
 must somewhat exceed $5,000, and wlien we 
 
 ^Journal. Dccemlier 11, 1827. 
 
 -Jotirnal. April 10. 1827. 
 
 ■'See Jiiiiriiiil. Novcnilier 21. 1820. 
 
 add what has been purchased from other 
 sources by individuals for their private use, 
 and what has been paid for cigars, cordage, 
 linseed oil and hats, it is believed that the first 
 cost of the whole will fall but little short of 
 $10,000. Another year will no doubt lessen 
 the importation of some of the articles men- 
 tioned. The wheat crop was good, and it is 
 thought to be nearly sufficient for home con- 
 sumption. At any rate we have been supplied 
 witli flour, with but slight exception, of our 
 own manitfacture, in plenty and of good qual- 
 ity since harvest. The hatting business it is 
 expected will be carried on in future as ex- 
 tensively as our wants require. In this article 
 and that of flour there will be a saving of at, 
 least $3,000. We do not learn that the manu- 
 facture of whisky is increasing. It does not 
 appear that more than 71 barrels of whisky, 
 distilled in this county, have been purchased 
 by our merchants within the year. No attempts 
 have yet been made to manufacture tobacco, 
 powder, linseed oil, cordage or cotton yarn."' 
 
 Unquestionably this })ublieation was in aid 
 of the steam mill project, the stock for which 
 was being sold at this time, for on November 
 20 the Journal recapitulated its facts and 
 added: "Some of the articles mentioned, it is 
 believed, will hereafter be furnished by our 
 own workmen, but we can hardly expect in the 
 present age of improvement to be able to com- 
 pete with others without the aid of steam. If 
 no individual has the capital necessary for the 
 purpose, let the united efforts of our citizens 
 provide for the erection of machinery, which 
 would not only relieve us from excessive drains 
 of money, bvit afford employment to the indus- 
 trious of almost every age and capacity." As 
 mentioned elsewhere, the steam mill was duly 
 built, and duly demonstrated that there is no 
 advantage in doing things yourself if you can 
 get someone else to do them cheaper for you — 
 also that cheapness of manufacture depends 
 largely on the anKumt produced and sold, and 
 that involves a market for your surplus, which 
 Indianapolis did not then have. 
 
 In reality manufactures had been coming 
 about as rapidly as they were profitable. As 
 has been seen, saw and grist mills were early 
 in demand, and were started as soon as possi- 
 ble. Yandes and \\'ilkins o]x'ned their tan- 
 nery in 1823. Israel Phillins and Isaac Lynch 
 Were rival shoemakers in the earlv settlement.
 
 IIIS'I'OI.'Y ol' ClIKA'I'F.i; IXDI.WAI'OI.IS. 
 
 !!.") 
 
 but LviK-li iiiovfd til ( 'rawl'onlsville in Aiii;u>t, 
 l.s-^i, iiiul lul'I the field to J'liillips for the tune 
 being. Aiidi-e\v Byrne, tlie pioneer tailor, 
 found a eonipetitor in John K. Looney in No- 
 vember, 1853. Caleb Scudder, the first eabinet 
 maker, seems to liave been rivalled only by 
 Fleming T. Ln.se till April, 1824, when Amos 
 Griffith opened a shop ; and in June, 1824, 
 Andrew W. Eeed started another just north of 
 Vandi's and W'ilkins" tannery. John Sliunk 
 the first hatter eanie in 1821, and the ne.xt was 
 Henry Knutt, who opened a shop on West 
 Washington street in the summer of 1824. His 
 coming and advertisement brought Sluink into 
 the ](apers with a statement that he was en- 
 larging his business, and desired those who had 
 owed him "for 1, 2 or 3 years" to pay np. 
 Cliarles J. Hand established his "hat manu- 
 factory" on .Market street in Xovember, 182."). 
 George Jlyers, potter, came in 1821. and 
 opened a pottery, which apparently descended, 
 for in 1824 Abraham Myers advertised that he 
 "continues to carry on the potting business in 
 all its variety on the Kentucky avenue, corner 
 of ^[aryland and Tennessee streets". J. K. 
 Crumbaugh also started a pottery at the ])oint 
 between Kentucky avenue and Hlinois -treet 
 at a very early date, but dropped out of the 
 business, perhaps when he was appointed jus- 
 tice of the peace. On June 1, 1821, Margaret 
 Gibson, who seems to have been the first bii>i- 
 ness wo7nan, outside of the hotel antl boarding- 
 house business, advertised a new pottery at the 
 corner of Ohio and Tennessee streets, stating 
 that she has in her em|)loy J. R. Crumbaugli 
 "who is perfectly master of the business". Mr. 
 Crumbaugli resumed the pottery business nii 
 his own account at the corner of Washington 
 and Kentucky avenue, in .lime, 182(1. William 
 Holmes, who came in tlu' >pring of 1822, is 
 accounteil the first tinner, bill on July 20. 1821, 
 "Abraham Beasly, Tinker", advertised that be 
 had "returne(l from Cincinnati with Ihe neces- 
 sary molds for casting ]iewt('r |ilates jind spoons 
 according to the latest fashions", and that he 
 Would ••attend trt mending old vessels in its 
 varioii- branches" at hi.- .-hop on Wnshingtoii 
 street ■"iicarlv opposite the state biiuse sciiun'e". 
 Gi-orge Pogue. the first blacksmith, had 
 hardly disappeared when John Vanblariciiin 
 took his place, and was the local ^'ulcan for a 
 year or two. when t'apt. Klani S. I'^recman 
 opened a shop. In the fall of 1824 Tetir Har- 
 
 miinson announced that he woubl serve as 
 t)lacksmitli in Freeman's old shop, •"on Wash- 
 ington street opposite the mouth of Kentucky 
 avenue". There appears to have been no per- 
 manent gunsmith here until Samuel Beck came 
 in 1833. He was emphatically llie gunsmith 
 of the place, for the next half century, though 
 his brother Christian divided the business with 
 him part of the time, and there were occasional 
 lesser rivals. On March 22, 1825, John Van- 
 blarieum advertised that he had "employed a 
 first rate gunsmith for a few days"' and advised 
 those who wanted guns mended to hasten in. 
 The Davis brothers were very early chair- 
 makers, and Samuel S. Hooker, the first house 
 and sign jjainter also manufactured "Windsor 
 chairs". On September 27, 1825, J. W. Davis 
 announced the opening of his saddle shop ; 
 and on the same date John Foster, blacksmith, 
 announced that he would "make first rate Cas- 
 teel Axes for $2.50" and edged tools of every 
 description, ploughs, hoes, etc., to order, at his 
 shop on Pennsylvania street, south of Wash- 
 ington. It is sometimes said that Humphrey 
 (Jriffith was the first clockmaker, but his first 
 advertisement appeared on January 20. 1836, 
 reading, "having opened a shop in the al)ove 
 line on Washington street, opposite the Wash- 
 ington Hall''. This was preceded nearly a 
 year by the advertisement of John Ambrozene, 
 on February 15, 1825, announcing his location 
 at the northeast corner of Washington and 
 .Meridian, in the business of watch and clock 
 repairing. Mr. Brown says that i[rs. Matilda 
 Sharpe, who came in October, 1827, and opened 
 a millinery establishment at "^[r. E. Sharpe's, 
 Meridian street, north of the Governor's Cir- 
 rh'". was the ])ioneer in that line.'' but four 
 iniinlhs earlier Miss Marietta Cobb (late of N'ew 
 York) milliner and inantiia maker. aniKiuiucd 
 her loiation '•at the I'i'sidciu-e of .Samiii'l (InhK- 
 hiTi-\ (in I'ennsyh aiiia street nearly uppn-iir 
 the Presbyterian church", where she pm- 
 po.^ed to '•make and n pair I'onnel- and 
 Dresses", and attend in ■■mn-t other drsciip- 
 tions of neeiUe work".' 
 
 Licpiid inanul'actui'es uii-c not overlooked. 
 A distillery was erected on tlu' bayou west of 
 the river soon after Yaiides and Wilson's «aw 
 mill, and it furnisheil the communitv with a 
 
 ■•//('.v/. (if I iiJdnii /lulls, p. III. 
 '■(luzcllr. .luiir r.i. 1S2:.
 
 96 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 whisky commonly known as "Bayou Blue", 
 of whose strength no complaint is handed down. 
 This institution furnished the "71 barrels" 
 mentioned by the Journal. There was no 
 brewery here until 1834, when John L. Young 
 and William Wernwag, contractor for the Xa- 
 tional Road Iiridge opened a small one on 
 the south side of Maryland street between Mis- 
 souri and West. Strange as it may seem, it 
 was preceded by the first soda fountain, which 
 was opened on July 2, 1831, at Dunlap & Mc- 
 Dougal's drug store, and was largely patron- 
 ized. In fact Indianapolis was getting into 
 the dissipation belt. ^lacomber's animal show 
 reached the place in July, 1830, and another in 
 August, the latter having a "real Bactrian or 
 two-humped camel" and a "rompo, an an- 
 imal similar to the hj^ena". The second show 
 was a dangerous approach to a circus, for it 
 announced that "Captain Dick and his Shetland 
 pony will perform many pleasing feats 
 of horsemanship." A cow and calf elephant 
 were with us at Henderson's tavern on August 
 12, 1831. But the genuine circus did not come 
 until August, 1833, and then it stayed three 
 days. It was Brown & Bailey's and in addi- 
 tion to the circus it had an extensive menagerie, 
 including the first kangaroo that ever invaded 
 the Xew Purchase. 
 
 From the earliest settlement there was an 
 effort to put agriculture not only on a paving 
 basis but on a pleasing basis, so far as prod- 
 ucts were concerned, by improving qualitv and 
 seeking variety. Dr. Coe was one of the prac- 
 tical leaders. He had a garden-patch in Fall 
 Creek bottom near Patterson's mill, and in 
 1821 he raised there, on one acre of ground, 
 12.") bushels of sweet potatoes.'' He also gave 
 attention to the cultivation of Irish potatoes, 
 and on ^^larch 22, 1824, he advertised "several 
 choice kinds of Irish potatoes for sale, consist- 
 ing of Earlv AMiites, Large Red, Long Pole 
 Red, and the Large Early Blue, a verv superior 
 kind. Also a quantity of sweet ])otatoes". Fruit 
 was introduced early. On September 22, 1823. 
 it was announced that "there are upwards of 
 1,000 thrifty young apple trees at the nurserv 
 on the donation" which could be bousrht at ("ii/. 
 cents each. On February 28, 182(5, .\aron All- 
 dredge, who had a nursery two miles southeast 
 of town, on thi^ Lawrenceburgh road, adver- 
 
 tised "cultivated"' apple trees at 10 cents ; ■"iial- 
 ural" apple trees at 4 cents, and "cultivated" 
 pears at 121/4 cents, together with quinces, etc. 
 On February 27, 1827, James Givan adver- 
 tised "peach trees for sale at three cents, for 
 Cash, Country Produce, or Labour". Xearlv 
 everybody had a garden, and care was given to 
 the planting, as may be judged from Isaac X. 
 Phipps's advertisement, on March 22, 1825, 
 of "garden seed of various kinds from the 
 Shakers". 
 
 On September 3, 1825, the Marion County 
 Agricultural Society was organized for the 
 special purpose of encouraging the cultivation 
 of tobacco.^ The members ))ledged themselves 
 each to raise 1,000 potmds of tobacco, cultivate 
 one acre of it, or pay one dollar to the society. 
 The money paid or subscribed was to be divided 
 in premiums, one-half to the person who raised 
 the most merchantable tobacco, one-fourth to 
 the person who raised the most on one acre, and 
 one-fourth to the person who raised the best 
 hogshead. A number of leading citizens took 
 part in the organization, the object being to 
 turn attention to a crop that always had a 
 money value, but the enterprise did not take 
 with the farmers, and practically nothing re- 
 sulted from it. The problem of finding some 
 product besides furs to export was one that at- 
 tracted no little thought, and one of the most in- 
 teresting developments of it was the trade in 
 ginseng. In August, 1825, Henderson and Blake 
 advertised that they would pav (> cents a pound 
 for all the fresh ginseng brought to them. James 
 Blake was the inspirer of the enterjiriso, for be 
 had come here with a suggestion from Philadel- 
 phia friends to look after ginseng for the Clii- 
 nesft trade. It was very common in the woods, 
 and the business developed into one of consid- 
 erable extent, Xicholas ^IcCartv aL^o taking an 
 interest in it. They had a little estaljlishment 
 for cleaning and drying the roots on Delaware 
 street south (if Pogue's Run. A little hoe, com- 
 monly called a "'sang-hoe'', was specially made 
 for digging it and many a farmer's family 
 helped out the familv income by digging gin- 
 seng. The product plaved an important part in 
 the winter of 1828-9. ^Ir. :McCartv had n larsc 
 purchase of goods which he shipped from Phila- 
 delphia to Pittsburg by wagon, expecting to 
 
 "New ft. ^,\■Au■]\ 29. 1879. 
 
 '■■Toiirnril. Septcriiber fi. 1825: Gnzette, Sep- 
 tember 13. 1825.
 
 HISTORY 01' GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 97 
 
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 Vol. 1—7
 
 98 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATEU IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 take tlu'iii In- boat from there to Jladisou. 
 Arrived at I'ittsburg they found the Ohio frozen 
 aud navigation closed. It was important that 
 the goods should be in Indianapolis promptly, 
 and Mr. ilcCarty took the alternative of send- 
 ing sixteen loaded Oonestoga wagons through 
 from Pittsburg to Indianapolis, the first and 
 only time such a thing was ever done. The 
 expense would have caused a heavy loss but for 
 one thing, — there was a return load of gin- 
 seng for the wagons, and that made their trip 
 a jirofitable one. 
 
 The original tobacco agricultural association 
 did not last long, and was criticised while it 
 did last for its restriction to one kind of prod- 
 uct. Xothing further was done until after the 
 state created the State Board of Agriculture by 
 act of February 7, 1835. The first members of 
 the Board were James Blake, John Owens, 
 Larkin Sims and Moses M. Henkle, and on 
 May 22 tliey issued a circular urging the forma- 
 tion of county agricultural societies and the 
 holding of county fairs. Under this law an 
 organization was effected on June 27, with Xa- 
 than B. Palmer as president, Seton W. Norris, 
 vice-president, Douglass ilagiiire, secretary, and 
 Calvin Fletcher, treasurer. There were also 
 two "curators"' appointed for each townshi]). 
 The first fair was held on October 30 and 31, 
 and curiously enough there was not a premium 
 given for any direct agricultural product, 
 though a total of $184 in premiums was paid, 
 of wliicii ^'lO was contributed by the county 
 board. Domestic animals took $13!) of the 
 money, and the rest went to the best pieces of 
 jeans, domestic fiannel. domestic carpeting, and 
 domestic linen, the best ]iair of woolen socks, 
 best home made cheese, best 10 pounds of but- 
 ter, and best gallon of domestic wine. In addi- 
 tion to money premiums a volume of Indiana 
 Aurora was given for the best essay on grasses, 
 and the best essay on the culture of the mul- 
 berry and the production of silk. In 1S3(), 
 agriculture was given more recognition, but 
 on the basis of "tjie best five acres" of corn, 
 wheat, oats and rye, while John Johnson car- 
 ried off prizes for "tlie best cultivated farm"' 
 and as victor in a "i)longhing match". The 
 judges also gave prizes from "the discretionary 
 fund" to ''M. il. Ilcnkle, for beets and car- 
 rots: A. W. ^^orris for vegetable eggs; Rich- 
 ard Williams for mammoth pumpkin, and Hol)- 
 ert ^ritchell for l)eets"". Tlie mulberrv and 
 
 silkworm seem to have made some progress 
 for three ladies were awarded prizes for "do 
 mestie sewing silk''. These fairs were held for 
 a number of years, and very successfully, but 
 finally succumbed to the competition of the 
 state fair. 
 
 After the first few years the Indianaiiolis 
 people lived better, so far as eating went, than 
 most of their successors now; or at least had 
 the opportunity to, for choice edibles had no 
 foreign market, and hence were cheap — in fact 
 were home products of most families. Says 
 ilrs. Ketcham : "ililk was plenty : every lady 
 had her own cow or cows, and they were even 
 milked in Washington street. Butter G cts. 
 a pound; eggs 2 cts a dozen. So we had grid- 
 dle cakes taken from the great round griddle 
 before the great fire. There was no soda ; eggs 
 made them light and the baking speedy. Bis- 
 cuit was kneaded a great deal and baked in a 
 hot skillet C|uickly. Waffles ! I can see the 
 long-handled irons thrown into the blazing fire 
 and whirled over so quickly, and out in the 
 same way. Maple syrup was plenty and wild 
 honey. We had good light bread made of hop 
 yeast. Chickens were almost always broiled. 
 It was considered a great thing to have chick- 
 ens and new potatoes on the Fourth of July. 
 Currants and cherries grew speedily till then. 
 We had wild strawberries, raspberries and black- 
 berries. In the fall wild grapes for preserves 
 and jelly, and also wild plums. WTien out in 
 the woods looking for these things, I have been 
 led on by the fragrance of the plum, till walk- 
 ing on the trunk of a huge fallen tree, I put 
 aside with my hands the thicket, and the 
 ground was covered with plums of large size 
 and that peculiar beauty of color they have. 
 White sugar w-as only in the loaf and was 25 
 cts. a pottnd, so our preserving was done with 
 Xew Orleans sugar. We took extra care and 
 they were real good. ^laple sugar w'as also 
 plenty. * * * Wild turkey and game of 
 all kinds abounded. Fish from White River 
 and Fall Creek. I have never tasted such fried 
 potatoes as my mother's. * * * These good 
 housekeepers talked of the better ways of do- 
 ing things and encouraged one another, and 
 thus learned and taught. I remember how good 
 tlip last roasting ear? tasted just before the 
 frost, and as soon as the corn was at all hard 
 it was grated and made rare mush. The great 
 kettle of Ive hominv looked so good on the trreat
 
 KISTOltY OF OliEATER IXDIAXArOIJS. 
 
 !)!> 
 
 kitclifii ciane and siiielluil t-o api)elizing as we 
 caiiiL' lioine from .-t-hool. It took tlie best of 
 white Hint corn ; then boiling water was poured 
 over the nicest ashes, and when this was set- 
 tled clear, it was poured on the corn and stood 
 in the isomer of the great fire place till the 
 skin was loosened ; then it was taken to the well, 
 in a tub. was washed with buckets of water till 
 it was white, and then boiled slowly all day; 
 then eaten in milk or fried, as one 
 wished. * * * 
 
 ''Our smoke-house. P^verybody had one. 
 They were full of ham, pickled pork, bacon, 
 dried beef, corned beef, backbones, spareribs, 
 that were always boiled, unless in pot-pie. 
 Bones, sausage, head-cheese. How handsome 
 the baked pork looked. We had never heard of 
 its not being healthy nor looked out for a head- 
 ache after eating it. Our cellars were full of 
 polatoes, turnips, ca))bage, cucumber pickles, 
 and great jars of preserved fruit. Soon dried 
 fruit grew to be plenty. * * * Deer were 
 plenty. Their steaks were broiled and relieved 
 of dryness by Ix'ing well buttered. .\lso wild 
 turkeys were so aljiindant that William Ander- 
 son l)rought down tiiree at one time with his 
 shot-gun. The breasts of these were fried." 
 Of course it will be remembered that Mrs. 
 Ketcham's father, Samuel Merrill, was fairly 
 well to do, and. what is more important, that 
 her mother was a good housekeeper. She tells 
 of <topping oni' night at the house of a farmer 
 who lioasted that lie kept three hundred head 
 of hogs, and yet there was nothing on his table 
 but eorn l)read and ])ork. Some people would 
 live poorly, no matter what the abundance (jf 
 supplies. 
 
 Rut while there was a basis for comfort, In- 
 dianapolis could hardly be considered attractive. 
 Hugh McCulloch made his first visit here in 
 18.'{:i, and he describes it thus: ".Vmple provi- 
 sion had been made for ])arks to enclose the 
 public buildings, and the ])lan of the city 
 upon paper was attractive and artistic, but up- 
 on ])a])er oidy. Little resendibmee, indeed, did 
 the |ilace itsejf bear to the plat. The jjarks 
 in wliich were the State House, just then com- 
 pleted, and the court-bouse, had been enclosed 
 witlt jiost and rail fences, but nothing bad 
 been done to the streets except to remove the 
 stum]is from two or three of tho.-ie most used. 
 .Ml of the noble old trees — wahnits, oaks, po])- 
 birs. tbr like of which will never be seen again 
 
 — had been cut down, and around the parks 
 young locust and other inferior but rapidly 
 growing trees had been set out. There wera 
 no sidewalks, and the streets most in use, after 
 every rain, and for a good part of the yeai", 
 were knee-deep with mud. As a director of the 
 State Bank, I was under the necessity for many 
 years of making quarterly trips on horseback 
 from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis through a 
 country almost impassable by carriages of any 
 kind, and yet I never encountered mud deeper 
 or more tenacious than in the streets of the 
 capital of the state. I have seen many of the 
 incipient towns of the West, but none so ut- 
 terly forlorn as Indianapolis appeared to me 
 in the spring of 1833. It had no local ad- 
 vantages e.\cej)t the fact that it was surrounded 
 by a very fertile country ; nothing to recommend 
 it but its being the metropolis of the state. 
 There were then only two bridges in Indiana, 
 and these had been built by the United States 
 in anticipation of the extension from Richmond 
 to Terre Haute of the Xational road, which 
 extension was prevented by the veto of I'resi- 
 dent Jackson. * * * I'pon none of the 
 roads were wagons in use, even for carrying the 
 mails, except those from iladison ami Terre 
 II.Mitc to the capital. l'"rom all other points 
 it could only be readied by those who traveled 
 on foot or on horseback. Xo one who saw 
 Indianapolis when 1 saw it for the first lime 
 coidd have anticiiiated its rapid growth and 
 present condition. Xo one could have dreamed 
 that in half a century this almost inaccessible 
 village would become a great railroad center, 
 with large ami varied manufactures, a popu- 
 lation of a liundred thousand souls, one of the 
 best built and most populous cities in the Union 
 not situated upon navigable waters.'"' Mr. 
 McCulloch has mixed the imi)ressions of lli^ 
 numerous visits a trifle, but his general iin- 
 jiression of Indianapolis ])rior to lS-l(t is no 
 doubt very exact, at least for wet weathei-. 
 
 The growth of the town up to 1S3.5 was very 
 slow. As mentioned, in 1827 the population 
 was 1,066. In 1835 a complete census was 
 made by George Lockerbie, the town assessor, 
 which showed a total population of l,(i83, com- 
 posed of S.')!) white males, 743 white females, 
 and SI colored of lioth sexes. The settlement 
 
 ".Vc;/ find Mi'iisiirrs nf llulf a I'i'iil iinj. pp.
 
 100 
 
 HISTOEY OF GEEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 iu this period was chiefly witliin a square or 
 two of Washington street. There were still 
 forest trees standing within that belt, though 
 most of the timber had been cut from the mile 
 square. The outlots were still forest. Says 
 Brown: "All the territory south of Maryland 
 and east of Meridian streets was unimproved 
 except as farms till ]845, and most of it till 
 1855. A fine walnut grove existed in the first 
 and second wards north of North street and 
 Drake's addition was a good hunting ground 
 till 1848. Squirrels, rabbits, and turkeys were 
 killed in sections now (1868) thickly peopled. 
 No grading whatever had been done, and few 
 sidewalks existed even on Washington street. 
 Ponds along the bayous afforded skating in 
 winter, and in summer were covered by green 
 scum and tenanted by countless frogs. The 
 streets were semi-fluid in thawing weather, but 
 the drainage in many places was better than 
 since the engineers changed it. The town was 
 a dull country village, with no excitement be- 
 yond the annual sessions, when a little anima- 
 tion was given to society and to trade. It 
 seemed to have attained its growth. Few ex- 
 pected a brighter future, nor was there any 
 prospect of it till the internal improvement 
 scheme was originated."' The change in the 
 drainage to which Jlr. Brown refers was a 
 survey and fixing of grades by James Woods, 
 civil engineer, in 1841, which was adopted by 
 the council as permanently fixing the street 
 grades, and all improvements were required to 
 conform to his street profiles." It was after- 
 
 wards found that he had uuileitaken to nuike 
 an uniform drainage from northeast to south- 
 west, which had to be abandoned in the in- 
 terest of economy. 
 
 For several years from 183.") prospects seemed 
 very cheerful for Indianapolis. The work on 
 the National Road and the canal brought many 
 laborers here, and trade of all kinds was much 
 stimulated. Prices of real estate began to 
 jump, especially near the water-power of the 
 canal. Even when the panic of 1837 came it 
 did not have its full effect for some months, 
 and people retained something of their good 
 spirits. On May 30. 1838, the Democrat said: 
 "The population of Indianapolis is now estim- 
 ated at 4,000. In five years it will be 8.000.'" 
 But when the internal improvement work had 
 to be stopped permanently, and the National 
 Road work was abandoned in 1839, the town 
 went back very rapidly. When the census of 
 1840 was taken, the total population was only 
 •.'.662, of whom 1,329 were white males, 1,211 
 white females, and 123 were colored — evenly 
 divided between males and females. From 1840 
 to the coming of the railroad in 1847 the 
 life of the town was quiet, but with a gradual 
 growth of population. There are.no records of 
 local censuses for the intervening period, but 
 at the municipal election of 1839 there were 
 324 votes cast, and at that of 1846 there were 
 520. In proportion this would indicate a 
 population of about 4,000 in 1846, but this 
 is more a guess than an estimate. 
 
 ^Ordinances, 1SJ,6, p. 31.
 
 CHHPTER XI. 
 
 THE STATE BUILDS. 
 
 Judge Howe aptly tfrms early ludianapolis 
 "the capital in the wilderness'", and it could 
 very properly have held that title for a long 
 time after the seat of government was trans- 
 ferred to this point. It was for years the 
 capital, and nothing more. It was located, laid 
 out, and started into existence on that basis 
 as completely as St. Petersburg was by Peter 
 the Great. But it did not have the advantages 
 given to the Kussiaii capital by the unlimited 
 power and large ix'sources of the czar. It 
 was dependent for its public buildings on the 
 sale of town lots, and the accumulation of 
 funds from this source was not rapid enough to 
 admit of immediate and e.xtensive building. 
 Moreover a part of this fund was diverted to 
 public buildings elsewhere, especially to the 
 state prison at Jetfersonville. The state offi- 
 cials were not unmindful of the obligation to 
 Indianapolis. In his message to the first leg- 
 islature at this place, on January 10, 1825, 
 Governor Hendricks said: "The sales of public 
 property at this place have been looked to for 
 the completion of the public buildings. * * * 
 Public faith stands pledged to the purchasers 
 of property in various parts of the town, that 
 the ])ublic buildings contemplated on the circle 
 and tile state house square sliould be comitieted 
 as soon as ])ra(tieable. In this policy will be 
 consulted alike the interest of purchasers 
 and of the state; for th(,> commencement of 
 the jiublic buildings will afford a very strong 
 inducement to the eom|)letion of payments, 
 the jirevention of forfeitures, ami the increase 
 of the means to finish the work." The legis- 
 latcn's, bv meeting here. ac(|uired a personal 
 knowledge of the situation that could not have 
 been gained fniin an\ number of reports, and 
 prom]itly manifested a disposition to ])roniote 
 till' interests of the i-iipital, in a rational way. 
 
 101 
 
 Their first step was to increase the funds l>y 
 ordering the Agent of State to sell all the re- 
 served lots on Washington street between Merid- 
 ian and New Jersey streets, and a number 
 of others, together with two additional tiers of 
 outlots, one north and one south of the town. 
 He was also instructed to lease the ferry at 
 Washington street for five years, with two acres 
 of land on the east side of the river and one 
 (Ui the west, the lessee to be bound to keep a 
 ferry boat sufficient to carry "a loaded wagon 
 and four horses", and also "a good canoe or 
 skitf. 
 
 By way of appropriati(Mis, the Agent was 
 directed "to cause to bo cleared out the timber 
 and obstructions in Pogue's IJun, so far as the 
 same is included in the original plat of Indian- 
 apolis,"' at an expense of not over $50. All of 
 our local historians have made this an order 
 to cut the timber in the valley of the run, but 
 it was very i)lainly only a ])lan to promote the 
 How of the stream. The legislature also appro- 
 priated $1,000 "to build on lot number one in 
 square number sixty-eight in Indianapolis, a 
 substantial brick house for the residence of 
 the ti'easurer of state, to contain the offices of the 
 treasurer and auditor, and a (ire-proof vault 
 for the better security of llic funds and rec- 
 ords of the state." This house, the first state 
 building erected in Indianapolis, stood on the 
 southwest comer of Washington street and 
 (Japitol avenue, with the offices on the west 
 side, and the residence on the east and at the 
 rear. ]\Irs. Ketcham says of it : "The house 
 was a two-story brick, two rooms below and 
 two al)ove, with the dining room hack of the 
 office, and kitchen south of it. The front was 
 set square on Washington street, as the houses 
 were then. On Tennessee street (Ca|iit<il ave- 
 nue) was a rather narrow long yard, then the
 
 10-2 
 
 HISTORY OP GREATER IXDIAXAPOLLS. 
 
 poix-h, oil whit^'li opened the back parlor ilooi-, 
 the dining room door and the kitchen. (The 
 dinincr room and kitchen were one-storv, and 
 over the parlor was a chamber to which a stair 
 led from the sitting room.) The otlu'r upstairs 
 room was the auditor's office, with outside 
 stairs on the west side. When this was removed 
 it was cJiieHy our play room. * * * '|'ho 
 narlor had one door and one window on the 
 street (Washington) and another on the porch, 
 and a window on the vard that in summer was 
 
 covered with vines 
 
 The pleasant 
 
 porch was our time table when Pa had his 
 watch away — we could tell the time by the 
 shadow reaching the rows of nails on the porch. 
 In 1820 Mr. Xowland brought here the first 
 watch. The people all borrowed it and put 
 lilaik marks on their south doors by which they 
 could guess at the time. I think it must have 
 been like the town Roljert Louis Stevenson tells 
 of, — that but one woman in it had the time, 
 and it was never right. * * * The porch 
 was covered with the loveliest morning-glories, 
 and we often ate there. Four o'clocks made 
 the air fragrant with their perfume, that still 
 lingers with their beauty and the variety of 
 the balsam. The sitting-room, dining-room and 
 bed-room were one and the same. * * * 
 Under my father's pillow was always a ]iistol. 
 A door just by opened into the office. * * * 
 The office was paved with brick. Full one- 
 third of it was covered with a vault, as we 
 called it. It was of lirick. built u]) four 
 feet, plastered, and witli an iron door on 
 top. Up and down through this double-locked 
 door went lio.xes and liags of silver." 
 
 The sale of lots ordered by the legislature 
 was held on ^lay 2. Of the reserved lots 
 seventeen were sold for a total of $3,328, the 
 highest price paid being $3(50. and the lowest 
 $134. The twenty additional outlots brought 
 $l,4fir. or a little more than $18 an acre. 
 This legislature also petitioned Congress for 
 the removal of tiie land office from Brookville 
 to lndiana)iolis, and for better postal service 
 at this jjoint, both of which were granted. The 
 land office was removed to this point in Sep- 
 tember, 182.T. The militia authorities, also sent 
 a cannon here that summer, and an artillery 
 eom]>any was formed, which shot as many 
 arms ami legs off the members of the company 
 and innocent tiystanders as any company in 
 the countrv. \MK'n the icijislature convened for 
 
 the session of 1820, local conditions had not 
 improved much, and the purchasers of lots 
 were in sore straits. Many had purchased more 
 than they were able to pay for, expecting an 
 advance in values that would make the profits 
 on j)art pay for the remainder. Others iiad 
 bougiit at high prices near the State House 
 Square, expecting the new capitol to make 
 their property advance in value, and it had not 
 been built, and was not in immediate prospect. 
 At the time of the sale in 1821 payments could 
 be made in depreciated treasury paper, Ijut now 
 they must be made in specie or its equivalent. 
 In view of the whole situation the legislature 
 adopted the law for the relief of ]nircliasers 
 allowing them to forfeit one lot and apply what 
 had been paid on it to the payment for an- 
 other, provided the other was paid for in full. 
 This proved beneficial both to purchasers and 
 to the state. The only improvement ordered 
 by the legislature of 182() was a contract for 
 a ferry-house with the ferry lessee, Asahel 
 Dunning. It was to Ite a brick building. 18 
 x3t), and two stories high, the cost not to ex- 
 ceed the rents under the existing lease. It 
 was built that summer, and though partially 
 destroyed l)y fire on November 27, 18-5.5. was 
 repaired, and occupied for some twenty years 
 longer. 
 
 In 182T the financial conditions were some- 
 what improved, and the legislature was more 
 liberal. It appropriated $,500 for building an 
 office for the Clerk of the Supreme Court on 
 the Court House Square, which was duly 
 erected as heretofore mentioned. It also ap- 
 ]iropriated $4,000 for a mansion for the gov- 
 ernor, on Governor's ('ircle, which was ordered 
 to be enclosed by a rail fence. The contract 
 for this building was let on March IT. to Wm. 
 Smith, Robert Culbertson, Austin Bishop and 
 Wm. Speaks, and it was completed at a cost of 
 $6, .500. It was a large, square, brick building, 
 about 50 feet each way, with two full stories, 
 a basement and an attic The main flixn- was 
 alxiut six feet above the ground, with steps com- 
 ing up to a hall door in the center of each side. 
 From these doors two halls, ten feet wide 
 crossed the floor at right angles, dividing it 
 into four large rooms. The rooms on the sec- 
 ond floor were smaller. It had a pavilion, 
 terrace roof, with a dormer window in the 
 center of each side, and a deck or look-out al)out 
 twel\c feet square. >urr(iuniled l>y a bahistrade.
 
 IIISTOIJV OF CKKATKIJ IXDTAVAPOT.TS. 
 
 1 o:? 
 
 The barieiucnt iwims lunc a traditional n'|)ma- 
 tion of bcinj; dark and damp, but tiiat couu's 
 from the memory of boys wlio pliiviMl there 
 after the rooms were iui(H(U|>ied. 'i'luy were 
 apparently eoml'ortaljle enou^li in ordinary 
 use. and were occupied I'or pur]ioses not con- 
 sonant witli dai-i\iu's.s and dampness, such as 
 the Union Literary Society, and Miss 8ar- 
 geantV infant scIukiI. The jiartitions on tlie 
 main fioor were made with slidin"- panels, so 
 that the whole Hoor could he tiirown into one 
 room if desired, and tiiis was doni' for l)alls 
 on a few occasions. It was early seen that the 
 situation was too exjiosed for ordinary resi- 
 dence pur])oses. and the li'.aislaturc of 1828 
 
 THE GOVERNORS .MANSION IN THE CIRCLE. 
 (From an oltl cu\.) 
 
 undertook to rectify this iiy resei-\inj;' lols ', and 
 8 of scpiare 4G — now covered hy the Hotid Enjr- 
 lisli — for "a garden and stable-lot for the gov- 
 ernor". But none of the governors had any 
 desire to occupy this overgrown structure, anil 
 indeed it was never finished for a i-esidence. 
 iait only for oiricc pur|)oses. 
 
 .\t the session of IS'.^!) a |)i'o]iiisal \\as nuid' 
 to add wings to tliis building and make it the 
 state house, but this met no favor. This pro- 
 posal is referred to, in a vision of the future. 
 in the "carrier's address" of the diizrllc for 
 •Tanuarv 1, IS'.'i). in these words: 
 
 "Tlieii I turned nie around, to see what else 
 i could ; 
 .\t the Governor's mansion a crowd met niy 
 eye, 
 < )n ihe lop was ei'ected a .-leepli' of wood. 
 And two wings at the sides, that the 
 (xov'nor might Hy. 
 
 ■"Hut a wag at my side said Ibis bouse was 
 
 design'd 
 
 For the wisdom of state to asscndile to rule; 
 
 That for flying the (iov'nor was nevci- iiicliiie(l ; 
 
 'Twas the State-House, ami I but a pour 
 
 silly fool." 
 
 The ■■mansion" wa> uirne(l o\cr t<i the state 
 ottict'rs, who occnjiied the main Ibmi- fm- a num- 
 ber of years. The slate library was kept llici^e 
 until the state house was built. The state bank 
 was there until its building was finished. The 
 state engineers were (piartered there during the 
 internal imi)rovenient ])criod. The Clerk of 
 the Supreme Courl had his ollii-e Ibere for a 
 time. The Supreme .ludges bad cliand)ers on 
 the \ipper floor, and many of I be anecdotes 
 preserved about Judge Blackford cluster about 
 liis room there, where he lived his hermit life 
 and edited his oelebratt'd law reports. .lohn 
 Strange, the famous preacher of early limes, 
 died in one of those up|ier rooms. The build- 
 ing was singularly open to the ])ublic, even 
 when ofticially oci-upi<'d. Thirty years ago .Mrs. 
 I'riscilla Drake, widow of Col. James P. Drake, 
 the old time proprietor of the Capitol House, 
 excited my wonder hy telling me how, in her 
 time, the fashionable young folk of the I own 
 used to play at battledore and shuttlecock in 
 the broad halls — which shows that Indianapolis 
 Icl no fad escape, even in those early ilays. 
 Tile Court of Common Pleas of Clarion County 
 held its first sessions in this building. Hut 
 gi'adnally it fell out of repair, and became a 
 resort for disreputables, and the legislature of 
 18.5fi-7 ordered it sold. It was auctioned off 
 on .\pril Hi, 1857, to David Macv, for .$(;(;.5, 
 and pait (d' Ibe material was used m building 
 the Macy House, at the southeast corner of 
 Illinois and Market streets, now in use as a 
 store and ollice building. 
 
 The legislature of 18^.^7 also pnivided for 
 ibe sale of .-jeven acres for a steam mill — a 
 pi'ivale undertaking that was (piite as ghastly 
 a failure as Ihe Co\ I'l'noi-'s Mansion. The
 
 104 
 
 JllsroIJY OF GliEATKi; IXDIAXAPULIS. 
 
 Steam Mill Compaiiv was chartered by the leg- 
 islature on Jauuarv 28, with a capital of 
 $20,000 in $50 shares, bnt the stock went off 
 slowly, and the materials were not collected 
 and the work of erection begim until 1831. 
 It was a tremendous undertaking for the time 
 and place. It stood on the east side of the 
 river just above the National Koad bridge, and 
 included a saw mill, a gi'ist mill, and a card- 
 ing mill. The saw mill was on the west side, 
 on the slope of the bluff, and the main build- 
 ing on the high ground liack of it. It was 
 a large frame building with three full stories 
 and a high gambrel roof which provided two 
 additional floors. It was put up by James 
 Griswold, a gigantic carpenter, famed for hon- 
 est work, and was as solid as a rock. It took 
 one hundred men two days to raise the frame, 
 and they did it without any whisky, which was 
 a long approach towards a niiracle. The lioil- 
 ers and engines, the first ever used here, were 
 to have been brought from Cincinnati on a 
 steamboat, but the conditions were unfavorable, 
 and so they were brought through on wagons 
 at great expense. In fact the only cheap 
 thing about it was the land, which was sold on 
 ]\Iarch 8, 1827. to George Smith and John 
 Johnson, for $100, and the certificate was as- 
 signed by them to Nicholas McCarty, one of 
 the chief promoters. On account of the diffi- 
 culties met, the legislature on January G, 1831, 
 granted an extension of a year in the time for 
 completing the mill, and jjaying for the land, 
 and the deed was issued on JIarch 8, 1832, to 
 James Blake & Co.. the company being Nicho- 
 las McCarty and James M. Ray. The saw 
 mill had been completed in the fall of 1830, 
 and put in operation. The main building was 
 completed in December, 1831, and the grist 
 mill began operations in Jantuiry, 1832. It 
 first gave the community honu^-made bolted 
 flour. Prior to this time all the meal and 
 flour made here was sifted ; and there was not 
 much flour made because there was little wheat 
 raised, the soil being too rich for it. 
 
 But the new institution was too large for the 
 place. After supplying all local demands there 
 was no possibility of sliipping its surplus prod- 
 uct. Moreover there was difficidty in getting 
 good wood for fuel at seventy-five cents a 
 cord, and the company could not profitably 
 pay more for it. Within a year it was seeii 
 that the enterprise was not going to be a fi- 
 
 iiaiKial bonanza, but the company hung on 
 until 183.5, when the mill was shut down, and 
 the machinery offered for sale. But little of 
 it was sold, and the plant lay idle, the build- 
 ing becoming a haunt of the vicious and de- 
 praved, until 1847. The coming of the rail- 
 road improved business prospects, and the 
 Geisendorffs took the old mill and operated it 
 as a woolen mill until 1852, when they vacated 
 it. On the night of November 16, 1853, some- 
 one set it afire, and it was totally destroyed, 
 as was also the toll-house on the National Road 
 adjoining. The bridge over White river wa- 
 saved by the greatest exertions of the fire- 
 men. 
 
 By 1830 there were symptoms of enough 
 money to build a state house, and a commit- 
 tee was appointed to investigate. It reported at 
 the next session that a satisfactory building 
 would cost $56,000, and the sale of the re- 
 maining lots in the donation would bring the 
 available funds to $58,000. It was therefore 
 decided to proceed, and on February 10, 1831, 
 a bill for that purpose was passed. It made 
 James Blake a commissioner to collect ma- 
 terials for the foundation — 210 perches of 
 rough stone and 150 perches of cut stone — 
 by the second Monday in ^lay, 1833; and also 
 to advertise for plans for which he was to 
 offer a premium of $150. For this work an 
 appropriation of $3,000 was made. The plans 
 tailed for were to include a Representative liall 
 for 100 members, a Senate chamber for 50 
 members, quarters for the Supreme Court, 
 Secretary of State, Auditor of State, State 
 Library, Law Library, six committee rooms and 
 six clerks' rooms ; and the building was to cost 
 not more than $48,000. The plans were sub- 
 mitted to the next legislature, and by act of 
 .lanuary 26, 1832, the plan submitted by Ithiel 
 Town and Andrew J. Davis was adopted. They 
 were partners, at New York, and were prob- 
 ably the most notable American architects of 
 the time. They had designed the executive and 
 postoffice buildings at Washington, the city 
 liall at New Haven, the custom house at New 
 York, the University of Michigan, and other 
 ]iublic buildings. They completed the caiiitol 
 at Springfield, 111., the same year as ours, and 
 that at Columbus, Ohio two years later. Mr. 
 Town was known here, having furnished the 
 plans for the first bridge over Fall Creek at 
 the Lafayette Road ctossing, now Indiana ave-
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER USTDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 105 
 
 nui\' By ill! (if Ft'bniary 2, 1832, CJovcriior 
 Xoali Nol)le, -Morris ^lorris, and Samuel Mer- 
 rill were appointed commissioners to superin- 
 tend the construction of the building; $18,000 
 additional was ap[)ropriated to carry on the 
 work ; and tlu' lot fund was pledged for the 
 entire cost, which was limited to $60,000. 
 Town and Davis, the architects, got the con- 
 tract for the building and completed it in 
 December, 1835, in time for that -winter's 
 session of the legislature. 
 
 The new capitol was considered a very fine 
 building at the time, and it was. It was about 
 200 feet long and 100 feet wide, and followed 
 the style of tlie I'arthenon in its e.xterior, ex- 
 cept that a dome was added. This always 
 raised the wrath of Berry Sulgrove and other 
 critics, because it was a departure from the 
 Greek, but it would be a sad fate if we could 
 not improve on the '"dagoes"' of two thousand 
 years ago, and an American cai)itol without a 
 dome is inconceivable. In fact the dome and 
 rotunda are tlie most important jiarts of a 
 ia]>itol. The others are all occupied by the 
 ])ublic servants, and the rotunda is the one 
 place where the citizen can feel at home, and 
 glory in the fact that he is one of the masters 
 of all the.se hirelings, and of the building. 
 M such a time a free-born .\.merican must have 
 room to swell, and a dome becomes no less than 
 a necessity. But the building was not so fine 
 as it looked. The foundation was of soft, blue, 
 Bhiff limestone, and the superstructure was 
 partly of brick and partly of lath covered wood- 
 work, all of which was coated with a bastard 
 stucco plaster, and neither plaster nor stone 
 would stand the weather in tiiis climate, or the 
 friendly hammering of admiring visitors. In 
 consequence it did not age well, and before 
 it was replaced it acquired the appearance of 
 a genuine Grecian ruin. In fact it was a 
 judilic di.sgrace for fifteen or twenty years. 
 In 18GT the ceiling of the Heprcsentative hall 
 fell in and made a niagnilicent wreck. The 
 writer, as a juvenile explorer, climbed over the 
 debris and rescued the hands of the clock, 
 which bad l)een smashed in the catastroi)he. 
 They made ideal arrow-heads, in a])[)earance, 
 but they were slioddy, too, and bent uji when 
 they struck anything hard. 
 
 But with all its dilapidation there was a charm 
 
 about the old state house that can never be 
 found about its more business-like successor. 
 Indeed there was no suggestion of business 
 about the old state house unless the legislature 
 was in session or a crowd was assembled by 
 some other special event. The State lloitsc 
 Square was originally (piite low. and when the 
 building was erected it was filled to the e.xtent 
 of nine feet, making the central part three or 
 four feet above the street. The newly graded 
 grounds were planted with forest trees wdiieh 
 in due time developed into a pleasant grove, 
 lialf secluded in which was the capitol, quiet 
 and restful. It was a genuine pleasure to stroll 
 in on a warm summer day, up the woi'n steps, 
 past the battered columns of the porticos, into 
 the cool, musty corridor, and then nose around 
 in the State Library and Museum, which was 
 tbe chief attraction of tlie building, and ri- 
 valed the asylums as the chief show place of the 
 city. The first suggestion of a state library 
 was made by the Constitutional Convention of 
 f81(). which recommended the General .Vssem- 
 bly "to appropriate the money voluntarily given 
 by the citizens of Harrison County to the State 
 to the jjurchase of books for a library for the 
 use of the legislature and other officers of the 
 government".- But unfortunately the citizens of 
 Harrison County did not give any money. What 
 they gave was a bond for $1,000 to be paid 
 to the stale when the constitution was adopted 
 — the constitution providing that Corydon, the 
 county seat of Harrison County, should be the 
 seat of government until 1825, and until re- 
 moved by law. But the legislature of 1817 
 found it necessary to pass a joint resolution 
 that whereas this bond had been "lost or mis- 
 laid", demand should be made on the makers, 
 and uidess thev ])aid suit should be brought.' 
 The report of the Treasurer for 1817 stated 
 that suit had l)een brought and that "when the 
 money was ])aid it would be $1,000".'' and the 
 same in. ISIS,"* but the money lU'ver np]K'arcd 
 in the state's receipts. 
 
 In his message of 1817 Governor Jennings 
 said: "The commencement of a state library 
 forms a subject of too much interest not to 
 meet your attention", and then h(> dropped the 
 
 'Coiiiili/ ('miirs. Uiinnl. .lanuai'V .">. 1S:!2. 
 
 -Journal ('(iiisl. Coiir., p. (>8. 
 '■Ads of 1S17, p. 252. 
 *nousr Jnitniril. 1817. ]). 28. 
 ■'Ifiinsc ■loiiniiil . p. 7 1.
 
 ll)(i 
 
 HISTORY OF OI.'KA'I'KU INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 uii[)k'as:iiit subjft-t. 'I'lif next iiiontioii was in 
 the message of Uoveriior Hendric-ks, of Janu- 
 ary 10, 1825 : "Among the improvements be- 
 fore alluded to, there is none more deserving 
 of attention than a state library. Many valu- 
 able books already belong to the state, and if 
 some regulations for their use and preservation 
 should be made with only a moderate annual 
 allowance for their increase, they would soon 
 eonstitute a respectable eolleetion." 'J'lie leg- 
 islature was of like mind, and by aet of Felj- 
 ruary 11, 1825, made the Secretary of State 
 the State Librarian and appropriated $50 for 
 the purchase of books, with a continuing ap- 
 propriation dH $30 a year thereafter. 'I'he first 
 librarian's rejiort, made by Secretary \Vm. 
 \\"]ik the year following, stated that he had e.\- 
 ))eii(k'd the $50 for Hume's England, witli 
 Smollet's continuation, Johnson's Lives of tin' 
 rods, and Mavor's Universal Histori/. but 
 some days later he filed a supplemental report 
 saying that he had forgotten to mention that he 
 also purchased The Federalist.'^ The Secivtary 
 of State continued to be ex-officio Librarian 
 until 1841, the library being kept in his of- 
 fice in the Governor's Circle. In that year 
 Sulgrove says: "John Cook, a bustling, log- 
 rolling, pushing little fellow, recently from 
 Ohio, got himself made librarian, and the 
 library was put in the south rooms, west side, 
 of the State House."' 
 
 There is reason to suspect that Mr. Sulgrove 
 did 7iot admire Librarian Cook. He alluded 
 to him elsewhere as "a recent comer here, a 
 little, conceited, mud-headed, arrogant English- 
 man, who made himself conspicuous as a leader 
 of the Whig singing clubs, and thus commended 
 himself to an office that he was about as well 
 ([ualified for as he was for Mayor of the Xew 
 .lerusaleiu"." Mr. Cook may have got the ap- 
 pointment tlirougli his political vocalization, but 
 he was not responsible for the library legisla- 
 tion of 1841. The man that effected that was 
 Dr. Philip Mason of Fayette County." the most 
 enthusiastic reformer of his day, and lie wa- imi 
 so much interested in the library as he was in 
 the regulation of ]nil)lie busiiu'ss. At that time 
 
 Tfouse JonriKil. Is2i;. pj). 22, 25.'?. 
 'Hist. Indianujiolis. p. 5!). 
 "Sentinel. January K!. 1SS7. 
 "Mason's Anlohinfiriijihii. y. Uil : llnnsc .lour 
 val. 1840-1. p. 2;u! 
 
 the Secretary of State was not oidy keeper of the 
 state library and the legislative jjapers, l)Ut also 
 (d' the furniture not in other state otlic-es, and 
 he was requiri'd to keep "a liranding iron, on 
 which shall be engraved the lioman capital 
 letters P. S. I. (meaning the property of the 
 State of Indiana)'' and with it to lu-and "'all 
 movable wooden furniture". The >tate house 
 was in the custody of the Treasurer of State. 
 Dr. Mason's law provided for a State Librarian, 
 elected by the legislature for three years, at a 
 salary of $300 a year, who should be keeper of 
 the state library, the state house, thf State 
 House Square, and all the furniture of said 
 house which is not in the care or keejiing of 
 any of the public officers of the state ; he was 
 to keep up the fence around the State Hou.se 
 S(piare, and by way of recompense was ■•per- 
 mitted to mow the grass plat and apply the 
 grass to his own tise"; and he was i-eipiired to 
 take over all the business of the .\gent of 
 State for the sale of lots at Indianapolis, and 
 attend to that. In 1843 the care of "the 
 Governors Circle and public buildings thereon" 
 was added to his sinecure.'" Dr. ilason's law 
 made one great advance by making the annual 
 appropriation for books and l)inding $4n(i, but 
 unfortunately that was what it remaineil foi- 
 nearly fifty years. It also .<ei)arated the liw 
 library and provided a room for it adjoining 
 the Supreme Court. 
 
 From that time forward the office was ]jartly 
 on a political and partly an t'leemosynary basis 
 for many years, though some very creditable 
 people held it at times. Cook was succeeded by 
 Samuel P. Daniels, a tailor and a Democrat, 
 1844-5; John B. Dillon, the historian. 1845-51 ; 
 Xathaniel Bolton, 1851-4 ; Gordon Tainier, 
 1854-G ; S. D. Lvons, 1856-9 : James E. Bryant, 
 1859-61; Robert D. Brown, 1861-3; David 
 Stephenson, 1863-5: B. F. Foster, 1865-0; ^I. 
 G. McClain, 1869-71: James DeSarro, 1871-3; 
 Sarah A. Oren, 18T3-5. Librarian Bryant at- 
 tained fame by "firing the Ephesian dome" 
 with a catalogue that attracted the following 
 comment in the Xntinn of February 16. 1882:" 
 
 "To the Editor of the Xation : 
 "If there is to be a bibliograjihy of bibliog- 
 raphies, vour note of last week contributes cer- 
 
 "7iV'r. Sldls. ISJi-l. ji. i:4. 
 "V.d. :!4. |). 142.
 
 niSTOlO' OK (MtKATKi; 1 XDl AXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 107
 
 ] OS 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEE IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 tainlj' a curious instance toward the material 
 for such a work. But 1 beg that the future 
 compiler of that work may not overlook the 
 'Catalogue of the Indiana State Library for 
 18o9', which has long been my wonder and 
 admiration. So far is it from attempting the 
 complexity of the catalogue raisonnc that its 
 rigorous alphabeticism sets down 'A Manchester 
 Strike' between 'Agriculture' and 'American'. 
 It invites us to such tours de force as 'Auto- 
 biography of Sir Simonds D'Ewes by Halli- 
 well', and the "^Autobiography of Sir Walter 
 Scott, by Bart.' 'Bank's (Ranke's) History of 
 the Popes' appears under the letter B. Strong 
 in the historical department, it offers a choice 
 between the "Life of John Tyler, by Harper 
 & Brothers', 'Memoirs of Moses Henderson, 
 by the Jewish Philosophers', 'Memoirs and Cor- 
 respondence of Viscount Castlereach, by the 
 ilarquis of Londonderry', and 'Memoirs of 
 Benvenuto, by Gellini'. In fiction you may 
 find 'Tales of mv Landlord, bv Cleishbotham', 
 and 'The Pilot/ by the Auditor of The Pio- 
 neers', while if your passion for plural author- 
 ship is otherwise unappeasable — if Beaumont 
 and Fletcher or Erckmann-Chatrian seem to 
 you too feeble a combination of talents — you 
 may well be captivated by the title 'Small 
 Arms, by the United States Army'. 
 
 "The State of Indiana has undoubtedly 
 learned a good many things since 1859 ; but 
 whoever its present librarian may be, it is 
 hardly probable that his highest flight in bib- 
 liography has surpassed the catalogue from 
 which I have quoted. T. B. 
 
 "Rochester. February G, 1882." 
 
 r>ut there were one or two even worse ones 
 issued in the succeeding decade, and then they 
 stopped. It was more than a relief when Mrs. 
 Oren came into office; it w-as a revolution. 
 She was probably elected because she was a 
 soldier's widow, but she had other qualifica- 
 tions. She had been a successful teacher in 
 the high school, and in addition to educa- 
 tion she had common sense and a good business 
 head that fitted her peculiarly for the some- 
 what complex position. There is no exaggera- 
 tion in the following tribute paid to lier in 
 the Democratic organ fifteen years latn-: 
 
 "There are many persons living in Indian- 
 apolis who remember the n^forins instituted by 
 Mrs. Oren, the first woman who served as 
 
 Librarian, not only in the library proper but 
 in the entire state building, of which the Li- 
 brarian has been for many years the legal cus- 
 todian. The whole building was cleaned and 
 disinfected ; chimneys, ventilators and flues 
 which had become stopped up were opened and 
 cleaned; the grimy walls were papered: the 
 steps and pavements of the porches were re- 
 paired to an extent which would permit one 
 to walk over them without becoming seasick; 
 the dilapidated soft-coal stoves were replaced 
 by base-burners ; water pipes were put in : the 
 regimental colors were carefully dusted and 
 bound up; the legislative papers that had not 
 yet been eaten by mice were taken from the 
 musty cupboards and packed in tin boxes. In 
 the library the books were examined volume by 
 volume, and it was ascertained that several 
 hundred listed in the catalogue of 1872 were 
 not in the library. The old records were 
 searched, and a number of these jiiissing vol- 
 umes were recovered from people who had bor- 
 rowed them under the old law and never re- 
 turned them. The duplicates, which had been 
 scattered haphazard through the shelves, were 
 sorted out and placed in a separate room ; ex- 
 changes were made wdtli other libraries by 
 which the collection was increased and many 
 broken sets were filled. The librar)- was re- 
 arranged on the plan of the Boston Public 
 Library, in departments by subjects, and al- 
 phabetically by authors' names. Labels were 
 pasted on the books designating their places in 
 the shelves and ranges. In the purchase of 
 books, which has been the best test of any 
 Librarian's merit, Mrs. Oren displaj'ed the 
 soundest judgment. An examination of her 
 list of purchases will show this, and will show 
 the truth of her statement that 'in the pur- 
 chase of books a careful eye has been had to 
 the needs of the laboring people, who cannot 
 afford to jnirchase costly reference books'. '"- 
 As before mentioned, the "Governor's Man- 
 sion" was never occupied as a residence by any 
 Governor. James Brown Ray, who succeeded 
 when Gov. William Hendricks was elected to 
 the Senate in 1825, and was twice thereafter 
 elected Governor, serving till 1831, lived in his 
 own house. He was at first allowed house 
 rent, but as some criticism was made of it, the 
 salary was increased and declared to cover 
 
 '-SnilliirJ. .liuiuarv (5. 1887.
 
 iiis'i'dK'v ()|- (;i;i:.\rKi; ixdiaxapoijs. 
 
 10!> 
 
 house rt'ut. (iovcnior Xolilo. wlio served I'roui 
 1831 to IS'M had a farm l.vi)ig east of Xoble 
 street and north of Market, with a luie resi- 
 dence on a knoll near the present corner of 
 Market and Pine streets, where he resided. 
 Followiug him came Governor Wallace, a non- 
 resident, who found a tenement near the corner 
 of Washington and ilissouri streets until the 
 legislature was convinced that it should pro- 
 vide a gubernatorial residence, ami on Feb- 
 ruary IJJ, 1839, ordered the purchase of the 
 residence of Dr. John H. Sanders, at the north- 
 west corner of Illinois and Market streets. It 
 was then considered the finest residence in 
 the city, but for some reason, probaJjly a low 
 site made worse by street grading, it was al- 
 ways unhealthy. Governor Bigger was suj)- 
 posed to have contracted there the fatal ill- 
 ness from which he died soon after leaving 
 office. The young wife of Governor \Miit-i 
 comb died there, and so did Governor Wright's 
 first wife. Governor Willard's wife was ill 
 nearly all the time they occupied the house. 
 Governor ilorton abandoned it in the fall of 
 1863 on account of the ill health of iiimsclf 
 and family, and after boarding for a time pur- 
 chased the house at the southeast corner of 
 Pennsylvania and Jsew York streets, where he 
 died in 1877. The residence of the governors 
 for nearly a quarter of a century was sold in 
 1865, and some years later was torn down to 
 give place to the Cyclorama Building, which 
 in turn was succeeded by the present Union 
 Terminal and Traction Station. 
 
 By the time Indiana had completed its re((- 
 uisite governmental buildings, the public con- 
 science of the state was becoming aroused to 
 the duty of care for the blind, deaf and dumb 
 and insane, which. had been attracting atten- 
 tion in the older states in the past decade. 
 The proceeds of the donation tract had been 
 exhausted, and the three per cent fund had 
 been used up in internal improvements, but 
 somebody was struck by a happy thought, and 
 in January, 1839, the legislature memorialized 
 Congress asking a further grant for these pur- 
 poses. Having thus made a tentative jirovision 
 of means, on February 13, 1839, it directed 
 the assessors to ascertain and report tlie num- 
 ber of deaf mutes in each county. But Con- 
 gress had troubles of its own, and did not re- 
 spond. Meanwhile members of the medical 
 profession became interested in the treatment 
 
 of the insane, which had the medical as well 
 as the merely philanthropic side, and a special 
 champion of state action arose in the person of 
 Dr. John Evans of Fountain County, after- 
 wards Governor of Colorado. On January 31, 
 1842, the Governor was directed to corresjwnd 
 with the governors of other states as to the 
 cost, construction and management of insane 
 hospitals — or as they were then called ''lunatic 
 asylums" — and report to the ne.xt session. This 
 was the result of a very forcible letter from Dr. 
 Evans and Dr. Isaac Fisher of Fountain 
 County, pointing out the evils of the exist- 
 ing treatment of the insane and the progress 
 of other states, on which a favorable report 
 had been made on January 2().''' On Decem- 
 ber 2."). 184'2, Dr. Evans delivered a lecture be- 
 fore the legislature on the treatment of insani- 
 ty, and on February 13, 1843, the Governor was 
 directed to correspond with the superintendents 
 of hospitals and procure plans, and submit them 
 with his suggestions at the next session. On his 
 report, the legislature, on January 1.5, 1844, 
 levied a tax of one cent on the hundred dol- 
 hirs for the hospital buildings and site. On 
 January 13, ISl."), Dr. Evans, Dr. Livingston 
 Dunlap and James Blake were appointed com- 
 missioners to select a site of not over 200 
 acres. In the spring they selected the site 
 of the present Central Hospital for the In- 
 sane, then known as Mount Jackson. It had 
 beeii the pro])erty of George Smith, the founder 
 id' the Gazette, and had been named by him in 
 honor of "Old Hickory"'. For some years it 
 liail been occupied by Nathaniel Bolton and 
 his gifted wife Sarah T. Bolton, who main- 
 tained a tavern there. At the n.ext session they 
 reported the site and a plan for the building, 
 and on January 19, 1846, they were directed to 
 |)r()ceed with the building. An appropriation 
 of $15,000 was made, and they were also in- 
 structed to Sell "the Hospital Square"' (square 
 .\o. 22) and appropriate the proceeds to the 
 work. The main building was begun in the 
 summer of 1846, and completed the year fol- 
 lowing at a cost of about $75,000. The south 
 wing was added in 1853-6, and the north wing 
 in lS(i6-9. This completed the main building, 
 and later additions will be mentioned here- 
 after. 
 
 Before the hospital for the insane got to 
 
 ''Ifiiil.ie JiiiiriKil. p. 591.
 
 110 
 
 iiis'roi.'v or (;i;k.\'1'i:i,' ixdianai'oi.is. 
 
 the appropriation stagi: the luKiicati's of the 
 t'diR-ation of the deaf aiul diunh had secured 
 the passage of an act on February 13, 1843, 
 levying a tax of two mill? on one hundred 
 dollars for an asylum for the deaf and'duudi. 
 In the spring following tliry lirought \\rvr 
 William Willard. a teacher in the Ohu) insti- 
 tute for the deaf and dumb and he opened a 
 private school, in which there were sixteen pu- 
 pils the first year. On January 15, 1844, the 
 legislature established the institute for the deaf 
 and dumb, and made trustees for it the Ctov- 
 ernor. Secretary and Treasurer of State, Henr\ 
 
 and thirty acres of land uei'e jiurchased. The 
 : ame year the school was removed to the Kin- 
 der block, a three-story brick building on the 
 south side of Washington near Delaware. Here 
 it remained until the completion of the new 
 state building in 1850, at a cost of $30,000, 
 anrt it is still being occupied while a new 
 iiwtitution is being constructed north of the 
 eity. ^[r. Willard was superintendent until 
 1S45, when James S. Brown succeeded him and 
 M'rved until 1853. Thomas Mclntvre was then 
 appointed and served until 1879. He was a 
 trained instructor, and made the value of the 
 
 OLD SUPREME COURT AND STATE OFFICES. 
 
 (From a cut.) 
 
 Ward Beecher, IMiiueas D. Gurley, Love 11. 
 Jameson, Livingston Dunlap, and James Mor- 
 rison, of Marion County, and ^[atthew Simp- 
 son of Putnam County. The trustees prac- 
 tically adopted the Willard school, under their 
 directions to rent a room and em])loy teachers, 
 first locating it in a large frame residence on 
 the southeast corner of Mai-yland aiul Illinois 
 streets. The act pi'ovided tliat nothing in it 
 should be "construed to make any permanent 
 location of the asylum for the deaf and dumb 
 at Indianapolis", but in is HI a site was selected 
 at the eorni"r of WashiiiLrtun and State streets 
 
 institution ]ilain to everyone. His successor, 
 l>r. Wm. Cilenn, served till 1885, when Eli P. 
 Baker succeeded, and served till 1889. Mr. 
 Richard (). Johnson, the jtresent efficient su- 
 |ierintendent, has been in charge siiu-c 1889. 
 Extensive additions were made to the build- 
 ings at various dates, and the grounds were iu- 
 creased to 105 acres. 
 
 Kentucky served as an example and a spur 
 to Indiana in the nmtter of benevolent institu- 
 tions. Its deaf and duml) asylum was adver- 
 tised here, ten years before we had one, as edu- 
 (atiuii- the indigent deaf and dumb of Ken-
 
 ins'i'()i;v OF cuKATKi; indi.wai'ous. 
 
 11 1 
 
 tuckv free of charge, and outsiders at $80 per 
 rear.'* In 18-i."i, during the session of tlie h'gi>- 
 hituie. pupils from tlie Kentuekv Blind Asylum 
 were hronght here and gave e.\Iiii)itions of tlieir 
 attainnii'nts in the Seeond Presbyterian Cluiiili. 
 of wliieh Henry Ward Beeeher was then pas- 
 tor. Many legislators attended, and on one 
 occasion Senator Dirk Rousseau, of (ireene 
 County, convulsed the audience by writing out 
 a jiroblem and holding it before the sightless 
 pupils while lie tried to help them comprehend 
 bv tracing the figures with his fingers. The 
 legislature wa.s convinced and on January V-). 
 184."), levied a tax of two mills on $l(Hi to 
 build an asylum for the blind, which was in- 
 creased to one cent on January 27, 184T. On 
 January 19, ]84(), the Secietary, Auditor ami 
 Treasurer of State, with James il. Kay and 
 Dr. George W. Clears, were made commissioners 
 to provide for temporary schooling of the blind 
 of the stale. Win. II. riiurchman, who had l)een 
 in charge of the e.xhiliition of the Kentucky 
 pupils the year before, was appointed to ad- 
 dress the ])eople of the state on the subject of 
 educating the blind, and to ascertain the num- 
 ber of the blind in the state. On Januarv 27. 
 lS4r. Dr. George W. Mears. Calvin Fletcher 
 :ind James M. Kay were appointed comniis- 
 -ioners to provide the buildings for the school, 
 and $.'),()()(l was approiiriated for the site. ^[r. 
 Fletcher declined to serve, and Seton W. iforris 
 was api)oiiited in his place. The present site 
 tiien known as '"Pratt's Walnut Grove" — be- 
 tween North and St. Clair, Pennsylvania and 
 Aferidian streets — was selected, and the work- 
 shop — the three story brick building at Walnut 
 and Pennsylvania streets which was torn away 
 in i;iOO to niake place (in- a new wing — was 
 lirsl erected, ^reanwhile the school was opened 
 in the liuilding formerly occupied by the deaf 
 and dunili at ^faryland and Illinois streets, on 
 October 1, 1847. In September, 1S4S, it was 
 removed to the workshop, then conii)leted, and 
 remained there till the main building was fiu- 
 islied in February. 1S."):i. TIk/ buildings and 
 
 '*.lniiriiiil. Si.pleinljer 1 1. ls:i."). 
 
 grounds cost $11U,UI)U, and the asylum proper 
 was the most imposing state building, e.\cept- 
 ing possibly the state house, that had been 
 erected up to that time. It still stands, sub- 
 stantially as built, except that large additions 
 have been made at the rear. This was the last 
 of the state buildings erected at Indianapolis 
 prior to the Civil War. 
 
 The old building for the State Treasurer, at 
 the southwest corner of Capitol avenue and 
 Washington street, was abandoned by that of- 
 ficial in ISoT. and was rented and used for 
 various pur])oses until ISG.j, when it was torn 
 down. By this time the capitol was so dilapi- 
 dated and overcrowded that an additional build- 
 ing was needed, and in IStiT one was erected 
 on the site of the old Treasurer's house — a two- 
 story brick building with a l)asement reaching 
 some five feet above ground — into wdiich the 
 Supreme Court, with its library, and all the 
 state officers except the Governor and the State 
 Libi-arian removed. This arrangement con- 
 tinued until 1877. Everyiiody realized the need 
 of a new capitol, but neither party .would take 
 the responsibility for the expense of erecting 
 one. In that year the control of the houses 
 beinw divided, the act of ilarch 4 was passed, 
 providing for the apjiointment of four com- 
 missioners to build a capitol costing not over 
 $";;.0()i.),0()(i. and levying a tax of one cent on 
 $100 to meet the expense, (ien. Jolm Love, 
 (Jen. Thos. .\. ^lorris. Col. I. 1). G. Xelson anil 
 John M. Collett were ap])ointed. Collctt re- 
 signed May 3. is;!), when he was appointed 
 State Geologist, and (Jeneral Love was later 
 succeeded by II. Mursinna. The first jilans 
 submitted weic all rejected as too expensive: 
 and from a second submission of 24 plans, one 
 by P'dwin ^lay, of Indianapolis, was chosen. 
 The general contract was taken by the lirm of 
 Kanmacher & Denig, and the building was com- 
 pleted in 18SS within the cost limit fixed by 
 the law. While it was l)eing erected, the Stale 
 TJbrarv was housed in the (iallu|) Idock. at the 
 southeast conu'r of Cap'tnl avenue and Market 
 street.
 
 CHAPTER Xll. 
 
 THE TOWN GOVERNMENTS. 
 
 Until the year 1832 there was no municipal 
 organization at Indianapolis, the only local 
 government being through the state laws, en- 
 forced by the courts and the county and town- 
 ship officers. But town organization was 
 wholly dependent on the will of the people, 
 and in the fall of 1832 a movement was inau- 
 gurated for that purpose. An act had been 
 adopted on February 2, 1832, which changed the 
 system of town incorporation that had been in 
 vogue since the admission of the state. Under 
 the new law it was necessary for two-thirds 
 of the legal voters of the town to sign a peti- 
 tion to the county board asking for incorpora- 
 tion, the signatures being proved "by the oath 
 of any reputable person", and the board was 
 thereupon to order an election to be held within 
 one month from that time for the election of 
 trustees for the incorporation, of which ten 
 days notice was to be given by written notices 
 posted in three public places. At the meeting 
 for the election, the voters were first to elect 
 as president and clerk who should ''without de- 
 lay lay off said incorporation into five dis- 
 tricts and forthwith present the same to said 
 voters, who shall proceed to elect one trustee 
 for each district". In other respects the old 
 law was to be followed. The old law provided 
 for a public meeting on the first Monday in 
 March or September, at which a president and 
 secretary were to be chosen, who were to di- 
 vide the town into five districts and hold an 
 election for trustees on the following ilonday, 
 certifying the result to the trustees elected, who 
 filed their certificates with the county clerk, 
 and then organized by electing a president. 
 Under the old law the county board had noth- 
 ing to do with the incorporation, but under the 
 new law. which has since been followed, it 
 became the authority in control of the process. 
 
 On September 1, a call was published for a 
 meeting to consider incorporation, to be held 
 at the court house on September 3. This meet- 
 ing prepared a petition to the Board of County 
 Commissioners for incorporation, which was 
 ])resented on the following day, and this record 
 was made : "Glidden True and others presented 
 a petition praying that the Town of Indian- 
 apolis be incorporated, and it appearing to the 
 satisfaction of the Board by said petition that 
 two-thirds of the legal voters of said town are 
 favorable to said incorporation, and have signed 
 said petition, the signatures of whom are proved 
 by the oath of Glidden True — 
 
 "Ecsolved that said town be and the same 
 is hereby incorporated according to law, and 
 further ordered that an election be held at 
 tlie Court House in Indianapolis on the twenty- 
 ninth day of September, 1832, for the election 
 of trustees of said incorporation, of which no- 
 tice is ordered to be given according to law." 
 
 On September 29, the voters assembled at 
 the court house, and then elected Obed Foote. 
 president and Josiah W. Davis, clerk, who were 
 duly sworn in by Bethuel F. ^lorris, the Presi- 
 dent Judge of the Fifth Circuit. The presi- 
 dent and clerk forthwith divided the town into 
 five districts as follows: 1st, from the eastern 
 boundary of town to Alabama street ; 2nd, from 
 Alabama to Pennsylvania ; 3rd. from Pennsyl- 
 vania to ileridian ; 4th, from ileridian to 
 Tennessee : .5th. from Tennessee to the western 
 boundary. The election was then held, and 
 "John Wilkins received fifty-four votes, Henry 
 P. Coburn fifty-five votes, John G. Brown fifty- 
 four votes, Samuel Henderson forty-one votes, 
 Samuel Merrill fifty-one votes", and these five 
 were elected for the five districts, in the order 
 named. They organized by electing Samuel 
 Henderson president, and their fir.st work was 
 
 112
 
 iiisi()i;i ()|- (;i;i;.\i'KU iNDlAXAroiJS. 
 
 the passii<;e of a geiiL-nil ordinance whicli srrvcd 
 in part the ])urposcs of a city eliarter. It 
 provided for tlio appointment of a clerk, an 
 assessor, a treasurer and a marshal, who also 
 served as tax-collector. All of these officers 
 were appointed for one year and j;ave bond. 
 In addition to |)rescribin<j: the duties of these 
 officials the ordinance defined otfeuses and fixed 
 penalties as follows: firing a gun or ]iistol, 
 riving a kite, or running a horse within the town 
 limits a fine of not less than $1 nor more than 
 !f .'5 ; suffering firewood to remain on Washing- 
 ton street more than twelve hours •%') : failing to 
 remove shavings from the shop w here made 
 and burn them once in two (biys $1 : maintain- 
 ing a stove-pipe within two inches of wood- 
 work $1 ; leaving o])en a cellar docn' on a 
 street in the night $1; driving a horse or ve- 
 iiicle on a sidewalk $1 ; leaving team unhitched 
 and without trace chain unhitched .%"i ; giving 
 show without license $3 ; exhibiting stallion 
 within fifty yards of Washington street or of a 
 dwelling house $1; selling liquor, less than a 
 quart without license $'i. Special taxes and 
 licenses M-ere fixed as follows; each male dog, 
 more than one $..50 ; each female dog $.5 : each 
 hog, over six, bidonging to one owner and run- 
 ning at large ^..^O ; show or exhibition, twenty 
 times the price of admission for each day; re- 
 tail liquor license, same as county tax and Sa 
 cents for issuing license; a breeding sow, or 
 .pigs under six months old, could b(> taken up 
 by the marshal and sold to the highest bidder. 
 At the same time the trustees adopted an 
 ordinance for the control of the market, pro- 
 viding for a market nuister at a salary of $;iO 
 a year. The market was to be o]iened on Wed- 
 nesday and Saturdays at daylight, and anyone 
 who sold at or adjacent to it before daylight was 
 subject to a fine of $1 ; the market was to 
 remain open two hours and no goods brought 
 to town for sale could be sold elsewhere during 
 market hours. Fceiling horses, hogs or other 
 animals in the juarket-bouso was finable, not 
 over $3: hitching an animal to the market- 
 house or putting a vehicle where it woidd ob- 
 struct passage to the market-bouse was tinaiile 
 $1 ; buying goods in market for re-sale $.'3 ; 
 huckster occupying ])lace in llu> niarket-hou.se 
 $3. The market master «as required to sei/.c 
 and destroy any unwholesome food offered for 
 sale: to inspect weights and measures: and to 
 confiscate any l)uttcM' or other articles id" b'ss 
 Vol. 1—8 
 
 weight than represented. When meal was sold 
 by measure, it was required to be ■iu'a])ed" 
 to the satisfaction of the market master, on 
 ]ienalty of confiscation. The market-house had 
 been provided during the ])reccding summer by 
 the voluntary action of the citizens. There 
 had Ijccn a general desire for one foi- some 
 time, but a difference of opinion as to where 
 it should !)(' located; but on :March 38, 1832, 
 a |inblic meeting was held at the court bouse, 
 and it was decided to ])ut it "on tbi' market 
 scpuire, immediately north of the court house, 
 and })ursuant to the original design". .\c- 
 cordingly Thmnas AfcOuat, Josiah W. Davis 
 and John Watton, as commissioners for the 
 erection of the market-house, were directed to 
 take sub.scriptions and build it there, all of 
 which was certified by C. 1. Hand, chairman, 
 and John Givan. secretary of the meeting. On 
 .Vugust 11. 1832. the Journal announi'cd the 
 market-house finished and ready for occupati(ui. 
 .\s an inducement to sellers it stated the nding 
 priees to be, flour $<;..")(» (« $3 per cwt. : corn 
 meal $.75 per busliel; bacon 8 cents per lb.; 
 i)utter 10 to 12 cents per lb. ; beef cattle $2.50 
 ]>er cwt. on the hoof. In 1848 the experiment 
 was tried of opening the market at noon, in- 
 stead of at daylight, Imt it was abandoned after 
 a iirief trial. ^ 
 
 It is very evident that politics got into the 
 town government at the start, for the Journal 
 recommended the winning ticket for trustees, 
 and also the division into districts as adopted, 
 though it also published a note from "many 
 voters"' suggesting for trustees the names of 
 William Ilaiinaman. .1. L. ^lothershead. Jacob 
 l.andis and William Wernwag. in aildition to 
 •lobn Wilkins who appears to have been on 
 bofli slates. After the (U'gauization. the or- 
 dinances adopted were published in the Jour- 
 nal, but not in the Democrat, whereupon the 
 latter on November 24, 1S32, in large type, ad- 
 vised "the very liberal, impartial and honor- 
 able Board of Trustees of the ('or|ioration of 
 Indiaiia))olis"' that it would pulilisb "all laws, 
 orders and ordinances which your honorable 
 body may pass and tliink necessary to |iublish 
 for the good government of the town, without 
 charge and without pay"". The editor, A. F. 
 Morrison, added the ])ostscript : "I have been 
 requested to inquire of your honorable body 
 
 ' f.ocouiolirc. Xovcnilier I. IS I.'
 
 114 
 
 :iS'|-()i;V OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 whether Jackson muii arc chargeable witli Cor- 
 ])oration taxes." But the trustees "just 
 laughed"" and went ahead. The appointive otfi- 
 ces were not in great demand. Samuel ilerrill 
 acted as clerk till November 27, 1832, when 
 Isaac N. Heylin took charge. He resigned 
 March 22, 1833, and was followed by Israel 
 P. Griffith, who resigned December 6, 1833. 
 Then Hugh O'Neal took it and served out a 
 year, coming back for two years more in 1836- 
 38. John Wilkins served as Treasurer to No- 
 vember 2T, 1832. when Obed Foote took the 
 office till his death, and Harvey Bates followed 
 him from 1833 to 1835. Josiah W. Davis 
 served as Assessor to November 27, and re- 
 signed. He was followed by Butler K. Smith 
 for one year, and George Lockerbie for two. . 
 Glidden True was marshal and collector till 
 Februarv 8. 1833, when Edward ^IcGuire came 
 in and lasted till :May 10, 1833. He was fol- 
 lowed by Samuel Jennison, who resigned in 
 1834, and was succeeded by Dennis I. Wliite, 
 who stuck for a year. Then came John C. 
 Busie, who resigned October 7, 1835 i John A. 
 Boyer, who resigned December 19, 1835, and 
 Richard D. Mattingly who served his year. 
 
 In fact the marshal's life was not a hapj)y 
 one, especially in the later years, owing to an 
 increase of "undesirable citizens'". In the sum- 
 mer of 1827 Commissioner Knight passed 
 through the state locating the National Road, 
 arriving in Indianapolis early in July, and re- 
 turning in September from the western end.-' 
 The next fall the c-nntracts were let and work 
 was soon begun. The contract for the 
 ))ridt;e over the river was let July 2(!. IS.'M. 
 to AYilliam Wernwag and Walter Blake for 
 $18,000, and it was completed in 1834. This 
 work brought a large number of hands from 
 the outside, many of whom were of a somewhat 
 reckless character, and the canal work, which 
 soon followed, brought many more. Among 
 these were many Irish immigrants, among 
 whom there soon arose factional differences that 
 occasioned resorts to "shillelah law"; for in 
 addition to fighting the battles of the nations, 
 "Kelly and Burke and Shea" are wont to take 
 up private cau.ses, just for practice. There 
 were other nationalities to help on, and the 
 native American did his share as usual. There 
 grew up two distinctively "tough" neighbor- 
 
 KJounwl. Julv :!. 10, Sejitenilier -I, 1S2:. 
 
 hoods, one south of town near the river, known 
 as "Waterloo"", and the other in the northwest 
 part. The leading spirit in the latter section 
 was David Burkhart, more commonly called 
 "Old Buckhart'". He came here about 1824, 
 and seemed to have developed in depravity 
 under the influence of whisky. In the zenith 
 of his greatness he kept a groggery grocery at 
 the southwest corner of New York street and 
 Tennessee, which was headquarters for a col- 
 lection of rough characters known as "the 
 chain gang"". Burkhart was a square-built, red- 
 lieaded, muscular fellow, who prided himself 
 on his fighting abilities, and when drinking 
 was usually hunting trouble, his pet aversions 
 being negroes and preachers. This brought 
 about his downfall, for in 1836, he undertook 
 to disturb a camp-meeting that was being con- 
 ducted by Rev. James Havens on the military 
 reservation, after having made threats to whip 
 "old Sorrel Top"' as Father Havens was ir- 
 reverently termed. There are various accounts 
 of this affair, the most plausible by Rev. J. C. 
 Smith, wlio says he saw it. According to him 
 Mr. Havens was notified of Burkhart"s presence 
 In a lady who complained of his profane and 
 obscene talk near her tent. He at once went 
 to the place. Smith, George Norwood and sev- 
 eral others following. After a few words Ha- 
 vens said: "Burkhart, I wish you to walk 
 with me a short distance", his object being to 
 get him to a justice's office. Burkhart as- 
 sented, and Smith says: 
 
 "Having proceeded about one hundred yards 
 Burkhart suddenly halted and said, with a 
 l)itter oath, 'I w-ill go no further", and quickly 
 gave three loud, shrill whistles, and cried aloud, 
 three times, 'David Leach I' the name of one of 
 his most desperate followers; but David not 
 responding. Burkhart said with another bitter 
 oath, 'The coward has forsaken me'. He then 
 made a sudden turn on his captor and tried to 
 throw him on the ground. In this he failed. 
 After much struggling we all at length reached 
 the magistrate's office, which was the objective 
 point. The office stood at the crossing of Dela- 
 ware street on Washington. Squire Jennison 
 (not Scudder) soon appeared and began to fix 
 up the papers for the trial of the case. While 
 this was doing, Burkhart, witli quick and nerv- 
 ous steps, continued to pace round the room, 
 and coming in front of the chair in which 
 Elder Havens sat, he suddenly stopped and
 
 TTTST0T7T OF GRKATEK TXDTAXAPOLIS. 
 
 11. "> 
 
 pulled from his pockot a large knife with a 
 spring back, wliich, with a sudden jerk, he 
 threw open with a snap. This Brother Havens 
 mistook for a pistol and in a moment, with the 
 furv of a chafed lion, he. sprang to his feet, and 
 catching the hand that held the knife he 
 planted a terrible blow with his clenched list 
 on the proboscis of his dangerous enemy. The 
 scene that followed this beggars description. 
 They fought desperately several times around 
 the room, planting terrible blows on each other, 
 till they were parted by the assembled crowd, 
 and order was restored. The result was that 
 Burkhart was heavily fined for breach of the 
 peace and for carrying concealed weapons, and 
 failing to give bond, he was committed that 
 night to the county jail. Jiist as he entered the 
 jail door his courage gave way, and he said 
 with trembling voice, 'Has it come to this, 
 that David Burkhart has been whipped bv a 
 ^fetbodist preacher !"'^ A few days later. 
 when doing some swaggering down town. Burk- 
 hart met a challenge from Samuel ^Ferrill. who 
 told him he believed he could throw him, al- 
 though he was a smaller man ; and to Burk- 
 hart'? astonishment and humiliation he did it. 
 These events had a salutarv efPeet, but there 
 were more potent agencies of reform at work. 
 i The police powers of the trustees under the 
 I general incor])oration law were not sunicicnt. 
 and on February .■"), 1830, the people obtained 
 a spct-ial charter from the legislature. The 
 I general law gave authoritv to adopt such ordi- 
 I nances "not inconsistent with the laws and con- 
 stitution of this state, as they shall deem neces- 
 sary for the good government of such corpora- 
 tion : and to prevent and remove nuisances, to 
 restrain and prohibit gambling or other dis- 
 orderly conduct, to provide for licensing, regu- 
 lating or restraining theatrical and other pub- 
 lie shows and amusements within the corpora- 
 tion, to regulate and establish markets, to sink 
 and keep in repair public v>-ells. and shall have 
 the sole and exclusive power and authority to 
 keep in repair all necessarv streets, allevs and 
 drains, ami to pass regulations necessarv foi- the 
 same".'' The new charter empowered the trus- 
 tees "'to adopt aTid jint in force such laws, or- 
 dinances and. regulations as thev shall deem iirc- 
 ossary for the police and good governnieni nl' 
 
 ^F.nrhi Mrllmdi^m In huluina . ]\. 10. 
 '/?')■.' I.inrs, 1S:!1. p. .".-.'I. 
 
 the town", not inconsistent with the constitu- 
 tion and laws of the state, and such laws "as 
 may be necessary to guard against damage by 
 fire: to organize fire companies and to govern 
 the same; to regulate the duty and conduct of 
 the citizens of the town in relation thereto; to 
 regulate and govern the markets; to prevent 
 the erection of public nuisances, and remove 
 the same ; to declare what shall be a public 
 nuisance, and generally to enforce, by proper 
 l)enalties, the observance of all laws and ordi- 
 nances relative to the police and government of 
 the said incorporated town"."' The charter also 
 gave authority to make the retail liquor license 
 Jii-'ifl and made the first provision for street im- 
 ])rovement':. On jietition of two-thirds of the 
 owners of lots on any street or section thereof 
 for "graduating, graveling or paving said 
 streets or sidewalks thereof", the petition speci- 
 fying "the improvement wanted or contem- 
 ])lated to be made"', it was the duty of the 
 trustees to cause it to be done as economi- 
 cally as possible, and asses,*- the cost ratably 
 by the front foot, the assessment being a lien 
 upon the lots. 
 
 The maintenance of order, however, was the 
 chief thing in mind, and that the people were 
 determined on. Notice was given of a meeting 
 at the court house on March 19 "for the pur- 
 pose of consulting on measures connected with 
 the peace and safety of the town", and it was 
 well attended. George Lockerbie was made 
 chairman and Charles I. Hand secretary. .\ 
 committee was appointed to select ten persons 
 "whose duty it shall be to assist the civil officers 
 in bringing to justice all offenders against the 
 law", and the ten selected were Butler Smith, 
 William Oampbell, .\ndrew Smith, John Wil- 
 kins, John ^fcMahan. John Woollen, Samuel 
 ^ferrill, James Kittleman. AVilliam H. Wern- 
 wag and Daniel Yandcs. Spirited speeches 
 were made by Herod Newland, a revolutionary 
 soldier, and Calvin Fletcher: and. on motion 
 of John Cain the following was adopted : "Re- 
 solved, that this meeting will use their ende.iv- 
 ors to have such men elected to the next board 
 of trustees as will command the respect and 
 confidence of the citizens of our town, and who 
 sb:i1l appoint such town officers as will do their 
 duty without favor or afTection. .\\\i\ this 
 meeting ])ledges itself td aid and sii|ii)i>rt llieiii 
 
 '•T.nral Liiirx. ]i>:M'<. 
 
 \-i.
 
 iii; 
 
 HISTORY OF CHEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 ill all lawful ciulfaxors to ]jrL'.~ervc tlio [xjat-e 
 and good order of the town, and the ]jri;scrva- 
 tion of the persons and property of the citizens 
 thereof.'" It was then decided to sign the re^o- 
 lution as a jiledge, and 1'21 men came for\v-u'd 
 and signed their names. The election was held 
 on ilonday, April i, with a polling place in 
 each ward, and George Loekerliie, John Foster, 
 Samuel Merrill, Humphrey Griffith and John 
 L. Young were chosen trustees, all law and or- 
 der men. At the same time four constahles 
 were chosen — J. B. Ferguson, J. P. Duvall, 
 Daniel Baker, and K. D. ^lattingly — every one 
 of whouT was a signer of the resolutions above.'' 
 
 Another pacificatory event at this time was 
 an opinion rendered by Judge Wick. Among 
 the negroes who were annoyed by "the chain 
 gang" was James Overall, a quiet but resolute 
 man with a number of white friends. He had 
 defended his house from an attack by several 
 of these roughs by the free iise of a shot-gun, 
 and on this account became involved in trouble 
 with David Leach, one of the worst of the gang, 
 and swore out a peace warrant. The Justice 
 put Leach under bond, and he appealed on the 
 ground that a negro was not a competent wit- 
 ness. Judge Wick, in a long and elaborate 
 opinion, held that while the statute prohibited 
 a negro's being a witness against a white man, 
 it did not prevent his taking legal steps for his 
 own protection, and the altidavit for the war- 
 rant was not evidence heard on trial, but only 
 a step in bringing on the trial. He therefore 
 held !>each, and both the negroes and their tor- 
 mentors were made to know that there was some 
 protection for the negro in the law.^ 
 
 The new board of trustees ])roceeded in line 
 with the will of the law and order ])eo])le. 
 George Locke rljie was elected president, and 
 William Camjjbell was made marshal for three 
 successive years. On June 8 the trustees passed 
 an ordinance imposing a fine of $3 on anvone 
 who "shall be guilty of any assault, assault and 
 battery, aiTray, rout, riot, or unlawful assem- 
 blage within the town of Indiana])olis, or shall 
 provoke or encourage any other person oi' per- 
 sons to commit either of said otfen.'^es." Thev 
 also provided a fine of $3 for anyone who "shall 
 he guilty of using publicly any indecent oi- 
 blas])hemous language, or who shall appear in 
 
 '.lonniiil. March -.T,. April '.), ls;!(i. 
 'Joiiniiil. Mav 7, 183(J. 
 
 the streets intoxicated, or who shall sell or gi\e 
 any siiiritiidiis liquors to any person intoxi- 
 cated''. 'J'liey showed a spirit of progress that 
 was really remarkable for the time and the con- 
 ditions by declaring all'"horse racks'" on Wash- 
 ington street to be nuisances, and ordering their 
 removal.'' Tlie more stringent law and its more 
 vigorous enforcement lessened the disorders, and 
 Ijegot favor for a stronger local government in 
 all respects; and more power was needed, e>pi- 
 cially as to street improvements, for these wi ic 
 almost at the will of the property owner aside 
 from regular road work, and he got no credit 
 on that for any special ctfort befori' his own 
 premises. 
 
 After two years" experience under this char- 
 ter the people wanted one granting more power, 
 and on February 17, 1838, the town was reiu- 
 eor])orated by the legislature. Under the new 
 charter the council consisted of a i^resident 
 elected by general vote, and six trustees, eacii 
 elected by the voters of his ward, all of whom 
 were required to be freeholders of the town. 
 The charter fixed the wards as follows: 1st, all 
 east of Alabama street ; 2nd, Alabama to Penn- 
 sylvania ; 3rd, Pennsylvania to Meridian : -ith. 
 Meridian to Illinois; .5th, Illinois to ilissis- 
 sippi ; fith, all west of Mississippi. The act is 
 indefinite in that it incorporates all the land 
 "included in the bounds of the donation'", but 
 general taxation was limited to the mile square, 
 and the council was required to open and keep 
 in repair "the border streets of said town, be- 
 ing North, South, East, and West streets", or 
 "forfeit all rights and privileges of Jurisdiction 
 beyond the said streets which are conferj'ed on 
 said counc-il by the 23d section of this act", 
 which powers were licensing and regulating 
 "taverns, groceries, tippling houses, shows, 
 theaters and stores, within the limits of the 
 donation". The council decided that the ])eoplc 
 on the donation outside of the mile scpiare were 
 entitled to vote in town elections. The presi- 
 dent of the council was given the powers of a 
 Justice of the peace witliin the donation, and 
 the marshal the ])owers of a constable. The 
 council could appoint a secretary, marshal, 
 treasurer, asses.«or, collector, supervisor of high- 
 ways, clerk of the market, and other subordi- 
 nates deemed necessary, and impose a fine not 
 exceeding $•") for refusal to aeeept an olliee. 
 
 "Jotiniii! . .1 une 1 1 . 1S3().
 
 JllSTOilY Ui" (JiJEATEU IXLHAXAi'Ul.lS. 
 
 TliL' tnistcvs wiMv allowed $1 each for each 
 regular inoiithly iiu'ctiiig, not exceeding twelve. 
 The limit ot the retail liciiior licent^e was 
 raiseil to $100. The trustees were empowered 
 to adopt "siieh laws and ordinances as to them 
 shall seem necessary relative to the regulations 
 of streets, alleys, sidewalks and highways; to 
 cleaning, raising, draining, turnpiking. mac- 
 adamizing or otherwise making and keeping the 
 same in repair : to making, causing, and re- 
 quiring owners of in-lots to pave or gravel tiie 
 sidewalks in front of their respective in-lots". 
 
 The realty ta.\ was limited to one-half of 
 one per cent of the valuation, and the poll tax 
 to $1. In addition each able-bodied man be- 
 tween 21 and 50 years of age was required to 
 do two days' work on the streets each year, or 
 pay $1 in lieu thereof. The town was allowed 
 to tax dogs, and all property subject to county 
 taxation, and also to require licenses of '"shows, 
 exhii)itions, auctions, peddlers and amuse- 
 ments". This charter, with its anu'ndments, 
 coutiinied in force until the adoption of city 
 government in 18 IT. ISy act of February 1."), 
 IS.'U). the council was directed to open and keep 
 in rejiair all streets and alleys running through 
 the donation, and could tax for this purpose, 
 and this only, outside of the mile square. By 
 act (if Fel)ruary 22, 1840, the councilmeu or 
 trustees were divided into two classes, those of 
 the 1st, .'ird and -jth wards, and those of the 
 2nd, 4th and (Jth wards, to be elected in alter- 
 nate years; and the qualification for member- 
 ship was changed from freeholder to house- 
 holder. The law as to licensing auctioneers 
 was also changed hut the change is not very 
 important, for all of the early laws on that suli- 
 jecf were in violation of the United States con- 
 stitution in that they imposed greater burdens 
 on citizens of other states than on citizens of In- 
 diana. Tlie act of February 13. 1841, repealed 
 the incor]ioration law, so far as it applied to the 
 donation hinds west of White River. By act 
 of Kebruary 1:5, 1841, the marshal was made 
 elective by the people; an(l the same change 
 was made as to the assessor, collector, street 
 supervisor, and secretary by the act of January 
 1">, 1844, but this latter act was repealed on 
 January 10. ISIO. By another act of Januan' 
 1">. Is 11. the town was req\iired to keep the 
 state ditch ill rc]iiiir and I'l'inoxc olist I'uctions 
 from it. 
 
 There was piactically no effort at street ini- 
 
 ])rovenu'nt until 1S;](), beyond cutting out tim- 
 ber, and a little corduroying in very wet places, 
 and making an occasional ditch. In that year 
 the town began the good work by filling a pond 
 in Meridian street in front of Wesley Chapel, 
 just south of the Circle. The council also 
 adopted an ordinance for a "town surveyor and 
 engineer". His principal duty was to estab- 
 lish corners and boundaries, which he was re- 
 quired to do on re(iuest of a citizen; but be- 
 sides this he was to "take the proper level and 
 grade of any of the streets, sidewalks, drains 
 and alleys of said town, as may from time to 
 time be deemed necessary"; and also to "make 
 estimates of any proposed improvements in said 
 town, and perform such other professional 
 services as may be required by the comnuin 
 council". For compensation he received -$3 
 a day for actual service ; and for part of a day 
 $2 for not more than four hours, if called hy a 
 jirivate individual, and $1..")0 for not more than 
 half a day if working for the city. To this 
 othce was called William Sullivan, a very com- 
 petent man. He was a ilarylander, of Eng- 
 lish descent, who came here in 1834. He was 
 well educated, and had taught school in Ohio, 
 and at Hanover. At Indianapolis he first 
 o])ened a private school, and later taught at the 
 Seminary, of which he was principal when ap- 
 ])ointed surveyor. One of his first steps was to 
 prepare a map of the town which was published 
 in October of that year. Luke Munsell had also 
 copyrighted a city map on ^lay 30, 183C; Dr. 
 ilunsell was a man of notable attainments, but 
 ratlier impractical, who came here from Ken- 
 tucky, where he had been State Engineer, and 
 had jjublished a map of Kentucky. He estab- 
 lished one of the first Daguerrean galleries at 
 Indianapolis. There seemed no cause for the 
 people not knowing "where they were at", but 
 a careful resurvey by Mr. Sullivan in 1839 re- 
 vealed tlio fact that, in the survey and sale of 
 out-lots in 1831, eight acres had been laid off 
 and sold that were not in the donation. This 
 was set out in a memorial to Congress by the 
 legislature in 1840. and Congress corrected the 
 error by donating the eight acres. 
 
 In 1837 the macadamizing of Washington 
 street as a part of the Xational Eoad awoke 
 aspirations for a higher life, and there was a 
 demand for sidewalks. \n ordinance was 
 adopted providing tliat when ])ro])erty owners 
 on that street, for no( less than one s(iuaiT.
 
 118 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS.
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 119 
 
 •'shall be desirous of paving the gutters and 
 grading and gravelling tlie street between the 
 same and the ilcAdamizing as made by the 
 United States, and shall petition for the same", 
 it should be the duty of the council to have 
 the work done, and assess the cost by the front 
 foot. But for the amount assessed and paid, 
 the lot-owner was to receive an e(iual amount 
 of town scrip, which was receivable for any 
 street improvement tax afterwards levied on 
 that lot, so far as the owner could make change 
 with it, for "the collector shall in no case be 
 required to pay in money any overplus wheie 
 a larger amount of scrip shall be offered than 
 will meet the amount of street tax due". 
 Originally the sidewalks on Washington street 
 jiad been laid oif fifteen feet wide, and those 
 on other streets ten, but they were now made 
 twenty feet on Washington and twelve feet on 
 other streets. There was vigorous protest 
 against this by lot owners, but the trustees 
 stood firm, and also prohibited extending cellar 
 doors more than five feet from the property 
 line, and railings more than four feet. Con- 
 siderable improvement was done under this 
 ordinance, and in the year ending .March 2T, 
 1839, the town itself expended $1-15 for street 
 improvements and gravel for crossings. This 
 was not a bad start, especially in consideration 
 of the fact that the town that year paid .t^.S.^d 
 I'lir building a west market on Ohio street be- 
 tween Tennessee and Mississippi — the present 
 north end of the Capitol ground.* — and $143 
 for clearing and fencing the old graveyard. 
 while the total receipts were only $7,01'^. In 
 1840 the town expenditure for streets and 
 bridges was -Sl.-S.^O. and in l.S4'2 the street im- 
 provements cost $1,138. 
 
 Political lines were nui well deliiieil locally 
 al the beginning of inuniei])al government in 
 Indianapolis. The state was growing away 
 from the old territorial alignments, and taking 
 up luitional divisions, but there was no jiublie 
 demonstration of this until the Whigs fornu-d 
 a local organization on May 17, 1834. Although 
 the Democrats were in the majority in the 
 .-fate, the Whigs were a little more numi'rous in 
 the town, for, in November, 1S32, Center Town- 
 ship gave .")40 votes for Clay and 4(13 for Jack- 
 son, and, as has been mentioned, the trustees 
 elected that year showed their Whig leaning.- 
 by giving all the town printing to the Journal. 
 In 1836 Center Township gave the Whig na- 
 
 tional ticket a majority of 920 to 634, and 
 in 1840, one of 872 to 540. Xevertheless lU: 
 Brown says that in 1840 '"the Whigs carried the 
 municipal election for the first time"', and he 
 ought to have known for his father was one of 
 the active local organizers of the Whig party. 
 But there were some local officials who were 
 reputed anti-Jackson men before then, and 
 at any rate the Whigs did not hold on from 
 1840, for the Democrats carried the next mu- 
 nicipal election. Possibly ^Ir. Brown refers to 
 this as the first victory on a recognized party 
 basis, for it was not the custom then to non.ii- 
 nate municipal tickets by party convention, 
 and the elections had at least the appearance 
 of personal contests. 
 
 Tlie presidents of the Board of Trustees, 
 while elected by the Board, were Samuel Hen- 
 derson, October 12, 1832, to September 30, 
 1833; James Edgar, September 30 to DecTuber 
 9, 1833; Benjamin 1. BIythe, March 7, 1834, 
 to February 14, 1835 ; Alexander F. Morri- 
 son, February 14 to October 2, 183."); Nathan 
 B. Palmer, October 2, 1835, to April 13. 1836; 
 (Jeorge Lockerbie, .\pril 13, 1836, to April 4, 
 1837 ; Joshua Soule Jr., April 4, 1837, to April 
 2, 1838. In the period wlien elected by the 
 people they were James ^lorrison, 1838-9; 
 .Vathan B. Palmer, 1839-40; Henry P. Coburn, 
 1840-1; William Sullivan (resigned Xovember 
 12), 1841; David V. Culley, 1841-1 and 1850- 
 3; Lazarus B. Wilson, 1844-5; Jose))li A. fiCvy, 
 1845-7; Saml. S. Rooker (resigned November 
 1), 1847; Charles W. Cadv, 1847-8; George A. 
 Chapman, 1848-9; Wm. Kckert, 1849-50; An- 
 drew A. Loudon, 1850. The office of president 
 of the council was continued under the city 
 charter of 1847, independent of the mayor, but 
 in March, 1853, the council adopted the gen- 
 eral city incorporation law in place of the char- 
 ter, and it nuide the mayor president of the 
 council. The town treasurers were John Wil- 
 kins (acting) and Obed Foote, in 1832; Har- 
 vey Bates, 1833-5; Thos. H. Sharjie, 1S3.-,-<): 
 Chas. B. Davis, 1839-40 and 1841-4; Hum- 
 phrey Griffith, 1840-1; John L. Welshans, 
 1814-6; George Norwood, 184G-7. The town 
 marshals, following William Campbell, as be- 
 fore mentioned, were James Vanblaricum, 
 1839-42 and 1S44-5; Robert C. Allison. 1842- 
 3; Benjamin Ream, 1843-4; Xewton N. Nor- 
 wood, 1845-6; Jacob B. Fitler, 1846-7, The as- 
 sessors were Josiah W. Davi.s (resigned), 1832;
 
 -iW 
 
 HISTORY OF GHEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 Butler K. Smith, 1833-4; George Lockerbie, 
 lS3-L-(): John Ehler, 1836-7; Thos. :Me()vi;it, 
 1837-8; Albert G. Willard, 1838-40; Henry 
 Bradley. 18-10-1; Thos. Donelhiii. 1841-2 and 
 1843-G; James H. Kennedy, 1842-3; John 
 Coen, 1846-7. The office of town attorney was 
 not formally created until September 5, 1846, 
 when John L. Ketcham was elected for one 
 vear; but James Morrison served as attorney 
 for the town in 1837-8; Hngli O'Xeal, 1838- 
 40; and Hiram Brown, 1840-6. William Sul- 
 livan, town surveyor from September 27, 1833, 
 to June 18, 1838, was succeeded bv Liike Mun- 
 sell, 1838-9, 183!i-41, 1843-4; Robert B. Hanna 
 (resigned August 17), 1839; and James Wood 
 Sr., 1841-3, 1844-7. The position of town 
 supervisor of streets was held bv Thomas Lup- 
 tou, 1838-9; James Vanblari'cum. 1839-42; 
 Robert C. Allison. 1842-3; Thos. M. Weaver, 
 1843-4; William Wilkinson, 1845-6; Jacob B. 
 Fitler, 1846-7. The clerks of the market were 
 Thomas Chinn (resigned), November 27, 1832 
 to February 21, 1835 ; Fleming T. Luse (re- 
 signed July 29), 1835; Andrew Smith, 1835- 
 6; Jacob Roop (died), 1836-7; James Gore 
 (resiarned Februarv 6). 1837; Jeremiah Wor- 
 mcgan. 1837-40. ' In 1841 'the office was 
 
 cliaiigcd to market-mastei' and Wormegau was 
 continued in it until 1845, and then as ni.irket- 
 master of the east market until 1846. Jacob 
 Miller was master of the west market from 
 1845 to 1848. The town weighmasters were 
 Jacob J. Wiseman, October 27 to December 
 12, 1835; Edward Davis, 1835-6; John F. 
 Ramsey, January 30 to April 18, 1836 ; James 
 Edgar, 1836-7; James Gore, January 10 to 
 Februarv 6. 1837 ; Jeremiah Wormegan, Feb- 
 ruarv 6'to Mav 17. 1837; Isaac Harris, 1837- 
 8; Adam Haugh. 1838-9, 1840-7; Charles Will- 
 iams, 1839-40. Tlic town sextons were James 
 Cox, 1842-3; John Musgrove. 1843-4 and 1845- 
 7 ; Jolm O'Connor, 1844-5 ; Benjamin Lobaugh. 
 1847. The town also maintained a messenger 
 of the fire department, James Yanblaricum. 
 1840-2, and David Cox. 1842-5. In 1845 
 David Cox was made messenger for the Minion 
 Company only, and Jacob Fitler for the Good 
 Intents, and thc-y were continued in these po- 
 sitions until 1848. In 1847 James H. Ken- 
 nedy was added as messenger of the hook and 
 ladder company. As the couneilmen were 
 elected from the wards their service can be 
 better shown by table, the years iised indicating 
 the ones in which their terms beerau. 
 
 TRTSTEES ASD TOWN COrXCILMEN BY WWRDS. 1S.';2-1S4; 
 
 
 1st Ward. 
 
 2i 
 
 (1 \\'ard. 
 
 3rd Ward. 
 
 4th Ward. 
 
 5th Ward. 
 
 Cth 
 
 Ward. 
 
 1832 
 
 John Wilkins 
 
 H 
 
 P. foburn 
 
 John G. Brown 
 
 S. Henderson 
 
 Saml. Merrill 
 
 
 
 
 1S3S 
 
 Benj. I. Blythe 
 
 S. 
 
 Goldsberry 
 
 James Edgar 
 
 J. Vanblaricum 
 
 Nath. Cox 
 
 
 
 
 1834 
 
 Alex Morrison 
 
 L. 
 
 IDunlap 
 
 Jos. Lefevre 
 
 J. Vanblaricum 
 
 Nath. Cox 
 
 
 
 
 1835 
 
 Jas. M. Smith 
 
 Jos. Lefevre 
 
 Chas. Campbell 
 
 H. Griffith 
 
 N. B. Palmer 
 
 
 
 
 1S36 
 
 Geo. Lockerbie 
 
 Jc 
 
 hii Foster 
 
 Saml. Merrill 
 
 H. Griffith 
 
 J. L. Young 
 
 
 
 
 1837 
 
 Geo. Lockerbie 
 
 Jc 
 
 hn Foster 
 
 Geo. W. Stipp 
 
 Henry Porter 
 
 Joshua Soule 
 
 
 
 
 New 
 
 Charter 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1838 
 
 Geo. Lockerbie 
 
 J. 
 
 hn Elder 
 
 John AV. Foudray 
 
 John F. Ramsey 
 
 Wm. J. Brown 
 
 S. 
 
 s. 
 
 Rooker 
 
 1839 
 
 Geo. Lockerbie 
 
 W 
 
 m. Sullivan 
 
 John E. McCluer 
 
 P. W Seibert 
 
 Geo. Norwood 
 
 S. 
 
 s. 
 
 Rooker 
 
 1840 
 
 Matthew Little 
 
 S. 
 
 Goldsberry 
 
 Jacob Cox 
 
 P. W. .Seibert 
 
 (ien. Norwood 
 
 A. 
 
 .\ 
 
 Ijouden 
 
 1841 
 
 Matthew Little 
 
 S. 
 
 Goldsberry 
 
 Jacob Cox 
 
 A. A Louden 
 
 (Jul. Norwood 
 
 ('. 
 
 H 
 
 Bo.atriglit 
 
 1S42 
 
 Joshua Black 
 
 s. 
 
 Goldsberry 
 
 Jas. R. Nowland 
 
 P. W. Seibtrt 
 
 T. Rickards 
 
 A. 
 
 .\ 
 
 Louden 
 
 1843 
 
 Joshua Black 
 
 s. 
 
 Goldsberr.v 
 
 Jas. R. Nowland 
 
 A. A. L'tuden 
 
 T Rickards 
 
 S. 
 
 S. 
 
 Rooker 
 
 1844 
 
 V\'m. Montague 
 
 s. 
 
 Goldsberry 
 
 Jas. R. Nowland 
 
 A. A. Louden 
 
 H. Griffith 
 
 S. 
 
 s. 
 
 Rooker 
 
 1845 
 
 ■\Vm. Montague 
 
 .s. 
 
 Goldsberry 
 
 Jas. R. Nowland 
 
 A. .A.. Louden 
 
 H. Griffith 
 
 AA 
 
 m. 
 
 C. Vanblaricum 
 
 1S46 
 
 ■V^'m. Montague 
 
 s. 
 
 Goldsberr.v 
 
 .\. W. Harrison 
 
 A. A. Louden 
 
 Chas. W. Cady 
 
 W 
 
 m. 
 
 C. Vanblaricum
 
 CHAPTER Xlll. 
 
 TiiK i:ai;ia' schools. 
 
 One wlio rcadr^ the t'arly school legislation of 
 Imliana is liable to get an exaggoratcd idea of 
 the extent of tlie public schools. The provision 
 for them was very full, on paper, but it did 
 not amount to a great deal in money. The 
 rents of the scliool lands were small. The fines 
 were neither niunerous nor closely collected. 
 The effort for public schools was largely cen- 
 tered on tlie county seminary, to which was de- 
 voted, by the constitutiou of ISIG. tlie fines for 
 penal ofl'enses, and the money paid for ex- 
 emption from militia duty by jieople con- 
 scientiously opposed to war, wliicli was ]x)pu- 
 larly known as "conscience nujney". By the 
 law of 1824, reenacted in 1831, the seminary 
 funds were kept by a trustee until they 
 amounted to $400, and then the people were 
 authorized to elect a board of trustees, one 
 irom each county commissioner's district, who 
 slionld erect a school building. This jjei-iiui did 
 not arrive in Marion County until IS'S'i, and 
 at the general election in .Viigust, of that year, 
 Samuel Merrill, John S. Hall and William 
 Gladden were elected trustees of the Marion 
 County Seminary. On January 8, 183."], they 
 reported to the county commissioners that they 
 had settled with Dr. Tjivingston Dunlap, who 
 liad been the trustee of the funds, and had re- 
 ceived from liim $47.5.75; since which they had 
 collected $4{i..")0 additional. By act of Janu- 
 ary 26, 1832, the legislature authorized the 
 agent of state to lease to the trustees of Marion 
 ('"unty Seminary the University Square — No. 
 2.") — for a period of thirty years with iierniis- 
 sion to erect a school building on either tlu,' 
 southeast or southwest corner. At the expira- 
 lion of the term the state could take the build- 
 ing at its ajipraised value; and if it wished to 
 use tlie sfpiare l)efore the cxi)iratiou of the term 
 it (Miuld either sell one half acre to the countv. 
 
 ineluiling the building, or permit the continued 
 use of one half acre for the remainder of the 
 term. On Xovember 4, 1833, the tru.stees re- 
 ported that they had leased the square and 
 asked tlie commissioners to approve their action 
 which was done. On January 7, 1834, they re- 
 ported the total receipts to date, $1,3.53.21, 
 of which $632 was subscription, and that from 
 this they had paid $783.44 on the building. 
 The scliool was opened on September 1, 1834. 
 It was obviously fortunate for the youth of 
 Indianapolis that there were other provisions 
 for education. Most of the schools of the 
 earlier period have been mentioned, but there 
 were others, of a more transient character, that 
 gave opportunities for instruction to adults as 
 well as the young. John E. Baker o])ened a 
 school at his residence on December 2i), 1823, 
 to teach "architectural draughting and draw- 
 ing", and Major Sullinger followed close after, 
 on January 1.3, 1,S2I, with a military school for 
 the instruction of militia officers and men. On 
 October 1, 1827, J. H. Ilalston ojicned a series 
 of lectures on grammar, announcing that, "He 
 ])ledges himself to enable those who Ijeeonie his 
 ]ui])ils (however in commencing unac(|uaintod 
 with the science) to advance so far in twenty- 
 four days four hours each day as to be enabletl 
 to parse common language", and this for oidy 
 $3. The first school distinctively for young 
 ladies was the "Indianapolis Female School" 
 of Mrs. Tichenor. o])ened in ^Farch, 1830, and 
 was not of long duration. She taught "s])elling, 
 reading, writing, Hiiglish grammar, greogra])liy 
 with the use of ma|)S, astroiuiniy and needle- 
 work". On the same day that the seminary 
 openecl "Miss Hooker's Female School"" also 
 o])eiie(l. It olfered everything taught liy Mrs. 
 Tithenor, and also composition, history, nat- 
 ui'al ]ihilosoi)liy. di'auing and painting. This 
 
 121
 
 1 •.'•.' 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 sfhool was '■limited to 30 scholars, and no in- 
 cidi'utal expenses". At this time George H. 
 Quigg was teaching a day school in Indian- 
 apolis and also opened a night school for spe- 
 cial instruction in "Penmanship, the Art of 
 Penmaking, Arithmetic, and Bookkeeping, al- 
 though b)' request any branch taught at the 
 day school may be acquired". This may be con- 
 sidered the pioneer business college. Jlr. Quigg 
 was of a philanthropic turn of mind, and an- 
 nounced, "Ap]M-entice Boys taught at half 
 price, and Orphans gratis".' 
 
 The Baptists had a school in their chiircli 
 building most of the time from the start. In 
 1834 they put up a little frame building back 
 of the church, abutting the alley east of the 
 Grand Hotel, for a school building. At this 
 time Miss Clara EUick was teaching there, and 
 had been for two years. She continued for a 
 j-ear longer, when a Methodist preacher per- 
 suaded her to change her name to Smith, which 
 happened to be his, and the school passed into 
 the charge of iliss Laura Kise. There was a 
 frame work bell tower built against this school 
 house, which presented great attractions to en- 
 terprising boy:i. One night two youths, one 
 said to be Lew Wallace, fastened a string to 
 the clapper and carried it across to a room in a 
 block on Washington street, from which they 
 sounded the alarm, to the mystification of the 
 neighbors. It was about this time also that 
 Miss Sargeant opened her school for small 
 children in the basement of the Governor's 
 Mansion, in the Circle, which has a traditional 
 reputation for being damp and disagi'eeablc 
 that is unjust, or that she managed to counter- 
 act. This was the first school in the nature of 
 a kindergarten, and the first in which object 
 lessons were iised. She had pictures of ani- 
 mals of various kinds, and also an orrery to 
 illustrate the motions of the earth and the 
 heavenly bodies. She also used the "singing 
 method" of imparting instruction, which was 
 popularized here some ten years later by Mr. 
 Tibbctts for teaching geography. They used 
 to sing the capitals of the states in the Misses 
 McFarland"s school as late as the sixties. 
 
 The Marion County Seminary ojiened under 
 charge of Ebenezer Dumont. later known as 
 Colonel and General Dnmont. of tlic talented 
 
 Vevay family. He remained but one term, be- 
 ing succeeded in January, 1835, by W. J. 
 Hill, who was in charge for a year. In ilay, 
 1836, Thomas D. Gregg took charge of the 
 school. He had previously been teaching school 
 in a large frame building on Washington street, 
 just east of the present Park Theater, known 
 as "the Linton house", and in which Rev. Geo. 
 Busli had lived, and where Mrs. Bush died. 
 There are somewhat conflicting traditions as 
 to Gregg, some holding him a severe, almost 
 cruel, man. He was m charge of the semi- 
 nary only one term, being succeeded in Decem- 
 ber, 1836, by William Sullivan, the surveyor. 
 Mr. Gregg is kept in memory by the bequest 
 he left for the benefit of teachers in the public 
 schools, known as the (iregg Fund. After Mr. 
 Sullivan, Rev. Wm. A. Holliday took charge of 
 the school in August, 1837, for one year, and 
 he was followed in October, 1838, by James 
 Sprigg Kemper, who was principal for seven 
 years. In 1845. Rev. .1. I'. Satt'ord became 
 principal for one year; and he was followed by 
 B. L. Lang, who was principal until 1852.- 
 This was the leading school in central Indiana 
 at the time, and furnished education to a great 
 many men who were later well known in In- 
 dianapolis life. The organization of "Old 
 Seminary Boys" continued for many years, and 
 tliey used to hold their anniial meetings, talk, 
 eat, and play shinny with vast enthusiasm. 
 In fact shinny seemed to be the chief memory, 
 and there was some cause for it as may be seen 
 fi'oni this reminiscence of Berv}' Sulgi'(i\ i'"s : 
 
 "Shinny was the great game, however, and 
 it was no fool of a game either. It was neither 
 easy nor harmless. At first we played with 
 wooden balls, and we might almost as safely 
 have played with musket balls. Then we took 
 India-rubber balls. Sometimes we nmde bails, 
 but they were used up nearly as fast as glass 
 balls under Mr. Carvei-'s rifle. The wooden 
 balls, shot out by such a blow as Mr. Kemper 
 could give, were bad things to get in the way 
 of. Marcus C. Smith was a terrible fellow 
 with a club, and never would 'shinny on his 
 own side'. Henry I. Coe was a dangerous 
 player, too, for he was so short-sighted he 
 could not see anybody else's club, and ran 
 right in regardless of the chances of <;ett.ing 
 
 ' Journal . 
 1834. 
 
 October 26, 1833; August 20, 
 
 - Journal, Julv 
 tember 21. 1852.' 
 
 18. 18,8: Locomotive, Sep-
 
 iiis-|(m;v of i;i!i:atki: iMMA.NAruiJ.s. 
 
 }■>■■ 
 
 his head broken, and once he did get ins nose 
 broken. General John Cobiirn onee ran into 
 Jlr. Kemjx-r and broke the hitter's wateli. 
 Judge Charh';^ A. Ray had liis forehead hiid 
 open with a eluli and Ijears the scar to this 
 day. Garriek .MaUory, who never would use 
 anything but a straight stick, had himself laid 
 up for several days with a blow on the head. 
 Osborn. the -\\w Orleans baby, had some of 
 his teeth smashed in his mouth by a IjIow from 
 Mark Smitli that slipped up the other's c-lub 
 and laudetl un])leasantly. 'Stars' Coburn laid 
 the speaker low with a liek on the knee that 
 lamed him for three weeks. Austin Kallis 
 was knocked as flat as a flounder by a wooden 
 ball that hit him squarely in the forehead." 
 And yet these bald-beaded old sports talked 
 about football being a dangerous game, and not 
 altogether without reason. 
 
 It will be noted that the seiniiuiry was not 
 a free school. The public furnished the buiUl- 
 ing, and the patrons of the school kept it up 
 by tuition, and in the earlier days by con- 
 tributions. By a special act of February T. 
 IS.'JS, the number of trustees of this seminary 
 was increased to ten, of whom one-hall' wore to 
 be appointed by the circuit court, and the 
 others elected by donors to the institution, it 
 being provided that the giver of $20 should 
 have one vote; $.'>0, two votes; and $100, three 
 votes. Previous donors were allowed one vote 
 for each $40 given, and those who had given 
 less than $40 were allowed a credit of one-half 
 the amount on the purchase of a vote. Even 
 this ingenious device did not result in any ma- 
 terial endowment of the institution, and it was 
 kept on a tuition basis during its existence. 
 It is also to be observed that it was strictly a 
 boy's school. On what principle the girls 
 should be shut out from an institution, sup- 
 ported even in part by public funds, does not 
 at this day seem clear. But at that time co- 
 education was not tolerated outside of the pri- 
 mary schools. .'Vnd there was a generally prev- 
 alent imjiression that girls had no need for 
 higher education, which was miiib better 
 founded then, when the field of occupation 
 for women was so rmich more restricted, than 
 it is at present. In consequence the instruc- 
 tion in the higher schools for girls was almost 
 wholly in the line of "accomplishments'", and 
 was the occasion of more or less jest by in- 
 dividuals who imajrined tluit tbev took a thor- 
 
 oughly practical view ol life and its reiiuire- 
 mcuts. 
 
 The distriit schools were iiitermitlenl. and 
 held in rented rooms, at first, for short sessions. 
 In 1842, Alexander Jameson, brother of Rev. 
 Love Jameson, became teacher of the south 
 district school. At that time the part of town 
 south of Washington street was one district, 
 and the part north was divided into two dis- 
 tricts by Meridian street. Later the south. 
 >\de was also divided in the same way. The 
 trustees for the south district were James Sul- 
 grove, Nathan B. Palmer and Isaac Roll; and 
 .(ameson had an arrangement, as was common, 
 to take what public funds were available, and 
 get the balance of his pay from tuition pay- 
 ments. His school prospered so well that he 
 could not attend to all his pupils, and he sent 
 i'or his brother Patrick II. to come and help 
 him. This assistant, now our venerable citizen 
 Di-. P. H. Jameson, recalls his experience thus: 
 "1 was a boy of nineteen when 1 came to help 
 my brother Alexander with his school. 1 was 
 raised on a farm in .Jefferson County, north 
 of Madison, and had begun reading medicine 
 at the time. He offered me $10 a mouth and 
 my board, and I accepted. The district had 
 no schoolhouse, and the school was held in the 
 old Campbellite eliurch on the south side of 
 Kentucky avenue, just above Georgia street. 
 It was a one-room, one-story building about 55 
 feet long and 35 feet wide. There were no 
 desks, but we had boards fastened temporarily 
 to the backs of the seats to serve as desks. 
 I taught there one year, and then decided to 
 (irganize a school of my own in the northwest 
 d strict, which had none. 
 
 "In the spring of 1844 1 got tlie trusiees to- 
 gether and submitted the matter. They were 
 !'",zekiel Boyd, Carey Boatwright and Benja- 
 min McClure. Boyd was the only one that 
 I ad any education. We talked the matter over 
 a id Boatwright proposed that they build a 
 schoolhouse. To the question, 'how ? ', he an- 
 swered 'Call a school meeting, and levy a tax". 
 We looked into the law and found that this 
 Kiuld be done by giving three weeks' notice. 
 Boyd, who wrote a beautiful hand, made out 
 the notices, and I ]nit them up in the most pub- 
 le phiees. Very little attention was paid to 
 ibeni, and on the appointed day only about 
 twenty voters appeared. They organized and 
 levied' a tax of $(;oo. n( which" $100 was {ov a
 
 12 + 
 
 HISTOKY OF GKEATER IXDlANAroLlS. 
 
 lot and $500 fur a lioiisu. It wa^ certified to 
 the auditor and put on the tax-duplieato. Wlien 
 tax-paying time came, there was an awful row. 
 A number of people refused to pay and the 
 treasurer refused to reeeive any of their taxes 
 unless they paid the sehool tax. The matter 
 drifted along until the legislature met, and 
 some of the influential people of the district 
 induced it to adopt a resolution for another 
 election. Notice of this was given, and we 
 had one of the warmest elections ever known in 
 Indianapolis. People were almost fiuhting-mad. 
 About 200 votes were cast, and the school tax 
 won by just one vote. 
 
 "The schoolhouse was then built, on the 
 east side of West street, south of ;^[ichigan. 
 I was teacher, and as there was not money 
 enough to furnish desks I put them in myself. 
 There was about $100 of public money for 
 each district, and the balance was made up by 
 subscription, for which I circulated a paper. 
 It was on the basis of $3 a pupil for 13 weeks 
 of .3 days each. Exact account of the attend- 
 ance was kept on blanks furnished by the 
 County Auditor, and the subscribers were cred- 
 ited for actual attendance, but it need not be 
 by the same pupil. At the end of the term the 
 accounts were footed up and the balances due 
 were collected. As the public funds were used, 
 anybody who desired could come to school, no 
 matter whether there had been any subscrip- 
 tion for them or not. and I had a number of 
 pupils that paid nothing. I furnished the fuel, 
 cut the wood, swept the room, made the fires, 
 and ran the school just as I pleased. 
 
 "I had scholars all the way from a-b-cs up 
 to nearly as far as T could teach, but my worst 
 trouble was with the a-b-cs. 1 worked out a 
 plan of putting the letters on the black board, 
 and having my 'abecedalians', as I called them, 
 stand in front of it for ten or fifteen minutes, 
 four or five times a day, while I pointed out 
 the letters and they repeated the names; and 
 in that way made some progress. For school 
 books I had Webster's Elementary S])elling- 
 l)ook, ^[cGufl'cy's First, Second and Third read- 
 ers, Ray's Practical aiul ^[ental arithmetics, 
 and .\lonzo C. Smith's Granunar and Geog- 
 raphy. The last two were arranged with ques- 
 tions and answers, wiiicli made must less work 
 for the teacher. Xol all the pupils had the 
 same books, however, and they studied and re- 
 cited from wbatcvci- thcv had. Therr was verv 
 
 little grading or classification, and each pupil 
 was advanced in his work according to his 
 individual progress. I taught a few algebra 
 and geometry, but there was very little call 
 for anything above the common studies. Music 
 was taught by rote. I used to have a pretty 
 fair voice, and I would sing a song and they 
 would join in as they learned it. I had a 
 book of songs called The Odeon, published by 
 ilason & Webb, that was a very good collec- 
 tion. I taught them America, Hail Columbia, 
 Star Spangled Banner, Bonnie Doon, Ship 
 Ahoy, The Barcarole and, in all, probably 40 
 or 50 airs. I gave them a few hymns, but there 
 was a good deal, of prejudice about teaching 
 religion in the schools, and I was pretty care- 
 ful about that. 
 
 '•We put in the day, then. I called school at 
 8 o'clock in the morning, and before that I 
 came around, swept out, and fired up. I gave 
 them 15 minutes recess at 10 o'clock and an 
 hour at noon, and kept them till sundown in 
 winter, and pretty near it in stimmer. I used 
 to send the younger children home earlier. The 
 older pupils studied United States history. I 
 used Grimshaw's history, which was a good 
 text book. The boys did not care much for 
 anything but the battles, and I had them write 
 descriptions of all the battles of the Revolu- 
 tionary war, from Lexington to Yorktown. 1 
 could not begin to recall all who went to school 
 to me, but among them were Samuel, James 
 and George Douglass, Alonzo Atkinson — after- 
 wards Captain Atkinson, Samuel Xorman — 
 whose brother was a newspaper man at Xew 
 Albany, the Pitts boys, and the Perhams, who 
 afterwards went to Oregon. In addition to 
 teaching school I read medicine at night, and 
 on Saturdays was County Librarian. The 
 county library was not used a great deal at that 
 time. ' It had about 200 books. Dick Fletcher, 
 a nephew of Calvin Fletcher, was the chief 
 patron. Teachers complain now that they do 
 not get enough pay to live on, but they get 
 much better pay than I did. I paid my board 
 and other expenses out of my wages, and at 
 the end of four years of teaching I had $600 
 saved up. It all depends on how you use your 
 money. I do not recall now who taught in the 
 other schools, excepting Levi Reynolds, the 
 brother of Governor Whitcomb's .\djutant Gen- 
 eral. He came here and tried to get my school, 
 but when he found he nndd not he took the
 
 HISTORY OF (JKEATEH INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 12.-) 
 
 X 
 
 < 
 z 
 
 s 
 
 T. 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 z 
 
 o 
 
 5
 
 •^(; 
 
 HISTOKV OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 school in the northeast distriet. It was hehl 
 in a rented room, as they had no sc-hoolhouse 
 at that time."' 
 
 The seminar}- had rivals from the start, in 
 addition to Ebenezer Sharpe's school. On June 
 22, 1835, Mr. Drapier opened his "Inductive 
 School" in "the class room north of the ^leth- 
 odist church'"'". This was undoubtedly an in- 
 stitution of higher learning for Mr. Drapiei' 
 said : "The design of this institution is to ac- 
 commodate instruction, as well as may be, to 
 the circumstances in which the people of this 
 country are placed, with regard both to the ac- 
 quisition and the application of knowledge. 
 Arithmetic and algebra will be taught with 
 clear views of their importance to the purposes 
 of common life, and the ready comprehension 
 of scientific theorems and formulEE. The gen- 
 eral topics of geometry, trigonometry, conic 
 sections, curves, mensuration, and the doctrines 
 of mechanics, will be exhibited in a brief series, 
 with perspicuous illustrations of their ))racti- 
 eal utility"'. On Julv 21, IS:!.-), il. B\itter- 
 fiehl announced his "Fundamental School"" to 
 commence on the 27 th "a few doors west of 
 the seminary where the subscriber will receive 
 pupils, and bestow on them his undivided at- 
 tention in imparting to them a critical knowl- 
 edge of the fundamental branches of science". 
 On September 25, 1835, E. M. Travis an- 
 nounced that he would "commence teaching 'an 
 English school, on reasonable terms, the 19th 
 day of October next, in his new schoolhouse iu 
 the eastern part of Indianapolis on Market 
 street". 
 
 One of the most celebrated teachers of this 
 period was Josephus Cicero Worrall, who be- 
 gan teaching here in 183(5, on Delaware street 
 opposite the market hause. He had an ingen- 
 ious system of putting a boy i?i chancerv bv 
 laying him over his right leg and hodking his 
 left leg over the otfender"s neck, while be ap- 
 plied his ferule to the seat of educational dis- 
 cipline. The only recorded escape from tliis 
 hold was by Robert McOuat. wbi) fixed hi< 
 teeth in the teacher's thigli ami (uusi'd an autd- 
 matic opening of the human \ ise and thr re- 
 lease of the young scajjcgrac e. But thi' chirr 
 distinction of .Tiise])bus was in the higb-fiown 
 circulars with which he used to startle the com- 
 munity. In one of these, preserved in the 
 Journal of March 11, 183;. he waiiis parents 
 
 of the dangers of incompetent teachers by say- 
 ing: "When the time comes that the infant in- 
 stitutions which are springing up in our state, 
 as nurseries of the future poets, philosophers 
 and statesmen of Indiana, begin to decline, 
 their downfall may probably be traced to an 
 improper selection of individuals to conduct 
 their concerns, who are not sufficiently im- 
 pressed with the necessity of accommodating 
 their usages to the increasing light of ages." 
 At the same time he ingeniously appealed to 
 the consciousness of the suffering pupils by the 
 statement that, "They are driven into studies 
 to which they have no attraction, but regard 
 them as objects of mental agony, instead of in- 
 tellectual recreations : decorated with the vari- 
 egated hues of a glowing genius, sensible of 
 the capacity of those unfledged eaglets, that, 
 though they may- be destined to tower in sub- 
 lime flight, are now restricted in taste and 
 ability, by dispositions and powers peculiar to 
 infantile weakness." It is not surprising that 
 Berry Sulgrove, who was one of his pupils, 
 and who had a tendency to air his classic ac- 
 quirements, dubbed him '"Polyphlos-bois" (the 
 far-resounding sea), with the approval of the 
 generation that remembered him. 
 
 The jesting at Josephus Cicero was not with- 
 held till later days, but was indulged in by his 
 contemporaries. Rev. J. C. Fletcher gives one 
 of the circulars of W'orrall's "Select Academv" 
 which his father had tiled away with the in- 
 dorsement, "pragmatical bombast"'. The one 
 above quoted was assailed in the Journal of 
 March 18, 1837, by an unfeeling critic who 
 hurled sarcasm at all of the educator's ideas. 
 He disapproved the academy as a mixed school, 
 saying, "By what rule or rules 'the intercourse 
 of the sexes' in his Academy is to produce 'a 
 thoughtful deportment" is a secret worth know- 
 ing. In Dilworth"s days'we did not expect the 
 ))roduction of much thoughtfulness by turning 
 a Wvy of wild boys and girls together in the 
 school-room, or on the common". But espe- 
 cially severe were his reflections on the Academy 
 oi-thography, for Josephus had gone in for re- 
 formed spelling, and according to this critic, 
 wrote tongue, tung ; sovereign, suvcran ; stead, 
 sted : porpoise. ])orpess ; picturesque, picturesk ; 
 acre, aker; cloak, cloke. etc. There is reason 
 to rejoice that this feature of "the increasing 
 light of ages"' was not adopted by the coinmun-
 
 |s-|()i;v OF clJKA'I'Ki; I XDI.WAI'ol.IS. 
 
 12T 
 
 however, that W'oriall 
 •rood teaclier of inathc- 
 
 ity. 'I'raditioii says, 
 wa* an exceptionally 
 luatii!?. 
 
 Worrall hail .suiue pu|iils. but a nuire .sub- 
 stantial rival to the seminary appeared in the 
 "Indiana]iolis High School" which was opened 
 on October ■2.'). 18.')7. in ''school rooms on Wash- 
 ington street opjiosite Browning's TTolel" by 
 Oilman ^larston. This was a I'eally high gi-ade 
 school, ilarston had graduated from Dart- 
 mouth that spring, and in addition to all the 
 usual English branches gave "a course of ex- 
 perimental lectures in natural philosophy and 
 chemistry", and taught Latin, Greek, and 
 French. He refers in his advertisement ''to 
 the Hon. David Wallace, Hon. Isaac Black- 
 ford. Dr. L. Dunhi]). Eev. J. B. Britton, A. St. 
 Clair. Esq." This school was contiiiued after- 
 ward as the Franklin Institute, and Rev. J. C. 
 Fletcher says of it : "About 1837 Messrs. Sweet- 
 zer and Quarles, Lawyers, Col. A. W. Russell, 
 Dr. G. W. Stipp. and' some others felt that all 
 the liigher educational institutions were run by 
 the Presbyterians, therefore Ihey formed a new 
 school and duljbed it the 'Franklin Institute'. 
 Their first teacher was a ^Ir. Chester, the sec- 
 ond was Gilman Alarston, a graduate of Dart- 
 mouth College. In 18.38 a frame sehoolhouse 
 was erected on Circle street, occujiying a j)o- 
 sition between ^fr. (^uarles's house and the 
 porner of Circle and ^laikct streets (now the 
 English Hotel). Tiiis building was removed a 
 few years ago to the east side of Pennsylvania 
 street. It is the third house on Pennsylvania 
 street north of ^Massachusetts avenue. Mr. 
 Marston was from Xew IIa!ii|)sbire, and re- 
 turned in 18.'?9-40 to that state to jjraetiee law. 
 He once told me at Exeter, New Hamp.shire, 
 that he had an educational debt to pay, and a 
 limited time to pay it in. therefore he catue 
 to Indianapolis to teach. 1 lielieve that he had 
 letters to Mr. Sweetser. lie afterwards be- 
 eanie eminent as a lawye 
 New Hampshire, district. 
 and Portmouth. In the 
 He reiiresenteil the southern district of 
 Hampshire in Congress, and it max lie 
 
 in the Rockingham, 
 which includes Mxtcr 
 war he lost an arm. 
 N'ew 
 -aid 
 
 that no one of the many 
 iipolis ha> lieen more succes 
 succeeded by ;Mr. \\'heelfr. 
 the eldest daughter of t'lc 
 1 do n'lt recall ubi'U tb( 
 
 teachers in Indiaii- 
 jful in life. He was 
 who married Mary, 
 late Dan'el Vandes. 
 l-'ranklin liislil\ite 
 
 became extinct."' (iilman ^larston went into 
 the (^ivil War as colonel of the Second Xew 
 iram])shire regiment, and was made a Briga- 
 dier (ieneral in J8()"2. He was in Congress both 
 before and after the wai-. and became gover- 
 nor of Idaho in ISTO. 
 
 Hev. Wm. Holliday taught sebnol up to 
 18.")(). after his service in the seminary, first 
 in a log building where Rol)erts Park church 
 now stands, then in the ba.sement of the Asso- 
 ciate Reformed Presbyterian Church, which 
 stood on the north side of Ohio street midway 
 between Pennsylvania and Delaware, and then 
 at his residence on North Pennsylvania street, 
 o|)posite tTniversity Square. Rev. J. C. 
 Fletcher says that prior to his teaching at the 
 seminary he taught at the northeast corner of 
 Pennsylvania and New York.* Air. Holliday 
 was a ripe scholar and his .schools were well 
 patronized. Mr. Brown states that Eliza Rich- 
 mond assisted Marston in his school,'' and this 
 was no doubt in the primary work. She kept 
 a school for many years afterwards on New- 
 York street between .\labama and New Jer- 
 sey, which was jiopularly known as ''Sister 
 Richmond's school" — she being a prominent 
 "sister" in Roberts Chapel, and her ])atrons 
 chierty Methodists. T'here was not a little 
 sectarian jealousy and rivalry in early times 
 that was notably displayed in the field of edu- 
 cation, and that lived long in the memory of 
 its chief actors. Rev. F. ('. Hollidav, wi-it- 
 ing in 1873, says: "The state funds for edu- 
 cational pur])oses in Indiana as in most of the 
 Western States, were for nuiny years under the 
 almost exclusive control of Presbyterians, who 
 assumed to be the especial guardians and pa- 
 trons of education. It is impossible, at this 
 ilay. to comprehend the self-complacency with 
 which their leading men in the West assumed 
 to be the only competent e(lucators of the |)eo- 
 ple. and the quiet unscrupulousness with which 
 they si'ized -upon the triisl-funds of the states 
 for school purposes, and made those schools as 
 strictly denominational as though the funds 
 had been exclusively contribute(l by niend)ers 
 of their own conununion. .V young man wlio, 
 in either the Miami I'liiversitv at Oxford, Ohio, 
 or Lexington. Kentu(k\', oi- Piliininini.'i"n, In- 
 
 •'AVm-.v. .luly 19. 18Tfi. 
 *Xi'in'. June '28, 18:9. 
 
 ■'Ilisl. flKlilllllllKllls, ]l. 10.
 
 128 
 
 HISTORY OF (iUEATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 iliana. wmikl have q\iestioned the correctness 
 of any of the dogmas of Calvinism, woukl have 
 been an object of unmitigated ridicule and 
 persecution. * * * When, in 1834 and 
 1S35, efforts were made iu Indiana so to change 
 the management of the State University, by 
 amending its charter, that the trustees should 
 be elected by the State Legislature, instead of 
 being a self-jjerpetuating corjioration, a storm 
 of indignation was raised among those who con- 
 trolled the State L'niversity; and it was made 
 the occasion of heaping all sorts of opprobrium 
 on the Methodist church. The movement was 
 said to be an effort on the part of the Meth- 
 odists to get a Methodist professor in the Uni- 
 versity : and it was tauntingly said, in the 
 halls of the legislature, tliat 'there was not 
 a .Methodist in America with sufficient learn- 
 ing to fill a professor's chair, if it were ten- 
 dered to him". Such taunts proved a whole- 
 some stimulus to ilethodist enterprise and in- 
 dependent church action in the department of 
 education""." 
 
 Of course this is the reminiscence of one who 
 was in the fight, and the Presbyterians might 
 have answered, and probably did, that the 
 .Methodi-:ts needed ''a wholesome stimulus'" ; 
 and also have pointed to the fact that they had 
 established their separate collegiate institutions 
 in order to avoid proselyting influences of other 
 denominations. But the extract shows the 
 feeling from which arose the fact that, when 
 the constitutional convention of 1851 met, 
 there were eight independent collegiate insti- 
 tutions in the state, each controlled by a re- 
 ligious sect. It explains the fact that the con- 
 stitution of 1851 provides only for "a general 
 and uniform system of public schools"", and 
 does not mention a university. It ex]ilains 
 the effort made in the convention for the ex- 
 press prohibition of support by the state of a 
 higher institution of learning.' It explains 
 also the school conditions of Indianajwlis. The 
 several churches had concentrated their efforts 
 on collegiate institutions on a state basis, the 
 Presbyterians on Hanover and Wabash, the 
 Methodists on Asbury (now De Patiw), and 
 the Ba]jtists on Franklin, none of them located 
 
 here. It is probable that this division of en- 
 ergy prevented, or retarded, the building up 
 of a great central institntiou with the highest 
 advantages for education, and caused numbers 
 of Indiana boys to be sent to the larger institu- 
 tions of the east; but it did what was probably 
 better for the state by putting the opportunity 
 for really good education within reach of hun- 
 dreds who could not afford to go far from 
 home. But none of these institutions were co- 
 educational, and indeed at that time coeduca- 
 tion inspired almost as much horror as woman's 
 suffrage. The question arose "What siiall we 
 do with our girls ?" 
 
 The Presbyterians led olV 
 In 183(j James Blake, Isaac 
 Ray, and others obtained a 
 Indianapolis Female 
 opened in June, 1837 
 
 ill the solution. 
 
 Coe, James M. 
 
 charter for the 
 Institute, which was 
 under the management 
 
 ^'Inilitiiin Mrtliodisiii. pp. 317-8. See also 
 Ivlson's Enrhj Jndmna Prathi/tcrianisiii , p. 229. 
 
 ''Boone's Histori/ of Education in Indiana. 
 pp. 135-6. 
 
 of Misses Mary J. and Harriet Axtell, of 
 Courtlandville, Xew York, who had been teach- 
 ers at the Geneva Female Seminary. At this 
 school were taught "tlie mathematical and nat- 
 ural Sciences, with history, and every branch of 
 a thorough English education, and also music, 
 drawing and the languages as desired."" It was 
 at tirst held in the second story of what was 
 known as the Sanders" building, on Washing- 
 ton street near Meridian, and later removed 
 to a frame building adjoining the old Presby- 
 terian chttrch on Pennsylvania street. There 
 were arrangements for jirivate boarding in 
 connection with the school. It attained quite 
 a high reputation for excellence, and was con- 
 tinued until 1849, when the liealth of the 
 elder Miss Axtell failed and the school was 
 discontinited. It is said that she became de- 
 ranged on the subject of predestination, ac- 
 qtiiring the delusion that sbe was doomed to 
 be lost. She died a short time afterwards wliiic 
 on a trip to the West Indies for her healtli, 
 Tiie blisses .Vxtell were excellent teachers, and 
 were held in high esteem by their ])upils. 
 
 After this there was an interval with no 
 Presbyterian school for young ladies, but in 
 1852, Rev. C. G. McLean was induced to come 
 here and open one. He was well educated and 
 talented. He was prejjared by his step-father, 
 Rev. James Gray, I). D., for many years |ias- 
 tor of the Spruce Street Church, Philadelphia, 
 for admission to the University of Pennsyl- 
 vania, of which he was a graduate. He pur- 
 sued his theological studies under tlie i-elc-
 
 HISTOifV OF (IKKATKR l.XDIAXArOIJS. 
 
 129 
 
 liratLil l)r. Johii il. ^lason, and was for twen- 
 ty-seven years pastor of the Associate liefDrnied 
 Church of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, anil eight 
 years of the Dutch Eeformed Chixreh at Fort 
 Plain, New York. He was a fine pi'eacher, 
 liut left pastoral work on account of his health 
 just before coming here. The school was op- 
 ened as the Indiana Female Seminary, and was 
 very successful for some years, the first cata- 
 logue showing 151 pupils, nearly all from In- 
 dianapolis. It was a boarding school and day 
 school occupying a three-story lirick building 
 which was erected for it, at the southwest cor- 
 ner of New York and Meridian streets. The 
 faculty and course of instruction were of high 
 grade. Day scholars ])aid from $4 a quarter in 
 the preparatory department to $8 as seniors, antl 
 there were numerous extras, im-luding vocal 
 music, instruction on the piano, guitar and 
 harp, drawing and painting. The pupils were 
 also assessed $1 per year for "'support of the 
 gospel". Dr. McLean continued the school 
 till his death, in I860, after which it was con- 
 tinued 1)V his son-in-law, Charles N. Todd and 
 Rev. Charles Sturdevant, until 1865. This 
 school was commonly known as McLean Sem- 
 inary. 
 
 The Episcopalians were second on the iield. 
 In 1830 Mrs. Britton, wife of the rector of 
 Christ Church, opened a school for girls on 
 Pennsylvania street above Michigan, which 
 was later removed to the site of the When build- 
 ing, and in the fall of 1843 to a frame liuild- 
 iiig across the alley, to the north, from Christ 
 Church, then owned by ;\Ir. Reck, the Lutheran 
 pastor. Steps were then taken for the erection 
 of a building especially for the school, back 
 of Christ Church, and it was completed and 
 occupied in 1845, the Reck property being pur- 
 chased and used as a boarding-house for 
 the school. On January 15, 1844, this school 
 was chartered by the legislature as St. Clary's 
 Seminary, with James Morrison and George 11. 
 Dunn, wardens, and Geo. W. ilears, Cliarles 
 Co.x, Jeremiah Foote, Wm. R. Morrison and 
 Jose])h M. Moore, vestrymen of Christ Church, 
 a.s directors ; the wardens and vestrymen of the 
 church to be directors thereafter ex officio. Rev. 
 Samuel Johnson, successor of ^Ir. Britton as 
 rector of Ciirist (Miurch, ami his wife now took 
 charge of the seiiool, whicli liad a very success- 
 ful career for five years. 
 
 -Vfter the discontinuance of the Axtell school, 
 \'ol. 1—9 
 
 the Presbyterians attempted another, and a 
 charter was obtained .January 19, 1850, for 
 the Indiamipolis Collegiate Institute, with 
 James Blake, James M. Ray, Wm. Sheets, Thos. 
 H. Sharpe and Isaac Coc as trustees, their suc- 
 cessors to be elected by the First Presbyterian 
 Church. This movement came to nothing and 
 the Methodists decided that this was their 
 time to get busy. They accordingly formed a 
 voluntary association known as the Indiana- Fe- 
 male College, and began operations in the base- 
 ment, or Sunday School room.s, of old Wesley 
 Chapel in 1850, with Rev. Thos. H. Lynch as 
 principal. This was of course temporary. The 
 same year the Episcopalian property, where the 
 Board of Trade building stands was purchased, 
 and an additional Iniilding was erected next 
 to Ohio street. Mr. Lynch himself took an 
 active part in the erection of this building, 
 which was intended for the school proper, a 
 two-story frame with four rooms upstairs and 
 four down. The south building — the old Epis- 
 copalian school boarding house — was used as 
 a boarding house for the school, ami in the 
 numbering system of that time was Xo. 14 
 X. Meridian, while the school was Xo. 16. The 
 school was chartered February 13, 1851, with 
 provision that three-fourths of the directors 
 should always be members of the Methodist 
 Church. Mr. Lynch conducted the school till 
 1854, when he was called to New Albany, where 
 the ilethodists had made the mistake of start- 
 ing Asbury Female College in 1852, instead of 
 centering on one institution. In 1854-5 the 
 school here was in charge of Rev. Charles 
 .\dams, and in 1855-(>, of G. W. Moss, who 
 was followed in turn by Benjamin T. Hoyt. 
 In 1859 the school suspended, but was resumed 
 in 1860 under Rev. Oliver 'SI. Spencer. By this 
 time competition of the McLean Seminary and 
 Baptist Seminary were making the female col- 
 lege business somewhat precarious, and in 1862, 
 Rev. Thos. H. Lynch was recalled to help the in- 
 stitution out. In 1865 the school was put in 
 charge of W. H. DeMotte, w-ho had been a 
 teacher at the Deaf and Dumb Asylum from 
 1850 to 1864, when he became for a year ^lili- 
 tary and Sanitary Agent of the Stale at Wash- 
 ington, D. C. And now a change was made. 
 The McLean Seminary property had been sold 
 to John Pyle, who wanted to open a hotel 
 there, but concluded that it was too far out, 
 and traded it for the Methodist school prop-
 
 130 
 
 HISTOKV OF GItEATER INDIAjSTAPOLIS. 
 
 erty. Mv put up a brick buildiiij;' butWL-on the 
 two fraiue ones, uniting all in the Pyle House, 
 which continued so long that everybody got 
 tired of it. The Indiana Female College was 
 removed to the old McLean Seminary, and 
 Avas continued there until 1868, iu charge of 
 Professor DeMotte. It was then determined 
 to consolidate it with Asbury, which till then 
 had not been coeducational, and this was done. 
 The property was sold to the Wesley Chapel 
 congregation, which built there, changing their 
 church name to ileridian Street Church. This 
 in turn gave place to the Central Telephone 
 Ijuilding. 
 
 The Baptists got along without a separate 
 female institute until 18-58. when they organ- 
 ized a stock company and bought the old resi- 
 dence of Robert I'nderhill. at the northeast 
 corner of Michigan and Pennsylvania streets. 
 He was a j^ioneer in iron work, and had his 
 foundry one square below, where the Second 
 Presbyterian Church now stands. In 1859 the 
 school was opened by Rev. Gibbon Williams, 
 who continued iu charge imtil 1863, when he 
 was succeeded by C. W. Hewes. He remained 
 until 1870, and was followed liy Rev. T.ucian 
 Hayden, the last ])rincipal. The Indianapolis 
 Female Institute, as it was called, closed in 
 1872, not being able to compete with the free 
 schools. The property was exchanged for 
 other real estate, and passed into the hands of 
 the City School Board. It was at that time 
 quite an e.xtensive building, having been much 
 enlarged while occuiiied by the school. This 
 seminary had good standing as an educational 
 institution. Among its teachers were Miss A. 
 R. Boise (later Mrs. Dr. Wood), daughter of 
 Professor Boise, of the University of ^lichigan, 
 and Miss Rebecca J. Thompson, who was after- 
 wards Professor of iratlicnintics at Franklin 
 for thirty years. 
 
 There were several other schools for young 
 ladies at later dates that have since gone out 
 of existence, in additicm to the mixed school 
 of Mrs. Price. Mrs. A. Ashby had an excel- 
 lent school at 78 East Xorth street (old num- 
 ber), from 1872 to 1878. Mrs. E. R. Colwell 
 taught at 956 K,„.tii T),,lnware from 1876 to 
 1880. .Teiiiiie L. Burr had a school for voungor 
 girls at Broadwav and Cherry from 1879 to 
 1888. .1. H. Kaiipcs and wife conducted their 
 Young Ladies' Institute from 1879 to 1883. 
 Rev. .Tames Lvons liad an Institute for Younsr 
 
 Ladies on Xorth Pennsylvania street in 18SS 
 and 1889. The most notable, however, was the 
 Girls" Classical School. T. L. Sewall started 
 a classical school for boys, in 1879, at Home 
 and College avenues, which was removed in 
 1881 to Xorth and Alabama streets, and con- 
 tinued there till 1887. In 1882 Mrs. :May 
 Wright Sewall opened a classical school for 
 girls at the southeast corner of Pennsylvania 
 and St. Joseph streets, where the Eiiiscopalians 
 had been holding St. Anna's school for girls, 
 under charge of Rev. J. B. Clarke. In 1885 a 
 special building was erected for the girls' 
 school at 821: Xorth Pennsylvania, and the 
 school was continued there till 1907. Both the 
 boys' and the girls" classical schools were pri- 
 marily designed to prepare for college, and 
 the graduates usually took Harvard. Smith. 
 Bryn Mawr. or other examinations, whether 
 they went to these schools or not, but the Girls' 
 Classical covered practically all the ground of 
 the earlier female colleges and seminaries, and 
 did a most satisfactory educational work 
 throughout its long existence. 
 
 The Quakers were always zealous promoters 
 of education, but they were not strong enough 
 to do much in Indianapolis in the early years. 
 Early in the fifties Sarah A. Smith, wifi' of 
 Hugh Smith, opened a private school at the 
 southeast corner of Alabama and Market streets, 
 whicli was continued for nearly thirty years. 
 In 1856, her daughter. .Vnna ^Fary, then fifteen 
 years of age, became an assistant in the school, 
 and continued till its close. This was a pri- 
 mary, neighliorhood school, and a good one of 
 its class. When the Friends built their meet- 
 ing-house at the southeast corner of Delaware 
 and St. Clair streets, in 1856. they made it 
 two stories so that a scliool might be held in 
 the lower room, and a very excellent graded 
 school was maintained there for a number of 
 years. It was attended both by Friends chil- 
 dren and outsiders, l)nt they were all marched 
 upstairs to Wednesday morninjr meeting. 
 Thouias Charles, assisted liy William ^len- 
 dcnball. both mendtcrs of the Society of 
 Friends, opened a school called the City .\cad- 
 emy, in 1867, on Xew York street opposite 
 T''niversity Square. This was an excellent 
 school, and well attended. It continued three 
 years, after which ^[r. Charles became joint 
 editor with G. W. Hoss of the Indiana Schnnl 
 Journal, for a sburt time, and later removed
 
 HISTORY OF GRKATKi; I XDl.WAi'OlJS. 
 
 i;ii 
 
 to t'liii-ajjo. llinim llaillcy. aimtliLT pi'cniiiiKMil 
 FrieiiJ educatur, latur ])iVf;i<lont of the I'lii- 
 vcT.'^itv of Xew Mexico, liiul a jirivate jsfhool on 
 Illinois street above Tentli. in 1880, and was 
 associated in 1881-2 with Prof. Junius B. Rol)- 
 erts in the lladley & Hobcrts -Vcaileniy. at the 
 soutliwest corner of Meridian and Vermont 
 streets. This si-hool was continued two years 
 longer by Mr. Roberts, at the southeast cor- 
 ner of Pennsylvania and Walnut streets, af- 
 ter which he resumed work iu the High School. 
 The Disciples, or "Campbellites" were later 
 than the others in getting their college started, 
 but they located it at Indianapolis. r>utler 
 University was originally begun, anil for 
 twenty odd years continued, as Xorthwestorn 
 Cliristian University. It owes its existence 
 chiefly to Ovid Butler, wlio was at the head of 
 a committee originally appointed at the state 
 meeting of the ciiurch at Greensburg, in 1847. 
 He designed and formulated its plan, drafted 
 its charter, donated tiie site and a large jiart 
 of tlie endowment, and gave it his ijersonal at- 
 tention through life. The Xorthwestern Chris- 
 tian University was chartered by act of Janu- 
 ary lo. 1850. The charter created a stock com- 
 panv of $100 shares, the total not less than 
 $T">;000 nor more than $.500,000, of which 
 one-third might be used for site and l)uilding, 
 but at least two-thirds must bo held for en- 
 dowment. In loaning the endowment fund, 
 ! the shareholders were to be preferred borrowers. 
 When $T.5.000 was subscribed the directors were 
 to be elected and proceed with the building. 
 The charter voiced the features of ('am)ibell"s 
 teaching that appealed most powerfully to Jlr. 
 Butler, and the directors were to provide for 
 "an institution of learning of the highest class. 
 for the education of the youth of all parts of 
 the United States, and especially of the states 
 of the Northwest; to establish in said insti- 
 tution ilejiartments or colleges for the instruc- 
 tion of the students in every branch o! liberal 
 and iirol'essional education : to educate and pre- 
 l)are suitable teachers for the common schools 
 of the country; to teach and ininlcate the 
 Christian faith and Christian morality as 
 taught in the sacred Scriptures, discarding as 
 uninspired and without authority all writings, 
 fornuilas, creeds, and articles of faith subse- 
 quent thereto; and for the formaticui (pro- 
 motion) of the sciences and arts." The charter 
 
 pro\i(leil tbnl llic property should be exempt 
 from taxation. 
 
 Rev. John O'Kanc was appointed soliciting 
 agent for the enter])rise, and by June 22, 18.52, 
 the retpiired $75,000 was reported subscribed. 
 On July 14, twenty-one directors were eleeti'd, 
 with Ovid Butler as president. .Mr. Butler 
 donated twi'iitx acres of fine woodland for the 
 institution (at College and Home avenues) ; 
 plans by Wm. Tiiislcy, a Cincinnati architect, 
 wri'c ailopted. and contracts were let in Jtdy, 
 ]8.");i, for the west wing of the building, which 
 was designed for addition as needed. The 
 building was erected in 1854-5, at a cost of 
 $27,000, and was opened on Xovember 1, 1855, 
 with services including addresses by Elder 
 O'Kane, Prof. Renton and Elder IToshour at 
 the college ehajjel during the day, and by 
 Prof. Young at Masonic Hall at night.* The 
 university opened with John Young, president 
 and professor of natural sciences: A. K. Ben- 
 ton, ])rofessor of ancient languages, and 
 James R. CJhalleii, late of Somer.set Pennsylva- 
 nia Academy, principal of the ]ire|)aratory de- 
 partment. In 1858, Prof. Young having re- 
 signed, Prof. S. K. Hoshour, a noted teacher of 
 eastern Indiana, succeeded to the presidency ; 
 0. W. IIoss took the chair of mathetnatics ; R. 
 T. Brown that of natural sciences, and Prof. 
 Challen that of English. Prof. Ho.«hour 
 ta\ight modern languages. The war caused a 
 great falling off in students, and called for a 
 reduction of ex])enses, so the faculty was re- 
 organized ill isi;i uiiji A. It. Benton as presi- 
 dent, who lii'ld the |)<isition for seven years. 
 In 1868 Otis A. Burgess became president, 
 but returned to the ministry in 1870 and was 
 succeeded by W. !•'. lilack who held until 1874, 
 when Prof, liurgess returned. During his 
 ])residency the university was removed to 
 Trvington in 1875, and on February 22, 1877. 
 its name was changed to Butler University. 
 
 The liberal ideas of the founders of this in- 
 stitution were manifest in its control as well 
 as in its charter. It was from the first a co- 
 educational institution, giving the same ad- 
 vantages to voung W(unen as to young men: 
 and in this it was a ])ioneer. There was no 
 other educational institution in the Cniteil 
 States, at the time, on a university basis, that 
 admitted women, though Oberlin ])recedcd it 
 
 "J nil nidi. Xi 
 
 and .'i. 18."
 
 132 
 
 HlSTUUr UF CiliEATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 as a college. Earlham and other "Friends' 
 boarding schools"' had departments for both 
 sexes, but they were esseutiallj' distinct in facul- 
 ties and teaching, and it was only about this 
 time that they began to move towards co- 
 education in its present sense. In this school 
 no distinction was made as to sexes in the 
 privileges of education. The school also 
 adopted the elective system of studies, in which 
 it has been preceded only by Campbell's Col- 
 lege at Bethany, West Virginia, and Brown 
 University. It conferred the degrees of Bache- 
 lor of Science, Art or Philosophy, according 
 to the course taken, with masters degrees in 
 regular course for post graduate work. On 
 March 10, 18G9, ilr. Butler submitted a prop- 
 osition to the Ijoard of directors to endow a 
 chair of English Literature in the university, 
 which was accepted; and nominated as the 
 professor Miss Catharine Jilerrill, daughter of 
 Samuel Merrill, one of the most accomplished 
 educators of the city, who accepted the posi- 
 tion on April 21. This gift, amounting to 
 about $11,000 was on condition that the chair 
 should always be held by a woman. It was 
 named the Demia Butler chair, and was in 
 memory of his daughter, who was the first 
 woman graduate of the institution in the classi- 
 cal eotirse. Miss Merrill had first had a pri- 
 vate school at the family homestead on Mer- 
 rill street, the site of the present Catharine 
 Merrill school; later in the basement of the 
 Fourth Presbyterian Church, at the southwest 
 corner of Market and Delaware streets ; and 
 later about where the Commercial Club build- 
 ing stands. After the war broke out she went 
 out as an army nurse, and after the close of 
 the w-ar published the work, "The Soldier of 
 Indiana in the War for the Union". Miss 
 Merrill remained on the Butler faculty until 
 1885, when she resigned to take up private 
 class work with Indianapolis women, and con- 
 tinued this till her death in 1900. 
 
 There was a law class in the university from 
 the first, which had 4 graduates under Presi- 
 dent Young, 18 under President Hosbour, and 
 30 under President Benton. In 18T1 a law 
 department was formallv organized, with Byron 
 K. Elliott, Charles H." Test, and Charles P. 
 Jacobs occupying the three chairs. John 
 Young, Judge David McDonald, Judge Sam- 
 uel E. Perkins and Judge Horatio M. New- 
 comb were among the instructors at various 
 
 periods. The Medical College of Indiana 
 formed the medical department of the univer- 
 sity. The preparatory department was pre- 
 sided over, in order of succession, by James E. 
 Challen, Love H. Jameson. Madison Evans, 
 Mrs. Nancy E. Bums, A. C. Shortridge, W. 
 W. Dowling, A. Fairhurst, and H. W. Wiley, 
 of pure food fame. A teacher in, and later 
 at the head of the "academic department", or 
 the preparatory, from 18.5T, was Mrs. E. J. 
 Price, a daughter of Professor Hoshour. After 
 leaving the university she became one of the 
 best known private school teachers in the city. 
 Her school was on Broadway at the corner of 
 Alabama and St. Clair streets, and later on 
 North street, from 18T1 to 1875, and on Ill- 
 inois street, now Nos. 803 and 805. from 1875 
 to 1890. It was a mixed school for bpys and 
 girls from twelve to twenty years of age, and 
 was extensively patronized. There was an- 
 other private school which might be consid- 
 ered under Campbellite auspices, and that was 
 the primary school kept by the Misses Laura 
 and Charlotte McFarland, for more than 
 twenty years, beginning about 18G0, on St. 
 Clair street, opposite St. Clair park. This 
 was a very popular school with northsidc 
 youngsters, the large yard of the McFarland's 
 making a choice playground for the girls, and 
 the "Blind Asylum lot'' across the street, with 
 a great hackberry tree half way between the 
 present fountain and the north fence, being an 
 ideal place for "black-man", which was the 
 favorite diversion of the boys. The teachers 
 were daughters of Demas ilcFarland, one of 
 the earliest settlers, and their kindly natures 
 cause them to be held in loving memory by 
 their old pupils, of whom there are dozens in 
 the city. 
 
 It would be impossible at this time even to 
 ascertain the names of all the private schools 
 tiiere have been in Indianapolis, most of them 
 of few j-ears' duration, like Miss Ellen Doug- 
 lass' school on New York street, west of the 
 canal, in the fifties; Miss Tousey's school on 
 Ellsworth street in the sixties ; iliss Keating's 
 on Dougherty .'■treet and Miss Fitzhugh's on 
 St. Joseph street in the seventies ; Ilev. N. F. 
 Tuck's on East ilarket street and Wm. W. 
 Hall's in North Indianajwlis in the later sev- 
 enties, the North Indianapolis school being 
 continued by M. L. IJinehart in the eighties. 
 Jt is to be remembered that the Catholics al-
 
 IIISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 133 
 
 ways liad their separate seliools, wliich are men- 
 tioned elsewhere, as also the l^utherans. and 
 in fact the Germans, generally, until (ierman 
 was made a study in the public schools. And 
 tliere have been schools of all sorts, one of 
 the most notable lines of activity being in 
 business colleges, which were especially prom- 
 inent in the sixties and seventies, with Bryant 
 & Stratton, Purdy and Southard as the lead- 
 ing proprietors. In brief, there have always 
 been the fullest opportunities for education in 
 Indianapolis, even outside of the public schools, 
 and these will be considered elsewhere. 
 
 Before leaving the subject, there is one pri- 
 vate school legend that should be recorded. 
 Along in the fifties there was a Mr. Dorsey 
 who had a school on the south side of Walnut 
 street just west of New Jersey. Among the 
 pupils was George Owings, who had an ir- 
 resistible penchant for profanity. Nothing 
 seemed capable of stopping the habit. Warn- 
 
 ings and whippings were fruitless. Finally 
 Dorsey told him that the next time he was 
 caught swearing he would slit his tongue. The 
 offense was soon committed, and George was 
 brought up on the platform, before the school, 
 for punishment. Dorsey made him kneel down 
 before a chair and put out his tongue. Then 
 he produced a big jack-knife, and began to 
 whet it on his boot, with a conversational ac- 
 companiment. "I am sorry to have to do this 
 George" — whet — whet — whet — "but you know 
 what I told you" — whet — whet — whet — "put 
 out your tongue ! " — whet — whet — whet — "it 
 won't do to let you grow up this way" — whet 
 — whet — whet — "it would be a disgrace" — whet 
 — whet — "put out your tongue !" — "if I should 
 try you once more" — whet — whet — whet — "if 
 I should let you oif this time" — whet — whet — 
 whet — -"do you think yoti would ever swear 
 again ? " "No", sobbed the terrified culprit, 
 "no! I'll be d^— d if I would."
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THH :\IEXU'AX WAR. 
 
 Oil May I.). 1S4(;, Congress declared that 
 war cxistwl with .Muxico, and President Polk 
 issued his prochunation of tlie fact. On May 
 l(i, Seeretary of War Marey issued his retiui- 
 sition to Governor Wiiitconili of Indiana f(U- 
 "thrcf regiments of infantry or ritlenien"", 
 wliicli reached Indianapolis on May il. On 
 :Mav 22, Governor Whiteonib issued his call 
 to the people "to form themselves into volun- 
 K'er comiianies with all despatch". On June 
 10 the quota was tilled. On June 11, the -^'cd- 
 tinel said: "Just as our paper is going to 
 press the twentietli company has been rei)orted 
 to tiie Adjutant-tienerars office over and above 
 the complement of thirty companies called for 
 from this state. Well done, Indiana. 
 
 "Ohio, with thrice our population and four 
 times our wealth, was called on to furnish 
 the same number ot men and had two days 
 the start of us. and yet our quota was made 
 up on the 10th inst., not any longer time, we 
 believe, than was rctiuired i)y 01ii<i. 
 
 "When the I'equisition reached here on tlu' 
 V'lst it found us with our militia system 
 iiroken and in ruins after thirty years of peace. 
 Xot a dollar had been appropriated by the 
 State or the General (Jovernment for such an 
 emergency, yet the Governor devised a system, 
 niainlv on his own res])onsibility, in time for 
 his proclamation for the very next day, and 
 he and Adjutant-General Reynolds have ever 
 since been incessantly occupied looking after 
 everything and answering correspondence, with- 
 out even a private secretary, which office was 
 abolished immediately up(m the Governor com- 
 ing into office. The (Jovernor is much indis- 
 ])osed and fatigued by lal)or night and day. 
 yet he will be ready to go with our troops to 
 Xew Albany to aid in their organizaticm and 
 to do everything foi- their comfort and wel- 
 
 fare liefore they leave the state. Well done, 
 Indiana". 
 
 When Indianajxilis was founded the militia 
 svstem was m full bloom. It was but seven 
 v\'ars since the close of the last war, and there 
 were still enough Indians near at haml to 
 cause apprehension of trouble. The militia 
 was composed of all able-bodied men between 
 the ages of 18 and 4.3, and was organized in 
 regiments by counties, Nvhich, in turii, were 
 grouped in brigades and divisions. As soon 
 as Marion County was organized stejjs were 
 taken for the organization of the militia, and 
 on September 1, 1822, the first election of 
 regimental officers was held. James Paxton 
 was chosen colonel, Samuel ^lorrow, lieutenant 
 colonel, and Alexander W. Russell, major, and 
 on September 2(), they were commissioned. The 
 detailed organization was completed in the 
 following spring and on June 3, 182:!. ca]!- 
 tain"s commissions were issued to Denias L. 
 :\lcFarland, Asa C. Ives, John Montgomery, 
 Xoah Flood. Thomas Anderson, Andrew W. 
 Ingraham. John ^McFall and Geo. Smith: lieu- 
 tenant's commissions to Eli Sulgrove, Andrew 
 McClintock, John Jones, Alexander Ayres. Asa 
 K. Strong, John Morris, Jacob Smock and 
 Jacob Crone; and ensign's commissions 
 to Jacob Bieler, James Freel, Hiram Mc- 
 Cartv, James Williams. John Barnhill, Josejih 
 Kirkendall, Wm. Kennick and John Foster. 
 On July 30. commissions were issued to Hiram 
 .M. Cuny, captain: John Hay, lieutenant, and 
 Closes Cox, ensign, of a ninth company. On 
 December 2, 1823, commissions were issued to 
 Henry McGuire, captain, Elam S. Freeman, 
 lieutenant, and Xoah Leverton, ensign, of the 
 tenth company needed to fill the regiment. 
 The reiiinient took number as the Fortieth, 
 
 134
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER I \ DI AN AI'ol.IS. 
 
 135 
 
 and iliU'iou (.'(uiiitv ahvMvs lu.'lil that iiumlier 
 , while county organization continued. 
 
 In addition to tlic regular rank and lile 
 of the militia the law provided for three spe- 
 cial companies in each regiment, ritiemen, ar- 
 tillery, and light dragoons. .or cavalry as they 
 would now be called. These were intended as 
 more permanent and better disciplined organi- 
 zations than the regular niilitia. There was no 
 organization of these until 18xJ6, in the spring 
 of which an artillery company was formed, 
 and on April 21, Rethuel F. ilorris was com- 
 missioned as its captain, Samuel Merrill as 
 first lieutenant. Douglass ilaguire as second 
 lieutenant, and .\iistin Bishop as ensign. Im- 
 mediati'ly after a company of riHcmen was 
 organized, for which Robert Wilson was com- 
 missioned captain, Robert Martin, lieutenant, 
 and Sydney Wilson, ensign, on June 14. On 
 the same day Alexander W. Russell svicceeded 
 as colonel of the Fortieth regiment, and Geo. 
 L. Kinnard as lieutenant colonel. On July 
 ■"), Isaac Stevens became major, and Elani S. 
 Freeman succeeded Robei't Wilson as ca])tain 
 cif the ritiemen. On August 'i'.i, Judge Win. 
 W. Wick was commissioned Brigadier (ieneral 
 of the Seventeenth Brigade, of which the Forti- 
 eth was then a member. James Paxton had 
 lieen made Quarter Master General, and held 
 that ollice until his death in 182!). when lie 
 was followed for two years by Win. (^)uarles, 
 and he, on December 12, 1831, by Denias L. 
 MiFarland. Benjamin 1. Blythe became cap- 
 tain of tiie artillery com]>any on A|)ril 10, 
 1828 ; and on June i;!. 1828 a cavalry com- 
 ])any was organized with David Buchanan as 
 captain, Edward Jleizer, first lieutenant, John 
 .Sayior, second lieutenant, and Jacob L. Payne, 
 cornet. 
 
 The special compaiiio, particiihirly tlie ar- 
 till<'ry ami the ritiemen, usually took part in 
 the Fourtli of July parades, and appeared on 
 other gala occasions. The regular militia 
 did nothing but af)pcar on muster days and 
 ]icrf(irin legal "•militia duty", or get fined fen' 
 neglect, 'i'iiey were not uniformed, and were 
 armed with anything they might fancy that 
 Would serve the pur])osc of going through the 
 manual of arms. .Muster day was a sort of 
 picnic, characterized by perhaps an hour of 
 drilling and laige quantities of frontier recre- 
 ation, from eating and drinking to racing and 
 fiffhting. They were very convenvnt for re- 
 
 newing iihl actpiaiiitaucc and political cam- 
 paigning. 
 
 There was no appearance of actual service for 
 the militia until the Black Hawk War, news 
 of which reached here on June 3, 1832. On 
 tlie ne.Nt day Colonel Russell called for 150 
 mounted voluntec'i'S from the Fortieth, and 
 an equal iiuinber frour adjoining counties, 
 which promptly appeared at the ai)pointed ren- 
 dezvous at Indianapolis, armed with rifles, 
 tomahawks, knives, a pound of powder each 
 and ball in proportion, on June I). They were 
 organized in three com])anies under captains 
 James P. Drake. J. W. Reding, and Henry 
 Brenton. Captain Drake had not appeared on 
 the militia rolls before this time. He came 
 to Posey County in 181(i, a youth of nineteen, 
 and was soon prominent as a holder of both 
 civil and military offices, being chosen first 
 as colonel and in 1818 as brigadier general. 
 In 1829 President Jackson apjiointed him re- 
 ceiver of public moneys at Indianapolis, and he 
 removed here. His com)iany for the Black 
 Hawk War was organized as "rangers"' and 
 I Make received a captain's commission on June 
 s, with Geo. W. S. White as first lieutenant, 
 liobert ifcHatton as second lieutenant and 
 Douglass Maguire as ensign. The most san- 
 guinary part of the campaign was the rendez- 
 vous, at which, by a iiremature discharge of 
 the cannon, William Warren lost both his arms, 
 and qualiticd himself as the only pensioner 
 of the war at this jioint, a special act of Con- 
 gress for that purpose being secured by Geo. 
 I J. Kinnard. On the day of the rendezvous, 
 the three companies marched for Chicago, 
 under command of Colonel Russell, with Wm. 
 Conner fcu' a guide. At Chicago they learned 
 that the war was over, and marching around 
 file south end of Lake iFichigan they returned 
 borne by way of South Bend. Here they en- 
 countered the facile ])en of John 1). Defrees, 
 more deadly than Indian tomahawk, for he 
 christened them "the Bloody Three Hundred", 
 anil tlicy never heard the last of it. Possibly 
 the fun ])oked at them fell on the militia serv- 
 ice for it gradually went almost out of use. 
 
 Put civilized young men c-annot live with- 
 out uniforms, and on February 22, 1S37. a 
 meeting of the young men of the city decided 
 to organize a military company. .\t later meet- 
 ings constitution and by-laws were adopted, 
 and officers elected, and on March 2* com-
 
 13G 
 
 HISTOID Y UF GlIEATEK IMJlAXAl'ULlS. 
 
 mi.ssioiii< were issued to Alexander W. Rus- 
 sell, captain; P. W. Seibert, first lieutenant; 
 Win. Uannamau, second lieutenant; Charles 
 Cox, third lieutenant ; and Wm. H. Morrison, 
 ensign. They had a showy uniform of gray 
 with black velvet facings, tall bell-crowned 
 leather caps with brass trimmings and black 
 pompons, and were armed with muskets. Col- 
 onel Eussell did not have time enough to de- 
 vote to the company to satisfy the uniform en- 
 thusiasm of the members, and in the following 
 year he gave way to Thomas A. Morris, a 
 West Point graduate, who was commissioned 
 captain of the Marion Guards on June 30, 
 1838 — recommissioned April 27, 1842. On 
 September 1-3, 1S38, commissions were issued 
 to Philip K. Landis, first lieutenant: John Mc- 
 Dougall, second lieutenant ; Thos. Doncllan, 
 third lieutenant, and Milton Foudray, fourth 
 lieutenant. The company, which had been 
 incorporated by special act on February 14, 
 1838, was assigned to the Fortieth regiment. 
 Captain (later General) Morris was a fine 
 drill master, and l)rought his company to a 
 high state of efficiency, it being the crack com- 
 pany of the state. Its imposing appearance on 
 parade awakened other military ardor. A 
 cavalry company was organized, and on No- 
 vember 4, 1840, its officers were commissioned, 
 Samuel Ross, captain ; Thos. A. Thomas, first 
 lieutenant; Ephraim Law, second lieutenant; 
 Samuel Vandaman, ensign. It did not last 
 long. Horse soldiering involves too much 
 trouble for popularity in times of peace. In 
 1842 the Marion Riflemen were organized, 
 with Thomas MacBaker as captain; George 
 Robinson, first lieutenant, and Reuben P. 
 Adams, second lieutenant, the commissions is- 
 suing April 30. This company, i)0])ularly 
 known as the "Arabs", w-hile the Guards were 
 called the "Grays'", or the "Graybacks", was 
 uniformed in fringed blue hunting shirts, and 
 armed with primitive and awkward breech - 
 loading rifles. In August, 1842, the indepen- 
 dent companies formed a battalion, and elected 
 Harvey Brown lieutenant-colonel and George 
 W. Drum, major. They had several parades 
 and one or two encampments, but military dutv 
 grew monotonous, and by 184.3 the companies 
 were practically abandoned. 
 
 When the call for troops for the Mexican 
 war came, Lew Wallace was theoretically 
 studying law in Indianapolis. The call came 
 
 to him like a release to a prisoner. For years 
 he had dreamed of military glory and es- 
 jjecially in connection with Mexico. The 
 romance of "The Man at Arms", unpublished 
 to which he had devoted his juvenile talent, 
 had been laid aside under the charm of Pres- 
 cott, and that romantic tale "The Fair God" — 
 the most artistic of all his stories — was now 
 well-nigh finished. He had been a militianuin 
 a sergeant in MacBaker's Rifles, and he gives 
 this account of the militia conditions in In- 
 dianapolis: "The differences between the com- 
 panies were not of a kind to foster what the 
 French call camaraderie. The Greys were solid 
 men, verging, many of them, upon middle life; 
 the enlisted of the Rifles were mostly incap- 
 able of mustaches. The uniform of the Greys 
 was of rich cloth ; that of the Rifles consisted 
 of a cap, a cotton hunting-shirt, blue and 
 yellow" fringed, and fashioned after the style 
 bequeathed to the American people by General 
 Daniel Morgan of Revolutionary renown. The 
 Greys carried muskets with bayonets; the Rifles, 
 Hall's patent breech-loaders. The Greys timed 
 their steps to the sonorous music of a brass 
 band ; the Rifles were contented with the fife 
 and drum. The Rifles despised the aristocratic 
 airs of the Greys ; the Greys laughed at the 
 Rifles, and the good-natured contempt could 
 have been endured had they stopped with it. 
 Their last insult was the nickname 'Arabs'. 
 We waited a long time for a chance to i)unish 
 the Greys. At last a sham battle betwirn the 
 comj)anies was hippodromed in celebration of 
 January 8th, with Washington street for scene 
 of action. We were posted at the intersection 
 of Meridian street, facing eastward ; while, 
 turning from Delaware up by the court-house, 
 the enemy moved to the attack in column of 
 .sections, their band plaving vociferously. Their 
 appearance was beautiful : and it was then I 
 first knew w-hat inspiration there is in white 
 handkerchiefs shaken out by fair hands from 
 overlooking windows. The Greys opened with 
 volleys; we replied, lying down and firing at 
 will. All went well until in the crisis of the 
 engagement our captain forgot to order the re- 
 treat provided for in the schedule of manoeu- 
 vres. The melee that ensued was tremendous. 
 Wads flew like bullets. We shot one man, 
 took several prisoners, and were left masters 
 of the field. At sight of the haughty foe in 
 flisht I veiled mv throat into tatters. Tlie
 
 llisioin OK (iKEATER INDIANArOLIS. 
 
 1:5: 
 
 incident is, of coiirx', trivial: 3ct it was of 
 eonbequciicL' to me. It ])iit a final finish upon 
 the taste for military life by turning it into u 
 genuine passion. It was my initiation into 
 the Ancient and Honorable Order of Sol- 
 diers."' 
 
 Wallace longed for !Me.\ico, and war. He 
 hastened to the office of the Adjutant Gen- 
 eral before the call was issued, seeking an 
 interview. He says: ''David Reynolds, the 
 incumbent, was a good-looking person, stout, 
 rubicund, afl'able, who had not yet appeared 
 in uniform. He knew nothing military, and, 
 to his credit, he made no pretension to such 
 knowledge. His appreciation of the title even 
 needed cultivation. He was intelligent an<i 
 willing to learn. I found him in a riustered 
 state not unlike that of a mother hen unex- 
 pectedly visited by a marauding hawk. There 
 were a hundred things to do — blanks to be 
 prepared, books to be opened — cnerything, in- 
 deed, that ouglit to have been done long be- 
 fore, and that would liave been done but for 
 the lack of the needful appro]jriation. A cor- 
 responding inexperience on the [jart of the 
 Governor heightened tiie confusion of the staff 
 officers. * * * I |,;„| the good fortune to 
 know him, though at a distance. His position 
 was too e.xalted for familiar acquaintance with 
 so young a man. He was a lover of l>ooks. 
 His fine liijrary was useful as well as orna- 
 mental. It was a certificate that his re])utation 
 for learning and scholarly altaiiuncnts was de- 
 served. * * * i[is picture in the state 
 librar)' is a better likeness of the war governor 
 than the statue under the monument. If in 
 speaking of him one confines remarks to his 
 abilities as a statesman, the choicest terms of 
 eulogy may be used with pniprictv : but he was 
 not a soldier. ""- 
 
 .Vnd yet these were tiie men that made In- 
 diana's fine recoril for ])romptness in this emer- 
 gency, (iovernor WJiitcoinb did not wait for 
 appro))riations. He liorrowed the needed funds 
 from the banks that were willing to loan on his 
 ))ersonal and official 7'cs]ionsibility. One has 
 but to glance over the coiitcni|iorary accounts 
 cojleeted in that most a<imirable volume of 
 Col. Oran Perry's, "Indiana in tlic Mexican 
 \\ ar", to sec liow cpiickK ami bow I'lilh- he 
 
 mastered the situation. Nor was Reynolds 
 lacking. Says Perry: "Fortunately for the 
 reputation of the state, the incumbent. Gen- 
 eral David Reynolds, was a man of superior ex- 
 ecutive ability, dauntless in all emergencies, 
 a tireless worker, and blessed with an abun- 
 dance of common sense, which largely offset 
 his inexperience. His success in rapidly or- 
 ganizing the State's quota for the war had no 
 parallel at that time, and in 1847 a grateful 
 legislature recognized the fact by adding $1.50 
 to his salary for that year."'' The addition 
 looks better when it is remembered that liis 
 regular salary was $100 a year, and "find him- 
 self with office, stationery and fuel. Inex- 
 ])erienced as he was, Adjutant-General Rey- 
 nolds sent Wallace away with the information 
 that a call would be made, and that anybody 
 might raise a company, subject to acceptance 
 by the Governor; and of his use of the knowl- 
 edge I let him tell : 
 
 "There was much talk in Indianapolis about 
 volunteering. Other parts of the state wore 
 showing activity. I bustled about, interview- 
 ing members of the 'Grays' and 'Arabs'. To 
 my argument that the term of service was 
 short, only one year, some of them, witii an 
 earnestness implying personal experience, re- 
 plied that a year was ample time in which 
 to die. Fiiuilly, in fear of the passing of the 
 ojjportunity, I resolved to open a recruiting 
 office myself. The town could not mort' than 
 laugh at me. So I took a room on Washington 
 street and hired a drummer and fifer. Out of 
 the one front window of the building I pro- 
 jected a flag, then a transparency inscribed on 
 its four faces 'For ^fexico. Fall in'. I at- 
 tacked the astonished public in the street. 
 The first round was jirodnctive. A dozen or 
 more young men fell into tlie procession. With- 
 in three days the company was full. In the 
 election of officers, .lames P. Drake was chosen 
 ca|)tain and John McDougall, first lieutenant. 
 The second lieutenancy was given to me. Upon 
 acceptation by tiie Governor, we were ordered 
 to the general rendezvous at Xcw .\ll)anv, on 
 the Ohio Hiver."' 
 
 The Indiaiia|)oiis company was not first. Its 
 commissions were issued on JntU' I. 'I'hose of 
 the Dearlwirn \'nl iiri1<'crs ,iiid MoMi'ne (luai'ds 
 
 '.1 iitobiuf/nijilii/. 
 -.[ iitohloi/riijiln/. 
 
 fllS-!). 
 
 'fnilidiKi ill till' Mf.niini 
 *A iili>hi<iiiriijili I/. |i. f 11. 
 
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 HISTOHV OK (iliKA ri:if, IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 13!) 
 
 were issuoil (III llic 1st; the Putnam IJIuo ami 
 Cass County \'ohinteers ou the '-iud ; the Mont- 
 gomery Volunteers and Johnson Guards on the 
 3d. The Clarion Volunteers went into camp 
 near the city, and after two weeks of drill 
 they were started on the 17th on their march, 
 or rather on their ride, for enthusiastic farm- 
 ers had volunteered their wagons to take them 
 to Kdinhurg. to which point the .Madison rail- 
 road was then opened. They marched to the 
 door of Drake's Hotel (west of the Lombard 
 building) and there were presented a flag by 
 the ladies of the city. Sarah T. Bolton made 
 the presentation address, and responses were 
 made by Cajitain Drake for the company, John 
 II. Bradley for the citizens, and (rovernor 
 \\'hitcond) for the state. Then they started 
 with the godspeeds of the multitude, for all 
 of Marion County seemed to have gathered for 
 the departure. To Madison by rail, and New 
 Albany by boat, then to camp for two weeks 
 on tlir old estate of (ieorge Rogers Clark, 
 then called Camp Whitcomb. and be mustered 
 in. On July ,5, the Marion Volunteeis, now 
 Company II, of the First Regiment, marched 
 on board the steamer (irace Darling, and 
 started for New Orleans. The company had 
 reorganized at New Albany. Captain Drake 
 having been elected colonel of the regiment. 
 John McDougall was chosen captain, and Noah 
 Noble Campbell, first lieutenant in ]ilacc oC 
 McDougall. 
 
 If ever a military organization was I'ntitlcd 
 to ]iromulgate a hard-luck story it was the 
 Marion volunteers — or rather the whole First 
 Indiana regiment. They got their first taste 
 of real soldiering at New Orleans in their camp 
 on (ienci-al Jackson's battlefield, wbirli was 
 romantic but very damp. The regiment crossed 
 the Oulf in two ships, the Flavio, of fi-10 tons, 
 taking five comiianies, and the Sophia Walker, 
 of ;i.")0 tons, taking thive, including the In- 
 diana)Kilis company. Two comjianies were left 
 behind temporarily. The voyage was fairly 
 pleasant for those who were not seasick, and 
 could keep out of range of those who were.'' 
 Arrived at Point Isabel, the regiment 
 was marched ten miles u|) llie R'io 
 Grande and eani]ieil in a mcscpiili' chap- 
 arral, about a mile fi-oin I be rivci-. 
 separated by a low. wet bottom, through 
 
 which all the water for the camp had to be 
 carried. Here they began to experience the 
 ills common to all soldiers who do not know 
 how to take care of themselves, and whose 
 officers do not know how to care for them. 
 Measles and diarrluea broke out in the camp. 
 .Many died and most of those who did not 
 were greatly enfeelded. They were learning 
 the lesson that with unsanitary living, disease 
 always causes more deaths than the arms of 
 the enemy. In the Civil War the deaths from 
 disease were 249,23.5, while only 110,070 were 
 killed in battle." In the Spanish War the pro- 
 |)ortion was far greater, 4,015 by disease to 208 
 killed in battle, because there was so little 
 fighting." The great stress of militia train- 
 ing now is on the preservation of health, and 
 every commissioned ofiicer has to pass an ex- 
 amination in sanitation. It is as important, 
 if not more so, to know where to place a camp 
 as to know where to place a battery. 
 
 Fortunately the supply of medicine, wlii^-h 
 consisted in those days of opium pills and 
 calomel, gave out about the time the sickly 
 season ended in the fall, and the health of 
 the troops began to improve. But there were 
 no indications of an order to move towards 
 the front. It became evident that the First 
 Indiana was to be left in tliat wretched hole 
 to guard communications. I{e(|uests to move 
 had no effect. But finally, after weary weeks 
 of waiting Gen. Robert Patterson came along 
 and ordereil an advance to Walnut Springs. 
 Then there was joy. The regiment was to 
 get some share of the glory others were ac- 
 quiring. It marched with alacrity. On De- 
 cember 24, it had reached Corristos, only six 
 miles from Walnut Springs, when it received 
 orders fnmi (Jen. Taylor to march back. 
 There had been a mistake. The communica- 
 tions must be guarded. Back they must go 
 into the pacific and jirosaic nnid-hole. .\nd 
 that was iioi all. .Along the line of mai-ch 
 they had been passing <ilber troops that had 
 been left behind, and which had cursed lustily 
 because this regiment was brought up from be- 
 hind them. Now the First had to march back 
 past these envious creatures, and they were 
 idiotic enough to think it was funny. Gen. 
 
 ^Indiana in the Me.riniii ]\'(ii: p. S3. 
 
 '' F d.r' s li'fi/iiiiciiliil l.dssi's, p. 111. 
 '•lie purl of A'/j'l drill.. Vol. 1, Pr. 
 1(111.
 
 IRI 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 George F. lIcGiuniss was a lieutenant in the 
 Second Ohio, stationed at the time at Punta 
 Aguida, and he recalls with undisguised glee 
 how they chaffed the First Indiana as it 
 marched back again. And it stayed back till 
 the j'ear of enlistment had expired, and it 
 was sent home. It was a horrible blow to all of 
 them, but worst of all to Lew Wallace. Think 
 of a man who had been dreaming of '"the 
 lialls of the Monteznmas"'" for years, who 
 knew the City of Mexico by heart without 
 having seen it, brought this near and then 
 stopped absolutely and hopelessly. Think 
 of a young fellow full of military ardor, a 
 dreamer by nature, forced to hear the stories of 
 the glorious acliievements of the others, so near 
 at hand, while his regiment did practically 
 nothing but take medicine and bury the dead. 
 No wonder he hated Taylor. Xo wonder he 
 tried to prevent his nomination for the pres- 
 idency. No wonder he, a Whig born and bred, 
 edited a campaign paper against the oppressor, 
 and, when he was elected, went over bag and 
 baggage to the Democrats. 
 
 And so the ilarion Volunteers came home 
 with hardly a smell of powder and large quan- 
 tities of experience, but it was all the same 
 here. They were all veterans. The first Regi- 
 ment shared in the glories of the Third and 
 the martyrdom of the Second under imjust 
 criticism. Extensive preparation was made at 
 Indianapolis for the public reception of the 
 volunteers, but instead of coming in a body 
 they came in squads, and spoiled the pro- 
 gramme. And there was another event to turn 
 attention from any celebration. There had 
 been several Indianapolis people in other or- 
 ganizations than the company raised here, and 
 among them none better known or more popu- 
 lar than Trustin B. Kinder. He had gone down 
 to Orange Couuty to practice law, and when 
 the war came on he volunteered there, and his 
 company, of which he was captain went into 
 the Second Regiment. He fell at Buena A'ista, 
 and his body was brought home for burial, 
 and it was the only one of the Indianapolis 
 dead that was l)rouglit back. Luther Reck, 
 son of the first Lutheran clergyman here, had 
 been drowned in the Rio Grande on August 
 18, ia4fi,'' and Harry Cartwright. John John- 
 son, Jerome Lutz, Wm. Green, Edward ;N[alone 
 
 "Indiana in the Mrslran ^Vlll•. p. 04. 
 
 and John Peyton had succumbed to disease, 
 but their bodies had been left on Mexican soil. 
 Captain Kinder's funeral was on July 12, 
 1847. His company had come from Paoli to 
 attend the service, and acted as escort while a 
 great concourse joined in the procession. It 
 was by far the largest funeral ever seen in 
 Indianapolis up to that time and for years 
 afterwards. The remains were escorted from 
 his father's house to the State House Square 
 where the services were held. A prayer was 
 offered by the Rev. Kavanaugh, a sermon de- 
 livered by the Rev. Gillette, and an eulogv' by 
 the Rev. Ames; after which the funeral train 
 moved down to the old graveyard. Here an 
 oration was pronounced by John T. Morrison, 
 and the soldier was consigned to his grave with 
 military honors. To the wreaths upon his 
 grave, Sarah T. Bolton added her immortelle 
 of song — - 
 
 "Gallant soldier, farewell ; 
 
 True, thy country has jjroved thee, 
 And thy memory will dwell 
 
 In the warm hearts that love thee." 
 
 On April 34, 1847, Governor 'Wliitcomb is- 
 sued a call for another regiment for the Mex- 
 ican War, and a company was organized here 
 with Edward Lander as captain ; Abraham B. 
 B. Lewis, first lieutenant ; Benjamin Pill- 
 bean, second lieutenant, and Joseph Combs, 
 third lieutenant, by ilay 'i'i. It left on the 
 2fith for the rendezvous. The ladies of the 
 city made them a banner, but as it was not 
 ready when they left the presentation was 
 made on their behalf by Adjutant-General Rey- 
 nolds, at Jeffersonville, on July T. The Fourth 
 regiment, in which they were t'onipany D, or- 
 ganized on June 1(5. electing Willis A. Gor- 
 man of Monroe County, colonel; Ebenezer Du- 
 mont of Dearborn — fonner principal of the 
 Marion County seminary — lieutenant-colonel, 
 and William ilcCoy, of Laporte Couuty, major. 
 On the 24th they left New Orleans for Mex- 
 ico on the "Sophia Walker," the same boat that 
 took the former Indianapolis company, but 
 they had better luck than their predecessors. 
 They were assigned to Joe Lane's brigade and 
 went almost direct to Vera Cruz, from which 
 they marched on September 18 for the City 
 of Mexico. They got into some of the pret- 
 tiest fighting of the war, at Iluamantla, Puebla, 
 Tlascala and Atlixco.
 
 IllSKiKV (»!•■ GHEATEK 1 N JUAXAPOLIS. 
 
 141 
 
 As llitTr were ?i'\X'r;il organized coiiipaniL'S 
 in tiie state desirous of going to tlie front, 
 Adjutant-General Eeyuolds notified the Secre- 
 tary of Wav of the fact, and James J I. Lane 
 was authorized to raise another Indiana regi- 
 ment. The call was issued by Governor Wliit- 
 eomb on August 31. A company was raised at 
 Jiulianapolis witii Jolui McDougall, wlio iiad 
 served in the First regiment, as captain; 
 Thomas iIaeBal<er, of the Kifles, as lirst lieu- 
 tenant; Wm. C. KJse, second lieutenant, and 
 Thomas 0'"N"eal, third lieutenant. This be- 
 came Company F, of the Fifth Indiana. The 
 rotriment was full on September •^;i. and on 
 the "JTth, the Indianapolis company, then called 
 the Center (iuards, left for Madison. The 
 regiment organized on October 'i'i. with James 
 Jl. Lane, colonel: Alli-ii May. ol' .Montgomery 
 County, lieutenant-colonel, and JoJin ilyers, 
 major. Dr. James S. Athou was surgeon of 
 this regiment, and John M. Lord, adjutant. 
 The regiment was hurried to tiie front, arriv- 
 ing at Vera Cruz on }\ovember 'H. They were 
 in time to "in at the death", and had the 
 satisfaction of camping with the Fourth In- 
 diana and others at En Cerro, the estate of 
 Santa Anna, preparatory to their return home. 
 
 A consideration of the troops furnished by 
 JLarion County for llie ^lexiean War- would 
 indicate that there was no intense interest in 
 tiiat contlict at this ])oint, and there was not. 
 This was a Whig stronghold and as a jiarty 
 they were opposed to the war. though, at the 
 same time, as citizens they felt under the 
 necessity of supporting it after the country 
 had got into it. Clayton and Corwin put this 
 inconsistency at their fellow Whigs in Con- 
 gress in a very pointed way. And liicir bigic 
 was unanswerable. II' it were "a war of in- 
 
 vasion " ; if it were an unconstitutional act for 
 the President to declare that war "existed"', 
 and to order the troops forward without any 
 declaration of war by Congress; if it were "an 
 unholy war" and "waged in the interest of 
 slaveholders for the acquisition of slave ter- 
 ritory", why should a conscientious Wliig sup- 
 port it? But the people \wr{i evidently for 
 war, as Americans usually are, and it would 
 be suicidal politics to oppose "my country, 
 right or wrong". And so the average Whig 
 drifted along with the current waiting for 
 the chance to say, "I told you so"', that never 
 came. The feeling is cautiously expressed 
 in the Journal's observation when the call for 
 the Fifth regiment came: "We understand that 
 Governor \Vhitcomb received by yesterday's 
 mail a requisition for another regiment of vol- 
 unteers from this state. It would appear that 
 the President has not nuuli liopes of either 
 purchasing or conquering a peace very soon. 
 The end is not yet." '■' But the brilliant suc- 
 cess of the war disposed of that horn of the 
 dilenuna, and the Whigs certainly made the 
 best of the situation when they nominated 
 Taylor for president, though they said in their 
 platform that he had gone into the war with 
 reluctance. This political feeling probably 
 furnishes the real explanation of why the mil- 
 itia companies here did not volunteer as or- 
 ganizations: and the expressions of fear of 
 death by their members, of whicli Lew Wallace 
 speaks above, shouKl be taken as evasions rather 
 than sincere statements of sentiment. They 
 were, no doubt, based on the theory of the 
 legal aphorism that, "A bad answer is good 
 enough answer to a bad complaint"'. 
 
 '■'Jnurnal, September 7, 181^
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ADVENT OF THE EAILROADS. 
 
 If ever the adjective '"pathetic'" can be 
 properly applied to a public failure, it may 
 rightfully be used for the breakdowu of In- 
 diana's internal improvement system. It was 
 of such vast consequence and so near success. 
 Xever did a people undertake a great enter- 
 prise on more apparently rational grounds. 
 And they came so near to accomplishing sorae- 
 tliing really great. Just a little dift'ei;ence of 
 jiolicy here and there would have carried them 
 tiirough. If they had put their money into 
 railroads instead of high-line canals; if they 
 had put the southern terminus of the one rail- 
 road they did undertake at Jeffersonville in- 
 stead of Madison : if __they had started on the 
 high level at Madison, and put off till later the 
 work on the "Deep Diggings" to the lowei- 
 ground, in which so much money was sunk; 
 if thev had taken up one tiling at a time, 
 finished it and put it on a paying basis before 
 beginning another ; on any of these lines they 
 might have succeeded. But they did not, and 
 on the face of the situation they were Justified 
 in expecting to get through on the basis on 
 which they started. Possildy, if the panic of 
 1837 had not occurred they would have suc- 
 ceeded. As it was, the report of the State 
 Auditor for 1840 shows that up to that time 
 the State had expended for turnpike roads 
 $412,32G.-2o: for the Indianapolis and :\[adi- 
 son Railroad, $l,fi24,(i03.0r), and for canals. 
 $8.108,543,— a total of $10,204,273,34. And 
 for all this it had ])ractically not one cent's 
 worth of property to show. If it had suc- 
 ceeded it would have had valuable properties 
 that would have been sources of revenue, in- 
 creasing in value daily ; instead of having as 
 now practically all of the state's transporta- 
 tion lines owned outside the state. 
 
 There were persons who advised mure wisely 
 
 at the time. On Xoveniber 27, 1835, the Jour- 
 nal jiublished a long and strong letter from 
 S. Whitnuin, of Xew Alliany, advocating rail- 
 roads in ])reference to canals on the substan- 
 tial grounds that they were cheaper to con- 
 struct ; gave more rapid transit ; could be 
 used all the year round while canals froze up 
 in winter; and were less liable to get out of re- 
 pair so as to interfere with traffic. The cost 
 of a railroad of course depends largely on 
 the kind of country it runs through, and heavy 
 cutting and lilling cost more then than now. 
 The state began the road from iladison to 
 Indianapolis in 1838, and in 1842 had com- 
 pleted 28 miles from the start, as well as hav- 
 ing done about half the grading and bridging 
 for-tlie next 28 miles. It then surrendered 
 the work to a company, being tinaiu-ially un- 
 able to go on itself, which took jiossession in 
 February, 1843. The inclined plane at ^ladi- 
 son, and the heavy cuts and tills south of Ver- 
 non, made an average cost for this part of the 
 road, built by the state, of $40,000 a mile. 
 The balance of the road from Six Mile Creek 
 to Indiana]iolis, furnished by the company, 
 and laid with iwir rail, cost less than $8,000 
 a mile. The branch from Edinburgh to Shel- 
 byville, sixteen miles, cost only $800 a mile 
 for grading and bridging. Tlu^ road could 
 have been built from Jeft'ersonville over much 
 more favorable ground ; in fact, the Jeiferson- 
 ville road when built to Edinburgh, had cost 
 for the 78 miles, only $1,185,000, or about 
 two-thirds of what the state paitl for the 28 
 miles from ^ladison. And, moreover, it would, 
 if built to Jetfersonville. have been completed 
 much sooner, and would liave had a vastly 
 more important terminus. 
 
 There had been some effort at railroads by 
 private ecun|)anies before the state adopted its 
 
 142
 
 niSTOl.'V OF (lltKATF.i; 1 X I H A N A IM »1.1S. 
 
 143 
 
 internal iiii]tn)\cmL'nl sehciuL'. Inileod In- 
 diana caught the railroad fever very early for 
 it began chartering railroads in 183"^, and the 
 first one in the countrv — a horse-tram, 3 miles 
 long from the granitt' quarries at Quiuey, 
 Massai-luisetts, had been iniilt in 18"2(i-T,, 
 and the first steam locomotive built 
 in the Tnited States was completed in 
 1830. The succe>s of sh(n't lines, chiefly 
 in coiniection with mines, created an 
 enthusiasm for railroads throughout the coun- 
 try, and on Fi'liruary 2 and 3, 1832, the legis- 
 lature of Indiana chartered eight companies. 
 five of which were to connect Indianapolis with 
 the Ohio l{iver. They were the T.iawrenceburg 
 and Indianajjolis. \ia .\a|>oleon and Greens- 
 burg: the Harrison and Indianapolis, from 
 Harrison, Dearborn County, via Brookville 
 and Hushville: the ^ladison and La- 
 fayette, via Indianapolis; the Xew Al- 
 bany, Salem and indianajiolis, via Co- 
 lumbus; and the Ohio and Indianapolis, from 
 Jeffersonville via Columbus. The other three 
 were the Ohio and Lafayette, from the Falls 
 to Lafayette; the Wabash and ]\Iichigan, fi-om 
 Lafayette to "the mouth of Dishman,' or Trail 
 Creek, ill Laporte County'"; and the Richmond, 
 Eaton and Jlianii, from Richmond to Hamil- 
 ton, Ohio. The ln(liana])olis people inter- 
 ested in these ventures at the start were, in 
 the Lawrenceburg and Indianapolis, Nicholas 
 McCarty. Heiijaniin 1. I'.lvthi' and James 
 niake; in the Harrison and Indianapolis, Isaac 
 X. Phipi)s. llervey Bates and Alfred Harrison; 
 in the Xew .\lbany, Salem and Indianapolis, 
 A. C. Reid ; in the Ohio and Indianapolis, 
 James >rorrison and James Blake. 
 
 None of these roads were Imilt under 
 their original charters, tliongh roads were later 
 eonstnietecl on nearly all the lines selected. 
 Surveys were made on several, but tlie only 
 constriietion by any was a mile and a c|uarter 
 of road at Shelbyvillc, made by the Lawrence- 
 burg and liidianajiolis Company, which, as 
 tile first in Indiana, is of ])assing interest. 
 James Hlake, as president, i)ro tem, of the 
 coniiiany, made a report on December 5, 1834, 
 of the work aeconiplisbed and of the lio|ies 
 based on it. M that time railroad-building 
 was so much in its infanev that most of the 
 work was ex])erimental. The most common 
 
 Du Clicniin — site (d' ^MieliiLi'an Citv. 
 
 mode of conslniction was lu lay cross-ties on 
 stone at either end, and on these place heavy 
 wooden rails, which were capped with bar- 
 iron. This mode was not altogether satisfac- 
 tory, as there was no stone along part of the 
 line. The following extracts from Mr. Blake"s 
 rej)ort will give an idea of the work: 
 
 "With a view to ascertain whether long 
 pieces of timber laid lengthwise the road, one 
 on each side for the cro-ss ties to rest upon, 
 might not answer in the place of broken stone 
 foundation, the one mile and a (piarter of the 
 road at Shelbyvillc was laid in that manner. 
 Tindier of various kinds, si.x liy eight inches, 
 and twenty feet long, and completely covered 
 with earth, have been used for this purpose. 
 * * * After the road is laid, the stone for 
 the horse path (should one be thought neces- 
 sary) can be readily brought upon the road 
 from the extensive (piarries on Flat Rock, at 
 a very litile expense. * * * There are, 
 however, tuo alterations in the |)lan of con- 
 struction which the Board is desirous of mak- 
 ing. The road in every respect is calculated 
 for the use of locomotive power — and the speed 
 and cheapness of that power over every other, 
 will no doubt occasion it to be adopted on 
 this road as it has been on almost every other 
 of any extent in the L'nited States and in 
 Kuro])c. It would, therefore, be pro]ier at 
 once to save the ex])ense of a horse path. This 
 is estimated to cost three hundred dollars per 
 mile, and supposing the road to be ninety miles 
 long, twenty-seven thousand dollars may be 
 saved. A sum sufficient to procure all the 
 locomotive power necessary for a long time. 
 And it will likewise su))ercede the outlay of 
 capital that would otherwise be necessarily in- 
 vested in horses. In additiim to these advan- 
 tages, if steam alone should be used, the in- 
 termediate space between the rails need not be 
 so entirely filled with earth as is required by 
 the horse path, and thus the rails, at least, 
 mav he tnade to last many years longer than 
 lbc\- would do were they brought into immedi- 
 ate contact with the earth. * * * 
 
 "Having foi'med and ex])ressed the intention 
 of completing this ])iece of road by the 4th 
 of .Inly last, umh'r the expectation of having 
 Mr. Van De GralT to sui)erintend it, the Board 
 found it necessary to comply with the expecta- 
 tions of the pidilic on the subject, notwith- 
 standing Ibev were d isa ppoii\ted in procuring
 
 14 + 
 
 HISTORY OF OKPLVTER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 an engineer as early as was expected. This 
 piece of road was accordingly let out in quarter- 
 mile sections, and completed in about two 
 months by its enterprising contractors. And 
 when it is considered that it was built with- 
 out tlie aid of competent engineers, — by men 
 without experience in such works, and with 
 the ordinary labour of the country, it is not 
 only highly creditable to those concerned, but 
 is also calculated to give great confidence in 
 the ability of the country to construct the 
 work throughout the whole route, and at a 
 cost far below the engineer's estimate. In 
 the course of the day (July -1) between six 
 and eight hundred persons were passed 
 upon tlie road by one car, a distance out and 
 in of two and a half miles. One horse was 
 found able to draw from forty to fifty per- 
 sons at the rate of nineteen miles per hour, 
 and this when all the work, both of car and 
 road, was new and rough. Owing to the dif- 
 ficulty of procuring an engineer, the directors 
 superintending the work did not deem it proper 
 to carry it into Shelbyvillc, as they could not 
 tell where the engineer might choose to cross 
 the river. The work was, therefore, stopped 
 three-quarters of a mile from town. Yet it 
 is believed that it affords a fair specimen of 
 the cost of construction through the line of 
 level country already spoken of. Upon it there 
 is one cut of five feet ; one embankment of 
 five feet, and one of ten — two curves and two 
 bridges, already mentioned,— all in the dis- 
 tance of one and a quarter miles, and the whole 
 cost was one thousand five hundred dollars 
 per mile.'' Mr. Blake states that all expenses 
 to date, including surveys, have been $3,524.- 
 471/^, and the only receipts have been from 
 passengers at Shelbyville, from which "there 
 has been received eighty-three dollars, of which 
 sixtv dollars was taken on the 4th of Julv 
 last!" 
 
 Under the agreement with the company 
 which undertook to complete the iladison rail- 
 road, in accordance with the act for the sur- 
 render of any of the internal improvement 
 projects,'- the company was to pay the state a 
 rental of $1,152 per year for three years. This 
 was later extended to ten years on condition 
 that the road be completed to Edinburgh be- 
 fore July, 1846, and to Indianapolis within 
 
 -General Laws ISJiJ, p. 3. 
 
 two years afterward. After the ten years the 
 profits of the road were to be divided between 
 the state and the company in proportion to 
 the amount constructed by each, giving the 
 state about one-third. The company com- 
 [ilied with the construction requirements by 
 October 1, 184'i', and entered on a career of 
 apparent prosperity. It had a monopoly of 
 transportation between the river and the cen- 
 tral part of the state. Population and busi- 
 ness were steadily increasing and the receipts 
 of the road grew accordingly. The receipts 
 from transportation, which had been $22,110 
 in 1843, with 33 miles of track, and $60,053 
 in 1845, with 50 miles of track, rose in 1848 
 (11 months, owing to a change in the fiscal 
 year) to $212,090; in 1850 to $272,308: in 
 1853 to $516,414. The financial success of 
 the road seemed assured from this point of 
 \'iew, and yet in 1852 it was practically bank- 
 rupt. 
 
 The road had scarcely begun operation be- 
 fore the defects of inexperience began to ap- 
 peal'. The portion constructed by the state 
 had been laid with light T rail, and the rest 
 with bar plate on wooden rails. Bj' 1848, 
 ]n-actically all of this had to be replaced. The 
 ditching, and indeed almost every feature of 
 tlie original work had been inadequate, and 
 liad to be done over. In Februar_y, 1846, Pres- 
 ident Samuel Merrill said: ''']\Iore water sta- 
 tions must be made, and they must be better 
 adapted to the business of the road. The 
 turn-outs at Dupont's, Butlers, Yernon. and 
 Scipio must be extended, so. that long trains 
 can pass, and new ones must be made at Mid- 
 dle Fork and Tannehill's Depot. More tracks 
 are required at the Hill Depot, and more room 
 for the deposit of freight. The depot in 
 Madison must also be enlarged to double its 
 present size. A new locomotive will be re- 
 quired in the fall, and the mmiber of cars 
 must be considerably increased." There were 
 all sorts of trouble, some of which seem hardly 
 sufficient now to seriously affect the business 
 of a railroad, but they did then. In the fall 
 of 1855 there was a prolonged drought, fol- 
 lowed by extreme cold and much snow in De- 
 cember, and President Merrill thus depicts 
 the effects: "When frequently not less than 
 200 barrels of water a day were to be dipped in 
 buckets, or hauled in wagons : when, until ap- 
 paratus could be made for throwing steam into 
 
 (
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 14') 
 
 the tank, one of the liose was usually beforu 
 the furnace to melt the ice in it, while the other 
 was in use; when more car wheels hroke in a 
 month than had previously in two years: wluii 
 the trips rcquiretl from IS to 20 hours instead 
 of 10, the usual time, it is a matter of sur- 
 prise that so much was done. Wells could not 
 be dug in the region south of Rock Creek, 
 nor suitable hands found to attend the pumps 
 north, and it was only by great exertions of 
 all who were cm|>loyed that no trips were lost. 
 When one set of hands was worn down with 
 fatigue, another took their places, and all thai 
 could be dnnc under the circumstances was 
 effected." 
 
 The inclined plane at ifadison was a source 
 of heavy expense from the start. On ilarch 
 28, 1844, when the track was wet and slippery. 
 a loaded freight car escaped control and sped 
 down the plane colliding with a ])assenger train, 
 and killing live ])ersons and maiming as many 
 more. The company undertook to escape the 
 ditliculties and dangers of the plane hv a cog 
 track, known as the Cathcart patent, for which 
 it paid Cathcart $0,000. About $2,000 more 
 was spent in defending the patent and $T."),000 
 for installing it. But this did not secure either 
 safety or convenience, and when the state sold 
 its interest to the road in 18.")2. it stipulated 
 for a new terminus. On A|)ril 10, IM.")."). I'res- 
 ident Ellis said: "That work was immediately 
 connncnced. over three hundred thousand 
 dollars expended thereon, and was fin- 
 \ ally abandoned"'. But all these things were 
 ' of minor importance as compared with an- 
 other element of disaster. Tlie company ap- 
 plied to the legislature of 18.31-2 for the pur- 
 chase of the state's interest in the road, and 
 by the act of ^February 28, 18.")2, the state 
 sold, agreeing to take $600,000 in state stock. 
 or $.300,000 in money, payable in four an- 
 nual installments, beginning in 18.")l. Ip lo 
 this time the state had avoided giving any 
 opening to competing lines, but by the gen- 
 eral law of May 11, 18.J2, it threw the door 
 wide open to construction of railroads anv- 
 where, by anybody. The results most barnirul 
 to the Madison road were the construction of 
 the JelTersonvillc road, giving direct competi- 
 tion to Indianapolis, and a change in the line 
 of the Eawrenceburgh and l'))])er ^Iississip])i 
 road, giving more direct comniunicalion with 
 Cincinnati. Says President Fllis: "The Imsiness 
 Vol. I— 10 
 
 of the Madison road began at once to decline, 
 at the most rapid rate, and the line, instead of 
 being the great thoroughfare for trade and 
 travel, became a local road, shorn of its busi- 
 ness and profits". It made an effort to re- 
 cover by investing half a million dollars in 
 the Columbus and Shelby road, and buying 
 the controlling interest in a line of steamers, 
 but in vain. It was doomed. 
 
 The gross earnings of the Madison road, 
 which had reached $47(5,892 in 1852, dropped 
 to $2T.5,55T in 18.54. Its stock, which sold for 
 $l.(iO in 18o2 had dro])ped to $(l.02ii; in Jau- 
 uar}-, 18.56. On ifarcli 1, 18.5.5, a law was 
 passed appointing Governor Wright, Judge 
 Thos. S. Stanfield and Elijah Newlaud com- 
 missioners to investigate the affairs of the 
 Madison road and comj)romise to the best ad- 
 vantage the debt to the state. The commis- 
 sioners reported at the next session of the legis- 
 lature, and on its report the i-oad was a hope- 
 less wreck. On May 1, 18G1, to raise the 
 money needed for its terminal and other work, 
 the company had placed a mortgage of $600,- 
 000 on the entire property, due in 10 years, 
 and on this there was $46,310 of interest in 
 arrears. The state had taken a second mort- 
 gage for its $300,000 on August 12, 18.53. On 
 October 1, 18.53, a third mortgage had l)een 
 executed to secure $(iO().000 of additional 
 bonds, and of these $261,000 had been dis- 
 posed of. There was a domestic debt, unse- 
 cured, of $287,286 for repair work, material, 
 damages, etc., and in addition to this $1,647,- 
 SOO of outstanding stock, making total liabili- 
 ties of $3,132,396. The commissioners said: 
 "The pecuniary condition of this company is 
 a hopeless insolvency, and to some extent has 
 been rendered so by the legislative policy of 
 the state, in granting (-barters to other rail- 
 road companies, who have made more fortu- 
 nate locations in securing the trade and travel 
 of the country. To maintain a successful com- 
 jjctition with these rival roads, the company 
 has ex])ended large amounts of money — more 
 than the entire road is now worth, which ex- 
 |iendilure has become almost an entire loss. 
 Most of this money has been lost in an unsuc- 
 cessful effort to avoid the inclined plane at 
 ^[adison, and the building of branch roads. 
 -And after all these prodigal ex]icnditurcs W(>re 
 made, and business connections formed with 
 other companies, it was still dnonied to fall
 
 14G 
 
 IIISTOKV OF (iUKATEi; IXDIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 fnun its position of a trreat leading thorough- 
 fare to a mere local road. The ex])ense and 
 hazard in transporting over the inclined plane 
 at Madison, and the increased distance by this 
 route over others to the principal cities on 
 the river, will forever prevent it from doing 
 any considerable business, other than that in 
 its own neig'hljorhood. 
 
 "The present prospects of this road indicate 
 the entire loss of its capital stock, one mil- 
 lion six hundred and fortv-seven thousand and 
 eight hundred dollars, and also the $■.'(;!. 000 
 of Ijonds issued under the third mortgage. 
 and, indeed, it seems quite evident from what 
 has already been shown, that when the first 
 mortgage bonds become due, viz.: May 1, ISlJl, 
 the road must from necessity fall into the hands 
 of tlie bondliolders under that mortgage. That 
 there is not money enough in it to justify the 
 state or anyone else to take the road by pay- 
 ing that debt and the other necessary o\itUtys 
 that will be added to it by the time the bonds 
 become due." On this situation the commis- 
 sioners agreed to accept $75,000 in 5 per cent 
 state bonds in full of the claim, which was 
 dulv paid, and the mortgage released. The 
 state also liad $31,450 of" stock of the road, 
 which had been issued as earnings dividends. 
 when the road was sold in 1852, and this was 
 then exchanged to Winslow, Lanier & Co. for 
 $59,300 of state Si/o per cent stock. These 
 represent the state's returns from the ven- 
 ture; and the settlement was a good one. In 
 January, 1854, the road was consolidated with 
 and operated with the Peru for a few moiitiis. 
 and then this relation was dissolved. On 
 J[arch 27, 18G2, the iladison road was sold on 
 foreclosure by the Ignited States Marshal, for 
 $325,000. A new company was organized and 
 operated the road for a year of two wlien it 
 was bought by and consolidated with the Jef- 
 fersonville road, which later passed into tlu' 
 Pennsylvania Pailroad system. 
 
 In reality the loss to the state was not so 
 serious as the lo.'is to the stockholders and 
 bondholders. The state got all the advantage, 
 of opening up the part of the country at its 
 center, in the beginning; and by its course in 
 1852. although it destroved its ])rospects of 
 getting its $300,000 from the Madison road. 
 it produced a development that was of much 
 greater value in income from taxation. No 
 doubt it niiiiht iiave worked out a svstem of 
 
 state-owned railroads by different management 
 from the start ; but it is not given to mankind 
 to use the knowledge gained by exi^erience and 
 retrospection in the exercise of foresight as to 
 the same affairs. The great point at the time 
 was to get the road built at all, and the bene- 
 fit of that was felt imnu'diately, es[iecially at 
 Indianapolis. The jieriod of isolation of the 
 capital was ended. A new era was opened. 
 For the first time manufacture for other than 
 domestic consumption became a possii)ility, and 
 the agricultural products of the region be- 
 came sensitive to the movement of outside 
 markets. In a few wc^ks wheat advanced fi-om 
 4(1 cents a bushel to 90 cents. Tudoulitedly 
 the railroad investment was more than re- 
 turned to the state; and undoubtedly Indian- 
 apolis and Marion County had value received 
 for all they paid ; and they paid a goodly 
 share in the subsequent extinction of the state 
 debt by taxation. 
 
 There was naturally a brisk competition for 
 the location of the new Madison depot at 
 Indianapolis, various parties offering liberal 
 donations, but it was finally located on South 
 street between Pennsylvania and Delaware, 
 which was then a quarter of a mile outside of 
 the Settled district, there having been no ex- 
 tension of the town south of Pogue"s Kun. 
 The depot, or "depot house" as it was tlun 
 called, was built in 1846-T, and though the 
 location caused a great deal of criticism on 
 account of its "distance from business", Mo- 
 hanimeil concluded to go to the mountain, and 
 soon an embryo town sprang u]) about the 
 depot. On September 9, 1848, the Loruniofii:e 
 gave the following description of the progress 
 in that vicinity : ""Tlie Depot house is brick, 
 substantially built ; the first building is 50 
 feet square and two stories high. This is oc- 
 cupied as offices, rooms for clerks, board of 
 directors, ladies sitting room, &c. It is finely 
 linishcd and is a handsome looking house. The 
 ware-house extends 350 feet from the front 
 l)uilding, and is 50 feet wide; this building 
 is l)riek, with a covered roof — the eaves ex- 
 tending about ten feet beyond the walls on 
 each side, affording protection from the sun 
 and rain. The cars run through the centre 
 of the entire building, and in the ware-house, 
 on either side of the cars, is amide room for 
 storage. 
 
 "On the east of the railroad, and within two 
 
 •:*j
 
 HISTORY OF (MtKATER I N'I>IAXAPOLTS. 
 
 147
 
 148 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 squares of it, there has been, and is now be- 
 ing built, 19 liouscs this spring and summer, 
 among which are two brick M-are-hou?e^, both 
 two stories high, and one of which is 13(1 by 
 25 feet, and a large Hotel. To show the dis- 
 patch with which business is done here, we will 
 state that the design of the latter excellent and 
 valuable improvement was drawn in February ; 
 on the 15th of August the house was finished, 
 furnished and occupied; even to the sign, on 
 which is displaved in large gilt letters, 'THE 
 DEPOT HOUSE By Banner LAWHE.vn.' 
 — The hotel is of brick, 3 stories high, the 
 front fiOxSO feet, with a wing 160 by "20 
 feet. — The balance of the houses erected east 
 of the Depot are mostly one story frame 
 dwellings. West of the Depot, and immedi- 
 ately adjoining the railroad track, there was 
 built this summer 13 houses, including 5 two- 
 storv ware-houses, two brick, one of which is 
 25 by 136 feet."' 
 
 Of course the railroad increased in useful- 
 ness to the town as it approached, but this 
 only whetted the public desire to have it com- 
 pleted, ^lien it was assured that it would 
 be opened on October 1, 1847. a citizens" meet- 
 ing — ajiparently predigested by the officials of 
 the road — was held on September 3.") ; and 
 resolutions were adopted for a celebration, 
 with a committee of seven to prepare for it. 
 and also "that the Railroad Company ought 
 to permit passengers, for a week at least, to 
 travel on the road at reduced prices"'. In re- 
 sponse to this last. Samuel ^[errill, as Presi- 
 dent and Superintendent of the road, gra- 
 ciously announced that, "The M. & I. R. R. 
 Co. will on the clay the Road is completed take 
 passengers along tlie whole or any part of the 
 route for one-third +he usual rates, and they 
 will continue to take families, or parts of 
 families at the same rates for the ensuing 
 week, with the understanding that ladies 
 alone, if their number be sufficient for the 
 purpose, shall occupy the covei'ed cars. If 
 any person shall wish to take a ride on the 
 afternoon of the day of the celebration, they 
 may ride to Franklin and back at 25 cts. 
 each". The regular rate to Franklin was 75 
 cents Diie wav. This was eminently satisfac- 
 tory. The celebration was helped out bv the 
 .nrrival of S|)alding's Xortli .Vmerican Circus, 
 declared to embrace 200 people, including "35 
 widelv celebrated ladv and gentlemen artistes. 
 
 at the acme of their profession", and Xed 
 Kendall's brass band of "15 picked musicians 
 in lustrious uniforms". The importance of 
 the latter may be judged from this statement 
 of the circus advertisement: "Led bv the ni- 
 ^lORTAL EDWARD KENDALL whose fame 
 as the MAGIC BUGLER has penetrated ever> 
 circle to which music has access, (it) at once 
 gives tone to the pure and admirable amuse 
 ments of the ilonster Circus, whether in lead 
 ing the immensely extended procession in the 
 Gorgeous Colossal Music Car or awakening the 
 echoes of the streets while ^iounted on 16 
 UTCTriiY ro:\rrARisoNED steeds, or metamortilio^; 
 ing the performance into a Soiree }[w^iralr! 
 not the least attractive feature of which will bt 
 the never to be forgotten Solo upon his ^Tagic 
 Silver Biigle." 
 
 -Mtogether it was a red letter day. The 
 town was thronged with people from the vi- 
 cinity. The last rail was laid at o'clock in 
 the morning. At 10 the circus entered the 
 town from the ea«t and Captain Evans' com- 
 ]iany of mounted volunteers from the west 
 Citptain Chapman"s artillery company was al 
 ready on hand. At 1 all moved out to the 
 d(')iot. The Jniinifil developed so much local 
 enter)irise on the occasion that its account is 
 worthy of preservation. It said: "Friday, 
 sure enough was all that was anticipated and 
 more too. Spalding's North .\merican Circus 
 came rolling along about 10 o'clock A. ^f.. at 
 tended by an old-fashioned North American 
 crowd that would have done honor to any 
 jniblic occasion. .Vt about 3 o'clock in tht 
 afternoon, the liclching forth of the loud- 
 mouthed cannon announced the time for the 
 a]iproach of the cars from Madison. Such ? 
 collection of people as thronged the grounds 
 adjacent to the depot has not been witnessed 
 in these parts since Tippecanoe times. They 
 were there by acres, stretching far out along 
 the railroad, some upon trees, stumps, fences 
 moiinds. and everything which tended to raise 
 one sqxiad above another. Soon a dark spot 
 in the distance was descried by those picketed 
 upon the furtherest outposts; then was heard 
 the shrill whistle of the locomotive, echoing 
 thriuiii'h boai'v forests aiul o"er verdant fields 
 and shout answering to shout as the two iron 
 steeds puffing and snorting majestically turned 
 the curve in the road a short distance from 
 town, followed by two long trains of passen-
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 U!) 
 
 gov and freifrht cars, completely lillcil witli 
 human beings, tlio ladies wavinf; their white 
 Iiandkerchiefs anti tlie men and hoys using 
 their lungs in answering baek the long, loud 
 huzzas from the people awaiting their ap- 
 proach. 
 
 "Well, they came to a halt, as all things in 
 this world must, sooner or later. Then there 
 was such a getting out. and such a tumbling 
 in, and such a calling for a speecJi fn)m the 
 Governor, such a squeaking from a short 
 sprinkling of young 'uns, then a sjirinkling of 
 rain, which caused such another running to 
 and fro as we never saw before. Then the 
 Governor mounted the top of one of the cars, 
 as did the men. women and children the long 
 platform which flanks either side, outside and 
 in, of the depot, for the purpose of nuiking a 
 spi'cch to them. But the Governor couldn't 
 govern there. Confusion was rendered worse 
 confounded by a snort from a locomotive, and 
 the chime of its bell, which signified a pleas- 
 ure ride to Greenwood and back for ^r, cents 
 a head. La me I what a scampering among the 
 novices of railroad riding. It couldn't have 
 , been worse if the ride was to have lieen per- 
 j formed by steam, with the 'road' part left out, 
 only as in that case instead of scampering 
 \ away, they scampered right up to the convey- 
 ance, jiell mell. as if tlio\v wasn't afraid (if the 
 /•((i7 cars, 'bull-gine' and all. But hark I A 
 tap of the bell — are you ready? A loud un- 
 earthly if not unsteamly whistle — clear the 
 track — and away went about five hundred as 
 happy, uproarous fellows as was ever 'mixed 
 up' — yelling like so many Indians at every 
 thing they saw from the scampering of a pig 
 to the wonder-struck gaze of the young 
 hoosiers as they peered out from behind some 
 huge forest tree or some humble cabin by the 
 wayside. That much we will say about the 
 ride. But we won't say anything about a sup- 
 posed crack in one of the a.xletrees — how the 
 train was stoppe<l — what an.xiety was all of a 
 sudden depicted upon those hitherto happy 
 faces — how they were eased of their ^'t cents 
 in the interval — how they were relieved of all 
 fear when the cars moved forward again, and 
 how they laughed to think the cracked axle- 
 tree was easily ])roduced sound! It was thought 
 a Santa Anna mnneuvre to gain time to 'pass' 
 round the hat, and lau<died over aeeordingiv. 
 
 i>ut ill tiiai 'pass' as the conclusion of the 
 whole rail road scene. 
 
 "Friday was ended — and a "good Friday' it 
 was witliout any accident to nuir the pleasure 
 of the people — by an exhibition of fire-works 
 after dark, the illumination of many buildings, 
 and the performance of Spalding's equestrian 
 troop — the latter of which, though exaggerated 
 as all such exhibitions are upon paper, was a 
 little superior to anything we have ever seen 
 in these parts. And thus the day ended, at 10 
 o'clock P. j\I., with the public appetite for 
 amusement and excitement satiated." 
 
 Amid the enthusiasm of the day Henry 
 Ward Beecher left Indianapolis in response 
 to his call from Plymouth Church. Thirty 
 years later he wrote: "I left Indianapolis for 
 Brooklyn on the very day upon which the cars 
 on the Madison Railroad for the first time 
 entered the town ; and I departed on the first 
 train that ever left the place. On a wood- 
 car, rigged up with boards across from side to 
 side, went I forth. * * * rpjjg ^gj. ^^^g j^^ 
 
 car at all. a mere extempore wood-box, used 
 sometimes without seats for hogs, but with 
 seats for men, of wdiich class I (ah me miser- 
 able!) happened to be one. And so at eleven 
 at night I arrived in iladison, uot overproud 
 in the glory of riding on the first train that 
 ever went from Indianapolis to Madison."'' 
 And yet Jlr. Beecher overlooked the fact tliat 
 he was escaping all the dangers of the "locked - 
 in" system of the English railroads, of which 
 Rev. Sydney Smith's ])en ])ictures of the more 
 or less certain horrors had caused the hair of 
 the English public to stand on end in 1S1-.'.* 
 And this illustrates the fact that a really 
 great clergyman can find something to com- 
 plain of in almost any condition. 
 
 The completion of the JIadisoii road made 
 possible the building of roads from Indian- 
 apolis, and numerous plans for this were 
 projected, though they were rather slow of 
 execution. The first company to accomplish 
 anything material was the Bellefontaine, whose 
 ])resident, Oliver II. Smith, set a livelier pace 
 for older companies. The company was char- 
 tered in 1848, secured stock subscriptions and 
 right of way in the year following, let con- 
 
 ^Beecher and Scouille's Bior/. of II. TV. 
 Beecher, pp. 207. 2ir>. 
 
 *Wit and Wiadoni of Syiliiey Smith, p. ;!44.
 
 150 
 
 HISTOKY OF GKEATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 tracts for grailiiig in tlir fall ol' KS4!>, vnm- 
 inencL'd track-laying in April, 1850, and on 
 December 19 of that year announced daily 
 trains to Pendleton (28 miles) from which 
 stage lines furnished connection with the iip- 
 ])er White Eiver valley and the Wabash. In 
 December, 1852, it was completed to [Tnion 
 City, at the state line, 84 miles, where it con- 
 nected with an Ohio road to Bellefontaine. The 
 two were consolidated in 1855, under the name 
 of Indianapolis, Pittsburg & Cleveland Hail- 
 road ; and in 18{j8 this became part of the 
 Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indian- 
 apolis. Originally this road was known as the 
 "Bee Line", later as the Cleveland Division of 
 the "Big Four", and now as the Cleveland 
 Division of the New York Central Lines. The 
 Bellefontaine Company built a brick depot and 
 shops in 1851, at irassachusetts avenue, then in 
 the extreme northeastern jiart of the city, 
 which were used till the T'nion Depot and 
 tracks M-ere finished, in Xovendier, 1853, a 
 frame de))ot, and l)rick engine house and shops 
 were l)uilt at the \'irginia avenue crossing of 
 Pogue's Run; these were abandoned in 1864, 
 and new ones constructed near the east ilichi- 
 gan street crossing. The first depot and 
 shops, with 1,100 feet of tracks and five aci'es 
 of ground were sold for $17,500 in July, 1853, 
 and were converted into the Indianapolis Car 
 Shops, which were ojierated l)y Farnsworth & 
 Barnard from 1853 to 1859. They were then 
 vacant for three years till 1862, when the 
 Government took the buildings for a stable and 
 used them till they burned down in 1865. 
 
 The Peru & Indianapolis Railroad was char- 
 tered January 19, 1846. Tlie company was 
 organized in July, 1S4T, the road surveyed and 
 located in 1847-8, and work begun in 1849. 
 On March 11, 1851, its completion to Xobles- 
 ville was celebrated by an excursion to that 
 j)oint, where there were speeches by ex-Gover- 
 nor Wallace and others, and music by the 
 Noblesville Brass Band. The announcement 
 states that, "The cars will leave Indianapolis 
 at 8 o'clock in the morning, stopping in their 
 passage at James' contemplated warehouse. 
 Wilson's :Mill, Castleton, Holl & Teal's ^Mill, 
 and Big Branch. Will leave Noblesville re- 
 turning, at half past 10, stopping only at the 
 water station east of Allisonville. The trains, 
 with the passenger cars, from Madison and 
 I'rndlrtoii will leave 1 ndinii:i|i()l is at two 
 
 o'clock precisely, stopping only at the water 
 station. Returning, will leave Noblesville at 
 4 o'clock, the two forward trains stopping only 
 at the water station, the others stopping at the 
 intermediate stations." Round trip 50 cents. 
 The Peru seemed destined to hard luck. It 
 was compl(>ted to Peru, 73 miles, on A]>ril 3, 
 1854, at a total cost of $760,000. It operated 
 at first without a regular depot at this ])oint 
 but in August, 1856, began a frame depot at 
 New Jersey street and Rogue's Run. After the 
 frame work was up, the whole structure blow 
 down on September 18, fatally injuring ^Ir. 
 Hill, one of the contractors, and wounding Sev- 
 eral others. It was originally laid with fiat 
 bar. but T rail was substituted in 1855-(i. The 
 country through which the road ran was new, 
 and its business small until connections were 
 made to the north. It went into the hands 
 of a receiver in 1857 and was operated for the 
 benefit of the bondholders for a numl>er of 
 years. It passed into the control of the Lake 
 Erie & Western in 1887, whose lines are now 
 operated in the name of that company, thougli 
 jiractically owned by the New York Central. 
 
 For several years the Madison dejiot was 
 "the depot", — unrivalled. It stood on the 
 south side of South street, between Pennsyl- 
 vania and Delaware, on ground now occupied 
 by open tracks. The office building, fronting 
 north on South street, was about 50 feet s(|uare. 
 two stories high, with a single trackway 
 through the center. On either side were of- 
 fices, waiting room, etc. Back of this was the 
 long freight depot, of brick, with a projecting 
 roof that reached over the outside ]ilatfonns. 
 The freight depot was about thirty feet wide, 
 with a track through the center and raised 
 nhitforms on both sides. The east line of the 
 front building, and the east platform of the 
 freight building, were the same as the east 
 line of the present little frame office of the 
 South street yards. The passenger trains did 
 not run into the depot, but came u]i on the 
 west side. Here they were met by the run- 
 ners for the three u)itown hotels, prominent 
 among whom were Taylor Elliott (late I're-i- 
 dent of the Board of Public Works) for the 
 Wright House, and Wash Little for Little's 
 Hotel, discoursing v(dulily on the merits of 
 t'u'ir various busses, 'i'ben came the drive 
 through the Pogtu>'s Run bottom, where in wet 
 weather a wauon with ni<ire than two tnudcs
 
 HISTORY OF (;HP:ATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 lol 
 
 ma "wa^TH 
 
 H 
 O 
 
 o 
 a. 
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 a
 
 15-i 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIAXAPOOS. 
 
 was apt to uiire dowu. Those who did not 
 wish to go up towu could stop at the Depot 
 House — name soon changed to Ray House — 
 which stood where St. Vincent's Hospital now 
 is. A little later Jacob Gruenert built the 
 Jefferson Hotel west of the depot, and when it 
 was torn down to make way for the Stand- 
 ard Paper Co.'s building the name was carried 
 on to the hotel at the corner of Pennsylvania. 
 At the northwest corner of South and Dela- 
 ware in the building still standing, was a sort 
 of restaurant saloon, where the waiters for 
 trains used to lunch on gingerbread and 
 "krank beer,"' if they had the money; if not 
 they would hie down the tracks one block to 
 Fletcher's pork-house, and fill up on "crack- 
 lings"'. 
 
 The other lines added to the importance of 
 this depot for a time by running to it. In 
 June, 1849, the directors of the Peru road 
 asked permission "to straighten the Pogue's 
 Run from ISToble's pasture north of the Na- 
 tional Road, to the southeast diagonal".^ 
 This was granted, and on August 18, 1819, the 
 Locomotive noticed the progress of the rail- 
 road work thus: "The lines of the Bellefon- 
 taine and Peru railroads intersect exactly on 
 the northeast corner of the donation, the Belle- 
 fontaine coming from the northeast and the 
 Peru from the north. From this point the 
 Peru runs south along the donation line, one 
 square east of Xoble street, until it strikes 
 Pogue's Run — the gi-ading in the donation is 
 partly finished, and hands are now at work on 
 it; this will be a common track for the Peru 
 and Bellefontaine to connect with the Madison 
 and Richmond Depots. From the corner stone, 
 tlie Bellefontaine comes down the northeast 
 diagonal" until opposite the block on which the 
 depot is located, where it makes a curve to the 
 depot house, which will stand east and west." 
 By means of this track laid by the Peru and 
 Bellefontaine the existing roads were united 
 before the Union was constructed. With the 
 work that was going on at the time, not to men- 
 tion what was being talked of, the Locomotive 
 does not seem excessively enthusiastic when it 
 proposed on September 22, 1849, that Indian- 
 apolis should be known as "The City of Rail- 
 roads". It was in fact a leading citv in that 
 
 ''i. e. Virginia avenue. 
 
 °i. e. Massachusetts avenue. 
 
 regard, and would soon have added several 
 more to its list of railroads but for the hard 
 times following 1853, which caused further 
 development in that line to be deferred for a 
 dozen years or more. 
 
 Meanwhile the Terre Haute & Richmond 
 road was making progress. It was chartered 
 in 1846, but the construction did not commence 
 until 1850, and it was finished to Terre Haute 
 in May, 1852, the reported cost of the 73 miles 
 being $1,415,000. It put up a brick freight 
 depot at Louisiana and Tennessee streets in 
 1850-1, and a wooden bridge across White 
 River in 1851-2, whidi was replaced by an iron 
 bridge in 1866. The depot was remodeled in 
 1857, and was badly damaged in 1865 by the 
 explosion of a locomotive within the building. 
 This was the first road that put Indianapolis 
 in touch with the coal fields. The eastern sec- 
 tion of this road, to Richmond, was abandoned 
 by this company in 1851, and taken up by the 
 Indiana Central Railway Company, which 
 completed the line to Richmond, and on to the 
 state line, on December 8, 1853, at a reported 
 cost of $1,223,000 for the 72 miles. At that 
 point it connected with an Ohio line to Colum- 
 bus, with which it was consolidated in 1863, 
 under the name of the Indianapolis & Colum- 
 bus road ; and this in turn was consolidated in 
 1867 with the Chicago and Great Eastern. It 
 now forms the Indianapolis division of the 
 "Pan Handle"", owned by the Pennsylvania. 
 The Terre Flaute road was extended on through 
 Illinois to St. Louis, and has long been known 
 as the Vandalia. 
 
 The Indianapolis and Cincinnati Railroad 
 was the name adopted in December, 1853, by 
 the old Lawreneeburgh and Upper Mississippi 
 road, which was originally begun in sections 
 in 1850. It finally succeeded in getting a 
 through line charter in 1851,' notwithstanding 
 the opposition of the Madison road, and was 
 completed to Lawreneeburgh, 90 miles, in Oc- 
 tober, 1853. It originally ran into Cincinnati 
 over the Ohio and Mississippi road, on which 
 a tliird rail had been laid, but in 1854-5 it 
 bought the old Whitewater Canal, and laid its 
 track into Cincinnati in its bed. This company 
 built shops at Indianapolis in 1853, southeast of 
 the city. They were burned in 1855, but soon re- 
 built, and continued here lantil 1865, when 
 
 'o. g. See Locomotive, January 26, 1850.
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEK' 1 M HAXAroFJS. 
 
 lo:; 
 
 they wore removed to Ciuciimati. It erected 
 the brick freight depot at Louisiana and Dela- 
 ware streets in ISoo. Geo. II. Dunn, Thos. A. 
 Morris and Henry C. Lord were the early 
 presidents of this company. 
 
 The Indianapolis and Lafayette road was be- 
 gun in 1849, and completed between these two 
 points in December, 1853. It was well man- 
 aged by its iirst president, Albert S. White, 
 and, as the stock subscriptions were small, was 
 constructed almost wholly by loans. The 65 
 miles cost $1,000,000 in round numbers. The 
 road was profitable from the start, being the 
 chief outlet to the northwest, and its construc- 
 tion debt was paid from its earnings. In 1S6G 
 President H. C. Lord, of the Cincinnati road, 
 in order to force a sale of the Lafayette line, 
 began the construction of a rival road to the 
 northwest by way of Crawfordsville, which ac- 
 conii)lisiioil the purpose and a perpetual lease 
 of tile Lafayette line was obtained. TJie two 
 roads were then combined as the Indianapolis, 
 Cincinnati & Lafayette, and the Crawfords- 
 ville line was abandoned. The consolidation, 
 however, was too ambitious in its efforts to 
 spread out : became financially ('ud)arrassed, 
 and jiassed into the i!i<>' Four system; which in 
 turn has been absorbed bv the Xew York ('en- 
 tral. In 1852-3 the Lafayette road built a 
 frame freight depot at Xorth street and the 
 ■ niiai. which buriu'd down in 1864, and was 
 rebuilt of brick in 1S6(). As the city devel- 
 oped the line of this road through it became a 
 source of much danger to life and limb, as 
 well as loss of time to the road in what re- 
 duction of speed was made. In 100.'?-4 it 
 shortened its liiu\ and secured greater speed 
 possibilities, by throwing its line to the west 
 of the city, and coining in over the Belt to the 
 line of Louisiana street. It did not get the 
 change made quite soon enough, however, to 
 escape the horribk' Purdue wreck of October 
 31, 1!)03, in which 16 lives were lost, and some 
 forty of the young ))eople from Ijafayette who 
 were cfimiTig here for a footliall game were 
 maimed and injured. 
 
 The Jefferson vi lie mad was cumpictiMl to 
 Ivliiibunrli in lS."i'.' and stoppeil tluM-c. leasing 
 
 the Madison line for Indianapolis connection 
 in August, 1853, and purchasing it in 1863. 
 They were consolidated as the J. M. & I. but 
 the road was popularly known as "The Jeff."' 
 This completes the list of roads that were con- 
 structed prior to the Civil War. Several others 
 were projected but these seven lines — eight, 
 counting the Jellersonville and JIadison sepa- 
 rate, all finished by 1853, were the only ones 
 then built. And in addition to them was The 
 Union connecting them. The desirability of 
 this was realized before there was very much 
 connecting to be done, for the company was 
 organized in August, 1849, or at least a'^ joint 
 meeting of committees from the Madison, Terre 
 Haute, Peru and Bellefontaine roads met on 
 August 15, and recommended the action to 
 their companies.* The plan was indorsed, and 
 on December 29, the Locomotive announced 
 that the joint committee had purchased the 
 north half of Block 96 from James Blake, for 
 $7,000, and would erect a depot there. The 
 tracks were laid in 1850, and the depot erected 
 in 1852-3, being opened for use on Septem- 
 ber 28, 1853. The depot was planned bv Gen. 
 (then Capt.) Thos. A. Morris and was 120 
 .\420 feet, with live tracks, assigned respec- 
 tively to the Madison, Terre Haute, Lawrence- 
 burgh, Central and Bellefontaine and Peru 
 roads, the last two using a joint line from Mas- 
 sachusetts avenue in. William N. Jackson, fa- 
 miliarly known to two or three generations as 
 '■Ilncle Billy"', was made general ticket agent, 
 and held the position for 3-ears. In 1866 the 
 building was widened to 200 feet, the offices 
 removed to the south side, and an eating-house 
 added. The latter was first known as the Union 
 Depot Dining Hall, with John W. Ilenrie as 
 superintendent. Later it came in charge of 
 the Ohmers, who brought Thos. Taggart here, 
 and gave him the chance to feed his way to 
 the hearts of the traveling epicures of South 
 jMcridian street, and elsewhere. The old Union 
 Depot was used till ISST, when it was torn 
 down to make way fur the ])r('si'nt Union Pas- 
 senger Station. 
 
 ^Locotnotivc. .\ugusf 25, IS 19.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 BECOinXG A CITY. 
 
 Jnst why Indianapolis passed from town 
 to city iioveriiiiieut in 1847 is stxiiethin^- that 
 will have to be jjuessed at from the surroiind- 
 insjs. The legislative journals show that petv- 
 tions for and asrainst the change were pre- 
 sented to the legislature, but the newspapers 
 at the time presented no argument on either 
 side, either editorially or as communications, 
 and did not even mention that any such 
 change was contemplated. The petitions are 
 not preserved. On February VA. 1847. the 
 Sentinel printed the charter law and noted 
 that the people would have to decide on its 
 acceptance or rejection, adding: "But how 
 can they decide a.s to the comparative merits 
 of the two ? Who knows anything about the 
 provisions of the old charter.'" Apparently 
 somebody made some explanations to the ed- 
 itor, for on ;\Iarch 13, publishing the call for 
 the election on the 27th to decide between 
 the old and the new charter, he said: "Both 
 are bad enough no doubt, and provide for a 
 great deal too much qovernment. But there 
 is this merit in the new charter: It propo.ses 
 to tax all property holders upon the basis of 
 eiiuaUti) according to their wealth. The old 
 charter is a perfect th urine) concern in this 
 respect and allows some of the richest men 
 in the comnmnity to escape from all taxa- 
 tion whatever to support the corporation au- 
 thorities, and at the same time to a consid- 
 erable t'xtent to avoid county taxation. This 
 old ordei- (if things has existed long enough, 
 and a little too long, and if it were (mly to 
 aid in breaking it U|>. every honest man 
 should vote against the old charter, and in 
 favor of the new one. It is Hobson's choice, 
 to be sure, in some respects, but it is better 
 than no choice at all: and we nuiy be thank- 
 ful for it, mean as it is." 
 
 The apparent source of enlightenment is a 
 comnuniicated article in the Journal of 
 March 1, setting forth the advantages of the 
 new charter, under four heads. The tirst 
 is the division of power by having a mayor 
 to perform executive functions and have a 
 restraining veto power on ha.sty legislation. 
 The second was the limitation of taxes to 15 
 cents on -1=100, while the old charter limit 
 wa.s 50 cents. The third was a nu)re suitable 
 arrangement of wards than the former shoe- 
 string type running across the city from 
 north to south. The new charter divided the 
 city by Washington street, and made four 
 wards north of it divided north and south 
 by Alabama street. ^Meridian street and Mis- 
 sissippi sti-eet, while there wei-e three wards 
 south, divided by Illinois street and Dela- 
 ware street. It wa.s urged that this could 
 give no advantage to the north side, as there 
 were annual elections in Avhich any atiuses 
 could be corrected by the people. The fourth 
 argument— the one that called for capital 
 letters and more space than all the rest com- 
 bined was JrsT .\ND EyrAi, t.vx.vtion ! which 
 was to l)e attained because the new charter 
 took in all of the donation east of the river, 
 with equal taxation on all i)arts of it. It 
 will be remembered that the charters of 1836 
 and 1838 limited taxation for town purjiosi^ 
 to the mile square, although the incorpora- 
 tion included the donation. The opjiesitiou 
 to the new charter was declared to come from 
 certain rich citizens "who own large tracts 
 of land situated out of the central part of 
 the town, but near enough to be aft'ected in 
 value by its proximity and fitness for resi- 
 dence". The exemption from taxation in 
 the old charter was by virtue of section 23, 
 and the eonuMuniciition savs: "It wmild be 
 
 ].)4
 
 HISTORY oi'' (;i?E.\ ri;i; indi.wai'oi.is. 
 
 155 
 
 an iiiterestinti; ([uestion— if time admitted — 
 to in<iuiiv how the peculiar iirovisioiis of the 
 tin iitij-Hiinl section of tlie old charter came 
 to be enacted. WIid di'cw up that act, and 
 especially that pai-t of it'.'"' 
 
 These wei-e cotrent ariiuiiients f(ir addjit- 
 in? the charter oflVi-ed. but all of them ex- 
 cept the first coukl have been attainetl just 
 as easily by amendins: the old charter. They 
 involved no necessity for advance to city 
 form of srovernment. It is very evident that 
 the cliaiiire of taxation from the jjrovisions 
 of "Section "I'.i" was what carried tlie new- 
 charter in the election. That section read: 
 "That the powers of the eori>oration for thr 
 puqiose of raisinjr a revenue shall extend 
 from North to South streets, and from East 
 to West .streets, and embracin<!: those streets. 
 which are the present bounds of said town 
 as appeal's from the town jtlat filed in the 
 recorder's office in Marion County: I'nn'idcd 
 lidin v( r. That nil blocks. |)arts of blocks, 
 within the donation that are now or may 
 hereafter be laid out in lots of a less size 
 than one-half acre, a plat thereof beiiii;- filed 
 in the recorder's office of .Marion Coiuity, 
 and all tavei'iis. ^'roceries. ti])lini;' houses. 
 shows, theaties. and stores within the limits 
 of the tlonation shall be sub.ject to the siime 
 laws and ordinances as if the .s;unc were 
 within the bounds of the corporation, desij;- 
 iiated for the purpose of raisins a reveinie." 
 The evident pnr|)ose was to exempt luipiatted 
 lands within the city limit.s from taxation. 
 thoufih economists jrenerally asrce that these 
 arc what should be specially taxed, in oi'der 
 to promote municipal <;i-o\vtli. It is a notable 
 fact that exactly the same scheme was ef- 
 fected over thii-ty yeai-s later, by a law ex- 
 eniptinjr from city tiixation all nn|)latti'd 
 lands, over five acres in extent, and 'used 
 for ajrricnltui-al purposes, or wholly unim- 
 proved", that were included witliin city 
 boundaries. This i-emained a law for ten 
 yeara before the jreneral public became suffi- 
 ciently enlightened to cause its repe;d.' 
 
 Dr. Thos. Klliott i-ecords that the law was 
 drawn by Senator Oliver 11. Smith, excejit 
 the scIkmiI tax section, which was addi'd by 
 S. V. H. Noel. tlK'ii editor and proprietor of 
 
 the Joiinidl.- This, with the evident iprno- 
 rance of the S( nlind coiu-erninji: the matter 
 while in jn-oirress, shows that it was a Whiii' 
 movement, but there is no especial political 
 advantaee in it beyond the appointment of a 
 few otlicers. salaries of $24 to the coum-il- 
 nien. and justice fees to the mayor. The 
 Wliitis no doubt expected to hold the city 
 offices. But political schemintr of that kind, 
 wliere the parties concerned were tax payei-s. 
 was not vei-y probable at that date; aiul. from 
 the character of the men connected with the 
 movement, the chances are that it was a 
 i-eally intelli<rent movement for better anil 
 more adeipuite iiovei'iunent. And there was 
 need foi' tliis. The iladison railroad was com- 
 l)leted to p]dinburtr. and was expected to 
 i-each Indianapolis by sununer. which was 
 prevented only by the heavy floods.-' Already 
 it was oiviny Indianaiiolis .some of the fea- 
 tures of a tei-minal town, by an infliix of 
 vicious characters that had nmsed the indiir- 
 iiation and alarm of the moi-al citizens. 
 
 As a result of this a ])ublic meetiufr was 
 held at the court house on .Mimday evening:, 
 .Voveniber 30, to adopt measures for the sup- 
 pression of <raniblin<r. It adopted resolutions 
 eondemnintr g-amblint;- and denuuidint;- en- 
 forcement of tlie laws that were otfered by 
 Calvin Fletcher. Henry Ward Beecher and 
 Win. Sheets; and also one offered by Rev. 
 Love H. Jameson calling; for a citizens' coiii- 
 mittee of thirteen members to take the in;it- 
 ter in hand, such action beinfr necessary "in 
 consequence of the prevalence of gambling: in 
 our town, especially in the winter season. 
 I wing- to the confluence of strangers at this 
 point durintr the sessions of the legislature". 
 The committee appointed was comiiosed of 
 ■ lames Blake. Calvin Fletcher. Wm. S. llub- 
 ". M-d. Thomas Record. W. W. Wright. A. W. 
 M. rris. K. J. Peck. D. :\Iaguire. Wm. Haiina- 
 nian. -las. Sulurove. L. ^I. Vance. O. Butler 
 ; nd Andrew Smith. The Journal in its re- 
 port <if the meeting, says: "In the defer- 
 iMiiation evinced by this meeting to carry 
 o-:t the resolutions ado|)te(l. blacklegs may see 
 \v-''at they may expect should they visit us 
 tl is winter. It will have the effect, too. 
 of inducing: resident blacklegs to change their 
 
 'Acts 1881. 1). (i!)8: Acts 18!)1, 
 
 I'- 
 
 :{!t8. 
 
 -City School Report, 18(iH. 
 "Jourual, April (i, 1847.
 
 !.-)(; 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 location. 'I'lic .si)cech of ]Mi'. Fletcher was 
 listened to with iinieh interest. The facts 
 ofiven by him as to the extent to which g:am- 
 bling has been carried on in this city, within 
 the past few years, were new to a great nia- 
 .jority of the audience. :\Ir. Fletcher derived 
 his information from an undoubted source— 
 the records of our courts! The list of indict- 
 ments and convictions presented by those 
 records show a beautiful picture. Along- 
 side of the name of an U. S. Senator stands 
 that of a (jcntleman of color, each of whom 
 were found guiltv of the same offense, gam- 
 bling'"* 
 
 The committee of thirteen, called "the 
 vigilance connnittee" by its critics, reported 
 on the 28th that they had instituted proceed- 
 ings against two professional gamblers, but 
 that they had fled from the town before 
 sers'ice could be had ; the committee was mak- 
 ing i)rogress in other cases. It had retained 
 Hiram Brown to look after prosecutions. 
 ^Meanwhile some complications had arisen. 
 The council, aninuited by the general spirit 
 of renovation, v.n December 12, had adopted 
 an ordinance specially punishing visitors to 
 houses of ill fame : and a member of the legis- 
 lature had "fired the Ephesian dome" by 
 offering a resolution that this was "a reflec- 
 tion and an msult to the visitors of this 
 eity".^ And in addition certain citizens had 
 I)etitioned for the repeal of the town charter 
 altogether, on the ground of excessive and 
 discriminating taxation and other burdens. 
 The meeting of the 28th explained that no re- 
 flection was intended on the legislature, and 
 Councilman Louden carded tlie Sentinel of 
 December 24 to the effect that the action was 
 demanded by moral considerations, and was 
 not meant as an imputation on legislators. 
 The meeting of the 28th also appointed a 
 coiiuuittee of five, consisting of J. L. Ket- 
 eham, Hiram Brown, Oliver H. Smith, David 
 V. Cidley and Alidrew Bronse to wait on 
 the legislative committee having the petition 
 in charge, and "give all necessary informa- 
 tion on the subject of the charter".'' There 
 is little room foi' doubt that the new citv 
 
 ^Journal. December 8, 184(5. 
 ^House Journal. December 18, 1846; Sen- 
 tinel. December 22. lS4(j. 
 
 ''■Senfind. Dcccmlirr 24. 184(1. 
 
 cluuter urew out of the work of this com- 
 mittee, for it corrected the tax-evil of which 
 the petitioners complained, and also strength- 
 ened the municipal government in the lines 
 of the sentiment i-epresented by the commit- 
 tee. 
 
 The new charter ga^■e the mayor the pow- 
 ers of a justice of the peace, with authority 
 to require his processes to be sei'ved by the 
 sheriff' or by the town marshal, who wag 
 given the powers of a constable. The limit 
 of tlie retail liquor license was made $100. 
 The mayor was elected for two yeara and 
 the councilmen for one. The council was 
 authorized to pass "ordinances, as to them 
 shall seem necessary, relative to the regula- 
 tion and improvement of streets, alleys, side- 
 walks, roads and highways, to clearing, rais- 
 ing, draining, turnpiking, macadamizing, or 
 otherwise making and keeping the same in 
 repair; to making, causing and requiring the 
 owner or owners of in-lots to pave or othei'- 
 wise improve the sidewalks in front of his 
 or their respective in-lots ; to establish and 
 regulate markets: to regulate the inspection 
 of flour, beef and pork; the sale of hay and 
 wood in the city; the cabs, hacks, omnibuses 
 and other carriages carrying passengers, and 
 rimning in the city for gain; the assize of 
 bread from time to time; to restrain or regu- 
 late swine running at large within the city. 
 * * * To regulate buildings, public and 
 private, planting trees for ornament or use, 
 public or private; to cleaning of chimneys; 
 to dogs running at large or being kept in 
 the city; to preventing and extinguishing 
 fires in the city; to regulate the height and 
 extent of fences before door-yards ; and to 
 provide by ordinances for imposing reason- 
 able fines and penalties upon all persons vio- 
 lating the laws and ordinances as the said 
 city council shall deem necessary and proper 
 for the health, safety, cleanlines.s, convenience 
 and good government of the city". 
 
 The council was also empowered to exact 
 a licen.se from all shows and amusements; to 
 make requirements for guarding against fire: 
 to organize and govern fire companies: to 
 establish and nuuntain .schools; to imjiose 
 a poll tax of not over $1 ; and to levy general 
 taxes not exceeding 15 cents on $100, but 
 this might be inerea.sed by special vote of 
 the peojde. It was given "exclusive juris-
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 157 
 
 diction over all streets, roads and alleys, and 
 water courees within the city for the pur- 
 pose of opening and keepinfr the same in 
 repair". It was r<'f|uired to appoint one or 
 two .street commissioners whose duty it was 
 "to keep the sti-cets, roads and alleys in the 
 city in repair'". To aecomplish this "earh 
 ablc-txHlied white man. between 21 and 50 
 years of ajre" was reciuired to pay $1 tax or 
 do two days' work. Each eouneilman wa^ 
 to receive $24 per year; "and he shall not 
 be eligible to hohl any other office under this 
 act in the city while he continues to be such 
 member: nor shall he hold or make any con- 
 tract with the city council, or become inter- 
 ested in any job by which he shall in any 
 way directly or indirectly receive any pay 
 or compensation whatever, except when he 
 shall be the lowest bidder at a public or com- 
 petition bid; and all contracts in violation 
 of this section shall lie void". 
 
 As the new chai'tei- law was conditioned 
 on its aeeptance by the people. .Josei)h A. 
 Levy, iircsidcnt of the town council, issued 
 a proclamation calling: a charter election on 
 March 27. As before mentioned, all the 
 newspapers favored acceptance, and the vote 
 for it wa.s 44!) to 19. The result was certified 
 to (iovcrnor Whitcoiid). as I'cquii'cd by law. 
 on the 29th. and on tiic :{()th he pi-oclaimed 
 the charter a law; and Iii(iianai)olis was a 
 city. President Levy then dii'ccted an elec- 
 tion on April 24 for mayor and councilmen 
 from the several wards. The charter pro- 
 vided that the councilmen from the fifth 
 (Charles \V. Cady), third (Abram W. TTarri- 
 son) and fii-st ( Win. ^Moiitauue) wards should 
 hold over foi- one year as councilmen of th<' 
 fifth, sixth and seventh wards. No elections 
 for councilmen were held in the fifth and 
 sixth. W'm. .Montagrue evidently droi)ped out. 
 for an election was held in the seventh, and 
 W'm. L. Winjiate was returned. The other 
 councilmen elected were Uriah Gates from 
 the first, Heni'y Tutewiler fi-om the second, 
 Cornelius Kinir from the third, and S. S. 
 Rooker from th(> fourth. Samuel Henderson 
 Wius elected nuiyor, i'eceivin<,' 241) of the .50(1 
 votes cast: afrainst 195 for David V. Cullev. 
 54 for Nathan B. T'almer, and 2 blank. The 
 school tax vote was 406 for and 28 against. 
 
 The council organized on ^May 1, electing 
 Samuel S. Rooker president. Mi: Roolui- 
 
 i-esigned on November 1. 1847, and Charles 
 W. Cady was elected in his jilace. The coun- 
 cil opened its legislative career liy a salai\ 
 ordinance on May 6, fixing annual compensa- 
 tions as follows: Seci'etai'y, !i!l75: nun'sliai. 
 .'t;280 and fees; trea.surer, 5 per cent on col- 
 lections; ass(«iSor, $125; street comnnssionei'. 
 $200; clerk East :\Iarket and West Market, 
 each $50; messengers of Marion and (iood 
 Intent engine companies, $20 each ; messen- 
 ger hook and ladder com])any. $10. On .June 
 7, Councilman Harrison resigned, alleging 
 that "an alliance of a most luijust and unholy 
 character has been entered into between four 
 of the newly-elected members rd' the council 
 for the pui'pose of thwarting and defeating 
 every mea.sure of imi)ortance or not, which 
 may be introduced for the benefit of the ward 
 I have had the honor to represent". The 
 resignation was accepted, and ordered pub- 
 lished, and on motion of Mr. Tutewiler, a 
 committee of three was a])pointed to i>ro- 
 cure from Mi-. Harrison "a report of the 
 road moneys received and expended by him 
 during the past year, and al.so to i-eceive 
 from him such sum or sums of road money 
 as is in his hands unexpended". On this 
 .same June 7, 1847, the council adopted the 
 city seal, which is still in use — "An eagle 
 I)erched upon the globe, witii a pair of scales 
 suspende(l from his beak, and surrounded 
 by the words, 'Seal of the City of Indianap- 
 olis' ". It was readopted under the new 
 charter May 4, 1891, by council resolution; 
 but this fact was lo,st sight of, and it was 
 again adopted on November 20, 189.'5. 
 
 There was little money in the treasury, but 
 the council entered (|uite actively on the work 
 of street improvement with what means it 
 had. On June 21 an oi'dinance for street 
 improvement, on petition of a majority of 
 adjoining property owners, was adopted; 
 and, at the same meeting, signs and sheds 
 erected across sidewalks, or streets, were de- 
 clared nuisances, and oi'dei-ed removed with- 
 in three days. Improvcni(>nts were jiushcd 
 from the central pai-t of the town outwai-d. 
 and they went so fast that they outstripped 
 the revenues, and by 1849 a debt o\' about 
 $6,000 had been created. A special election 
 Wii-s held on June 9, 1849, to vote a tax of 
 10 cents on $100 to pay it. Thei'e were only 
 258 votes cast at the election and the tax
 
 158 
 
 HISTOKY OF GEEATER INDIANAPOLIS.
 
 iiis'i'oi.'V OF (iUKATKi; ixnrANAroLis. 
 
 l.-)9 
 
 carrii'il by 11 iiuijurity. 'I'liis hnuitrht the 
 citA- tax. incliidiiiii' si-hooi tax. uj) to -43 cents, 
 and there wa.s no little o-runihlinii': but the 
 march of iiiipi'ovciiieiit was on and tlierc was 
 no stoppinu: it. The coinin).r "t the railroads 
 put a new iiii|)i'tus in the place, and with 
 the i;TO\\th of busines.s there came a deiuaiid 
 for public improvements and moi-e revenues. 
 And yet the improvement was only compara- 
 tive. The only street improvement was g:rad- 
 injr and gravelinu;. and that was not very 
 well done aud was jxiorly kept up. There 
 was not even any bowlderin<!' of streets until 
 IS.iil. The jrutters were simply shallow 
 ditches at the sides of the streets, crossed 
 by wooden feot-bridKcs at the street cross- 
 inirs. In dry weather the streets were solid 
 but dusty. In wet weather the dust evil was 
 removed, liul tin' mud was appalliui;. 
 
 The city was conducted under tiic chai'tei- 
 of 1847 until 18;'):?. In 18o2 the Icszislaturc 
 adopted a frenci-al law for the incorpoi'ation 
 of cities, which was inor(> lilici-al Ihan the 
 charter, pai-ticularly in the nuittei- of taxa- 
 tion, as it iiuide the iiuixinuuii limit 75 cents 
 on ifilflO in place of the 15 cents pi-cscribed by 
 tile charter.' T'ndei- this law. any existing 
 city miirht adopt it as a cliai'tcr. by vote of 
 the council, and this action was taken on 
 March 7, 18.5:1. councilmen Oreer, Buchanan, 
 Fitter and Culley voting- for it, and council- 
 nicii Pitts, i.oudcn and Dcl/.cll against. This 
 law made elections annua!, fixing thciri in 
 May, and the term of office was made our 
 year. This year was the first in which nom- 
 inations by convention foi' city offices oc- 
 curred, and that only 1),\- tin- Dei I'ats. On 
 
 April 2:5 a citizens' nK'etin<;- was held for the 
 purpose of nominatiuu' "candidates frii-ndly 
 to temivcrance and jrood order", but owinti' 
 to the sh(u-t time to the election it was de- 
 cided not to name a ticket. Nevertheless the 
 election did not <j.;> by default, and on April 
 29 the .JiiiiriKil announced tiuit "candidates 
 are becominii' i)lerity as blackl)ei-r-ies": ami 
 added: "The Democrats have seen proper 
 \f> nonn'nate a party ticljet. but. for tlie life 
 of us. v.e can't inuiirine what national ipies- 
 tions of policy have to do with the jroveru- 
 iiient of a city." The eleetion occurred on 
 Jfay :?. thei-e bi'ini: l.<i5() votes cast, and inde- 
 
 ■Rev. Stats. 1S52. \'ol. 1, p 
 
 .'(i:! 
 
 pendent candidates were elected to all the 
 offices but mai-shal. Caleb Seudder, the in- 
 dependent candidate for mayor, hiul 4:51 nui- 
 .joritv over his Democratic competitcu'. (ieorge 
 I'. Huell. 
 
 By the act of ^[arch i). 1857, the lei,'islature 
 i-evised the law for the incorporation of cities, 
 enlars^infr powei-s, and I'aisinw the tax limit 
 to $1. Section 79 of this law provided that 
 a eit.v might adopt it as its fundamental law 
 by resolution of the eonnnon council. It made 
 the official tenns of the mayoi' and city .iudjre 
 two years. The new law was adoi)1cd as a 
 ehai-tei- by the council on .March K!. The 
 eleetion on ]\ray 5 was preceded by a square 
 party tight between the Republican aud Dem- 
 ocratic parties, and resulted in the election 
 of a pretty evenly split ticket, the Repub- 
 licans getting the council, and electing Wm. 
 John Wallace mayor by 150 majority. By 
 act of i\Iarch 1, 1859, the chai-ter was amend- 
 ed, chiefly as to its luovisions for taxation, 
 ami making all city offices two yeai-s. The 
 law then continued with slight amendment 
 till 18(37, when a general revision was nmde, 
 and two years later the city got out a more 
 I>retentious voluiiu> of "Charter and Ordi- 
 nances" than anything previously attempted 
 After 1867 the general incorporation law. 
 wiiich served as a charter, was amended at 
 evei-y session of the legislatui'e until 1891. 
 without any general I'evision. Most of these 
 amenduH'nfs were comparatively unimport- 
 ant, regulating the moiles of doing business, 
 ami extending powers in some cases. In 1877 
 the legislature adopted a law providing for 
 a boai'd of aldei'men, or upper house, in the 
 eit.v council. This wa.s considerwl an ad- 
 vaiu'c in city goverinuent, but it was fouml 
 more cumbersome than useful, and in 1891 
 the provision was droi)]ied. 
 
 In 1881 occurred by far the most import- 
 ant legislation foi* years, afi'ecting the city 
 government: not as an amendment to the 
 city law. but as an amendment to the state 
 constitution. Old Article 1:? of the consti- 
 tution was pi'actically ignori'd and of no i-f- 
 fect— it was an article pi'ohibiting the inuiii- 
 gi'ation of negroes to the state, and making 
 contracts with them void. Hon. W. II. Eng- 
 lish desired an anu'iulment to the constitu- 
 tion restricting mutiicipal debt, and adopted 
 the ingenious mode of substituting it for
 
 160 
 
 HISTOKY OF (IHKATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 this provision, wliifli was iiuiversally re- 
 garded as needing removal. He and the 
 othere he enlisted in the cause succeeded in 
 their eflt'ort, and on March 14. 1881. the fol- 
 lowinfj- became Article 13 of the constitu- 
 tion: "No political or municipal corpora- 
 tion in this state shall ever become indebted, 
 in any manner or for any puq^ose. to an 
 ajnount in the a^irreiiate exceeding;' two per 
 centum of the value of the taxable property 
 within such corporation, to be ascertained 
 by the last assessment for state and county 
 taxes previous to the incurring- of such in- 
 debtedness; and all bonds or obligations in 
 excess of such amoinit, given by such cor- 
 poration, shall be void : Provided, that in 
 time of war, foreign invasion, or other great 
 public calamity, on petition of a majority 
 of the property owners in number and value, 
 within the limits of such coiporation, the 
 public authorities, in their discretion, may 
 incur obligations riecessaiy for the public 
 protection and defense to such an amount as 
 may be requested in such petition." 
 
 This provision has been of inestimable 
 value to Indiana cities and towns, and there 
 was need for it at the time it was adopted. 
 In 1873 the legislature had given cities power 
 to borrow to the extent of not over 2 per 
 cent., but there was soon a desire to exceed 
 this amount, and the act of Februaiy 13, 
 1877, authorized exceeding it by temporary 
 loans. It is well that the debt movement was 
 cheeked when it was. for nothing is more 
 demoralizing than piling up a heavy city 
 debt, the interest on which absorbs a large 
 part of the current city revenues. If a loan 
 is desired for docks, water-works, or some- 
 thing that produces a revenue that will cover 
 the interest on the debt created, there is some 
 excuse for it. Hut for streets, parks, and 
 other investments that are not only non- 
 productive, but soui-ces of additional expense, 
 there is no .iu.stification for piling debt on 
 future generations. It is much safer and 
 wiser to pay as you go. It is to this pro- 
 vision that Indiana cities and towns owe their 
 excellent financial condition and their splen- 
 did credit. 
 
 In 1885 the offices of cit\- treasni-ei- and 
 city assessor were abolished, and the county 
 treasurer and assessor were required to per- 
 form the duties of those offices. On ]\farch 8, 
 
 1889, was adopted the Bari-ett Improvement 
 law, which has been of greater value in pro- 
 moting public improvements in Indiana cities 
 than any other one agency. It is simply a 
 provision under which a city pays for street 
 and sewer improvements by issuing Iwnds 
 that are liens on the adjoining property. 
 These are met bj' payments by the property 
 owners in ten equal installments with (i per 
 cent, interest. By means of this, thousands 
 of property owners have been enabled to pay 
 for improvements, who could not have Iwrne 
 the expense if it had come in one demand. 
 In Indianapolis, under this law, there had 
 been, up to January 1. 1909. $5,546,061.89 
 of these bonds issued and .$3,696,916.86 re- 
 deemed, leaving an outstanding balance of 
 $1,849,145.03. This does not represent the 
 total of public iuiprovenients in the 20 yeare, 
 for anyone is privileged to pay his a&sess- 
 ment in cash, and many property owners 
 prefer this course. 
 
 It will be of interest to notice here the 
 mayors who presided over the alfairs of In- 
 dianapolis during this period of city develop- 
 ment. Samuel Henderson, the first mayor, 
 was a local Wa.shington in his quality of 
 being fii-st, for he was also the first post- 
 master and the firet president of the firet 
 board of town trustees. He was an old-time 
 tavern-keeper, having joined with James 
 Blake in building the original Washington 
 Hall (site of the New York .store) in 1S24, 
 and conducted the tavern after Blake dropi>o(l 
 out. He also had an extensive farm uorfli 
 of the town, and south of Fall Creek. When 
 the California gold excitement came on, he 
 sold out here and moved to California, where 
 he died in 1883. He was a Kentuckian by 
 birth, and an ardent Whig in polities. He 
 was popular, and universally respected. His 
 successor, Horatio C. Newcomb, was also a 
 Whig, a Pennsylvanian by birth, who located 
 in Jennings County, Indiana, in 1836, and 
 learned the saddler's trade there. Ill health 
 caused him to leave this, and he studied law. 
 In 1846 he came to Indianapolis and formed 
 a partnership with Ovid Butler. On April 
 28, 1849, when only 28 yeaj-s old. he was 
 elected mayor of Indianapolis, receiving 612 
 out of the 775 votes cast. On April 26, 1851. 
 he was re-elected, defeating John T. Jlorri- 
 son by 502 to 441. The Sniliiid. in coinpli-
 
 HISTORY OF CUJEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 161 
 
 mentin<r ^lori-ison on his race, said: "It is 
 probable that no other man in the city could 
 have seciued as many votes in opposition to 
 the present incumbent." Judge Newcomb 
 was always po|iular, and deservedly so. lie 
 was afterwards elected to the legislature sev- 
 eral times, and when the Superior Court was 
 organized he was one of the first .judges, and 
 in 1874 was re-elected to this position, his 
 name being placed on both tickets. He also 
 served as Sinking Fund commissioner and 
 Supreme Court conuiiissioner : edited the 
 Journal from 18(i4 to 1868; and declined an 
 appointment as Assistant Secretary of the 
 Interior from President Grant. He died at 
 Indianapolis IMay 2.3, 1882. 
 
 After serving six months of his second 
 ti'rm. Mayor Newcomb resigned and Calel) 
 Scudder was chosen by the city council to 
 lill his place. He is always remembered a.s 
 the cabinet maker who achieved fame by giv- 
 ing his shop for the use of the first Sunday 
 School. On May 3, 1853, Mr. Scudder was 
 re-elected, defeating (ieorge P. Buell by a 
 vote of 992 to 559. In 1854 the Democrats 
 hail their first inning with James McCready. 
 who defeated Caleb Scudder 1,313 to tiod. 
 McCready wa.s bom in New York City Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1816. He was a tailor by trade, 
 and came here in the fall of 1836 as a cutter 
 for Samuel Turner, v.itli whom he had been 
 a.ssociated in the same fire comi^any in New- 
 York. Turner broke up, and ifcCready 
 started a shop of his own next to ]\rrs. Now- 
 land's boarding-house— about 9 East AVash- 
 ingtou street. Later he moved across tin' 
 street, just west of the Capitol house, ami 
 ■>till later to the next block west, wliere Was- 
 son"s store is 7iow located. In 1S52 he was 
 I'lected justice of the peace, and was called 
 from this to the office of mayor. He was 
 the popular taihu- of the day, and was notable 
 as the player of the bass tr<)nd)one in the 
 first Indianapolis baiul, as well as one of 
 the star performei-s of the Indianapolis Thes- 
 pian Corps. In 1855 he was I'e-eleeted, de- 
 feating Lawrence 'SI. Vance, the Knownoth- 
 ing candidate, 1,469 to 1,221. :Mr. .McCready 
 removed, in 1903, to ('alifornia and remainetl 
 there for six years. He then returned to In- 
 dianapolis, and made his home with his son 
 Frank (Beiijaiiiin Franklini. where he died 
 Vol. I— 11 
 
 on October 9, 1909, at the advanced age of 
 93 years. 
 
 The Democrats won again at the election 
 on ^[ay 6, 1856, their candidate, Heiu-y F. 
 West, defeating Sims A. Colley, Republican, 
 1,515 to 1,183, which was practically the vote 
 all down the ticket. Mr. ^Vest was a very 
 interesting character, ami it is astonishing 
 how little has been preserved concerning him 
 
 llliMlY K. WEST. 
 (Fifth Mayor of Indianapolis.) 
 
 in local histories, lie was liorn at I'iltslield. 
 .Massachusetts, ;\Iarch 14, 179t). On January 
 6, 1820, he married Betsey ^litchell, of South- 
 berry. Connecticut, and .soon after removed 
 to Maneliester. Clinton County, New York. 
 A few- years later he went to Pulatki. Oneida 
 County, New York, then to Kochester, New 
 York, then to Circleville, Ohio, and then to 
 Dayton, where the first Mi-s. West died in 
 1842. He came to Indianapolis about 1845. 
 He engaged in vai'ious lines of business. He
 
 ic-,' 
 
 HISTORY OF GI!KATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 had conducted a newspaper for a time in 
 Ohio, and here lie started an edneational, 
 semi-monthly, paper called the Conuiioii 
 School Advocate, the first of the kind in 
 Indiana, preceding; the Indiana School Jour- 
 nal by a decade. It was devoted to the advo- 
 cacy of free schools, and furnished the sub- 
 stantial aruinnents that made the Indianapo- 
 lis school tax election of 1847 almost unani- 
 mous for free schools.'' It must also have had 
 great weight in the campaign for free schools, 
 which culminated in the constitutional pro- 
 visions of 1851, and the school law of 1852; 
 and in pa.ssing it may be added that more 
 exclusive credit is conunonly given to Caleb 
 ]Mills for that result than is .just ; he did a 
 great work, but there were others. What is 
 preserved of ;\tr. West's writing shows him 
 to have mastered the sub.jeet of free schools. 
 and his heart was in. the work." He- later ren- 
 dered great service as a member of the local 
 school board. Mr. West also wrote for news- 
 papers and magazines over the name 
 "Viator'". In company with his brother, 
 George B. West, he started the book-selling 
 firm of Henry F. AVest & Co., at what whs 
 then 18 W. Washington .street. Wm. Stew- 
 art .joined the firm, which was then known as 
 West & Stewart. In 1854 the firm dissolved, 
 and Stewart succeeded to the business, form- 
 ing the partnership of Stewart & Bowen. 
 After various changes, this firm consolidated 
 in 1S85 with the older but smaller house of 
 Jlerrill & .Meigs, as the Bowen-AIerrill Co. 
 ]\rr. West died in office, November 8, 1856, 
 and was buried by the ^Masons, of whom he 
 was a member of high standing; with a full 
 turn-out of the firemen, militia, and civic 
 organizations; lamented on every hand as a 
 good man. 
 
 Following the death of Alayin- West there 
 was an interim until the special election of 
 his successor, when the city council unani- 
 mou.sly selected Charles Coulon as mayor. 
 He was at the tiiiio a justice of the peace. 
 
 ''Soitind, January 12, 1847. 
 
 " The only copy of the Common School Ad- 
 vocate I have foiuid is No. 2. of Vol. 1. 
 which is bound in the i)ack of a volume of 
 Beecher's Westirn Farmer and Gardener. 
 originally belongiuii to Judge H. P. Biddle. 
 and now in the Indianajxtlis Public Lil)i-ary. 
 
 and an excellent one. He came of an old 
 Huguenot family, his father being an army 
 officer, and later a lawer at (ioettingen. Left 
 an orphan at 14. he first ac(|uired a liberal 
 education and then learned the trade of mak- 
 ing mathematical instruments. In 1847 he 
 emigrated to America, and in 1852 settled 
 at Indianapolis. Here his health became im- 
 paired, ami he read law with Robert L. Wal- 
 pole, and opened a real estate and law otfice. 
 In 1856 he was elected a justice of the peace 
 for a term of four years. In a political way 
 his election as mayor was a break of Demo- 
 cratic rule. He was oi-iginally a Democrat, 
 and having the usual liberal views of foreign- 
 ers, he and Adolpli Seidensticker were in- 
 dulging in a game of billiards one Sunday 
 when the minions of the law swooped down 
 upon them, and haled them before Alayor 
 McCready. It was a plain ease, and the 
 mayor imposed the statutory fine. Coulon 
 was so angered over the aft'air that he swore 
 he would never vote the Democratic ticket 
 again, and he kept his vow. After his two 
 weeks as nuiyor he resumed his service as 
 .justice of the peace, and then resumed the 
 law. In 1863-4 he was .school couuuissiouer 
 from the Seventh ward; and from 1864 to 
 1868 he ser\ed another term as justice of the 
 peace. 
 
 The city clerk. Alfred Stephens, had died 
 on October 14. and on November 22 a special 
 election was held to fill the two vacancies. 
 The Democi-ats nominated Nathaniel West for 
 mayor, and Captain AI. North for clerk. The 
 Republicans nominated Frederick Stein for 
 clerk and William John Wallace for mayor. 
 The campaign was warmer than anything 
 preceding, and became quite personal. Wal- 
 lace was denounced as too ignorant for the 
 office, and West as a member of the "Codfish 
 aristocrac.v"', who jierformeil no labor but 
 hunting and fishing, and who had taken the 
 l>enefit of the banki-upfey law. In reality 
 both were verv excellent men. Wallace was 
 the older brother of Andi-ew Wallace, and 
 while not highly educated, was an intelligent 
 and capable man. of many admirable qual- 
 ities. The Wi sts were aristocratic — of one of 
 the best families of New England, whose an- 
 cestors came over in the Mayflower. The 
 head of the family established the old cotton 
 mill whei'c Sixteenth street crosses the canal
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 163 
 
 — better known to later generations as the 
 coffin factory — and owned a faiMii runnin<r 
 down to Tentli stri'i-t. The factory g-ave tlie 
 name of "Cottontown"" to tlie neiirlihorhootl. 
 Nathiinii'l West was a sportsman, and lie had 
 been hanki'upt. Init it was for the debts of 
 others, and he iiad iriven up all he had in 
 settlement. He was not of the same family 
 as the deceased mayor. But the campaign 
 coini)liments were warm enough to have 
 served fifty years later.'" 
 
 The personal issues apparently cut little 
 fi^ire either way. It was a party tight, ami 
 the yoinig Kepnhlican |)arty won its fii-st vic- 
 tory in Indianapolis in that special election. 
 Wallace was made mayor by a vote of l.-ioO 
 to 1,332, and Stein's majority was 150. Will- 
 iam John Wallace was born in County Done- 
 gal, Ireland, .March 16, 1814. He came to 
 this country as a child with his parents, and 
 they located at Madison, where he learned 
 paper making with John Shi'ets, bi-othcr of 
 William Sheets, of lndianai)olis. Wallace 
 I came to Indianai)olis in the forties, and was 
 engaged in conducting a grocery when 
 elected. His service as mayor was terminated 
 by his nomination and election as county 
 sheritf. He had been re-elected mayor in 
 th-.' spring of 18.")7. defeating X. H. Taylor 
 by a vote of \.7'M> to l..")8.5. In .Xovembc-r 
 he tendered his resignation to the council. 
 but was pei-suaded to defer its taking effect 
 to the next city election. May 3. 18o8." He 
 served as sheriff to June 27. lSrt9. and was 
 appointed to the ollice again on June H, 
 1860, in place of John F. riuliclc. I'csigned. 
 He remained in the otTice till l)eccmi)ei- il. 
 1862. when he resigned, and resinned the 
 grocery business on Washington street, west 
 of Noble. He also engaged in bi-ick-making. 
 and managed his farm. He died on Janu- 
 ary 9. 1894. Mr. Wallace was a very active 
 Union man, and served on several missions 
 to soldiers in the field for (iovernor iIort(ui. 
 He also .served as draft commissioner. '-' 
 
 The election of 18.)8 was warmly contested. 
 both parties niakini;- s|)ecial etl'oi-ts to secure 
 
 '"Silitiiifl. NoveiMber 17; Jnii null . Xovem- 
 ber 10. 22, 18afi. 
 
 "Journal, May 3. 1808. 
 
 '-See ohituai'v notici's and .hninud. ^Fav 
 3. IS.-.S. 
 
 the German vote. The Republicans nom- 
 inated Samuel D. Ma.\well, and the Demo- 
 crats N. B. Palmer, both old citizens and 
 highly respecte<l. The result was practically 
 on party lines thi-oughout, .Ma.xwell wiiniing 
 by a vdte of 1.984 to 1,696. Samuel Dunn 
 Maxwell was one of the first settlers, coming 
 here with his father in .March, 1820. He was 
 b(n-n in Garrard County, Kentucky. Febru- 
 ary 19, 1803. In 1809 liis father. John .Max- 
 well, removed to Hanover. Indiana; and in 
 1813-14 served as a "ranger"" in the militia 
 organization. On one expedition his com- 
 mand [lenetrated to the Delaware towns on 
 White River, and on the knowledge of the 
 country he then obtained he determincil to 
 settle in it as soon as it was opened. The 
 inniiigrating party consisted of John Maxwell 
 and his two sons, Samuel D. and Irwin B.; 
 John Cowan and his two sons; and two negro 
 men. Aaron Wallace and Richard ]\Iorland. 
 They k)cated on Fall Crei'k near the present 
 City Hospital, id the head of the bayou which 
 was later made into a mill race; and each 
 family cleared about seven acres of land and 
 put it in corn. All then returned to Han- 
 over except Sanniel I), and one of the Cowan 
 boys, who remained to attend to the croji. 
 When the croj) was "laid by"' they also re- 
 turned to Hanover, and in Angiist came back 
 with a wagonload of gootls, the family fol- 
 lowing in -Xovember. Their residence was a 
 cabin on Fall Creek near Indian.i avenue and 
 Maxwell street, in that vicinity, is named 
 for Samuel D. He is also remembered as the 
 leadei- of the .singing at the first Pi'csbytei-ian 
 pi-eaching ever held in Iiuliana|)olis. In 1822 
 he moved to Montgomery Comity, of which 
 he was appointeil sheriff' by (iovernor Hen- 
 dricks in April. 1823. On December 1.'), 1822, 
 he married Sarah Cowan, of Crawfordsville. 
 Later he removed to Clinton (^ounty, where 
 he was the first clerk, in 1830. In" 1855 he 
 i-eturned to Indianapolis, where he practiced 
 law. He also had some ice-houses on the 
 (Miial above Sixteenth street. 
 
 .Mr. .Maxwell was re-elected, after another 
 warm cam])aign. on May 3. 1859. defejitiiig 
 James .McCready. 1.895 to 1.4(i2. The Demo- 
 ci'ats saved only two men on their ticket. Jef- 
 ferson Springsteen for marshal, and Byron 
 K. Elliott for city attorney. Mr. Maxwell 
 was renominated in 18(11. his opponent being
 
 164 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 James M. Bracken. The election on ]\Iay 7 
 of that, year was the quietest that liad been 
 seen in Indianapolis for years. The shadow 
 of Fort Sumter was over the city, and men 
 spoke with bated breath. The newspapers 
 scarcely mentioned that an election was in 
 prospect. On ]\Iay 6, the JoHnmJ said : "In 
 calling the attention of our readei-s to the 
 fact that our municipal election is so close 
 at hand, we do not intend to speak of the 
 matter in a partizan manner. Since the at- 
 tack on Fort Sumter political discussions in 
 the city papers relative to city affairs have 
 dropped, and the election will turn, in good 
 part, on the position of the candidates rela- 
 tive to sustaining- the general government in 
 its elforts to put down rebellion and crush 
 out treason. Those known to be firm Union 
 men, who have no association with secession 
 sympathizers, and are thereby not contam- 
 inated in the least, are entitled to the full 
 confidence of the public and should receive 
 the hearty and earnest support of all 
 pati'iots. ' ' 
 
 To this ingenious non-partisan plea, the 
 Sentinel, which was vigorously demanding 
 the prompt .suppression of the rebellion, in- 
 dignantly answered that the Democratic ticket 
 was composed of honest and capable men, 
 pledged to city reform, and that "every man 
 upon the ticket is not only loyal to the con- 
 stitution, but is willing to respond to every 
 call made by the Government, either National 
 or State, to defend its honor and maintain 
 its integi'ity, whether by personal sei-vices or 
 material aid and comfort, as may be required 
 of them. It is not the men who are the loud- 
 est in professions of patriotism that do the 
 fighting when the hour of trial arrives, and 
 when the country needs their services". 
 These two articles were practically the wliolc 
 discussion of the campaign. The Reiniblican 
 ticket was elected throughout, ]\Iaxwell re- 
 ceiving 2,078 votes to Bracken's 1,390. ]\Ir. 
 Maxwell was desired to be a candidate again 
 in 1863, but his health had failed and his 
 doctor told him he must give up public life. 
 He went South and settled at (irand Gulf. 
 Mississippi, from where he was brought home 
 to Indianapolis fatally ill in 1873. He died 
 on July 3, 1873, at the home of his son-in- 
 law, Lewis Jordan. ^^ 
 
 "News, July 5, 1873. 
 
 In 1863 both parties nominated tickets, 
 the Republican candidate for nuiyor being 
 John Caven, a.nd the Democratic candidate 
 G. AV. Pitts. On May 2 the entire Demo- 
 cratic ticket withdrew from the contest, giv- 
 ing as reasons the refusal of the Republican 
 authorities to allow them any representation 
 on the electicm boards, and the mob violence 
 at the polls at the township elections in 
 April. The Journal denounced the charges 
 as false, and "the withdrawal of the copper- 
 head city ticket" a sham. It said the Demo- 
 crats were then colonizing voters, and that 
 if the "Union men" slacked their efforts 
 they would be trapped. It averred that "at 
 the present election they were tendered a 
 fair representation of Union Democrats, 
 though not of K. G. C.'s," and the distinc- 
 tion was right." In other words, they were 
 offered former Democrats who had left the 
 part}', and were refused representation by 
 men acting with the party. At the election 
 2,889 votes were east for Caven, and 8 against, 
 the latter classed as "Butternut votes" by 
 the Journal. In 1865 the Democrats put 
 no ticket in the field, and Mr. Caven was 
 again elected, receiving all of the 2,241 votes 
 cast, as reported. 
 
 It was fortunate for all concerned that 
 the city fell under control of so excellent a 
 man as John Caven during this period for 
 {)artisan feeling wa.s running high and the 
 large number of soldiers located here from 
 time to time caused an influx of the cla.sses 
 that prey on such gatherings of men. He 
 was born in Alleghany County, Pennsyl- 
 vania, April 12, 182-1, of Scotch-Irish and 
 Scotch-English parentage, and came to In- 
 dianapolis in 1845. In his youth he became 
 familiar with labor, in the coal mine, the 
 salt-works, the flatboat. His school priv- 
 ileges were limited, but he had a desire for 
 knowledge and a taste for reading that made 
 him a self-educated man of much more than 
 ordinary attairunent. In 1847 he began the 
 study of law in the office of Oliver H. Smith 
 and Simon Yandes. He was duly admitted 
 to the bar and practised thereafter except 
 
 '* Knights of the Golden Circle— all Dem- 
 ocrats acting with their party were uni- 
 formly called "copperheads." "butternuts," 
 "Southern sympathizers," etc., bj' the Jour- 
 nal, especially before elections.
 
 ttts;tot;y of (itjeatf.r txdiaxaitjlts. 
 
 165 
 
 one year— 1851-2— employed in cual iiiiiiini;'. 
 His administration was admirable, and made 
 him many friends, who were of value to 
 him in his later contests witli the popular 
 Major Jlitehell. ^Ir. Caven was eleeted to 
 the state senate in 18G8 for a tci'ni of four 
 years: and in 1875 he was bi-ou<;lit out fru- 
 mayor ajzainst Mitchell, who had a.stounded 
 the Kepublieans by settinu; eleeted in 1873. 
 Caven won by only 8,805 to 8,320, while the 
 Republican candidates for treasurer, clerk 
 and a.ssessor had ina.ioi'ities of over 1,000. In 
 1877 he defeated Mitchell airain, after a very 
 warm fisiht. in which the nci^-ro vote loomed 
 lar-e. by a vote of 7.324 to 6,194. In 1879 
 he defeated Edward C. Busldrk. 7,985 to 
 fi,001. These last three times covered the 
 disturbed period of financial depression, 
 1875-80, including the so-called "bread- 
 riots", and the iireat I'ailroad strike of 1877. 
 which will be considered in connection with 
 the railroad development. 
 
 Caven 's successor in 1867 was (iJen. Dan 
 ^lacauley, a man of yreat ])ersonal jiopu- 
 larity. Handsome, dashini;, leady, Indian- 
 apolis never had a man who ai)peared to bet- 
 ter advantage in a parade or a public func- 
 tion of any kind : and even his political ene- 
 mies conceded that a.s a "general utility 
 man"' he was unsurpaR.sed. lie defeated Col. 
 B. C. Shaw, in 1867, bv 3,317 to 2.318; John 
 Fishl)ack in 1869 by 2,843 to 2,797: and 
 Fislil)aek again in 1S71 by 4.535 to 3.675, — 
 and these wei'c formidable opponents. Daniel 
 Maeaulev wa.s of Irish parentage, born in 
 New York City Septend)er 8, 1839. Left an 
 orphan at ten. he learned the book-binding 
 business and worked at the trade in Buffalo 
 till 1860. wlii'u he came to this city and 
 worked for Bingham & Doughty. At the 
 beginning of the wtir he enlisted as a private 
 in the "Indianapolis Zouaves" which forni(»d 
 a company of Lew Wallace's 11th Indiana. 
 He was elected first lieutenant of his com- 
 pany, and ajipointcd ad.iutant by Wallace 
 befor(> the I'cgimrnt left For the field. With- 
 in a year he was a ma.ior: in Scpti'mbi'i'. 
 18()2. lieutenant-colonel; in .March. 1863. 
 eolonil. He was twice t)ri'vcftcd biigadiiT 
 general for sei-vice in battle, and comnKUuled 
 a brigade for a yeai-. For five years he 
 inis,sed only 30 days of service, and in 
 them lie saw nuu'li li.nd lighting. A bullet 
 
 went through his leg at Viclcsburg, and an- 
 other lodged in his hip at Cedar Creek, Vir- 
 ginia, on the day of "Sheridan's Ride". 
 After the war he engaged in the book-bind- 
 ing business in Indianapolis until elected 
 mayor. After liis service as mayor he was 
 for a time superintendent of the city water 
 company, and foi' several years manager of 
 the Academy of Music. He left Indianapolis 
 in 1880. He held a position in the treasury 
 depai'tment under President Harrison, and 
 later became connected with the Maritime 
 Canal Company, operating in Nicaragiui. He 
 died in Nicaragua in April. 1894: and his 
 I'emains were brought to Washington and 
 buried at Arlington on June 22. 1899. near 
 the graves of two otliei' Indiana soJdiei-s, 
 Walter Q. Gresham and lleiu-y W. Lawton. 
 (In ]May 30 his old comrades dedicated a 
 modest monument, at that place, to liis 
 memory. 
 
 The spring of 1873 saw the tii-st Democrat 
 for a generation in the mayor's otifice, in tiie 
 pei-son of ^la.i. James L. Mitchell. The 
 campaign and election were very quiet. 
 There was a great deal of dissatisfaction 
 among Republicans, and he made his cam- 
 l)aign on a nonpartisan basis. He had been 
 nominated by the Democrats when he was 
 absent from the city, but consented to ae- 
 ee])t and nuike the race, 'i'he Kepublieans 
 nominated Capt. William D. Wiles, and 
 :\Iitchell defeateil him 5.878 to 5,100. The 
 rest of the Republican ticket were elected. 
 The Sentinel said of the result: "In the 
 selection of Ma.ior IMitchell there is nothing 
 savoring of a partisan triumph. It is not, 
 beyond all else, a Democratic triumph. 
 Liberalized Rej)ublicans made his calling cer- 
 tain and his election sure." Major Mifclicll 
 was born in Shelby Counts-. Kentucky. Sep- 
 tember 29, 1834. His i)arents moved to 
 .Monroe County, Indiana, when he was eight 
 years old. He woi-ked on the farm, and at 
 nineteen entered the State Fnivei-sity. grad- 
 uating in 1858. He tlien read law witli his 
 uricie, John L. Ketchaiii. with whom be later 
 formed a pai'tnership. lie entered the army 
 July 16, 18()2. iieing conuuissioned adjutant 
 in the Seventieth Indiana, Cen. Henjamin 
 Harrison's regiment: and served through the 
 war. From November, 1W()4. lie was on the 
 stall' of (ieii. Lovell lb liiiusseau. He re-
 
 Kifi 
 
 HlSTOin' OF nHKATEll IXDIAXAl'OLIS. 
 
 sullied the practice of tlie law after the war, 
 and in 18S6 was nominated by the Democrats 
 for proseeutiny; attorney of Marion and 
 Hendricks Counties. He was elected, and 
 re-elected in 18SS. After ciunpletiiis- his 
 term he resumed the practice of law. which 
 he continued till his death on February 21, 
 1894. 
 
 At the close of .Mayor Caven's loui;- jieriod 
 of service in 1881 the Republicans nomi- 
 nated Daniel W. Grubbs for mayor, ilr. 
 Grubbs was a native of Henry County, In- 
 diana, and in his youth served an apprentice- 
 ship in the office of the Xeircastle Courier. 
 He came to Indianapolis in 1807, and took 
 up the study of law in the ofiHce of William 
 Henderson. After admission to the bar he 
 was associated for a time in practice with 
 E. B. Martindale. He went out as a private 
 in Co. B, 132d Indiana Volunteer Infantry, 
 in the one hundred day service. He did not 
 appear in i)olitics until 1877 when he was 
 elected to the I^oard of Aldenueii, and there 
 served as president of the Police Board until 
 1880. The Democrats nominated Prof. 
 J. H. Smart, who had .just finished his term 
 as Superintendent of Public Instruction. 
 This clever political move was probably in- 
 spired by (iovernor Hendricks, who presided 
 at the Democratic city convention. Profes- 
 sor Smart was a man of hijjh character and 
 attainments and was in jreneral esteem. 
 However, Mr. Grubbs won out by a vote of 
 7,182 to 6,6ti5. After the close of his term, 
 in 188-1, ]\Ir. Grubbs went to Parral, ilexico, 
 where he en<rafi:ed in the baiikiu'r busines.s 
 until 190:?, and then retired from active busi- 
 nes". For several years |)a.st he has resided 
 at Harrodshur^. Kentucky. 
 
 In 1883 the contest for the mayoralty was 
 between John \j. McMaster. Republican, and 
 (iabriel Sehmuck, Democrat. McMa.ster was 
 not seeking: the nomination, Imt was requested 
 to allow his name to be used two or three 
 days before the convention. He was nomi- 
 nated without any canvass by luHi. and was 
 elected by a vote of 8.().")7 to 8.387. John 
 Lennox McMaster was born at Rutland, 
 ^leisr'i County, Ohio, February 9. 1S43. He 
 
 enlisted in the Second West Virginia Cav- 
 alry, and served until November, 1864. After 
 the war he entered Ohio University, at 
 Athens. Ohio, from which he graduated in 
 18()9. He then entered Cincinnati law school, 
 and graduated in 1870. He came here in 
 October, 1870, with Angustin Boice. and 
 formed the law firm of Mcilaster & Hoice, 
 which continued until his election to the 
 bench. He became mayor on January 1, 
 
 1884, the law of succession having been 
 changed during the term of his predecessor. 
 Before becoming mayor he had been a can- 
 didate for judge of the Superior Court in 
 18S2. anil had been defeated by Napoleon B. 
 Taylor, in the sweep of a general Democratic 
 victoiy. In 1894 he was again nominated 
 for .judge of the Superior Court and was 
 elected. He was re-elected in 1898. 1902 and 
 1906. and still holds this office. 
 
 There were two othei- mayors pri(M' to the 
 adoption of the present city charter, Caleb 
 S. Denny. Republican, and Thomas L. Sul- 
 livan. Democrat. Mr. Denny, on October 13, 
 
 1885. defeated Thomas G. Cottrell by the 
 narrow margin of 9.098 against 9.038. He 
 was re-elected October 11. 1887. over Dr. 
 (Jeoi-ge F. Edenharter. by a vote of 9.9t)(l to 
 9.186. (In October 8. 1889. Judge Thomas 
 L. Sullivan was elected over Gen. John Co- 
 burn bv a vote of 11.363 to 9.570. On Oc- 
 tober 13. 1891. he defeated William W. 
 Herod. 14.320 to 11.598. As both of these 
 mayors served under the new charter, fur- 
 ther mention of them will be made hereafter. 
 It may be mentioned that city elections were 
 held in April until the adoption of the gen- 
 eral city law of 1852. and thereafter on the 
 first Tuesday in :\Iay. until 1883, when be- 
 gan elections on the second Tuesday in Oc- 
 tober. Also, that during the early city 
 period, from 1847 to 1891. the mayor was a 
 .judicial officer, serving as police .judge, or 
 its e(|uivalent. As the city grew, this came 
 to be the most onerous part of the mayor's 
 duties, for he heard iiractically all of the 
 cases of arrests liy llie city police, for minor 
 offenses.
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 THE VOI.CXTKKR FIRE COMPANIES. 
 
 The first fire in Fmlinnaiiolis of whieh tliere 
 is any reedrd was tiic liiirnini;' of Thomas 
 Carter's new frame tavern, on WashiiiL'ton 
 street ()]i])osite the eoui't house, on January 
 17. 182."). Tliere was no fire oi-^'anization at 
 the time, but the eiti/.ens turned out en ma.sse 
 and .saved .most of the furniture e.xeejit some 
 beds, and a quantity of flour, wliieh were 
 stored in the rear of thr liuildini; where the 
 fire oriL'inatcd. Smnr of tile volunteers were 
 so enthusiastic in the rescue that the.v 
 cho|iped down the |)ost in fi-ont of the tavern 
 to save the new siirn it carried, and were 
 much abashed to see it break to splinters 
 when it fell. .\otwithstaiidin<;- this wai-uin^' 
 a year more passed without a fire company, 
 but on June 20, lS2f), the Indianapolis Fire 
 I'ompany was or^'anizt^d under the state law 
 of 1S"31, which jiermitted forty or more citi- 
 zens of a to\\n to form a company, and make 
 rules and reyulafions foi- themselves, for in- 
 fractions of which they could imj)ose fines, 
 collectable before a justice of llie peace. 
 This company had no apparatus but leather 
 buckets and ladders, and alai'iris were jiiven 
 by rinj;injr the church bell. Its president 
 was John Hawkins, and the seci'ctar.v Jjniics 
 II. Hay. Fortunately it was not much called 
 on f(U" service, and its |)rotection was consid- 
 ered satisfactory until the buildinji' of the 
 new state hou.se introduced the new factor 
 of a buildinf.' too hi^rh for any of tlie latlders 
 in use, and too valuable to be left with no 
 protect i(in. 
 
 'I'he lejiislature cousideretl the matter and 
 on February 7, 18:!."), (lassed ati act condi- 
 tioned (in the jicople of 1 ndiana|)olis sub- 
 scribing "one-half the amount re(|uircil to 
 purchase a fii'st-i'ate fir-c cuLrine and a suit- 
 able quantity of hose for the same": if this 
 
 were done, the act directed the treasurer of 
 state to purcha.se 2.5 fire buckets and four 
 ladders lonif enouj;h to reach to the top of 
 the state house, to pay half the cost of the 
 (Miixine and ho.se, and to erect a building: for 
 the eneine. The people at ouce beg:an a 
 movement for the acceptance of this offer by 
 a public ineetinsr at the Methodist church on 
 Februaiy 12, at which (iovernor Ray presided 
 and A. W. ]\Iorris acted as secretary. It was 
 decided to aret a list of signatures of those who 
 were willintr to .join a company, and to ask 
 the trustees to levy a special tax, or other- 
 wise co-operate with the state in the |)ni'- 
 clia.se. The matter was pushed diiriim the 
 summer, the county board eontributinir .+100, 
 and in August Treasurer Palmer advertiseil 
 I'oi- bids for the engine house. It wa.s a one- 
 story frame building. 14x20, on a brick foun- 
 dation, with a double door at the front, and 
 stood on the nor-th side of the Circle .just west 
 of .Meridian street. In 18:^7 the city added 
 a second stoi'v to it which was used for a. 
 council chamber and city otfices. The en- 
 gine, named the ]\Iarion, a second-hand end- 
 brake hand engine, was bought of .Merrick 
 i!v; Co. iif Phila(lel|)lMa for .^sLSOO, and arrived 
 hei'e in Septendier, 18.S."). During that and 
 the following year live (lublic wells were 
 dug for fire protection. The old bueki't com- 
 pan.v was merged in the new organization, 
 which re.joiceil in the name of the Mai-ion 
 Fifi'. lliise and I'l'oteetiou Company. 
 
 t >ii .January 20, 18.'^8. this company' was 
 incorporated undei' the name of the Marion 
 l-'ire Engine CoMii)any by "Caleb Scuddci-, 
 Xiehola.s .McCai-ty. Hen.). I. BIythe, Cal- 
 \in l-'letchei'. and not more than :iOO others." 
 Hy the incorporation act. the membei's wi're 
 "exemjit from militia duties except in case 
 
 \(;i
 
 168 
 
 IIISTOKY OF GlIEATER IXDIAXArOLlS. 
 
 ( ir. //. Bdss I'hoto Company.) 
 
 OUTLINE MAP, 1857. 
 (Showing populated districts at various periods.)
 
 lU.SToliY OF (iUKATER IxXDJAXAPULLS. 
 
 169 
 
 III' iiisiii-i'ec'tion or invasion, and from service 
 on juries in .instiees courts, and from the 
 payment of poll tax for county purposes, 
 and road tax for jx'i'sonal j)rivile<;e, and they 
 shall, after ten years' service in said com- 
 pany, be forever thereafter exempt from the 
 [lerforuiance of militia duties except in case 
 of insurrection or invasion". For five years 
 this company and its ensrine constituted the 
 fire department. Caleb Sciidder was the first 
 cai)tain. and he was followed by James 
 Hlake, Dr. John L. Mothersheacl and others. 
 The company occupied the hou.se on the 
 Circle until it was burned down in 18.51, 
 some people believiriE: it was fired by some 
 incndjer of the company, which was demand- 
 ing better (juarters. ^lost of the early town 
 records were lost in the fire. A new and 
 sub.stantial brick house was then built for 
 the comiyany at the corner of Massachusetts 
 avenue anil New York street, where the fire 
 headquarters is now located, and the com- 
 pany occupied this till it disbanded in 1859. 
 It used the old ]\Iarion luitil 1858. when a 
 fine side-brake euuine was purchased for it 
 by the city: which, having: been little u-sed. 
 was sold in 1800 to the town of Peru for 
 $2.1.30. 
 
 In 1840 a second engine was added to the 
 Mai-ions' equipment. It was also a second- 
 hand end-brake engine, but in good condi- 
 tion, called the Good Intent. It run with 
 the JIarion until arrangements could be made 
 for a division of the company. An act was 
 jia.ssed by the legislatui-e on Febi-uary 4, 
 1S41, extending all the i-iglits and privileges 
 of the I\Iarion company to ''forty or more 
 of the citizens of Indianapolis" who should 
 fonn an additional fire company, selecting 
 sucii name as they might desire. Under this 
 act a part of the .Marions, under the lead of 
 John II. "\Vi-ight. one of the leading iner- 
 eluuits and ]iioneer pork-packers of the city, 
 organized the Independent Relief Company, 
 and went into business with tiie (iood In- 
 tent. Dui'ing most of its existence this com- 
 I)any was housed in a two-story building 
 south of Wa.shington on Meridian street, now 
 covered l)y the establishment of L. S. Ayres 
 & Co. It. used the (UhuI Intent until 1849. 
 when it was fui-nislunl witli a "i-ow-boat" 
 engine, on wliieh the men wei'c seated, aiul 
 worki'd the lirakes iKH'izonlallv. 'I'liis was 
 
 used until 1S5S, when by tlie aid of the coun- 
 cil and subscriptions of citizens a powerful 
 end-brake engine was purchased and ])ut iu 
 use. The company was chartered by special 
 act of January 21, 1850. which gave addi- 
 tional powers for holding property. When 
 the company disbanded in 1859, there was 
 difficulty with the city authorities over the 
 ownership of the engines, but in February, 
 1860, the company compromised by sur- 
 rendering everything to the city but the old 
 "I'ow-boat", which was broken up and sold 
 a few weeks later. 
 
 There were no separate hose companies in 
 the days of the volunteers, though there were 
 hose reels for the several companies, but the 
 companies divided themselves into hose men 
 and engine men. In 1843 a hook and ladder 
 company was organized and the neccssaiy 
 hooks, ladders, axes, buckets and wagon 
 were procured for it. It disbanded with the 
 rest of the volunteer department in 1859, but 
 was reorganized in 1860, and located in the 
 house formerly occupied by the Invincibles 
 on North New Jersey street. In 1849 the 
 Western Liberties Company was organized 
 iu the wcstei'n part of the city, taking the 
 (iood Intent when the Keliefs got their '"row- 
 boat." They occupied a house in the i)oint 
 between Washington street and the National 
 Road until 1857, when a brick house was 
 built for them on the south side of Wash- 
 ington, east of California street, now occu- 
 ]>ied by engine No. G. At their fii-st loca- 
 tion, the Westerns, as they were commonly 
 called, were the only company that did not 
 have a bell, but used for alarm purpo.ses a 
 large triangle which was (piite as alarming. 
 In April, 1857, a new hand-brake engine 
 called the Indiana was bought for them, and 
 used until they disbanded. In ]\Iay, 1852, 
 the Invincible Company was organized, chief- 
 ly by (iernuins. and a rather snudl hiuid- 
 brake engine called the Victory was bought 
 for them. They had a brick house on the 
 east side of New Jersey street, half a s(|uare 
 north of Washington, on the site made no- 
 torious later by the establishment of "Queen 
 Mabb". The Victory was a light and service- 
 able engine, and was used until 1857, when 
 the Con(|ui roi', a fin(> hand-bi"ake engine, was 
 pui'chased for tli(> company and us(>d \uitil 
 .Vugust, 1859. The i'iiiiii)Mn\' then disbanded.
 
 170 
 
 HISTOKY. OF (iliKATKR IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 but ivor^'iinizod sis yiavt of the paid de|)<irt- 
 iiieiit. and served until the summer of 18(i(), 
 when it disbanded permanently and the ("on- 
 ((ueror was soon after sohl to Ft. Wayne. 
 
 In 185.") the I'nion eompany was oi'^^anized 
 on the south side, and a two-story brick house 
 was built for it on South .street, just east of 
 the present St. Vincent's Hospital. A larue 
 Jeffer.s hand-brake etiiiine was purchased foi- 
 them, and was named "Spirit of 7 and (i" 
 because the eompany represented those twn 
 wards, but it was more conunonly known as 
 "the Spirit of Seventy-six". The eom]iany 
 was disbanded in November, \Sr>9. and after 
 some unsuccessful elfort to reoriranize it un- 
 der the paid department, the eu^trine was 
 given in part pay, at -$600, to the Seneca 
 Falls Company for steam engine No. 3, which 
 was afterwards located at the I'nion 's house. 
 The last volunteer comi)any organized was 
 the Northwestern Fire Company, commonly 
 known a.s The Rovers, It had a house on 
 Indiana avenue, and was usins- ( ne of the 
 old enorines, after its oro-anization in Mai-ch, 
 1858, until a new one could be purchased, 
 when the evidences of pending- rui)tiiie l)e- 
 eame so stronir that the pnrcha.se pi-ocretl- 
 inss were stopped, and the conii)auy dis- 
 banded with the otliers in 1859. There ^hiuld 
 be mentioned, however, two additional or- 
 •ranizations which do not seem to have luid 
 etpial official standino-. In December, lS41t, 
 a number of boys, who could not uet into tiic 
 regular companies on account of youth, oi-- 
 •ranized tlie "(), K. Bucket Comi)any", and 
 uot ])osse.ssion of the old buckets, ladders and 
 wat;-on of the o!-i^inal Indianapolis P'ire Coni- 
 I)any. What they lacked in etpiipnu'nt thi'y 
 made up in enthusiasm, and were successful 
 in reaching so many tires first, and puttinu 
 out so many "inci])ient conflagrations" tliat 
 the council bnuyht them a new wairon aiul 
 Imcket.s ami fiu-nished them a house, which 
 was located on .Mei-idian street above .Mary- 
 lanil. about where Kip's notion store now is. 
 They disbanded in 1854. reor£;anized in 1855. 
 disbanded ajrain in 1851) to reoriranize as an 
 eri«;ine company, takinsr the old Victory 
 when the Invincibles jiot the Coiu|uei-or. In 
 Jlay, 1858, the Youu<i- America Hook and 
 Ladder CoiTii>aiiy was fonned, and was su])- 
 plied with ajipai'atus in .Jinie, which it used 
 until it disbanded in Xnvember, 1859, 
 
 The tire companies were triven powers 
 connnensnrate with tiie duties they were ex- 
 pected to perform. I'y the elaborate fire 
 ordinance of April 24, 184(1, the coiUK-il was 
 to apjioint annually a "chief fireward", and 
 each ortranized eomjiany an "assistant fire- 
 ward", who were recpiired to appear prompt- 
 ly at any fire, when alarm had been oiven, 
 with their "badire of office, which shall be 
 a pole five feet in len«rth, painted red." The 
 tii-ewards and officeis of the eiiirine and hose 
 companies were sriven authority to "com- 
 mand all resident citizens to form into line 
 for the purpose of con\eyin<;' water to the 
 enirines, or to render any aid that may be 
 deemed necessary", A citizen who refused 
 was subject to fine of $1 to $20. They also 
 had power to order a building pulled down, 
 blown up, or otherwise I'emoved dui'inir the 
 profjress of a fire if deemed necessai-y. The 
 owners of buJldins'S haviiii;- fireplaces or 
 stoves were reipiired to have laitdcM's reaeh- 
 im;' to the ridse, and ti)'<' buck(4s. one to 
 every three fireplaces or stoves. The 
 Hrewar'ls could also reiiuire buildinijs to be 
 re]iaired if dauoerous, seize sjunjiow 'cr if 
 Icept in (luantities ovei' 25 pounds, and cause 
 fires made in sti'i^ets oi- alleys to be- extin- 
 iruished, if considered dangerous. 
 
 In the early times membersbin in n tire 
 company was almost a bad>je of tiood citizen- 
 ship for the able-bodied. Fvei-ybody wanted 
 to help. Ministers were i'xemi>t from duty 
 iin call, but they oft(>n waived their priv- 
 ilege. Henry Wai-d Beeeher was noted for 
 fiffbtinjr tenu^oral fii'cs with as much viiror 
 as he did the eternal kind. Theie was a 
 spirit of fellowship in the companies that 
 made them vers- potent political and social 
 influences: in fact they became ultimately, 
 as in nuiny other cities, almost dictatiu'ial in 
 their political power. Anion<_' the members 
 of the companies whose names are bi'st re- 
 membered were John Coliurn. Joseph K. 
 English. Berry Sulyreve and Thomas Bu- 
 chanan, who Avere all captains of the Clarions; 
 Col. N. R. Ruckle, the last ruiuiintr officer, 
 and (ieu. Fred TCneflei-, the pipemau of the 
 Marions, with Henry Coburu, John 1>. ^lor- 
 ri*;. Hiram Seibert. James Feriruson. Samuel 
 Wallace, ,\ar'-n Clem. Milton Sulgn ve and 
 (ieorue H. West, of the same comnany: 
 B\'roii K. Elliott. (Icoi-ge W. Sloan. James
 
 HISTORY OF (;i;i;.\- 
 
 XDIAXATOLIS. 
 
 in 
 
 McCread.T. William Mansur, Alex (iraydon, 
 E. S. Tyler. Paul Sherman. Taylor Elliott 
 and Johu C. New of the Iiidepeiideiit Ke- 
 liefs; Charles Richmaiin. Eniaimei Ilauirh 
 and .Joseph \V. Davis of the Iiiviiieihles ; 
 John Mai-see. Tlumias (!. Cottreli, Fi-aiik and 
 Dan Glazier of tlie Unions; W. (). ("Deek"') 
 Sherwood. Michael (i. Fitehey and Isaac 
 Thalnian of the Westerns. 
 
 The couiieil elected Thomas .M. Smith 
 "chief fire warden" on S('i)tember a, 184t). 
 and. for some unknown ivason. there was no 
 subsequent annual election of a "chief fire- 
 ward" as i>i'oviiled l)y tlie ordinance. On 
 March 7. 1853. the council ahandoncd the 
 special city chartei', anil adopted the j;en- 
 eral city ineorporatic ii act of June 18. ISii'I. 
 as the city charter. This provided for a 
 chief fire enji:ineer and two assistants, and 
 Joseph Ijittle was elected chief, with Beri'v 
 Sulgrove and William Kintr as assistants. 
 By this time the companies were l)ecomin<r 
 somewhat unndy. .Many of the orijiiiuil 
 menibei's. who represented the consen'ative 
 sentiment of the community had dropped 
 out tiiidcr the ■"ten years service" provision, 
 and the ranks were tilled with younji'cr men. 
 The council sought to curb tlie power of the 
 compaiiies by makin<r them undci'stand that 
 obedience to city authority would be the pi-ice 
 of city aid. The eomjianies met the intima- 
 tion by oriranizini; the Kire Association, 
 which was comixised of delejrates from each 
 company, and held montldy meetini;>; in the 
 tipper room of the Relief eomi)any on 
 Meridian sti-eet. Rcri\v R. Sulgrove was the 
 first i)rtsident of this, and it was at onei! 
 rwoijnized as the representative of the whole 
 bod,v of firemen. From the first each com- 
 pan.v had elected its own officers — a captain 
 (also (ircsidcnt), seeretar.v, treasurer, enjiine 
 directors ami hose dii-ectoi-s. the "messen- 
 ger" beinfi fonnali.x' i-husen by the council, 
 and paid $.")(> a year for keei)in^ the api)a- 
 ratns in m-der. iiut icall.v beins' named by 
 the companies. The Fire Association also 
 came to a tacit powei- to name the elei'k of 
 the council, and |)r;ictically to dictate the 
 fire appropriations, and the erowth of their 
 demands ma,v be .iud<red from the extensive 
 pureha.se of new apparatus in 1857 and 1858. 
 The people ob.jected to the expense, and so 
 
 did the council, for it madi' a dcai'th of funds 
 for other ptirpo.ses. 
 
 There was another feature that caused a 
 sentiment as;ainst the companies. Many of 
 the members wei-e in the oreanization ""fur 
 the fun of the thintr, " and they un(|ues- 
 tionably •rot a great deal of fun out of it. 
 Jlueh of this was ([uite harmless, and grew 
 out of the commendable rivali-y of the com- 
 paJiies in getting the first watei' on lii-es. 
 This naturall.v developed contests in badinage 
 and occasional free fights, but no lasting 
 bitternes,s. Indeed there was rem.irkable 
 gtod natui-e in all their horse-play. The In- 
 vinciblcs. being lai'gely (lennans, were 
 dubbed "the AVooden Shoes" b.v the other 
 companies, while the Reliefs— or Good In- 
 tents — were sninetinu^s called "Swallow 
 Tails" and sometimes "Silk Stockings," but 
 by the Invineibles. who i-egarded the Reliefs 
 as s|)eeial rivals, they were called the 
 "Shangliais". The (Jei-mans of the Invin- 
 eibles being addicted to music had a sort 
 of battle-h.vnni, which originated when 
 Emanuel Ilaugh was their captain, a frag- 
 mctit of which. <is their rivals claimed they 
 sane- it. ran : 
 
 '■]\Ian Ilaugh is our capt;iin. 
 Vere lie leads ve go; 
 I run mit de Wooden Shoes, 
 Trow. Wictorv. trow." 
 
 Thi'i'e was a elim iis i-unning : 
 
 "Trow, Wictor,v. ti-ow. 
 Trow, Wictorv. trow, 
 De Shauirhais has no wasser. 
 Trow. Wictorv. trow." 
 
 And aiiotln'r I'cfi'ain tliat is handetl down, 
 is: 
 
 "Trow, Wictory. trow, 
 ]\Ian llaueb is our president; 
 lie makes us wax de (hxxI Intent: 
 Trow, Wictorv. trow." 
 
 With all their rivalry tlii' companies had 
 little trouble about iK-ttini;- tog(>thcr when 
 the,v scenteil common pre,v. and one of their 
 diversion.s was "washing out" houses of ill 
 fame. This was lu^t altogether pure deviltry-, 
 for. after the railroads were opened, the
 
 172 
 
 mSTOHV OF GItEATElf IXDIANArOLIS. 
 
 river towns, ospofially Cineiiinati. used to 
 furnish us with some very imdesirable citi- 
 zens; and, sometimes on coniphiints of neigh- 
 bors, and sometimes on a tip from the police 
 tliat a resort was becomiuEr obnoxious, the 
 department would so through it. It is won- 
 derful that no serious affrays resulted from 
 these affairs, but none did. A male attache 
 of one place on Washington street once un- 
 dertook to use a shot-gun, but he was 
 promptly hustled out of the way before do- 
 ing any damage. The nearest serious results 
 \\as at a place on North New Jersey street 
 where a Cincinnati outfit had located, much 
 to the disgust of the neighbors. The com- 
 l>anies decided +0 act. and had their hose 
 laid, when the proprietress appeared at the 
 door with a big six-barreled pepper-box and 
 opened fire. All of the pipemen vamoosed 
 Imt one plucky fellow who danced around to 
 dodge bullets and yelled lustil.v for "watei'". 
 Finall.v the water came, and when a solid 
 stream struck the defender in the pit of the 
 stomach she keeled over and went into the 
 wash. They say the like of that wetting was 
 never seen. They washed out closets, bureau 
 drawers, everything: and when they got 
 through there was not a dry hook and eye 
 in the house. In Jidy, 1857. there was some 
 resistance to visitations to a couple of places 
 in the western part of the city which led to 
 the arrest and fining of several firemen for 
 riot, but this had no notable restraining ef- 
 fect. On the contrary the Locomotive, which 
 was the conscience-keeper of the community 
 at the time, .iustified the oiTense, and it was 
 followed within a month by several other af- 
 fairs of the same kind. 
 
 Rut all of this sort of reform work begot 
 a disregard of property rights, and when, one 
 year, some injudicious insurance men offererl 
 two prizes, a silver trumpet and a silver 
 pitcher, to the companies making the be.st rec- 
 ords for getting first and second water on 
 fires during the year, it was not surprising 
 that there were numei-ous cli.-irges of incen- 
 diarism. There were astduiidingly numei-ous 
 alarms from fins in old and isolated build- 
 iugs, to which some 'company responded with 
 strange rapidit>'. One old timer says that 
 whenever he saw a fii-e ca])tain step out of 
 the house with his trumi)et he knew thei'C 
 would be an alarm \ei-y <|uicl<ly. M this 
 
 time, in preparation for the building of the 
 Yolin Block, at the northeast corner of 
 Washington and ^Meridian streets, the old 
 frame building that stood there had been 
 raised on pi-ops preparatory to removal, hav- 
 ing been purchased by a colored citizen. 
 This la.st feature was in the nature of a pub- 
 lie affront, for no "airs" were tolerated from 
 the colored population in those days, even in 
 Indianapolis. Passing on the opposite side, 
 after supper, a member of the Reliefs heard 
 a crv of fire, and saw that one was starting 
 in this building. He sped away to the en- 
 gine-house half-a-block below, yelling "fire!'' 
 and grabbed the tongue for the run. In a 
 trice he was tripped up, and as he rose from 
 the tloor a husky voice admonished him, 
 "Keep still, yon d— d fool." He explained 
 that he meant no offense, and after a brief 
 wait a watehnuui called. "Here come the 
 AVooden Shoes I" Then the ropes were 
 manned in a .iiff'y. and the Good Intent got 
 fii-st water — but it did not put out the fire. 
 Nor did any other company. If it looked 
 like it might become dangerous to ad.joining 
 property they would smother it down ; and 
 then they would turn the hose on each other 
 and on the crowd, until 'they had fooled 
 away most of the night, and there was not 
 enough left of the burning building to be 
 worth moving. Of course evei-ything was 
 denied publiel.v, but there were numerous 
 curious events, and not a little of slanderous 
 gossip. 
 
 The companies might have outlived all this 
 if they had not fallen out among themselves. 
 Joseph Little had lieen followed as chief en- 
 gineer by Jacob Fitler in 1854. Charles W. 
 Purcell in 1855. Sauniel Keeley in 1856. An- 
 drew "Wallace in 1857, and Joseph W. Davis 
 in 1858. Davis had been captain of the In- 
 vincibles, and was one of these positive char- 
 acters who make strong friends and equally 
 strong enemies. Charges wei'e made against 
 the fairness of his election and also of his 
 management, and i\w dissensions in the de- 
 partment became acrimonious. In 1859 an 
 effort was made to restore harmony by elect- 
 ing John E. Foudra.v chief engineer. He 
 had not been a member of any company, but 
 there was somi as much ob.iection made to 
 him as to Davis. On August 13. 1859. the 
 council added the last straw bv instructing
 
 HISTOIJV OK GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 Illi) 
 
 
 North Side. Illinois to Meridian. 
 
 ^liiimiiip^si 
 
 Xmili Si. I. M.ridian to Pennsylvania. 
 
 Soiitii Side. Pennsylvania to Meridian. 
 
 f\y. II. Hiixa Phnlo Compamj.) 
 
 Little's Hotel. State Bank 
 
 Court House. 
 WASHINGTON STREKT VIEWS IN 1854.
 
 174 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER IXDlAXArOLIS. 
 
 thr coiiiiiiitti'c on tirt- (lepartnH'iit ti) ascer- 
 tain on what tci'nis a steam fire eni;ine conld 
 be profured. The first steam fire enj>ine 
 had been built in the United States in 1853, 
 but they were rapidly gaining favor not only 
 on account of efficiency bi;t also because, as 
 ]\riles Greenwood said, they "neither draiilc 
 whisky nor threw brickbats"". The com- 
 panies were alarmed, and with cause. At 
 that tinu^ Joseph K. English, of the ^larion.s, 
 was president of tbe Fire As.sociation and 
 also councilman from the first ward. On 
 August 27 he introduced a resolution that 
 "in the opinion of this council it is inex- 
 pedient at this time to attempt any I'eoiiiani- 
 zation of the Fire Department of this city"", 
 which wa,s laid on the table. On August 30 
 it was taken up. discussed, and lost, the vote 
 standinir. Ayes: English, Ilaughey, Kidilman, 
 McXabb, Pratt and Wallace; Noes: Cottrell, 
 GeiseiuloriT, Locke, Metzger, Richmann, Sei- 
 bert, Tilley and Vandegrift. A resolution 
 that it was expedient to reorganize the fire 
 department, and that a connnittee of five 
 be appointed to prepare a plan, was then 
 inti'oduced and passed by a vote of 10 to 4, 
 Ilaughey and Wallace joining the reorgan- 
 izers. For this connnittee Mayor ^laxwell 
 named Richnuinn, Geisendorff, ]\IeNabb, Van- 
 degrift and Wallace. On motion Locke and 
 English were added. 
 
 On Septembei- 4 the ma.jority of the com- 
 mittee repoitetl a plan to continue the pres- 
 ent companies in active service, to purcha.se 
 at once a third-class steam engine with hose 
 reel and e(|nipment, and to issue bonds in 
 payment. The minority, English and 
 Mc.Vabb, recoMunended indefinite pestpone- 
 nu^nt : they urged that "whilst we admit the 
 superiority of a paid fire department in some 
 respects, over the present volunteer system, 
 and while we ai-e willing to admit that the 
 present dei)artment is not a.s active in some 
 of it.s branches as it might he", the expense 
 was too gi'cat 1o lie luidertaken. and "wc 
 also believe that the pi-esenf depai'tment can 
 be made efficient and even respectable if the 
 propel' course be taken by the citv council"". 
 They also ofVe)-e<l a resolution "that foi- the 
 encouragement of the ])resent volunteer de- 
 partint>nt all trood citizen.s be requested to 
 rebuke persons who have either wilfidly or 
 iunorantiv abused and slandenvl the members 
 
 of the fire department, by joining some of 
 the fire companies now existing'". The nu- 
 nority report was quickly i)ut to rest, and 
 the majority report, after being amended to 
 provide for a connnittee to inquire at what 
 price an engine could be bought, and whether 
 it could be paid for in bonds, wa.s adopted. 
 The connnittee appointed was composed of 
 Locke, Cottrell and Richmann. At the same 
 meeting a connnittee composed of Vande- 
 grift, Richnuiini and Metzger, which had been 
 appointed to investigate the demands of the 
 companies for new hose, reported that there 
 was plenty of hose which needed only to be 
 oiled and put in repair, and that they had 
 taken the liberty of Ordering this to be done. 
 (The couneilmen were fire wardens under the 
 charter law.) This report was accepted, and 
 the committee was directed to see that its 
 orders were carried into efi'ect. 
 
 The committee of inquiry proceeded to 
 busines.s by solicitinu' both bids aiul exhibi- 
 tions from the engine manufactui'ei-s. which 
 met favorable responses. On September 23 
 and 24 a Latta engine was exhibited here at 
 the county fair, and tried before the com- 
 mittee at the Palmer House cistern — corner 
 of Illinois and Washington streets. On Oc- 
 tober 15, and again on the 22d, a Lee & Lar- 
 ned ensrine was tried at the canal. On Oc- 
 tober 22 the connnittee reported that city 
 bonds could be sobl at 93 cent.s or could be 
 u.sed at that fiirure in the purchase of an 
 engine ; that the Latta and Lee & Earned 
 conipanie.s had both made offers which were 
 submitted; and recommended that a commit- 
 tee of three be appointed with discretionaiy 
 power to purchase an engine as socm as pos- 
 sible. The Latta company offered to furnish 
 an engine for .$5,500 in bonds, and the Lee 
 & Lamed company made an oft'er for •$4.()00. 
 On October 29 the Lee & Lai'ned offei- was 
 accepted, and al.so a motion, offered by Coun- 
 cilman Wallace, was adopted that the insur- 
 ance company givins" the lamest amount, 
 .$500 or upwards, and paying for the letter- 
 ing on the engine, miiiht name it. It is not 
 reeoided that this chance for advertisement 
 was utilized. 
 
 Tlu> relations of the companies and the 
 council now became tense. On November 12 
 a resolution was ottered in council that 
 "wh(>i'(>as it is repoj-fed that the volunteer
 
 TTTSToijY OF (;i!i:.\'ri;i; ixdi.wai-oi.is. 
 
 175 
 
 fire cdiiipMuii'S ai'P in a state of rebellion and 
 refuse to render strviee at tires,'" tlie eoiuicil 
 buy two engines and hose wagons, buy four 
 horses, hire six men to take eharge of tlie 
 equipment, and employ 40 men to \v<irk thr 
 engines. Xo action was taken then, but it 
 was eviilent that there would be. and on that 
 day Councilman Kiiirlish resigned. On No- 
 vendici- 14. tlie council, by an unanimous vote, 
 suspended the rules and pa.ssed an ordinance 
 di.sbandiug the volunteer companies. It then 
 pa.s.sed another organizing a paid department 
 with Joseph W. Davis as chief engineer. Then 
 followed a resolution for two engine com- 
 panies and a liook and ladder company, the 
 first engine company, under Capt. Charles 
 Richiiiann to take tlie Conqueroi- engine and 
 the Invincible's house; the second, under 
 Capt. W. 0. Sherwood, to take the Indiana, 
 No. 4, engine and the Western's house: and 
 the hook and ladder company, under Capt. 
 W, \V. Darnall, to take the apparatus and 
 house of the old company on the west end 
 of the .Market S(|uare. Conncilmen Wallace. 
 VandcL'rift and (ieisendortf were appointed 
 a eonuiiittce to carry the resolution into ef- 
 fect and make such contracts as might be 
 needed. 
 
 On -Xovember 19, Hichmann reported that 
 his eompany wa.s organized and 25 men em- 
 ployed. Daniall i-eported that he could not 
 organize the hook anil ladder company unless 
 a iiorse wei-e fui-iiished to haul the ti'uck. 
 which was (piite heavy. Sherwood reported 
 that he was unable to organize a eompany. 
 and that the cause of the failure was ob.jec- 
 tion to Chief Engineer Davis. ]Mr. Cotti-ell 
 at nncp offered a motion that, inasmuch as 
 the wester'ii part of the city had failed to oi'- 
 ganize. the engine be located at the Xo. o 
 hon.se, ]irovided a eompany organized there. 
 This was lost, and the mihler course was 
 taken of directing the chief engineer to fur- 
 ni.sh a list of names to Captain Sherwood. 
 and that he accept them "if sober and com- 
 petent men". At the same meeting the com- 
 mittee which had been appointed to buy 
 horses reported the i)urchase of foui-. and 
 recommended the |)nr('hase of two more, one 
 of which should be f(u- the hook and ladder 
 company; which recommendation was adopt- 
 ed. On Xovember '26, Sherwood and Darnall 
 '■eportcd their companies organized and ready 
 
 i'or .service. At this meetintr the council took 
 uj) the resignation rf Mr. Knglish. .•nd 
 adopted luianiinously a resolution i-ecitiug 
 that lie had resinned "for the rea.soa that 
 he was an untiring and uncompromising 
 friend of the ^'olunteel• Fire Department, anil 
 preferred to i-etire rather than to a.ssist in 
 instituting a paid fire (le]iai'tiiieiit " : that "we 
 ap])reciate his efforts in behalf of the Volun- 
 teer Fire Department, and rcLrret that we 
 were deprived of his services in instituting 
 the new department": and that the council 
 "bear testimony that he was faithful and 
 honest in all his otificial acts while letrislatiiur 
 for the city, and we feel his loss from our 
 couiu'il chamber". This oil foi- the troubled 
 waters was introduced by Councilman Andy 
 Wallace, who was a wise nuin in his genera- 
 tion, even if he did later write a letter to 
 one of the city papei's criticising the City 
 Library because it contained "the pernicious 
 works of Bocos", 
 
 Thi' atmosphere now beuan to clear. On 
 Di'ceiiiber 3 the Reliefs submitted a compro- 
 mise proposition offering to surrender their 
 new engine aiul all apparatus except the old 
 rowboat engine if the city would pay the 
 sum of !)>742.1o, which was still due on the 
 engine. This was at once accepted. On Jan- 
 uary 14, 1860, the ^Marions submitted a prop- 
 osition to sui'i'cnder all of their property if 
 the city would pay the amounts still iliie on 
 the same. This was referred to a committee, 
 which found the amount due to be $9(1. :?n, 
 and the otfei- was accepted. With these trans- 
 a<'tions the relations of the city and the vol- 
 unteer companies closed, and an cixieh in 
 the city's history ended. It is gratifying 
 that the ending was sueli as to leave no bit- 
 terness. There has always lieen a warm feel- 
 inc for the men who fei- miu'c than a (luarter 
 of a century foiiuht the city's battles against 
 fii'c. and there have been no bettei- friends 
 of the i)aid depai'tment than the old-time tire 
 laddies who had learned from ex])erieiu>e what 
 fire service meant. 
 
 During the time of the volunteer depart- 
 ment, fires were neithei- numerous nm- exten- 
 sive as mea'jured bv the standards of today. 
 Coal oil and gas( line were not in use, and 
 Hues wei-(> not of intrieate construction. The 
 framework of buildiii'.'s was heavier, and iiine 
 was not in use. so that smne of the features
 
 nc. 
 
 HISTOEY OF GIJEATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 of modem "slow-burning- eonstnietion" were 
 iu ueneral use. And people were more care- 
 ful, p(ssibly because more of them in pro- 
 portion occupied their own homes and did 
 not feel the tenant's lack of responsibility. 
 The first recorded fire was Carter's tavern 
 in 1825, as noted, and the second is said to 
 have been the residence of Nicholas MeCarty 
 about 1827. Henry Brady's residence was de- 
 stroyed by fire July 15, 1832. The next of im- 
 portance recorded was Scudder & Ilannaman's 
 tobacco factory on Kentucky avenue in 1838, 
 which is said to have caused a loss of $10,000, 
 uninsured. On February 4, 1843, Wa-shing- 
 ton Hall was damaged to the extent of $3,000, 
 and only saved from destruction by hard 
 work of the eni^ine companies and hundreds 
 of citizens who formed bucket lines. The 
 weather was very cold, the water freezing 
 whenever it fell away from the fire. This 
 was the great Whig hotel, and possibly for 
 that reason efforts were made to burn it in 
 May, 1848.' A fire on Washington street 
 on May 14, 1848, burned out two or three 
 stores, and threatened others, but was finally 
 extineuished by the combined eft'orts of the 
 engines and tlic citizens, women aiding in 
 the bucket lines.- Another on December 27, 
 
 ^Locomotive, May 27, June 3, 1848, 
 -Locomotive, May 20, 1848. 
 
 1848, burned Stretcher's furniture store, 
 Cox's warehouse and Xoel «& Co. 's warehouse.' 
 The old Hannaman mill burned in January, 
 1851, while occupied by ]Merritt & Coughlen. 
 in 1853 there were some trying fires. The 
 first was the large stables back of the Wright 
 House, on August 10. Sevei'al other build- 
 ings took fire from this, but by great elforts 
 of citizens and firemen the destruction was 
 confined to the stables. On November 16, 
 1853, the old Steam iMill burned, and gave 
 most of the community an exhausting task. 
 The bad year closed with the burning of Kel- 
 shaw & Sinker's foundry in December. The 
 old ferry-house was damaged by fire on No- 
 vember 27, 1855, and Carlisle's mill was 
 l)urned on January 18, 1856. In 1857 the 
 foundry of Ira Davis & Co. at Delaware and 
 Pogne's Run was destroyed by fire. The year 
 1858 was another bad one. witnessing the 
 burning of Ferguson's pork house, Allen 
 May's pork house, and the old city foundry, 
 which was then occupied by E. C. Atkins 
 with an inc'pient saw works. Atkins then 
 built and occupied a small shop near the same 
 place, which burned in June, 1859. The 
 burning of Hill's saw mill on East street, in 
 October, 1859, closed the era of the volun- 
 teer companies. 
 
 ''Locomoiivc. December 30, 1848,
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 
 SOMK ti|,|)/n.MH KELIGION. 
 (By Mks. Anx.v C. Baggs.)' 
 
 I cannot fcnu'inin'i- wlun I was not re- 
 ligiously inilini'd. The bible I have read 
 and stiulieil from childhood. I enjoyed the 
 iarg:e family bible that lay on the stand in 
 my mother's n oin when I was not tall enoiig:h 
 to read it with ease. It was what we called 
 a candle-stanil. There was always a white 
 cover, with netted frinjie around it, on that 
 stand, and on top the bible. I had a little 
 green wooden stool upon which 1 stood to 
 make me hi^h enouuh to look at the pictures. 
 and read in the ^food book. '!"he schools were 
 very diti'ei-ent then and now. What dititicnlt 
 text books we had I No simplified work for 
 us ! At eight years of age I was in the large- 
 dictionary spelling class, where we were com- 
 pelled to conunit a cohuiui of words with 
 their definitions daily. .Joscpbus Cicero 
 Worrall was our teacher; woe be unto us if 
 we did not have our lessons. In this same 
 school were the Wallace, Cobni'u and Dunlaji 
 boys. I next attended a ^fethodist school 
 for two years, taught by a ^fiss Leseur. She 
 was not nnieh of a teacher— at least she did 
 not a|)peal to me. She was a cranky maiden 
 lady. When I was eleven years old. my 
 
 ' Mi's. Anna ('. Haggs, who has kindly 
 furnished this chapter, is a daughter 
 of Obed Foote, mentioned elsewliere as one 
 of the earliest settlers of Indianapolis, and 
 the most prominent of its early .justices of 
 the peace. As a luitive, and life-long resi- 
 dent of Indianaiiolis. educated at St. .Mary's 
 Seminary, and always in close touch with 
 the religious lif(> of the place, her conti-ibu- 
 
 tion has an cs| ial value as histoiy at first 
 
 hand. 
 
 Vol. 1—12 1 
 
 bi'other arrived at tin- age of twenty-one, 
 and I chose him for my personal guai-dian, 
 and Mr. Sanuicl Heck (an old friend of the 
 familj^j for my property guai'dian. .My 
 brother sent nic to St. Clary's Seminary, an 
 Kpiseopalian school. Dr. Samuel Johason 
 was rector of the church and also principal 
 of the school. His wife, Julia (aftei'wards 
 .Mrs. Stoughton A. Fletchei-i, was his a.ssist- 
 ant. Dr. Johnson, both as rector and as 
 teacher, was true to his pujjils. He helped 
 us both intellectually and spiritually. I 
 think he was disappointed that I did not 
 choose the Episcopalian church, but I told 
 him I could not be a true church woman, be- 
 cau.se I believed in other denominations, and 
 that there were other churches as good as 
 the Kpiscopalian. 
 
 In the fall of LS4« l)i-. (lillette was sent 
 to Roberts Chapel. He was one of nature's 
 noblemen, a thoroughly consecrated Christian 
 uiinister, so graceful and courteous in man- 
 ner. Having been educated in the navy, he 
 renuiiued in the navy for two or thi-ee years 
 after his conversion: then he felt the call 
 to i)reach, and entered the ^lethodist itiner- 
 acy. His sermons abounded in nautical ex|)re.s- 
 sions. He seemed to know the bible fi'om the 
 first verse of Genesis to the la.st verse of 
 Revelation. His charming mannei's first at- 
 tracted me; he was so gentle in his bearing 
 to everyone. I was the first yoiuig person he 
 spoke to on the sub.iect of religion, in Iinlian- 
 apolis. He was especially interested in me 
 liecause I was an oi'|ilian. He began pro- 
 tracted meetings about the firsf of Jaiuiary, 
 1S47. It was my last year at school. I could 
 not attend the meetings regularly. Init on the
 
 178 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 28th (if •Tiiiiuai-\-. iii>' t'onrtrentli liirllidjiy, I 
 went to the Thursday night nieetinu. I went 
 to the allar, cave myself to tlie Loid; eom- 
 mitted my way unto Him. 
 
 I think it was really the beaiitifiil man- 
 ners of Dr. and Mrs. Gillette that just at 
 that time won me to IMethodism, for I am the 
 only member on either my mother's or my 
 father's side that is a ^Methodist. ^Fy mother 
 had been a charter member of Roberts Chapel, 
 but she died the ijth of January. 184:1 I 
 attended the Rolieits Chajiel Sunday-sehool 
 in the afternoon, but the Episeoi)alian Sun- 
 day-sehool in the mornins, often staying to 
 church with my sister, who was a couununi- 
 cant of Christ Church. For two years be- 
 fore I joined the church I was a member of 
 Brothel- Tutewiler's class, and a rejrular at- 
 tendant. I did not speak, but I attended. 
 And whil(> I was not an acknowleds'ed mem- 
 ber of the church until I was fourteen years 
 old, I always received a little pink ticket for 
 the quarterly love feast, for in those days you 
 could not enter the love feast meetinjr with- 
 out a ticket— otherwise the members would 
 have been crowded out, so general was the 
 desire to hear the experiences of these 
 Christians. 
 
 Seventy yeai's aso the (|uarterly meeting 
 was an important event to the little connnun- 
 ity that worshipped in the ^Methodist chni-eh 
 at the southwest corner of ^leridian and 
 Circle streets (now ^rouument Place). For 
 weeks the "apiiroaching quarterly meeting'' 
 had been a subject of prayer, not only in 
 the congregation on Sabbath, but at the 
 weekly prayer meeting, the family altar, and 
 at secret prayer; "that there might be a 
 refreshinu- from the pi'esence of the Lord, 
 sinners convicted and converted, backslidei's 
 reclaimed, and believers built up in theii' 
 most holy faith". In the homes they were 
 bu.sy making |)repai-ations to entertain the 
 presiding elder, the district stewards, ami all 
 visiting brethi-en. The members of the church 
 po.ssessed the old-fa.shioned idea of hospitality 
 and the.v deemed it a pleasure to entertain 
 not only the elder and stewards, but other 
 friends that came in from the surrounding' 
 country to enjoy the ])rivileges of the meet- 
 ings. The simple muslin curtains were freshly 
 laundered and rehung, the andinms given an 
 extra polish, the brick heai-tbs a fi-esh co<ir 
 
 of red ])aint, and the jiantry rejjlenished with 
 the good things so necessary to the happiness 
 of the hostess or enteitainer. 
 
 The elder generally arrived in the village 
 Thursday m time for supper and the prayer 
 meeting. Friday before the quarterly meet- 
 ing was always observed as a day of fasting 
 and prayer. A.lso on this day the elder, with 
 "the preacher in charge", visited the homes 
 of the aged and the sick members, in 
 fact all the shut-ins, holding with each a sea- 
 son of song and prayer. Friday evening 
 there was a short service in the church. Sat- 
 urday morning at 10 o'clock there was a 
 preaching service. The men of the church 
 attended, as well as the women. I have often 
 heard the old folks sav, "what a blessed meet- 
 
 ORIGINAL WESLEY CHAPEL BUILT IN 1S29. 
 (From an old cut.) 
 
 iug we had this morning : I really believe our 
 Saturdaj' morning services are the very best 
 of the season"'. It was no small sacrifice 
 for some that were pi'esent to lay aside their 
 business in the middle of the day and spend 
 an hour or longer in worship. Satui'day 
 evening was given over to the preparation 
 for the Sabbath. The good housewife had 
 everything arranged that as little cooking as 
 possible should be done on the Sabbath day. 
 On quarterly uu='eting occasions, knowing a 
 crowd would be present Sabbath morning, 
 we were all ready and stai-ted in good time 
 to obtain comfoi-table seats. I rather liked 
 the eai-ly ai-riva! at the church, for I could 
 watch the people as they entered. Fathers 
 and nuithers, brothens and sisters could walk
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER. INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 179 
 
 to the church tog-ether, but at the door they 
 must be separated, the boy.s goino: with the 
 fattier on one side of the aisle, and the girls 
 witli th'' mother on the other side. 
 
 .\iiii ng the first to (>ntei-. in a very stately, 
 dignified uiaiuu'r. were Morris Morris, wit'e. 
 boys an<l girls. The fathi'i-. a tall, angular 
 man. aeeoniiianied iiy the sons, Austin, 
 Thomas and John : the mother, a stout lady, 
 always dresseil in soft gray dresses, wool in 
 winter aiul silk in sununer, her daughters, 
 Aiiumda. Julia and the little girl, Bettie. 
 Mrs. Morris oci-upied a ehair in the "aineii 
 corner", and the girls sat near her. .Mrs. 
 JLorris earrit'd a large white feather' fan, 
 which was the admii'Htiou of njy young life. 
 I resolved that when I grew to be a big lady 
 I would have a fan like hers. But here comes 
 Alfred flaiM-ison and his sweet-faced wife, his 
 dauirhter Mary, a tall. (|ueenly girl, and the 
 little iiirl. Des.sda. Down the opposite aisle 
 w:iiki-d Mrs. Kinder with her four dauvjhters. 
 tlie famous twins among them. Then came 
 Mrs. Henry I'orter and Miss Pamelia nan- 
 son; and here is brother Isaac Phipps with. 
 his merry black-eyed wife and three mischiev- 
 ous daiis^hters: tlien Tncle George Norwood, 
 his daughters ^laria and Louisa following; 
 then .Mi-s. Pa.xton and Miss Susan Luce, so 
 dennire and saintl.v-lookinu'. 
 
 Then come Henrv TIannaman and his young 
 wife; Mrs. (iiven and her thi'ee handsome 
 dauL'hters; Aaron Johnson and his unique- 
 looking wife. James Drum, immaculately 
 clad. ap]iears. James was the leader of the 
 siniring. and occupied the very front seat. 
 Then there weiv amonir the younirer inembeis 
 Samuel Beck. Henr.v Tutcwiler and Jesse 
 Jones; but now the ciuircli is filling i'ai)idl.v. 
 I am crowded into such a snudl sjiace in the 
 corner my view is limited, hut there come 
 the elder and the preacher. They lay their 
 bats on the table, go up the steps of the pul- 
 pit, and kneel a few miinites in silent i)i-ayci'. 
 Then the elder annoliiiei's the hymn. I'ejiils it 
 thi-oiiL'li : 
 
 "Befcre .leJKivali '-- awful tlii'one 
 Ve luitions bow in sacred .io.v. 
 
 Kiiiiw that the Lord is God alone; 
 lie e:iii eiivile Mild lie destroy.'" 
 
 Tlieii iirL'iiii;' 1li<- eoiiL;reL.';itioM to sing with 
 
 the spirit and the understiiiiding. he lines 
 the hymn, two lines at a time. Brother Drum 
 starts the tune. The whole congregation .ioiii 
 in singing. There are few hymn-books in 
 the audience, so the minister alwa.vs lines the 
 hymns that are given out fi-om the pulpit. 
 After singing the hynui, the entire congrega- 
 tion is requested to kneel in prayer. All, 
 turning, kneel with faces to the backs of their 
 l)ews. It seem.s to me now, through these sev- 
 enty years, I can hear the dee|) tones of the 
 elder as he revei'enflv pra.ved ; "Oh. Thou 
 who inhnbitest eteriiit.v. Thon Ci'cator and 
 ju'eserver of mankind. Thou who ditlst send 
 Thine oidy begotten Son into the world, that 
 will soever believeth on Ilim should not per- 
 ish, but shoidd have eternal life: to Thee we 
 come this morninu, knowing we are unworthy, 
 but we come in the name of Jesus, our Medi- 
 ator and Redeemer." 
 
 The pra.yer of adoration, of confession, of 
 supplication, of thanksgivitiir, was accompan- 
 ied by the heart.v ''aniens", "hallelu.iahs". 
 "praises to the Lord", of the earnest mem- 
 bers of the church. At the conclusion of the 
 prayer the congregation, being seated, led by 
 Brother Dr>un, the.v heartil.v .joined in sing- 
 ing some familiar hymn: "Come, Thou 
 Fount of Every Blessing", "Jesiis "Sly All to 
 Heaven has (ione", or "Oh, Hapi\v Day that 
 Fixed My Choice". The morning lessons 
 woidd be read, one fi-om the Old, the other 
 from the New Te.stament. The inevitable col- 
 lection would be taken, with an exhortation 
 to give liberally to the support of the chiu'ch. 
 .Another h.ymn lined and sunu'. and then would 
 conu' the sei-mon. In those da.vs the jiresidimj: 
 elders were the strong men of the confei'cnce 
 and invai'iabl.v go'd sermonizers. The ])cople 
 were willing to listen to a sermon an hour 
 and fifteen or an hour aud twenty minutes 
 long. I believe, a.s a rule, their senuons were 
 on God's plan of saving the woi-ld. the iilau 
 of salvation from the .\i-iiiiiiiMii pnint of 
 view. The text would be from the Old Testa- 
 ment, some lu'oplieey nf the coming of the 
 .Messiah, the eflect of His coming and the 
 results. The fii-st of th(> sermon was argu- 
 mentative, the secoiul fulfilled pi'0])liec.v, and 
 lastl.v the efl'ect on the wiu-ld of the coming 
 of Christ, the api)lication to dui' own souls — 
 the consciousness of ;i personal Savi(U'. T 
 (d'fen wondered wli\' the Hist of the sermon
 
 180 
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 was not as enthusiastically delivered as the 
 suniniint;- up at the close. 
 
 ^\fter the sermon "the doors of the church 
 were opened", an invitation given to join 
 the church, either on probation or by letter, 
 the long meter doxology was sung, the con- 
 gregation was dismissed with the apostolic 
 benediction. They slowly and reverently filed 
 out of the church, but when out on the lawn 
 began the buzz of the greetings of the breth- 
 ren and sisters of the chiu'ch. The out-of- 
 town visitoi-s were invited to the homes of the 
 members. The sernum and church affaire 
 were the topics of conversation ; all worldli- 
 ness was avoided. Arriving at the homes, 
 the dinner was soon in readiness. No expanse 
 of fine table linen was visible, for every avail- 
 able inch was covered. Either turkey or 
 chiclicn (according to the season), vegetables, 
 jellies, pickles, preserves, bread, butter, pie 
 and cake. The viands were all placed before 
 you. You could make your choice of the 
 various eatables. How heartily they did eat! 
 After dinner there was a little rest for the 
 older people. The children went to the Sab- 
 bath school. At 3 o'clock the members gath- 
 ered at the cliurch to celebrate the holy com- 
 munion. After entering the house of God 
 there was no recognition of friends, no bow- 
 ing and smiling, but everyone seemed engaged 
 in silent prayer. The services were intro- 
 duced by singing that grand old hymn: 
 
 ' ' When I survey the wondrous cross 
 On which the Prince of Glory died, 
 
 ]My richest gain I count but loss. 
 And ]>our contempt on all my pride." 
 
 The ordained ministers and local preachci-s 
 were invited to come to the altar and join in 
 the consecration of the bread and wine. After 
 the simy)]e ritual of the church was concluded, 
 and the ministers had partaken of the holy 
 emblems, all the members of the IMethodist 
 church, and the members of any sister church 
 that might be present, were invited to come 
 to the table of the Lord. Brother Drum was 
 requested to lead in singing a vei-se, while 
 conniiunicants were coming and going, but 
 not during the administering of the sacra- 
 ment. He began \\ itli : 
 
 ■'lb' dies, the friend of sinners dies. 
 Lci, Sjili'in's daughters weep around; 
 
 A sudden darkness veils the skies, 
 A sudden trembling shakes the ground. 
 
 Come saints and drop a tear or two 
 For him who groaned beneath your load ; 
 
 He shed a thousand drops for you— 
 A thousand drops of riclier blood." 
 
 Or- 
 
 "Alas, and did my Saviour bleed? 
 
 And did my Sovereign die? 
 Would he devote that sacred head 
 
 For such a worm as I?" 
 
 The beginnings of the hymns were sad, but 
 they ended with the triumph of the risen 
 Christ. As the meeting progressed the hymns 
 became more joyous. After all the white 
 folks had communed, the ci)lored friends from 
 the gallery were invited to come and i)artake 
 of the holy conmuinion. With suppressed 
 emotion they came down the gallery steps and 
 down the aisle to the table, i'rostrating theiii- 
 selves, with most reverent humility, they re- 
 ceived the emblems of Christ's broken body 
 and shed blood. Their joy was too great to 
 be further restrained ; they went back to theii- 
 seats shouting hallelujahs to God. 
 
 IMonday night the love feast was held. As 
 mentioned, no one could be admitted witiioiit 
 a ticket. The members received their tickets 
 when they paid their quai-terage. Outsiders 
 could procure tickets from the pastor or some 
 one of the class leaders, but they nuist prom- 
 ise to conduct themselves propei-ly while pres- 
 ent. On a table in front of the pulpit were 
 four plates of very small squares of lijzlit- 
 bread, and as many pitchers of water with 
 glasses. After the singing of a hynni and 
 prayer came the peculiar ceremony of pa.ssing 
 this bread and water, each pei*son taking a 
 liiece of bread and a sip of water in token of 
 the love and fellowship existing among the 
 members. Then the ((uarterly report was pre- 
 sented by the pastor, telling of the niuiiber 
 who had died, who had removed, the nuinher 
 of probationers, the number of convei-sioiis, 
 the present number of members in full stand- 
 ing, and the moneys received and disbursed. 
 
 The pastor would give his persoiud experi- 
 ence, then turn the meeting over to the mem- 
 bers to conduct according to tlieir pleasure. 
 Father Foudray, a sweet singer in Israel, was 
 generallv the first to speak, lie liked, he
 
 lllsroKV OK (MiKATKi; I N DlAXAl'Ol.lS. 
 
 ISI 
 
 Siiiil. ti> "sti'ii out from tlic h\i.sy tln-imj;- and 
 sit ilowii by the wayside to meditate on and 
 talk aliont the Chi-ist", who had done so niueh 
 foi- liim. Christ had always been a present 
 help in every time of trouble. "He walks 
 by my side and helps me over the roush 
 places. lie is the ( )ne in whom my soul takes 
 delitrht.'" Sittinii- down he sintrs: 
 
 "Oh. 'I'hon in whose ])resence my snul takes 
 delight, 
 
 On whom in affliction I call: 
 My comfort by day and my song- in the night : 
 
 My hope, my salvation, my all." 
 
 A strange brother arises and says: ''Ten 
 years ago at a eamp-meeting across the Ohio 
 river, in the woods in Kanetucky. I was con- 
 victed of sin. I went to the mourner's bench. 
 sought forgiveness, was pardoned, and, thank 
 the Lord, I have never backslid. Pray for 
 me, friends, that I may always be faithful, 
 outride the storms of life and get home to 
 glory." Mother Little would speak. She al- 
 ways held her hantlkei'chief over her face, and 
 with a sobbing, muffled voice gave her experi- 
 ence. Those near her could understand, hut 
 I could not catch her words. There was al- 
 ways a peculiar interest in listening to her, 
 hecause, in the old country, she had seen and 
 heard .lolui Wesley, and was one of his eon- 
 verts. 
 
 Brothel- l'lii|)ps was a very proud young 
 iiiiin and ahhoi-i'ed the mourner's bench, but 
 when ho was convicted of sin and felt the 
 need of a Savioui-, he found him.self on his 
 knees at the mourner's bench praying aloud 
 for mercy. The Lord heard his prayer, and 
 forgave his sins. .Vow he could sing: 
 
 "My God is reconciled, 
 I liis pardoning voice I hear, 
 
 lie owns me for His child, 
 
 I can no longer fear, 
 
 (ilory to His name." 
 
 A dear old lady arcse and said: "When 
 a little girl I attended a revival meeting at 
 old St. CJeorge's church. Philadelphia. After 
 a stirring exhortation by the pastor, he said, 
 'Now, everybody tluit wants to lead a new 
 life, that would like to be a follower of Christ, 
 hold up your right hand'. I saw the hands 
 going up. I felt I wanted to hold up mine. 
 but T was sue]] a little girl no one would 
 
 n< tice me. I had on a little red cloak. I held 
 up my hand under my cloak, and made my 
 pledge to my heavenly Father. I knew He 
 could see me, if no one else could. I am 
 thankful for that decisive moment, for Jesus 
 has been my friend all my life. Amidst all 
 its vicissitudes He has been with me to com- 
 fort and sustain me. Thank the Lord that 
 even a little child nuiy know Him." 
 
 A brother said: "I came here this evening 
 with a heavy heart, the cry of which is, 
 ' Where is the blessedness I knew when firet 
 T saw the Lord? Where is the soul-refresh- 
 ing view of Jesus and His word?' Friends, 
 pray for me that the clouds may be removed 
 from my mind-sky, and that I may once moi-e 
 be blessed with the witness of the Holy Spirit 
 of my acceptance with Cod." A brother 
 sings: 
 
 "Oh do not be discouraged. 
 
 For Jesus is your friend. 
 And if you lack for knowledge, 
 
 H(>'11 not refuse to lend: 
 Wither will He upbraid you, 
 
 Thouah ofttimes you request; 
 He'll give you grace to conquer 
 
 And take you home to rest." 
 
 A sister said: '1 :ini glad salvation is 
 free: that whosoevei- will may partake of the 
 water of life freely." Then with a voice that 
 iilled the house with its melody, she sang: 
 
 "Long as I live I'll still be crying, 
 
 Mercy's free! ]\Iercy's free! 
 And this shall be my theme when dying, 
 
 Mercy's free! ?»Iercy's free! 
 And when the vale of death I've passed. 
 And lodged above the stormy blast, 
 I'll sing while endless iiges last, 
 M erey 's f i-ee ! iMei'cy "s free. ' ' 
 
 The song and the singer awakened the 
 greatest enthusiasm. An old man. trembling 
 with age. arose and said : "My life is nearly 
 spent. It will not be long luitil I shall come 
 face to face with death. He that has been 
 with me, will still be with me, and bring me 
 off more than conqueror. T do not doubt my 
 admittance into the New Jerusalem. Then 
 I shall walk its gold-iiaved streets. The soft 
 iiand of Jesus shall \\\]io every tear from my 
 eye. I will meet the loved ones gone before, 
 and we shall he forevei- with the Ijord.
 
 183 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 " 'AdcI wheu to Joi-dau's flood we are come. 
 
 We are come; 
 And when to Jordan's flood we are come: 
 Jehovah rules the tide. 
 And the waters he'll divide. 
 And the ransomed host shall shout, 
 
 We 
 
 le ! W 
 
 e are eonie 
 
 And so with song and testimony no time 
 went to waste. One would infer from the 
 experiences given that the Christian life was 
 a warfare: that we oould not expect to go to 
 lieaven on flowei'v licds of ea.se. but — 
 
 ■ ■']"() watch, and ti'jlit, and pray, 
 
 The battle ne'er give o'er, 
 Renew it boldly day by day. 
 
 And help divine implore." 
 The i>astor said : 
 
 ■"My willing soul would stay 
 
 In such a frame as this. 
 And sit and sing herself away 
 
 To everlasting bliss." 
 
 "But it is time now to dismiss our meeting. 
 We are grateful for the refreshment we have 
 had from the Lord. Good has been done; the 
 church has been strengthened. Now let us all 
 sing : 
 
 " 'Together let us sweetly live. 
 
 Together let us die. 
 And each a starry crown receive. 
 
 And reign above the sky.' " 
 
 The benediction was pronounced, and the 
 quarterly meeting was something of the past. 
 It was gone, leaving only pleasant memories. 
 But not all the experiences of my childhood 
 were so happy. I was brought up under the 
 old-fashioned regime that children should be 
 seen, and not heard. Being a delicate child. 
 I was constantly thrown in contact with older 
 people, heard much of their conversations, and 
 drew my own conclusions. A few months of 
 my childhood were terrorized by what was 
 called "Millerism". I heard the people talk 
 of the second coming of Christ. The day 
 was set. and rapidly approaching. INIy imag- 
 ination ran riot, depicting to my.self the hor- 
 rors (sf what should be— the loud thunder; 
 the lightning flashes; the rolling together of 
 the heavens as a scroll ; the cries of the wicked 
 
 as they would call upon the mountains and 
 rocks to fall upon them, to hide them froiii 
 the presence of the mighty God. They were 
 not Millerites in our family, but the "ism" 
 was discussed. I hoped they were right, yet 
 feared they might not be. ily mother did 
 not know the agony I suffered or she would 
 have soothed and comforted me. Across the 
 alley from our house, on the rear of the lot, 
 lived Dicky Weeks and his family. There 
 was a little girl of my age, and I used to play 
 with this little girl. This family were ^liller- 
 ites. They had their white robes made, ready 
 at the second coming to fly up and meet the 
 Lord in the air. To me that was a wonderful 
 thing. Dicky Weeks had laid aside his daily 
 labor, and .spent his time in prayer, praise 
 and reading the bible. He believed God would 
 care for his own, even with all temporal bless- 
 ings, as he did for the widow of Zarephath. 
 f^very village had its yoimg wags : so. here, 
 were the Wallaces, the Dunlaps and the Co- 
 burns. They clubbed touether and decided 
 that they would confirm Dicky Wells in his 
 faith. As locks to doore and windows were 
 superfiuous— really unknown— these young 
 fellows could easily have access to the Weeks 
 kitchen; so every night when the family 
 would be sleeping, some one of the boys wnnUI 
 place there supplies for the next day. 
 
 At last the morning of the great dny ar- 
 rived. Up from the countiy came an old 
 lady, very tall, very angular. As she and 
 her family drove into the village, she stood 
 up in the wagon ; she had donned her white 
 robe; she drove through the one principal 
 street, ringing a bell, and exhorting the look- 
 ers-on to make ready for the coming. Hav- 
 ing gathered the faithful together, they 
 started toward the highest point east of the 
 village— I think where Hilton U. Brown's 
 house now stands f Xo. 5087 E. Washington) ; 
 and there they spent the day in prayer, praise 
 and exhortation. The sun kept on his liright 
 way, and Anally went down behind the iii'eat 
 forest trees. The stars came out one by one; 
 the bii'ds had gone to rest, and the tjuiet 
 niyht was settling down sweetly and peace- 
 fully over the earth. There had been no con- 
 vulsion of nature. The old world seemed to 
 be going on in the even tenor of its way. The 
 poor deluded souls took off their white robes, 
 folded them up cai-efullv and sori-owfnlly.
 
 HISTORY OF (.'ItKATEK INDIAXArOLlS. 
 
 183 
 
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 184 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 and wcndid tlu'ir way back to the village a 
 disappointed, unhappy band.- 
 
 Tliis incident introduces one of the unique 
 characters of our church, known in his hiter 
 years as Father Weeks. At this time there 
 was but the one ^Methodist church, Wesley 
 Chapel, in the vdlage. Father Foudray was 
 my mother's class leader. He was mucli be- 
 loved in our family. My mother was anxious 
 for the conversion of a young lady cousin 
 and my sister, who was about fifteen years 
 old. She thought if they would attend the 
 class-meeting, Father Foudray 's persuasive 
 powers and sweet singing would influence 
 them to the better life. They led class dif- 
 ferently then ; members did not speak volun- 
 tarily, but the leader called on every one in- 
 dividually to testify. Father Foudray would 
 not comjiel a timid sister to speak, but with 
 a word of advice, a text of Scripture and an 
 appropriate hymn, would pass on. Unfor- 
 tunately for my cousin, Dicky Weeks, then 
 a zealous young Methodist, was leading a 
 portion of the class that morning. AVhen he 
 came to this young lady, in a very loud, em- 
 phatic way, he asked her to speak a word for 
 the Lord— "Tell your brothers and sisters 
 what the Lord has done for you the past 
 week." My cousin smiled and shook her head. 
 He said: "What! Not a word for the 
 
 -Miller's jtrediction, based on an extremely 
 plausible interpretation of Scripture, was 
 that time would end in the vear. Jlareh 21. 
 1843, to March 21. 184-i. After the latter 
 date had passed, some of his followers con- 
 cluded that the error had been made in not 
 using the Jewish year, which extended the 
 peridd seven months; and fixed the last day 
 on (Jetober 22. which was generally acceiited. 
 The boy.s mentioned as supplying Weeks were 
 probably the victims of reputation. Weeks 
 worked at Yandes & Wilkins" tan-yard, and 
 his hopes and aspii-ations were fully known 
 to Uncle John AVilkius. who was a member 
 of the Methodist Chaiiel. and possessed of a 
 marked vein of luuimr. Brother Henry 
 Tutewiler. of the same church, likewise ap- 
 preciative of a .ioke. and chunnny with Wil- 
 kins, always said tliat Wilkins was the aiigcl 
 that replenished tlie Weeks' meal-jar. which 
 was set on the back porch for the conveni- 
 ence of his siipei'iiaturnl fi-iends. 
 
 Lord.'" As she did not respond, he said: 
 "Brethren and sistei-s, let us kneel and pray 
 that the dumb devil may be east out of this 
 young woman'': and. fallinu' on his knees be- 
 fore her, he prayed most vehemently that she 
 might be released from the power of the evil 
 spirit, and that thereafter she might be free 
 to testify for the God that was so good to 
 her. ]\Iy cousin, chagrined and humiliated, 
 left the class-room never to return, but soon 
 after, under the more gentle instruction of 
 Henry Ward Beecher, became a good Pres- 
 byterian: and my sister entered the Episco- 
 palian Church. 
 
 As the years passed, the old IMethodist hive 
 became too full. The conference felt that 
 there nnist be provision made for the increas- 
 ing population, so. in 1842. from the little 
 church at the southwest corner of ^leridian 
 and Circle streets, there was an eastern charge 
 set off, with ^Meridian street as the dividim;- 
 line. Never was a church organized with a 
 more devoted, self-sacrificing, practical, lov- 
 ing, tender-hearted niembership than this 
 "eastern charge", afterwards named Roberts 
 Ciiapel— now Roberts Park. The motto 
 adopted by this zealous people was, "Roberts 
 Chapel, ail toaether". They knew that in 
 uuion there is strength, and while there were 
 differences of opinion, each party would yield 
 a little to the other and thus all friction was 
 avoided. "See how these brethren dwell to- 
 gether in unity", was the one pride of the 
 church. They were strongly intrenched in 
 the old customs of men and women sitting 
 apart : of no music but the human voice ; of 
 plain dress — no putting on of gold and costly 
 apparel : so it was possible in 1846 to pass 
 the following preamble and resolutions: 
 
 "Whereas, we, the uudersiirned members 
 of the :\rethodist E. Church. Roberts Chapel 
 (Quarterly Conference, and trustees of said 
 Roberts Chapel, believe that instrumental 
 music and choir singing in public worship are 
 prejudicial to the w(u-ship of the Lord our 
 (iod: 
 
 "And whereas, we believe the Scriptures 
 retpiii'e sacred music to be made with the 
 human voice by sin'.;ing with the spirit and 
 with the understanding also: therefore, 
 
 "Resolved: That instrumental nnisic and 
 choir singing in public worship shall never
 
 lIls'l'ol.'V OK CRKA'I'I 
 
 be introduced into the eongregatiou attending 
 said Chapel with our consent, while we are 
 permitted to be members of said Chapel coii- 
 grreijation. 
 
 ■■2nd. Resolved: That we most sincerely 
 request all our sueeessors to the offices we 
 now occupy to adhere strictly to the prin- 
 ciples contained in the above preambk' and 
 resolutiou so lon<;' as it may please a kind 
 Providence to let said Roberts Chapel stand. 
 ■■3d. Resolved: That each of the members 
 of the (Quarterly ileetinii' Conference, to- 
 sietlier with tlic ti'ustees. suliscribc lii'r<'witli 
 their names officially. 
 
 ■■4th. Resolved: That the above be I'ccordcd 
 in the church book, and a copy be foi-wardetl 
 to the Western Cliristian Advocate for publi- 
 cation. 
 
 ■ 'Signed - 
 "Is.\.vc Piiipps, Sec. J. ]\Iarsee, P. E. 
 
 John Wilkiks Johx Louis Smith, S. P. 
 
 Joiix I). TnoRi-H Abraham Koontz 
 
 SaMUICI. (ioI.DSBEKRVSAilUEL BeCK 
 
 Henry Tutewiler Jas. W. Hii.l 
 William Smith Sims Colley 
 Joiix F. II ILL \V. R. Strange 
 
 .\ndre\v Brouse 
 •■Au-ust ■_'4tli. lS4(i."" 
 
 In those days Bi-ntiuy Kai-ns and lirotlier 
 Bristor sat in the center of tiie ehui'ch. and 
 led the singinir. The young people, both girls 
 and yoimg men, sat near them to assist in the 
 imisie. This lasted until about ISoO, when 
 Brother Thomas (!. Alfoi-d was transferred 
 from Wesley Chapel to Roberts Chapel, and 
 became the leader. Me was most faitliful — 
 never jiitched a hymn toct high or too low. 
 He coidd sing thi-iPUL;h a thi'ce months' revival 
 I and be as fresh at the close as at the begin- 
 ning. He was most aeconnnodating, never so 
 happy as when singing, in the gi'cat congre- 
 gation, at the social meetings, at the funerals, 
 and at the bedside of the sick and d\iiii;. But 
 as the years rolled on there was an unrest 
 among the younycr people — the same old ex- 
 cuse— we wanted to be moi-e like other people 
 and other churches. The organ was first 
 brought into the Sabbath school. :uid finally. 
 on feast days, when the children took pai-t in 
 •the service, up into the church. Families be- 
 ■,'an sittini: together. There were some cross 
 
 Xni \\ AI'OI.I.S. 
 
 1S.^ 
 
 looks from the older brethren and sisters, but 
 we had been warned by our leaders never to 
 discu.ss the (luestions. but to be very gentle 
 and respectful to our elders; and so these 
 great changes gradually came about. As we 
 left old Roberts Chapel I noi'theast corner of 
 i\larket and Peiuisylvauia streets) to go into 
 our new home, we left some of the old-fash- 
 ioned customs, but not the spirit of the old- 
 fashioned religion. A choir was organized, 
 with Dr. Heiskell as leader. It was a volun- 
 teer choir: no one was paid but the organist: 
 This faithful leader aiul choir sei-ved over 
 twenty years, when they were e.xeu.sed. and 
 the new order of things was inti-oduccd. 
 
 In relating these incidents of the long ago, 
 I do not mean to .speak lightly, nor to find 
 fault with the fathers and mothers of the old- 
 time church. They had the peculiar ideas of 
 their time concerning chui-ch government, the 
 form of service and the style of dress: but 
 they were honest in their belief and fully 
 convinced in their own minds that they were 
 right. I give them only to present an idea 
 of the customs of other days, veiy different 
 from the present. For change is written 
 everywhere. '"AVhatever lies in earth, or flits 
 in air, or tills the skies: all suffer change, 
 and we that air of soul and Itody mi.xed are 
 members of the whole:" and so our program 
 of public woi'sliip has changed — just enough 
 of ritual to add dignity and make the service 
 impressive. As at the Easter time I listened 
 to Hiss Hyatt play the March to Calvary. 
 I heard the solenni tread of the soldiers as 
 they led the ^Messiah from Pilate's .iudgment 
 hall, on througli the streets of the city, out 
 through the western gate, up the Mount of 
 Calvai-y. and there the consununation of the 
 gi-eat tragedy. The body, by loving hands, is 
 conveyed to the new sepulchre, laid away, 
 guarded by Roman soldiers. Then came the 
 sweet strains of Mendelssohn's Spring Song. 
 Early in the soft gray of the morning, that 
 first day of the week, I hear the birds sing- 
 ing: the grass is green: the crocuses, the daf- 
 fodils, the tuli])s. the hyacinths are blooming; 
 the brown buds are opening, clothing the fruit 
 trees in their beautiful pink and white blos- 
 soms; ;iiiil 1li;it sr|iiilclii-c has given up it.s 
 occui)ant; and lie. the Christ, is risen.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 AS OTIIEKS SAW US. 
 
 The reader will be aided in t-ettiiig a com- 
 prehensive view of Indianai)olis as it was by 
 a glance at the impressions it made on some 
 of its visitors. Among- these was Mine. The- 
 resa Pulszky, who was here iu 18.52, in Kos- 
 suth's party, and who published an account 
 of their visit to the United States under the 
 title. "White, Red. Black". She opens the 
 second vohune with the arrival of a deputa- 
 tion from Indianapolis, at Cincinnati, to es- 
 cort them to the capital, in accordance with 
 the invitation of the legislature. They all 
 started down the rivei', on a steamboat, for 
 Madison : but Kossuth, who was extremely 
 I)laiu-spoken, and who apparently discom- 
 moded himself for no one. shut himself up 
 in his cabin 1o lest, and left his party to 
 entertain the committee. In her diary ;\[rs. 
 I'nlszky says : 
 
 "We found most amiable persons amongst 
 them; Senator Mitchell and his lady, plain, 
 unassuming and kind-hearted people, inter- 
 ested themselves wannly about our children, 
 and when they understood that we had four, 
 they offered us to adopt one boy, as they were 
 childless. I took the proposal fm- a .jest, but 
 they told me that such adoptions were not 
 unusual here, and the,v reiterated their kind- 
 ness, sa.ying that by trusting the child to 
 them we should not lose him. When his edu- 
 cation would lie completed they would send 
 him back to us. and if we did not return to 
 Hungary, we should all come to them : though 
 they were not rich, they had enough likewise 
 for our wants. 
 
 "Mr. Robert Dale Owen, also a Seiuitor of 
 Indiana, is the son of the well-known philos- 
 opher, Robert Owen, with whom he had man- 
 aged the large conuiiunistical establishment of 
 'New llariiHinv' on tiie Wabash, which has 
 
 [>roved unsuccessful. We spoke about it with 
 him, and he remarked that nothing cmdd re- 
 place the stiuuilus of individual proprietor- 
 ship. His brother has since become a cele- 
 brated geologist, and has made the geological 
 survey of the north-western country for the 
 general government. He, himself, is a 
 wealthy farmer in Indiana, of great influ- 
 ence in the legislature. Some of the ideas 
 of his father he introduced into the laws of 
 Indiana. By his efforts the women have here 
 more legal rights in respect to the manage- 
 ment of their own propei'ty than in the other 
 States where the English common law pre- 
 vails, which considers the wives as miiuii-s, 
 and deprives them of the control of theii- 
 property. Accustomotl to see in Hunuai'y the 
 \v(]men managing their own inheritance, the 
 connnon law always appeared to me very bar- 
 barous, and I was glad to understand that 
 Indiana set an example, in this respect, to 
 the other States of the Union. Mr. Owen 
 spoke much about the new Constitution of 
 his State. He had taken great part in fram- 
 ing it last year, and explained to us that such 
 a refonn was easily carried in America. When 
 the General Assembly of a State finds it nec- 
 essary to alter the Constitution, it submits the 
 (|uestion to universal suff'rage, whether the 
 jH'ople wish to elect a convention or not. If 
 the ma.iority requires a new Constitution, the 
 membei's of the convention are elected by the 
 counties; a Con.stitution is drawn up. a short 
 report marks the different i-ef(n-ms and inno- 
 vations introduced, and the plan is submitted 
 to the acceptance or re.iection of the people. 
 The principal change suggested in the Consti- 
 tution of 1851, was, that the General Assem-' 
 bly shall not grant to any citizen privileges 
 (ir' inmuuiities which shall nut e(|ually belong 
 
 l«(i
 
 lllSI'ol.'V OF CKKATKR 1 X Dl A \ Al'OLIS. 
 
 187 
 
 to all the citizens. Tliis tendency to diseou- 
 tiuue jirivate bills, and to establish general 
 laws for tlie public at lartre, is a remarkable 
 feature of the di-aft. The Seci-etai-y. Auditor 
 and Treasurer of State, and the Su|)renie and 
 Circuit Judiies, foi-nierly eh( sen by the Leyis- 
 lature, are now selected by tb.e people and 
 the Judges are appointed only for a definite 
 term, not for life. The Lciiislatnre is pro- 
 hibited from incurring any debt, and resti-ic- 
 tioiis are estal)lished for Banks. These re- 
 forms j)rove that the Democrats had the ma- 
 jority in the Conventimi. Provisions were 
 likewise made for a uniform system of com- 
 mon sehiiols. where tuition sliall be free; the 
 Institutions for the blind, tlie deaf and dumb, 
 and the insane, ami a House of Refuge for 
 the reformation of Juvenile offenders, have 
 become State Institutit ns. ilost of these in- 
 novations liad been |)i-eviously accepted In- 
 other States. The election of the Judges b.v 
 the pc(iple. for instance, and foi- a limited 
 term, luis been introduceit in Xew York. Ohio, 
 and other States. 
 
 "But the most striking featuie of the Xew 
 Constitution was, to me, that whilst it begins 
 with tlie declaration tliat all men are created 
 e(|ual. it contiiins an article forbidiling any 
 ni'gro or mulatto to come into the State nf 
 Indiana after the adoption of the Xew Con- 
 stitution, and rccomiuends that future legis- 
 lation should provide for the future trans- 
 portation of the free colored inhabitants of 
 the State to the black republic of Liberia. 
 Of course I did not dissuise m.v surprise at 
 this inconsistenc.v, and ^Ir. Owen remarked, 
 that as the negro cannot obtain c(|ual social 
 and |)olitical rights amongst whites, owing to 
 the anli|)athy of the two races, it is greatly 
 to be desired that the black should find a free 
 home in other lands, whci-c |)ublic opinion 
 imposes u|)on color no social disabilities, oi' 
 political disfranchisement. 'Oui- children 
 shall not have helots bcfoic tliiir eyes', said 
 he. 'l^ut why are the.v to be helots.'' asked 
 I. 'In Ma.ssachuselts. as far as I know, in 
 Vei'mont and in Xew Yoi-k, they are free citi- 
 zens of the I'nited States, if they po,ss(>ss 
 landed f)ropert.v.' The answer was that piili 
 lie opinion disa|)proved this in Indiana. 
 
 "Another most interesting acfiuaintance for 
 nie was Mrs. Bolton, the poetess of Indiana, 
 distinguished bv lirr talent and her iiccom- 
 
 I)lishments. \Vc spent most i)leasant hours 
 with lier. and as her name is not yet known 
 in Europe. I insert here one of her poems, 
 connrnmicatcd to mc by .Mi-. Owen: 
 
 'Fi-om its home on high to a gentle flower. 
 
 That bloomed in a lonel.v grove. 
 The starlight came, at the twilight liour. 
 
 And whisi)ered a tale of love. 
 
 'Then the blossom's heart, so stiff and cold, 
 
 (!rew warm to its silent core, 
 And gave out perfume, from its inmost fold. 
 
 It never exhaled before. 
 
 'A.iul the blossom slept, tlil'o' the suiiuiiel' 
 night. 
 
 In tile smile of the aneel i'a,v. 
 Hut the morn arose with its garish liijht 
 
 .\nd the soft one stole awa.v. 
 
 "Tlu'n the zephyr wooed, as ho wandered by 
 Where the gentle How 'ret gi-ew. 
 
 But she gave no heed to his ])laintive sigh, 
 Her heart to its love was ti'ue. 
 
 'Ajid the sunbeam came, with a lover's art. 
 
 To cai-ess the flower in vain : 
 She folded her sweets in her thrilling lu'ai-t 
 
 Till th(> starlight came again.' 
 
 "It is a sweet flower of the West. 
 
 "Witli the other ladies 1 spoke much of 
 their household concerns. The.v almost all 
 lived on fai'ins or in small country towns. 
 where their husbands, the Senators and Rep- 
 resentatives, were law.vers. |)liysiciaiis oi- mer- 
 chants, and come only to Indianapi lis fni' the 
 session. All complained ol' the great dil'li- 
 <'ult.v to get servants: colni-ed peeple are 
 scarce, whites work on their own account, ;ind 
 even the blacks say often, when askeil to come 
 as a liel]), 'l)o your business yourself. The 
 feeling of e(|ualit.v pei'vades this State so 
 much that people do not like to work for 
 wages. Towards evening we ari-ived at .Madi- 
 son. The fashionaljle pe()t)lc had as-sembled 
 in the church, and paid for their seats, in- 
 tending the result to be given to the Ilun- 
 e-arian funds: but Kossuth thought that in 
 the countr.v of e(|ualit.v such ])roceedings were 
 too exclusive, and he addressi^d the citizens 
 of .Mailison from the baleon.v of the hotel. 
 
 ■'Todav \\r left this small citv on the rail-
 
 ]S8 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 way. It is carried over a steep aseeiit from 
 tlu- banks of the Ohio to the high plain of 
 Indiana. Formerly this inclined plane wa.s 
 worked by stationary engines, but a workman, 
 Mr. Cathcart, overcame the difficulty by plac- 
 ing between the two rails a third rail, with 
 cogs corresponding to a wheel in the center of 
 the wagons. One day. rolling a heavy barrel 
 to the railway, he iiiis.sed the train, and had 
 to roll the cask up the hill. He repeatedly 
 stopped to rest, patting a stone under the 
 barrel that it might not slip down, and was 
 suddenly struck by the idea that cogs would 
 alleviate the a.scent, and diminish the danger 
 of the descent. He suljmitted his i)lan to the 
 Railway Company, they advanced him the 
 money for the experiment, and as it succeeded 
 they built the present line, and gave him 
 ;t;fci,000 for his patent. With this capital he 
 established himself as an engine builder in 
 Indianapolis, and" is getting a wealthy man. 
 
 ■'In the afternoon we reached the capital 
 of Indiana, a very small place, whose re- 
 sources are not yet sufficient to ]irovide for 
 drainage and ]iavement. The aboriginal mud 
 of the rich soil reminded me here of the 
 streets of Debreczin. We proceeded to the 
 hotel, whilst the gentlemen were paraded 
 through the sti-eets, and were introduced to 
 the Legislature. The hotel is very far from 
 nice, and the attendants seem to be fully 
 aware that everybody here is to do his own 
 business. For example, when I was in a 
 hurry to dress for the levee of Governor 
 Wright, and asked for a light, the waiter 
 brought two tallow candles, put them in my 
 hands, and pointing to the mantel-piece, he 
 said, 'There are the candle-sticks,' and left 
 the room. 
 
 "We went to the house of the Governor; 
 it is small, and I soon perceived why it is not 
 so comfortable as it could be. In thronged 
 the society and people of Indianapolis, ladies 
 and gentlemen of every description. ]\[uddy 
 boots and torn clothes, and again desperate 
 attemi)ts at finery: iilass jewels and French 
 silk dresses, which, after having found no 
 jjurchasers in .\ew York, have been sent to 
 the West. Some of llie mothers had their 
 babies in their arms: workmen appeared in 
 their blouses oi' dusty coats, just as they came 
 from the workshoii : fai-mers stepped in high 
 boots. Once iri(U-e we saw tliat tlir house of 
 
 the ( overnor is the property of the people. 
 And yet this incongruous mass did not behave 
 unbecomingly to a drawing-room. There was 
 no rude elbowing, no unpleasant noise, or dis- 
 turbing laughter. Had they but shaken hands 
 less violently ! I yet feel Western cordiality 
 in my stiff arm. 
 
 ■■^ladame Kossuth found the heat so op- 
 I>ressive that, accompanied by Mv. Pulszky, 
 s!ie went to the adjoining room. A waiter 
 was there arranging the table for supper. He 
 looked so different from the society in the 
 drawing-room that ^Ir. Pulszky asked him 
 whether he did not come from the old country. 
 "Yes, sir,' said the waiter, 'I came from Wor- 
 cestershire.' 'Do you like this country?' 
 'Sir,' was the answer, 'how could I like it? 
 1 lived in the old country and have there 
 served Lords. As soon as I have made here 
 so much money that I can iive ([uietly in 
 Worcestershire, I shall return." 
 
 "ilarch 2nd. — Now we are really in the 
 West. It rained for one day and we are 
 confined to our room : even clogs are of no 
 avail in the street, they stick in the mud. The 
 wind enters our room through a crevice in 
 the wall, large enough to pass through my 
 hand; and the fai-e! The bell was rung, we 
 went down to the dark dinner-room. The 
 table was covered with pies, celeiy, mashed 
 potatoes, sour wheat-bi-ead, tough cow-meat, 
 and cold pork. In the bottles nuiddy water. 
 The bell rung again, and the gentlemen burst 
 boisterously into the rooms, rushed to the 
 table, and pushing aside the chairs, stormed 
 the places which were left unoccupied b.y the 
 ladies. When the soup was handed round — 
 I think it was an infusion of hay — soleiim 
 silence ensued; I almost fancied we were 
 under the rule of the Auburn system; not a 
 single word was spoken, but foi-ks and knives 
 worked steadily. Eating, as it seems, is here 
 likewise a business, which unist be dispatched 
 as quickly as possible. 
 
 "Governor Wright is ;i type of the 
 Hoosiers. and justly prtnul to be one of them. 
 I a.sked him wherefrom his people had got 
 this name. He told me that 'Hoosa' is the 
 Indian name for maize ; the principal produce 
 of the State.' The Governor is plain, eor- 
 
 ' As to this eiTor. see Ind. l/ist. Soc. f'ubs.. 
 Vol. 4. Xo. -'. p. 17.
 
 HISTORY OF r; HEATER INDIAXArOLIS. 
 
 IS!) 
 
 dial and practical, like a farmer, with a deep 
 religious tinge. Yesterday we went with him 
 to the Methodist church, and I saw that 
 Methodism is the form of Protestantism that 
 best suits the people of the West. No glit- 
 tering formalities, no -working on the imagi- 
 nation, not much of reasoning; but powerful 
 accents and appeals to the conscience, with 
 continuous references to the Scriptures; in- 
 terwoven with frequent warnings, pointings 
 to heaven and hell. The audience seemed 
 deeply moved; they sang unmusically, but 
 praj^ed eai-nestly. I could not doubt the 
 deep religious conviction of the people. 
 
 "After dinner the Govenior went with ^Iv. 
 Pulszky to visit the Sunday schools, which 
 he very often attends. They found there all 
 ages assembled; children and old men in- 
 structed by the clergyman and regular and 
 voluntaiy teachers. They read the Scriptures 
 in diti'erent groups, and the teachers took oc- 
 casion to explain history, ancient and modern 
 geography, and to give other useful informa- 
 tion, but always in connection with the Bible. 
 Mr. Pulszky had to make a speech in each 
 of the .schools, and (iovernor Wright atl- 
 dressed them also, explaining to them that 
 religion was the basis of social order, and 
 instruction the only way to preserve freedom. 
 He illustrated the obligation to submit to tlie 
 law of the country by several happy examples 
 from I'eccnt events in America. Such con- 
 stant and pers(mal intercou7-se between the 
 Chief .Magistrate of the State and the people 
 he governs is really patriarchal, and is in har- 
 mony with the intellectual standard of an 
 agriculturid population. 
 
 "Mrs. Wright (she died sbortlx' after this 
 was wi-itten) has a strongly-marked, pui'i- 
 tanical eountenance. It seems as if a smile 
 had hai-dly ever moved her lips, and yet there 
 is such placid scrcnit.v in her features as only 
 the consciousness of well-performed duty can 
 impart. The sister of (Jovernoi- Wright, a 
 highly accomplished lady, gave me a lively 
 pictvire of Western life, ever busy and weary- 
 ing for tlie ladies: she keejis a school." - 
 
 Another foreiirn visitor to Tndiana])<ilis was 
 Hon. Amelia M. IMurray. who came in ISn.'i, 
 and published this account of her visit : "In- 
 dianapolis, May 19.— We reached Indianap- 
 
 -WJiite, Red, Black, Y 
 
 pp. (i-13. 
 
 olis soon after the evening closed in. As 
 hours are early in this part of the world, I 
 determined to go to an hotel for the night, 
 so as not to intrude on my friends at an 
 inconvenient time. This was acquiesced in 
 by (iovernor Wright, who visited me soon 
 after my arrival. 
 
 "May 20.— The Governor came early, and 
 took me to his house. At half-past ten o'clock 
 we went to the Episcopal church, where the 
 duty was admirably done by a Mr. Talbott. 
 originally from Kentucky, who preached a 
 sermon, good in matter as in manner. Din- 
 ner was at one o'clock, and at two I aeconi- 
 |)anied the Governor to visit two large Sun- 
 day-schools, belonging to difHi^'cnt denomina- 
 tions. There are about fifteen in this town. 
 They have each a superintendent; and young 
 men and women of the various churches in 
 the place give them a.ssistanee. In England 
 we might take exanqde by the wisdom hi>i-e 
 which limits Sunday-school attendance to one 
 hour, and leaves the place and period of 
 Divnne worship to be regidated by the parents. 
 If the teaching at school is not such as to 
 induce the children to go willingly to church, 
 a forced going will not benefit their relig-ious 
 feelings: and too often the fatieiied. bored 
 appearance of Sabbatb-sehoiil ebildi'cn in our 
 churches, is a sad comirientai'v upon the want 
 of judgment evinced by the British public 
 in this mattei-. The Sunday is kept at In- 
 dianapolis with Presbyterian sti'ictness. Xo 
 trains start, letters do not go, nor are they 
 received, so that a father, mother, hu.sband. 
 or wife, may be in extremity, and have no 
 means of communicating their farewells oi- 
 la.st wishes if Sunday intervenes. Surely this 
 is making man suboi-diiiate to the Sabbath — 
 not the Sabbath to man. 1 have been annised 
 at a story tokl me of an iidiabitant of this 
 place. The Millenarian doctrine has been rife 
 here; all throtigh Amc-ica faimtics have lately 
 spread an idea that sublunai-y nuitters w'ere 
 to close yesterday, ^lay lit. .\ man not usu- 
 ally inclined to int.emi)era1e habits called at 
 a store as the day waned, and i'C(|uested a 
 nuig of porter to sujiport his spirits throuiib 
 the expected catastrophe. Time wore on — 
 still the elements looked calm. 'It won't be 
 over yet aw'hile ; I must have another glass. 
 'Tis very depressing to have to wait so long: 
 give me some drink.' This continued till
 
 190 
 
 ll!S'|(ii;V OK (iUKATKi; I X i )I AXAI'OLIS. 
 
 the poor frightened soul became dead druuk ; 
 and he was much surprised next morning to 
 find the world going on nnich as usual — with 
 the exception of his aching liead. 
 
 "^lay 21. — Governor Wi-ight invited me to 
 accompany him in a morning walk at sunrise 
 — foiir o'clock. I had some letters to write 
 previously, lint by five we perambulated parts 
 of the town, which is peculiarly laid out; 
 the Court, or rather Oovernment-hoase. being 
 in the centre (and it is said also the centre 
 of the Union ; but that can only be a tempo- 
 rary centre, for this place lies eastward of 
 the middle of the continent) : and all the 
 streets converging towards it. I occupied 
 this moi'ning in arranging my dried speci- 
 mens of plants, which occasionally require 
 attention. W-e dined at one o'clock, and Mrs. 
 Wright, at present an invalid, was sufficiently 
 recovered to .ioin ns at table. After dinner 
 I was happy to see Judge ]\[aclean,-' whom 
 I knew at Wa.shington; he is come to 
 hold a court : and Governor Powell, of 
 Kentucln-. is also expected tomorrow. The 
 Governor took ^Ir. ^faclean and me for a 
 drive to see the Asylums for the Deaf 
 and Dumb, and for the Blind of this 
 State. They are both fine institutions, paid 
 for by the people through special taxes, im- 
 posed for the purpose, and paid ungrudg- 
 ingly. They have sufficient ground attached 
 for out-of-door occupations and exercise. The 
 deaf and dumb make shoes and bonnets, farm. 
 &c.. so as to acquire a knowledge which en- 
 ables them to gain their future livelihood: 
 and the girls are tauaht to be sempstresses, 
 washerwomen, cooks, &e. Such charities 
 should always ))e situated in the country : 
 town life cuts off the most necessary and ad- 
 vantageous means of training the inmates to 
 healthful and useful pursuits. 
 
 "From the cupola of the Asylum for the 
 Blind the view is wide. These extensive 
 plains of the West extend one thousand miles 
 in the direction of Canada, and as far towards 
 the Rocla' ^Mountains. There is one height 
 or bluff about fifteen miles off, which I must 
 go and look at. Indiana i)rodnces freestone, 
 coal and iron. The AVabash. about sixty miles 
 from hence, is the most eonsidei-able river. 
 
 ■'Judge Joiui ;\IacLi':in. then Judge of the 
 U. S. Sujireme Court. 
 
 Before we left the asylum, some of the blind 
 pupils sang quartettes and duets, accoinpanie 1 
 by one of their ninnber on the piano. They 
 sang in tune and with good taste. 
 
 ''I have heard nnich of Democracy and 
 Equality since I came to the Ignited States, 
 and 1 have seen more evidences of Aristoc- 
 racy and Despotism than it has before been 
 my fortune to meet with. The 'Knownoth- 
 ings', and the 'Abolitionists', and the 'Alor- 
 monites', are, in my opinion, consequent upon 
 the mammonite, extravagant pretensions and 
 habits which are really fashionable among 
 Pseudo-Republicans. Two hundred thousand 
 starving Irish have come to this countrj-, 
 and in their ignorance they assume the airs 
 of that equality which they have been induced 
 to believe is really belonging to American 
 society. They endeavor to reduce to practice 
 the sentiment so popTdai- here— but no— that 
 will never do. Ladies don't like their helps 
 to say they 'choose to sit in the parlour, or 
 they won't help them at all, for equality is 
 the rule here'. Jlrs. So-and-So of the 'Cod- 
 fish' aristocracy doesn't like to have Lady 
 Anything to take precedence of her; but 
 Betty choosing to ]ilay at equality is quite 
 another thing! Xow at Indianapolis I have 
 found something like consistency, for the first 
 time since I came this side the Atlantic. I 
 do not assert there is equality, for the simple 
 reason that it is not in nature; and (as Lord 
 Tavi.stock once .so well said") 'the love of lib- 
 ei'fy is virtue, but the love of equality is 
 pride'; but here, the (iovernoi' of the State 
 is a man of small income; his salary is only 
 fifteen hundred dollars: he has really put 
 aside money-making, and his son, an amiable 
 young man, instead of wasting his time in 
 rioting and drunkenness (which, alas! is too 
 nnich the case with the sons of the 'Aristoc- 
 racy' in the Ignited States), keeps a store to 
 make his own fortune, and. as he nobly said 
 yesterday, to i)i-ovide for that fathei- who has 
 tlistlained to sacrifice his country to himself. 
 (Jovernor Wright did not think it a degrada- 
 tion to carry a basket when I accompanied 
 him to the market this morning, and his whole 
 demeanour is that of a consistent Re]>ublican. 
 I do not care what a man's ])olifie;d creed 
 may be (thouuh I much jirefer the monarch- 
 ical in-inci})les of old Englijnd). but I do 
 admire consistciicv : ;ni(l 1 consider the
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATKK IXDI.WAI'OI.IS. 
 
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 192 
 
 HISTORY OF UUEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 'Kiiow-nothingr' movement as a eousequence 
 of Tiiieertain principles. 
 
 "^lay 22.- This day Governor Powell of 
 Kentucky came on a visit here. He was in 
 Canada two years since, and he spoke with 
 admiration of Lord Elgin, and of his man- 
 ner of eonduetinff the affairs of that Colony. 
 The heat has siidilenly become intense ; to 
 my feelings as hot as any day we had in Cuba. 
 At last I conclude that winter has really 
 given up our company, after returning to it 
 so frequently, that I feel as if I had pas.sed 
 three winters and three summers in America. 
 
 "May 2.3. — I went at five o'clock this morn- 
 ing to the Eastern market-place, where I first 
 saw squirrels sold like rabbits for the table 
 ready skinned. When dressed they are ex- 
 actly like young chickens. I believe it is the 
 grey squirrel. This evening the Governor 
 had what is now in the States universally 
 called a levee after the same fashion as the 
 President's receptions. Governors of individ- 
 ual States occasionally open their doors to all 
 the citizens who choose to attend, and it is 
 considered a compliment to stranger guests, 
 like the Governor of Kentucky and myself, 
 that the attendance should be good : so the 
 rooms were filled. The Governor and his lady 
 do not reeeive their visitors, but we all went 
 into the room after they had assembled. No 
 refreshments are expected on these occasions, 
 but everyone shakes hands upon being intro- 
 duced. The assemblage was very respectable 
 and orderly; it concluded about eleven o'clock, 
 having begun at nine. 
 
 "May 24. — I went to see a Devonshire man 
 and his wife, who have a vineyard; they have 
 been settled here twenty years and are natives 
 of Dartmouth: they look back to the old 
 country with regret, and think they might 
 have done as well there as here; though they 
 have a cottage with an acre of ground their 
 own property, and a married son and daugh- 
 ter doing well, but poor people. Their young- 
 est boy is an inmate of the Indiana Lunatic 
 
 Asylum. ]\trs. N was brouiiht uji in the 
 
 family of the lady who nursed the Duchess 
 of (Jlducester, and remembers helping to make 
 a cradle for the Princess Amelia. She was 
 much delighted to find that I knew ^liss 
 
 A . We spoke nnieh of England: I told 
 
 her she was now adopted by this country, and 
 that with her familv here, it was wronu' to 
 
 hanker so much after that of her birth. ^Ir. 
 
 N buries his vines in the ground, as soon 
 
 as the wood has hardened, during the cold 
 months of the year. I wonder whether this 
 plan would make the vine more prolific in 
 the open air with us. 
 
 "!^Irs. Wright gave an evening partj- of in- 
 vited acquaintances: a great many agreeable 
 people from this and the adjoining State. 
 One lady sang some of ^loore's ^Melodies very 
 sweetly ; but, as yet, music is not much cul- 
 tivated in America : either the ladies do not 
 devote sufficient attention to it, or there are 
 not good masters. This is almost the first 
 time I have heard an American sing with 
 taste and expression. This party did not con- 
 clude before midnight. * » * x am told 
 the thermometer stood at ninety-two degrees 
 in the shade the day before yesterday, and 
 the weather continues very hot, but there is 
 now rather more air. Last night a naval 
 gentleman told me that part of an iron fast- 
 ening belonging to a ship had been found 
 lialf embedded in a mass of iron, which had 
 been supposed an aerolite, lying on a prairie 
 in this country. From this fact a very mod- 
 ern origin for the locality is deduced, because 
 it is concluded that a mass of the kind in 
 question must originally have been left by 
 an iceberg. I mention this as it was named 
 to me without pretending to decide upon the 
 truth of the matter. 
 
 "Thursday ^Irs. Wright gave an invited 
 reception, with a standing supper. All went 
 oft' well, and I saw the principal people of 
 Indianapolis. Next morning I drove with a 
 young lady to see what are called the Bluffs 
 of the AVhite River, sixteen miles distance. I 
 was suiprised to find that the road there was 
 l)y no means what we should call a plain, it 
 was rather a series of continued low eleva- 
 tions, and many shoi't but steep hills mark the 
 road. It pa.sses through a pretty country, 
 bordered by farms, and watered by small 
 streams, making their way to the White River, 
 which attended our drive within a short dis- 
 tance. 'The Bluff' in'oved to l)c a rather 
 highei- hill than others, overlooking the river, 
 and thickly timbered, but without a I'oek 
 of any kind. I found the large leaved blwd- 
 wort, theMay-apple. and a pretty red colum- 
 bine growing plentifTilly in .soil formed by the 
 (lead leaves of a tliousaiid autumns. The in-
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 lo.-; 
 
 mates of a im'tty farm near at hand gave us 
 hospitality and a sliai-i' of their dinner, while 
 our eoaelniian aeted as guide and entered into 
 my botanical researches with gi'eat interest. 
 We made our way over the hill down to the 
 river hank, where we saw the laborious but 
 useless work for the formation of a canal, en- 
 tered into by the State at an outlay of hun- 
 dreds of thousands of dollars just before rail- 
 roads were put into action, anil abandoned in 
 con.se(iuence. The small town of Waverly is 
 situated a mile beyond the hill we came to 
 visit. Our drive home wa.s a chilly one. The 
 thermometer has again descended below 50°. 
 These sudden changes from intense heat to 
 cold are nuich greater than those we have in 
 England."* 
 
 Froiii these views of passing strangers let 
 us tui-n to those of one who came earlier and 
 remained long enough to really know the 
 place— to become a feature of it. Those whose 
 memories reach back as far as 1877 are im- 
 pressed by the great change that has come 
 since tlien ; hut here is what Henry Ward 
 Beecher wrote in 1877 of the changes that 
 had occurred since he first came : "I went 
 to Indianapolis in the fall of 1839 with a 
 sick babe in niy arms, who showed the first 
 signs of recovery after eating blackberries 
 whieli I gathei-ed bj^ the way. The city had 
 then a population of four thousand. At no 
 time during my residence did it outreach 
 five thousand. Heboid it today with one hun- 
 dred and ten thousand inhabitants! The 
 Great National Koad, which at that time was 
 of great importance, since sunk into forget- 
 fulness, ran through the city and constituted 
 the main street. With the exception of two 
 or three street,s, there were no ways along 
 which could not be seen the original stumps 
 of the forest. 1 bumped against them iu a 
 buggj- too often not to be assured of the 
 fact. 
 
 "Here I preached my first real sermon; 
 here, for the first time, I strove against death 
 in behalf of a child, and was defeated; here 
 I built a house and jiiiinted it with my own 
 hands; here I had my first garden, and be- 
 came the bishop of tlowers for this diocese; 
 
 'Letters from the I'nited States. Cuba and 
 Canada, pp. :?28-3:U. 
 Vol. 1—13 
 
 here I first .ioined the editorial fraternity and 
 edited the Fanner and Gardener; hei'^ I had 
 my first full taste of chills and fever; here 
 for the fii-st and last time I waded to chui-cii 
 ankle-deep in mud, and preached with panta- 
 loons tucked into my boot-tops. All is changed 
 now. 
 
 "In searching for my obscure little ten- 
 foot cottage I got lost. So changed was 
 everything that I groped over familiar ter- 
 ritory like a blind man in a strange city. It 
 is no louger mtj Indianapolis, witli the abo- 
 riginal forest fi'inging the town, with pasture- 
 fields lying right across from my house; with- 
 out coal, without railroads, without a stone 
 big enough to throw at a cat. It was a .joyful 
 day and a precious gift when Calvin Fletcher 
 allowed me to take from the fragments of 
 stone used to make the foundations for the 
 State Bank a piece large enough to put iu 
 my pork-barrel. I left Indianapolis for 
 Brooklyn on the very day upon which the 
 cars on the Madison Railroad for the first 
 time entered the town ; and I departed on the 
 first train that ever left the place. On a 
 wood-('ar, rigged up with boards acro.ss fi-om 
 side to side, went I forth. It is now a mighty 
 city, full of foundries, manufactories, whole- 
 sale stores, a magnificent court-house, beauti- 
 ful dwellings, noble churches, wide and fine 
 streets, and railroads more than I ran name 
 radiating to eveiy jioint of the compass. 
 
 "The old academy where I preached for a 
 few months is gone, but the church into which 
 the congregation soon entered still is standing 
 on the Governor's Circle. No one can look 
 upon that building as I do. A father goes 
 back to his fii-st house, though it be but a 
 cal)in, where liis children were bcu'n, with feel- 
 ings which can never be ti'ansfei'red to any 
 other [ilace. As I looked long and yearningly 
 upon that homely building the old time came 
 back again. I .stood in the crowded lecture- 
 room as on the night when the curi-ent of re- 
 ligious feeling first was begiiniing to fiow. 
 Talk of a young mother's feelings over her 
 first babe— what is that compared with the 
 solemnity, the enthusiasm, the imix'tuosity of 
 gratitude, of luunility, of singing gladness, 
 with whicli a young pastor greets the incom- 
 ing of his first revival? He stands upon the 
 shore to see the tide come in ! It is the move-
 
 194 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATEK IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 iiient of the infinite, ethereal tide I It is 
 from the ether world ! There is no color like 
 •heart color. The homeliest thinjrs dipped in 
 that forever after glow with celestial hues. 
 The hymns that we sang in sorrow or in joy 
 and triuniiih in that humhle basement have 
 nevei- lost a feather, but tiy back and forth 
 beiweeu the soul and heaven, plumed as never 
 was any bird-of-paradise. 
 
 "I stood and looked at the homely old build- 
 ing, and saw a procession of forms going in 
 and out that the outward eye will never see 
 again — Judge ]\lorr;.s. J>amuel ]\Iei'rill. Oliver 
 H. Smith. D. V. Cully. John L. Keteham. 
 Coburn. Fletcher. Bates, Bullard. ^lunsei, 
 Ackley. O'Xeil. and many, many morel 
 There have lieen hours when there was not 
 a hand-breadth between us and the saintly 
 host of the invisible church ! In the heat and 
 pressure of later years the memories of those 
 early days have been laid aside but not ef- 
 faced. They rise as I stand, and move in a 
 gentle procession before me. No outward his- 
 tory is comparable to the soul's inward life-, 
 of the souFs inward life no part is so sub- 
 lime as its eminent religious developments. 
 And the pastoi'. who walks with men, deliver- 
 ing them from the thrnll. aspersing their sor- 
 row with ti>ars, kindling his own heart as a 
 torch to light the way for those who wouhl 
 see the invisible, ha.s. of all men. the most 
 tran.scendent heart-histories, I have seen 
 nnich of life since I trod that threshold for 
 the last time: but imthinu' has dimmed my 
 love, noi' has any later nr riper experience 
 taken away the bloom and sanctity of my 
 early love. And I can ti'uly say of hun- 
 dreds: 'For though yi' have ten thousand 
 instructors in riii'ist. yet have ye not many 
 fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten 
 you through the Oospel," 
 
 "But othei- incidents arise— the days of 
 sickness, chills and fever, the gardening days, 
 my first editorial experience, my luck in 
 horses, and i)igs. my house-building; and not 
 a few scrapes — being stalled in mud. half- 
 drowned in crossing rivers, long, lonely forest 
 rides, camp-meetiu'js. preachings in cabins, 
 sleepings in the open air. I was reminded 
 of one comical exjvM-ience as I was seeking 
 im Market street In (ind tlir old swale or 
 shallow I'.'iviiii' xvhicli r.in lirtween mv cottage 
 
 and -Mr. Bates's dwelling.' It had formerly 
 been a kind of bayou in spring when the 
 stream above town overflowed, but dried oft" 
 in summer. To redeem it from unhealth a 
 dike had been built to restrain the river and 
 turn th(> superfluous freshets the other way. 
 But one year the levee gave way in the night" 
 and when the morning rose, behold a 
 flood between me and my neighbor! There 
 was sport on hand ! It wa.s too deej) for 
 wading, but I could extemporize a boat. I 
 brought down to the edge my wife's large 
 washing-tub. and intended with a bit of 
 board to paddle about. No sooner was I in 
 than I was out. The tub refused to stand 
 on its own bottom. Well, well, said I. two 
 tubs are better than one. So I got its mate, 
 and. nailing two strips across to hold thera 
 fast together, I was sure that they were too 
 long now to upset. So they were in the long 
 line: but sideways they went over, carrying 
 me with them with inci'cdible celerit.v. Tulx 
 wei'e one thing, boats another— that I saw- 
 plainly, 
 
 "I would not be baffled. I proposed a raft. 
 Getting rails from the fence. I scon had 
 tacked boards across— enough of them to 
 carry my weight. Then, with a long pole. I 
 began my voyage, Alasl it came to a ludi- 
 crous end. A rail fence ran across this ra\ine 
 in the held, .just above the sti-eet. One end 
 of the fence had loosened, and the water had 
 floated it round enough to break its connec- 
 tion with its hither side. A large but young 
 dog belonging to a friend had walked along 
 the fence, hoping to ci'oss dry-fouted. till he 
 came to the abrupt tei'mination. and his cour- 
 age failinij- him. he had crouched down and 
 lay trembling and whining, afraid to go back 
 or to venture the water. I poled my raft 
 up to the rescue: and, getting alongside, 
 coaxed him to .iiunp aboard, but his courage 
 was all gone. lie looked nyi wistfidly but 
 
 ■' His cottage was where the synagogue now 
 stands, and the house of ^Ir, Bates was at 
 the northwest corner of ^Market and New 
 Jersey streets. The "swale" was the east 
 ravine or bayou that cro.ssed the cit.v from 
 the northeast. It cro.ssed Wa.shington street 
 .just west of \ew Jei'sey, 
 
 '■ He means the bi'cakitig of the State Ditch 
 in 1S47,
 
 ■oiiv oi- (;i;i;.\TKi; iNni-WAroi.is. 
 
 195
 
 196 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 stirred not. 'Well, you coward, j'ou sliall 
 eoiue aboard.' Seiziug' liiiii by the skin of 
 the neck, I hauled hiui onto the raft, which 
 instantly began to sink. It was buoyant 
 enough for a man, but not for a man and 
 a lubberly dog. There was nothing for it— 
 as the stupid thing would not stir, I had to; 
 and with a spring I reached the fence just 
 abdicated by tlie dog, while he. the raft now 
 coming to the surface again, went sailing 
 down the pond and was safely landed be- 
 low, while I wa.s left in the crotch of the 
 fence. One such experiment ought to serve 
 for a life-time, but alas ! There is no end of 
 things gone by. They rise at every point; 
 and one walks encompassed with memories 
 which accompany him through the living 
 streets like invisible spirits.'"^ 
 
 And now, to the statements of casual visi- 
 tors and the ministerial so.iourner, let us add 
 the view of one who grew up in these sur- 
 roundings. Mr. John H. Holliday says: "It 
 has always been my regret that I was not 
 born three or four years sooiiei- in order that 
 I might have entered more fully into the life 
 and actions of each period and have arrived 
 at an age where greater knowledge and ex- 
 perience would have brought clearer insight. 
 I would then have been better qualified to 
 paint a picture of the life of the town during 
 the 50 's, but as it is I must give the impres- 
 sions of a boy, modified or confirmed to some 
 extent by the recollections of others. Let 
 it be understood that I write as an artist nuist 
 paint — as I saw it. It was a great place to 
 be born in and a good place to live in, after 
 thirty years or more had passed over its 
 head. It seems now almost ideal. Its people 
 were homogeneous, holding and striving for 
 high standards and exhibiting the best traits 
 engendered in a simple democracy. It was a 
 place that encouraged the virtues of faith, 
 hope, courage, kindliness and patriotism ; that 
 brought up boys and girls to real manhood 
 and womanhood. The fiery ordeal of the war 
 and the terrible sacrifices the people were 
 called upon to make, demonstrated the power 
 of its environment and many lives of fullness 
 and goodness have borne testimony to the 
 
 ' Biography of Henry Ward Beeeher, by 
 Beccher and" Seoville. pp. 206-209. 
 
 value of the examples and ti-aining of their 
 youth. 
 
 "To begin with, life was simple as com- 
 pared with what we now have. The com- 
 munity was small, but while the rule in small 
 places is still towards simplicity, it is in- 
 fluenced by the thoughts and customs of large 
 cities, which did not obtain fifty years ago, 
 for there were but few such cities. The great 
 increase of wealth, fashion and luxury af- 
 fects even our villages now, while in that day 
 New York and Boston seemed as far apart 
 from Indiana as London or 8t. Petersburgh. 
 Here the life was simple because it was the 
 life of a new cmnitry in which wealth was 
 small, and the opportunities for its acquisi- 
 tion limited. Simplicity was a necessity. Thi- 
 comnuinity was largely self-de)H'ndent still, 
 although it had developed fi'om the pioneer 
 stage in which it had to produce everything 
 for itself, except a few unusual articles. 
 Thirty years had improved conditions very 
 much, houses were better, more comforts wei-i' 
 olitainable. markets had been opened and 
 there was more money to buy with. But the 
 spirit and habits of the early days remained 
 in great measure, unaffected by improved 
 conditions. The population was not so large 
 as to crush the neighborly feeling, the demo- 
 cratic idea that one man was as good as an- 
 other provided he behaved himself. Thei-e 
 was little dispasition to Haunt wealth when 
 it existed, biit people clung to the old stan- 
 dards, the old manners and the old friends. 
 Wealth had nothiiig to do with social posi- 
 tion. It was an accident, the worth of the 
 man and the woman was the best of merit. 
 The woman who kept a girl, in the phrase of 
 the day, had no call to look down upon her 
 neighboi's who did not, foi' these were in the 
 great majority. The ta.stes of the conununity 
 frowned down any attempt at ostentation and 
 even the family which first ventured u|ion 
 the iise of a two-horse carriage or bai'ouche 
 gained nothing in the esteem of their frieiuls 
 from that apiiendage. 
 
 "Almcst every one owned their own houses 
 with more or less ground in which thei-e was 
 usually a garden and fruit trees that con- 
 ti-ibuted to the family living, assisted often 
 by the ownership of a cow, a pig and chickens. 
 .\ thousand dollars a year was a large salai'y 
 or income. One of our )irominent citizens
 
 nTSTOTIY OF (iltKATKR IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 197 
 
 tells how he ovei-lioard some wdl-to-do busi- 
 ness men talking about the salary of the 
 I)iesiclent of the State Bank, $l,oOO, and ehar- 
 aeterizing it as i)rineely. and one of the boys 
 of his class, sixteen or seventeen years old, 
 said 'no wondei- his boys can have their 
 l)oots blacked for them.' Hundreds of fam- 
 ilies lived well and educated their children, 
 sometimes sending them to college, where the 
 income was not nearly $1,000. In 1861 the 
 bookkeeper of the Journal, a thoroughly com- 
 petent man, had a salary of $.")00 a year and 
 supported a family of five or six persons and 
 maintained a respectable position. This was 
 true of many families and can l)i' (>xplained 
 in comparison with our ideas by the fact that 
 their extraneous wants were few. Food, shel- 
 ter, clothing, taxes, something for the church 
 and sometimes for the doctor, being pi-ovided, 
 there was little else to call for money. People 
 (lid not travel except in i-are emergencies, 
 many never. Such things as vacations were 
 unknciwn. There were no sti-eet cars or daily 
 sddas. no niatinees. indited few amusements 
 of any kind, no lunching down town, no clubs 
 and dues, no secret societies except the Ma- 
 sons and Odd Fellows, no array of charities 
 with their insistent needs, no costly enter- 
 taining, no many things we have now clamor- 
 ously callintr foi- the dimes and dollai-s. Then, 
 too, the necessities of life were cheap as a 
 i-ule, meat, bread, vegetables, fuel. Wood 
 was universally used except in stores and 
 school houses where coal from Clay County 
 was generally burned after 1853 or 1854. 
 Clothing was probably not so cheap, but near- 
 ly all clothes wei-e made at home or by women 
 and the chief cost wa.s for tlie material. 
 
 "The houses were well furnished with sub- 
 stantial things, hut thei'e was a notable lack' 
 of ornaments and bric-a-brac. A whatnot 
 with some seashells and dagueri-eotypes on 
 it, a center table with a family Bible and a 
 lamp on it, an occasional candelabrum with 
 plass pendants, some ar'tificial flowei-s and a 
 plaster east, a vas(> oi- two perhaps, a half- 
 dozen haircloth chairs, a sofa and an occa- 
 sional piano, constituted the array of a well 
 furnished parlor, which was a sacred place 
 not to be opened every day or t^ ordinary 
 pei-sons. People did not live in their par- 
 loi's, but in the sitting room, which sometimes 
 was the dining room as well and (let it be 
 
 whispered low) there were some ostensibly 
 reputable people who even ate in the kitchen. 
 There were no bath rooms or toilet facilities. 
 The first plumber came here in 1853 to work 
 on the Bates House, but it was not till five 
 or six years later that a bath room was in- 
 stalled in a residence, that of ^Mr. Vajen on 
 South ^leridian street. There were no water- 
 works, \\ater had to be jjumped for such use 
 and heated on a stove. Daily baths were un- 
 known in practice and in theory regarded as 
 the luxury of an eflfete people, while cleanli- 
 ness was preserved by a weekly ablution in 
 a wash-tub. Only the houses of the very 
 richest were lighted by gas. which was also 
 used in the larger churches and stores. The 
 ordinary light was from candles and lard oil 
 lamps, followed by camphene, an explosive 
 distillation from turpentine that made a 
 beautiful light but was dangei-ous to use. 
 This was succeeded about 1856 or 57 by coal 
 oil, not petroleum but an oil distilled from 
 coal, which was driven out by the discovery 
 and utilization of petroleum in the early 
 3'ears of the war. The houses were poorly 
 warmed as a rule. Furnaces were known 
 but were not common. Despite the abundance 
 of wood, most people heated only the living 
 rooms, fires being made in bed rooms only 
 for visitoi-s, sick or old peo[)le, while the halls 
 were always left in riatui-al fi'igidity. Car- 
 riages, buggies and spring wagons were not 
 uncommon, but the man of the house or his 
 boys took care of the horse. A hired man 
 was a curiosity. 
 
 "Xecessarilj- the making of the living was 
 the chief thing. There wei'e not many who 
 could live on aeeunuilated wealth. It was a 
 woi'king community and the work was often 
 hard and the hours long. Stores were opene<l 
 by six o "clock generally, sometimes before. 
 •Jfr. Va.ien tells of opening his hardware store 
 never later than five o'clock and as a rule 
 none closed before nine. Factories and nie- 
 ehanies began woi'k at s(>V(>n and quit at six. 
 with an hour's int(M'mission at noon. Doc- 
 tors, lawyers and public officials were at work 
 early and the banks ran from eight to foui'. 
 Everybody ate dinner at noon and shuddered 
 at the idea of kings and imblemen eating din- 
 ner after dark. Dinner as a function was 
 unknown. Supper was the gi-eat social mani- 
 festation of liospiliility. Dinner was just foi'
 
 198 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 the family eating', exei'iit soiiietiuifs on a 
 Sunday when there was leisure to entertain 
 a i)assinjz' si'Pst. But supper was the meal 
 to invite one's friends to. It was then that 
 the tables jii'oaned with the "rood thini^s the 
 housewife eould i)rovide. Fried ehieken, 
 (|uaiis, oystei's. dueks, ham, elieese. tongue, 
 jellies, preserves, piekles, custards, eakes and 
 even pies enriched the larder, wath tea and 
 eotfee. " Ice cream was unknown except as 
 bought and eaten in the ice cream saloons 
 or ])ar!ois, and at chui-ch festivals, and its 
 ])ui-c'hase was a sort of a wild (lissi])ation on 
 siuimier nights to be eagerly anticipated and 
 joyful l.v rememherctl. 
 
 "The church social w;is a gi'eat event. 
 Sometime-; the gatherings trok place at the 
 church, but usually at a private house. It 
 wa.s inuler the auspices of the Sewing So- 
 ciety. The ladies met in the afteraoon and 
 .sewed for some worthy cause. In the evening 
 the men came and the young people, and a 
 substantial .supper, not mere refreshments, 
 was served, provided liy the hostess. Every 
 two or three weeks in the winter season was 
 the rule in some churches. Init it was not con- 
 fined to that season, though not held so often. 
 The church festival was more unconnnon and 
 entirely different. That was a commercial 
 enterprise for the benefit of the church itself. 
 The I'efreshments were partly contributed. 
 ])artly bought, as when the entertainment was 
 called an oyster supper and an admission fer 
 charged. Sometimes this was large enough 
 to include the supper and sometimes it did 
 not, which was not favorably regarded by 
 some of the attendants. Sometimes articles 
 of fancy work were for sale, and always there 
 was ice cream as an extra at 'ten cents a 
 sauc.ei-. ' In some churches there were 'dona- 
 tion parties' where a body of friends wouhi 
 swoop down upon the home of the pastor and 
 present gifts, and eat the supper they had 
 brought with I hem. This f miction was the 
 source of mirth to the humorist of the day, 
 as well as church festivals and oyster sup- 
 ])ei-s. It was said that the guests freipiently 
 ale ui) the presents of food they brought, 
 that the minister was always the poorer, and 
 that a donation party was as bad as a fire. 
 This was an exatrgeration. for usually the oc- 
 casion abounded in ecmd fellowsliii). kindiv 
 
 rcmendjrance and real benefit, and enriched 
 the social life of the organization. 
 
 ■'Next to making- a living the two most 
 engrossing and vital things were religion and 
 l)olitics. It was a day of serious things. The 
 light and trifiing manner in which many 
 people view the affairs and influences of life 
 now was not in favor then. The town had 
 been under the influence of earnest people 
 from its start, peojjle who worked and suf- 
 fered and to whom life was no merry jest. 
 To them religion was a solemn matter and 
 even those who cared little for it or made 
 no professions, were bound to respect it. The 
 whole tone of the place was religious. There 
 were numerous churches of various sects, hut 
 I)robably no ]ilace in the country ever had 
 less of the bitter, sectarian feeling that ex- 
 isted widely and that we wonder at now. The 
 churches here, with few exceptions, were 
 friendly, the ministers and members fellow- 
 shipped, and united in movements for the 
 common good, just as they do now. The Sab- 
 bath School parade on the fourth of July, 
 the event of that day for over thirty years, 
 was evidence of this, possibly a contributing 
 cause. The Episcopalians and Catholics were 
 the exceptions, the latter naturally enough, 
 for the bitterness of the reformation was still 
 in evidence against Papacy and almost every 
 preacher felt bound to launch a thunderbolt 
 against Rome 'that terrible menace to the 
 Republic' at least once a year. It was nat- 
 ural then that the Catholics should assume 
 the historic attitude of the church aaainst 
 'heretics', but the Episcopalians had no such 
 reason for exelusiveness. In the famous cele- 
 brations of the Fourth the Catholic children 
 actually joined once or twice, but the Epis- 
 copalians never, and thereby their childi'en 
 missed a lot of fun and a good lesson in 
 toleration. 
 
 "The thought of the day was altogether 
 orthodox, and orthodox on the lines laid doxM' 
 two hundred years before. The preaching to 
 a considerable degree was still dixHrinal if 
 not dogmatic. There was a fixity of opinion. 
 Thei-e were no doubts of the fundamental 
 truths of Christianity, no suspicion even that 
 the Bible as a whole was not inspired in the 
 fnllc-t sense. Moreovei-. ci'iticism was un- 
 dreaiiii'd of in the church, though, of coui'se, 
 the I pinions of Veltaire and Paine and Vol-
 
 lilSTOHY (IF GKliATEU I.NDIA.N Al'OLlS. 
 
 1!)9 
 
 ney were known, and these were resrai'ded as 
 fearful examples of depravity whose punish- 
 ment there eonld be no doubt of. Few dis- 
 believed ill iii'll. as an aetual place of un- 
 speakalih' and ineoneeivable tortni-e of lost 
 souls and a depiction of its awfnl realities 
 and the dan^'cr of the sinner who neglected 
 or refiLsed to lie reconciled to God was a fruit- 
 ful theme for many asonizing- sermons es- 
 pecially at times of revival. There has been 
 a.s great a change in the past forty years in 
 the attitiide of jieople towards religion as in 
 any other line of tlioiight, and while the old 
 truths may be as true as ever, they are viewed 
 from another point and often present a dif- 
 ferent appearance and are better understood. 
 The pendulum has swung away and diffei-ent 
 doctrines or different aspects of doctrines arf 
 eiii|)hasi/ed now. Keligioii has lost much of 
 its somherncss. its harshness has been 
 smoothed down, its more i)leasiug features 
 are accentuated and it makes its most power- 
 ful plea for the Christian life through love 
 and aspiration for the good and not by words 
 of fear or the hope of reward. It no longer 
 diffei-cntiates or intimates a severance of this 
 life fi-om the life to come. It is one in- 
 divisible whole. 
 
 "Keligi(m was. as said heretofore, a main 
 factor in the life of Indianapolis and that 
 not only as governing the eond\ict of the 
 people, hut in their social relations. Church 
 •.'(ling was piojier. rey)utahle and fashionable, 
 whether j)co|ile wei-e members oi- not. It was 
 a cusloui that must be ob.served by all who 
 wished to stand well with their neighbors. 
 One's chief friends and associates were usual- 
 ly in the church attended and almost the first 
 (luesfion about newcomers was 'what church 
 will they go to?' Particular churches were 
 often cho.sen becau.se of their attract iv(Miess 
 in this respect. Of eoni'se the swial life was 
 not confined to any one church for most 
 people. There was another and jiossibly a 
 larger circle outside, made up from other 
 chuivhes. but om's own was the center of the 
 whole fabric. 
 
 "The ministers, too. wei'c more influential 
 then than now, but no ablei- or wi.ser, though 
 Indianapolis had some preachers of marked 
 ability in that period. The church was more 
 of an intellectual foi'ce then. Books and 
 periodicals wen' comparatively fi'w. the min- 
 
 ister was usually better educated than his 
 dock aJid he spoke with more intellectual au- 
 thority. Today his beai-ers are more nearly 
 on a plane with him and his utterances are 
 .judged more freely. The democratic spirit, 
 tending often towards lack of reverence, is 
 nowhere more apparent than in this. From 
 this and other causes is due the passing of 
 church discipline. It is obsolete. There is 
 a looseness in the ties, a feeling of inde- 
 l)endenee that will not brook admonition and 
 is indiffei-ent to the bell, book and candle. 
 In that day discipline was a powerful thing, 
 linsiness differences wei-e brought before 
 church tribunals. Membei-s were dealt with 
 for breaches of rules an<l faithlessness to their 
 vows as well as for sinfulness, and the penal- 
 ties of suspension or exjiulsion were dreaded. 
 They brought disgrace and shame, as well as 
 spii'itual suifei'ing. Whether the change has 
 been lieneficial or not, time will tell. Thei-e 
 is a strong reason to believe that this relaxa- 
 tion of bonds has caused deterioratien in 
 Christian life. 
 
 "Under these conditions tliere was neces- 
 sarily a strict observance of Sunday, both in 
 home life and business. Among the more 
 rigid the line was closely drawn between 
 secular and Sunday |)ursuits. Reading was 
 confined to certain channels, riding or visit- 
 ing were tabooed, even walking for the walk's 
 sake was not regarded favorably. On Sun- 
 days the business establishments wei-e shut, 
 excei)t possibly some of the saloons 1h:it kejit 
 a back dooi- unlocked. The ])eo]ile went to 
 church morning and night, and many to Sun- 
 day School besides. The latter was always 
 held in the afternoon. Almost every prin- 
 cipal church had a. bell to call the worshippers 
 together. Those who did not go to church 
 renuiined at home and the streets were al- 
 most deserted except for the church-goers. 
 
 "Roys may have had as good times in 
 other places as in Indiana|>olis. but none bel- 
 fei'. The town was large enough to have iul- 
 vantaires over small ones or villages, but not 
 large enousrh to foi-bid contact with the coun- 
 try and rural life. There were plenty of 
 uood swinnning holes in the riv(>r and canal, 
 in Fall Ci-eek and Pogue's ]i\iu. TIkm-c were 
 e(|uaily yood places for fishing. The town 
 was surroiuided by words that affordiMl i)lcnty 
 of (inpoi tunities for linntinLi rabbits, squirrels
 
 200 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 and birds. There were visits of wild pigeons, 
 nialring sport ea.sy and deliiihtful. The 
 woods, too, were full of niit-bearing- trees, 
 from which a winter's supply could be had, 
 pawpaws, berries, liaws, etc. In the winter 
 there was ice on the streams and as few 
 streets were improved there were many ponds 
 all over the town where the boys could slide 
 and skate. It was not until durino: the war 
 that the "iris took to skatincj. Tnere were 
 so many vacant lots and commons that there 
 never was a loss for a playsround at the 
 proper seasons. Nowadays one must so for 
 miles to meet most of these things and some 
 are impossible to get at all. As fond memory 
 recalls those events and scenes of boyhood's 
 days it seems to have been '.just the best 
 place' to have grown up in. 
 
 "Probably there was as much regard pro- 
 portionately for fashion in those days as 
 there is now, but boys are not expected to 
 notice such things. The headgear aud dresses 
 of the day look very queerly now in old pic- 
 tures, though well enough then, crinoline or 
 hoops, for instance, arraying the form divine 
 until it looked like a balloon. It seems to 
 me that colors were worn more and were 
 more striking, but that may be a fancy, or 
 a difference in fabrics. Then calicoes, de- 
 laines, nnislins, prints of various sorts were 
 in great favor, with leghorn straw hats gaily 
 beribboned. Thei'e were no uniforms except 
 that of the military companies, which nnist 
 seem sti-ange to this generation accustomed 
 to the liveries of policemen, railway em- 
 ployees, letter carriers, coaehmeu and porters. 
 Some of the old fashions prevailed with both 
 sexes. Some oldish men clung to the blue- 
 swallow tail coat with brass buttons and butf 
 vests, usually accompanied by a gold or silver 
 headed cane. Tall silk hats or plugs were 
 in every day use, no derby or other stiff one 
 was known. The only alternative was a soft 
 hat or a straw in sunnner. A few ruffled 
 shirts survived and the gentleman done up 
 in this fashion was a pretty sight. In win- 
 ter men wore shawls almost altogether, though 
 oecasionally an old-fashioned cloak appeared. 
 Some more disposed tn be stylish wore a. fur 
 collar and the furs of the women were long, 
 reaching around the shoulders and to within 
 eighteen inches of tlie ground. There was a 
 coat in occasional use, called the surtout. The 
 
 Century Dictionary says it was an overcoat. 
 Every boy and man wore boots in the win- 
 ter. I mean what are called long boots now 
 and w-hich passed out of use hei-e over thirty 
 years ago w'hen the streets had been paved 
 and cleaned, so that there was no use for 
 them. In the earlier times, however, there 
 was deep snow sometimes and almost always 
 depths of mud to be waded through so that 
 their use was necessary. Consequent upon 
 them was the boot.jack, an implement as 
 necessary to a house as a frying pan, but 
 whose use none of the moderns coiild guess 
 now. Shawls, too, were worn almost uni- 
 versally by the women. They were of all 
 grades and price from the serviceable woolens 
 to the costly crepes and Indias. 
 
 "]\Ianners were more formal in those days. 
 This was reflected among tlie young people. 
 Unless they were cousins, boys of twelve oi- 
 over always addressed the girls as ^liss and 
 in reply were called ]\ristei'. There w'as no 
 such familiarity as today when young people 
 of all ages call each other by their first name, 
 after they have been acquainted a month or 
 even less. Neither did the young fellows take 
 the girl's arm when walking. The young 
 lady was set upon a pedestal, now she is on 
 a level. 
 
 "The second great interest in Indianapolis 
 life was politics and to many it was the ab- 
 sorbing one. Public life oft'ered prizes in 
 that day of limited opportunity and scai-ce 
 money, and beyond the pecuniary reward 
 was the distinction achieved. Candidates 
 were perhaps more numerous then than now. 
 The community was pretty equally divided. 
 The majority of the leading people were 
 Whigs and Republicans, but a very consider- 
 alile minority were Democrats, and the con- 
 tests were .sharp and close with varying re- 
 sults. Politics was the great subject for talk 
 and was broached on all occasions. There 
 was intense partisan feeling and much bitter- 
 ness evolved. ]Men of one stripe would be- 
 lieve anything of men on the other side. The 
 Democrats having opposed prohibition— old 
 Sumptuary even then was a household term 
 — were denounced by their advei'saries as a 
 party of whisky drinkers and the eliarge was 
 lii'lieved by the makers. When the slavery 
 i|uestion became prominent the Democrats 
 denounced the opposition as 'nigger lovers'
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 201 
 
 and 'Black Rt'piihlicaiis", a name eliiii^ to 
 until iifter till' wai'. Everytliinu- of a ]io- 
 litioal iiatni-f was foiifjlit for and over. A 
 raci' for constable or councilman was con- 
 tested as if it were the presidency itself. 
 Wherever a chance for spoils came it was 
 seized frrcedily. The Democrats were in pow- 
 er at the time of the ^Mexican war and aj)- 
 parcntly used all their power for party bene- 
 fit, keepiny the AVhiirs out as nmcli as pos- 
 sible. When the Republicans got on top they 
 played much the same game. Party advan- 
 lage was always looked after and party dis- 
 cipline was very strict and well enforced. 
 This led to a faith in parties that was al- 
 most absolute and blinded men's eyes to the 
 truth. It created such a conceit that men 
 considered their pai-ties infallible, their wel- 
 fare more impurtant than that of the govei'n- 
 nient itself. Indeed myriads of Democrats 
 believed that their party alone was fit to 
 manage the government, and this partisan 
 belief later led them into opposition to the 
 war and .sympathy with the South. There 
 was more or less corruption in the ele<'tions, 
 chictly in crude methods of repeating and 
 cheating in the vi'turns. l)ut this was done 
 in party enthusiasm with the muttn "tiizlit the 
 
 devil with fire' and whether lietter or worse 
 was not on the sordid basis of buying and 
 selling votes. 'Anything to best the enemy' 
 was another motto, and all sorts of trickery, 
 cheap debate and withering denunciation 
 was indulged in on any and every oeeasion. 
 ■'There was, however, one good thing in 
 the politics then. ]\Ien hated to be taxed, 
 iloney came hardly, and representatives and 
 officials were held to strict accountability for 
 expenditures. Economy was universally de- 
 manded and the tax-payers were a force to 
 be reckoned with. Once in a long while, even 
 now, you see a card in the paper signed Tax- 
 payer, condemning extravagance somewhei'e 
 or .somehow. This belated wanderer crying 
 to a generation of which two-thirds are not 
 tax-payers and gladly vote other people's 
 money away, is a survival of that period and 
 does not know that he is as extinct as the 
 Great Auk. But once he was a live wire and 
 the politicians feared and courted him 
 and his words had weight. Possibly in some 
 far distant future when taxation has ground 
 the people down and their eyes are opened, 
 the tax-payer again may have something to 
 sav."
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE (iERJIA.XS I.\ INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 The Germans have had a lai-irer iiitiuenee 
 in the development of Indianapolis than any 
 other foreisii nationality, as a nationality; 
 but the nature and extent of this intiuenee 
 is not jienerally undei'stood by American 
 citizens, chietly, no douht, on account of the 
 wall the Germans have kept about them by 
 the maintenance of their native lanjfuage. 
 The early settlement of Indianapolis, like 
 that of the rest of Indiana, was chietiy of 
 native-born Americans. At the census of 
 18r)0 there were only ■28.r>84 (iermans in the 
 state, out of a total population of 988,416; 
 and the (ierman born were over one-half of 
 the total forei<in-born population, the Irish 
 coming next, with 12,787. And even this 
 population of (iermans was largel.v recent, 
 for the revolution of 1848. with its disas- 
 trous ending, and its vindictive punishments, 
 had sent swarms of yoiuitr (ierman levolu- 
 tionists 1o this coiinti-y. a number of whom 
 located at lndianM])olis. A contemporary 
 notice of this intiux is found in an article 
 in the Locomotive, discu.ssing- the rapid 
 growth of the "northeastern" part of the 
 cit.v. especially Bates and Fletcher's Addi- 
 tion, as follows : 
 
 "This addition occupies four blocks, 
 bounded iin the noi'th by New Voi-k, on the 
 east by Noble, on the south by ^Market, and 
 the west by East street; this addition is 
 more generall.v known as Gerraantown from 
 the fact that a ureat iTiany Gernums have 
 bous'ht and luiilt ln-ri'. The houses are 
 mostly snudl frames, suitable for one fam- 
 il.y, and were l)uilt and are owned by the 
 occupants."' 
 
 It should lie understiKid also that tliei'c 
 
 'Locomofiri . Auuiist 18, 1849. 
 
 was a difference between tlie (ierman imiui- 
 Ui'ation of this period and that precedini; it. 
 The earliei' iuimii;ratioii was chic'tiy of those 
 who sought oidy to better their ]iers(inal 
 condition, very largely of the farmer class, 
 and who were fairly content with America 
 as it was. The new imnufiration was largely 
 of those who had to leave (iermany on ac- 
 count of the revolution, and many if them 
 were ready to return in case a new u|irisin^- 
 should appear. They were people of idi'als 
 — weltverbesserers, or world-reformers, as 
 the (iermans ]iut it — and were (piite as ready 
 for reform here as at home. An adiiiii-able 
 sketch of this (ierman life and intiuenee in 
 Indianapolis has been ])ublishe(l by Mr. 
 Theodore Stempfel. of this cit.v. and lie ha-s 
 kindly consented to let me present a trans- 
 lation of a larye ])art of it here. I do this 
 knowinsr that the reader will appreciate the 
 advantatie of havini; it from the viewpoint of 
 a (ierman closel\' connected with it, and re- 
 irrettiuir oidy that my tran-^lation detracts 
 somewhat from the literai'y merit of the 
 oi'i<iiiud. 
 
 "In Indianai)olis the (iernuin club-life 
 ( vei-einsleben ) be«;an in 1S.">1. with the 
 fouiidintr of the Indiana])olis TuiMiiiemeinde, 
 ri'oiii which, in the course of years, through 
 ■A chain of cii'cumstances. develo|)e(l the pres- 
 ent Social Turnverein of Indianapolis. The 
 most zealous agitator for the foundintr of the 
 Turngemeinde wa.s August Tloffmeister. an 
 active, energetic young man who had the 
 talent of finding the rijiht word at the i-ight 
 liirie. He has been a Turnei- in (iernuiny, 
 and, befoi-e he came to Indianapolis, be- 
 loniicd to the Gincinnati Turnverein founded 
 in 1849. On Monday. July 28. 18r)l. the In- 
 diana]>olis Turngemeindi> was established
 
 HISTORY OF (IREATKU IXDI.WAPOLIS. 
 
 2on 
 
 with appropriate solciimities. The founders. 
 in addition to the above named Auoiist Hotl'- 
 lueister, were Jaeoh Metzfjfer. Alex. ^letzjier. 
 Clemens Vonncirnt. John Ott and Karl Hill. 
 The furniture store of John Ott. a one-story 
 frame huildinjr opposite the State ilouse. 
 servetl as a inectinjj- ])lace, and the yard in 
 front of it as a j)laee for <:ymnastie prHctice. 
 The gymnasium outfit eonsisted of a hori- 
 zojital bar, and later money wa.s eolleeted 
 from the members to buy parallel bars. After 
 the course of half a yeai-. the elub rented a 
 hotel building' on East Washintiton street- 
 partiall>' destroyed by five, through the 
 damaged I'oof of whieh tlie pleasjmt sun and 
 heaven's blue peei-eil in inquisitively. In 
 rain or sutiw. therefore, stay in the Tnrnhall 
 was little ajjreeable. A single room in the 
 first story wa.s spared liy fire, and remained 
 in j)assably jjood condition for lioldinji' the 
 weekly liieetilifis, in \vhi<'h. with iiiisto. the 
 refoi'in of the woild was f(n-w;ir(led. 
 
 "Entirely in accord with the Oernuiii n;i- 
 tiouMl character there spi-anp' up an opposi- 
 sitioii club — the Socialistic Turnverein com- 
 posed chiefly of older men. Dr. Ilomhury, 
 who had been an established jihysieian here 
 since the close of the SiVs called the club in- 
 to existence. Dr. Ilomburu- had. at the time, 
 taken part in the u|)risint;- of the students. 
 and. like many others, was obliged to Hi'e 
 from (ici-many. He was a man of great 
 learning, welcomed to every home, and not- 
 withstanding his brus(|ueness he acquired a 
 wide circle of friends in this city. An event 
 of historical significance to Indianapolis gave 
 incentive to the union of the two Turuvei-- 
 eins. The then sitting legislature had in- 
 vited Louis Kossuth to visit oui- city. .\t 
 the close of Eebi'uaiw. 1S,")"J. the distinguislu^il 
 Magyar cauu- hci-e from Cinciinuiti. wai-mly 
 welcomed by the city authorities and the 
 people. Kossuth was escorted to the ca])i- 
 tol, and our Turners, as the only existing (ier- 
 Jnan organization, were not a little ])roud to 
 serve its iruards for the guest of the city, in 
 f\dl unifonn, i. e.. in white drilling suits, 
 red cravats, and black felt hats. As the 
 Oerman poet, (iottfi'ied Kinkel. (m behalf of 
 a revolutionai'y coiiimitlcc in London, had 
 undertaken a tour lliriiiii;li .\merica in I lie 
 
 =225 East Wasliinutdu. 
 
 hope of obtaining a loan for the expected re- 
 vival of the (iei-man revolution, so labored 
 Louis Kossuth for the Hungarian cause. 
 Two days after his ai-rival he gave, in Ma- 
 sonic Hall, an exposition of the Hungai'ian 
 war of revolution. The great role which 
 the f(n-mer dictator of Hungary had played 
 for several years in the tight against Aus- 
 ti'ian rule, his passionate nature, his radical 
 ideas to which he gave utterance with all 
 the tire of his eloquence, his living picture 
 of the existing .struggle, secured for him a 
 sympathetic audience, and reminded oiu" 
 Tui'ners of the old truth, 'In union there is 
 strength". In a short time thereafter the 
 two Turnvereins united under the name of 
 the Socialistic Turngemeiude. 
 
 "iythouirh the Turners, like most of the 
 Gei'man innnigrants of that time, were with 
 their thoughts and feelings in the old fathei-- 
 land, awaiting a call for assistance from the 
 revolutionary pal'ty there, they nevertheless 
 gave their attention to the political move- 
 ments of their adopted fatherland. The 
 I'hiladelphia convention of the North Ameri- 
 can Turnerbuiul. of which this club was a 
 mendier. in 18.")1 ado|)ted this resolution : 
 The Turnerbuiul fav(U's in sicneral the plat- 
 form of the radical l-'reesoil Party, and 
 pledges itself to support it with all its |)ower. 
 Scarcely were 'the (ireenies' — as the new 
 immigi-ants were called — warm in their nest, 
 when they dai-ed tn preach emancipation 
 from both of the existing tireat parties, to 
 the horror and' astonishment of the earlier 
 settled Oermans. to whom the then Demo- 
 cratic ]>ai-ty was the aljdia aiul omega of 
 their political faith. For .-i numb(>r of years 
 both the Democrats and the Whius cai-efully 
 avoided the sci'c spot of the natiotud oi-gan- 
 ism. the slavery (|uestion. Both sides wei-e 
 always striving to britlge over by compromises 
 the whirl|)ools that showed themselves, often 
 in thi'eatening nuunier. through the conflicts 
 of the interests of the fi-ee states and the 
 slave states. Fillecl with rid'orm ideas of all 
 kinds, for whicii the revoln1i<inarv soil of 
 (iermany had offered a fertile field, the new- 
 comers pressed forwni'd: while for the old, 
 who foi- the most part had become recoiu'iled 
 to the conditions of their adopted land, or at 
 least accustomed to them, the <rravest jirob- 
 lem of the time was a imh im liniiim.
 
 204 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATEK I^^DIANAPOLIS. 
 
 "The slavery question formed the foeus 
 of political agitation. The ideas of the two 
 generations lay in opposition. Here the en- 
 thusiasm of youth, there the sedateness of 
 a,s:e; here the boimdless pushing forward, 
 there the sober holding to the present; here 
 the carelessness for the future, there the ap- 
 jirehension for the consequences of the force- 
 ful, progressive ideas of the young. Natur- 
 ally the pushers and stormers achieved no 
 practical results in the beginning, but they 
 proved themselves to be a powerful leaven to 
 bring the masses into ferment. Here in In- 
 dianapolis they even succeeded as early as 
 the year 1850, in establishing a weekly Ger- 
 man paper, the Free Press, which, wholly in- 
 dependent of Ijoth existing parties, repre- 
 sented the radical ideas of the 'Greenies', 
 and therefore soon came to be called an Abo- 
 lition sheet. The Free Press was the coun- 
 terbalance of the Democratic Indiana Yolks- 
 hlatt, which, founded in 1848. had a large 
 cireulation am(tng the Germans of the city 
 and state. The following extract from an 
 editorial article in the Yolkshlatf of ]March 
 81, 1855, entitled 'The German Innnigration,' 
 gives an excellent picture of the principal 
 differences between the older settlers and the 
 new immigrants in Indianapolis, differences 
 which drew a dividing line during the entire 
 later history of our (Germans. 
 
 "Says the Volhshhift : '"With .ioy were 
 the newcomers received by the earlier arrived 
 Germans. « * * They .saw in the new- 
 comers the energies, which the German popu- 
 lation of this country still lacked, to make 
 its influence more felt in all directions upon 
 the development of the new home. For this 
 purpose a niunber of as.sociations were quick- 
 ly formed foi- the promotion of Gennan arts 
 and German life, and everywhere all seemed 
 to be shaping itself for our welfare. But 
 only too soon did a bitter disillusion follow 
 this .iubilation. The revolution had brought 
 its leaders over from Germany; and with 
 these a string of cliques and factions which 
 could not possibly for any length of time be 
 of good inflnence. Since the agitators had 
 not succce<led in getting power over there, 
 they expected to be leaders here in public 
 opinion on all questions, even those which 
 must have been beyond their comprehension 
 on accoimt of thoii- being in this countrv so 
 
 short a time ; they looked upon themselves as 
 the exclusive representatives of the light of 
 the world, which until their coming had 
 shone but feebly on America and its Ger- 
 mans. These world-reformers, and the blind 
 crowd which followed them, we have to thank 
 for the failure of the hopes which at that 
 time were awakened in all Germans. A large 
 part of the German inmiigrants followed 
 principles that were diametrically opposed 
 to the .spirit of the American people, and de- 
 cidedly contrary to their character. No 
 idea was too insane not to find fervent fol- 
 lowers among them. The "young Germans" 
 danced around the tree of freedom of the 
 Abolitionists, for which they had already 
 been disciplined on the school bench and 
 from the pulpit in the old home ; many be- 
 came apostles of Kabet and other world- 
 blessing communists: women's rights found 
 able advocates in Heinzen and his school ; the 
 new freedom had already become too old for 
 these heroes ; according to them it should be 
 dumped head over heels or at least law and 
 human rights should be remodeled to suit 
 their own heads. For all these lunacies they 
 soon found worthy organs in the German 
 Press, which through their clamor contrib- 
 uted not a little to turn the attention of the 
 Nativistic Party to their obnoxious princi- 
 ples, and in its hands they become weapons 
 again.st us all.' 
 
 "The Socialistic Turngemeinde had in the 
 meantime established itself firmly and even 
 became a landed proprietor. Through volun- 
 tary contributions and the surplus receipts 
 from festivities the club had accumulated a 
 small capital that had been applied to the 
 purchase of a building site on Noble street' 
 and the Turners 'had built a stately man- 
 sion', which in January, 1850, was dedicated 
 with festivities. At the opening of this fii^st 
 home of a Gennan club in Indianapolis, 
 Clemens Yonnegut made the address. * * * 
 It may well be believed that the members 
 of the Turngemeinde made the fullest use 
 of their hall. "Whether the beautiful song, 
 'We won't go home till morning,' was often 
 sung at that time is unknown to the writer, 
 but from the tales of the elders it might 
 often have been sung with propriety. The 
 
 ■^No. 117 North Noble.
 
 HISTORY OF (ii;F.A'l'i:i; l\|)| WAI'ol.lS. 
 
 205 
 
 larger festal gatherings were held in Wash- 
 ington Hall (later Lyra Hall, and now the 
 hall of the Cleveland Club). To these festivi- 
 ties attach many happy memories of the 
 older Germans of our city. * * * 
 
 "The great eelehiation in the histoi-y of 
 the Tiirngemeinde, almost epueh-makiug, was 
 the banner consecration, held in April, 185-i. 
 On April 29, 1854. the Indiana Volksblatt 
 said: 'From far and near were the Turner 
 brethren gathered to help in the celebration 
 of the consecration of the banner of local 
 Turners. Cincinnati, with its Turngesang- 
 verein, and Louisville had sent full delega- 
 tions, and Terre Haute, Lafayette, Madison. 
 New Albany, Logansport and Shelbyville 
 sent representatives or full delegations. On 
 Wednesday the various trains of incoming 
 Turners were greeted at the L^nion Depot by 
 the resident Turners. They marched in pro- 
 cession throngli the sti'eets, were welcomed 
 at the Turnhall. and then taken to their 
 lodgings. On Thursday morning the exei'- 
 cises were to have taken place in the open 
 air, but fickle April willed otherwise. Just 
 at the time of the display, the rain poured 
 down in streams, and it became so cold ant! 
 unpleasant that the celebration had to be 
 adjourned. The paraders fled before the 
 streaming rain into the Court House, and 
 waited there an hour for it to clear u|i. 
 Finally it was seen necessary to change the 
 program, and to have the presentation of the 
 banner in Washington Hall, during the fes- 
 tival ball, instead of in the open, as origi- 
 nally intended. Wa.shington Hall could 
 scarcely hold the visitoi's and resident mem- 
 bers and friends of the Tui-ngemcinde.' Savs 
 the Volhsblatl, 'The ball was brilliant. Early 
 in the evening a large company was a.s.seni- 
 bled. The banners of the Cincinnati, Loui.s- 
 ville and ^Madison societies hung from the 
 galleries. Finally the ladies came into the 
 hall in charming array. The banner was 
 brought from the gallery and a thundering, 
 thrice repeated (iut Tleil greeted it. When 
 all were seated, Fraulein IVFetzger (later 
 Mrs. Hermann Lieber) pi-esented the banner 
 in a brief, well-turned speech. Messrs. 
 Voniiegiit and Wenderoth responded for the 
 Turners. The hand.some banner was then 
 unfolded and borne throuuh the hall. Soon 
 after, the dance was opened with a Polonaise, 
 
 and till eai'ly moi-ning the couples joined in 
 the happy whirl." Among the Cincinnati 
 guests was Hermann Lieber. who found In- ■ 
 dianapolis so T)leasant that be decided to re- 
 main and settle here. 
 
 "The inspiration of the war of emancipa- 
 tion had awakened in the youth of Germany 
 the love of song. Everywhere arose societies 
 for the cultivation of song ( Liedertaf ebi in 
 the north— Liederkraenze in the south and 
 in Middle Germany). ]Music became the 
 social art of the new century, an indispensa- 
 ble ornament of every Gennan celebration, 
 and truly a pride of the nation. In every 
 |ii'ovince awoke the passion for song as never 
 since the days of the bards. One soon saw 
 that with this nobler sociability a freer at- 
 mosphere came into the folk-life, and gladly 
 boasted that before the ])ower of song the 
 I'idieulous barriers of rank fell away.'' The 
 songs of Karl Maria von Weber, Konradin 
 Krentzer, Methfessel, Silchei-, Mar.schner. 
 Zoellner, Yon Kucken, Abt, Schumann and 
 others pressed into tlie folk life; the mighty 
 current of the time, the democratic spirit 
 of the new century found a strong echo in 
 nuisie, and free as the eagle's mighty i)in- 
 ion.s, song arose to the sun. It is hardly 
 necessary to say that the Forty-eighters, 
 wherever, through choice or the spite of fate, 
 they made their residences in America, took 
 rare to make a home for song, the fairest 
 jewel of German soul-life. The organization 
 of song-vereins went hand in hand with the 
 Founding of turn-vereins. In the third story 
 of a brick building, No. 75 East Washington 
 street, which a few years ago gave i)lace to 
 the Pend)roke arcade, resided at the begin- 
 ning of the fifties a (juartet of young immi- 
 iirants, whom a freak of destiny had brought 
 together in Indiana|)olis. An inexhaustible 
 humor and the light heart of youth helped 
 them over the unpleasant period of newness, 
 and they made ac(|uaintanee of other eoun- 
 ti-ymen and fellow-sufferers; and it was not 
 long till the den in the third story became 
 the tratherinir place of nuiiiiTous young im- 
 niiurants. 
 
 "Though inhosiiitable the room mikdit ap- 
 pear, with its bare walls, giant bed, and 
 
 ^Ileinrich von Ti-ietschke, German Tlisturif 
 of the Nineteenth Centura. Vol. '2, p. 3.
 
 200 
 
 JIiSl'()i;V OF GlIEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 ivorni-eaten furniture, yet its occupants 
 passed many happy hours therein, of which 
 the elders to-day have many droll stories. 
 The room and all that pertained to it was 
 considered the national property of the 
 yoxinu; Germans, and — in ciMifidence — there 
 often ruled within its four walls a spirit of 
 bachelorship of most darinsi- significance. 
 Edward Lonoerich. Gottfried and Hubert 
 Recker and A. Schellschmidt were the legiti- 
 mate rent-payino- occupants of the room; 
 constant visitors and occasional fellow-lod?- 
 ers were Nicholas Jose. Fi'iedrich Kusch. 
 Karl Freese, August Viehwesi'. H. Krebs. G. 
 Bauer, H. Schindler and othei-s. They came 
 togrether, discussed the news of the day, 
 reminisced of home, or listened to the de- 
 scriptions of August Viehweg. who as sailor 
 on a Prussian wai-ship had sei'ved in the war 
 of the allies against Denmark. Naturally, 
 by this assendilage, an effoi-t was also made 
 to accustom the (ierman stomach to Ameri- 
 can beer, through frequent practice. No 
 one of the regular or occasional occupants 
 of the room dreamed that their congregation 
 would attain a historical significance for the 
 Germans of Indianapolis. f^dward Longe- 
 rich, a song-ioving youth, was the lucky 
 owner of a guitar, and under his direction 
 songs were practised. Out of the original 
 unconstrained a.ssemblages came rehearsal 
 evenings, for practicing vocal and instru- 
 mental nrasic. and. in June. IS")-!, our 
 brotherhood of the chamber adopted the 
 name Indianajiolis ^laennerchoi'. New re- 
 cruits were enlisted and Gernutn song was 
 rendered in symjiathetic tones. 
 
 '"In the merry month of ^lay. 1S55, ap- 
 peared the following notice in the German 
 newspapers of Indianapolis: 'First Concert 
 and Ball of the ]\Iaetinerchor, on ^londav. 
 May 28, 1855, in Washington Hall. The 
 members of the above song-verein invite all 
 friends of song and dance to visit the ar- 
 ranged concert and ball. They will endeavor 
 to give their visitoi-s a pleasant and en.ioy- 
 able evening. Admi.ssion slil. Tickets at A. 
 Ha.streiter's. Buehrig's Hotel, oi' from the 
 members. 
 
 Longerich. Jese. Baiu'r. Coiimiittee. ' 
 
 "The modesty of the sinsers conceals the 
 gross results of this first concert, and in- 
 quisitive posterity must lie content with the 
 
 following brief account in the Yolksbhift : 
 'The German Maennerchor on Monda.v held 
 a concert and danc' at Washington Hall. We 
 were unfortunately |)revented fi'om being 
 witnesses of this Whitsuntide celebration, 
 but we hear from all sides that German 
 spirit and German nnrth prevailed, and 
 that all visitors had a pleasant and enjoy- 
 able evening. In place of Edward 
 Longerich, who in the same .vear i-e- 
 tui'ned to Gernuiny. on account of his 
 health, E. Desjia became director, and the 
 i-ehearsals wei'e held at his shop. No. 23 E. 
 Washington street. .\s there was no electric 
 light, and they could not afl'ord the luxury 
 of gaslight, each singer brought his light 
 with him. One pictures to himself how the 
 Turners held their a.ssemblies weekly in the 
 half-fallen hotel building on East Washing- 
 ton street: how the singers met regularly in 
 the paint-shop of their director Despa, and. 
 with notes in one hand and tallow-candle in 
 the other, leai-ned songs: and compare those 
 times with today, when the Tiirners and 
 siiigers have sumptuous quarters for prac- 
 tice at their disposal; and then realize how 
 far in the course of past .veai-s we have ad- 
 vanced, and how nnich — we have lest. 
 
 '"In the year 185(j the ]\Iaennerchor, which 
 in the meantime had formally organized with 
 constitution and by-laws, decided to admit 
 passive members. In the same year they took 
 part in the Saengerfest at Cincinnati. A 
 year later they were able, througli the kind- 
 ness of the ladies, to celebi-ate a banner con- 
 secration. The year 1838 was notable for 
 the holding of the Saengerfest of the In- 
 diana Saengerbund at Indiauajjolis, in which 
 the entire German population participated. 
 The director of this celebration was Carl 
 Barns, the leader of the song-verein of Cin- 
 cinnati. The fest began on June 14. 1858; 
 delegations from the societies of Louisville. 
 Cincinnati. Da.vton. Lafa.vette. Terre Haute 
 and other cities being in attendance. On 
 the opening evening there was a great con- 
 cert in ]\Iasonic Hall ; the Fest-president 
 Clemen.s Vonnegut delivered an address, and 
 Miss Henningei-. on behalf of the German 
 ladies of Indianapolis, presented the Singers 
 a, handsomely embr(}idered baniuM-. which 
 liore the inscri|)tion. in u-oklen lettei's. 'The 
 honor of i!iaidi(>od is given into voui' hands:
 
 ( ir. //, lldds I'holo (11.) 
 
 MAENNERCHOR HALL
 
 HISTORY OF (;i;i:a'I'Ki; ixdi.wai-ot.is. 
 
 2or 
 
 preserve it.' On the next day was a ureal 
 parade; the pi'dccssion halteil at the C'irele 
 and the unitetl siii>;ers saui;' several (ieriiiaii 
 sonf.'.s amid a stoi-iii of apjilause from a 
 thickly |)aeked crowd. In the afternoon the 
 fest-participants aninsed themselves on the 
 sumptuoasly ai'rani;ed Fail- Ground (Mili- 
 tary Park), and in the evenintr thei-e was a 
 fri-ciil hall at Washinjrton Hall. 
 
 ■"Of the g'reatest InHiience on the (ipiiiimi 
 of the immiirrants of "4S who had made their 
 homes in Indianapolis, was, and remained, 
 the radical oiator and writer Karl Ilein/.en. 
 He was a man ')f iron logic. His whole life 
 was an unending battle for freedom and 
 trutli. Kevolutionist from ci-own to sole, he 
 lashetl unmercifidly with tongue and pen 
 the faults of liis enemies ;ind the wi-aknesses 
 of his friends. lie luid. as Wendell Phillins 
 said of him, 'the coui-age to dare to be 
 wholly consistejit.' The (Jermaiis of In- 
 dianapolis of tliat time found tlicmselves in 
 the happy stage of develo[)ment : business 
 caivs. social duties, conventional C(!n.sidera- 
 tions and aristocratic iiai'oxysms were then 
 unknown bacilli: the word 'so<nety' diil 
 not exist in tlio dictionai-y of the pe 
 riod. The nncorru|)ted (Jennan uoi d 
 nature, with its great excellences, and 
 possible impei'tincnces, bloonu'd in the 
 elui) life, and the multifariousness of 
 (iei'iiian aspii'ations declared itself through 
 the founding of organizations of all kinds. 
 So there arose here, as in othei- cities of the 
 Union, at the beginnint;' of the fifties an Anti- 
 monarchy society, tlie leading pi-inciple of 
 whicli was that it plcdued the ii(>ople of this 
 re|)ublic to supi)oi't tlie people of Eui'ope in 
 their sti'usigle foi' free govei'innent. 
 
 "Ijatei' through the active agitation of the 
 editor of the Ciiu-innati fToiInrai i/itrr. Fi'ed- 
 erick Ilassaurek. the I''reeineirs League was 
 organized. This organization had foi- its 
 aim "to oppose In- toniiue and iien all pi'e.ju- 
 dices iif political, social and relitiious Lrovern- 
 nient. and llu'outrh schools. i)ublic addi-r^sses 
 and debates Id be active for the iMlucation 
 of free men." .Mex. Met/wer. John V. Mayer. 
 George Fehrlinir. Th. 1 liilsehei'. Jos. Lanir- 
 hein and others were amoUL;- the most zeal- 
 ous meudiers of thi' lea-jue. In ls.">4 \ho first 
 state convention of the Freemen was held in 
 this city. The frankness with which this 
 
 convention spoke out on the subject of slav- 
 ery wa.s indeed refreshing when compared 
 with the caution with which statesmen ami 
 politicians avoided it. To the Fivemen's 
 League is credited the service of founding 
 the first (lernian school in this city. Karl 
 Beysehla^, editor of the Firir Prrssr, was 
 the teacher. Moreover fortnightly plays 
 were given in the league hall (south- 
 ea.st corner of Washington and Alabama). 
 The ilramatic section of the Freemen reached 
 the climax in the production of Schiller's 
 "Robbei's". A further undertaking was the 
 Tract Society of the ^len of Progress, the 
 soul of which was the then editor of the Frer 
 Press, Th. Ilielsehei-. The literatui'e which 
 the society circulated in tract form was di- 
 voted to religious freedom and was directed 
 chiefly against Puritanism and its cherished 
 sister-. Prohibition. The idea of diffusing 
 s[)iritual noui-isbment among the masses was 
 in fact borrowed from the Bible societies and 
 Methodist organizations of the East, which 
 were pledged to welcome each innnigrant 
 with numberless soul-saving tracts. 
 
 '"The Turngcmeinde took great care for 
 the intellectual uplift of (!ei-man life 
 through the arrangement of lectures which 
 accoi-diug to newspaper i-epoi-ts were enjoyed 
 by vei-y large audiences. Frederick ^fuench, 
 known under the name of 'l-'ar West'. 
 Samuel Ludvigh — the ' Fackel Ludvigh', 
 Schuenemann-Pott, Richard Solger, Judge 
 Stallo aiul others gave addresses in the Tui-n- 
 hall. With great satisfaction. Schuem'mann- 
 Pott sjxike of the activity of the lii)eral 
 minded (iermans here, in a letter by the Kx- 
 ecutive Conuinttee of the Turnerbnnd, id' 
 which the following- is an extract: 'in In- 
 dianapolis there is a livini; intei-est, a.s I have 
 found for m>'self. Hoth a.s.sociations wei-e 
 visited, and if I ni:iy judge from lunMci-ous 
 assurances, uttei'anccs, hand-claspings and 
 serenades, the reception of it was as sin- 
 cere and heai-ty as I could have wished." 
 Historic memorial da,\'s like the Four-th of 
 July, Washington's birthday, the aniuver- 
 sary of the ileath of Kobei-t Blum, (>tc., were 
 always fittingly celebrate<l. in fact, an op- 
 poi'tunitv to celebi-ate verv seldom slipped 
 by. 
 
 ".Xi'Xl to the clubs which wci-e devoted to 
 earnest etl'ort. the .Maetuierchor gave its best
 
 208 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATEE INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 atteution to musical eutertaininents, and the 
 Thalia-verein to draiuatie presentations. Both 
 societies recruited their members from the 
 same circles, and the zeal with which in- 
 dividuals took part in the efforts of the dif- 
 ferent societies is quite astounding- to us 
 children of the new period. From the Thalia 
 arose another dramatic association, the Con- 
 cordia, which every Sunday evening gave an 
 entertainrnent at the Athenaeum (northwest 
 corner of ]\Ieridian and Marjland) under 
 the discTiise of a. 'sacred concert', and on 
 Monday evening presented more extensive 
 plaj's. The Concordia appears to have gone 
 out of business after a short time, and the 
 Thalia-verein, of which Gottfried Recker, Alb. 
 Hoening, Nicholas Jose, Charles Whitten- 
 berg and othei-s were the high trumps, took 
 its place. A visit to the presentations, how- 
 ever, left something to be desired, and this 
 hampered it somewhat from the beginning. 
 The newspaper's were rather severe in their 
 criticisms of the theatricals, but were more 
 kintUy to the attractions of the Turner Hall. 
 "The Turngemeinde had in the meantime 
 given up its property on Noble street, and 
 moved to the Apollo Garden (on the south- 
 west corner of Capitol and Kentucky ave- 
 nues). The condition of Noble street was 
 such that the unsuspecting traveler, in wet 
 weather, would often leave his shoes sticking 
 in the unfathomable mire, and nuist hastily 
 abandon his socks lest he sink full length in 
 the bottomless. The dear days of Kentucky 
 avenue ! How long past they seem ! If one 
 listens to our older Germans talk of the 
 happy hours in the Turnhall on Kentucky 
 avenue, he can almost wish that he were old. 
 and might have lived at that time. There 
 gathered the German life and aspiration of 
 Indianapolis. There were turning, singing, 
 theatricals, music, debates, as well as politi- 
 cal and philosophical discussions. In Apollo 
 Garden He1ie busily administered her govern- 
 ment, and I'oguisli Eros played his tricks 
 with the hai>py youth. Turner exhibitions, 
 dramatic presentations, concerts, dances, 
 balls, and patriotic celebrations, with hair- 
 raising fireworks, alternated in brilliant ar- 
 ray. But also niaiiy a serious word was ut- 
 tered there, for the Turnhall was the head- 
 quarters of the anti-slavery agitation, and 
 the political barometci' indicated a storm. 
 
 ■'The most meritorious work that the cn- 
 tei-prising energy of our liberal minded Ger- 
 mans brought to consununation, and which 
 proved to be of lasting benefit thereafter, 
 was the founding of the German-Enulish 
 school. AVe cannot today judge what fdrin 
 the development of the German life of our 
 city would have taken without this influence, 
 but we know that the first German-American 
 generation has taken up the ideal efforts of 
 the older ones with zeal and intelligence, and 
 has contributed much to their accomplish- 
 ment. If it be a fact, as is often told us by 
 outside acquaintances, that Indianapolis, in 
 comparison with other cities of the country, 
 has excellent material in its Gennan- Ameri- 
 can citizens, then we will make no mistake in 
 seeking the reason in the beneficial influence 
 of the German-English school. It took to 
 itself, in large part, the difficult task of keep- 
 ing the growing youth (icrman in thought 
 and sympathy, a ta.sk which today falls al- 
 most wholly on the parents, and to which, 
 if it be successful, constant perseverance, 
 steady attention, and indefatigable effort are 
 essential. 
 
 "The public schools in Indianapolis in the 
 fifties were in poor condition ; the entire 
 tuition extended only over three or four 
 months in -the year, and had in consequence 
 to be restricted to instruction in the more 
 essential rudiments. In addition there were 
 Gei-raan private schools, for example in the 
 Scotch church, corner of Delaware and Ohio 
 streets, in Zion's church, in the so-called 
 Second Ward school on Delaware street be- 
 tween Vermont and Alichigan streets, like- 
 wise the Freemen's verein had a school, and 
 also Theodore Hielscher. the place of instruc- 
 tion being on Washington street opposite 
 the Court House. Praiseworthy as these 
 were, there was still need for a school in 
 which the instruction should be in English 
 as well as in German. The practicability of 
 this idea was often considered, especially by 
 the members of a secret society which bore 
 the oracular name of 'B. d. T.'.^ and definc<l 
 the rights and duties of its membei-s in a con- 
 stitution composed of 19 articles and 121 
 sections. The B. d. T. will be remembered 
 
 ^Binid der 
 
 virtuous. 
 
 Tugendhaf ten— union of the
 
 lii.SToitY OV (iKKATEJt l.NDl A.N Al'Ul.lS. 
 
 209 
 
 as the secret soeiety of tlie students, in vopiie 
 in Jletteriiieh's time, ti-ausplaiited to Aiiieri- 
 can soil: aiul toda.v, after more than -tO yeai's. 
 it wouUl jx-rhaps not be dangerous to brinij 
 one of the seerets of tliat eirele out of the 
 night of ot)liviou into the light of the sun. 
 And so nia.v he revealed the names of those 
 who in 'Ziska Zelt No. 1,' i. e., in the 
 oflRce of the 'Z. H.'," Dr- Hombiirg, came 
 together weekly for advising as to the pres- 
 ent and forminir jilans for the future, viz. : 
 Dr. llomburir. Jolin K. .NFaver, (leoi'se iMann- 
 feld, Jacob Heeker, :\lnth. ".Aloeseh, Th. lliel- 
 scher, Ferd AYieser, ('harles John, Herm. 
 Weinberger. Fraz Damme, and Giistav 
 Zscheck. The members of this secret 
 society deluded themselves with pi'o- 
 digious plans and liuilt the most gorgeous 
 air turn-and-music halls, compared with 
 which the pi-esent (iermaii House is a mere 
 bagatelle. Nevertheless one I)eautiful dream 
 was realized after the lapse of a few years 
 —the founding of an independent German- 
 English school. Opportunely, at a Thomas 
 Paine celebration, on January 29, 1859, was 
 pointed ont for the first time in official man- 
 ner the need of owneishi]) of a place for a 
 school; roiisinir communications to the news- 
 papei's set the hall iu motion, and a week 
 later a provisional assembly named ;in agi- 
 tation committee composed of V, Hutsch, 
 Alex, ^fetzger, F, (loepper, Wenderoth, Im- 
 berey. Klotz and Th. ITielscher. At a later 
 meeting was oi-ganiz(>d the German-English 
 School Society h.v the election of V. Butsch 
 as i>resident and Hermann Lieber as secre- 
 tary. The meeting deci-eed the founding of 
 a school which 'independent of all sectarian 
 influences should secure the education of 
 free, moral men, in tlie principles of human- 
 ity.' At the same time $000 was appro()riated 
 to a fund for building a seliool house. The 
 pro,jeet met such universal favor that within 
 the course of three months a site was bouglit 
 and a two stor.v building was begun. To- 
 ward the end of 1859 the school was opened, 
 under the management of the teachers Th. 
 Hielscher and Julius Schunun with a moder- 
 ate number of pupils at the start. Soon 
 such favorable results appeared that with 
 each tei-m uinrc pupils were enrollrd. Addi 
 
 ''•Zelt-Tlau|itiiianu— 'r<'ut captain. 
 Vol. 1—14 
 
 tional teachers were engaged aiul the c(mrse 
 of stud.v broadened. Thereliy the cost of 
 management increa.sed. The unavoidable 
 deficit was nuide up by voluntary contribu- 
 tions and by entertainments, picnics, fairs, 
 theatricals, concerts and balls, in which the 
 whole German population took part, filled 
 with couuiiendable enthusiasm. 
 
 "The AVbig parl.v had in the course of 
 .vi>ars surrendei-ed one position after an- 
 other, but the palliative of compromise failed 
 of effect and the presidential election of 
 1852 bi"oke the decadent jiart.v to pieces. 
 New parties appeared. The universal clamor 
 over the political distress raised, among 
 others, a secret organization, which for its 
 jilatform adopted the restriction of immigi'a- 
 tion, the i)urification of the ballot, and the 
 inti-oduction and maintenance of Ibe bible in 
 the publif schools. The aim of this agitation 
 was directed espeeiall.v against the Germans, 
 nuui.v of whom had .ioined the Democratic 
 |)art.v, attracted perhaps more by predilec- 
 tion for the name than for the principal ten- 
 dencies of the partv. This secret organiza- 
 tion called itself the American Party, and 
 the .iokers gave it the name Know-Nothing 
 I'ai'Vy because its mendiers to all questions 
 as to tlu>ir allegiance answered with a stereo- 
 typed 'T don't know.' After a short period 
 of existence the American Part.v had attained 
 success in manj^ states of the TTnion, .vet its 
 methods of agitation ripened characteristic 
 fruit; the native and foreign 'Kowdies' 
 clasped hands, and under the firm name of 
 .\merican Party, these dirty confederates 
 committed outrages. On election days it 
 often came to euttine and stabbing afl'i-ays 
 between the Know-Nothings and the Ger- 
 mans. In neighboring Cincinnati there raged 
 a .street fight for several da.ys in the be- 
 uinning of April, 1855, in which Turners 
 and Singers had opportiinit.y to show their 
 readiness in barricade building. 
 
 "The German societ.v halls bad to be 
 guai'ded with saber and jiistol ; even at the 
 peaceful beer-table our coiuitr,vnien were 
 constantl.v expecting the signal 'to arms', and 
 the skatplayers looked uji man,v times from 
 their cards to inquii-e with a|)prehension 
 whetbei- th(\v might pla,v another roun<l lic- 
 forc the Rowdies came. In |ieaceablc In- 
 dianapolis the loinv.'-nolhinL:' rcnneni did imt
 
 210 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATEI] TXDIAXAl'OUS. 
 
 >>rl ill action. 'I'liere was a skirmish now 
 and then with some son of the Einerald Isle, 
 especially as introduction to or wind-up of a 
 picnic, and the votinir in elections was often 
 associated with dano:er, but in comparison 
 with Cincinnati. Louisville. Columbus and 
 others. Little ]\Iadam Iiidiana]iolis beliaved 
 hei-self very well. The entire Know-Xotliing 
 movement wrecked finally on the sound sense 
 of the Anglo-American. 
 
 "A new party had for some time been 
 groping into life, the Republican Party. 
 Under its banner collected all those who had 
 realized the danger of the supremacy of the 
 Democratic Party. A motley assembly in- 
 deed found itself gathered together at the 
 beginnino- of this new party. The Demo- 
 cratic Indiana Volksblaft described a con- 
 vention of the Republican Party held in In- 
 dianapolis as follows: 'This motliest of all 
 motley conventions of fusionists was com- 
 posed of Know-Xothiiigs, Americans, patented 
 progressionists and aliolitionists, noi'thern 
 secessionists and renegade Democrats, of 
 Catholic-eaters and Temperance hypocrites, 
 of Mainiacs' and political priests.' Out of 
 the conglomerate of political reform ideas 
 and opinions crystallized the firm i-esoliition. 
 regardless of the threats of the 'fire-eaters' of 
 the South, to call a halt on the further 
 spread of slavery. The day for decision ap- 
 proached. The most exciting campaign in 
 the history of the republic raged through the 
 countiy. Mass meetings, parades, torch-light 
 processions and demonstrations of all kinds 
 increased the deep stirring-up; all other in- 
 terests disappeared under the weight of the 
 event. The (Jth of Xovember, 1860, holds a 
 world 's-historic significance through the elec- 
 tion of the candidate of the young Republi- 
 can Party, Abraham Lincoln. 
 
 "With the vietoiy of the Republican 
 Party the conflict was here; the slave states 
 made good their threat and seceded from the 
 Union before Lincoln entered his office. With 
 apprehensive anxiety all eyes turned to Fort 
 Sumter. On the morning of April 12, 18(11, 
 the hot-blooded Virginian, Edward Rutliii, 
 fired the first shot at the T^nion fort ; the 
 garrison returned the early morning greet- 
 ing, and the bloody drama of the Civil War 
 
 "Play on the .Maine lii|U(ir law. 
 
 had begun. On the 15tli President Lincoln 
 issued the first call for 75,000 volunteers; 
 on the 18th the Inrlianapolis Journal con- 
 tained the following: 'The Turners marched 
 to Camp Morton yesterday morning, accom- 
 panied by their own band, and .joined the 
 several companies with which they have iden- 
 tified themselves. Passing up Delaware 
 street they stopped in front of the residence 
 of Hon. A. G. Porter and gave him three 
 hearty cheers, and then passed on to the resi- 
 dence of William Wallace, where Adjutant 
 General Wallace is temporarily residing, and 
 cheered the general with loud hurrah. The 
 Turners are aroused and ready for action. 
 All unmarried Turnei-s answered the first 
 call of Lincoln. The Turngemeinde was 
 broken up. The Turnhall on Xoble street 
 was turned over to one of the creditoi-s for 
 the settlement of the more impoi"tant debts 
 of the society. The remaining ett'ects of the 
 Turners, consisting of banner, gymna.stic 
 apparatus and library were turned over to 
 Hermann Lieber for pi'eservation. 
 
 "The ^laenuerchor. which under the di- 
 rection of E. Despa had made rapid prog- 
 ress, also went down from the beginning of 
 the Civil War. Several of the active mem- 
 bers had gone into the army, and moreover 
 the harmony among the membei-s had been 
 tottering for some time. The interests of 
 the whole country concentrated on the battle 
 field. The cheerfulness of the German club 
 life was silenced. Times had come that tried 
 men's souls. That the Germans brilliantJy 
 stood the test is written in the book of his- 
 tory in indelible letters. In unmeasurable 
 higher percentage than others the German 
 immigrants fought under the starry banner 
 for the preservation of the Union. Of the 
 self-sacrificing devotion to the new home, 
 and the patriotic inspiration of the Germans 
 of Indianapolis, the following extract from 
 the Journal of April KJ. 1861. gives informa- 
 tion : 'Our (Jerman fellow citizens held a 
 meeting yesterday morning for the purpose 
 of considering the jiropriety of offering their 
 services to the (lovernor during the f)rescnt 
 emergency. They announced their firm and 
 undying devotion to the land of their adop- 
 tion and resolved to offer their services to 
 the Governor with the understanding that 
 thev will not all be coiitinued in the same
 
 KISTOin nV (IKEATKR TXDT.WAPOTJS. 
 
 •211 
 
 company, as they eonsiiU'i- that all nation- 
 ality should be sunk now. save that of the 
 American. Long live our brave axlopted 
 citizens! They have felt and known the 
 oppression of an aristocracy, and will never 
 consent to ayain how theii' necks to the yoke. 
 nor sacrifice tlieir love of liberty to save thcii- 
 lives. ■ 
 
 ■"As the 'i'ui'Hi'i's rrtiiriii'd at the close of 
 their thi-ee months' service, a desire was 
 urgent among them to organize a whollj' 
 German regiment. They were inspired to 
 this l>y the service of the (Jerman regiment 
 from thi' East under Ludwig Blenker. and 
 the (iermans of St.. Louis under Franz Sigel. 
 The ulea was tiiutlly taken up actively at a 
 roundtable which met every morning at 11 
 o'clock at Washington Hall, composed of Val 
 Butsch. Dr. lIond)urg. Adolph Seidensticker, 
 Th. Ilielscher, and August Ritzinger, and 
 with the approval of (lovernor Morton was 
 brought to accomplisbiiH'iit. The first com- 
 paii\' was fi'om Indianapolis. The I'emainiiig 
 9 com|)anics wei'i' I'ccruited at .Madison, 
 Auroi-a. La\vii'nc(»bui-g. 'I'erre Haute, Cincin- 
 nati. Lafayette. Laporte and Evansvillc. The 
 command of the regiment was given to Au- 
 gust Willich. then :\rajor of the 9th Ohio 
 regiment. His staff officers were, Lieut(>nant 
 Col. IL von Trebra. .Ma.j. Wm. Hchnacken- 
 burir. Adjutiint Karl Schmitt aiul (Quarter 
 .Masti'r Edward .Mueller. The n'giin<'iit was 
 enrolled as th(" ■■{2nd Lidiana Regiment, and 
 fh parted on September (i, IStJl, for Louis- 
 ville, whei'c the regimental colors were pre- 
 sented to it by Jlrs. Seidensticker in the 
 name of the German ladies. After a short 
 stay in L(uiisville. the :V2nd mai'chcil to \cw- 
 havcn. Ky.. and from there into the field at 
 'Camp Nevin'." The further history of llh' 
 32nd is thus continued by the ('a|)taiti of the 
 first company, and later Lieutenant Colonel, 
 Frank Erdelmeyer: 
 
 "Under the command of AVillieh. tiie regi- 
 ment became one of the best di-illed bodies of 
 soldiers. We drilled undei' (Jerman eom- 
 ina)id and Germ.in siu'uals. and thi'i'c devel- 
 oped a spirit of fellowship, a genuine soldier 
 spii'il. that biouiiht us victory in many a 
 hitter fiL'liI, Durinir the latter i)art of the 
 year our regiment was added to General R. 
 W. .(ohnsiiti's (Ith Hi-ii;ade, of McCook's Di- 
 vision. < )ii the advanee I here a()peared need 
 
 for forming a pioneer division, which Colonel 
 Willich forthwith organized carefully, and 
 it w-as put xnider the capable command of 
 Lieutenant Joseph Peitzuch. These wise pre- 
 cautions pi'oved their benefit in a short 
 time. On the 12th of December (1861) 
 Johnson's Brigade advanced to the village' 
 of .Munfordsville on (ireen River. The 
 only bridge over the river was partially de- 
 stroyed, and to cover its repair Willich thi-ew 
 two companies as pickets on the south side 
 of the river, and our pioneers worked night 
 antl day to repair the structure. On the 
 17th the bi-idge was ready. It was high time, 
 for shortly after noon the enemy's cavalry 
 and infanti-y appeared. Our pickets gave 
 the alarm: our com[)anics f(U'med (juiekly 
 and went over the bridge at double (juick. 
 Colonel Willich was absent at the tinu% and 
 the conunand devolved on von Trebra. With 
 a precision as on parade our companies fell 
 into line of battle. The rebel infantiy could 
 not withstand our well-directed fin', aiul 
 were hurled back in wild confusion. Then 
 the enemy advanced his cavali'y, the dreaded 
 Te.xas l?angers. With a wild cheer they 
 rushed from behind a hill on our extended 
 firing line, and individual fighting com- 
 I)anies. But we received the impact steadily; 
 the companies formed scpiares. and let the 
 Texas Rangei's come within a short distance; 
 then sounded one volley after aru)ther; the 
 wild riders were thrown back and numy a 
 one renuuned on the field. Hut again and 
 again they retui'ued I On the left wing 
 Lieutenant INIax Sachs, with a i)art of the 
 Third Company, on the open field, groui>ed 
 about two haystacks, was suri'ounded. He 
 i-efused to surrender-, and fought bravely till 
 a bulli't brought his end. llel|i came (juiekly, 
 but uiduil)l)ily too late for Sachs. The Texas 
 Rangers now formed feu- a final charge, and 
 oui- men hekl tlieir position. Meanwhile 1 
 had taken possession of a little hill on our 
 left flank to bar the way of the cavalrj-. 
 Coming then we saw thick before us the 
 enemy's infantry and artillery. 1 waited 
 now till the infantry advaneed to attack our 
 right wing, and then advanced slowly with 
 my com|)aiiy. Tiie enemy imagined the whole 
 division behind us, and. fearini: <i tiaiik at- 
 tack, turneil back in hasty HiLdit. The bat- 
 tle was over. Cn our side we had in de.nl
 
 212 
 
 HISTOKY OP GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 and '2\1 wouiuUhI. Tlie vietorv belonged to 
 the (ieinian Indiana Regiment." 
 
 "The troops engaged were higldy conipli- 
 niented in the general orders of December 27, 
 1861, by General Fry, who commended the 
 regiment as 'a study and example to all 
 troo])s nnder his command, and enjoins them 
 to emulate the discipline and instniction 
 which insure such results. The name of Row- 
 lett Station will be inscribed on the regi- 
 mental Colors of the Thirty-second Indiana 
 Volunteei-s. ' The following spring the legis- 
 lature of Kentucky passed an act to purchase 
 the field and notified the regiment of this 
 recognition of its German defendants. In the 
 further course of the war the regiment took 
 part in the battles of Shiloh. Stone River, 
 Chicknmauga, ^Missionary Ridge and the 
 niarel) to .\tlanta, and maintained the good 
 reputation it had earned in its first baptism 
 of fire. It was AYillich's regiment that at-^ 
 traeted wide attention by a notable perform- 
 ance on the second day at Shiloh. It was ad- 
 vancing on 'the Hornet's Nest' when Willich 
 noticed the lines of a new company wavering 
 under the awful fire. He at once halted the 
 regiment, and (tut them through the manual 
 of arms in that rain of death; then, steadied 
 once more, sent them on with the charge.* 
 There wa.s also a German battery in the 6th 
 Indiana that was raised at Evansville. Its 
 captain was Fredrich Behr, and after his 
 death at Shiloh, Wm. :\Iueller. The other 
 officers of the battery were Louis Kei'u, Wm. 
 ^Lissman, Ed. Janke. and Peter Butsch, of 
 Indianapclii-. 
 
 ■'After the close of the Civil War a new 
 s])irit made itself noticeable among the Ger- 
 mans of Ameriea, perhaps this change took 
 place unknown tn themselves. During the 
 war, and fre(|uently on account of the war, 
 many had worked their way up to a comfort- 
 able condition in life. The improvement of 
 their financial condition called for increased 
 energy, and soon increased both their social 
 obligations and their circumspection. Their 
 active participation in club affaii's natin-ally 
 lessened in proportion as their commercial 
 interests increased. Others mav have neg- 
 
 ' Lew Wallace's Auhilnnr/niiiln/, pj). r)()l-2; 
 Willich 's modest i-eport of the occui'rence is 
 in the Journnl of .\pril 23, 1862. 
 
 lected the chance of the moment to take time 
 liy the forelock, or have lacked energy ; be 
 that as it may, the social relations of the Ger- 
 mans among themselves lost their former 
 level, and the former lack of constraint of 
 German club life began to lose its original 
 naturalness. ^Moreover after the war the 
 principal differences of opinion heightened. 
 From social and political conditions arose ani- 
 mosities and enmities, which in turn spread 
 in wide circles. The personal quarrels of 
 some were carried into club life, and attained 
 there the ruling influence. Factions were 
 formed which finally broke out in long bick- 
 erings, and shivered the club in pieces. Their 
 energies were broken in fragments. Some, 
 weary of the unending scpiabbles, drew away 
 entirely and threw themselves into the arms 
 of the Aniilo- America II life. New societies, 
 new cliques and clubs were formed. The his- 
 toric weakness of the German people, par- 
 ticularism, broke out disastrously, also in far 
 Amei-ica. Another influence which reacted 
 on the German club life was the readier di- 
 vision of the Germans in party polities. It 
 is indeed not mere chance that in so many 
 cities the leading spirits of two clubs, oro-an- 
 ized for the same purposes, are in public life, 
 known as representatives of opposing political 
 factions. 
 
 "But the chief influence in this process of 
 transformation which slowly but irresistibly 
 proceeded in all (ierman clubs of the country, 
 was the meanwhile i-ipening youth. A new 
 generation had matured. Grown up in other 
 surroundings it brought in a different thought 
 and feeling. The revolutionary .spirit of "48 
 which thrilled the fathers was strange and 
 incompi-ehensible to the children. In the as- 
 semblages and entertainments of the German 
 clubs, English convei'sation. which came so 
 much easier, attained precedence. The Ger- 
 man club life received a different chai-acter. 
 The process of Americanization also overtook 
 our forty-eighters, for the events of the jiast 
 were too powerful to pass over them without 
 leaving traces. The affectionate care for the 
 family, the free intercourse and expression 
 of opinion, the business and the dollar, the 
 social and material advantages which the new 
 home offered so profusely frightened away 
 the homesickness, the u'enfle longing for the 
 old fatherland, to a hidden corner of the
 
 HISTORY OF (illKVlKi; I NDl.WAl'OLlS. 
 
 213 
 
 D 
 
 < 
 
 X 

 
 2U 
 
 HLSTOTJy (»K CltHATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 heart. The iioble American knew liow to ap- 
 I)reciate the noble spirit of self-sacrifice which 
 the Germans showed in the sore crisis of the 
 Civil War. Business, social and political points 
 of contact in cnnse(|uence liecaiiie fre(inent, 
 and the mutual knowledue dawned u]ion both 
 of them that each could learn much from the 
 other. Out of the German in America de- 
 veloped the German American. 
 
 "A stronfj bond for the liberal element 
 was found for a number of years in the Ger- 
 man-Eno-lish school, the hlessiuffs of which 
 were not obstructed through the years of 
 war. Durin>:- the war the Schulverein had 
 bought the ad.ioiniui; lot. and doubled tlie 
 size of the school tiuildinj;- '216 East ^lai'v- 
 land street). The school itself, under the 
 management of Johann Reitz and his son 
 Heinrich Reitz ( 18t52-18().5) made excellent 
 ]iro^ress. It reached its bloom in the years 
 1865 to 1871. Ry the care of the principal 
 a fine corps of teachers was secured, viz. : 
 Th. Dinsledey, "\Vm. ^Mueller. L. Klenuii. Miss 
 ^late, ]Mrs. Wynn, ^liss Beman. and later 
 Ernst Knodel and Christian Bopp. The 
 studies tauorht were reading, writing-, gram- 
 mar, composition, arithmetic, geometry, geog- 
 raphy, history, nature study in both lan- 
 guages, perspective drawing, nnisic and gym- 
 na.stics. The snpjunt of the school re(|uired 
 considerable money annually, and it often re- 
 quired extraordinary effort to avoid a threat- 
 ened deficit. Small as the tuition charge was, 
 it exceeded the ability of many German fam- 
 ilies. There was. therefore, general satisfac- 
 tion when Representative J. T. Coft'roth, of 
 Huntington, introduced a bill in the legisla- 
 ture of 1869 to have (German included in the 
 course of study of the public schools if the 
 parents of twenty-five children in a school 
 district petitioned for it. In recognition of 
 the services of the Germans the House passed 
 this bill on February 17, 1869, by a vote of 
 77 to 7, and the Senate declared itself for 
 the same favor on April "27 by a vote of 37 
 to 3. Moved by an unselfish purpose to pro- 
 mote the general welfare, the nunnbei's of the 
 (ierman-English society were the most zeal- 
 ous supporters of this law, though as before 
 mentioned, the introduction of German in the 
 public schools was the death blow to their 
 own school. 
 
 "The attendant' diniiiiislicd vcarlv; the 
 
 money for the suppt)rt of the management, 
 which amounted to $6,000 to $7,000 an- 
 nually, grew harder to raise. Xevertheles.? 
 the leading members of the Schulverein did 
 not abandon agitation for the support of the 
 school, and thanks to the devoted activity of 
 some the school was able to keep alMve water 
 for a decade longer. It is due first to men- 
 tion the capable teachers who, during this 
 time, labored in the school, among whom were 
 G. (Jramlich, Hy. Koessly, P. Berwig, and 
 especially R. C. Tschentcher, who was prin- 
 cipal from 1872 to 1879, and Karl Pingpang, 
 who served as teacher for ten .years, until 
 1882. During the years 1865 to 1882, the 
 names of the following members were most 
 frequent in the Schulverein records: Val 
 Butseh, A. Seidensticker, C. Vonnegut. H, 
 Lieber, Ed. Mueller, F. Schmidt, Wm. Kothe, 
 Alex. Metzger, Louis Lang, Jacob Metzger 
 and \Ym. Haueisen. In the early part of 
 1882 the society found it necessary to give 
 up the school altogether, as all attempts to 
 find a teacher who was willing, according to 
 the wishes of the society, to carry it on on 
 his own account, were unsuccessful. All of 
 the pupils went into the public schools, where 
 they entered older classes without difficulty. 
 In further evidence of the thoroughness of 
 the German-English school may be mentioned 
 the fact that pupils of former years, after 
 finishing the German-English school, were ad- 
 mitted to the cit.v high school without fur- 
 ther examination, and, moreover, were re- 
 garded by the teachers there as model pupils. 
 Thereby is answered the oft-repeated argu- 
 ment that a course in two languages is of 
 no advantage to the intellectual development 
 of the pupil." 
 
 Leaving Mr. Stempfel's account at this 
 point, it may be ad<led tliat the (ierman move- 
 ment from this time forward was devoted 
 chiefiy to eharitflble undertakings and musical 
 cidture, which will be considered elsewhere, 
 and to the develn])ment ( f club interests. On 
 January 1, 1865. former members of the 
 Turngemeindc reorganized as the Indianap- 
 olis Turnverein, which met for eighteen 
 months at Mueller's Hall, 27 South Delaware 
 street, a.s did also the ^laiMinerchor. The Tur- 
 ners then built, at 280 East Maryland street, 
 the hall being dedicated on Jlay 7, 1867. In 
 1868 the Boston cotivcntion of the Turner-
 
 PITSTORY OF GKEATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 21.5 
 
 bund indorsed the Republican platfoitn 
 adopted at Chicajru. and the Indianapolis so- 
 ciety decided to expel those nieiiibers who 
 did not indorse the Boston action. On .Inly 
 17, 1868, sixty-eiiiht members were cxjtelli'd. 
 The "free thinkers" were puttini; freedom 
 of thoujjht behind the bars. Two years later 
 there was another split over woman's rights, 
 and other niembei-s withdrew. The expelled 
 members of 1868 formed an independent or- 
 tranization called the Social Tnrnverein. and 
 put up a bnildinu- at 218 Kast ^laryland 
 street, which was dedicated in May. 1872. 
 Meanwhile the Indianapolis Tnrnverein, weak- 
 ened by the loss of members, and embarrassed 
 by the expen.se of the Turn-fest of Septem- 
 ber, 1870, had to give up its building to its 
 creditors. Various efforts to unite the two 
 failed until the national Turnerbund ordered 
 them to unite within three months. The 
 union was effected on -Inly 16. 1872. luulci- 
 the name, Indianapolis Socialer Turnvercin. 
 
 On April 10, 1870, the Friedenkerverein 
 was organized to combat the pernicious teach- 
 ings of Christianity, which it did by lec- 
 tures, newspaper articles and tracts. .More 
 important, as a result of a meeting on De- 
 cember 7. 1884. it established a (lewerbe- 
 schnle, or industi'inl training school, in which 
 numbers of young people received instruction, 
 and which was a large factor in the develop- 
 ment of the ^lanual Training High School. 
 In 1876 the "Zukunft". the organ of the 
 Turnerbund at this point, supported Tilden 
 
 I and Hendricks, which caused a pi'otest fioTu 
 the local society, and on account of which 
 the Turnerlnuid in 1878 cancelled its contracl 
 
 i with the i)ai)er. This brought llu' politii-al 
 controversy to a head, and on Jannaiy 1. 
 1879. a iiiinority of thirt.v-three membei-s I'c- 
 signed and founded the Fnabhaengiger or 
 Independent Turnvercin. This society made 
 its (|uarters in Mozart Hall for six years. 
 On July 2it. 1884, a Turidiall Stock ('omi>any 
 was formed, which boii-jlit the old Third 
 Presbyterian Church pmixTt.v, at the north- 
 east cornel- of Ohio and Illinois street, for 
 $12.r)((0. Alterations were made in the build- 
 ing, and on February '■]. 1885, the Society 
 moved into the new home, which was dedi- 
 cated on March 30. Soon after it bought, for 
 $4.r>00, the lot to the north, which was occu- 
 pied for several years as a summer garden; 
 
 anil in 18!)7 the pi-cscnt two-story luiilding 
 was erected. ^Meanwhile a new front was 
 put on the building and an addition at the 
 I'car, the total of the remodeling, additions 
 and new building costing .'f^4o,()(l(). The so- 
 ciety took over the property from the stock 
 company, and has refused to consider an 
 otter of "$150,000 for it. 
 
 In October, 1891, the Soeialer Turnvercin 
 decided to erect a building, not for itself 
 ;done, but for the entire liberal-minded (icr- 
 nian clement in the city, A stock company 
 was formed that winter, and a site was jiiU'- 
 chascd for $20,000 at the southeast corner 
 of Michigaji and .New Jei'se.v streets. The 
 work of building was pushed forward, and 
 February 22, 1894, the east wing of the build- 
 ing was occupied with api)ropriate festiv- 
 ities. The remainder of the building was 
 four years in completion, and on June 15. 
 1898, Das Deutsche Ilaus was dedicated, with 
 music, addresses, and a pla,v; followed by 
 other festivities on the 16th and 18th. The 
 total cost of this tine building was $175,000. 
 In addition to the Soeialer Turnvercin, it 
 is occupied by Der Deutsche Klub, which in- 
 cludes all stockholders in the house; the (Jer- 
 mau-Atnerican Veterans Club, oi-ganized in 
 1S7M; the ^lusikverein, founded in 1897. Tln' 
 hall and jxii-tions o|)encd to rent ai-e much 
 used by outsiders for balls, plays, and gath- 
 erings of various kinds. When the Soeialer 
 Tnrnverein decided to move farther north, 
 about a third ot its nu'mbers lived on the 
 South Sitlc. and a movement arose for a new 
 society, the most active jii'omotei- being H. 
 W'iddekind. As a result the South Side Turn- 
 vercin cclebrateti its foundation on Novem- 
 ber 5. 189:5. Fiietional troubles soon came 
 near disruf)tiiig it. but in Septendier. 1894. 
 Henry V^ictor took charge of it. and somi 
 brought it into prosperous condition. Its 
 first meeting place was the Phoenix (iai-den. 
 Iiiit a buildinu' societ.v was oi'ganized and on 
 .ianuary 18, 1901. the handsome turnhall. on 
 l*r<is|)eet street lu'ar iNladison avenue, was 
 dedicated. The cost of Mic liuildini!' and 
 grounds was .$45,000. 
 
 In 1878 the J[a''nncrehor rented the old 
 City Hall. 3:17 F^ast Washington .street; and 
 it was dedicated to its new occupation on 
 March 26. 27. In 1897 a fund of $10,000 
 was raised, and the Imildint: was renovated
 
 216 
 
 HISTOPtY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 and aruamentt.Hl, making a hautlsoiue resi- 
 dence for the society for the next ten years. 
 But it aspired to something- better, and by 
 the accession of passive members the society 
 had taken on hirtrely the character of a gen- 
 eral purpose elub. and also acquired power 
 to spread out. Accordingly it purchased a 
 .site at the northwest corner of Jlichigau and 
 Illinois streets, for $30,000, and erected its 
 imposing hall at a cost of $126,000. On Feb- 
 ruary 17. 1907, the ^Maennerchor bade fare- 
 
 well to its old hall with due ceremony, and a 
 month later dedicated its new building with 
 a series of services beginning on March 21, 
 on which occasion the opening address was 
 made by Mrs. Fernanda Richter (Edna Fern) 
 of St. Louis, on "German Song". This is the 
 latest of the German building enterprises, of 
 a quasi-public character, and is a gratifying 
 addition to the ornamental structures that 
 thev have contributed to the citv.
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 
 CIVIL WAR Ti:\rES. 
 
 (Ry .ToiIX II. HOLLIDAT.') 
 
 The election of Lincoln had been preeeded 
 by threats of seeession, but these met witli 
 utter iucredidity. They wei-e considered as 
 ante-election bliilTs. Every one believi>d the 
 South would aeee|)t the situation after a little 
 blustering-. The ]\r'pulil leans were not abo- 
 litionists. Their content i(jn was that slavery 
 should not be extended, and the far-seeinjr 
 ones who agreed with Lincoln, that the gov- 
 ernment could not exist half slave and half 
 free, were few indeed in comparison with 
 the mass who were contented to let slavery 
 keej) what it had. The Republicans had con- 
 demned lirown's i-aid the year befoi-e and 
 they had no symiiathy with (iarri.son, Phil- 
 lips and abolitionists generally. In these later 
 days it has been claimed in many obituary 
 notices that their subjects wei'e original abo- 
 litionists. If they had been the South would 
 have l)een correct in the ehariie that the Re- 
 publican party was an abolition ])arty, but 
 the fact is that most of the abolitionists wei-i' 
 made such bv the necessities of the wai-. Weu- 
 dt-11 Phillips was egged in Cincinnati in 18(i2 
 foi- an abolition speech. After the election 
 the "fire-eaters", as they were called, pro- 
 ceeded to carry their thi-eats into speedy op- 
 eration. South Carolina s(>ceded, followed bv 
 
 ' ^Ir. llolliday has kindly consented to the 
 use of this hitherto unpublished .irticle here. 
 Living here dui-iug the wai', and soon after 
 its close founding the Indianapolis Ncivs, of 
 which for many years he was editor, his per- 
 sonal familiarity with th(» suli.ject, coupled 
 with the extensive I'csearch given in the pi-ep- 
 aration of tliis article, make it a contribu- 
 tion to local liistory especially- worthy of 
 l)i-eservation. 
 
 other states. The national forts and i)r(ipi'i-ty 
 were seized when possible and the administra- 
 tion otl'ercd no hindrances, if it did not abet 
 the movement. Even when the Confedei-acy 
 was organized and the country was rushing 
 on to wai', the northern people believed it 
 would be averted and did nothing but talk 
 and agree to certain peace conferences that 
 , might hit upon a compromise. 
 
 Still there was some war talk in Indianap- 
 olis that winter. One faction of the Repub- 
 licans, headed by Governor ]\Iorton, spoke for 
 coercion, another, led by the Journal, thought 
 it unnecessary and was almost i-eady for 
 ■'peace at any price". On January 7, 1861, 
 the Zouave Guards, a recently organized mil- 
 itary company, offered its services to the Gov- 
 ernor in case of war. On the 22nd the flag 
 was publicly raised on the State House dome 
 after a procession of the military and fire 
 department in the jii-esence of a vast con- 
 coui-se; a salute was fired and Cai'oline 
 Richings, a jxtimlar actress, sang the Star 
 Spangled Banner and aroused great enthu- 
 siasm. P''ebruary 12 Mr. Lincoln came on 
 his way to Washington, the first president- 
 elect to visit here, and that was one of the 
 great days of th(^ town. What he said was 
 not much l)ut it ins(Mre(l confidence that there 
 would be no yieldinii- without .a struggle. He 
 was inaugui-ated. but the rush of onice-seek- 
 ers almost obscured the condition of the coun- 
 try and the rising Confederacy. 
 
 Within two months, Api-il P2th, the blow 
 fell with the attack on Ft. Sumter. Senti- 
 ment ci-ystallized in a flash. War had com(> 
 unprovoked. Thi> flair had been fired on and 
 humiliated by defeat. There was l)ut one 
 voice — sustain the goverunieiit and i)ut down 
 
 217
 
 21. S 
 
 IIISIORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 thr rebellion. The l'M\ day of April was 
 another o;reat day in Indianapolis, the i;reat- 
 est it had yet seen : and probably it has never 
 been surpassed in the intense interest, anxiety 
 and enthusiasm exhibited. Never were its 
 people so aroused. It was Saturday. Busi- 
 ness was praetically forgotten ; the streets 
 were crowded ; the newspaper nei<;Iiborhoods 
 were thi-onged: a deep solemnity was over 
 all as they waited to hear the news, or dis- 
 eus.sed in low tones the crisis that was upon 
 them. In the afternoon dodgers were issued 
 calling for a public meeting at the Coui't 
 House at seven o'clock. Before the time the 
 little room was packed. Ebenezer DuiiKint. a 
 Democrat who had been an officer in the 
 ilexican AVar, was made chairman, and im- 
 mediately a juotion was made to adjourn to 
 the Metropolitan theatre. The crowd, con- 
 stantly aug-menting. hurried down Washing- 
 ton street to the theatre, which was soon 
 tilled and overflowing. Then iNFasonic Hall, 
 acr(.ss the street, was opened and filled, with ^ 
 hundreds standing in the streets. The meet- 
 ings were full of the war spirit. Governor 
 IMorton and othei-s .spoke. Patriotic resolu- 
 tions M'ere adopted declaring in favor of 
 armed resistance. ^Nfajor Gordon announced 
 that he would organize a flying artillery com- 
 pany, for which Governor Morton had al- 
 ready secured six guns, and forty-five men 
 enrolled their names for the war. At the 
 close the surrender of Ft. Sitmter was an- 
 nounced, and the meetings disper.sed in deep 
 gloom but with finu purpose. 
 
 Sunday was little observed in tlie usual 
 way. There was no demonstration of excite- 
 ment but great seriousness, fur hundreds were 
 pondering over the future and their po.ssible 
 part in it. The Journal published an extra 
 with an account of the meetings Saturday 
 night. The next day recruiting offices were 
 oi)ened, the military com])anies volunteered 
 in large part; volunteers were offered from 
 many other places; and on Wednesday, the 
 17th, the first troops went into Camp ^lorton, 
 then the new fair gi'oimds. covering the site 
 of AForton Place. Then they poured in by 
 thousands from town and country, some with 
 flags, some with fife aiul driuns or brass band ; 
 the streets were alive with them. It is l)e- 
 yond my power to give any adequate idea 
 of those davs with the buri-v and bustle. 
 
 the innumerable details of the swift prepa- 
 rations, the deepening feeling and the con- 
 tinued excitement. 
 
 The Journal of the 16th reports it in a way 
 as follows: "There is but one feeling in Indi- 
 ana. We are no longei- Republicans or Demo- 
 crats. Never did party names lose their signif- 
 icance so rapidly or completely as since the 
 news of Saturday. Parties are forgotten and 
 only our common danger is remembered. Here 
 and there inveterate sympathizers with South- 
 ei'u institutions and feelings scowl and curse 
 the mighty tempest of patriotism they dare 
 not encounter: but they are few, as pitiful in 
 strength as in spirit. Even the Scntiiirl now 
 avows its devotion to the stars and stripes, 
 and gives ns some cause to modify if not 
 recall the harsh censures we expressed yes- 
 terday. Our streets are blazing with Na- 
 tional flaws. Huge banners wave from the 
 tops of houses and hundred of flags flutter 
 in windows and along the walks. The drum 
 and fife are sounding the whole day long at 
 Military Hall, where volunteers are pouring 
 ill to record their names and enter the sennce 
 (if their country: and crowds are gathered 
 constantly around the doors of Colonel Du- 
 mont's station, whei-e he is enlisting volun- 
 teers for a regiment of picked men. Though 
 the news of the fight has as yet only reached 
 towns along the lines of railroads, and no 
 (ifficial or other notice has been published 
 that the services of volunteers would be 
 needed, 2,000 men, regularly organized and 
 ready to start at the word, have already been 
 tendered to (Jovernor Morton, and more than 
 l'0,000 are forming with eager haste to be in 
 time for acceiitance. By the time the news 
 can be thoroughly circulated throut;h the 
 state that men are needed, there will be more 
 than 50,000 officered and ready. In the full 
 spirit of the times Governor iMorton has sunk 
 party distinctions and yesterday appointed 
 to the important post of Adjutant General of 
 the State, Cajit. Lewis Wallace of .Montgom- 
 ery County, a prominent Democrat and wide- 
 ly known for his military zeal and skill. 
 Lewis H. Sands, of Putnam, another Demo- 
 crat devoted to his country, has been ap- 
 pointed colonel. There will be no more Re- 
 publicans or Democrats hereafter till the 
 countiy is at peace." A vain ])rediction was 
 this. The S()ilin(1. thouuli f(ir the iiidiiient
 
 lIISToltV OF (IKKATKi: I XDIAXAPOI.IS. 
 
 •21f> 
 
 cowod iiiln liiilf-heartcd :i|i|iriival of llii- \v;ir, 
 soon ri'vcrtcil to tho tk'iiuiiciatidii of the ;ui- 
 iiiiiiistratioii and th(^ battles of op|)osini> pol- 
 itits were as many and as fierce as those of 
 the armies. i)efore tlie country was at peace. 
 
 There had iieeti a lull in military spirit 
 after the ^Fexican War. and Indianapolis 
 had no permanent eomi)any for a decade. 
 The City Guards were organized in 1S.")2. 
 with (lovernor Wallace a.s captain, and the 
 Mechanic Rifles in 1858. but botii spcmi went 
 lo pieces. A visit of the St. Louis (luards 
 to the city in 1856 aroused the dormant sen- 
 timent, and the National (iuai'ds were oriran- 
 ized. with Oen. W. J. Elliott as captain. They 
 were uniformed in bhie, with cai)s bearing' 
 white plumes. Some di.ssensions aro e, and in 
 1857 (ieneral Elliott or^ranized the City Greys, 
 who woi-e frrcy unifoi-ms and bear-skin 
 shakos. 'I'hesp were the only i)ei-manent 
 companies until 18()(). when a visit from Lew 
 Wallace's !\Iontiromery (iuards, who wei-e 
 Zouaves, and drilled by drum beat, wakened 
 new and)itions. The Inde|>endent Zouaves 
 were then ortranized, on the same basis, with 
 Francis A. Shoup as captain: and these three 
 Indianapolis companies, with the Montgomery 
 Gnai'ds and two Tei-re Haute companies, held 
 a state encami)m('nt at the fair L'ronnds ( .Mili- 
 tary Park") the week befrinniuf;- Sei)tembei- 19. 
 In October. 18fi(l. the Zouave (iuards wei-e 
 ortranized. with John Fahnestock as cajytain. 
 They were {jorfjeous, in ))lue .iaekets with 
 pold lace, basrpy scarlet trousers to the knee. 
 orange lejrfring.s and shirts, white belts, and 
 rimless scarlet ca()s with tassels. They also 
 made the i-ecord of beinjr the first comi)any 
 to tender services to the (iovei-noi- for any 
 duty that mipht a rise. - 
 
 These four companies went out in the Elev- 
 enth regriinent in the three months' service. 
 The Greys were Co. A., with R. S. Foster, 
 captain; George Butler, 1st lieutenant, and 
 Jos. H. Livesey, 2nd lieutenant. The Zouave 
 Guards were Co. B, with John Fahnestock, 
 captain; Orin S. Fahnestock. 1st lieutenant. 
 
 and Darnel B. Cullev. 
 
 lieutenant. Tin 
 
 Independent Zouaves were Co. E. with l)e- 
 witt C. Rupfr. captain; Henry Tindall. 1st 
 lieutenant, and Nicholas Ruckle. "Jnd lii-n- 
 tenant. The National (iuards wrrr Co. K'.. 
 
 with Wni. Darnall. (■a|)Iiiin ; .biliii .McLaui:li- 
 liii. 1st lieutenant, and Wm. Uawson. 2nd 
 lieutenant. There was niie othei' Indianapolis 
 company in the p]leventli. Co. H, which was 
 organized in the spring of 1861. with W. J. 
 11. Robinsen. captain; Fred Knetlei-, 1st lieu- 
 tenant, and Wallace Foster, 2nd lieutenant. 
 The Eleventh was a Zouave regiment, but 
 with very mild uniforms of a irreyish cloth 
 i-esendiling blue .jeans, not made very full. 
 and with very little color in the trinnnings. 
 
 The Indejiendent Zouaves went out a tritlc 
 warmer tlian the othei-s. Their original caj)- 
 tain. Francis A. Shouj), was a West Pointer 
 who had sen-ed in the artillery in the regu- 
 lar army, and held the raid< of second lieu- 
 tenant when he resigned, on Januai'.v 10. 
 1860. and located at Indianapolis. He was 
 a good-looking fellow, ijuite talented, and a 
 fine drill-master. The boys e.steemed him 
 highly, and at a eoin])any meeting in the 
 winter of 1860-1, at which patriotic si)eeches 
 were made by several, including Shoui), they 
 [•resented him a pair of revolvers with 
 holsters and trappings, being under the im- 
 [)ression that the officers would ride, in the 
 event of war. That night he went South, 
 and it was scon rumored that he had gone 
 to stay. There was a meeting of the com- 
 pany, and V^olney 'i'. ;\Ialott was delegated to 
 correspond with him and lea)-n his intentions. 
 Shoup, who was then visiting Cai)tain 
 Hood— later General Hood— at Charleston, 
 promptly replied that he had decided to cast 
 his fortrrnes with the South in tlu' event of 
 war-. The meeting at which this answer- was 
 r-ead wa.s an occasion for- "thoughts that 
 br-eathe and wor-ds that burn''. The idea that 
 a native Iloosier-. educated by the gover'u- 
 ment. and sent to West Point, fr-orn Wa.\rie 
 County at that, shoidd go over to the South, 
 was .simply appalling. However, there was 
 irothing in the pai)er-s about it except nren- 
 tiorr that Shoup had r-esigned. and Lieut. 
 Dewitt C. Rugg had been elected (•a|)tain irr 
 his place.'' 
 
 Shoup far-ed ver-y well with his Soirlheirr 
 frieirds. lie was a ma.i(U' in 1861, coirrmarrd- 
 ing three batteries of artillery, and was made 
 br-igadier-general April 11, 1868. He was in 
 (•(inimand of the artiller-\- at Mobile, chief of 
 
 'Journal, Jauuar-v 8. 1S61. 
 
 '■'Joiiniiil . Jariiiai'V 80, IStil.
 
 220 
 
 lllsTokV OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 artillery of Jolinstpn's army in the Dalton 
 campaign, and chief of staff under General 
 Hood at Atlanta. When Vieksbiirg- was cap- 
 tured he was commanding a Louisiana brigade 
 there, under Peniberton. Just after the capit- 
 ulation, a private of tlie Eleventh Indiana 
 saw a gorgeously attired Confederate officer 
 approaching our lines on horseback, and rec- 
 ognized Shoup. With a yell of, "Get off 
 that horse, Frank Shoup, you — — — !" he 
 made for a stand of arms near by, but was 
 stopped by an officer before anything serious 
 occurred. In reply to the officer's question as 
 to what he wanted, Shoup explained that he 
 understood that the Eleventh Indiana was in 
 his front, and he had come out to see some 
 of his old friends. "Well'", replied the offi- 
 cer, "you have seen a specimen of what the 
 Eleventh Indiana thinks of you. You had 
 better get back to your quarters at once ; and 
 I woidd advise you to dispose of those side- 
 arms at your earliest convenience." Shoup 
 was paroled, with Pembertou and others, and 
 a few weeks latei- the Confederate exchange 
 agent announced them as "exchanged", au- 
 thorizing an equal exchange of paroled Union 
 men ; they then resumed their sei'vice. After 
 the war Shoup entered the ministry of the 
 Episcopal Church. 
 
 Human nature soon adjusts itself to ex- 
 traordinary conditions. The town settled 
 down and resumed its life, with the great 
 new interest of the war. The six regiments 
 that were called for to serve three months 
 were quickly filled to overflowing. The Elev- 
 enth wa.s the pride of Indianapolis. This 
 was the Zouave regiment, organized and com- 
 manded by Lew Wallace, into which went the 
 four militia companies of Indianapolis and 
 one other. It not only wore the zouave uni- 
 form, and had guns with sword bayonets, but 
 the drill was the zouave system, introduced 
 into this country from Prance by Colonel 
 Ellsworth of Chicago. It was a picturesque 
 body, and its colonel was a picturesque figure. 
 Who that witnessed it can ever forget how, 
 when the regiment was gathered in the State 
 House yard to receive a stand of coloi-s from 
 the ladies of Iiuliana, he made the men kneel 
 and with uplifted hands swear to remember 
 Buena Vista and the stigma put upon In- 
 diana valor on that field by Jefferson Davis? 
 What liojies animated and followed these de- 
 
 parting troops! How hearts were sorely 
 tried and bereft as their boys marched away 
 to face the unknown and perilous future! 
 For tliey were but boys in the main, as we 
 realize now, but they were men in purpose, 
 and courage, and deeds. 
 
 Six regiments of state troops were called 
 for by the Governor aud these were soon filled 
 and accepted by the general government for 
 twelve months and three years. The whole 
 state was awake. Governor Morton called a 
 special session of the legislature to provide 
 means for the war. The ladies met and 
 formed an aid society com]>osed of branches 
 from each ward to make shirts and other 
 garments and havelocks, a head protection 
 modeled on the sun-bonnet and borrowed 
 from the British Indian army — an article in 
 great request at first, but it was never liked 
 by the soldiers, and soon disappeared from 
 public mention. The Journal issued an extra 
 every afternoon. The City Council voted 
 •$10,000 for the soldiers' families. Some rail- 
 roads offered to carry troops free. Banks 
 gave money. Gifts were showered on sol- 
 diers. There was eagerness to get into the 
 service before the war covdd be finished. A 
 man 92 years old enlisted : another shaved 
 his beard and dyed his hair to pass muster 
 Home guards were organized in the wards, 
 among them the Silver Grays, comjiosed of 
 men above militai-y age, captained by James 
 Blake, seventy years j'oung, and with Caleb 
 Seudder as president. 
 
 Illustrative of journalism was this item in 
 the Journal on April 23rd: "p]rratum. In 
 Mr. Hyde's sermon as printed in our extra 
 of yesterday there were two mis-prints which 
 eveiy intelligent reader corrected for himself. 
 In the first sentence Kingdom of Israel should 
 read Kingdojn of Saul ; and in the seventh 
 paragraph peaceable resistance should read 
 forcible resistance". 
 
 The legislature met on the 24th and all 
 was amity. It organized by a unanimous elec- 
 tion of officers, the only instance in the state's 
 history probably, and then adjourned to visit 
 Camp ^Vlorton and hear Stephen A. Douglass 
 speak, which he liid not; but he did speak 
 that night from the Bates House veranda, of 
 which no mention was made by the papers, 
 when he again took his stand on the side of 
 the Union and in su]ipoj-t of the administra-
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOIJS. 
 
 321 
 
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 iiisT()i;v OF (;i!i:atj:i; ixdiaxapolts. 
 
 tion, an act of inestiiiiablf valiu' to the cause. 
 Within a few days he was dead. 
 
 The Eleventh was sent to Evausviiie to 
 quell possible disturbances on the border, but 
 the remaining regiments were reviewed by 
 General jMcClellan. Governor Yates of Illi- 
 nois, Denuison of Ohio, and [\Iorton and Sen- 
 ator Trumbull on ^lay 24th. on the conunons 
 northwest of ^Military Park, then Camp Sul- 
 livan. Three regiments were in full uniform, 
 one had ever\'thing but hats and one had 
 nothing military, but all made a gallant ap- 
 pearance. It was the first time that Indian- 
 apolis had seen so many soldiers together and 
 it was witnessed with great enthusiasm. It 
 was the first of many such displays. The 
 •work of equipping these men was necessarily 
 slow. It took time to make uniforms, and 
 longer time to procure arms and ammunition. 
 much of which was imported. It may be of 
 interest to know what the uniforms cost. Two 
 regiments were clothed in cadet satinet, cost- 
 ing .$7.90 each, one in jeans at $6.50 and an- 
 other at $7.50: the fifth of gray satinet at 
 $6.75 and the Zouaves at $10 each. Flannel 
 shirts cost $1.40, hats $1.'25, and shoes $1.15. 
 While waiting, the troops were drilled con- 
 stantly, but it was not until June 19th that 
 the la.st of the three months' regiments left 
 for the seat of war. After this more regi- 
 ments were called for, recruited and mus- 
 tered, with two Of three independent cavalry 
 companies and a number of artillery com- 
 panies, and later full cavalry regiments. A 
 number of these never came here, but some 
 passed through or camped here for a few 
 days. There was a German regiment, an 
 Irish regiment formed and a .second projected, 
 a railroad regiment, a mechanics' regiment, 
 and a preachers' I'egiment, the field officers 
 and captains of which were to be ministei-s, 
 a scheme not fully carried out. Altogether 
 hfty-eight regiments were authorized during 
 1861, although about half a dozen were never 
 completed. Besides these many Indianians 
 had gone into the regular army and into out- 
 side companies tliat recruited hei-e, until the 
 state authorities put a stop to it. It was a 
 tremendous achievement to raise an army of 
 over 50,000 men in less than nine months. 
 Indianapolis contributed a number of com- 
 panies to various regiments; and in alnmst 
 every regiment thei'e was some repi-esenta- 
 
 tive of the town. It was also true that many 
 citizens of other places came here and en- 
 listed. 
 
 A very important event was the return of 
 the three months' troops in August. They 
 had not had nuich war, as war appeared later; 
 but they had done all that was in their power 
 to do, and had borne themselves gallantly. 
 Each regiment received an ovation of sahttes, 
 speeches, feasting at the west market house, 
 and a heart-felt welcome. Each man was 
 a hero, and nothing was too good for him. 
 All these regiments reorganized for three 
 years. ]\Iany of the men became officers in 
 the new regiments, many new men were re- 
 cruited, and before sixty days they were off 
 to the war again. 
 
 The raising and drilling of troops was no 
 more important than e(|uipping them, for 
 there was difficulty in obtaining arms, ammu- 
 nition or accoutrements. On February 1, 
 1861. the state's supply of arms in possession 
 of the state's quartermaster were "505 mus- 
 kets, worthless and incapable of being re- 
 paired; 54 flint lock Yager rifles, which could 
 be altered at $2 each to percu.ssion locks ; 40 
 serviceable nuiskets in the hands of military 
 companies at Indianapolis, which could be re- 
 turned at once; 80 muskets with accouti-e- 
 ments in store; 1:3 artillery musketoons; 75 
 holster pistols; 26 Sharpe's rifles; 20 Colt's 
 navy pistols; 2 boxes of cavalry sabres; 1 
 box powder flasks; 3 boxes accoutrements."' 
 
 There were also estimated to be 600 mus- 
 kets in fair condition, distributed among 15 
 militia companies in the state. The state was 
 entitled to 488 muskets from the natioiuil gov- 
 ernment on its 1861 quota, and (iovernor 
 Morton took in place of them a 6-pounder 
 cannon and 350 minie rifles with bayonets. 
 On April 27 Calvin- Fletcher was commis- 
 sioned to learn what could be obtained from 
 manufactories of arms in the United States, 
 and later jMiles J. Fletcher was sent on the 
 same mission, but they found practically 
 nothing available. On May 80 Robert Dale 
 Owen was conunissioned to purchase arms to 
 the extent of 6,000 rifles and 1,000 carbines 
 in this country or in Europe, and this order 
 was from time to time eidarged. To the close 
 of his service on February 6, 1863, he pur- 
 
 ^ Terrell's Report. Vol. 1, p. 428.
 
 nrSTOKV OF OKF.ATET^ TXDTAXArOT.lS. 
 
 233 
 
 chased 80.000 Enfiold i-iHes, 2,731 carbines, 
 751 revolvers, and 797 sabres, at a cost of 
 $752,694.75; besides e-xijendin-r $3,905 for 
 cavalry e(|uipiiients. $50,407 for blankets, and 
 $84,829 for o\-ereoats. His total bill for serv- 
 ices and e.xpenses for twenty iiiontiis einployed 
 in this service was $3,452.'' 
 
 Animunition was also almost impossible to 
 obtain, and .Morton, who balked at no ob- 
 stacle, determined to try making it. Captain 
 Herman Sturm, wlio had learned the l)usi- 
 uess in Europe, was put in charge of the ex- 
 periment in rented quarters on the square 
 south of the state house, with a blacksmith's 
 foige for melting lead, a room for making 
 cartridges, and a detail of men from the 
 Eleventh regiment to do the work. The work 
 wa.s a success, and oui' first troops were fur- 
 nished with anununition from this source. 
 The work was started on April 27: and a 
 month later (Tovei'uor ]\Iorton ordered the 
 construction of buildings for the work ou 
 the square north of the state house— now the 
 north half of the state house grounds. On 
 June 15 the Jouriidl i-eported the buildings 
 about completed. On the north side of the 
 enclosure was a small brick building with 
 furnaces for melting lead, and room for eight 
 men to work at molding bullets, as well as 
 benches for swedging and perfeetiiiir the bul- 
 lets. Ad.joining this was a room for tilling 
 shells and prepariuLr fuzes. On the east and 
 west sides of the enclosure were frame build- 
 ings for making cartridiics and storing am- 
 munition. There were soon about 100 women 
 and girls employed in making cartridges, and 
 the institution grew steadily. In October. 
 1861. Secretary of War Cameron and (Jen- 
 eral Thomas visited this arsenal and iiispeete(l 
 the work. They recommended its continu- 
 ance; and it not only supplied most of the 
 Indiana troops but vrry lartrely others. The 
 transactions of the ai'senal to its close on 
 April 18, 1864, amounted to $788,838.45. Mud 
 the state made a clear profit from its opera- 
 tion of $77,457.32. .\s high as 700 jiersons 
 were cmi)loycd iu it at one time. In the win- 
 ier of 1861. the furniture factory of John Ott. 
 on West WashinLitdU street, was rented for 
 tile work, and eannister-sbot and siirnal liirhls 
 were added to the jirodnets. In ]xi;-2. pai-tly 
 
 ■•Terrell. V,,l. 1. pp. 433-5. 
 
 for safety and partly foi' economy, the ar- 
 senal was moved about a mile and a half ea.st 
 of the state hou.se on Washington street. In 
 1863 the United States purchased the tract 
 now known as the Winona Technical insti- 
 tute grounds, and be^an the ei'cction of an 
 arsenal there. 
 
 In all this time the town was feeling an 
 acceleration of blood in every vein. .Military 
 careers opened up to many ; other service to 
 some; and business opportunities to those 
 who remained. Money was more plentiful 
 than ever before, and ])opulation was increas- 
 ing. p]ven polities was not foi'gotten. Can- 
 didates at the election of city officers on ^lay 
 3 had been nominated before the war began. 
 .V few days later '"C. A. R." in a communi- 
 cation to the Jounuil advises that "the Re- 
 publican candidates should resign in favor of 
 a patriotic ticket or a new party", "embrac- 
 ing all its country's friends". "Let \\s all 
 unite now and forget party till the war is 
 over." Soiuid advice, that if heeded and fol- 
 lowed up woulil have been of untold value, 
 but the selfish desire for office was too great 
 and the election was held on pai'ty lines with 
 Repidjiican success. Soon after two new 
 wards were organized but the councilmen 
 were Democrats and they were kept out of 
 office by the Republican ma.i'oi-ity until their 
 terms were almost otit. Such peanut |)olitics 
 boi'c bitter fruit in increasing partisan hos- 
 tility. The Sfntliirl. though professing ex- 
 treme loyalty, soon began a course of cen- 
 sorious criticism and opposition to the State 
 and Federal administi'ation that grew fiercer 
 as the war progressed, and was terribly ef- 
 fective for harm to the National cause. Pos- 
 sibly a different attitude ou the part of the 
 Republicans niiyht have pi-eviMited this, or at 
 least modified it. Tjater in the sununei- the 
 Democrats offci'cd to withdi'aw theii- candi- 
 dates for county and township officers and 
 unite with the Republicans ou a union ticket, 
 but the offer was treated with contempt and 
 another oiiportunity for conciliation lost. 
 
 Tlere are some interesting facts from the 
 pa]icrs cover! nu' several months: .\ self- 
 appointed viuilance connnittee was foi-med. 
 and as earl\' as May 4th bcL'^an stopping the 
 pa.ssage of arms to the South. There was a 
 good rleal of talk about diseiplining "Seces- 
 sionists". On Ma\' 3r(l tlie Jminnil said:
 
 00 A 
 
 HISTOKY OF OHKVTEE INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 ''Spot llim — That Secessionist who was 
 chased out of liewisville, Indiana, a few days 
 since, who had been eorresponding: from that 
 place with Southern traitors, was seen in our 
 city yesterday. He should be attended to. 
 Later — At a citizens' meeting he was ordered 
 to leave instanter. " It was about this time 
 that a mob called on some well known Demo- 
 crats and made them take the oath of al- 
 legiance. It is interesting to note that among 
 the first to advertise for recruits was H. II. 
 Dodd. His company of "Marion Dragoons"' 
 ■was never formed, and later he became the 
 head of the Sons of Liberty. Within three 
 months men began to be discharged from 
 service for disability: officers resigned, some 
 under comiiulsion -. and on November 15th 
 deserters are first mentioned, mainly from 
 one regiment that had lost 150 men by dis- 
 ease in four months— a horrible commentary 
 on the lack of camp sanitation and care_ of 
 men. Regiments scarcely got to the field be- 
 fore they sent back recruiting officers to fill 
 depleted ranks. An entertainment given in 
 the fall by the Sons of ]\Ialta. exhibitinir the 
 burlesque i-itual of that order, netted 5^(582 
 for soldiers' families. The City Mar.shal gave 
 notice that he would take up all hogs that did 
 not have rings in their noses; and every man 
 that planted a shade tree was commended by 
 the papers. October 10th, Governor ^Forton 
 appealed to the women to furnish blankets, 
 socks, gloves, mittens, woollen shirts and 
 drawers, and on November 23rd it was an- 
 nounced that tons had been received and that 
 nothing more was wanted, except gloves and 
 mittens. This indicates something of what 
 the women did. But for their sacrifices and 
 support, the war would not have succeeded. 
 They were useful in a hundred wars and at 
 all times. In November the Ladies' Patriotic 
 Association was organized, with ]\li-s. ^Forton 
 as pi'csident. and glorious work it did. 
 
 In this same month the Journal says : "Two 
 men refusinc: to take the oath miistering thein 
 into the U. S. service were yesterday drummed 
 out of one of the camps near the city. One 
 side of their heads was shaved, bundles of 
 straw tied to their backs, they were moved 
 on double quick in fr'ont of the line to 1hi< 
 lively tune styled the Rogue's ]\Farch.'" .V 
 notable reception was given to ex-Govemor 
 "Wright on his return from Prussia. He had 
 
 been the great Democratic leader of the 
 Douglass wing, as opposed to Jesse D. Bri^lit; 
 but from that time forward was an anient 
 l^uion man for whom his former party had 
 no use. It is noted that fall that many riot- 
 ous acts ai'e being committed in saloons and 
 evil resorts by soldieis. ;\Fueh more of this 
 is heard later on. 
 
 Indianapolis miglit be called the birthplace 
 (if machine guns. On November 7th a ;\Fr. 
 Hatch, of Sprinsrfield. Ohio, exhibited a model 
 of a breech-loading cannon, made like a re- 
 volver, with percussion caps, and firing 25 
 shots per minute. It is noted that Dr. Rich- 
 ard J. Gatling, the inventor of the wheat- 
 drill and other things, was present at the 
 trial, and later he produced the celebi'ated 
 "(fatling eun", exhibiting it first on ^Fay 30, 
 1862. The po.stoffice was moved on the ISth 
 of November from South ]\Feridian street to 
 the new Federal building at Pennsylvania 
 and Market streets. A national loan was of- 
 fered, interest, 7.3%, for popular subscrip- 
 tion, which realized after several weeks 
 .$31,235; Hum])hi-ey (iriflith. the largest suli- 
 scril^er, takinc $3,000. A review was held 
 November 21st of 1,000 cavalry, 4,n00 in- 
 fantry and two batteries. The theatre went 
 on steadily at the .Metropolitan with such 
 actors as Felix Vincent and Marian I\Fac- 
 cai'thv, Sallie St. Claii'. Adah Isaacs 3Fenken, 
 
 C. W'. Couldock. J. Wilkes Booth, with a daily 
 change of bill. Prices, reduced, were 75 cents 
 for a oentleman and lady to the dress circle, 
 each additional lady 25 cents. Those to the 
 pit, or parquet as now kno\\ai, and the gallery 
 were not given. The Seiiiiiirl continued its 
 nagging opposition. It had much to say 
 about "nisre'ers". Witness the following: 
 "The Rev. Dr. Weaver. This divine, late 
 ])astor of the African chiirch opposite the 
 Terre Haute depot, arrived in the city a day 
 or two ago, and, we noticed, was very cor- 
 dially greeted on the' street by Mr. Barton 
 
 D. Jones, of the Journal, the nigger's hand 
 being grasped warmly by the latter." 
 
 The progress of the war was not smooth 
 in 1861. The principal battle fought. Bull 
 Run, was a defeat, and phuiged the Noi-th 
 into ylooiii : but it had a vahiable result in 
 demonstrating that the war was not to be an 
 easy task, and convincing the people of the 
 need of thorough preparation and larger ef-
 
 HISTORY OF GREATF.li TXDl ANAl'OMS. 
 
 fort. In West Virgiuia and Missouri tlu' 
 Union ti'oops met with decided success, but 
 the confliots were small. In October, Novem- 
 ber and December an advance was made int;i 
 Kentucky with s-ratifyinji' results, but no seri- 
 ous fif-'hting- took place. This is not the iilace 
 in which to follow the general course of the 
 war, the aim beins to allude only to incidents 
 that directly affected Indianapolis, or to those 
 great events that stirred it as well as the 
 whole country to either gloom or rejoicin"!:. 
 The next year, 1862, was tilled with biij mili- 
 tary events, and ureat campaiirns and huui' 
 battles, with varying- fortunes, but as a rule 
 the Federal troops were snccessfid in the 
 West and tlie Confederates in the East. The 
 story of the year can best be <>iven in a run- 
 ning recital covering all matters of interest, 
 rather than in a consecutive narrative. 
 
 Gold had gone to a slight premium in Au- 
 gust or September, that had riui by .Januaiy 
 to a point of alarm, and a nund)er of eastei-n 
 banks had sus]>ended si)ecie i)ayments with 
 the almost certainty that all would have to 
 do so. Hugh ^M^Culloch. jjrcsident of tln' 
 bank of the State of Indiana, that had not 
 suspended during the panic of '57, wrote a 
 card to the Journal early in January in 
 which he said: "Tender no conceivable cir- 
 cumstances will the Bank of the State of In- 
 diana suspend specie payments." By the last 
 of February nearly all the branches had voted 
 to make redemptions in legal tender notes in- 
 stead of gold. Another instance of Tloiace 
 Greeley's wisdom when he said "it is hard 
 enough to tell the truth about what has been, 
 without trying to tell what is going to be."" 
 
 The Indianapolis Horticultural Society was 
 one of the institutions of the town. It met 
 bi-weekly, and. as gardens were ])lentiful. had 
 a good membership in which j)rof('ssioiial grn- 
 tlemen were pi'ominent. Apiiarently it ncvei- 
 suspended meetings but kept right along dur- 
 
 " The bank did not suspend specie pay- 
 ments, however, until after the Sui)reme 
 Court had dreidcd. at the :\ray term. 18(i-_', 
 that it co\ild legally do so. Its charter re- 
 (|uii'ed the redemption of its notes "in gold 
 or silver", but the court said: "The fi-ue 
 interpretation of the section must be that the 
 bank shall not refuse to redeem her bills in 
 what Congress shall constitutionally make 
 Vol. 1—13 
 
 ing the whole war, discussing topics of im- 
 l)ortance. It is intei-esting to see that the 
 sub.ject in January was shade-trees; and that 
 the silver leaf poplar wa.s decided to be a 
 business ti-ee, suitable for Washington street. 
 Complaints were made of the Circle that it 
 was used for beating carpets and littered with 
 straw, probabl.y the refuse of beds or straw 
 ticks. It had a dilapidated fence around it, 
 but University Square, wliich wa.s used by the 
 19th Regulars as a drill ground, had none, 
 and the aesthetic ideas of some of our aspir- 
 ing citizens begpn to be offended. 
 
 On January 8th there was a gi-and review 
 of all the troops, but singularly the S( iilinci 
 did not mention it. A public meeting to eulo- 
 gize Douglass, seven months dead, was held. 
 Robert Heller, illusionist, composer and ])ian- 
 ist, gave an entertainment; Bayard Taylor 
 lectured; Charles Bass played Falstaff, and 
 Annette Ince Jennie Deans. The rnderhill 
 lilock, being three-quarters of the square on 
 which Shortridge Iligh School stands, was 
 jilatted into lots and offered for sale at $45 
 per foot on Penn.sylvania street, except the 
 northwest comer, which was $46.50. The 
 southwestern quarter was occupied by the 
 Baptist Female Seminary. The Delaware 
 street lots were offered at $35 for inside ones, 
 .$87.50 f(n' the northern and $45 for the 
 southern corners. The next month ;i lot 30 
 feet front centrally located within two and a 
 half S(piares of Odd Fellows Hall was ad- 
 vertised at $25 per foot. A Sentinel etlitorial 
 February 6 gives the Democratic opposition 
 in a nutshell: "He who loves abolitionism 
 hates the Constitution and the Union. There 
 is no friend of that pernicious hei'esy but who 
 is for the vigorous prosecution of the war, 
 I)rovided it is for the enianeipation of the 
 negro, but not to preserve the Constitution 
 and maintain the Union as framed by the 
 patriots of the Revolution." 
 
 The donations of clothiui: and bedding for 
 
 legal tender money. The bank eonnot be 
 compelled to receive treasury notes from the 
 citizen, in one hand, and pay to the {-itizen 
 gold and silver in the other. I'udei- this con- 
 struction of the charter, the act of Congress 
 in question does not impair its obligation re- 
 garded a.s a contract. (Revnolds vs. The 
 Bank, 18 Ind., p. 467.)"
 
 226 
 
 IIJS'I'OIIY OF GREATER IXDIANAPOLTS. 
 
 the trooi)S were so great that Quarter-Master 
 General \ajen liad to advertise for appliea- 
 tioiis for them from regiments, and this 
 seemed to be unsuccessful ; so, late in ^lareh 
 they were turned over 'to the Sanitary Com- 
 mission, 'this was an orgauization formed 
 to look after the health and comfort of the 
 soldiers m the tiekl. It was a national so- 
 ciety with a branch in each state. The one 
 in Indiana was established in January, and 
 of course James Blake was president and 
 James .M. Kay, secretary. There was also a 
 Christian Commission later, on the same basis. 
 It furnished material comforts as well as 
 religious literature and evangelistic laborers. 
 When the emancipated slaves became numer- 
 ous the Freedmen"s Aid Society was also or- 
 ganized on the same plan, to look after their 
 needs. These various societies collected large 
 sums of money and (juantities of supplies, 
 and were of great usefulness. Indiana, how- 
 ever, became noted for the care taken of its 
 soldiers. This was Governor Morton's woi'k 
 and embraced not only the meeting of sud- 
 den demands after a battle, when he would 
 secure surgeons and nurses with medicines 
 and supplies as quickly as they could be 
 transported, but also an unremitting atten- 
 tion to their health and comfort. When pos- 
 sible the siek and wounded were brought 
 home or to hospitals in the North, at Evans- 
 ville and iliidison foi- instance, where lai-ge 
 ones had been built. PeniiMuent agents were 
 maintained in cities near the front and others 
 visited troops in the fields. It was the duty 
 of some of these to receive the soldiers' 
 mone}% when desired, and bring it safelj' 
 home to their families. The system was ex- 
 ecuted carefully and Indiana gained the repu- 
 tation (if kxiking after its men more thor- 
 oughly than any other state, the credit for 
 which was due to Governm- .Morton, who was 
 ju-stly named "The Soldiers' Friend'". 
 
 In February the i-ealization of what war 
 was came near. Ft. Donaldson had been 
 taken with many thousand prisoners. On the 
 I22nd and 23rd, 2,398 of them arrived here, 
 all from Kentucky, Tennessee and Missi.ssipjii 
 regiments. They were taken to Camp ilortoii 
 and in a few days the inimbei- inerea.sed to 
 4,000. From that time on. Camp Morton was 
 a prison. This great victoi-y gave rise to high 
 hopes. It was fi'eely asserted that the back- 
 
 bone of the rebellion was broken. The 
 weathei- was seseiv and the prisoners were 
 thinly clad, and many became sick. The town 
 rallied to their aid. Hospitals were impro- 
 vised, one in the old Athenaeum building at 
 ^Maryland and ^Meridian streets, another in 
 the old pastoffice buildiiig on South ^Meridian 
 and in other places. The laciies turned out 
 as nurses, and the best possible care was 
 given them, as much as if they had been 
 Union men. Humanity knew no distinction. 
 at least not much, for it was asserted that 
 certain Democratic ladies who had never been 
 Icnown to help before, were very active at 
 this time. The arrival of the prisoners cre- 
 ated great interest. The Jouruul advised that 
 "no rudeness be allowed or taunting ex|)res 
 sions. Let us do as we would be done li.v". 
 Later it reported that the conduct of the peo- 
 ple was perfectly exemplary. One young 
 man was said to be so anxious to "see the 
 Secesh" that he followed them to Camp Mor- 
 ton, and getting mixed with them was taken 
 in and held as one till the next morning. Thi- 
 Sd'iitinel called them "Secession prisoners", 
 never rebels. A public subscription for the 
 wounded Federals reached $5,400 in three 
 days. On February 28th men were urged to 
 join a new battery as it was probably the 
 la.st one that would be organized in the state 
 The price for the daily paper then was 
 1214 cents a week. There were no Sunday 
 issues. All holidays were oliserved and there 
 was no issue the next day. Train service was 
 bad. The time to Chicago was eight hours 
 and considered fast. News came slowly. It 
 took ten days to find out that Pittsburgh 
 Landing was not a great victory. The Jour- 
 nal published many letters from regiments 
 and was beginning to discover what news was. 
 After the battle of Shiloh. Berry Sulgrove. 
 the editoi- of the JoKnnil. ])aid a visit to the 
 front there, and on the 29th of April wrote. 
 among other things, this paragraph, which 
 has more than passing interest: "Of Gen- 
 era] Grant I heard much and little to his 
 credit. The army may know nothing of the 
 real guilt of the late sacrifice and the real 
 cause of the confusion tiiat was left to ar- 
 range itself in a storm of bullets and fire, 
 but they believe that (irant is at fault. No 
 respect is felt foi' him and no confidence felt 
 in him. I heard nobody attempt to excul-
 
 TrTS'l'ORV OF CltEATEl! TNDTAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 22^ 
 
 piiti* him, ami liis cdiRhict was the oiic to])ic 
 of disciissiou ai'ouiul t-aiiip fires (luriiiji my 
 stay. ' ■ 
 
 The Scvfiiul manifested some cotu'et-n 
 about piiblie morals tliat savoi'ed more ol' a 
 desire to carp and sneer than of sincere re- 
 gret, for instance the folhnvint; : "The Holy 
 Sabhatii — There is no Sabbatii now. This is 
 a time of war. It pains us, as indeed it must 
 pain evei-y othei- C'hi'istian gentleman, to see 
 sueh open desecration of the holy day. al- 
 thoujrh we supjiose it is ab.solutely necessary 
 now. Yesterday thiwighout our streets, sol- 
 diers were marching' and countermareliiui;' 
 contiinially. The drum and fife everywhere 
 were heard. Companies iuid i)attidions with 
 {lliltei'iny: bayonets and tlauntinir flays parad- 
 ed under the (iood (iod's jiloi'ious sun which 
 lie Himself with His own liand jilaeed in the 
 firmament all for His own honor and oflory 
 and not all for man's. President Ijineoln's 
 administration nnist ])e sustained, if we do 
 smash the saei'ed day. which as innocent little 
 boys we were tauulit to leverenee, all to 
 pieces. This mi'jht just as well be under- 
 stood at once in lieaven as it is on earth." 
 
 Keal estate bey:an to show activity. March 
 14th the Maxwell pni|)erty ( now the Fitz- 
 gerald), three lots and a iiootl brick house. 
 at the northeast corner of ^Meridian and St. 
 Clair sti'cets. was sold for $9,000 and consid- 
 ered a jrood sale, as showin*;' that real estate 
 had not depreciated much on accomit of the 
 war. Vacant uround within one and a half 
 squares of the Circle was offered at $()0 per 
 foot in 50 or 100 foot lots. The i)a|)ers bei^an 
 to talk of contemplated buildinfrs and prob- 
 able lar<re improvements. In April John C. 
 New boutrht Xos. 10 and VI East Washiui;- 
 ton stivet of S. A. Fletcher, Sr., for .$2.'),000, 
 with the buiUlinu:s that ai'e still thci'c. The 
 Stewart corner at Vermont and New Jer.sey 
 streets sold for $45 a foot. The council or- 
 dered some street imi)rovemenfs, mainly down 
 town, which means between ]\lai'yland and 
 Ohio streets. The houses were I'cnumbered 
 to make room for more, what was 102 North 
 Alabama street, foi- examiile, became No. '24'1. 
 The low Court Ilmise grounds were filled up 
 in .lune and so much buildinjr was done that 
 till sui)ply of bi-ick ran out in th(> summer. 
 Oil -huie '25th the S()ili}i(I said: "'liusiness 
 in till' citv is bi-isk. Hdusi's ai-c mil td be 
 
 had. 'I he war so fai' has added to our popu- 
 lation and the business of our city." The 
 police were first uniformed in July. Before 
 that the only mark of their business was a 
 silver star. The coat was dark blue with 
 brass buttons, the trou.ser.s a liy:ht blue with 
 a small cord alony the seam, and the caps 
 were blue, a i);d])alile imitation of army uni- 
 forms. 
 
 At this time we catch the last effort to en- 
 force the fugitive slave law. Two Kentuek- 
 ians found a runaway slave here, who agreed 
 to return with them to Kentucky, Ki-iends 
 intervened and he was taken to a lawyer's 
 oOice, where he escai)ed oi- walked off. I'l-os- 
 ecutor Fishback airested the men on a charge 
 of kidnaping. They were bi-ought before 
 Judge Perkins of the Supreme Court on a 
 writ of habeas eor[)us, who releasetl them as 
 having done nothing contrary to law, saying 
 that while the fugitive slave law exi.sted it 
 must be enforced, no matter how repugnant 
 it might be to the people of this Nation. 
 
 On July 7th Governoi- Morton i.ssued a 
 pi-oclamation under the President's call f(n- 
 :500.000 more men. Recruiting had practie.-dly 
 ceaseil for some time. A dangerous apathy 
 wa.s growing. He urged every man "to put 
 aside his business and come to the rescue of 
 his country", adding, "And to the women 
 of Indiana, let me especially apiieal. * * * 
 Kmuhde the virtues of the Romaii mothers; 
 ui'ge your husbands and bi-othei-s to the field. 
 Your influence is all-pervading and powei-ful. 
 And to the lovely maiden let me say, beware 
 of that lover who. full of health and vigor, 
 lingers at home in inglorious ease when his 
 country calls him to arms". In spite of this 
 ap])eal enlistments were few. On Saturday, 
 July I'ith, a "grand rally" to (>i-omote them 
 was held. (iovernor .Moi-fon presided and 
 spoke, as did ('olonel Duniont. W'm. Wallace 
 and Benjamin Harrison, the latter empha- 
 si/.ing his call by saying he would go him.sclf. 
 ]\lotiey and land to be sold foi- money was 
 offered by citizens to those who would volun- 
 teer in the 70th regiment, the one assigTied to 
 this district, and the meetinir adjourn<'d luitil 
 Tuesday, On .Monday Mr. Harrison was com- 
 missioned a second lieuteimnt and emi>owei-ed 
 to raise a company, which was the method 
 used. The City Coinieil voted to pay fen 
 dollars per man to the first tiftv and tn make
 
 228 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 no more street iinproveinents this year ex- 
 cept those that were actually necessary for 
 the safety of the city. The County Connnis- 
 sioners voted .$10 each to the first 500 men. 
 This stinnilated the work and the response 
 was such that the camp of the regiment wa.s 
 established on the 22nd. It was in that 
 month that the Soldiers' Home was con- 
 structed. So many soldiers wei-e continu- 
 ally passing through the city or remaining 
 for a short time, both in bodies and individ- 
 ually, and for whom camps were not suitable, 
 that it was absolutely necessary to provide a 
 place for them. It was located on AVest 
 street, south of ^laryland. where there was 
 open ground and a fine grove. IMr. George 
 Jlerritt was the superintendent. At first it 
 aceonnnodated 100, but was enlarged from 
 time to time until it could care for many 
 more. All re-enlisting or retui-ning regiments 
 were fed there, and a hospital with forty beds 
 was established. The maintenance came from 
 the allowance for rations of the soldiers and 
 the Home more than paid its way. Some- 
 what later a house was rented near the depot 
 that was u.sed for the same purpose by the 
 wives and children of soldiers who had to re- 
 main overnight. The provost guard had its 
 headquarters at the Home and several hun- 
 dred men were in a permanent camp there 
 for many months. 
 
 Recruiting became quite active, but it was 
 greatly accelerated by the President's call on 
 August 4th for 300.000 more men, to be 
 taken by draft. ]\Ien fairly fell over each 
 other to get into the army, rather than stand 
 the draft, and what was considered the dis- 
 grace of being drawn. The regiments filled 
 at once for both calls, and the scenes of the 
 fall before were re-enacted all over the state, 
 in this, the second great enlistment period 
 of the war. The state's quota of the 300,000 
 was 21,2.50. In the end it was filled without 
 the draft. In August, Kentucky was invaded 
 in great force and our troops driven back. 
 All available forces were sent forward at 
 once, often unequipped and all green, ifany 
 battles were fought, both east and west, and 
 for weeks the Journal was filled with lists of 
 casualties at Richmond, Perryville, luka, Cor- 
 inth, ]Manassas and Antietam. A list of 
 deaths of Indiana soldiers in hosjiitals had 
 long before become an almost daily publica- 
 
 tion. ]Many prisoners were released in Au- 
 gust, 500 taking the oath of allegiance at 
 one time, but the most being exchanged. 
 
 In the last half of 1862 the more interest- 
 ing facts noted are as follows: There was 
 such a dearth of change, all silver having 
 disappeared by reason of the premium, that 
 various merchants issued tickets for 5, 10 
 and 25 cents, payable in goods. The govern- 
 ment then issued fractional currency, or 
 " shinpla.sters " as they were called, in de- 
 nominations from 3 to 50 cents and these re- 
 mained in circulation for years. They were 
 counterfeited extensively even down to the 
 ten-cent ones, and were a necessary nuisance. 
 By this time taxes had been levied on almost 
 everything, it seemed, but they were to be 
 more and higher before the end. There were 
 stamp duties, income tax, business licenses, 
 taxes on manufactures, etc. Besides this was 
 the tariff law, designated "an act increasing 
 temporarily the duties on imports and for 
 other purposes", and which filled six or seven 
 columns of the Journal's smallest type. It 
 was considered a terrible taxation on business 
 and a prominent merchant said. "If that tax 
 is levied it will make me disloyal". But that 
 "temporary tariff" would be considered a 
 light affair now. Shipments to Europe of 
 Pennsylvania rock oil or petroleum to the 
 extent of a million gallons during the first 
 six months of 1862 caused the Journal to say: 
 "This for a trade that is in its infancy is 
 a large business." An event of more than 
 usual interest was the resignation in July of 
 Rev. Horace Stringfellow, rector of Christ 
 Church. He was a Southei-n man and his 
 sympathies were ill-concealed. Soon after the 
 war began he was waited upon by a commit- 
 tee and firmly requested to pray for the ad- 
 ministration, which he had not done before. 
 and from time to time there were reports that 
 he would leave. It was currently reported 
 that his resignation was not voluntary, and 
 that he was given a certain number of days 
 in which to get out of town : but this was un- 
 true, according to the statement of one of his 
 warm friends, a lady still living here, who 
 could not have been mistaken. He left be- 
 cause the situation had become unpleasant to 
 him. He made his way to Virginia and re- 
 mained there until the war was over. Fre- 
 i|nc'iit T'nion meetings were held to keep up
 
 TTT>;T0T]Y of nnFATFi; TXDTAXATor.IS. 
 
 OOf) 
 
 the spirit. "In all directions new buildings 
 are sroinp: up. eonvincinn; proof of the prosper- 
 ity of the i)lace." The custom of rin5i:inf!: the 
 fire bells when a member of the department 
 died was inaugurated and only dropped in 
 recent years. When the man who eai'ried the 
 mails between the postottiee and the dejiot was 
 buried, the postoftiee was closed for two hours. 
 Xothinp less than the President's death would 
 do that now. While the draft was pendiup 
 men leavin»' the county or state had to <;et 
 pa.sses from the military authorities. The 
 Ladies' Protective Association reported that 
 10.8.58 articles, clothinfr, bedding, lint, ban- 
 dages, compresses, etc., had been made since 
 October. 18«1, The State Fair was held that 
 year at the old Military orounds. but did not 
 prove very attractive. 
 
 October first there was the finest review 
 yet seen, 10,(100 men of all branches of service 
 en<raKin<i: in a sham battle afterwards. Christ 
 Church was deilicated XovcMuber "ilst, thouirh 
 I finished some years beftn-e. It had been 
 ! planned to cost $15,000, but ran much over. 
 Deserters be^an to be very uumei'ous and re- 
 wards were offered for their arrest, eighty-si.K 
 from the 51st bein? missing. Criuje had be- 
 come so prevalent, and disorder of all sorts, 
 that the streets were not safe A i)ermanent 
 [irovost guai'd was establishi'd, that patnillcd 
 the streets, watched the T^nion Station and 
 other places. Somewhat later guards were 
 placed on every train when in the station 
 and no soldier could enter unless he had a 
 pass. Annoyances to citizens occurred some- 
 times and ))('oi)le began to realize what mili- 
 tary rule meant. The Council was i)etitioned 
 to remove Foot's dairy on Michigan street 
 west of Pennsylvania, and refcri'i'd the re- 
 quest with instructions to report an ordinance 
 forbidding dairies in the city limits. Ap- 
 parently this never was done. Thanksgiving 
 day then- was another review. Tln're wei'e 
 then 12,000 men in the various camps, prob- 
 ably the laiucst nund)er at any one time. 
 D. J. ('Mllinan's store, next to Fletcher's 
 liank, was robbed of ijiS.OOO worth of goods, 
 the record haul to that date. The court of 
 imiuiry into the conduct of General Buell 
 began liere. Tfie owners of pi'ominent news- 
 pa[)ers met here and organized the Westei'ii 
 Associated Press, llor.si's for the army cost 
 $04 each for a lot of :{,0()0. The largest ta.x- 
 
 payers in the county were Calvin Fletcher, 
 assessed for $137,155; S. A. Fletcher, 
 $132,824; N. MeCartv's heirs. $132,670; 
 James U. Ray. $135,772. The SchnuU Pros. 
 bought the Baptist Church lot, southwest cor- 
 nel' of ^leridian and Maryland streets (the 
 building had burned), 55 .x 94iA feet, for 
 $5. 000, also the Hasselman house ad.joining 
 (built by Mr. Vajen), for $13,700. The house 
 and lot on West Maryland on the west side 
 of the alley back of these properties sold for 
 .$5,400, the lot being 67i/o feet front by 195 
 deep, and the house a good two-stoi-y one 
 of ten or twelve rooms. 
 
 The JoHrnal was an ardent admii-(>r of (ien- 
 ei'al AVallace. He had been oi-dered to take 
 the field in General Grant's department of 
 Corinth, but General Grant immediately or- 
 dered him back to Cincinnati, whereupon the 
 Journal said on Xovendier 13th: "General 
 Grant has been living a good while on whis- 
 key and the re])utatioii he iiuule without any 
 effort of his own at Ft. Doneison. and if he 
 has taken on himself to defy his superiors 
 and flout his equals, he has about exhausted 
 the patience that his factitious honoi-s entitle 
 him to." 
 
 Probably few know that on aeeouiit of the 
 scarcity of cotton, an effort was m;ide to en- 
 coui'age its growth in the Xoi-th. The govern- 
 ment advertised that it would furnish free 
 seed and instruction and appointed agents 
 who traveled through the counti'y to pei-suade 
 farmei's to plant it. nuiking all sorts of plaus- 
 ible statements. So far as newspaper ac- 
 counts show nobody took it up seriously. Cap- 
 tain Oglesbey raised some in his yard, which 
 caused the Jouniul to make the following ex- 
 traoi'dinary statement that pi-obably could not 
 be vei'ified: "Cotton was oiu'c grown in con- 
 siderable quantities in this place. When Cal- 
 vin Fletcher came here { that was in 1S21 1 
 there was a large field of cotton full grown 
 on Pennsylvania street, a little south of where 
 the Blind Asylum now staiuls."' 
 
 'The Journal's statement is broader than 
 the evidence, but Kev. .1. C. Fletcher gives 
 his father as authority for the assertion that 
 James Mcllvain raised ;i [)atch of cotton, in 
 1821, on I'ennsylvania street, where the Sec- 
 ond Pi-esbyterian Church now stands. (A>(/'.?, 
 April 12," 1879.) It was used for eandle 
 wieking.
 
 230 
 
 lllS'ldlJV OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 'J'hc liciicTMl coiulitidii of the I'diintry as 
 well as the (icpreciation in the value of the 
 currency had by now vastly increased the 
 cost of livings. Prices had risen to unheard 
 of fiirures and the ((uestion of livin<;- had be- 
 come a very serious matter to the most of the 
 people. Business men who were makini;' 
 more money than ever before mit;ht stand it, 
 but there were scores and hundreds whose 
 means had not increased much or were fixed. 
 On these fell a burden that could not be 
 lisjhtened and they were forced to economies 
 that often amounted to privation. Hundreds 
 had to abandon tea and coft'ee and use 
 parched rye or wheat as a substit\ite, and to 
 exist (Ui as little as possible. This was one 
 of the uncounted sacrifices of the war. The 
 high prices of the last few yeai-s, though bad 
 enough, bear no comparison. On November 
 29, 1862, Governor Morton sent a connnuni- 
 eation to Senators and Representatives in 
 Congress urg:ing increased pay for the sol- 
 diers on the groun-d that the cost of living 
 had vastly increased and the price of labor 
 as well. He embodied in this a comparison 
 of prices in August. 1861. and Novembei- 21, 
 1862, showing an increased cost in percentage 
 as follows: Brown nuislins, 190 : bleached 
 muslins, 175: Amei'ican ])i-ints, 95: blue 
 checks. 100: hickoiy checks. 100; canton flan- 
 nel, 150: drillings. 170: cassinetts. 100; jeans, 
 100: bcots, 33: shoes, 56; browTi sugar, 62; 
 Rio coffee, 150: tea, 50; rice, 25; molasses, 
 40; flour, 44; salt, 180: meal, 75; fish, 33; 
 potatoes, 130; candles, 50; wood, 100. 
 
 "It will be entirely safe," said he. ''to say 
 that the co-^t of living on the most economical 
 scale tin-oiighout the northern states has in- 
 creased at least 75 per cent within the last 
 fifteen months and prices are still advancing. 
 Thus !|;8.00 j)er month in August, 1861. would 
 have been a better compensation and gone 
 fai-tliiT in maintaining a family than !}!l3.00 
 per month in November, 1862. Soldiers are 
 paiil in treasury notes at par and as these 
 notes have depreciat(>d thirty pi-r cent, as 
 shown by the price of gold, their pay from 
 this fact nlon<' is substantially reduced to 
 $9.00 per month"'. This appeal bore no fruit 
 and the soldiers' pay was unchanged. Think 
 what penury it meant to thousands of fami- 
 lies whose bi-ead-winnei-s eai-ned so little, or 
 perluips were cut off' I'utii-ely. Wi' lie;ir much 
 
 of late yeai-s of the fortitude of the Southern 
 people under iirivation, but it seems to be 
 unknown or forgotten that distress was 
 widely spread in the North, in spite of nioi(> 
 fav(a-able conditions. 
 
 The October election liad been carried hy 
 the Democrats, who claimed to stand for 
 constitutional liberty, the freedom of opin- 
 ion, of speech and of the press, which had 
 been trodden under foot. In realit.v they 
 were opposed to the war. The vote was a 
 surpri.se, showing a ma.iority of 9,391 with 
 seven out of eleven Congressmen and both 
 houses of the legislature by good ma.iorities. 
 The Denuierats claimed that the election here 
 was unfair and probably they were right, as 
 any soldier who chose to could vote without 
 (|uestions. The total vote of this state was 
 246,163, a decrease of 25,980 over 1860. 
 Counting out the natural increase of 20.000 
 this showed a decrease of about 45,000. The 
 Hepublieans clainied fraxids in numerous 
 co;inties and jjrobably they were right too, 
 as there were extraordinary gains in some 
 whose i)opulation had not increased and 
 many had gone to the war. Only three 
 comities increased Republican nia.iorities, 
 two on account of Democratic splits and 
 Marion, but 57 counties gave a larger Demo- 
 cratic vote than in 1860. Undoubtedly there 
 was a reaction against the war; the repeated 
 assertions of "abolition war" had been con- 
 firmed to many by the announcement of 
 speedy emancipation. Many people were not 
 educated to the point of seeing its necessity 
 as a war measure and were full of the old 
 ]>re.iiulices and dislike of the negro and the 
 "Black Kepublieans", who now openly con- 
 fessed to be hated abolitionists; they voted 
 the old way. Even in the army there was 
 considerable of this sentiment and it took 
 time to correct it. It is likely, however, that 
 many who voted the ticket had no idea that 
 the jiarty when once in jiower would ]iroceed 
 to the lengths that it did. 
 
 I close the yeai' with an anecdote of Lin- 
 coln that seems to have been lost sight of: 
 A gentleman after jiourinu out his vials of 
 wrath upon a prominent officer was surprised 
 to hear the President (piietly remark: "Now 
 you are .just the man I have been looking for. 
 I want you to give me your advice and tell 
 ine if vou wei-e in iii\' place and had learned
 
 JllsroKY OF GKEATKK l.NDJ A.N Al'OLIS. 
 
 •^;51 
 
 all you've been tellinjr and didn't believe a 
 word of it. what would vou do.'" 
 
 The Will' liiirinfT 1863 was a yi^antie stnitr- 
 {fle marked by <rreat battles with varyiii<r 
 fortunes. MeC'lellan was sueeeeded after 
 Antietaiii by Biirnside who lost the terriliie 
 battle of Frederieksburir in Deeeiiiber. 
 Cirant's operations ajrainst VieUsburj^' that 
 month were met by defeat and Kosenerans's 
 battle of Stone Kiver was praetieally a drawn 
 one. Hooker sueeeeded Hnrnsidi' and was 
 whipped at ('haneellorsville in May. .Meade 
 sueeeeded liini. and Lee broke for the North 
 to be whipped at (iettysbur^^ in July. (Irant 
 kept at Vicksburfj and captured it at the 
 same time. Rosenerans moved to Chatta- 
 iioofra and lost the battle of Chiekamaujra. 
 In Xoveinber the disaster was retrieved by 
 Lookout -Mountain and Mission HidLre. On 
 the whole tile advaiita>;e was with the .\orth, 
 but Hiehiiioncrs eaptuie seemed as far otf as 
 ever. At homo the wai' eaiiie nearer in a 
 form of aetual peril for a few days durinj,' 
 the Morfran raid, days that were full of ex- 
 citement and apprehension to the town. 
 
 The Lesrisjature held its session clurintr the 
 winter and the iiiajdiity tried to obstruct 
 Ciovernor Morton in every way tluit it eould. 
 Daily the oiiposition of that faetion beeaiiie 
 more violent and jiroiionneed, and while that 
 is another story it is well to know what the 
 Snitincl said about President Lineoln's eman- 
 cipation proclamation in January: "The 
 policy of the party now in power is devel- 
 oped. It is the abolition of slavery. It is 
 the sub.ju<ration of the slave states— the de- 
 struction of the white race, where slavery 
 exists, by servile insurrections. It is to make 
 one half the country a howling' wilderness 
 and to elevate to the status of eitizen.shi|) a 
 worthless and improvident I'aee. The two 
 races cannot live ujion terms of er|uality. 
 The atteiiii)t will result in the extei'iiiination 
 of one of them. Tlii> Administration has de- 
 liberately chosen to invite such a contest mid 
 aid the nesroes in the destructinn nf the 
 white race. The present condition ol' public 
 at^'airs is partly attributalile U< the folly. 
 fanaticism and iiiibecilit.\' of the party in 
 power. The sectional dilTiculties of the coun- 
 try would have been amicably ad.iu.sted. Iiul 
 the Republican leaders refusi'd all overtures 
 to that end. They prefiTred war to peace — 
 
 tliey chose war rather than union, and what 
 is the result of their iiolicy*! An luiited South 
 williniL' to make any saci'itice, warrinj; to se- 
 cure their independence, and a divided 
 North. • * * If tiijj, a(.f „f usurpati(jii 
 passes unrebuked, then we may bill farewell 
 to constitutional libei'ty. The constitutional 
 iruarantees of personal rights and personal 
 liberty will not be worth the iiarchment upon 
 which they are written." 
 
 .Notable incidents are as follows: Caleb B. 
 Smith w;is appointed Judtie of the U. S. Dis- 
 trict Court. Emerson lectured to a small 
 audience, sub,ieet not i,nven. Butternuts 
 were worn as jewelry and caused numerous 
 outbursts. Real estate went higher. W. C. 
 Holmes paid .$4,000 for the lot where Judge 
 Martindale lived, 41*9 X. Meridian street. A 
 room on W. AVashington sti'eet, Xo. 9, where 
 Bobbs-Merrill Co. are, sold for $450 per foot, 
 and the lot where Somiiiers"s store is, 11-13 
 K. Washington street, wint at tli'e same price 
 to Robert Browning. The Farniei's Hotel, 
 northeast corner of Illinois and Geoi-gia 
 streets, now the Stubbins Hotel, sold for 
 $14,500 in specie, gold being worth IGO. Xo. 
 15 \V. Washington street sold f(U- $9,05(1 to 
 J. A. Ileidlinger. In March gold drojiped to 
 3S and for some time fluctuated between that 
 and 5iS. There began to be much speculation 
 ill that article with a wide range of jji-ices. 
 The sale of arms was forbidden. Dr. Bul- 
 lard declined to meet Dr. J. F. Johnston, the 
 dentist, in consultation because he was a Se- 
 cessionist and a subscriber to the SiiiliiKi. 
 Crime was rife and li(|iior dealers were for- 
 bidden to .sell to soldiers, but apparently did 
 not obey. Laborers got $1.50 a day and car- 
 penters and uiasons .$2.50, and wi'iv scarce 
 at that. 
 
 City Hospital, so called, 
 by the (Joveriiment, Dr. 
 had treated 6,114 cases, 
 lirisoneis of war. 277 of 
 citv election in Mav the 
 
 In two years the 
 though maintained 
 Kitchen in charge, 
 .S47 of which were 
 whom died. At the 
 
 Democrats withdrew their ticket on Ww. 
 ground that the election would be unfair, 
 aiul only 14 Democratic votes were ca.st f<u" 
 councilmen in nine wards. Revenue stamps 
 were sold at a discount of 2 per cent on $50, 
 3 per cent on .$100 and 4 per cent on $500 
 worth. A full company of negroes was en- 
 li.sted for (be 54fb Mass;icliiisetts Ketiiineiit.
 
 232 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATP^E IJ^DIANAPOLIS. 
 
 In ]May the famous battle of "Pogue's Run" 
 occurred and 1.500 pistols were taken from 
 delegates to a Democratic convention, by sol- 
 diers who searched the outiroing- trains, in 
 addition to which many were thrown into 
 Pogue's Run, as the trains passed aionji it. 
 W. S. Hubbard paid $10,(526 for four acres 
 of sround on N. Meridian street, just above 
 11th street and running through to Illinois. 
 
 The tirst military execution took place on 
 ]\rarch 27th. Robert Gray being the victim. 
 He was a Parke or Clay county school teacher 
 who enlisted in the 71st and a few days 
 later was captured at Richmond, Kentucky. 
 Thinking he could escape military sen'ice he 
 took the oath of allegiance to the Confeder- 
 acy. General Carrington said he became a spy 
 for them in Indiana, but the newspapers make 
 no mention of that charge. He was convicted 
 of treason and the sentence approved after 
 sevei-al months delay. The execution took 
 place in the rear of Burnside Barracks, be- 
 tween ISth and 19th streets. He was quite 
 cool, and made a confession that he had acted 
 wrongly through a desire to get out of the 
 service. 
 
 On July 7th the town turned itself loose in 
 re.joicing over Vicksburg and Gettysburg. 
 There were fire works, bonfires and speeches. 
 The next day word came that John ^Morgan 
 had crossed the Ohio, heading for Indian- 
 apolis, and the scene shifted. His purpose 
 was said to be the capture of the city, the 
 relea.se and arming of the rebel prisoners, the 
 destruction of railroads, and the bringing of 
 the horroi's of war to the state. The excite- 
 ment was indescribable. The bells rang 
 alarms and a great crowd gathered at the 
 Bates House. Governor Morton read the 
 dispatches and urged the people to fill up 
 companies in eveiy ward, meeting places be- 
 ing designated. The next morning Governor 
 Morton issued a proclamation asking business 
 houses to close at 8 P. M., and calling on 
 every able-bodied citizen to bring whatever 
 arms he had and nuister. Almost instantly 
 the City Regiment was organized with one 
 or more companies from every w'ard to the 
 number of 12. Eight additional companies 
 were also nuistcred in the city. Morgan 
 moved more rai)id]y than the news about 
 him and there wa.s nnich ignorance and un- 
 certainty. 'I'he Citv Regiment drilled on 
 
 University Square and the signaling for its 
 assembling was the fire alarm bell. This 
 rang several times but each time it was found 
 the exigency was not great and the men were 
 dismissed. The railroads and telegraph lines 
 were taken possession of by the military and 
 public use was excluded. Louisville sent $1.- 
 500,000 of specie north for safety and the 
 Indianapolis banks did the same with theirs. 
 Morgan had crossed at Brandenburg. Ken- 
 tucky, and moved north to Paoli. thence ea.st 
 through Salem and Xorth Vernon, b\it his 
 course was uncertain for several days during 
 which time the armed popidace of the state 
 poured into Indianapolis to the extent of 60.- 
 000. By Monday the 13th more troops had ar- 
 rived than could be used. All saloons were 
 closed and biisiness almost suspended. On 
 Sunday afternoon the bell was sounded and in 
 forty-five minutes all the troops in tbe city 
 were in line. Five regiments slept in the State 
 House yard that night. During this time 
 many troops had been sent to the supposed 
 field of action, but none came in contact 
 with the enemy. None of the city companies 
 left to\\"n, though twice they were marched 
 to the trains and then ordered back. On the 
 14th it was announced with authority that 
 ^lorgan had passed into Ohio and the raid 
 was over so far as Indiana was concerned. 
 Then came the natural re%-iilsion of feeling 
 and there was much .ioking over the events 
 of the week: and as usual what was so 
 threatening before was lightly spoken of. 
 Even to this day some men will smile when 
 they say they were veterans of the Morgan 
 Raid, but no one who went through it would 
 care to repeat the experience. An unusual 
 accident took place on the 13th, when the 
 12th Michigan battery, then located here, was 
 ordered away. As it came da.shing down In- 
 diana avenue from the camp, in the north- 
 west part of the town, ammunition in a 
 caisson exploded killing three soldiers, a boy 
 and two horses, and breaking all the gla.ss 
 within some distance. Disorder almost 
 cea.sed during the excitement, and be it re- 
 membered the saloons were closed. 
 
 That month Kingan & Co. located here 
 and began building a mammoth packing 
 house and flour mill. Dwellings were 
 reported scarce and not a single busi- 
 ness room to be had. The list of income-tax
 
 HISTOKY OF (;l!i:.\'l'F.R IXHIAX Al'OLIS. 
 
 233 
 
 < c 

 
 334 
 
 HISTOKV OF (;i! HATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 [Jiiyers for 1S62 was publisln'il. Only two 
 exceeded $10,000— Calvin Fletcher and' J. A. 
 Crossland. In August gold fell to 26 and 
 in September the first mention of a bath-room 
 in a contemplated house was made. Agita- 
 tion for street cars began. The Crown Hill 
 Cemetei'v corporation was organized and 
 bought .Martin Williams' fruit and iiursci'v 
 farm. Fish and game were abundant and a 
 wild turkey weighing 27 pounds was said to 
 have been shot in the vicinity of Broad Kip- 
 pic. The Young ]\Ien's Library Association 
 was organized. On October 22. 2.000 prison- 
 ers were in Camp ^Morton. Judge Koache 
 bought the tine Bishop Ames residence on 
 Nortli Pennsylvania street, now No. 1029, 
 with four acres of ground, for .'^20.000. In 
 May a day of fasting and prayer was pro- 
 claimed by the President, and on August 6 
 a day of thanksgiving for the recent vic- 
 tories. Both were well observed. 
 
 Prices continued to soar. At the first of 
 the year the newspapers had advanced their 
 price to 15 cents a week. Paper had i-isen 
 from 8 and 9 cents to 16 cents per pound, be- 
 sides which an excise tax was put on adver- 
 tisements. The Journal had prospered with 
 other business. It was crowded with adver- 
 tising so nuu'h that it had to eidarge twice. 
 and its circulation grew so that it had to 
 buy a faster press twice, in three years. The 
 Snitiiid shared little of the prosperity, such 
 wa.s the antagonism to it. Before the war 
 ceased the prices of both papers was 25 cents 
 per week, or double the original. The Ladies 
 Fair in October netted .$7,000 from the raf- 
 fling of various donated ai-ticles alone. 
 Bisho)) I'pfold. Episcopalian, condennied the 
 use of tlowers in churches, and declared that 
 he would not visit or officiate in any church 
 on Eastei- Sunday where a floral display was 
 attemjited. 
 
 The year 1S()4 opened with the cold New 
 Years day. probably the coldest day on rec- 
 ord the world over. The day bcfoie was 
 warm and rainy, temperature above 60. By 
 three o'clock the next morniny it had 
 drop])etl to 28 degrees by the then ther- 
 mometers. A great social event, the bouse 
 warming of John ^\. Lord 's new residence on 
 the southeast coriuM- of Xortli and Pennsyl- 
 vania streets, took jilace on the 31st. ^lany 
 of the guests were lightly clad and it is a 
 
 story to this day how they suffered in get- 
 ting home. The suffering in the camps every- 
 where, north and .south, was territtc and 
 many persons were frozen to death. Cold 
 closed Decendier 81st at 52 and reached 75 
 in April. Wheat in New York was worth 
 from $1.44 to .$1.61 and corn $1.80. The 
 chui'ches were reported as prospering. I'm- 
 tracted meetings were held in several with 
 .scmie additions. A daily prayer meeting was 
 maintained at the Soldiers' Tlome under the 
 auspices of the Indianajiolis Bi-anch of the 
 I'. S. Christian Association. The Scottish 
 Rite of ]\Iasons was established. Judt:e Caleb 
 B. Smith died. Butchers began to agitate for 
 stock yards. 
 
 JIditary funerals were (|uite common and 
 the circumstances of death were sometimes 
 grievous beyond description. Adjutant 
 Jfar-shall Hayden was wouiuled at the attack 
 on Vieksburg and captured in December, 
 1862. For months his parents lived in hope 
 under the belief that he had been taken 
 prisoner merely, when he had died in a few 
 days. After that was known, his body could 
 not be secured for nmnths more and in Feb- 
 ruary he was bui-ied here, having been dead 
 thirteen months. The town was becoming 
 useil to horrors. Every day corpses were 
 transported through; the express com|ianic3 
 left them on the pavements ovei- night, and 
 the I'nion Depot authorities refused to allow 
 them to remain there UHU'e than an hour. 
 Death was so conunon as to cause little com- 
 ment. A Pennsylvania ofticer sto])ped over 
 here and was found dead on the street, mur- 
 dered. His father came soon to invcstiuatc 
 and after a few days went away with no suc- 
 cess, but complaining Ihat he got no sym- 
 pathy or aid aiul that the peoiile seemed sn 
 inui-ed to murder and death that they were 
 indifferent. This was an exaggeration. Imt 
 there was some foundation for it. 
 
 In February a draft f(U- 500.00(1 men was 
 (U'dered. The portimis of reuiments that bad 
 veteranized or reeidisted f(U- three yeai"S 
 more liegan to retui-n on fiu'louirh and were 
 publicly received and feasted. The ChamlK'r 
 of Commerce, or ^Merchants Exchange, was or- 
 ganized and gave daily market rep(u-ts, an 
 evidence of business progress. A great change 
 was made in the theatre. AVbat was known 
 as the pit or panpict which was always oc-
 
 IIISTOl.'V OF (IKKAIKi; l\l)l.\.\A]'()l,IS. 
 
 235 
 
 tci Indies and 
 'I'licse sold t'of 
 fifty that Im.iiirht 
 ^fciicral admission 
 .Many of the lead- 
 tlic li(iusc>s wcri' 
 union inrctini; was 
 
 cupied by men, was opeiiec 
 calletl "orchestra chaii's". 
 fifty eents excejit abcnit 
 seventy-five cents. The 
 was raised to fifty cents. 
 iiifr stars jterforined am 
 packed nijrhtly. A lireat 
 held February "J'ind. with a parade of troops 
 and speeches. Andrew Johnson of Tennessee 
 beinjr the stai-. Two arches were built on 
 Washinfrton street, one at Pennsylvania, the 
 other at Illinois. Within these two scpiares 
 there was a "scarlet fever'' of tiafrs. The 
 Journal said the city nevei- before "was so 
 gallantly and profusely illustrated with our 
 national coloi-s". "At nifrht."" it yoes on to 
 say, "an niuniiiiation bui'st out ainn^- tlie 
 streets tliat borrowed little splendor from the 
 bonfires below. The .Juiinuil office was also 
 brilliantl.v ali^rht, and was probably the finest 
 siirht that any sinjrle buildinsr nutde. From 
 floor to roof and from the roof to the up|)er 
 lights of the tower it filittered with a splen- 
 dor that nusjht have recalled to travellers in 
 Euroi)e the irreat illumination of St. Peter's. 
 In the lowei- windows blazed every admissa- 
 ble row of candles, while alonir the Circle 
 street and .Meridian street sides with theii- 
 profuseiicss of window service, litrhts flamed 
 and sparkled upon rows of Union fiajrs that 
 plowed almost as brilliantly as duiMiifr the 
 day in Iheii- m-w I'adiance." "At one time 
 there were si.x bonfires <roinfr on AVashinirttm 
 street." Tliis showed a proiiei' self a|)i)i'e- 
 ciatioii, but as the lights were candles and 
 probably not moT'e than si.xteen could be 
 placed in a window, the modern sceptic will 
 scoff at the brilliancv and be reminded of 
 "Little Pedliufrton"." 
 
 The street railroad system was bcfrun that 
 sprinfr on a charter driven to some Xew Yoi-k- 
 people who associated some home ])eople with 
 them. The first line was i)uilt on Illinois 
 street from the depot to Washington, thence 
 to AVest, thence to the .Military iri'ounds and 
 opened on the week of State nnd Sanitary 
 P'airs in October. It was finished that year 
 on Xorth Illinois street to St. Clair. On May 
 3rd it was said that 1,400 pieces of real estate 
 had chaniTcd hands since Jainiary 1st. John 
 Morris sold his lot on th(> southwest cornei' 
 of Meridian and r;eoi-t.na streets, fKix'JO") feet, 
 for $200 per foot. The First Presbyterian 
 
 Church boiiuht 12") feet of the Daniel Yandes 
 home, at Pennsylvania and Xew York streets 
 for .$22.0(10, and projierty across the street 
 was valued at $80 per foot — now held at 
 $1,250 or $1,500. The Second Presbytei-ian 
 Church on the Circle was offered for $14,000. 
 Joseph E. McDonald boufrht 32 ft. on Xorth 
 Penn.sylvania street next Wood & Foudray's 
 livery stable for $375 per foot, and E. S. 
 .VIvoi'd i-efused $3(1.000 foi- his house and lot. 
 on which the Newton Claypool block stands. 
 Forty thousand dollars was offered for the 
 old Athenaeum or (iymnasium buildini; at 
 the northwest corner of ^Meridian and ]\Iary- 
 land streets. The Fii-st Xational Bank, 
 opened in the Dccembei- before, was the (mly 
 incor|)orated one here except the Branch 
 Hnnk of tlie State. House board was not less 
 than $5.00 per week. The retail grocers com- 
 bined to sell for cash only, as wholesalers had 
 ajri-eed to credit no one. The school enumera- 
 tion was 11,907, a sain in one year of 5.044. 
 Baled hay was worth $29.00 per ton and the 
 iroveriuncnt was payint; $156 for horses. 
 .Marion County had thiis far spent $120.90(1 
 fill- Iwiunties and relief for soldiers. 'Vhv 
 Chand)er of Conniierce reported sales of 
 Lidods in one year- $15.29S.()00, manufactures 
 $5,O(i9,00(l, provisions $77().524. total business 
 $23.()2(),524. It enumerated among the in- 
 dustries two woolen factories, one saw, one 
 hub and spoke, two ayricultural implements, 
 seven flouring' mills, six foundries and ma- 
 chine shops, two harness and two cooi)er 
 shops, one I'ollinir mill makinu 10.000 tons of 
 rails, furuitui'c. bakei-ies. eonfectioners. three 
 raili-oad shops and packing houses. Else- 
 where It was told, thiit there wei-c 700 li(|uor 
 sellers in the city. 
 
 The City Heyimeut had maintained an 
 oi'fj'ani/ation since th<- Moruan Kaid. In 
 .\|)ril it was believed that tin- eomiufj' sum- 
 mer would eiul the war and (iovernor 
 Morton |)roposed that certain states should 
 furnish 100,000 uien for one hundred days 
 who would miard tlii> transixu-tation lines and 
 release that many seasoned troops for active 
 operations at the front, which was adopted 
 and a call made. On April 2(i the City \ii'>/\- 
 ment was called to meet that afternoon to 
 decide whether it shoidd tendei" its servi<-es 
 for that period. I''cw appejii-ed, howi'ver. 
 .\n enthusiastie war nieelini;- was held at
 
 23G 
 
 lITSTOin' OF GREATEK IXDIAXArOLIS. 
 
 Masouic Hall and every kuowu iiitiueuee to 
 till the call was brought to bear. Employers 
 paid the salary of clerks who would go. Ad- 
 ditional bounties were offered, young ladies 
 volunteered to take the places of clerks while 
 they were gone and iu due time the regiment 
 was filled, together with others from the state. 
 Six and a half companies of the City Regi- 
 ment were from Indianapolis, the remainder 
 from adjoining counties. Probably this regi- 
 ment was the most beloved of all that the 
 town was interested in. The greatest pride 
 and admiration was lavished on the 11th, for 
 that was the tirst-boru, next to that probably 
 ciuue the 70th and then the 79th, though the 
 2tith and 33rd were highly esteemed. But the 
 City or 132nd was the youngest born, the 
 Benjamin, and the town's affection was lav- 
 ished on it. ]\Iany of its members were 
 really boys and many were older men, who 
 were prominent and gave up much in order 
 to help in the emergency. It was raised too 
 by hard work, and the zeal and enthusiasm 
 of the war seemed to culminate in the effort. 
 It could not vie with the others iu point of 
 sei-vice for its life was short and its field 
 narrow, but it did the work laid out for it, 
 and who could do more? The Journal said 
 that more people gathered to see it go than 
 any other. 
 
 In ^lay, with gold at 70, beef sirloin was 
 worth 20 cts. ; veal 15 or 20, mutton 15, pork 
 12 and 15, eggs 18, chickens $3.00 and .$3.25 
 per dozen, potatoes $1.50, butter -40 cts., 
 canned tomatoes 25 cts., turnips 60 cts. and 
 wood $7.50 a cord— unheard of prices. On 
 May 17th a meeting of ladies was held at 
 iMasonic Hall and addressed by Hon. Albert 
 G. Porter who asserted that the country was 
 being ruined by buying for gold $500,000,000 
 w'orth of foreign products annually and re- 
 ducing the value of greenbacks. A platform 
 was adopted as follows: "To promote econ- 
 omy, to show our sympathy with the great 
 hardships and sufferings of our brave .sol- 
 diers and to aid the finances of the Govern- 
 ment, we the undersigned ladies pledge our- 
 selves not to purchase during the war any 
 imported article of dress or house furnishing. 
 We also pledge ourselves to lay aside during 
 the war silk antl other expensive dresses and 
 mantillas, all laces, velvets and jewels, and 
 appear as soon as practicable only in clothes 
 
 of American manufacture." The merchants 
 were not pleased with this action and al- 
 though some 800 or 1,000 signers wei-e pro- 
 cured, exceptions began to be called for and 
 the whole movement seems to have died a 
 "bornin". 
 
 Gold soared that summer, getting way 
 over 200, where it stayed until the fall elec- 
 tions and victories caused a reduction below 
 that figure. Its highest price as noted here 
 was 280. The University Square was im- 
 proved by a public subscription of $2,100. 
 The first street car arrived in August "with 
 cushioned seats affording ample room for 
 sixteen passengers". A Sanitary fair was 
 projected and later held successfully in con- 
 junction with the State Fair. On June 1st 
 Crown Hill Cemetery was dedicated. Judge 
 Albert S. Wliite being the orator. The first 
 interment took place on the second— Mrs. 
 Lucy Ann Scaton, of Paducah, Kentucky. 
 
 As anticipated there was fearful fighting 
 all along the line with I'nion gains. Politics 
 warmed up, and just before the October elec- 
 tion came the sensational and effective ex- 
 pose of the Sons of Liberty or Knights of the 
 Golden Circle that had much to do with 
 Democratic defeat, but which cannot be de- 
 scribed hei'e, though an interesting chapter 
 in city history. On the 18th of October the 
 Sentiucl prophesied as follows: "If IMr. Lin- 
 coln is reelected the man is not now living 
 who will see peace and prosperity in the 
 Union. It is certain that future generations 
 will never see that result if the radical policy 
 prevails. It is hopeless of good." Within 
 six months it welcomed the advent of peace. 
 The theatre that fall introduced reserved 
 seats, to be held until the end of the first act. 
 Bandmann, Laura Keene, Lawrence Barrett 
 and others played. A tabernacle for union 
 meetings was built on the Washington street 
 front of the Court House square. It was 
 afterwards turned into an amusement hall 
 and was not torn down until 1866. The as- 
 sessments for the income tax were iiublished 
 officially in order to encourage informei-s. 
 Bounty jumpers were paraded through the 
 streets tied by ropes and preceded by a huge 
 negro ringing a bell, and then sent to punish- 
 ment. Live hogs were worth 14 cts. An era 
 of oil speculation began that la.sted a year 
 or two and cost much money. Numerous
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOIJS. 
 
 companies were foniied to bore for oil in t)liio, 
 Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. D. 
 Jf. Hoyd sold 21 feet on the east side of 
 Jleridian just below ^Maryland street to .Mur- 
 phy and ilolliday for ^'.i-il per foot. I'p to 
 January 31st there had been 1,307 rebel 
 prisoners buried in (ireenlawn Cemetery. 
 
 The year should not close without report- 
 mg this from the Journal, thouuh oceui'rin>;- 
 in .\u<rust. It was written in the style of 
 Berry Sulfrrove that pervaded the Jdiinml, 
 thou^'h scarcely by him. Col. James Hlake's 
 old bay horse and low seated old rockaway 
 had been stolen; after reeountiu)sr the inci- 
 dent it then says: "The miscreant who would 
 steal Colonel Ulake's bugjjy from the (jirele 
 fence while the Colonel is presiding' over a 
 Union nieetinir, would sneak into lieaven and 
 steal the supper of the Angel (labriel". 
 About New Years it was reputed that some 
 friends had presented the good old nuin with 
 a new vehicle. 
 
 The New Year 18fi5 opened with confident 
 expectation tluit the war would soon end. 
 Another draft was ordered and many citi- 
 zens still living were among the chosen, but 
 by great effoi-t and cxjieuditure of money the 
 quota was filled. The last i-egiments. includ- 
 ing the 156th, a half regiment, were raised 
 for one year. The Journal declared that 
 "Rebel prayers were a mockery to the Al- 
 mighty". The Governor's "mansion" wa.s 
 sold for ■'f!4'2,;'J00. The era of combiiuition 
 among grocers, ice d(>alers. etc., began. An 
 Opera House and ^lasonic Temple were pro- 
 jected; idso water works, with a stand-])i|)i' 
 on Sliortridge High School site — said to be 
 the highest point in the city. Grant moved 
 to tlie finish. Richmond fell on April 3rd. 
 Lee surrendered on the 9th. Thr news was 
 received at 11 P. IVI. but the town rose and 
 as the expres.sion was "whooped it up" all 
 night. "Indiana]iolis never before was so 
 thoroughly demented," said the Journal. Gold 
 dropped from 111! to 144. Governor Morton 
 appointed the 20th as a day of thanksgiving, 
 but changed it to "a day of mourning, hu- 
 miliation and prayer", when on the ir)1h 
 news eanu> of the a.ssa-ssinatiou of President 
 Lincoln. That day is described as "the most 
 exciting one ever known in Indiaiuipolis". 
 The whole town was in mourning gai'b and 
 all business susi)en(led. Even the sun ri'- 
 
 fused to shine. Hut time fcu'hids the recital 
 ol' that awful and never-to-be-foi-gotten ex- 
 perience, followed by the pi-otracled mourn- 
 ing and the funeral march from Wa.sliiugton 
 to Springfield, during whicli the body of the 
 martyred president rested in the State House 
 for eighteen hours of the gloomiest Suiulay 
 ever known and was viewed by thousands of 
 weejiing mourners. That is a stoi-y to itself. 
 It was the la.st of the five greatest days of 
 the struggle: Lincoln's visit, the day Sumter 
 fell, the opening of the ^lorgan Raid, the fall 
 of Richmond and this one. ^lay their like 
 never be seen again. 
 
 The incidents of the closing up must he 
 jia.ssed over lightly. Troo])s were soon dis- 
 charged and sent home. All were ])idilicly 
 welcomed as they deserved, and while most 
 came within a few months it was more than 
 a year before the la.st Indiana soldiers were 
 discharged. The great armies vanished into 
 private life as easily as they came from it 
 and all the apprehensions of trouble were 
 groundless. 
 
 Indianapolis kept on her course of material 
 progress that year. Prices contiiuied high, 
 building iiu'i'eased, rents were at uidieai'd of 
 figures. $0,000 being paid for one single room 
 by the Eirst National Bank the s(uitheast cor- 
 ner of AVa.shington and i\reri(lian streets, 
 ^lore banks and insurance companies were 
 organized, railroads wei'c projected, a steam- 
 boat built on the river, i-eal estate boomed, 
 aiul expansion was everywhei-e. In July there 
 were 34 wholesale houses running with five 
 more to o])en up as soon as buildings coidd 
 be finished. The largest income ta.x i>avers 
 were: Calvin Fletcher. .+31.043: S. " A. 
 Fletcher, s|;.30,960: Thos. II. Shan)e, !i;27,847, 
 and Oliver Tousey, $28,530. Wa.shingtou 
 street property between ^leridian and Illi- 
 nois streets sold at $800 ])er foot. The lot 
 at the southeast corner of ^leridian and 
 .Maryland, 25x130, was sold for .$400 |)er foot. 
 Ill l'\'l)ruary. 1909, with a building on it, it 
 brought $(i0,000. Grant and Sherman vis- 
 ited the city and had rousing receptions, 
 liaseball was started. The last rebel left 
 Camp Morton June 12th. A jMiblic bath house 
 was erected. On July 25, Sherman's wagon 
 train twenty-eight miles long en route from 
 Washington to Louisville jiassed through, 
 ami that fall witnessed the closing of the
 
 •.'.■!S 
 
 IIIS'|'()1;y of (;i;KATEU IXDIAXAFOLIS. 
 
 Soldiers' Home, the Ladies' Home antl all the 
 camps. 
 
 A crop of oats was cut from University 
 Square, probably the only cereal ever raised 
 there, having: been sown as a cover for gettinij 
 grass established tiiere. A ijovernment mili- 
 tary hospital was ordered, and the selection 
 of a site developed irreat hostility from every 
 locality suggested, but the close of the war 
 caused the abandoiuiient of the proposition, 
 and gave wide-spread relief. In November 
 the Blake orchard, a tract lying between 
 Tennessee and ^lississippi streets, extending 
 from the alley below Walnut to St. Clair 
 street, wa.s sold at auction, realizing an aver- 
 age pi'ice of $70 per font, and attracting "the 
 biggest crowd ever at ;i ri'al estate sale in In- 
 dianapolis". 
 
 The cost of the war to the town may be 
 fancied by a brief statement of some of the 
 taxation. For the year ending June 30, 1865, 
 the internal revenue tax on Clarion County 
 was .$.517,742, the income tax $l(il,8(il on a 
 total of $2,618,007. In the year ending ilay 
 12th the city's inennie was $597,831 of which 
 about only $170,000 was from taxes, licenses 
 and fines, the rest was from loans and con- 
 tributions to the draft fund. The expenses 
 were $854,391, a deficit of $301,707 and $775.- 
 000 went for the war fund. The estinmted 
 expenses for the next year were $137,000. 
 In addition to this the county had also in- 
 curred a war debt. The contribution of life 
 can not be estimated, bi;t it was large, many 
 hundreds. Possibly as many as 4,000 men 
 from this town went into the army first and 
 la.st, and many never returned. 
 
 The war was ovei' but its gi-ini ei-a closed 
 upon a new Indiaiuipolis. The quiet town 
 with its simple lifi' was srone forever and in 
 its place was the bustling city with new ideas, 
 new aspirations, new ways. Much more than 
 half the i)opulation were new-comers. As it 
 
 had changed materially, it had changed in 
 other respects. Its life was difl'erent. The 
 war had brought sorrow to many households 
 and broken up many. In four ordinary years 
 there are likely to be many changes, but how 
 much more in these four years of awful 
 havoc and heart-breaking experience. Old 
 friendships and social relations had been 
 severed by death and by estrangement 
 throuffh differing opinions. The alteration 
 in circumstances made a difference for many 
 large fortunes had been made and many fam- 
 ilies had been impoverished or had gained 
 nothing. There Mas more luxurious living 
 and ostentation. The inevitable demoraliza- 
 tion of war was to l)e reckoned with, and 
 both morality and religion were affected. 
 Hundreds of young men had become addicted 
 to intemperance and the general moral tone 
 had been lowered. Extravagance had in- 
 creased in many things and was driving out 
 the former simplicity. Change was over all. 
 "The old order changeth." That is the 
 rule of life. "Without the war Indianapolis 
 would have changed at some time but it 
 would have taken a generation for it instead 
 of being hannnei-ed out in the white heat of 
 the four years' confliet, and the slow trans- 
 formation, almost imperceptible, would have 
 been natural. But with all the changes 
 something, yes much, was left. The impress 
 of the early .settlers could not be eil'aced. The 
 influences that made for civic righteousness, 
 for public spirit, for education, for cleanly 
 living, for kindliness, for general well being 
 and progress, were not destroyed and thiw 
 abide with us yet. However feeble their 
 force has seemed at times, at othei-s it has 
 burst out in unrestrained volume, showing 
 that it had not lost its power and that while 
 material environment may alter, the spirit 
 persists.
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 THE COLOTJED BROTHEE. 
 
 The negro wa.* willi Indianapolis from the 
 beginning. General Tipton brought a negro 
 boy with him when he came for selecting of 
 the .*itc of tlie capital, but his stay was only 
 transient. When Alexander Ralston came here 
 to live, he brought a colored housekeeptT, 
 Cheney Lively, who ])a*sed the rest of her life 
 here and is remembered by old residents as 
 "Aunt Cheney". Jlr. Ralston left her some 
 property : and some years after his death she 
 married John Britton, a very reputable colored 
 man. who kept a barber-shop, and accumu- 
 lated some property. On June lit, 18'i."), two 
 colored men, brothers, named Knight, wcm- 
 drowned in White River, at the mouth of Fall 
 Creek.' This was the second instance of 
 drowning in the I'iver since the beginning of 
 the .-ett lenient. The negroes came in with 
 the other i)opulation, and the census of the 
 town taken in 1827 showed 58 colored resi- 
 dents. ;U males, and •?-! females. In 18;i.j the 
 total colored |)opulatioii had reached 73, of 
 whom .34 were males and ;5!) females; alnnit 
 one-half of all being adults. 
 
 The attitude to the negro was what it was 
 generally in the free states at that time — one 
 of tolerance to an inferior race. It is illus- 
 trated in the following advertisement, which 
 appeared in \\k' Joiinial oi December 11. is:!;i: 
 ".\ Card. Thomas Chubb (colored man). Bar- 
 ber and Hair Dresser. With all that humility 
 that becomes gentlemen of colour, very respect- 
 fully tenders his services to the good ])eople 
 of Indianapolis. His Magnum Bonum and 
 Ratlers are of the first grit, and his Cologne 
 Water and perfumery of the very best quality. 
 He is no politician, and the (listincticuis of 
 party are entirely unknown in the grand lioiir- 
 
 ish of taking oil a gentleman's beard. His 
 shop is at the Washington Hall, where he will 
 be extremely happy to administer to the com- 
 fort and gratification of all those gentlemen 
 who may be incommoded by that troublesome 
 appendage, a long beard. Gentlemen who from 
 sickness are unable to call at his shop will be 
 promptly waited on at their rooms, at any 
 hour either day or night. In short, he does 
 not ask a monopoly but only solicits a share 
 of the public patronage." 
 
 There was a firm maintenance of the fact 
 that Indiana was free soil, and a protection 
 id' negroes in the legal rights that this im- 
 plied. The earliest case involving this sub- 
 ject arose in 1829. In the fall of that year 
 Wm. Sewall, who had emigrated from \'ii-- 
 ginia, was passing through Indianapolis with 
 four slaves — two women, Nelly and Mary, and 
 two daughters of Nelly. They were detained 
 for several days by high water, and, someone 
 having told tbe women that they were free, 
 they left Sewall and took refuge? with one of 
 the overseers of the poor. Sewall retook them, 
 and on their behalf they w'ere brought before 
 Judge Betbuel F. JMorris, on writ of habeas 
 corpus. The evidence was conflicting as to 
 whether Sewall intended to settle in Hlinois 
 or Missoxiri ; but was unquestioned that be had 
 left Virginia, and that ho had voluntarily 
 brought them into this state. They could 
 not be said to have "escaped into" free terri- 
 tory. On this basis Judge ilorris held that 
 the negroes were free, filing a very elaborate 
 opinion in support of his decision.'-' Decisions 
 to the same ett'ect luui already been made in 
 several of the southern states, and it bad long 
 been a prinei])le o{ the common law in Eng- 
 
 'Jiiiiniiil and ilnzrtti 
 
 •l\, 182.1. 
 
 -Jountal, December ol, 1829. 
 
 ;!9
 
 240 
 
 HISTOEY OF GEEATER lA'DIANAPOLIS. 
 
 laud,, where it had taken the poetical form — 
 "A slave caunot breathe the air of England."' 
 
 Of course the negro had no political rights, 
 but there was one who exercised them for some 
 time. This was Cader Carter, a quadroon, 
 who passed himself off for a white man. But 
 he was not content with voting, and took an 
 active and aggressive part in street-corner and 
 other debates. In 1S3(j he was a pronounced 
 "Jackson" man and some of the Whigs who 
 became acquainted with his secret, de- 
 cided to put him out of business. They chal- 
 lenged his right to vote, and proved that he 
 was within the prohibited degree of African 
 blood, whereupon he voted no more. The first 
 recorded manifestation of race hostility oc- 
 curred in 1838, when some of the ''chain gang" 
 began annoying colored residents, and were 
 resisted by a plucky negro, named Overall, 
 with a shot gun. As related elsewhere, Over- 
 all instituted surety-of-peace proceedings 
 against Daniel Burke, one of the leaders of 
 the gang, and received protection of the law. 
 Beyond this point of aiding the negro in se- 
 curing protection from abuse, there was no ap- 
 parent favor for him. Abolitionism was at a 
 discount and anything like association on terms 
 of equality was not considered by any one. 
 
 Yet there was a case of miscegenation here 
 on January 1, 1840. A young lady had been 
 brought here from the East to play the organ 
 in the new Episcopal church, and her sister 
 came with her. A few months later the sister 
 married a light-colored mulatto, who had served 
 in the family for some years. This caused 
 much excitement, and a mob, led by Josiah 
 Simcox, and composed mostly of young men 
 and boys, surrounded their house and captured 
 the groom. The bride was not badly used, 
 but the groom was given a ride on a rail and 
 warned to leave town, which he promptly did. 
 Sulgrove says that the leader of the mob also 
 left town and never ventured to return openly, 
 though he did secretly. On February T^. 1840, 
 in its accoTmt of the legislative proceedings, 
 the Journal said: "Yesterday morning, Mr. 
 Johnson presented the petition of Sophia 
 Spears, the white female who recently, in this 
 town, connected herself in marriage with a 
 light mulatto man, praying a divorce. The 
 petition was accompanied by another of the 
 same import from a large number of the citi- 
 zens of Indianapolis. Immediately after the 
 
 I'eading of the petitions, Mr. Johnson intro- 
 duced a bill dissolving the bonds of matrimony 
 between Sophia Spears and Jolin N. Wilson, 
 which was read three times and passed." It is 
 iiiitable, however, that it was not passed with- 
 out opposition. The vote in the House was (31 
 for and 22 against the bill. There was also 
 opposition in the Senate, but it passed on Feb- 
 ruary 22, by a vote of 20 to 14. 
 
 There was another case of the kind ten years 
 later, but the parties were not so prominent. 
 On August 5, 1848, the Locomotive said: 
 ■'.\ buck nigger, as black as the ace of spades, 
 named Peter Tilman, tried to get several Jus- 
 tices of the Peace to marry him to Miss I'ar- 
 melia Powell, a white girl, on last Wednesday. 
 The license was procured by telling the clerk 
 the girl had negro blood in her, but she is to 
 every appearance as white as a lily. Peter is 
 certainly a man of taste.' We wish Jliss Par- 
 melia much joy of her conquest. Go it butes. 
 The Doctor could not succeed in getting mar- 
 ried here, and on Thursday he went to Boone 
 County where he found more accommodating 
 Justices. On his return he met a warm recep- 
 tion — eggs were plenty and the bovs know how 
 to throw them. He left for parts unknown 
 yesterday morning." 
 
 It is probable that the claim of negro blood 
 in the woman saved the couple from a worse 
 fate, for the law was much more severe than 
 in 1840. At that time the restriction on mar- 
 riage was that it be "not prohibited by the law 
 of God"; but on January 20, 1842, a law was 
 jiassed prohibiting marriage between a white 
 ])erson and one having one-eighth or more of 
 negro blood. It made any such marriage null 
 and void, and provided a penalty of fine of 
 $1,000 to $0,000, and imprisonment in the pen- 
 itentiarv from 1 to 10 vears for the principals, 
 and a fine of $100 to $1,000 for the adviser of 
 such a marriage. By the revision of 1843 this 
 was broadened by making such a marriage "ab- 
 solutely void, without any decree of divorce, 
 or other legal proceeding", and declai'iiig the 
 issue of such marriage illegitimate. This law 
 was held to be in force by the Supreme Court 
 in 1871, after the adoption of the fourteenth 
 amendment. The court held that the United 
 States had no jurisdiction of the subject of 
 marriage within a state, and that such mar- 
 riages were proliibiti'd as violations of the laws 
 of nature and of (iod. The Indiana court at
 
 JIISTOKV OF GKKATER IXDIAXAI'UIJS. 
 
 ■Ul 
 
 times seemed more deeply versed in the law 
 of God than in the law of the land ; as, for 
 example, wlicn it decided in favor of a debtor 
 charged with fraudulently conveying his prop- 
 erty to his wife, citing as authority only 1 
 Timothy, Ch. 5, v. 8: "But if any provide not 
 for his own, and especially for those of his 
 own house, he hath denied the faith, and is 
 worse than an infidel." 
 
 It is possible that the Spears case may have 
 caused a revulsion of feeling which, as well as 
 the influ.x of a disorderly class of settlers, 
 made the sentiment of the community moi-e 
 hostile to the negro. .At any rate it showed 
 very badly on July 4, 1843, when a negro was 
 beaten to death by a mob, on a public street, 
 under circumstances that would have disgraced 
 any rowdy settlement in tlie country. The 
 negro, John Tucker, was ]ieaceably passing 
 along Washington street, when Xicholas Wood 
 who was half-drunk, struck him on the nose, 
 making it bleed, and then dodged into a gro- 
 cery, the negro remaining outside, and calling 
 to Wood that if he wanted blood, to come out 
 and he would get it. The evidence is c|uite 
 fully reported in the Sviitiiiel of August 13, 
 1845, and the occurrence is very fairly pre- 
 sented in the statement of .\l)raliiini Bird, 
 which is as follows: 
 
 "The first I saw was Wood coming out of 
 a grocery on the south side of Washington 
 street. Wood made fun of the negro's nose 
 because it was bleeding. The negro struck at 
 Wood. Wood crossed over to a grocery and 
 enquired for an axe luiiidlc. saying that be 
 wanted to kill the damned negro. Wood 
 picked up a board, and pursued the negro down 
 the street, \\lien he came neaj- the negro, the 
 negro j)icked up a brick and hit Wood on the 
 head. A scufHe ensued : after which T saw- 
 Davis strike the negro on the back of the head 
 with a brick or stone which Davis threw at 
 him. It struck the negro, and the blow bent 
 the negro forward. 'J'he back of the negro's 
 head was towards Davis. The negro threw, 
 and retreated towards the north, up Illinois. 
 Saw the negro throw brickbats towards the 
 crowd, but not until bricks had been thrown at 
 the negro. The crowd still followed uj) the 
 street. Davis threw a brickbat and hit tin; 
 negro in the side. The negro then threw at 
 Davis, hit him on the head, knocked him down. 
 Several persons then threw at the negro, and 
 Vol. I—] 6 
 
 several cried 'Kill him'. Woods appeared with 
 a stick following towards tlii' negro. The negro 
 told Woods not to strike, and Woods did not 
 then strike. Davis was in advance of the crowed 
 when he threw at the negro. Saw Ballinger 
 standing near the signpost at Armstrong's, 
 and crying out 'Kill the negro". After the 
 negro had knocked Davis down. Ballinger fol- 
 lowed the negro and caught him by the col- 
 lar, and taking a club in one hand struck at 
 the negro, which blows the negro fended off. 
 Ho then took the club in both hands and 
 again struck the negro over the head, and 
 knocked him down. The club was a common 
 sized hand spike, about four feet long. About 
 the time Davis was knocked down, Ballinger 
 stepped up to some person having the club and 
 said, 'Give me the stick; I'll soon fix him'. 
 Was acquainted with the negro. His name was 
 John Tucker. Wood then came to where the 
 negro was lying, and struck him twice over the 
 head or shoulders. Could not see for the crowd 
 the precise place where he hit the negro. Some 
 l)erson then caught the stick of wood, and 
 prevented further blows." 
 
 There was little or no conflict in the testi- 
 mony except that Joseph Stretcher, who was 
 first to get to Tucker after he fell, said that 
 Davis also struck him with a brick after he 
 was down, and others said they did not see this. 
 There were half-a-dozen reputable citizens in 
 the crowd trying to get them to desist, and 
 urging the negro to get away. Even Dave 
 P>urkhart, the leader of "the chain gang" told 
 him to go away or he would be killed, but he 
 refused, saying that he was "a civil man" 
 and "had insulted nobody". There was some 
 testimony that others told him to stay and 
 they would see that he had a fair fight, but it 
 was very weak, and if true the support did not 
 inaterializc. 
 
 There was no politics in it. On the oth 
 the Sentinel said: "On the afternoon of yes- 
 terday, the 4th, at about 3 o'clock, an affray 
 occurred in this city between a negro and some 
 whites, in which the negro was finally killed 
 outright. The name of the negro is said to 
 be John Tucker, about 4o years old, and previ- 
 ous to this incident he is said to have been of a 
 ipiiet and inoffensive disposition. He was, we 
 are told, formerly a slave in Kentucky, but 
 many years ago honorably obtained freedom, 
 and came to this vicinity. Ilr bad Ikhmi em-
 
 IIISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 jiloyod on tlie ianu ul' J'ostiiiaster Hciidersoii 
 for several years, up to the time of his death. 
 He has left two children, a jiirl abont 13, and 
 a bov about 10 year.* old. On the complaint 
 of two respectalilo c!tizcn>. Nicholas, or as 
 eonunonly called Nicic Woods, was arrested on 
 the charge of liaving comniittcd this fatal 
 act. He was taken before ilayor Levy, but 
 Wood being rather uproarious with liquor, and 
 the excitement considerable, the Mayor very 
 properly committed tlie accused until this (Sat- 
 iirday) morning. * * * The priiici|)al 
 wounds received hy the negro were apparently 
 those on his head. There was a severe one, 
 
 •■THE BABY" OF -UXCLE TOMS CABIN.- 
 (Louisa Magnifier.) 
 
 perhaps the severest, over the right frontal 
 region of the skull, probably made by a club; 
 another on the back of the head ; a large gash 
 on the top of the front head a little to the 
 left; a hole on the right cheek below the right 
 corner of the eye, and the jaw bone fractured ; 
 a hole cut through the left ear and several 
 smaller wounds. 
 
 "It was a horrilile ■i)ie(tac-le; doubly horrilde 
 that it should have occurred on the 4tli of 
 July, a day which of all otliers should be con- 
 secrated to purj)oses far different from a dis- 
 play of angry and vitulictivc passion ami bru- 
 
 tality. -VU good men will reflect upon it with 
 deep regret. * * * A more careful exam- 
 ination by physicians today proves that Tuck- 
 er's skull was fractured the whole length. The 
 blow which caused it would have felled an ox." 
 Naturally the town was horror strii-ken, and 
 action was prompt. On July 'i9 the grand jury 
 returned indictments against Nicholas Wood, 
 Wni. Ballinger and Edward Davis for murder, 
 and also for aiding in the commission of mur- 
 der. Ballinger, who was a saloon-keeper, es- 
 caped before arrest and was never taken. Davis 
 was jmt on trial first, but the prosecutor made 
 the mistake of nollemg the indictment for 
 ■"aiding"" and tried him on the charge of mur- 
 der, though it seems clear from the preserved 
 evidence that he did not strike the fatal blow. 
 He was acquitted on August 13. Wood was 
 at once tried, and on August 16, the jury 
 found him guilty of manslaughter; and the 
 judge — Stephen ^lajor — sentenced him to three 
 \ears in the penitentiary. He afterwards served 
 another term for larceny. On July "29, Wm. 
 Watson; David Buckhart, and James M. Buck- 
 hart were also indicted for aiding in the com- 
 mission of the murder, but were never tried. 
 They were local "toughs"", the Buckharts be- 
 ing leaders of "the chain gang"', but they do 
 not appear to have been guilty in this case. 
 David Buckliart was indicted at this same term 
 for gaming, and James M. for larceny. This 
 atfair had a sobering effect on the whole com- 
 munity, and, notwithstanding the general de- 
 vclojiment of feeling on the negro question 
 through political agitation, there is no record 
 of any further serious mistreatment of negroes 
 in Indianapolis liefore the Civil War. 
 
 And now was coming a great event in tlie 
 history of the nation — the writing of "I'ncle 
 Tom's Cabin"- — and in it Indianapolis had an 
 interesting part. Mrs. Stowe says that after 
 the publication of the book numerous towns 
 claimed "Uncle Toms"", but that the character 
 was a composite one. and that the "experi- 
 ences'" were largely drawn from the life of Jo- 
 siah Henson. Her only acquaintance with Hen- 
 son, however, was through the story of his 
 life, which had been published years before, 
 and the "experiences"" were only suggestive, 
 for Henson was not beaten to death, but escaped 
 into Canada, and was a preaclier there for 
 nmny years. But there was an Uncle Tom 
 in Indianaiiolis that she <lid know personally,
 
 IIIS'I'OKV OF r.KEATER TXT>TA\.\PO!JS. 
 
 24n 
 
 and ><> flid nearly evervliinly in the place, lor 
 he was noted as an exemplary and religious 
 man. and was generally respected. Henry 
 Ward Beeeher developed a great liking for him, 
 and on at least one oceasion referred to him in 
 a sermon. 
 
 I'ncle Tom Mngnider had heen a .•jhive uf 
 Dr. Xdhle. in \'irginia, j)rior to ITOI. hi 
 tliiit year the doetor moved to Kentucky, tak- 
 ing his slaves witii him. In 1S31, Governor 
 Xohle — a son of l)r. Xoble — brought Tom 
 and his wife Sarah to Indianapolis, and built 
 a cabin for them at the northeast corner of 
 Xohle and ^larket streets, where they resided till 
 their death. At the same time their daughter 
 Louisa, who had i)een living at Lawrenci'i)arg, 
 was brought here to take care of the old cou])le. 
 Uncle Tom was a ^lethodist, and after Rob- 
 erts Chapel was built was a regular attendant 
 there until the negroes had a chtirch of their 
 own. He was an enthusiastic worshipper — his 
 "aniens", "hallelujahs" and "glorys" being as 
 frequent and fervent as those of any of the white 
 brethren; and they had "shouting ^fethodists" 
 in those days. His religion was not restricted 
 to church, but was a characteristic of his daily 
 life. It is the testimony of the Xoble family 
 that "Mrs. Stowe was a frequent visitor at 
 T'nde Tom's cabin, and wrote much of her 
 book there"'. The latter part of this is prob- 
 ably an exaggerated refereiu-e to her taking 
 notes, which would naturally be reported by 
 the (iniearned darkies as writing a book. 
 
 In addition to this acquaintancesiii|i. and 
 the identity of name and character portrayed, 
 there is a notable coincidence as to the family. 
 In the fourth chapter of her book, Tom's fam- 
 ily is <lescribed as consisting of two boys, ?rTose 
 and I'ete, and the girl baby. Tncle Tom had 
 liiit two children. Mo.ses. and his vounger sister 
 Louisa, and thev were middle-aged jK'ople when 
 Mrs. Stowe know them. lUit there was another 
 male member of tlie family at the time, of 
 aiiout the same age as Moses, and his name was 
 Peter. He had been a slave of Judge Isaac Dunn 
 of Lawrenceburg until the decision of I'ollv's 
 case, in lS-.>(), which ))Ut an end to slavery in 
 Indiana." After that be continued to live vol- 
 untarily witii liis for-nier master until all uf 
 l)i> old nejiro fi'iends in LawreiU'i'luiri,' bail 
 
 died or left the place, and he became very 
 lonesome. Judge Dunn then made arrange- 
 ments for him to come to Indianapolis and 
 live with the Magruders, and he was living 
 with them when ^Irs. Stowe knew them. This 
 makes the family identical with the one in the 
 book, and the boys with the same names, 
 iionisa had been married and had a daughter 
 Martha — commonly called "Topsy", but by no 
 means so hopeless as ^Irs. Stowe's "Topsy" — 
 who is still living. "Uncle Tom'' died on Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1857, and Louisa on September 7, 
 lltOO. Tom was buried in the Xoble faniilv 
 
 • fiiiU'ina. 
 41(1. .•tc. 
 
 in .\m. ( 'iinnnonwealtb Series, 
 
 LAST HOME OF LOUISA AND HER 
 DAUOHTER. 
 
 (4.51 HiKlUr.nd Ave. I 
 
 lot at tireeiilawn, and Lmiisa in the Davidson 
 family lot at Crown Hill. Louisa was 92 
 years of age at the time of her death, and had 
 long heen cared for liy white friends, especially 
 Mrs. (ieorge Frank Miller, who fullilled her 
 last request "to be buried with her folks" — 
 i. e., the Xoble-Davidsou family. For a num- 
 ber of years after Fnclc Tom's death. Moses 
 and Louisa lived in a log cabin on Wabash 
 street, opposite the present Kmpire 'I'heater — • 
 just back of the iiresent Security Trust build- 
 ing — but after the war Mrs. Miller furnished 
 Louisa a home at \'<\ Highland avemie. where 
 she remained till her death. 
 
 \i the time of 'I'om's <lealb, the .lotiriKil 
 said: "On Sunday morning, an old negro, 
 Thomas Magruder, belter known in our boyish 
 
 days as "Old Uncle Tnin'. lr|iuled to be aboul
 
 244 
 
 HISTOKY OF GEEATEE INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 one hundivd and ten years old, died in his cabin 
 at the eoruer of Marlvet and Noble streets. 
 * * * He was buried ' yesterday morning. 
 Thus has passed away one of the few for whom 
 we jiave assurance, in a guileless life and an 
 earnest faith, a rich reward is ready. If there 
 was ever a Christian in the world, we believe 
 'Old Tom" was one. Indeed he had no dis- 
 tinguishing mark but his Christian virtues. 
 There was nothing to describe him by to a 
 stranger but his piety. In other men we note 
 talents, education, judgment, memory, wit or 
 fancy, but in 'Tom" the first characteristic 
 noted would be piety, and there would be no 
 other. * * * ^ 
 
 "To those unacquainted with "old Tom" the 
 most interesting circumstance connected with 
 him is ihc probability that he gave the name 
 and the leading features of the character to 
 Mrs. Stowe's celebrated hero. Of course no one 
 knows that to be the ease, but there are some 
 circumstances which give it an air of proba- 
 bility. The coincidence of the character and 
 the name are not much in themselves, but con- 
 nected with the fact that. Henry Ward Beecher, 
 during his residence here, was a constant vis- 
 itor of Uncle Tom's, well acquainted with his 
 history, and a sincere admirer of his virtues, 
 the coincidence becomes more suggestive. We 
 have been told that ^Irs. Stowe herself some- 
 times called to see the old man. 'Uncle Tom's 
 cabin', too, was the name of his hous&.amoug 
 all his acquaintances, and was a familiar phrase 
 here long before ilrs. Stowe immortalized it. 
 At all events we know that it is the impression 
 with all the friends of Mrs. Stowe and her 
 brother, in this city, that 'Old Uncle Tom' was 
 the original or at least the suggestion of the 
 hero of the raliiii." * 
 
 This was about the only feature of '"Uncle 
 Tom's Cabin'' as to which the local papers did 
 not differ, and they stood up for the claim when 
 occasion demanded. A year later the Citizen, 
 a new afternoon paper took up an item as to 
 "the veritable Uncle Tom" appearing in a 
 lecture at Boston, and said : "It is believed here 
 that Thomas ^fagruder, an old negro who died 
 in this city about a year ago was 'the veritable 
 Uncle Tom'. The Beechers knew the old 
 man, and it is 'altogether probal)le that Mrs. 
 Stowe took from him and his rustic cabin — 
 
 which was so well known among observing citi- 
 zens, but which has been torn down to give 
 place to a more modern structure — the per- 
 snnitication of her world-renowned 'Uncle 
 Tom's Cabin'.'"^ If this opinion, so publicly 
 and repeatedly expressed here, had not been 
 well-founded, it is passing strange that none of 
 the numerous friends and admirers of the 
 Beechers in this city received any denial of it, 
 which would necessarily have broken the uni- 
 form faith in the tradition. 
 
 While the public and tlie press .were at the 
 height of their discussion of the accuracy 
 of "Uncle Tom's Cabin'' as a presentation of 
 slavery, there came an occurrence that created 
 a more profound impression at Indiana]iolis 
 tlian the book did. On June 20, 18.53, John 
 Fieeman, a negro who had been living in 
 Indianapolis for years, had married here, 
 niid had four children, was arrested on atfi- 
 (lavit of Pleasant Ellington, formerly of Keu- 
 tuckv but then of Missouri, charged with be- 
 ing a fugitive slave. He averred that Free- 
 man had run away seventeen years before. There 
 was no question that Ellington had lost a 
 slave, named Sam, at that time. Freeman was 
 a man of good character, and had acquired 
 some property. There was a great deal of ex- 
 citement for several days, during which John 
 L. Ketcham, Lucian Barbour and John Co- 
 burn were employed to defend Freeman. After 
 two or three brief adjournments to give coun- 
 sel opportunitv for investigation. Commissioner 
 Sullivan adjourned the case for GO days to 
 |ierinit Freeman to procure evidence, and pub- 
 lic feeling then quieted down, though there re- 
 mained an intense interest in the case. Con- 
 cerning the progress of the case the traditional 
 stories are quite conflicting, but the most de- 
 tailed and accurate statement is the following 
 contemporary one : 
 
 "At the request and by direction of John 
 Freeman, 'Mr. Ketcham. one of his attorneys, 
 went to Monroe. Walton County, Georgia, and 
 a.'icertained that Freeman had truly stated 
 that to be his former residence since 18.31, up 
 to 184-1 — that he had been free there at all 
 times. He brought to Indianapolis ^Ir. Patillo. 
 the ])ostmaster in Monroe, wlio upon seeing 
 Freeman in jail, recognized him in the most 
 friendiv and affecting manner. While 'Mr. 
 
 *Jouni(iI, February 24, 1857. 
 
 => The Citizen, April 5, 18.58.
 
 ITTSTOEY OF GEEATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 245 
 
 J'atilli) was ill town. EUingtDii caiiu' with tlirue 
 men from Geemii) County, Kentucky, wlio went 
 into the jail against the remonstrance of Free- 
 man's counsel, but under the direction of the 
 United States ^larsliall, John L. Robinson, — 
 strii)ped Freeman, looked at his scars and 
 marks and swore to him as the slave of Ell- 
 ington. The case seemed to be very dark. 
 
 ■"In the meantime, however, Mr. Colnuii, an- 
 other of Freeman's counsel, had been taking de- 
 positions in Greenup Count}', Kentucky, at 
 Amanda Furnace, and there heard that Elling- 
 ton's slave some years before, had sent his 
 respects to his master by Dr. Adams, of Ohio. 
 He learned that the Doctor's daughter lived 
 in the county, and from her he found out his 
 residence to be in Jackson, Ohio, lie immedi- 
 ately went to see the Doctor, who stated that 
 he liad taken Sam's respects to his master — 
 that he (Sam) then lived at Salem, Ohio, and 
 passed by the name of William ^IcConnell. 
 That lie had told his name in a puljlic speech 
 — his master's name to be Ellington — his resi- 
 dence Greenuj) County. Kentucky, opposite 
 Hanging Rock — his history, his escape and 
 capture at Jlillersport, Ohio, in the year IS;!."), 
 in the canal. It was upon the occasion when 
 Mr. Paul, of Wheeling, attempted to retake 
 I his slaves and failed, having been resisted liy 
 Sam (alias McConnell) and others. 
 
 ''J[r. C. then Mcnt to SaltMu. wlicre lu' found 
 the Doctor's statement confirmed; found men 
 who knew Sam's marks — his history since 183G, 
 at Salem, and his account of his slavery and 
 adventures on Big Sandy, at the Iron Furnaces, 
 and tlie Hanging Rock Ferry. He found that 
 McConnell answered the descriptions given of 
 Sam in the depositions in Kentucky, which 
 did not correspond witli Freeman." 
 
 "lie returned to Indianapolis and offered 
 to bear Ellington's expense to Canada, to Sam's 
 residence, where he had fled on the passage of 
 the fugitive slave law. This Ellington refused 
 to do. ilr. C. then went to Canada, found 
 Sam, alias McConnell. He acknowledged his 
 name — his master — told his history and Ell- 
 ington's freely. Mr. C. then proceeded to 
 Kenlucky. and prevailed ii])on Henry .\. Mead, 
 
 '''This fact makes llie darkest feature of the 
 case against his claimant and the witnesses who 
 swore to his identity. See Smith's "Eurhj Tii- 
 ilinini Trials", p. 278. 
 
 E.<(1., a relative of Ellington, a slaveholder, and 
 a man of wealth, who now resides on the farm 
 from which Sam escaped, to go with him to 
 Canada. He also prevailed upon Captain James 
 Xichols, a near neighbor, and the largest slave- 
 holder in Greenup Countj-, to accompany them. 
 They are both gentlemen of the first character, 
 and friends of Ellington. When they started 
 they said it was impossible that Ellington 
 could be mistaken in his man, but that they 
 would go to Canada and see if the man pointed 
 out was really Sam. They went together— 
 when near Sam's house Mr. C. stayed behind 
 in the woods, and let Messrs. Nichols and 
 ilead go alone to the house. As they ap- 
 proached, a mutual recognition took place — 
 they met as old friends — shook hands — con- 
 versed freely about Ellington and all their 
 former acquaintances. 
 
 ■'Sam seemed very glad to see them. He 
 showed them the scars on his person, a very 
 large burn on the outside of his left leg be- 
 low the knee, going down over the ankle — 
 bites in the back over the shoulders, a mark 
 on his left wrist, and another on the left el- 
 bow — his peculiarly small ears — his singular 
 feet, the two longer toes being much longer 
 than the others in proportion; and what were 
 surer marks, their mutual recollections tallied. 
 They went to Indianapolis, in their depositions 
 stated the facts as above, and that they had 
 not the shadow of a doubt as to the man in 
 Canada (ilcConnell) being the genuine Sam. 
 
 "Liston, one of Ellington's counsel, became 
 convinced by the statement that Freeman was 
 not the .slave, and upon Ellington's return on 
 the following Saturday, advised him to aban- 
 don his claim. He brought with him his son to 
 swear to Freeman, but before seeing him he 
 first read the depositions of ^lossrs. Nichols 
 and Mead, which prepared his mind for a pro- 
 per inspection of Freeman. He said he did not 
 believe Freeman was his father's slave. The 
 case was then dismissed. Upon that day, and 
 the following Monday, si.x Georgians came to 
 testify in behalf of Freeman. They have all 
 known him since 1S31. Creed 'SI. .Teniiiiigs. 
 his old guardian, came. — GoveriKU- Howell Colib 
 would liave come if telegraphed. 
 
 "All ])raise is due these gentlemen from Ken- 
 titcky and Georgia for tiieir magnanimous and 
 manly conduct, and most nobly does their dis- 
 interested generosity contrast with the rapacity
 
 246 
 
 HISTOUY OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 of Ellington. Ellington, as a ruse, pretended 
 to desire to compromise with Freeman on Sat- 
 urday, but ran away without having offered one 
 cent. He was sued for ten thousand dollars, 
 and notice served upon him. No honest and 
 htxmane jurv will deny Freeman a heavy ver- 
 dict." '' This dismissal" of the case was on Au- 
 gust 24, and on September 3 the Locomotive 
 had stated that suit had been brought against 
 Ellington for $10.0l»0. adding: "An unsuccess- 
 ful attempt was made to compromise — the at- 
 tornevs of Ellington offering either to pay 
 $1,500 as a full satisfaction, or else the ex- 
 penses incurred by him in the suit, includmg 
 reasonable lawyers' fees, $2 a day for lost 
 time, and a reasonable amount for damages. 
 Freeman's counsel agreed to receive $3,000." 
 The Seniinel had made a similar statement 
 on September 1, and on September 3, Messrs. 
 Ketcham and Barbour published a card in the 
 Journal saying: "No proposition to settle the 
 matter at anv sum, or on any terms was ever 
 made bv Mr. Ellington or his attorneys, or 
 either oi' them. The nearest approach that was 
 ever made to an offer to settle was this, made 
 by Mr. Liston, when he dismissed his client's 
 claim: "If you will take $1,500 in full of all 
 demands I will advise Mr. Ellington to give 
 it, but I want you to understand that I am 
 not authorized bv him to make any offer." 
 To which he replied: "$1,500 will not more 
 than cover the actual expenses Freeman has in- 
 curred not including anything for attorney's 
 fees or compensation to himself for the out- 
 rage." 
 
 Freeman certainly had cause for action. For 
 over sixty days he had been confined in the 
 upper room of the old jail — the second one — 
 on the east side of the courthouse square, alone 
 except for a casual comrade or two at odd times. 
 It was while he was a solitary inmate that 
 George Lingenfelter was brought in intoxicated, 
 on August 3 and fell through the trao. pulling 
 the door down and crushing his skull." It must 
 have been an awful strain on the man, held 
 there, with the uiu'crtainty as to whether he 
 should be carried away into slavery. His 
 brightest days were when some of his old 
 Southern friends came to his relief. On Au- 
 gust 26, the Journal said: "Mr. Jennings, a 
 
 'Locomotive, September 24, 1853. 
 "Journal, August 5, ]853. 
 
 Southern gentleman who was formerly Free- 
 man's guardian, came all the way from Georgia 
 when he heard of the latter's bad situation, 
 and was accompanied to the jail, like Mr. Pa- 
 tiUo before him, by counsel and several of our 
 citizens. Freeman was not informed that ilr. 
 Jennings was in the city, or anything else in 
 relation to the intended visit. The prisoner 
 was shaking hands with the others when he ob- 
 served the stranger; he ruslied toward him, 
 grasped his hand with emotion, fell on his 
 knees, and exclaimed, 'God bless you .Massa 
 Jennings I' He then turned around and ob- 
 served to the spectators that Massa Jennings 
 knew he didn't lie, and that he was not a 
 slave, or something to that eft'ect. The spec- 
 tators were strongly moved, and we are in- 
 formed that Mr. Jennings could not reiircss 
 the tears of feeling and sympathy." 
 
 To this account the Journal added: "The 
 case will be tried next Monday, when every- 
 thing will undoubtedly be weighed in the scale 
 of justice and Freeman liberated if he is not 
 a slave. The day is looked for with great 
 interest." This was the most vigorous comment 
 the Journal made during the whole att'air; 
 and this was the day before Ellington himself 
 gave it up. It is amusing now to note how 
 carefully the Journal avoided the subject, as 
 did the Sentinel also; and in fact most of 
 what is preserved about the case was by the 
 Locomotive. But the editor of the Journal 
 was doomed not to escape criticism. On Au- 
 gust 29, a mass meeting was held at Masonic 
 Hall to take action in regard to the Freeman 
 case— though the nature of the action was not 
 mentioned. The case was to have been heard 
 tiiat day, and a number of persons from over 
 the state, who had not heard of the dismissal, 
 had come to attend the hearing. Rev. .">. T. 
 Gillet presided, and five of the gentlemen who 
 had come from the South to testify in Free- 
 man's behalf, occupied seats on the stage, (ieo. 
 \V. Julian, who had come over to hear the 
 case, was called on for a speech, and made a 
 hot attack of the fugitive slave law. He never 
 minced matters, and was an outspoken aboli- 
 tionist. This was getting away from the inir- 
 pose of Freeman's counsel in calling the meet- 
 ing, and John L. Ketcham replied, urging 
 tiuit "the law as construed by the courts was 
 not liable to the objections made by Mr. Jul- 
 ian." Meanwliile John Coburn had come with
 
 HISTORY OF (;in:ATER 1XD1AXAP0]>1S!. 
 
 tioiiie resolutions, and asked the editor of the 
 Journal (.John D. Defrees) to introduee them, 
 as he felt that he should not himself on ac- 
 count of being of Freeman's counsel. He did 
 so. The resolutions were not objectionable 
 from any point of view. They simply de- 
 clared that the meeting was "heartily rejoiced 
 at the unconditional release of John Freeman 
 from the claim of those who would have con- 
 signed a free man to the degradation and sor- 
 row of slavery" : and accorded ■"much credit to 
 the liberality and humanity of those gentle- 
 men who have come from the South for the 
 noble and generous purpose of seeing and know- 
 ing that justice should be awarded to one 
 whom they believed to be entitled to the bless- 
 ings of liberty." These were the only resolu- 
 tions adopted, Init the meeting was promptly 
 denounced by the Democratic press as a free- 
 soil, abolition Whig meeting, and the accounts 
 grew until it was alleged that the meeting was 
 "got up by George W. Julian, John D. De- 
 frees & Co. for the purpose of making political 
 capital": and that it adopted "a resolution in 
 favor of repealing the fugitive slave law"'; 
 and those participating were labeled "albinos", 
 "white niggers", and "woolly-headed Whigs". 
 This did little damage, however, beyond giv- 
 ing Mr. Defrees some trouble in explaining 
 that he was neither a free-soiler nor an aboli- 
 tionist." 
 
 Rut there were others who sjioke out vigor- 
 ou>ly. The Indiunn Amvr'unn wrote a scath- 
 ing article on Ellington and United States 
 Marshal Robinson, and, among much else, said: 
 '"W'e.see in this case the most remarkable 
 instance on record of mistake in personal iden- 
 tity, or else .stupendous perjury. Here comes 
 i'",llington and swears to his "chattel'; then come 
 others to testify to his identity: and yet after 
 all he is no slave, but a bona fide free man. 
 -Vow were Fllington and his co-swearers all 
 this time mistaken? If so, what a les.son to 
 courts on the didiculty of 'personal identity". 
 If not 'mistaken' then were they all the while 
 practising deep perjury. .\nd now, who pays 
 all these costs? Who pays the loss of Free- 
 niairs time, the sacrifice of his business, and 
 the destruction of its profits? * * * gy 
 the 'mistake' or jierjury of the covetous wretch 
 who sought to increase his ownership in groan- 
 
 " foil null. Sc|it<-iiiliiT li. 1853. 
 
 iug humanity, has this man been stripped of 
 his property. Has he a remedy? Does this 
 'glorious compromi.se" furnish any offset against 
 a grievance so oppressive? Must this man — 
 innocent and free — bear all this outrage and 
 have no legal redress? Must he? Is this 
 justice? Shall no legal justice be visited on 
 the would-be man-stealcr and the marshal who 
 was his tool and co-oppressor?"^" 
 
 Of course F^reeman "had his remedy"'. He 
 had the right to bring a suit for damages. He 
 not only sued Ellington for $10,000; but also 
 sued United States Marshal John L. Rob- 
 inson for $3,000. The case against Ellington 
 was tried, and resulted in a verdict and judg- 
 ment for the plaintiff' ou May 9, 1854, for 
 $■^,000 and costs. The judgment still stands 
 on the Circuit Court Judgment Docket wholly 
 unpaid. The case against Robinson went to the 
 Supreme Court on the pleadings. Freeman's 
 complaint charged that Robinson, as marshal, 
 did "assault the plaintiff, and strip him naked, 
 and expose his naked limbs and body to divers 
 persons who were witness against the plaintiff, 
 and thereby exposed the ]jlaintirt' to be car- 
 ried into slavery for life by fraud and per- 
 jury"; also that from June 21 to September 1, 
 Robinson, "by fraud, threats and duress illeg- 
 ally extorted from plaintiff' the sum of three 
 dollars a day during said time for the space of 
 sixty days", i. e., charges for confinement in 
 the jail for "'safety". To this Robinson an- 
 swered that the acts complained of were in 
 the course of his duty as an otlicer; and also 
 pleaded no jurisdiction, on the ground that 
 ins residence was in Rush County. The lower 
 court sustained his contention, and the Su- 
 preme Court, on Freeman's appeal, affirmed 
 the decision of the lower court on the point of 
 jurisdiction. It held, however, that the strip- 
 ping and exposure to hostile witnesses, and the 
 extortion of money, were no part of Robinson's 
 oflicial duty, and were actionable." This de- 
 cision was handed down on December 21, 1855, 
 and of course ended the case in Marion County. 
 For some reason no action was brought in 
 Rush County, and so ended Freeman's legal 
 remedies. 
 
 His expenses had been heavy: and indeed, he 
 was lucky in being able to meet the ex))eiise-( 
 
 ^"Journal, September ■,"..', 1853. 
 
 " Freeman vs. Robinson, 7 Ind., 3'21,
 
 248 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEK INDIAXAPOIJS. 
 
 O _ 
 
 X £ 
 
 z £ 
 
 O M 
 
 2 2 
 c = 
 
 Ed S
 
 IIISTOEY OF niJEATER. IXDIAXAPOT.IS. 
 
 249 
 
 of the iuvei-tigatiun that saved him from slav- 
 ery. As mentioned, he had some property, 
 the most important piece being between three 
 and four acres — the greater part of lot 4 of 
 St. Clair's addition — lying between Meridian 
 and Pennsylvania streets,- sotith of the present 
 St. Peters and Paul's Cathedral. Here he 
 lived, his cabin, part log and part frame, stand- 
 ing on the southwest corner of the tract, on the 
 site of the residence now known as 1153 North 
 Jfcridian street. On this tract he "made gar- 
 den"', but his chief business was keeping a res- 
 taurant, which was in the basement of the old 
 "Bee Hive"' building at the northwest corner 
 of ileridian and Wasliington streets. On June 
 30, 1853, when it became necessary to supply 
 ■'the sinews of war", he executed a deed of all 
 his property to William S. Hubbard in trust, 
 to secure the payment of "a note of $1,600, 
 signed by Henry P. Coburn and others" and to 
 pay the "costs and expenses for w^hich said 
 Freeman may become liable in defending him- 
 self against the claim of Pleasant Ellington to 
 tlie services of said Freeman as a fugitive f r " ■ 
 labour from the State of Kentucky."^= As a 
 mere financial proposition it woukl have been 
 miuh cheaper for his trustee to have bought 
 Ellington's claim, and have gone through the 
 form of nninumission. 
 
 But the thing that affected public sentiment 
 was not so much what Freeman suffered as 
 what he escaped. The Fugitive Slave law was 
 the absorbing jiolitical question of the day, and 
 in answer to all the defenses of its fairness and 
 justice here stood this ease of a man, unques- 
 tionably free, narrowly escaping from T)oing 
 carried into slavery under that law ; and l)y a 
 most remarkable combination of circumstances. 
 It was out of the ordinary that the negi'o 
 eliiimed should have had the means to make 
 his defense. It was phenomenal that the real 
 escaped slave should have been located in Can- 
 ada, and identified beyond question. It was 
 almost incomprehensible to the Xorthern mind 
 that eight prominent Southern citizens, most of 
 them slaveliolders, ami all disinterested, should 
 have made huig journeys here to testify in his 
 behalf, and that two of them should have gone 
 to Canada to satisfy themselves before testi- 
 fving. This last of itself was a demonstration 
 that the average Southeiuci- was much more 
 
 reputable than he got credit for in the Xorth; 
 though it was only natural, for no honest man 
 who considered it iniquitious to steal his slaves 
 could countenance the stealing of a free man. 
 But all that was obscured by the evident fact 
 that some were not so scrupulous ; for to the 
 English and American mind it is not the prob- 
 ability but the possibility of wrong that raises 
 resentment. The suspension of habeas cor- 
 pus, without ample cause, would create tre- 
 mendous excitement, not because of what would 
 ])robably happen, but of what might happen. 
 
 Of this ease Ignatius Brown says : "This case 
 had no small inliuence on political matters aft- 
 erwards, and made many earnest opponents of 
 slavery among those who had been formerly 
 indifferent on the subject. "^^ There is little 
 reason to doubt this, for there was plain speech 
 in regard to it. The Fort Wayne Sentinel, 
 one of the leading Democratic papers of the 
 state, referring to Freeman's suit against Ell- 
 ington for $10,000. said: "We hope he may re- 
 cover the full amount. A more flagrant case 
 of injustice we have never seen, and he is 
 richly entitled to most exemplary damages. It 
 appears to us that if in such ca.ses the persons 
 swearing to the identity of the accused, and 
 seeking to consign a free man to slavery, were 
 tried and punished for perjury, a wholesale 
 lesson would be given, which might prevent 
 much injustice to free persons of color. 
 
 "The fugitive slave law evidently needs some 
 amendment, to give greater protection to free 
 persons of color. As it now stands almost any 
 of them might be dragged into slavery. If 
 Freeman liad not had money and friends he 
 must inevitably have been taken off into bond- 
 age. Any poor man, witliout friends, would at 
 once have been given up and taken away, and 
 it was only by the most strenuous exertions that 
 he was rescued. A law under which such 
 injustice can be perpetrated, and which holds 
 out such inducements to perjury, is imperfect, 
 and must be either amended or repealed. The 
 .\merican peo)ile have an innate sense of jus- 
 tice which will not long allow such a law to 
 disgrace our Statute books.'"" 
 
 The case unquestionaldy added to the nuiss 
 of facts that intensified the feeling against 
 slaverv. and brought on tlie war bv which it 
 
 '"Town Lot Beeord 1. p. 95. 
 
 "Hist. Tndiaiinjwlis, p. Q7. 
 
 '* Quoted in JouniaJ, September 8, 1853.
 
 2.50 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 was ended. If Freeman ever got any satis- 
 faction from the aHair at all, it was from the 
 knowledge that he had been a martyr to the 
 cause; but it was doubtful that he ever reached 
 that viewpoint. Like most of the old Southern 
 negroes, he had a deep-seated faith in the prow- 
 ess of the South, and after the battle of Bull 
 Riin expressed to neighbors his apprehen- 
 sion the North might be conquered and the 
 
 =C)Z 
 
 A^ 
 
 V 
 
 Lansing' 
 
 Port Huron 
 
 [ South Bend 
 IPIjmouth 
 
 m-^. 
 
 y^i 
 
 rRensselafer 
 
 i^° 
 
 ,x>v«' 
 
 J.ogansport 
 
 'Ft.iWayne 
 li,Dejcatur 
 
 fafajetteV X'''""''""' ""r I OHIO 
 
 r j^ f '" / "' \Wi|Dche6ter 
 ''J°?"'°s-\Ar\A\*''^*^y Richmond 
 
 *t^Brailiy 
 
 i Terrs \,^ 
 fHautp,;-*? 
 
 IColumbi 
 
 Greej^bnrg 
 
 Hamilton 
 
 Bloomljfgtoi^.^^ , « V-J^ncinnali 
 
 '►f BroAiistown J^Lawrrtywbuig) 
 
 ^^«n»vllle(^ v./ Louisville "^ ** 
 
 "UNDERGROUND RAILROAD" LINES IN INDIANA. 
 (As mapped by Lewis Falley of Lafayette.) 
 
 negroes all be put back in slavery. He sold 
 what ])roperty he had, packed his effects in a 
 wagon, and went to Canada to make sure of 
 freetlom. Later his family returned to this 
 country. One of his sous lives in Chicago; 
 and his aged widow lives with a daughter nt 
 Topeka, Kansas. 
 
 It is not generally known that there was a 
 station of the "rnderground Railroad" in 
 this vicinilv, though there was an extensive 
 
 belief tliat there was among the old citizens ou 
 account of the disappearance of negro fugi- 
 tives in this direction. Siebert mentions that 
 "the Central Indiana Route" was by way of 
 Indianapolis, but gives no details or names of 
 those connected with it.'^ In reality two routes 
 — from Columbus and Gr'feensburg — converged 
 here; and they were converging points for lines 
 from Lawrenceburg, New Albany, Madison and 
 Leavenworth. The station here was not in the 
 city, though it will be before many years, but 
 at the farm of Hiram Bacon, half-a-raile west 
 (if ^lalott Park station, ou the road north 
 from Hammond's Park. He was one of the 
 laidy settlers in this vicinity, and a member of 
 the original Presbyterian church. Later he 
 practically built the Presbyterian church in 
 Washington Township, long known as the 
 Washington Church, and practically maintained 
 it. For years it had no pastor but was sup- 
 plied chiefly by Indianapolis preachers, who 
 were lodged and entertained at Bacon's home. 
 Beechcr, Gurley, and other Indianapolis jircai-li- 
 ers, often occupied the pulpit. 
 
 Bacon's house stood — and still stands — on 
 the east side of the road, about the center of 
 his farm. The old barn stood on the west 
 side, but it burned down about 1900. In 
 the barn was an elevated wheat bin, the open- 
 ing into which could be reached only by ladder, 
 and which was usually covered on three sides 
 liy hay. This w^as the ordinary hiding i)lace 
 for the fugitives, but when it was filled with 
 grain another large bin in the cider-house, or 
 some other convenient place was used. Mr. 
 Bacon's function was to convey the fugitives 
 on to the (Quaker settlement of Westtield, in 
 Hamilton County, which was the next station 
 imrtli. His daughter, ilrs. George W. Sloan, 
 informs me that these trips were always made 
 in the night, and that the secret of his con- 
 nection with the system was very carefully 
 guarded. 
 
 The Civil War lirought a rapid change in 
 the colored population of Indianapolis. .\t 
 the census of 1850, the total of negroes in the 
 city was 405. In 18G0 it had increased only to 
 498. The law against the immigration of free 
 negroes remained on the statute books but from 
 the beginning of the war it was a dead Icttci-; 
 and an escaped slave was a free negro in prac- 
 
 ^''Thc rnilci-firouinl h'ailrdinl. p. 138.
 
 HISTOEY OF GREATEli INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 2-)! 
 
 tical coii.-tructioii. 'I'lie "refugees"" soon began 
 i-oniing this far north, and increased in num- 
 ber after tlie Enianei|iati<)n I'rochunation. hi 
 ISTO tiie negro popuhition of Indianapolis 
 had reached "^.ii;!!; and moi-e tlian that had 
 come here, many having found employment in 
 the adjacent country. They were not unwel- 
 come. There was a shortage of labor, especi- 
 ally of agricultural and unskilled labor. \Voik 
 was plenty and wages good. Of course many 
 came destitute, and the first organized meas- 
 ures for their relief at this point was Ijy the 
 Freedmen's Aid Society, of the Western Yearly 
 fleeting of Friends. It had an otlice on I'eiin- 
 sylvania street, north of Washington, in a 
 one-story building, north of Odd Fellows" Hall, 
 where Jacob Willetts, and his son Fenn, dis- 
 pensed relief to the colored refugees. It was 
 on petition of these Aid Societies, of which 
 there were IS in the country, that Congress 
 established tlie Freedmen's Bureau in 18G3. 
 In reality the negro owes as great or greater 
 debt than the Indian to the Quaker. 
 
 The question of using the negro as a sol- 
 dier did not arise practically in Indiana until 
 18C3. In his annual message of .lanuaiy of 
 that year Governor ^lorton justified the eman- 
 cipation proclamation of President Lincoln on 
 the ground that the Confederates were making 
 instrumentalities of war of their slaves by 
 using them to build fortifications, transport 
 baggage and supplies, and raise food for the 
 subsistence of their armies. The anti-negro 
 Sentiment was still strong in Indiana. A 
 number of officers had resigned on the grouiul 
 that the object of the war was to free the negro 
 and raise him to an equality with tlie white 
 man ; and the proposal to enlist him was op- 
 posed on the ground that if you put a musket 
 in his hands you could not refuse to jtut the 
 ballot there. Governor Morton was first of all 
 desirous to crush the rebellion, and made ap- 
 plication to raise colored troops to be credited 
 on Jiuliana's quota, authority . for whicli was 
 granted by the War Department on Novendier 
 ■ li'. l.s(i:i. Says Adjutant-General Terrell: 
 "He had requested this authoritv not so much 
 because our colored citizens were anxious to 
 enter the service, as for the reason that the 
 state had been and was overrun with recruit- 
 ing agents representing other states, and he 
 had found it necessary, to prevent the men 
 from being enticed awav and credited else- 
 
 where, to issue an order (November .5th, ISG;!) 
 warning all persons so engaged to desist from 
 procuring substitutes or further enlistments, 
 under penalty of being arrested and summarily 
 punished. Orders for recruiting the colori'd 
 regiment or battalion were promulgated on the 
 ;{d of December, and a camp of rendezvous 
 established at Indianapolis, with William P. 
 Fishback, Esq., as commandant. Si.\ compan- 
 ies were raised, aggregating five hundred and 
 eighteen enlisted men. The battalion was after- 
 wards recruited np to a full regiment in Mary- 
 land, and was known as the Twenty-eighth 
 I'nited States Colored." '" .V number of col- 
 ored men were enlisted from Indiana as sub- 
 stitutes, and in other states; and the number 
 reported by the Provost Marshal General as 
 raised in the state was l,y^7, though only 
 about 800 were credited on the Indiana quota. 
 
 The Twenty-eighth I'nited States Colored 
 made a very excellent record. Capt. Charles 
 1. Pussell, of the Eleventh United States In- 
 fantry, was made Lieutenant-Colonel of the 
 battalion and left Indianapolis with it 
 on April 24, 1864. After a brief stay in a 
 camp of instruction at Alexandria, Vii-ginia, 
 it went to the front, and got into battle at 
 White House, Virginia, on June 21. It went 
 uilli Sheridan on his march through the 
 Chickahominy Swamps; and in the summer and 
 fall took part in the campaign against Peter.<- 
 burg. At the bloody battle of "the Crater" it 
 lost nearly half its number in killed and 
 wounded. New recruits were added, and four 
 more conii)aiiies were raised in Indiana, making 
 it a full regiment. It lost heavily again at 
 Hatcher's Run; and served later at City Point: 
 in the operations against Richmond; and in 
 Texas. It reached Indianapolis on its return 
 on January (5, 1866, and was given a public 
 reception at the Tabernacle on January S. when 
 (Jovernor Baker and others spoke. 
 
 After the Civil War there was a good deal of 
 bitterness in politics, and especially in connec- 
 tion with "reconstruct ion" ami negro sulVragc. 
 Indiana did not take kindly to the latter. The 
 state was counted as ratifying the fifteenth 
 amendment, but the ratification was by Lieu- 
 tenant-Governor Isaac P. Gray. The Dem- 
 ocratic senators, at the special .session of 1S()9, 
 had resigned in a body, breaking a c|norum. but 
 
 '"Report, Vol. 1. p. 81.
 
 HISTOEY OF GEEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 wlien they returned tu the senate chamber for 
 their effects, the doors were locked, and Gray 
 counted them "present but not voting". The 
 next legislature was Democratic; and in 18T3 
 Thos. A. Hendricks was elected Governor — 
 the first Democratic governor in Indiana, or 
 in the North, after the war. The race ques- 
 tion became a leading one; and in the city 
 campaign of 187.3 the Journal undertook to 
 offset the negro question by a savage onslauglit 
 on the Irish, who, it alleged, were being im- 
 ported in quantities to vote the Democratic 
 ticket. Especially for the week before the 
 election on !May 4, it was virulent in the ex- 
 treme in its denunciation of "Irish tramps"", 
 '"villainous-looking cattle"', "Hibernian heifers", 
 ■'.Milesian bullocks". "Eomish herds"", and more 
 for quantity. 
 
 On May 2, 1876, there was a special election 
 for councilmen owing to a change in the law. 
 The Democrats gerrymandered the city on the 
 eve of the election, and the Eepublicans or- 
 ganized a "committee of safety" to prevent the 
 awful frauds which they alleged the Democrats 
 were about to perpetrate. Tlie negroes antic- 
 ipated trouble, and not averse to it, at least 
 in their stronghold, the Fourth Ward. The 
 yews, which was independently supporting the 
 Eepublican ticket with vigor, said "there was 
 more or less disposition among them to as- 
 sume the aggressive upon a mild provocation". 
 Late in the afternoon about 100 of them start- 
 ed for the Sixth Ward — the Irish stronghold. 
 The Democratic witnesses said they started to 
 "clean out the Iri.sh", and the Eepublicans 
 claimed that some evil-minded Democrat start- 
 ed them by reporting in the Fourth that the 
 Democrats were intimidating negro and other 
 Republican voters. At any rate they went, 
 and got as far south on Illinois streets as 
 Pogue's Eun. In front of the Woodburn-Sar- 
 ven Wheel Works was a pile of square hickory 
 sticks for making wagon spokes, to which they 
 helped themselves. The alarm was soon out in 
 the Sixth and the sons of Erin began to gather. 
 The trouble is said to have begun by the effort 
 of an officer to disarm a negro, and in a few 
 minutes everybody was in. The negroes be- 
 gan to retreat up Illinois street, the Irish fol- 
 lowing, and incidentally appropriating the rest 
 of the Wheel Company's spoke timber, which 
 was very freelv used in addition to bricks and 
 
 l)owlders. At South street revolvers began to 
 lie used. 
 
 The negroes were at the same disadvantage 
 that Napoleon was in his retreat from ilos- 
 coAv. They were in the enemy's country, and 
 the enemy increased in numbers constantly. It 
 was simply a rout till the corner of Kentucky 
 avenue was reached, where the negroes received 
 reinforcements and made a stand. There was 
 a pitched battle in which not less than a hun- 
 dred shots were fired, and then the retreat 
 was restimed, the pursuers following as far as 
 Tennessee street, on Washington, where the 
 chase was abandoned. But the crowd continued 
 to gather at Illinois and Washington street as 
 reports spread, and there was danger of still 
 more serious trouble, especially as someone 
 had started a report that the negroes were 
 massing in Bucktown, preparatory to seeking 
 revenge. But cooler heads were working for 
 peace. Mayor Caven and Major Gordon spoke 
 from the Bates House balcony urging quiet 
 and order, and then repaired to the Yellow 
 Bridge to give the same good advice to the 
 negroes. They were followed at Illinois and 
 Washington streets by Judge Buskirk and Pros- 
 ecutor James Cropsey, who strongly urged 
 quiet, and finally the crowds dispersed without 
 further trouble. Nothing but bad marksman- 
 ship explains the small list of casualties. Xo 
 one was killed outright, and the only man 
 fatally wounded was Anthony Carter, a negro 
 who was stabbed, and died early the next morn- 
 ing. Half-a-dozen negroes were wounded by 
 bullets, and many more were badly beaten. No 
 material casualties were reported from the 
 other side. This was the worst riot that ever 
 occurred in Indianapolis. There seemed a prob- 
 ability that it might lie surpassed in the great 
 railroad strike of the next year, but fortunately 
 the strikers were persuaded to disperse, and no 
 blood was shed. 
 
 On August .30, 187T, an interesting civil 
 rights case occurred in Indianapolis. The 
 H3"ers Sisters Combination, a colored opera 
 troupe, was here with an entertainment called 
 "Out of Bondage". Their advance agent se^ 
 cured accommodations at the Grand Hotel. 
 which was then in the liands of a receiver, ^Ir. 
 Charles F. Hunt, appointed by Judge Hohnan 
 of the Superior Court. The receiver insisted 
 that the troupe should eat in the ordinary, and 
 the troupe refused, .\fter eating one or two
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 253 
 
 meals in the dining room; and iiricr eating one 
 or two picnic dinners wliicli were brought in 
 from a restaurant wiien tlie waiters refused to 
 serve them, the doors were shut in their faces. 
 Then Manager Ilyers had the receiver, and 
 Captain \\'ightnian, the owner, arrested under 
 the civil rights law. They were taken Ijctore 
 Commissioner John J. ilawes, wlio bound the 
 defendants over to the Federal Court. The 
 newspajiers tried the case quite fully. ^Mr. Hunt 
 was rather prominent in Reiuibliean |)olitics, 
 and Judge llolman was a Democrat, and there 
 was a great effort l)y the papers to shift the re- 
 sponsibility, though most of the community 
 were quietly laughing over the whole jierfoiin- 
 anee. Hunt said that "the advance asent of 
 the company contracted for their entertain- 
 men here, and when making the contract vol- 
 unteered to Ca])tain Wightnum and myself 
 the statement that the party was composed of 
 educated ladies and gentlemen, who would 
 not give us any trouble, and who would take 
 their meals in the ordinary'". The ti'ou])e got a 
 large amount of advertising, and the case was 
 settled in some way out of coui-t. ami never 
 came to trial. 
 
 After the war the immigration of ncirroes to 
 Indianapolis was as marked as during it. From 
 3,938 in 1870, the negro population of ifarion 
 Countv grew to 8,038 in 1880; 11,118 in 
 1890: and 17,536 in 1900. In 1900 there were 
 15,931 inside the city limits, and most of the 
 remainder were in territory since annexe(l. It 
 has repeatedly been charged that many lU'groes 
 were imported here to vote, and there is lit- 
 tle reason to doubt it. One significant fact 
 in that connection is the large proportion of 
 adult males, there being 5.200 in the citv by 
 the census of 1900. The poll books of both 
 political parties for several years past have 
 shown over 7.000 negro voters. For years the 
 charges of importation fell lightly on Hepub- 
 liean ears, and the average member of that party 
 usually re])lied to this effect: "They are en- 
 titled to vote ; and as they are not allowed to 
 
 vote in the South it is all right to bring them 
 here to vote."' In the later years there has been 
 some cliange of sentiment in tliis respect, partly 
 for social, and partly for jjolitieal reasons. 
 JIany objectionable negroes have come here, 
 especially since the southern states began driv- 
 ing out their undesirable classes. It is gen- 
 erally understood that the disreputable class, 
 from the Jesse Coe class down to purse-snatch- 
 ers, are mostly recent importations, and not of 
 the older negro families of tiie city. Politi- 
 cally it has been found that the negro vote is 
 almost as solid in primaries as in elections. 
 Hence they have virtually held control for the 
 last decade. The Republican candidates who 
 secured the negro vote were generally nomi- 
 nated, and when elected were elected by the 
 negro vote. Very few Republican candidates 
 have received a majority of tiie white votes of 
 the city since 1880. 
 
 In the line of thrift the negro has been liard 
 to class locally. Many of them have shown a 
 reasonable amount of industry, and a smaller 
 number have shown a dis|:)0sition to save their 
 money and invest it in some ]K'rnianent form. 
 Some have been fairly prosperous.'^ On the 
 other hand there is a surprisingly large num- 
 ber who seem to live on tlie basis of "the lilies 
 of the field". The most hopeful movement of 
 tiie race locally has been their effort at eon- 
 cert in business development. There were 
 formerly two business leagues of colored men 
 here, but on January 21, ]90(), under the lead 
 of Dr. S. A. Furniss they e()nsoiidate<l and 
 formed a branch of the National \egro Busi- 
 ness League, of which Booker Washington is 
 president.'* George P. Stewart was elected 
 
 '■ The Press, February 20, 1 HOC. 
 
 ^^News, January 25, ]90(i. 
 jiresident of the local organization, and still 
 holds the office ; and under his administration 
 it is believed by its members to he doing a val- 
 uable work in stimulating a sound business 
 sentiment anuuig the coloi-ed people of the city.
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 EAILROAD DEVELOPMENT 
 
 The liard times of the later fifties put an end 
 to railroad building in Indiana for a dozen 
 years. The financial depression was national 
 in character, aft'ceting Indiana locally as lit- 
 tle as any state in the Union, but it stopped 
 the large loans necessary for railroad construc- 
 tion. Some of the projected lines were dropped 
 altogether. The Toledo & Indianapolis Com- 
 panv was organized in February, 1854, its pur- 
 pose being to construct T.5 miles of road in a 
 nearly direct line to Toledo, connecting with 
 existing lines at that point. Surveys were 
 made, but subscriptions were not, and in 185.3 
 it was abandoned. A direct line to Evansville, 
 the natural complement of the Toledo line, 
 had been projected in 1849. It was not or- 
 ganized until 1853. and then considerable w^ork 
 was done on it till 1856, when the enterprise 
 succumbed with a loss of nearly everything 
 invested in it. If the projects for "Lakes 
 to Gulf' navigation are realized, as now seems 
 probable, it would not be surprising to see 
 both of these lines constructed. The Cincin- 
 nati & Indianapolis Short Line Company was 
 organized in 1853 to build a road between these 
 terminals by way of Rushville, Laurel and 
 lirookville. Xo very material results had been 
 accomplished when it was given up in 1855. 
 The C. H. & D. now covers part of its pro- 
 posed line. 
 
 The Indianapolis & Yincennes road was 
 ])i-o]iosed as early as 1830, talked of in 1850 
 and 1851, and finally organized in 1853, but 
 tliat was as far as it then progressed. In 1805 
 an eastern contpany was organized by that dis- 
 tinguished Indianian, Gen. Ambrose E. Burn- 
 side, and work was actively i)ushed. It was 
 completed to Indianapolis, 68 miles, in the 
 spring of 1868, and leased for a time to the 
 Cincinnati road, but soon went tn independent 
 
 operation, and later 2:)assed into the control 
 of the Pennsylvania. Indianaj)olis voted it a 
 subscription of $60,U00. The Indiana & Illi- 
 nois Central was organized February 15, 
 1853, to build a line to Decatur, Illinois, 160 
 miles. Contracts were let in July, 1853, for 
 the whole line, at $"2"-i,000 per mile, and work 
 to the amount of $500,000 was done, chiefly on 
 the west end of the line, which was opened as 
 far as Montezuma, Indiana, before hard times 
 stopped the work and the lands of the company 
 were sold to pay the contractors. It was re- 
 organized in 186(;. sold again under foreclos- 
 ure in 1875, again reorganized, and finally 
 completed to Indianapolis February 9, 1880. 
 It is now organically part of the Cincinnati. 
 Indianapolis & Western, which is a part of 
 the C. H. & D. system, in the jiands of a re- 
 ceiver, until the summer of 1908, when it was 
 bought liy the B. & 0. 
 
 In 1866, Henry C. Lord, president of the 
 Cincinnati road, unable to purchase the La- 
 fayette road, started the construction of a rival 
 line by way of Crawfordsville. The work was 
 being pushed with some vigor when the La- 
 fayette people concluded to sell, and the new 
 project was abandoned by its originators. But 
 the people along the line wanted the road, and 
 the Indianapolis. Crawfordsville and Danville 
 was reorganized and went on with the work. 
 It was completed to Crawfordsville in the win- 
 ter of 1868-9, and to Danville in 1870. By 
 union of several small Illinois lines it con- 
 nected to Peoria, making a continuous line of 
 212 miles. In 1879 this was consolidated un- 
 der foreclosure as the Indianapolis. Blooming- 
 ton & Western. In 1881 it consolidated with 
 the Ohio, Indiana & Pacific Railway Co., and 
 extended its line to Springfield, Ohio, this ex- 
 tension being completed in 1882. The whole 
 
 54
 
 IIISTOIJY OF rxREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 255 
 
 fvstriii was soil! liy a receiver in 188T, reorgan- 
 ized as llie Oliii). Iniliana & Western, sold 
 again in lySlU. and became i)art of the Big 
 Four system. l'"or a luiinber of years tiie part 
 east of Indianapolis was known as the I'eoria 
 and Easti'rn, ami the |iart west as the I'eoria 
 and Western. 
 
 The "Junction road" — Indianapolis & Cin- 
 cinnati Junction — from Indianapolis to Ham- 
 ilton, Ohio, was ijegun in ISoO, the work be- 
 ing done in sections !iy the Ohio \- Indian- 
 apoli.s and Junction companies. In .\pril. 
 1853. the two were consolidated, antl the road 
 was about half-way completed when tiie hard 
 times of lS55-(i sto|jped it. The coni|)any was 
 reorganized in IStiti. and completed the road 
 to Indianapolis in 1S(;S: after which it uas 
 operated as the Cinciiiiiati, Hamilton tS: In- 
 dianapolis. In 1902 this was con.solidated with 
 the Indianapolis. Decatur it Western as the 
 Cincinnati. Indianapolis & Western, and is a 
 part of the system of the Cincinnati. Hamilton 
 & Dayton Company's system. The Indian- 
 apolis iV St. Louis line! was built in IStiit. as 
 a competing line to the A'andalia, from In- 
 dianapolis to Terre Haute, 72 miles, where it 
 connected with the old Terre Haute & Alton 
 line to St. l^ouis. It was built very rapidly 
 and very well, as the coin|ianies hack of it had 
 everything that could be asked in the way of 
 c.\|ierience, means and talent at their com- 
 mand. On June 27, 1SS9, it was consolidated 
 in the Rig Four system, and the Terre Kaute 
 & .\lton was absorbed a year later. It is now 
 controlled by the New York Central. It has 
 been important from th<' start as a new line 
 to the coal fields. 
 
 Though it did not get into lndiana|)C)lis un- 
 til 18S2, the Motion is one of the old roads 
 of the state. It began its the New Albany & 
 Salini road, which was chartered July 8, 1847, 
 to build a line 35 miles in length between these 
 two terminals. It was completed and opened 
 January 1.3, 1850. IJy this time amendments 
 had ocen secured to the charter authorizing the 
 extcn-iiin of the line to any point in the state. 
 ^^o^k was begitn on an extension to Alichigan 
 City in 1850, and the litie was completed atid 
 opened July 4, 1854. The first 45 miles i.f 
 the road were laid with strap rail, whi(4i was 
 replaced with T rail in 1855-(;. The- name was 
 ehmiged to the Louisville. New .Mbany & Chi- 
 eatro Hailroad Octubcr ■.'!. IS5!I. The company 
 
 was reorganized under foreclosure in 1869, 
 1873, and 1881, and in the latter year consoli- 
 dated with the Chicago and Indianapolis Air 
 Line. The Air Lino was the successor, through 
 foreclosure reorganization, of the Indianai)olis, 
 Delphi & Chicago, which was organized in 
 18; 2 to build a narrow-gauge road from In- 
 dianapolis to Chicago. It had constructed 43 
 miles of road, from Uensselaer to Dyer, prior 
 to the consolidation of 1881. After the con- 
 solidation the work was pushed rapidly. The 
 track was broadened to standard gauge, and 
 coinpleted to Hammond in January. 1882. 
 l'"foin this point it entered Chicago over the 
 Chicago & Atlantic tracks till 1884, when it 
 was extended to connect with the Chicago & 
 Western Indiana, in which, and the Chicago 
 licit, it now owns a oue-tifth interest. It was 
 constructed to Ilowland's Station, just nnrth 
 of Indianapolis, in October, 1882, but had 
 some dilliculty about arrangements for entry 
 to the city from that point. It finally made 
 satisfactory terms with the Lake Erie A West- 
 ern, and its first train, a local, came in over 
 its tracks March 24, 1883, — the first through 
 train in May. On account of getting involved 
 in the guaranty of some Kentucky railroad 
 bonds, the company was reorganized under 
 foreclosure, in 1897, as the Chicago. Itidian- 
 ajiolis & Louisville. 
 
 The last railroad built into Indianapolis was 
 the indiatiapolis Southern. It was incorpor- 
 ated September 15, 1899, to construct a road 
 from Indianapolis to Sullivan, Indiana, about 
 100 mile.s, chiefly as a coal road, with a branch 
 aliout 20 miles long from Stanford to Bloom- 
 tield. The road was origiiuiUy a local etiter- 
 prise, but was taken up by the Illinois Central, 
 and a consolidation was made with the line 
 from EtTlngham. Illinois, to Switz City, In- 
 diana, formerly known as the St. I>ouis, In- 
 dianapolis & Eastern, or Effingham District 
 of the Illinois Central. This consolidation was 
 effective as of June 30, 190G, and the entire 
 outstatiding funded debt of the two lines ($7,- 
 0(!5.550) is held by the Illinois Central com- 
 pany. By its orditiance contract of .\])ril 11, 
 1902, this road is obligated to carry to Indiati- 
 apolis ''Indiana mined coal, wherever received 
 by it; or coal delivered by other railway com- 
 panies more than fifty 7niles from said city", 
 at not over one-half cent per ton per mile. In 
 aiblitioii til luit.-iilr cninmunication, there are
 
 256 
 
 HISTDKY OF CiitKATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 two strictly local railroads. The \Yhite Eiver 
 Railway Co., an organization of Kingan t!c Oo., 
 was authorized August 2.5. 1ST3, to lay tracks 
 from Mississippi street (Senate avenue) to the 
 river. Its half mile of track is little more than 
 a switch, but stands as the property of an inde- 
 ])endent company. The other local company is 
 The Belt Railroad and Stock Yards Company, 
 the first one of the kind ever constructed. 
 
 Although ^layor Caven was the effective 
 originator of the Belt Railroad, the idea was 
 not a new one in his day. Indeed it had been 
 figured on from the start. In the spring of 
 1849 the town was stirred up by a proposal of 
 the Bcllefontaine and Peru roads to lay a track 
 through the central part of the town, along tlie 
 
 streets. At the meeting on the 3rd, Ovid But- 
 ler offered a resolution that the city allow the 
 railroad companies to have a common track 
 around the city on North, South. East and West 
 streets, and that no tracks should be permitted 
 within these limits. He argued for this at 
 length, urging, among other things, that "the 
 Depots would be located on or near these 
 streets, and the cars from any road could 
 traverse them at pleasure, thereby virtually 
 making the depot for each road a common de- 
 pot, as the business man would deliver and 
 receive his goods at the depot nearest his 
 house".' But fortunately the railroads did not 
 desire this convenience, and so the matter was 
 put off to a later and a better day. 
 
 UNION DEPOT AND AMERICAN HOTEL, 1854. 
 
 streets. This raised objection, and on ilarch 
 3, IS-iO, a citizens' meeting was held at the 
 court house "to discuss the propriety of admit- 
 ting a track to be laid within the city proper"'. 
 There was some clash of opinion, lietween 
 property owners who wanted depots near their 
 laiul and people who did not want railroads on 
 streets near them ; and the meeting finally 
 agreed that the question should be left to the 
 people along the streets proposed to be used, 
 reserving to the council the right to remove 
 the tracks at any time, and the railroads to 
 keep the streets used in good repair. This 
 position, which was adopted by the council, 
 headed off the railroad companies, and on April 
 1-t, the Locomuih-c announced that the Peru 
 and Bcllefontaine roads had decided to run 
 their line "through Noble's pasture", and con- 
 nect with the Madison without disturbiu'i anv 
 
 With the increased business activities follow- 
 ing the civil war, and the railroads then con- 
 structed, the desirability of a belt road in- 
 creased. The Union tracks were congested by 
 the interchange of through freight cars, and 
 the passage of streets was badly blocked for 
 pedestrians and vehicles. In ISTO, Joel F. 
 Richardson, a practical railroad man, proposed 
 a belt line around the city, connecting the sev- 
 eral lines, and the proposal was very generally 
 favored, but the railroads preferred the exist- 
 ing inconvenience to the expense. Considerable 
 interest was taken in the project, however, by 
 property owners, and notably by Nicholas Mc- 
 Carty, as the representative of the McCarty 
 heirs'. Nicholas [McCarty, Sr.. had the good 
 business judgment to secure a large tract of 
 
 ^Locomotive, March 10, 1849.
 
 IIISTCJKY OV GliKATER IXDIAX Ai'OJ-lS. 
 
 bottoiii-lanil west of the river, wliich, like all 
 of the White Kiver bottoms, was the liiiest of 
 corn land; but the younger Nicholas saw that 
 in his day, its location gave it a possible value 
 for manufacturing or stock-yards purposes far 
 in excess of its agricultural value. In 1869 
 ITcCarty visited Chicago and St. Louis, and 
 investigated the stock-yards there. On his re- 
 turn he pointed out to Gen. Thos. Morris, then 
 president of the I. & St. L., a tract of land 
 on the west side, adjoining the Vandalia road, 
 which wouhl lie desirable for stock yards, and 
 Morris proposed to have a pl^at niaile showing 
 how accessible it would be, but shortly after- 
 wards 'he resigned his position to become re- 
 ceiver of the I. ('. iS: L., and no further action 
 was taken. 
 
 In 187(1, Kingan >S; Co. established a small 
 Stock-yards on a tract of land near their pork- 
 house, and public sales were held there for 
 several years. Up to this time there had been 
 no stock-vards where sales were made except 
 those of the several railroads, aiid at them the 
 -ales were only occasional. The new yards 
 "idy em])hasizcd the desirability of something 
 better, and in the business activity of the early 
 eeventies it was not a matter to escape action. 
 On June 28, 1873, the Indianapolis Belt l!ail- 
 way Company was incorporated, with Tliomas 
 D. Kingan, A. L. Roaehe, John H. Fan[uhai-. 
 Elijah B. Martindale, Joel F. Richardson, JlJl- 
 ton JI. Landis, John Thomas, William ('ough- 
 Jen. and Henry C. Lord as directors; and on 
 July 31. revised articles were tiled l)y Thomas 
 D. Kingan, H. C. Lord, John II. Fan|uhar, 
 James C. Ferguson, and Franklin Landers. 
 The stated ])urpose was tn build a road from 
 Xorth Indianapolis to Brightwood, about 
 twelve miles, connecting the several lines enter- 
 ing the city. Henry C. Ijord was president of 
 the comi)any, and began work actively, with ex- 
 cellent prospects for success. At the same 
 time the stock-yards project took on new life. 
 The P>oard of Traile report for that year said: 
 "For many years the establishing of stock yards, 
 conveniently located adjacent to this city, for 
 the accommodation of shippers of live stock, 
 has been agitated among members of the Board 
 of Trade. Committees have been ajipointod, 
 able reports have been made, and much elo- 
 quence has been brouglit into use in settiTig 
 forth (he advantages accruing to the whole city 
 by the convenient location of union stock-yards. 
 Vol. 1—17 
 
 We are permitted to announce that an organi- 
 zation has been effected by the wealthiest and 
 most enterprising of our citizens, with whom 
 to undertake a project is to successfully com- 
 plete it, and that soon we may invite dealers 
 in live stock to proper yard accommodations 
 hei-e. This enterprise is necessarily more or 
 less contingent upon the building of the Belt 
 Railway, but as the circle road is certain to 
 be built, we have no hesitancy in saying the 
 establishing of Union Stock Yards is now a 
 fixed fact." The same report says that the belt 
 road "has progressed far enough to show a solid 
 purpose and insure its early completion". 
 
 The company had in fact made material 
 ])rogress with its grade. Fresident Lord had 
 |)ropo.sed to Nicholas ilcCarty that if the ^Mc- 
 Carty heirs would give the right of way from 
 Oliver avenue to the river, free of charge, but 
 subject to reversion, he miglit select the route 
 to be taken from three routes submitted by 
 Lord. The proposition was accepted and the 
 line was located as now existing. The land was 
 to revert if the road were not completed within 
 a specified time; and McCarty inserted a \n-o- 
 vision that the work on the right of way. which 
 was about 8,800 feet in length, covering some 
 20 acres, should begin at the west end, and be 
 completed between Oliver avenue and the Vin- 
 cennes road before beginning on the jiart be- 
 tween the road and the river. The object of 
 this was to sccur« the grading for switch pur- 
 poses in case the road should not be comi)leted, 
 and it proved prudent, for the panic sto|)ped 
 the work hmg before the grading was finished. 
 It became imjiossible to raise money for con- 
 struction ; the men were |)aid ofl: and all W(u-k 
 was discontinued. Some months later Thomas 
 D. Kingan undertook to push the road through, 
 but after expending considerable money on the 
 embankment grade west of the river, he gave 
 it up. Nothing further was done by this com- 
 j)any, and the right of way reverted to the 
 donors. An effort at a stock yards without a 
 belt road was then made. In 187.3 the Ex- 
 change Stockyards and ilanufacturing Com- 
 pany was organized, and liought of the Mc- 
 Carty heirs some three acres of land on the 
 west side of the river at the old Vincennes 
 ci-ossing. Among the incorporators and direc- 
 tors were Thomas Patterson and Ezra Olleman 
 — the latter widelv known as "Weary Olle- 
 man", on acciiiuit of a letter he wrote to Gov-
 
 258 
 
 HISTORY OF GIJEATER INDIAJS^'^.POLIS. 
 
 ernor ^Idi-tiui stating that he was weary of 
 waiting I'or an appointment that had been 
 promised liim, which letter, by some strauge 
 chance, got into print. This yard was oper- 
 ated for some time and was finally bought by 
 the Union Railroad Transfer and Stock Yards 
 Company. 
 
 ileanwhile the original union stock yards 
 and belt railroad project was only slumbering. 
 ^Ir. Lord tried to revive it by infusing new 
 blood, and on February 2-1, 1876, articles of 
 association were filed by the Transfer and Belt 
 Railway Company. It proposed the same line 
 as the original Belt, and the directors were 
 Charles W. West. I. L. Keck, B. L. Cunning- 
 ham, John ^[orrison, H. C. Lord, Thos. D. 
 Kingan. R. J. Bright, Stanley ilatthews and 
 J. M. Sinclair. This company, however, never 
 got past the paper stage. That it would not 
 was so soon apparent that in the spring of 
 1876, McCarty. Canada Holmes and others 
 took the matter up with several railroad men, 
 chiefly of the Pennsylvania, and particularly 
 with Col. Horace Scott and M. A. Downing, 
 who were connected with the Louisville stock 
 yards. While these negotiations were in prog- 
 ress, with some prospect of success, it was 
 learned that ilayor Caven was contemplating 
 a message to the council advocating that the 
 city undertake the work. He was induced to 
 delay his message for a week, to see if it would 
 not be undertaken independent of the city ; 
 but it was not, and on July 17, Mayor Caven 
 delivered his message, and the matter became 
 a public one. Opposition to city aid was mani- 
 fest from the first, and Ijy many of the best 
 people of Lidianapolis, who had been discour- 
 aged by the past exjjerience of the city in rail- 
 road donations, and could see nothing in this 
 i)ut a public donation to a private enterprise. 
 
 The contest that developed was as earnest as 
 any that ever occurred here, and was based 
 wholly on divergent views as to the city's in- 
 terest ; but notwithstanding the warnitli it at- 
 tained, and some insinuations made at the time, 
 it seems to have been singularly free from cor- 
 ruption an.d improper methods of any kind, on 
 lioth sides. Nearly every day a meeting was 
 held at an office on the southeast quarter of 
 the circle by Mayor Caven, Canada Holmes, 
 '^^cCa^ty, and occasionally others, to consult 
 and to push on tlic wurk. Solicitors were sent 
 (uit to canvass tlie citv and secure signatures 
 
 to a petition to the council, asking that the city 
 loan its credit to the proposed belt companv, to 
 the extent of $500,000. On August :id. 1876, 
 the articles of incorporation of the Union Rail- 
 road Transfer and Stock Yards Company were 
 filed, with J. 0. Ferguson, John Thomas, W. 
 C. Holmes, W. N. Jackson, E. F. Claypool, 
 John F. Miller, M. A. Downing, Horace Scott, 
 and W. R. ilcKecn as directors. On August 
 .'Sd. the company submitted to the council its 
 proposal, that the city put $500,000 of its 
 bonds in the hands of trustees ; that $-150,000 
 of these be delivered to the company when it 
 completed its stock yards and the belt track 
 from Brightwood, on the Northeast, to the 
 Terre Haute tracks on the West ; that the re- 
 maining $50,000 be delivered when the tracks 
 were completed to North Indianapolis and con- 
 nected with the Big Four there ; that at each 
 of these deliveries of bonds the company de- 
 ])osit with the trustees an equal amount of its 
 lionds, to be held as security for the city, bear- 
 ing the same rate of interest as the citv bonds, 
 but with interest payable thirty days earlier; 
 and that the companj' obligate itself to begin 
 work within thirtv da\s, and complete it, if 
 possible, in 1877." 
 
 On September 4, 1876, a supplemental pro- 
 posal was made to give the city a first mort- 
 gage on the property as security, if it ])re- 
 ferred. On September 18, a petition to the 
 council was filed, signed by a majority of the 
 resident freeholders of the city, asking that the 
 city loan its credit to the company to the ex- 
 tent of $500,000. But the opposition was active 
 also, and had weight with the council. The 
 question was to come to a vote on October 16, 
 and the sentiment was so closely divided that 
 when the friends of the measure "counted 
 noses'' in the afternoon, most of them thought 
 they were defeated. There was one council- 
 man, Albert Izor, as to whose position they 
 w'ere uncertain, and a representative was sent 
 to sound him. He reported that Tzor woidd 
 support the measure, and be did. 'i'hat night 
 the original proposal was accepted i)y one ma- 
 joritv, and an ordinance was passed ratifying 
 the contract. 
 
 But the end was not \et. On submission of 
 the matter to competent attorneys, an opinion 
 was giveii that the bonds would not be valid 
 without a confirming act of the legislature, and 
 the contest was transfci red to that field. The
 
 illSToltV ()|-- (IIJKA'l'Ki; INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 259 
 
 IcffislativL' coiiiinitti'c held its iiiuetiug.s at the 
 Grand Hotel, and there were some warm ilis- 
 cussions at some of the hearings on the bill. 
 However, practically all of the jneat packers, 
 and most of the ijusiness men of the city fa- 
 vored the action, and McKeen and Scott had 
 a good deal of influence with the legislature, 
 so the bill was finally passed, notwithstanding 
 the opposition of some of the Marion County 
 members. In view of the opposition at the 
 time, and of the direful predictions then made, 
 it lias Ix'cn a matter of no little satisfaction to 
 those who sup])orted the measure tliat not only 
 have the Belt Koad and the Stock Yards proven 
 great successes, and great benefits to the city, 
 but also tiiat the bonds were taken up at ma- 
 turity by the company, and the city was never 
 at a dollar of exjiense on account of them. 
 
 It is almost certain, however, that the city".^ 
 action would not have been taken but for the 
 depressing conditions that existed at the time. 
 The panic of 187;5 had struck Indianapolis 
 with peculiar force because there had been a 
 "boom" in real estate after the war which 
 reached its climax at that time. It was not at 
 all a senseless boom, as things were then go- 
 ing, for prop(>rty that was then considered 
 '■far out" by the conservative is now well "in- 
 side"; but it was a boom into whose seductive 
 grasp nearly everybody had fallen. A man 
 without a few lots on a speculative basis was 
 an exception. Debt had been incurred freely, 
 and when the demand for pay came on all sides 
 the rigors of the panic were doubled. The 
 natural shrinkage of values from the resum|)- 
 tion of specie payments and the demonetiza- 
 tion of silver was increased enormously by the 
 large amount of real estate thrown cm the 
 market at forced sale. .Men who had been land 
 rich became land poor, and more of the old 
 families that had grown up with the city were 
 wrecked in that depression tlian at any other 
 time in the city's history. .Moreover hundreds 
 of men were thrown out of employment, and 
 as labor conditions were no better elsewhere, 
 there was no rclii^f in leaving liulianapolis. 
 The very conditions that made it impossible for 
 a private corporation to raise funds for this 
 enterprise made it inijwi-tant that the city 
 should lend its aiil to give work In llir imcni- 
 plnycil. ^lorcovcr business was at low clili. and 
 the prospect of having several hundred thou- 
 sand dollars spent here among ])eoplc who 
 
 would necessarily spend it again at once, was 
 something that appealed to every business man 
 of the slightest intelligence. The industrial 
 situation also largely explains the active inter- 
 est of Mayor Caven. 
 
 Mayor Caven was deeply impressed with the 
 importance of a coal road for Indianapolis, 
 and also with the desirability of a belt road. 
 His own story of the inception of the work, 
 given in ISMl, deserves preser\4ition by the 
 people of Indianapolis. He says: "One day 
 in September, 18T.">, I walked around the old 
 abandoned embankmenl west of \Miite River, 
 and from the Vandalia Road to the river 1 
 walked all the way through weeds higher than 
 my head, pushing them aside with my hands. 
 1 took off my boots and waded White River not 
 far from the present Jielt Road bridge, and, as 
 the water was deep, I got my clothes wet. 
 Climbing over to the partially built abutnu-nt 
 on the east bank to dry, I sat there for two 
 hours considering the question of whether the 
 great work of a road around this city could be 
 put in motion.. It would combine all the bene- 
 fits sought, not only furnish work for our la- 
 boring population during the savage year of 
 ]8T(J, or at furthest 1877, but also relieve our 
 streets. It would also bring here an immense 
 cattle business and lay down a great taxable 
 property. As I looked over that almost desert- 
 looking river bottom, the outlook for moving 
 in the matter to furnish bread to hungry peo- 
 ])le a year or two anyway was gloomy, but 1 
 then and there determined that this w-as the 
 only project that could accomplish the result, 
 and resolved to make the effort, and see what 
 will and a good purpose could do. Having got 
 .somewhat dried out I put on my boots and 
 started home, and commenced an investigation 
 of the subject of bread riots, and what had 
 made great cities. I examined a great deal of 
 history on the subject of what had made other 
 cities — locati(ui, natural advantages, accidents, 
 minerals, manufactures, and what enter])rise 
 and capital had done, and then trieil to apply 
 tlu^se principles to the city of Indianapolis. 
 What were our natural advantages, and how 
 might capital and entery)rise develop them : ami 
 what could be done to make Indianapolis a 
 great citv, and during the winter of 187.") T 
 composed the Belt Hoad Message, and read it in 
 cnumil .lulv 17. ISTii."- 
 
 -Sniliiicl. Mav IS, ISSl
 
 .'(iO 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEE TNDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 This mest;age was a notable docunieiit. The 
 demand for employment was already Ijecoming 
 urgent, and on June 1, 1876, Mayor Caven 
 had called attention to the want and suffering 
 in the city, and the fact that "a few bad men 
 are advising violence and robbery".'' In his 
 July message he pointed out the near location 
 of the coal mines, and the importance of con- 
 nection flith them. He then took up the Belt 
 Road proposition and urged its great value, 
 and the propriety of the city's promoting the 
 work. He said: ''Supposing Indianapolis were 
 surrounded by a navigable water, into which 
 poured eleven navigable rivers, navigable to 
 every county in the state, and to every state 
 in the Union, to every fertile valley, to every 
 hillside with its exhaustless mines, to every 
 quarry of stone and forest of timber, and, in 
 addition, this water was especially adapted for 
 the location of innumerable manufactories, 
 would it be deemed an improper expense for 
 the city to improve such harbor? What that 
 harbor would be to the city in the water, that 
 road might be to us. The stock yards would 
 come before the road was finished, and grain 
 elevators would be built. Its peculiar advan- 
 tages would invite the location of manufac- 
 tories and these would furnish a demand and a 
 market for fuel and farm products, thus build- 
 ing up state industries to aid us further in fur- 
 nishing a market in turn for the manufac- 
 tured wares. The Sullivan coal road would 
 soon be built, perhaps finished first."'' flavor 
 Caven suggested the reference of the nuitter 
 to a special committee, his own somewhat in- 
 definite proposal being for a loan to build the 
 road; but the Council at the time simply 
 ordered the message printed for circulation. 
 Mayor Caven's story of its effect continues as 
 follows : 
 
 "It was published in Tuesday's morning 
 papers, and on T'hursday I was holding court 
 and noticed two men sitting back among the au- 
 dience for some time. After a while they came 
 forward and asked if they could speak with me 
 a few minutes. I suspended hearing a cause 
 to hear what they had to say. One of them 
 said ho was president of the stock yeards at 
 Louisville and had read the Belt Road message 
 and at once started for Indianapolis ; as he re- 
 
 •''Council rroceedings, 18T(i, pp. i:i2-4. 
 ^Council Proceedings, 18~6-7, pp. 4n.")-4i;. 
 
 garded it t-he best location for stock yards in 
 the country, and he wished to come here and 
 engage in the business. I told them we wanted 
 the enterprise very much, and asked them if 
 they had the means to build, and they said 
 they had not, but thought perhaps the city 
 would aid them. I told them the city would 
 not aid in money, but suggested the idea of the 
 exchange of bonds, the plan which was adopt-ed 
 and carried out. One of these men was Hor- 
 ace Scott and the other Mr. Downing, the 
 present Superintendent of the stock yards. A 
 company was formed, and the necessary steps 
 taken to carry out the enterprise, but met with 
 great opposition. A number of times it was 
 supposed to be defeated, but it finally triumphed 
 over every obstacle and work was commenced. 
 Aboitt the 1st of June, 1877, the work was 
 stopped because the right of way could not be 
 had by agreement through the land of the 
 Beatty heirs south, and several hundred men 
 were thrown out of employment."" 
 
 The only financial aid by the city was the 
 loan of its credit to the amount of $500,000, 
 through an issue of bonds, repayment being se- 
 cured by Belt Road bonds ; but this was all 
 that was needed to secure the money, and the 
 work was pushed forward vigorously. The 
 stop was due to a ditlerence of optnion as to 
 the value of the land wanted for right of way, 
 and John C. Xew, guardian of the heirs, very 
 properly refused to let it go for less than he 
 thought it was worth, without a decision by the 
 court. Caven got an agreement of the parties 
 that the work should go on, and the question of 
 price be left to the court to decide later : ali^o 
 that the work should go on in the morning if 
 men were on hand. This was important for 
 the labor situation had become critical. On 
 June 1, a delegation of 1.50 workingmen had 
 come to the coimcil chamber and presented a 
 petition f(n' work, signed by 080 unem|)loyed 
 men. The newspapers were full of suggestions 
 as to what should be done, and committees 
 were appointed to consider the matter. On 
 June 5, Hon. W. H. English and Mr. Sullivan 
 addressed a workingmcn"s uK'eting at the coun- 
 cil chamber and urged patience and orderly 
 conduct. ^Ir. English then made a donation 
 of $100 and ilr. Sullivan $10 to relieve im- 
 mediate needs. But this was only a drop in 
 the bucket, and on the evening of June 6. 
 some 400 or 50(1 men aathered at the State
 
 TTlSTOnV OV OTlEATF.n IXDI \\ \rOTJS. 
 
 261 
 
 Hoii.-i' yartl. "ThrL-at:; of violence if assist- 
 aiK-e were not I'ortliconiing at onco were made, 
 and after resolving to call upon the Governor 
 in the morning it was determined to unite 
 in a grand 'bread or blood" street parade in 
 the afternoon, in which the wives and childi-en 
 of the unemployed workiugmen should partici- 
 pate. It was hoped in this way to bring the 
 public to a realization of the dire exigencies 
 of the case. The demoustralion w;is to be re- 
 garded in the light of 'a last appeal'." 
 
 About this time Caveu appeared on the scene, 
 armed with his agreements for work to be re- 
 sumed on the Belt in the morning. He pro- 
 ceeded to address the meeting, telling the men 
 lie was there to talk reason to tliem. and if 
 they were not ready for that they wcrr un- 
 worthy of assistance. He told them that lUO 
 men would be j)ut to work in the morning, and 
 that the force w(nild be increased to .")0U within 
 a week or two. He then rebuked the disorderly 
 elenu'nt. and warned the men of the folly of 
 any outbreak. Mayor Caven continues his ac- 
 count thus: "At the close L re{iuested those who 
 were willing to pledge themselves to ])resei-ve 
 the peace, and obey my orders in ])utting down 
 any disturbance, to hold up the right hand, and 
 every hand went uj). There were men there 
 who, together with their families, had not 
 tasted food for two days, and I told them they 
 flinuld not go to bed hungry that night : and 
 invited the crowd to go with me; and we went 
 first to Sampson's bakery, south from the Stale 
 House. He ha])])ene(l to have a large ijuaiitity 
 of bread on hand. I commenced handing out 
 six loaves to each one as the hungry crowd 
 passed by; and the supply was sooia all gone. 
 We then went to Taggart's on South ^leridian 
 street, Init could not obtain admission; anil 
 from there to Hryce's bakery on South street, 
 the huTigry crowd following. Mr. Bryce was 
 in bed, but got up when I told him what I 
 wante(l, and I directed the crowd to pass the 
 door. Mr. P.ryce handed nii' the loaves and 
 1 liamied them to the men — giving si.\ loaves 
 to each, but as the pile became smaller we 
 reduced the nund)er tfl five and then to four 
 and three, and then to two; and I invited those 
 who iinly received two and three to wait, and 
 if we could give them more we woidd ; and 
 tiiey came again, and wo gave them all the 
 bread in the bakery and succeedcfl in su|)ply- 
 iug tbciii all. .\s sociii a- 1 had paid Mr. Hryce 
 
 his bill 1 went out m the street, and where a 
 few minutes before was that hungry crowd was 
 as still as the grave, not a human being in 
 sight. They had left for home as rapidly 
 as su^jplied, and the only persons left vrere Mr. 
 Dannis (ireene and myself. At the State Jlouse 
 
 1 had told the men to go to the Beatty farm 
 in the morning and they would find work. About 
 
 2 p. m. next day 1 went there, and about 3U0 
 men were at work, many of them the hungry 
 men of the night before, and it seemed as if 
 the Belt Eoad, for which we had so labored to 
 furnish work to the hungry, had thus provi- 
 dentially come to the rescue to the very day, 
 almost to the Very hour, of our dire necessity. 
 .\ day later, atid doors wotild have been broken 
 lor food." 
 
 It certainly came in good lime from several 
 points of view, for the public relief agencies 
 were almost swamped. Says Caven: "The 
 Township Trustee jjaid out for groceries alone 
 for the needy, for the first six months of 1877, 
 $-iU,S8(i.:U), an average of $;5,l:81.()j ])er month. 
 The Belt got fairly to work in July, and for 
 tiuit month the Trustee paid out for groceries 
 only $01; and for the last six months of 
 the year $1,1G7 or about one-third of the aver- 
 age of any previous month ; and the work saved 
 the Towiishij) fund not less than $200,000 that 
 summer and fall."' And it was a good thing 
 for those who invested in it, as Caven well 
 shows in defending his owu motives, as fol- 
 lows: "Tlie stock of the Belt Road was $.'jO0,- 
 000, and the stockholders paid thirty cents on 
 the dollar and received certificates of full paid- 
 up stock. The company requested me to take 
 some stock, and 1 could have had $.")0,000 or 
 $(i(),()00 by paying thirty cents im the dollar, 
 just what tlu' otlu-rs paid, and could no doubt 
 have made even better terms, as willmul my 
 aid it must have failed, as the company well 
 knew, and I could have borrowed the money to 
 buy stock, giving the stock as collateral. I re- 
 fused to take auy stock under any circum- 
 stances, giving as my reason tluit what 1 was 
 doing was placing a debt on the city of $.")00,- 
 (tOO for the benefit of the city, aiul to give 
 work to idle men. 1 could do this and bear 
 all the censure 1 was recei\ing, and await the 
 verdict of time and results ; but could not for 
 any benefit to myself, use my oHicial intluence 
 to ])lace a delit on the ])eople who had trusU'd 
 me. For ]S]'.\ Mill] 'so the ciiinpany paid cash
 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 dividends ol' 10 per cent on the face of the 
 stock, being eqnal to 33 1/3 per cent on the 
 money actually paid in by the stockholders, and 
 the stock has" recently (1881) sold for $1..50 
 cash. One gentlemen in the summer of 1877 
 paid $15,000 for $50,000. and has received in 
 the last two years $10,000 in dividends, and sold 
 a short time ago for $75,000 cash. Thomas A. 
 Scott, of the Pennsvlvania railroad, in the 
 summer of 1877, took" $60,000 stock, for which 
 he paid $18,000 and has received in the last 
 two years $12,000 in dividends, and could sell 
 today for $90,000. Had I taken $60,000 in 
 1877 at $18,000 I could now have had out of 
 it $102,000 cash. I never received a cent from 
 anybody of stock, money or anything else; 
 but instead was at some expense." 
 
 On October 17, 1882, the Belt railroad proper 
 was leased to the Indianapolis Union Railway 
 Company for a term of 999 years from October 
 1, 1882. The lessor operates the stock yards, 
 receiving an annual rental of $45,000 a year 
 for the road, while the lessee pays all ta.xes, 
 pays or refunds the mortgage debt, and per- 
 forms numerous services. The most important 
 of these are to protect and stimulate the stock 
 yards business ; to deliver free of charge all 
 live stock shipped to or from the stock yards 
 by other railroads; to maintain reasonable 
 charges to all live stock shippers — subject to 
 arbitration : to pay 50 cents a deck to the lessor 
 for every car of live stock loaded or unloaded, 
 except hogs shipped under a special contract 
 of Xovember 8, 1877; to put in side tracks 
 when needed ; to do all switching free of charge ; 
 to deliver free of charge all merchandise, coal 
 and other supplies consigned to les.sor for its 
 own use. It may be inferred that this is a verv 
 [)r(>titahle lease, and it is not surprising that 
 the State Tax Board has finally got the valua- 
 tion of the Belt property up to $4,500,000. 
 Very urgent argument, on behalf of Clarion 
 County, has been made to the State Board of 
 Tax Commissioners that both the Belt and the 
 Union are worth much more than they are as- 
 sessed for; perhaps the most forcible presenta- 
 tion being that of F. J. Van Torhis on .\u- 
 gust IS, 1891, which was i)rinted in pamphlet 
 form, for circulation, by tlie County Commis- 
 sioners.'' In 18S3 a project was formed to 
 liuild a line across, north of the city, from 
 
 Piriglitwiiod to North Indianajiolis. and the 
 Belt Railroad Company of Indianapolis was 
 organized for this purpose ilay 14, 1883. It 
 built only as far as the L. E. & W. tracks, and 
 on September 4, 1883, was consolidated with 
 the old Belt as a continuous line. On August 
 10. 1895, the McCarty heirs sold to the Farm- 
 ers and Drovers Stock Yards Company 291/2 
 acres of land adjoining the old stock yards. 
 This new company was formed as a rival of the 
 old one, Init after brief competition the two 
 were consolidated, putting a total of 1541/2 
 acres in the stock yards at present. 
 
 It seems strange that there should have been 
 such decided opposition to a measure that re- 
 sulted so well as the aid to the Belt road, but 
 there was at the time a decji-seated conviction 
 among the people of Indianapolis that rail- 
 road companies were not to be trusted, and 
 that their promises would fail of performance. 
 And there was also a feeling that Indianapolis 
 liad been mistreated and discriminated against 
 — that it had been made a sort of way-station 
 between Cincinnati and Chicago, and between 
 Cleveland and St. Louis. Most of the roads 
 of which it had originally been a terminus had 
 been ccmsolidated in a way to make Indian- 
 apolis a mere point on through lines. It had 
 been expected that the companies would locate 
 their principal shops here, but the only ones 
 that did so were the Bellefontaine and the Cin- 
 cinnati and after the consolidation of the for- 
 mer its main .shops were located in Ohio. The 
 old Cincinnati road located its shops here in 
 1853, southeast of the city. They were burned 
 in 1855, but soon rebuilt, and kept here until 
 1865, when they were removed to Cincinnati. 
 There was apparently a common understand- 
 ing that there was some sort of agreement to 
 locate shojis here in some cases, for both Brown 
 and Ilolloway make that statement as to the 
 Vinccnnes i-oa<l." If there was any such asirce- 
 ment it was not embodied in tlie laws or or- 
 dinances relating to the road. In addition to 
 the city's grievances, it was felt that the state 
 had fared badly. It had lost all it put in the 
 ^fadison road, and Bro«Ti says: "The state 
 lield stock in the road valued' at $1,200,000, 
 l)ut was ultimately cheated out of it. receiving 
 
 ■•An .\rgunient. etc.. p]>. 21-30. 39-4-1. 
 
 "liiyiicii's I iiduniii jKilix 
 I ii(li(Uiiijioli!). p. 332. 
 
 P- 
 
 llullowiuj'i
 
 TTTSTOIIV OF GREATER IXDTAXAPOLTS. 
 
 •2fi3 
 
 scarcely iinytliing for it.'"' This i;!, perha])s, 
 too harsh, but the state certaiuly realized noth- 
 ing that the jx'ople had hoped for from the 
 road. 
 
 The Uiiinn Railway Company, which i-: 
 purely local, rc]jrcscntin<>- the most important 
 terminal facilities of all the companies, is 
 owned practically by the Pennsylvania and 
 Xew York Central systems. It is maintained 
 as a distinct organization, operating nearly 
 
 .NKW CNIOX DEPOT. 
 
 a mile {.'.)■>) of track of it> nwn. and the Kelt 
 Road, it also owns and manages the Union 
 Railway I'assenger Station. This structure re- 
 places the old I'nion Depot, but covers twice 
 as much territory, or n)ore. To make the 
 needed extensions, the council on June 1.5, 
 ISSC. jiassed ordinances vacating .McXabh and 
 a ])art id' Louisiana streets, and closing Illi- 
 nois street and providing for a tunnel under it. 
 The new building was erected in 188.S, and is 
 one of the finest stations in the country. It is 
 a handsome brick structure, three stories high, 
 with rain sheds adjoining, 300 .\ 650 feet in 
 
 ' II isl. I llilidllflpdlis 
 
 dimensions. All of the railroad lines ent(;ring 
 the city receive and discharge passengers at 
 this point, there being a total of nearly 200 
 |)asscuger trains daily. The ability to change 
 to any line under one roof, with no trouble or 
 cx])ense of transferring baggage, is a great ae- 
 conimodation to the traveling public. Freight 
 l)usiness is done over the Belt as far as possible, 
 over a million freight cars being handled on it 
 annually. Jluch of this is through freight; 
 and much of it business of the stock vards, 
 whose shipments in 1907 included .378.8;'0 cat- 
 tle, 1,955,38-3 hogs, r2,fiT4 sheep, and 24,81G 
 horses. The accounts of the Belt Railroad and 
 Stock Yard Company for that year sli(iw(>d, 
 receipts $266,0.")«.39 ; interest on bonds .$(j(l.()00 ; 
 dividend on preferred stock $30,000; dividend 
 on common stock $60.000 : extra dividend on 
 common stock $60,000; surplus $56,056.39. 
 
 The most notable case of the state's failure 
 III receive a contemplated benefit from the 
 ((instruction of a railroad was that of the Van- 
 (lalia. or TeiTc Haute & ]ndiana|)olis Raili'oad 
 Companv. which was originallv chartered on 
 .lanuary 26. 1847 as the Terre'Haute & Rich- 
 mond Railroad Com|)any, and allowed by an act 
 in 1851 to abandon the portion of its proposed 
 line east of Indianapolis. The charter was a 
 \cry liberal one, providing among other things 
 ihat the company might charge such tolls "as 
 shall be for the interest of said companv, and 
 to change, lower or raise at pleasure". But by 
 Section 23, immediately following this, it was 
 |irovided, "that when the aggregate amount 
 111' dividends declared shall amount to the full 
 sum invested and fen |)er centum per annum 
 thereon, the legislature may so regulate the 
 lolls and freights that not more than fifteen 
 per centum per annum shall be divided on the 
 capital em]doyed, and the surjjlus profits, if 
 any, after paying the expenses and receiving 
 such proportion as may be necessary for futui'e 
 contingencies, shall be ))aid over to the treas- 
 urer of state for the use of the connnon 
 schools". Presumably on account of the favoi-- 
 able terms of this charter, the com])any did 
 not reoT-ganize und(>r the general law of 1852; 
 and the condition above sjiecitied, which, on 
 its face, looks like one that nobody could ever 
 have expected to be reached, was actually 
 reached — the company liad made such profits 
 that it returned all of the original investment, 
 with ten per cent interest thereon, and was
 
 2C4 
 
 IllS'lOliV OF (JltKATKi; IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 making over 1.") per cent pur aHiium — bv the 
 year 1868. 
 
 The matter was liroiight l)efore the legisla- 
 ture of 1807. whieh ajiiwinteil a committee to 
 investigate, and the state in its subsequent 
 action against the company charged that the 
 oflieials and employes of the company pre- 
 vented this committee from getting any in- 
 formation in time for action. In 1809 the 
 matter was again brought \\\) and a sjiecial 
 committee consisting of John K. C'offroth, ilij- 
 ton A. Osborn and George A. Buskirk w^as ap- 
 pointed to investigate the matter. The state 
 charged that this committee and Senator J. 
 Hughes were bribed by the company to make no 
 report and prevent any legislative action, the 
 sum of .$10,000 lieing paid for this purpose. The 
 state further charged that the company by is- 
 suing stock dividends, buying and holding its 
 own stock, investing in stock and securities, 
 and other devices, made it falsely appear that 
 the actual investment of the stockholders was 
 $1,088,1.50, whereas in fact it was onlv 
 $1,210,090. 
 
 In 1ST2 a quo warranto suit was brought by 
 the prosecuting attorney of Putnam County to 
 forfeit the charter of the company for failure 
 to pay the state. The state was s])eeially rep- 
 resented in the case by W. R. Harrison and 
 Solomon Claypool. In 18T-1 the case was tried, 
 on change of venue, in Owen County. After 
 the jury had retired. Judge Hester recalled it 
 in the middle of the night, in the absence of 
 the attorneys, and discharged it for inability 
 to agree. Pending further proceedings Attor- 
 ney-General J. C. Denny made an agreement 
 with the company and its attorneys to suspend 
 the action and bring a suit in ilarion County 
 to recover the amount due the state. To this 
 agreement is ajqiended : "This agreement made 
 by the attorney -general (with the concurrence 
 of his associate counsel as we understand) we 
 approve. October 5, 1874. Thomas A. Hen- 
 dricks, Governor; Leonidas Se.xton, Lieuten- 
 ant-Governor." And yet it appears from the 
 statement of Denny himself, and from the tes- 
 timony in the later case, that Judge Claypool 
 knew nothing of the agreement till after it 
 was made, and denounced it bitterlv.'' In the 
 
 Marion County case, a demurrer to the com- 
 plaint was sustained on the ground that the 
 legislature had not made or authorized a de- 
 mand on the road, and this was sustained by 
 tiie Supreme Court.'' 
 
 For several years the matter rested without 
 action^ but the ghost would not down. After 
 Samuel E. Morss came into control of the 
 Sentinel he became familiar with the facts in 
 the case, and gave considerable effort to secur- 
 ing the rights of the state, for which, under 
 the court decisions, a demand was essential. 
 In the session of 1889 a resolution was intro- 
 duced in the House for this purpose.'" It 
 {)assed, and also passed the Senate on March 
 9, but mysteriously disappeared from the files, 
 and was never presented to the Secretarv' of 
 State. In 1891 the matter came up again, and 
 a bill for investigation and action passed the 
 House and was referred to the Committee on 
 Education in the Senate." Action was with- 
 held till the end of the session, and then a 
 report was made making no recommendation as 
 to the bill, followed by the passage of a harm- 
 less resolution for an investigation and re- 
 jjort by the Attorney-General. One of the Sen- 
 ators on this committee, who joined in the ac- 
 tion, had been elected on this special issue of 
 enforcing the Yandalia claim, and secured his 
 place on the committee by aid of the friends of 
 the measure. He shortly afterwards left the 
 county from which he had been elected and 
 ]iurchascd a .lOO-acre farm elsewhere, iforss 
 expressed his disgust in an editorial which 
 concludes as follows : ''Then a member of the 
 committee proposed a concurrent resolution, in- 
 structing the Attorney-General to make an in- 
 vestigation of the matter and report the re- 
 sults to the next general assembly. The resolu- 
 tion passed the Senate unanimously, but care 
 was taken to see that it never reached the 
 House. The resolution amounted to nothing, 
 of course, but it appears that the railway com- 
 pany was unwilling to allow it to be published 
 with the session acts of 1891, and hence caused 
 it to be withheld from the House. It was a 
 dirty piece of business, but entirely in keeping 
 with tlie methods which this railroad company 
 
 '~Re])ort of Attv. Genl., Xovember 0. ISM: 
 Record in T. H. & I. vs. State of Indiana, yy. 
 625. 620. 
 
 '(i4 Indiann, p. 297. 
 
 '"House Concurrent Resolution No. 127. 
 "House Bill No. 626; Senate Joiirnnl. p. 
 880.
 
 1IIS|-()1,'V (<!■■ CIMlATF.i; IVDl.WAI'oMS. 
 
 2G5 
 
 has always eniijloycd in its (lealinjrs with the 
 Ptati'. It is inortityiiig in the extrcino to i<iio\v 
 that Democrats could be foimd to lend them- 
 selves to this sort of ju>;j;lin<r with lei;islali(iii in 
 the interest of a railroad eor)ioration.''- 
 
 There was also another editorial, the same 
 day. whieli said: "The Senate committee on 
 education consisted of Senators Grimes, Fulk, 
 McHxigh, Chandler, Smith, Shockuey and Gar- 
 van. An eti'ort was made to secure a unani- 
 mous report from the committee in favor of in- 
 definitely post])oninji tlie Cidloj) iiill, hut Sena- 
 tor Smitli, to his j^reat credit ])revented such 
 action. So 'indefinite postj)oneinent" was not 
 Tecommeiided. * * * The com[)any has 
 carried its point liy i)reventino; the passage of 
 the (,'uUo]) l)ill. which embodied the Icfjisla- 
 tivc demand without which no legal proceed- 
 iiiirs can he sustained. We congratulate the 
 clever and ]io|iular ilr. Eiley JfcKcen ujion 
 this fresh evidence that his railroad company 
 is a i)igger thing than the State of Indiana."' 
 In 18!!.'? another liill was introduced which was 
 referred to the railroad committer ami died 
 there.'-' 
 
 The Sciiliiirl paid no altenticni to it. .\ftcr 
 several days a prominent nu-mher t>\' the rail- 
 road lohhy mentioned the matti'r to 'Sir. Morss, 
 and aske(l if the Si'iiliiicl was not going to 
 make a tight for investigation of tlie Vandal ia 
 claim. ^Ir. .Morss replied, "Xo. I don't ])ro- 
 po.se to shake the bushes for you fellows at 
 this .«ession". And .so the matter dropped into 
 an inactive state for several years longer, but 
 public sentiment bail been arou.sed, and it did 
 not die out as the years passed. 
 
 In 1S9T, .\ttorncy-(ieneral KelcbaiM. former 
 Jiartner of Judge Claypool, took the nuitter u|), 
 and, with the ajiproval and aid of the press, 
 an act was secured authorizing a demand on 
 the company for the amount due the state on 
 .ranunr\ 17, 1ST:i, on which date it had aban- 
 doned its charter and organized under the gen- 
 eral law. Denianil was inadc and suit liniuglit 
 in the .Superior Court of .Mari(Hi Count v. On 
 the hearing before, and re|)ort by. Master Coin- 
 inissioner Xoble C. Butler, Judge \'inson Car- 
 ter rendered judgment for the slate for $ni;i,- 
 'M)r,.n\ ,,n October Ti . r.Hlii. The case was 
 then taken to the Su|iri'Mie Court i>f Indiana, 
 
 which attirmed the judgment in a very strong 
 opinion by Chief Justice Iladley." The case 
 then went to the Supreme Court of the United 
 States on writ of error, and it rever.sod the de- 
 cision, holding that the legislation of 189T vio- 
 lated the constitution of the L'nited States by 
 impairing the oldigation of a violated contract.'"' 
 The cause bciug remanded for further proceed- 
 ings, Mr. Ketcham tiled an amended complaint 
 based in an outspoken way on the ground that 
 the railroad company had produced the legisla- 
 tive situation by its corrupt action, and that it 
 could not be permitted to take advantage of 
 its own wrong. This, however, was not sus- 
 tained, the courts holding that the decision 
 of the United States Supreme Court concluded 
 the matter. The court said that the charge of 
 corrupt action by the company was "abundantly 
 sutficient", but it involved corruption of the 
 legislature, and the courts "have invariably de- 
 clined to inquire into the motives which 
 promjjted the official acts of the legislature or 
 executive, from constitutioiud considerations 
 ami on grounds of public poli,cy.""' 
 
 It would bo presumptuous and )nterniiiuible 
 to discuss the law in this case, but it is the 
 duty of the historiair to note the verdict of 
 posterity on judicial act inn. Here were plainly 
 two lines of reasoning that a court nuglit fol- 
 low, for the Supreme Court of Ituliana fol- 
 lowed one, and the Supreme Court of the 
 United States followed aiujther, diametrically 
 o])posite. The former gave to the public its 
 long-deferred rights. The latter confirmed to 
 the railroad corporation the money it had with- 
 held from the school children of Indiana, in 
 violation of its e-vjiress contract, and bv methods 
 whose odor is imperishable. And yet there 
 are federal judges, and others, who whine over 
 the growing lack of respect of the masses for 
 the courts, and especially for life-term courts, 
 responsible oidy to their own conceptions of 
 a just God. Ah, well I One can almost com- 
 prehend that distinguished jurist. Justice .lef- 
 fries, lamenting tli,-it lii- arduous efforts to 
 support the King, aiul make treason odious, 
 were not a|)preciated by the English ])eo|)le. 
 
 In reality Indiamipolis had l)eeTi liberal to 
 railroads fnnn the beginning. Its people snb- 
 
 ■Si'iitiiirl. March Id. 1S!)1. 
 
 MFouse Kill 'ri : llonsf .hmninl. p. C: 
 
 "l.V.i hid., p. i:is. 
 
 '■•lit I r. s., .Mi). 
 
 '■'liiC hid,. .-)S().
 
 •266 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIANAI'OLIS. 
 
 scribed generously to the stock of the earliest 
 roads, and lost most of it in subsequent fore- 
 closure proceedings. After the Civil War they 
 gave ])ublic aid. On May 21. 1866, there was 
 presented to the city council the petition of 
 6,81)6 tax-payers, asking the issue of $150,000 
 of bonds in aid of railroads. The state law 
 provided for a petition of a majority of the 
 resident freeholders, and the committee re- 
 ported that here were three-fourths of tiiem. 
 Of this amount $60,000 was to go to the In- 
 dianapolis & Vincennes, and $4.").000 each to 
 the Indianapolis, Crawfordsville & Danville and 
 Indiana & Illinois Central, when they should 
 have built their roads forty miles from the city, 
 provided this were done within three years. 
 On December 29, 1866, another petition, with 
 the requisite number of signers was presented 
 for an issue of $50,000 for the Junction road. 
 Ordinances for both were passed, the former 
 on May 28, 1866 and the latter on February 
 4, 1867. On December 28, 1868, the Vincennes 
 and Junction roads having complied with 
 the terms of the agreement, an ordinance was 
 passed directing the issue of their l)onds ; a 
 jirovision being added, however, as to the Junc- 
 tion road that it should locate, erect and main- 
 tain within two miles of the corporate limits of 
 the city the "principal works or machine shops 
 of said road", and carry "to Indianapolis tim- 
 ber, stone, lime and stone, coal or coke at a 
 rate not exceeding ten cents per car load per 
 mile." 
 
 There was another instance of this liljerality 
 that was having an effect on the public mind 
 at the time the Belt Road project was up. In 
 18T0, in March, the Board of Commissioners, 
 on petition, submitted to the voters of Center 
 Town.?hip the question of donating $65,000 to 
 the Indiana & Illinois Central, the condition 
 being attached that it should within three years 
 locate its machine shops in the townshi)). Late' 
 the Board of Commissioners extended the time 
 to June, 1874, but the shops were not built 
 until 1880, and then by the Indianapolis De- 
 catur & Springfield Company, the successor of 
 the Indiana & Illinois Central : and when they 
 were built, they were put just over the line 
 in Wayne Township, ileanwhile the money 
 had been raised by taxation, and was lying in 
 the county treasury, everybody taking it for 
 granted that the company had forfeited the 
 donation. This was the situation in 1876, and 
 
 naturally the people were di.sgusted with it, 
 and with railroad promises. The money was 
 a white elephant. The township demanded it 
 of the county, and the county at first agreed 
 to turn it over, and did pay $17,112.50. Then 
 it reconsidered, and the township brought suit 
 and recovered judgment for $74,102.48. The 
 case went to the Supreme Court which discov- 
 ered that the time limit forfeiture had been 
 removed by a change in the state law, and de- 
 cided that the money belonged to neither the 
 county nor the township, but to the railroad 
 company.'' Then the railroad company ijrouglit 
 suit, and the case went back to the Supreme 
 Court twice.'* The fact that the shops were 
 not in the township was raised, but in the 
 original agreed statement of facts, when no- 
 body was thinking of the railroad company, it 
 had been erroneously stated that they were in 
 the township, and the court held that this 
 bound everybody forever after. In consequence 
 the matter wound up, oxer twenty years after 
 the donation had been voted, witli a judg- 
 ment against the county for $85,000. In- 
 cidentally it may be noted that, long Ijcfore 
 this, the Supreme Court had decided that a 
 stipulation for machine shops added to a dona- 
 tion for a railroad was wholly void, and also 
 made void the donation:'" but both the ciuii-t 
 and the lawyers appear to have forgotten that 
 interesting decision. 
 
 Aside from the C. H. & D. shops, at "Moor- 
 field" near the Insane Hospital, the only shops 
 established at this point have been put here 
 voluntarily by the railroad companies. Some 
 are of little importance. The iFonon, L. E. 
 & W'.. and Indianapolis Southern maintain 
 small shops for what are called "running re- 
 pairs" in connection with their round-houses. 
 The Panhandle has extensive shops, for re- 
 building and repairing cars and engines, east 
 of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, in which about 
 700 men are employed. The Big Four system 
 has done the most for the city in this line. It 
 now has foxir shops here, that at Moorfield em- 
 ploying 110 men; the Shelbv street, or Indian- 
 apolis, shops employing 140 men ; the Bright- 
 wood shops employing 450 men : and the new 
 Beecli Crove shops em]iloying 6()0 men. The 
 
 '"105 Ind.. ]). 422. 
 
 'MIO Ind.. |i. 5:9: i:!0 In, I.. |i. 89. 
 
 '^Rwv. Co. vs. Citv of .Vtticn. 5ii Ind 
 
 \:(<.
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 207 
 
 Brightwood shops are for rebixilding and re- 
 pairing ears. The Beech Grove shops are for 
 rebuilding and repairing locomotives, and the 
 building of locomotives is contemplated ulti- 
 mately. But Indianapolis has these shops 
 merely because the railrond rdmjjanies found it 
 
 advantageous to themselves to put them here. 
 Indianapolis undoubtedly owes much of her 
 growth and prosperity to railroads, but those 
 lienefits are purely incidental. The city is un- 
 iler no oldigations to any railroad companv for 
 anv bcMiefits intentioiiallv conferred.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
 
 In the Annual Report of the Public Schools 
 for 1866, Dr. Thomas B. Elliott, then presi- 
 dent of the Board of Trustees, gave an his- 
 torical sketch of their origin, which was copied 
 by Sulgrove/ and has served as histor)- for 
 nearly half a century. It reads as follows : 
 "Private day schools of good reputation were 
 established, so soon as the necessity for them 
 arose, and several of these are still fresh in the 
 recollections of our adult citizens. There was, 
 however, no approach toward a system of free 
 schools until the winter of 1846-7. During 
 the legislative session of that winter, the first 
 city charter, prepared by the late Hon. Oliver 
 H. Smith, for the town of Indianapolis was 
 introduced into the General Assembly. It 
 would have passed without opposition, as a 
 matter of course and coui-tesy, had not a radi- 
 cal member from this town, Mr. S. Y. B. Xoel, 
 presented as an amendment Section 29, which 
 provided that the City Council should be in- 
 structed to lay off the city into suitable dis- 
 tricts, provide by ordinance for school build- 
 ings, and the a]>pointnient of teachers and 
 su|)('rintendents; and, further, that the Coun- 
 cil should be authorized to levy a tax for school 
 purposes, of not e.xceeding one-eighth of one 
 per centum of the assessment. The amend- 
 ment met with vigorous and determined appo- 
 sition from several influential members. The 
 new motion, imported, it was feared, from the 
 Atlantc seaboard, that the property of the 
 community .should educate its children, was 
 denounced as an experiment and a heresy, un- 
 just, unequitai)lc, and worthy of its Puritan 
 origin. The inexpediency of any taxation, ex- 
 ce])t for roads and the support of government, 
 including the General Assembly, was resolutely 
 urged in opposition. 
 
 '//i.v/. IiifliiiiiiijXjJ'ts. p. 423. 
 
 "Certain rough, and, in a robust way, [lopu- 
 lar members from the unterritied districts, were 
 earnest in condemning common schools on gen- 
 eral principles. They and their fathers never 
 had an education, and they had achieved legis- 
 lative honors without such aid; likewise their 
 children might attain the same dignity, if not 
 spoiled by learning. .Schooling led to extrava- 
 gance and folly, law and ruin. .V man could 
 keep store, chop wood, physic, plow, plead, and 
 preach without an education, and what more 
 was needed? The fleetest, long-nosed, deep- 
 rooting hogs, and most flexible hoop-poles 
 spring spontaneously from the soil. Without 
 the aid of science, Nature had enriched U8 
 with the fruitfuUest ])owers of mud. The wil- 
 derness of Indiana had been subdued and teem- 
 ing crops grew luxuriant over the graves of 
 dead savages — all done by unlearned men. Be- 
 sides it would be a precedent full of evil to set 
 this young city, the seat of the state govern- 
 ment, agoing with reckless expenditure foisted 
 into its charter. It might react on the legis- 
 lature, by the influence of example, and mil- 
 lions be squandered in internal improvements 
 more mischievous than those they were then 
 staggering under. For their |)art, sink <ir 
 swim, etc., they were opposed to any such fa- 
 naticism. These arguments carried weight, 
 and the amendment was in peril, when a pru- 
 dent and useful member, who advocated all 
 sides on vexed questions, moved to still fur- 
 ther amend by jiroviding that no tax should 
 be levied unless so ordered by a vote of a major- 
 ity of the inhabitants of the town, at the en- 
 suing April election, when the ballots should 
 be endorsed 'Free Schools" and 'Xo Free 
 Schools*. This sealed the lips of a ])ortion of 
 the op])osition. They wavered. If they voted 
 against tlie anumdment, they would deny the 
 right and ability of the peoj)le to rule; if for 
 
 2(iS
 
 IIIS'I'ORV ()|- CRKATKi; 1 XDIA N'APnT.TS. 
 
 2C9 
 
 it, they would at least acquiesce in a tlagrant, 
 and, they fondly hoped, unconstitutional her- 
 esy. So they divided; and the cliarter as 
 amended, became a law. 
 
 "An animated contest ensued in the town, 
 and at the first charter election the school 
 question became the overshadowinj; issue. The 
 o])i)osition was thin and noisy. The friends 
 of free schools were quiet but resolute : but on 
 the day of the election were by no means san- 
 guine of the result. A citizen who was to a 
 considerable degree a representative of the 
 learning, jurisprudence and capital of the town, 
 tiie late venerable and eminent Judge Black- 
 ford, was earnestly cheered as he openly voted 
 a ballot endorsed 'Free Schools". The cause 
 of impartial education ti'iuiuphed by an over- 
 whelming nuijority.'" 
 
 Dr. Elliott evidently got his ideas from the 
 reminiscences of someone who had been a par- 
 tisan in the scliool controversy, and his ac- 
 count is an injustice, of the "Hoosier School- 
 master" class, to that generation. There is no 
 reason to doubt that Oliver H. Smith drew the 
 bill, or that "Vance" Noel, who was theii- pro- 
 prietor and publisher of the Journal, procured 
 the insertion of the school section, but the lat- 
 ter was not by amendment. The charter bill 
 was introduced in the House by the committee, 
 to which were referred petitions for and against 
 the advance to city government,'- and went 
 through the House without any amendment, 
 by a vote of 48 to 27. The amendment re- 
 ferred to was made in the Senate, and is added 
 as the last -section of the bill. It was the 
 recognition of the right of local self-govern- 
 I ment, which the bill already gave as to the 
 adoption of the charter itself. Local taxation 
 for schools had been the custom in Indiana for 
 years, but always optional; and in the law of 
 1S.31, there was exemption from the local tax 
 of any person "who does not, or does not wish 
 to participate in the benefit of the school fund". 
 It was the inadequate result of local taxation 
 that the school reform of 1851 aimed to rem- 
 edy, and the lirst open steps for that reform 
 had lieen taken in i,S4(), by the begitining of 
 the publication of l^f^^7'.v Cummon School A<1- 
 rocaln on October ], and by the ajipearance on 
 December S of the first "message" of Caleb 
 -Mills in the Journal. There wa.s very great at- 
 
 = House Bill, Xo. .Ilfi. 
 
 tention paid to school matters by this legisla- 
 ture, but there were then numerous ve.xed ques- 
 tions that now seem very simple. There were 
 at this session numerous jietitions from Ger- 
 nuuis asking the teaching of their language in 
 the schools. There were one or t\vo from ne- 
 groes, asking for some part of the public funds 
 for their schools, which were then absolutely 
 separate and wholly private. Strangest of all, 
 a resolution was offered for a committee to 
 inquire into the expediency of permitting fe- 
 nuile teachers to be employed in the public 
 .schools, if they passed as good examinations 
 as men.^ 
 
 The spirit of progress was awake, but the 
 road for advance was not clearly defined. In 
 his message at the opening of the session. Gov- 
 ernor Whitcomb recommended "a careful re- 
 vision of the entire school system", or at least 
 an inquiry preliminary to it.* On January 8, 
 the House disposed of the matter by recom- 
 mending "to the friends of education the hold- 
 ing of a State Common School Convention at 
 Indianapolis on the fourth Wednesday of Mav 
 next, for the purpose of consulting and devising 
 the best course to be pursued to promote com- 
 mon school education in our state" : ^ and on 
 January 26 it granted the use of the hall of 
 the House for this purpose." This convention 
 was duly held on -May 25, 2G, 27, with Judge 
 Blackford as president, Uev. A. Wvlie. Kev. 
 1). -Monfort, J. R. Edgerton, Prof. E. 0. llovey, 
 and Charles Test as vice-presidents, and J. 11. 
 Taylor and N. Bolton as secretaries, 'i'he 
 brains and progress of the state were in at- 
 tendance. The committee on resolutions was 
 composed of Ovid Butler, -\. Kinney, Caleb 
 Mills, John A. Matson, Samuel C. Wilson, 
 I'rnf. S. il. ThomjJSOTi, Eev. E. K. Ames, and 
 Richard W. Thompson. They brought in 
 -^weeping resolutions, covering the reforms later 
 .idoptcd, and a committee compo.sed of (). 11. 
 Smith, Calvin .Fletcher and. A. Kinney was 
 appointed to prepare a law for submission to 
 the next legislature. A committee composed of 
 Kcv. E. K. Ames, Jeremiah Sullivan, T. R. 
 Crcssy, R. W. Thoiniison, James II. Henry, 
 Solomon C. Mereclitli and James Blake was 
 
 ■JIousc Journal, \^. ();i. 
 ^Senate Journal, p. 23. 
 ■'House Journal, p. 387. 
 "House Journal, p. 708.
 
 ;7o 
 
 HlS'l'OIJY OF liKEATER INDlAXAl'ol.lS. 
 
 appointed to draw up ;ui address to the people 
 of the state in tlie interest of free schools, 
 which was duly done, and has become a part 
 of the histor}' of the state.' 
 
 Meanwhile the election had come on in In- 
 dianapolis on April 24, and if there had been 
 auv doubt as to puljlic sentiincnt it was vrrv 
 thoroughly dispelled. All of the newspapers 
 favored the school tax. Out of 500 votes cast 
 for cit}' officers under the new charter, there 
 were 406 east for free schools, and only 28 
 against; and the Locomotive averred that most 
 of the opposition votes were indorsed, "Xo fre 
 sculs".* The Journul bubbled over with pleas- 
 ure at the result, and observed, "Give the citi- 
 zens of our state a chance at the ballot box in 
 this matter, and they will soon say whether 
 they prefer to raise tlieir children in the midst 
 of ignorance or intelligence." " The Sentinel, 
 with the fitting modesty of an interested party, 
 said, "The free school proposition passed by 
 an almost unanimous vote. This we are par- 
 ticularly pleased with on account of our own 
 "herd" of little ones."' '" The occasion for the 
 general satisfaction will be better understood 
 from a consideration of the school condition 
 of Indianapolis, as presented by H. F. West, 
 editor of the Common School Advocate, at the 
 time : "There are eleven schools in this city. 
 Four district schools, four subscription do. 
 one County and two Female Seminaries. The 
 three last are of high order, and may be num- 
 bered among the best, if not the best in our 
 state. The others are far above the average of 
 our district and subscription schools. Our 
 object in this article is not to advertise the 
 merits of our scliools, but to present some 
 facts for the consideration of our citizens. 
 There are in this city 1,928 children between 
 the ages of .') and 21 years. In all the schools 
 of our city there are less than 550 names upon 
 the registers, and the average daily attend- 
 ance is only 462. So we see that here at the 
 Capital, a place so renowned for its intelli- 
 gence, that out of 1,928 children we have 
 1,466 receiving no instruction at our schools. 
 This tells a tale u|)oii our zeal in the cause of 
 education, and our well directed charities I 
 
 'Journal, June 8, 1847. 
 ^Locomotive. Mav 29. 1847. 
 ''Journal. Mav 4, 1847. 
 ^"Sentinel. April 28. 1847. 
 
 .Many nt our litizens feel deeply in regard to 
 the deplorable condition of the schools of our 
 state ; while 50 per cent more of the entire 
 number of the children in the state attend 
 school, than there do from the city of In- 
 dianapolis." '^ 
 
 The new law was promptly put in effect. 
 Each ward was made a school district, under au 
 independent trustee; teachers were employed, 
 and schools were opened in rented houses. 
 Donations of money and lots were asked for, 
 and in December the council returned thanks 
 to Tliomas D. Gregg for a gift of $100. Lots 
 ■were bought in the seven wards in 1848-9 at 
 from $300 to $500, and buildings were erected 
 in five of the wards in 1851-2. They were 
 plain, one-story brick buildings, arranged so 
 that a second story could be added ; those in 
 the second, fourth and sixth wards had two 
 rooms, and the others one. A two-story house 
 was built in the seventh ward in 1857, and 
 the houses in the first, second and fifth wards 
 were made two stories in 1854-6. Unfortun- 
 ately these expenses consumed most of the 
 funds at first, and tuition had to be paid to 
 compensate the teachers. The first tax lew, 
 in 1847, produced $1,981 ; that of 1848, $3,385 ; 
 that of 1849, $2,851. In 1850 the income was 
 $6,160, of whicli $5,938 was expended for lots 
 and buildings in that and the ensuing year. 
 As the city grew the product of the tax became 
 larger, reaching $20,239 in 1857. Tlie sys- 
 tem of independent trustees for the several 
 wards continued until 1853, when the new 
 state school law went into effect, and then 
 the city council elected Henry P. Coburn, Cal- 
 vin Fletcher and Henry F. West, trustees, the 
 law conferring sole authority over the schools 
 on this board. A code of rules was drawn up 
 by Calvin Fletcher, and on April 25, 1853, the 
 schools were opened for the first time on an 
 actual free basis, with two male and twelve 
 female teachers. The average attendance 
 jumped from 340 in April to 700 in May, 
 this first free session being for two months 
 only. Until this time there was no common 
 system of instruction or of text-books, but 
 the new board requested the principals of the 
 leading private schools to prepare a list of 
 text-books and course of instruction, which 
 were adopted and used thereafter. In August, 
 
 "Scniliii'l. .lanuarv 12. 1847.
 
 ||l>'l-()i;V ol' CUl'.A'IKi; lM)lA.\Ai'()l,lS. 
 
 2n 
 
 ^ir. //. Ilitxs I'holo Companij.) 
 
 MAP OF INDIANAPOLIS, 1855.
 
 272 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEK IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 18.j3, the graded system was adopted, and a 
 high school was opened on September 1, with 
 E. P. Cole as principal and one assistant. It 
 was held in the old seminary building, \vhich 
 had been repaired and refitted for the pur- 
 pose; and it remained there until the closing 
 of the schools in 1858. 
 
 From 1853 to February, 1855, the only su- 
 pervision of the schools was by the trustees, 
 who generously gave much of their time to 
 the work. But the burden was too great, and 
 at the rec^uest of the council elected Silas T. 
 Bowen superintendent at a salary of $400 per 
 annum, requiring him to give most of his time 
 to the (hities of the office. ^Ir. Bowen was at 
 that time junior member of the book and sta- 
 tionery firm of Stewart & Bowen — later Bowen 
 & Merrill. He was a graduate of the Albany 
 Xormai school, then the leading institution 
 of its kind in the country, and had come here 
 to take a position in the McLean Female Sem- 
 inary, where he taught for several years be- 
 fore going into business. Mr. Bowen achieved 
 some improvement, but the work took too much 
 of his time, and in ^Maixh, ISoO, the council 
 appointed George B. Stone, who had succeeded 
 E. P. Cole as principal of the high .school, 
 as superintendent at a salary of $1,000, re- 
 quiring him to give his entire time to the work. 
 Mr. Stone was a New England man, thoroughly 
 equipped for his office, and administered it ef- 
 fectively. He perfected the system in use, 
 held teachers' meetings, and broiight the schools 
 to a state of efficiency that made them popu- 
 lar. In 1857 there were 35 teachers employed, 
 mostly female, and tlie average attendance was 
 1,800. This was only about one-third of the 
 enumeration, but it was more than there were 
 good, accommodation for, the seating capacity 
 of the schools being only 1,210. 5lr. Stone 
 condemned the old seminary building, in which 
 the high school liad been carried on by W. B. 
 Henkle, since 1856, as unfit and wanting in 
 almost every particular, and recommended tliat 
 a new one be erected adequate to the needs of 
 the city. 
 
 But there was worse in store for t])e scliools 
 than inadequate buihlings. The Supreme 
 Court had held that the law of 1852, giving 
 townships power to tax themselves, to maintain 
 schools after the state school funds for tui- 
 tion were exhausted, was unconstitutional. This 
 
 was in December, 1854,'- and the legislature 
 of 1855 undertook to help the situation by a 
 law authorizing cities and towns to levy taxes 
 in support of public schools, w-hich might be 
 paid to any existing schools performing public 
 service, but such schools were "not to super- 
 sede the common schools." The cities and 
 towns were proceeding under this act, when in 
 January, 1858, Judge Perkins of the Supreme 
 Court handed down a decision that this law 
 was unconstitutional. The theory adopted by 
 the Supreme Court was that the constitution, 
 by its provision for "a general and uniform 
 system of common schools", had estaljlished a 
 Procrustean educational bed, to which every 
 locality must be fitted; and every child in 
 the state must have an equal opportunity for 
 education, no less and no more.'^ The deci- , 
 sion practically meant, as the Indiana :<cliOol 
 ■Journal said: "The constitution of Indiana, or 
 the interpretation of it by her highest judi- 
 lirtl tribunal, forbids the people of any city 
 or corporate place in the state to tax them- 
 selves to support free schools, till tlie whole of 
 the stat<3 will also consent to tax itself for the 
 same pur[rose."" 
 
 The people of Indianapolis realized that they 
 were in a bad situation. The council was con- 
 vened on January 2G, to consider the situation, 
 and recommended meetings in tlie se\eral 
 wards to raise. money to continue the schools. 
 The board of trustees, then composed of D. V. 
 Cullev, Gen. John Love, and D. S. Beatty, 
 callerl meetings for the 29th, and submitted 
 propositions to the people to take scholarships 
 for one term, on the basis of $4.50 for the 
 liigh school, $3.50 for the grammar schools, 
 $3 for the intermediate schools, and $2 for the 
 [)rimary schools — it being estimated that at 
 these rates the several grades of schools could 
 lie maintained, respectively, with 80, 50, 57 
 and 54 scholars each. On February 1, they 
 reported the result to the council, showing 
 that 1,105 .scholarships had been taken, with a 
 total aggregate of $3,057, It was then de- 
 cided to go ahead for the next term, at least, 
 and the schools were reopened on Feiiruary 2. 
 
 ^- Greencastle Tp., etc. vs. Black 5 Ind.. p. 
 557. 
 
 "Citv of Lafavette vs. Jenners— 10 Ind., 
 p. 70. 
 
 '* February, 1858, p. G8.
 
 HISTOIJY or (MfKA'I'Rll INDJ AXAPOLIS. 
 
 It was hoped tliat efl'orts to raise aiUlitional 
 funds would be successful, but they were not, 
 and on April IT the schools closed for the 
 year. Superintendent Stone was at once 
 called to Minneapolis to take charge of the 
 schools there, and went. On May 28 tlie teach- 
 ers of the public schools met and adopted re- 
 solutions regretting Iiis departure, and con- 
 gratulating ilinneapolis on her acquisition. In 
 printing them, the Journal casually observed, 
 "We have no hesitation in saying that we could 
 very much better atford to lose all four of the 
 Judges who assassinated the schools than the 
 one faithful superintendent wdio made them the 
 pride of the city and the state." '^ And there 
 were a number of otlier good teachers who left 
 the .state at that time, for as Mr. Henkle ob- 
 served, they had been studying the constitution 
 and had found, at least, one clause in their 
 favor — "Art. 1, Sec. 3G, Emigration from the 
 state shall not be prohibited.'"" The council 
 turned the control of the builduigs over to 
 the trustees, and they encouraged their use for 
 private schools. h\ June the School Journal 
 said: '"'More than two-thirds of the children of 
 this city are out of school at present, although 
 each one of the ward houses is ociujjied by 
 some of the former teachers. A gi-eat num- 
 ber of poor private schools have sprung up 
 since the ruin of the public schools"'. 
 
 Says Dr. Elliott, speaking of this Supreme 
 Court decision : "Then commenced the dark 
 age of the pidilic schools. The school houses 
 Were rented to such teachers as were willing 
 or able, from limited patronage to pay a 
 small pittance for Iheir use. The state fund 
 was only sullicicnt to keep the schools open 
 one feeble 'free quartei-' each year; and in 18.59 
 even this was altogether omitted for watit of 
 money. During this gloomy period in the 
 history of the schools, the public wer(> largely 
 indebted to D. \'. C'ulley, E.sq., wdio, as school 
 trustee for a number of years, with his asso- 
 ciates gathered reverently together all the de- 
 bris of the ruined system, carefully assorted 
 and economized all that was left, and the sal- 
 vage of the old system, thus prudently i)re- 
 served, became the strong foundation of the 
 new. At length the legislature made provi- 
 sion for more efficient and ]iros]ierous schrmls, 
 
 ^''Journal, June '.', 1858. 
 '"/nrf. School Journal, 1S.")8, p. r,S. 
 Vol. r— 18 
 
 and fuller taxation for their support." The 
 free schools were not opened in 1859, but in 
 1860 and 1801 there were free terms of IS 
 weeks each. In these years James Green acted 
 as director, or superintendent. In 18G2-3 there 
 was a term of 23 weeks with Prof. Geo. W. 
 Uoss as superintendent. There were 29 teach- 
 ers employed and 2,3T4 pupils enrolled. No 
 attempt was made to reopen the high school 
 during this period. 
 
 .\nd now opened a new era. Dr. Elliott, was 
 not strong as a historian, but he was a good 
 school trustee, and his banner achievement was 
 getting Abraham C. Shortridge into the pub- 
 lic schools. ]Mr. Shortridge had studied under 
 -V. E. Benton ten years earlier, and came at 
 his call to teach in Xorthwesteru Christian 
 I'niversity. Elliott importuned him to accept 
 the sTiperiiitendency of the city schools, but 
 in vain. Then Elliott had him elected, whether 
 or no, and after several days prevailed on him 
 to accept the position. The situation at the 
 time was not encouraging. The total value of 
 the school property in the city was $88,500, 
 and it diil not afford accommodations for 
 the school children. There were in all 22 rooms 
 in the public school buildings, but by the use 
 of halls and cloak rooms 29 teachers were 
 given room to teach in 1863. The state school 
 revenue increased, and in the spring of 18G3 
 the trustees levied a tax of 15 cents on $100 
 for buildings and other expenses excepting 
 tuition. There were some enlargements and 
 alterations of- existing buildings: but in 1864 
 visits were made to otlier cities to inspect their 
 school buildings, and the John Hancock school 
 of Boston was taken as a model for two new 
 three-story buildings that were put up in the 
 Fourth and Ninth wards, in 1865-6, at a cost 
 of about $32,000 each. There was some pro- 
 test over this movement towards luxury, but 
 jiublic sentiment sustained it, and the move- 
 ment for adequate and convenient buildings has 
 grown in force as the years progressed. 
 
 Superintendent Shortridge's first execution 
 was in the line of grading the schools and 
 organizing and drilling his teaching force. In 
 this he was sadly handicajiped by the fact that 
 one week after he entered his ofllcc he was 
 stricken with blindness, and weeks passed be- 
 fore he recovered partial sight. But he went 
 right on with the work, and its effects were 
 soon manifest in more ellicient instruction.
 
 374 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 On account of the small salaries paid he urged 
 that female teachers be employed and the board 
 agreed. > The men on the force (there were 
 only four) were dropped with the exception of 
 Wm. A. Bell, who was made principal of the 
 high school. Mr. Bell was educated at Au- 
 tioch, under Horace Mann, and had several 
 years' experience in teaching before he came 
 here in 1863 to attend a teachers' meeting. Dr. 
 Elliott met him and persuaded him to stay as 
 principal of the Second ward school. The 
 high school was opened in the old First ward 
 school on September 1, 1804, with 28 pupils, 
 but none of them were sufficiently advanced 
 for actual high school work, and a year was de- 
 voted to bringing them up to that point. The 
 actual high school work began in September, 
 186.5, the iirst class graduating in 1869. :\lean- 
 while the old Second Presbyterian Church 
 (northwest corner of ilarket and Circle streets) 
 was purchased by the school board, and re- 
 modeled. A floor was thrown across the church 
 room, making a three-story building. The 
 ground floor, or old Sunday school rooms, was 
 occupied by part of the A grade. The second 
 floor was occupied by the school offices ami 
 the second, third and fourth years of the high 
 school, as they developed. The third floor was 
 occupied by the first year pupils. The high 
 school remained here until 1870, w'hen the old 
 Baptist Female Seminary property, at ]\Iichi- 
 gan and Pennsylvania streets was purchased 
 for $41,000, and occupied after some enlarge- 
 ment. It was renliiced in 1884 by the pre-^ent 
 south building of the present Shortridge High 
 School at a cost of $.56, .500, the north building 
 being erected in 1904-5 at a cost of $170,000, 
 and the east wing in 1901-3 at a cost of 
 $26,000. 
 
 The system of three trustees elected by the 
 council was continued from 18,5.'? to 1861, when 
 provision was made for a school board, elected 
 by the people, of as many members as there 
 were wards. In 1865, George W. Hoss, then 
 Superintendent of Public Instruction. wa< 
 drafting a bill for the revision of the school 
 law. and permitted his friend Mr. Shortridge 
 fo write and insert Section 5, which provides 
 for trustees elected by the council. The num- 
 ber was left blank until filled by t!ie word 
 "three" on motion of Judge H. C. Xewcomb, 
 then a representative fi-oin ^^arion Countv, whn 
 was in chari^c nf tlic hill. Shortridge desired 
 
 Dr. Elliott and Alexander iletzger on his board, 
 but Metzger objected and said he would get a 
 better man, in fulfillment of which he brought 
 forward Clemens Vonnegut. The council was 
 duly assembled, and the new board was made 
 up of Dr. Thos. B. Elliott, Clemens Vonnegut 
 and W. H. L. Noble. This board continued 
 until 1869, when James C. Yohn and John R. 
 Elder replaced Dr. Elliott and Mr. Vonnegut. 
 The system was very satisfactory so far as 
 the work of the commissioners was concerned, 
 but it was hampered by the fact that as a 
 part of the common school system the board 
 was not independent. It could recommend 
 taxes, but they must be levied by the city 
 council, and it was not well informed as to 
 school needs. It employed teachers but they 
 had to be examined by the county examiner, 
 an official appointed by the county commis- 
 sioners, who was later, in the sixties, replaced 
 l)y the county superintendent, elected by the 
 trustees. The school work was also impaired 
 by the lack of any public library facilities. 
 
 To remedy these and other evils, Mr. Short- 
 ridge devised a scheme of independent school 
 government, and called a meeting of prominent 
 friends of the schools to consider it. Those 
 ))resent were E. B. ^[artindale. John Caven, 
 .\.ddison L. Roache. Austin H. P.rown, Simon 
 Yandes, Thos. B. Elliott and H. G. Carey. 
 Clemens Vonnegut and W. A. Bell were in- 
 vited but could not attend. Mr. Shortridge 
 submitted his statement of the situation, and 
 his remedy. He ])roposed a board as large 
 as the city council, elected at special elections 
 where politics would not control, and vested 
 with full powers of taxation and administra- 
 tion of the school law. After consideration 
 all agreed to this and Mr. Shortridge, Judge 
 Roache and Austin H. Brown were appointed to 
 draw up the law. The law was written by Mr. 
 Brown, approved by the other two, and re- 
 ])ortcd to a meeting of the original counsellors 
 and the members of the House of Representa- 
 tives from Marion County, who were James H. 
 Ruddle, Fielding Beeler, Edward King and 
 Oliver M. Wilson. Messrs. Martindale and 
 Caven were the senators, and all the delegation 
 gave assurance of support for the measure, 
 which was duly passed without much diffi- 
 culty. It made at the time a board of nine 
 members, there being then nine wards and 
 nine C(nmcilmen. They were to be elected on
 
 isToi;^' (»!•' (;i;i-;.\'n:i; ixdi.wai'oi.is. 
 
 27.- 
 
 the second Monday iu June, and divide ijy lot 
 in three classes, for one, two and three year 
 terms, one-third being elected annually there- 
 after. This law continued in effect for eight- 
 een years, the elections being held on the sec- 
 ond Saturday in June of each year. The law 
 gave the board power "to levy all taxes for the 
 support of the schools within such city in- 
 cluding such taxes as may he required for 
 paying teachers, in addition to the taxes now 
 authorized to be levied 1)V tiie (iciiiTal Assem- 
 bly".'' 
 
 It is impossible to distinguish this law in 
 principle from the law which had been held 
 unconstitutional in 185S, but there had been 
 a change. The constitution was the same ; 
 the law was similar; but the judges were dif- 
 ferent, and so was public sentiment. There 
 were efforts to amend the constitution so as 
 to permit local taxation for tuition in 18()1, 
 18()3 and 186."), but they failed, in 186: State 
 .Superintendent Hoss proposed "to consider 
 heroic treament — namely the reenactment of 
 the law decided unconstitutional in 185.5 and 
 1858". He urged that public sentiment had 
 go changed that "no one would have the hardi- 
 hood to bring suit against the law in the next 
 ten years; and if suit should be brought, the 
 court would, in all ])rol)al»ility, hold the law 
 constitutional".'" His judgment was cori'ect. 
 The legislature of 186T passed the law,'" and 
 wa.-! not questioned for eighteen years. It 
 came to the Supreme Court then in the case 
 of Robinson vs. Schenck,-" and in a most elabor- 
 ate opinion the court, by Judge Elliott, demon- 
 strated that the makers of the constitution 
 never had the slightest idea of prohibiting 
 loeal taxation for tuition. So that ghost was 
 [lermanently laid. 
 
 Owing to the difficulty of getting satisf iitor\ 
 teachers for the salaries that coidd be paid, Mr. 
 Shortridge planned a city normal school which 
 was opened ^[areh 1, IStM, under charge of 
 Amanda I'. Funnel le. a graduate of the Albany 
 Xornial School. ft was continued under her 
 and other teachers until ISS."). ulien Miss 
 Marv I']. XichoUon lieeanie pi'ineipal and re- 
 mained in charge of it until June. lOOlt, wlu'U 
 
 ".\ct,s ISri. p. 20. 
 
 "Ifist. of KiJucalion in Iiid. 
 
 '".Vets. 18(;r. p. .10. 
 
 -"i()-> ind.. p. ;!o:. 
 
 .':?1. 
 
 she resigned. She was elected a member of 
 the school board in the fall following. Mr. 
 H. ]{. Ray has been principal of the Normal 
 Scjiool since then. Writing of this school in 
 1!IUS, Mr. Shortridge said: "Of the nine hun- 
 dred and ninety young women who have al- 
 ready completed the training school course of 
 study, practically all have been emjjloyed in the 
 .•-cbools and it is safe to say nine hundred were 
 residents of Indianapolis; and it may also be 
 ~ai(l that three-fourths of them would never have 
 taught a day in this city but for this special 
 training. * * * Last year there were .'i^O of tbem 
 ii\ the schools, of which twelve are in the list 
 of supervising principals, eight are directors 
 of i)ractice, six are German teachers, and three 
 are high school teachers. What was qitite as 
 important, they earned and s])ent their money 
 in and aboiU tlu'ir own homes and tbereliy 
 l)i'onght help in a thousand ways to dependent 
 cbildi'en, and often helpless fathers and moth- 
 ers."-' Nothing just like this school was in 
 existence anywhere when it was started, but its 
 success soon caused similar schools to be started 
 in Cincinnati. Evansville and Ft. Wayne: and 
 other cities have -^ince folloucil. 
 
 A probl(!m conTronting the school boanl af- 
 ter the Civil War was the colored j)opulation. 
 In the report of 18(i6, Dr. Elliott said: "For 
 rea.sons which cannot be consistently stat(>d or 
 e\|)lained hv anv who approve ol' taxation foi' 
 the sup])ort of schools, tlu' colored people of 
 the state and city have, from the lieginniiig to 
 this time, been deprixed ol' adxantage I'roni 
 tile school fund, or an\ pri\ ileges of the schools. 
 * * * Accoriling to the late census of the 
 eitv. taken last summer, there are 1,()5;{ coloreil 
 inhabitants. Of these nearly three bnndred are 
 attending [)rivate colored pay schools, conducle(l 
 and supported by themselves, and to a verv 
 limited extent, if at all, dependent on llie 
 charities of the ])ublic. The large proportion 
 of e(dored children attending |)ay schools is 
 very creditable to this people, and indicates un 
 eai'iiest desire for iin])rovenient. The latin 
 of school attendance to tlie total colored |)o|i\i- 
 lation is almost without ]ireccdi'nt. Their 
 schools arc sustained under great di-iadvantages 
 — without the generous sympathy of the ])ub- 
 lic geiuTally, with very moderati^ rniids, with 
 buildings unsuiteil to school pniposes, with 
 
 ='.Vp»v«. Ajiril I, llios.
 
 276 
 
 HISTOKY OF G HEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 liiiiitL'il or no .<cliool apjjaratus, with uiicom- 
 lorlablu school furniture, with iusuttieient text- 
 hoolcs, witliout classification, and with teach- 
 ers unskilled in the art of imparting instruc- 
 tion. In our judgment, humanity, Justice, and 
 sound public policy demand that this class of 
 our citizens shall receive the benefit of our 
 common school system". At that time the state 
 law jirovidcd that school taxes "'shall not be 
 levied and • collected from negroes nor mulat- 
 toes, nor shall their cliildren be included in 
 any enumeration required by |this act. nor 
 entitled to the benefits thereof"'.-- The fixed 
 policy of the state, and of nearly everybody in 
 it, prior to tlie Civil War, was to keep negroes 
 out of Jndiana. Article eleven of the consti- 
 tution of 1851 proliibited their coming into 
 the state, made any contract with them void, 
 and their employment a penal offense; and 
 tliis was enforced even to holding a marriage 
 contract void.-* Colored children could not at- 
 tend a public school even on the payment of 
 tuition, if any white ])arent objected.-* 
 
 \n efl'ort to change the law failed in 18(57, 
 and again at the regular session of 1869 ; this 
 second time it did not come up until the last 
 night of the session, and a constitutional ma- 
 jority could not be had because part of the 
 members were celebrating. Shortridge says: 
 ''A truthful description of what took place 
 on this particular night would not look well 
 in a newspaper."-^ At the special session the 
 law passed, and was approved on May 13, 
 ISfin, putting negroes on the same footing as 
 whites under the school law. Preparations 
 were at once made for this accessio!i to the 
 school attendance. As the law required sep- 
 arate schools, old buildings were repaired and 
 rooms rented. Colored teachers were employed 
 so far as competent ones could be found, and 
 white teachers for the rest of the force. ^Meet- 
 ings were held in the summer for the instruc- 
 tion of parents as to the new condition, and in 
 the fall the colored schools opened. 8ays 
 Shortridge, "When the day came, the buildings 
 were crowdeil early with a herd of rowdy and 
 undisciplined blacks, and with a strong teaching 
 force in numlier about equally divided between 
 
 --School Law of March .i. 1S.5.'). 
 =•' 7 Ind., 3Si». 
 -* 2 Ind.. 33-2 : .-> Ind.. 2-11. 
 -'^News, April 4. 1908. 
 
 the two races. Order was at once restored, 
 and the work of classifying and grading was 
 begun. Five years after they were first ad- 
 mitted to the schools, there were in attendance 
 at Ijotli day and night schools over 8UU colored 
 pupils." This attendance has steadily in- 
 creased, aiul in January, 1909, in addition to 
 the Colored Orphan .Vsylum, to which the city 
 assign> one teacher, tliere are eight school 
 buildings devoted exclusively to colored chil- 
 dren, as follows: No. 19 (Frederick Douglass 
 Scbiiol). Xo. "^'i (Cliarles Sumner). No. "^l 
 (. McCoy j, No. 2{i, No. 37, No. 40 (Robert 
 (Jouid Shaw), No. 42, and No. 62. The en- 
 i-ollniiMit in these eight schools is 2,330; and 
 ill a(blitioii there are about .50 colored pupils 
 in other schools too far from any of the eight 
 to attend them: 80 in Shortridge High School, 
 and about the same number in the ilanual 
 Training ILgh School. 
 
 Manual training was introduced in Indian- 
 apolis by the Germans in their Gewerbeschule, 
 which was held in the German-English Scliool 
 liniiding on East Maryland street. It was origi- 
 nated and sup])orted by the Gewerbescbul- 
 verein, among whose members were D. A. lloli- 
 leii. the architect, IL Lauter, Otto Stechhan, 
 Clciiieiis Vonnegut, antl other business men. 
 Tile traclicrs were Bernard Vonnegut and .\r- 
 tliui- Rolin. who taught descriptive geometry, 
 architectural drawing, and design work: T. R. 
 Bell, who taught machine draughting: and 
 .v. Lindenberg, who taught free hand and or- 
 namental drawing and ornamental modeling. 
 The school jierformed a valuable service in 
 helping young workmen to higher service and 
 fitting boys for intelligent work. Among its 
 jiroducts was Ernest Werner, a poor boy. who 
 was inspired liy his schooling there with a de- 
 sire for more education, became an architect, 
 and later was assistant building-inspector of 
 the city; from which position he went to West 
 Point as superintendent of construction. The 
 school had about 75 pupils but grew so that 
 the quarters were inadequate and the teaching 
 force also. The schulverein a]iplied to the 
 school board for an a|ipro])riation I'm' the school, 
 whicli could not legally lie inaile. but the board 
 assigned Wm. II. Bass as a teacher then' for 
 a y(>ar. 
 
 Then the school board decided to take up 
 manual training, and o])ened a department in 
 Shortridge High School, in charirc of ^Ir.
 
 HISTORY or GRKATKK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 Bas.«, ill l.s,s.S. It was coiitimied tliero till 
 ]>s!i-i. and then removed to Iligli Stliool Xo. 2 
 (wliieh wa.^ niaintaincil at Virginia avenue 
 and Ihivon street from 1884 to 18!)1), and 
 after one year there, went back t(j Short ridge 
 till 18!)4. ileanwhilc the lack of money ami 
 room for the work had become apparent, and 
 in 18!)1 an act of tlie legislature was obtained 
 authorizing a tax of 5 cents on $100 for the 
 erection and maintenance of a manual training 
 school. As it would be slow work waiting for 
 money to come in. a scheme was devised of 
 antici]iating the revenue by notes, and the 
 site was bought and Iniilding erected in that 
 way. being opened in 1S9-I. with ('has. K. 
 
 taking the schools out of oi'dmary parlv poli- 
 tics, but as the .system developed, and the 
 school funds became large, there grew up a 
 .system of public school politics, which was 
 at bottom a contest of banks for the custody of 
 the school funds, and which was as objec- 
 tionable as party politics. It became a prom- 
 inent feature of controversy in the nineties, 
 and the Seniincl made a protracted fight for 
 the payment of all interest on the school funds 
 into the school treasury, as a rented}'. In 
 1807 the matter of sehool-hiw reform was 
 lirought before the Commercial Club, at a 
 dinner on February 28, when there was an ad- 
 dress by President .-Vndrew S. Draper, and re- 
 
 BEECHER'S CHURCH, 1893. 
 (As remodeleil for High School.) 
 
 Emmerich as principal, lie was the right man 
 in the right ])lace. and has been there ever 
 since. The school was unlike any other in 
 the country at the start. There were a num- 
 ber oC persons interested in the nuivemeut 
 who wanted to make it a trade school, but it 
 was held to the plan of joint academic and 
 manual training, and has become very popular. 
 When started, people derided the idea that 
 tiOO pupils would be found who wanted that 
 sort of education : the average attendance in 
 l!10r-8 was 1,399. The i)opularity of its work 
 has caused an extension of most branches of it 
 into the graded schools. 
 
 The school law of ISTl was elVectivc for 
 
 nuirks by others. The board of directors de- 
 cided to appoint a committee to investigate 
 and suggest amendments, and the annual re- 
 ]iort of the club recites: '•The President ap- 
 jiointed as such committee Charles W. Smith, 
 Chairman; President J. II. Smart, President 
 A. S. Draper, 8. 0. Pickens, William Scott. 
 J. P. Frenzel, George ilerritt, F. II. Black- 
 ledge, A. II. Brown, J. B. Connor, Franklin 
 Vonnegut and Charles Martindale. Presi- 
 dents Draper and Smart did not meet with 
 the committee. The committee reported that 
 it did not think it wise to projjose any legis- 
 lation intended to change the character of 
 the j)reseut Board of School Commissioners or
 
 •2rs 
 
 HISTORY OP GREATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 tne iiKUiiiiT of their clcrtioi) : that the float- 
 ing debt of the Board shouhl be funded, and 
 a .iinUing fund provided: and that not to ex- 
 ceed .$00,000 annually for five years .should 
 be borrowed for the construotion of new build- 
 ings. The reporr was concurred in and the 
 l)ill submitted therewith was approved by 
 the Board ; a substitute bill embodying tlie 
 so-called "t'leveland ))lan" of school adminis- 
 tration which was submitted by one of the 
 directors, Mr. Dunn, being rejected. The com- 
 mittee was instrncted to present its bill to 
 the General Assembly which it has done." 
 The proposed bill did not become a law. 
 The Sentinel kept up its fight for reform, and 
 in 189S all of the candidates for school com- 
 missioner opposed to it were defeated.'-" In 
 1897 a new factor in school affairs had come 
 into existence. Thomas C. Day became im- 
 pressed with the desirability of improvement 
 'in the school situation, especially of a ehisev 
 tonch between the teachers and the peo])le, 
 and organized the Citizens' Education So- 
 cictv. The society was first attracted to the 
 neglect of many parents to give their children 
 opportunity for education, and secured the 
 enactment by the legislature of 1897 of a com- 
 pulsory education law. It requires parents and 
 guardians of children between the ages of 8 
 and 14 to send them for at least 12 consecu- 
 tive weeks in each year to a public, private or 
 parochial school. Children mentally or physi- 
 cally incapacitated are exempt, as also those 
 who have completed the first eight years of 
 work of the common schools. Children wliose 
 parents are unable to supply them with the 
 necessary books and clothing are supplied bv 
 the school trustees or commissioners; ami 
 these also appoint truant officers to enforce at- 
 tendance. The wide interest in this move- 
 ment may be judged from the personnel of the 
 executive committee of the societv, which was 
 composed of Thomas C. Day. Chairman, Her- 
 mann Lieber, Miss Xebraska E. Cropsey. Benja- 
 min Harrison. J. K. Lilly, D. K. Goss, G. .\. 
 Schnull, Edgar \. Brown, J. L. McMasters. 
 ]\riss Margaret Hamilton. Mrs. Frances M. 
 Brunton, Wm. A. Guthrie \Vm. Scott, B. ('. 
 Kelsey, treasurer, and Dr. I!. (». Me.Mexandi'r, 
 secretary. 
 
 ■"Srntinrl. June 9-1-.'. 1908. 
 
 In 1S99 the society investigated the school 
 law and decided that amendment was desirable. 
 A committee was appointed to prepare a bill. 
 c-om])osed of Thos. C. Dav, Chairman, and 
 Judge John E. Scott, Judge L. C. Walker. 
 and Wm. A. Bell. Other organizations de- 
 sii'eil to unite in the work, and the committee 
 was enlarged by adfling Judge Frank E. Gavin. 
 Henry W. Bennett and Albert E. Metzger 
 from the Commercial Club, and Dr. P. H. 
 .Jameson, Charles S. Lewis and Judge Thomas 
 L. Sullivan, from the Board of Trade. The 
 bill was drawn up by Judge Gavin, and revised 
 by the committee, and the 'Cleveland plan" 
 which the Commercial Club had rejected, was 
 made the basis of the bill. The liill became a 
 law on March 4, 1899, and the new board 
 created i)y it took office January 1, 1900. The 
 law established a board of five members, 
 elected by a general vote of the city, and 
 not taken from any districts. They served four 
 years, divided in two classes which are elected 
 every second and fourth vear. At the city 
 election, October 10, 1899, Charles W. Moores, 
 (ieorge W. Sloan, Andrew M. Sweeney, John 
 H. Emrich and Henry C. Sickels were elected 
 members of the board. ^lessrs. Moores, 
 Sweeney and Sickels drew short terms, ami 
 were reelected in 1901 and again in 190.5 — 
 Mr. Sloan died February 1.5, 1903, and Wm. 
 JI. Taylor was elected by the board to fill the 
 vacancy. He and Mr. Emrich were reelected 
 at the city elections of 1903 and 1907. At the 
 election of 1909. ^fessrs. ^[oores, Sickels and 
 Sweeney were rejilaced by Miss Mary E. Nichol- 
 son, Dr. Frank A. ilorrison. and James P. Mc- 
 (iowan. 
 
 'ilie law makes the City Controller auditor of 
 ilie board, and the City Treasurer its treas- 
 urer, thus taking from it any custody of its 
 tiiiuls beyond their expenditure. It provides 
 for a Superintendent of Schools, who has 
 cliarge of all the school work proper, and a 
 Business Director who has control of all busi- 
 ness and financial administration. It provides 
 also for a librarian and Secretary, having 
 the duties usually pertaining to those offices. 
 The importance of an adequate business ad- 
 ministration will be seen from the following 
 statement of the administrative expenses of 
 ibe board, exclusive of teachers' salaries, from 
 • lulv 1. 19(10 to July 1. 1908:
 
 lllS'l'oK'V OF (iUKATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 27!) 
 
 Xew buildings !(!!)53,,()48.!1.") 
 
 Xew sites and additional griuinds. . 1 il,0."")S.!H) 
 
 I'ennani'nt improvcniunt^ 251,815.14 
 
 Struct iniindvi'inents 45,987.54 
 
 'l'(.t;ll $l.:i!ll.'.)l(l.5!» 
 
 Thiti was the small end of the exjjenditun.s, 
 the teachers' salaries being $441,090.87 in 
 1900-1. and $687,885.74 in 1907-8, over $4,- 
 000,000 in the eight years. The total ex- 
 penditures in 190(1-1 we're $ 790.:21.9: . the re- 
 ceipts .$8(i2.242.42. The total expenditures 
 in 190';-8 were $l.:317,8i;J.(iS. the receipts 
 $1,229,51:5.27 ; there being a balance of .$278.- 
 6;il.70 over from the preceding year. Anyone 
 ought to .see the absurdity of carrying on such 
 a business through a board of unsalaried trus- 
 tees, with no business manager, who could give 
 only their surplus time lo the business. The 
 only wonder is that school affairs were man- 
 aged so well under the old system, for the 
 business was large even then. In 1871-2 the 
 total expenilitures were $149,112.54, and they 
 ."Steadily and necessarily increased to $365,908.- 
 83 in 1891-2; the total expenditures for these 
 21 years being $5,375,337.33. The explan- 
 ation of it is the generous service given by 
 some of the best business men of the city, 
 (several of whom served on the board for years, 
 especially Hcniy 1'. Coburn, Calvin Fletcher. 
 H. V. West and D. \'. Culley, in the period 
 prior to 1871 ; .James C. Yohn", John R. Elder, 
 Clemens V(mnegut, Thos. B. Elliott, and Cy- 
 ru< ('. nines, both before and after 1871 ; and 
 Austin II. Br<iwn, (ieorge Merritt, H. G. Carev, 
 J. .1. Bingham, Charles W. Smith, Wm. .\. 
 Hell, J. II. (ireenstreet. .1. 15. Conner, and J. 
 r. I-'renzel after 1871. As t(i Mr. Frenzel it 
 I- iiid\- iu>t to say, that notwithstanding the 
 criticism cit him in the heated period of the 
 nineties (and \hc writer, as editorial writer of 
 the Sfliiiiiirl contributed a large share of it), 
 no one can fairly study the school conditions 
 of the long yieriod of his service, from 1882 
 up, and not lie imj)ressed that his sen'icc was 
 of very great value to the public in the tinaii- 
 cial management. 
 
 The truth is, that in the development of 
 Indianajiolis from n town to a city, and the 
 dcvelopmcitt (if public demand for the latest 
 and best school accomniodations, the school ex- 
 |iiMiditnres have grown out of proportion to 
 
 mere population. In the last eight year.s, 
 during whit-h the business management has 
 been under the new system, the increase of ex- 
 penditures has been (>(! jier cent, and the in- 
 crease of enrollment has been only 19 per 
 cent. But teachers are getting fairer jiay, and 
 children are getting better school accomnio- 
 dations. It would be impossible to get i<Mn- 
 petent teachers now for the salaries that were 
 paid in 1871-2; and the ))ublic would revolt 
 against a return to the kind of school lionses 
 in use then, just as they would iigainst a re- 
 turn to the kind of streets we had then. The 
 standard of living has been raised, ami it has 
 jirobablv been raised more in public af- 
 fairs than in private affairs, on the average. 
 
 After the resignation of Jlr. Shortridge in 
 1874y George P. Brown liecanu' Supi'rintcndent 
 until 1879, when lie ic-igncd. lie artrrwards 
 became known as one of the most distinguished 
 I'ducators of the country. He was followed by 
 Horace Sumner Tarbell. who served a<-ceptablv 
 till 1884. .Mr. Tarbell and his daughter Martha 
 ha\e since been known as autliors of school 
 books. In 1884 Lewis Henry .loncs ln'raine 
 Superintendent, and served till 1S!)| when lie 
 left here to serve as Superintendent of the 
 Cleveland schools; he served there until 1902, 
 and then became president of the Michigan 
 State Xormal College, where he has siiii-e lieen. 
 From 1895 to 1900 David K. Goss was Super- 
 intendent. He was a well-equipped and forci>- 
 ful man, but he was not popular in Indian- 
 apolis, and he had the misfortune to serve 
 during a storm period, when he caught part of 
 the blast. .Mr. (Joss died at .Strasburg, (ier- 
 rnany, where he was conducting a school for 
 .\merican boys, Se])teinlHr 20, 1901.-'' Jn 1900 
 Calvin N. Kendall, the present Superinten- 
 dent, came to Indianajiolis al'tci- li\(' years' 
 service as Superintendent of the .New Haven, 
 Connecticut schools. Although Indianapolis 
 has been extremely fortunate in the high grade 
 of her school superintendents, the excellence of 
 her schools is chiefly due to the devotion and 
 self-sacrifice of the public school teachers, 
 many of them Indianapolis women, who have 
 simply built their lives into this great school 
 fabric. It would require more than human 
 |)ower to list those deserving special prai.se, 
 where practically all lia\e done so nobly. They 
 
 ''News, Seiitember 27. 1901.
 
 iSO 
 
 IILSTOEY or GIJEATER I.NDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 have thtir common inouument in the school 
 system they have helijed to make. But all 
 will concede that special credit is due to Miss 
 Nebraska E. C'ropse^-, who as assistant superin- 
 tendent is conceded to have largely made the 
 primary departments of the schools what they 
 are. 
 
 In January, 1909, there were 62 graded 
 schools in Indianapolis, with G19 rooms. 
 Shortridge High Scliool has 70 rooms, and 
 ^fanual Training High School over 80. To 
 maintain the schools, in addition to the state 
 tax, there is a local tax of 58 cents on $100. 
 Of this 5 cents is for buildings and grounds, 
 5 cents for manual training, 4 cents foi- City 
 Library, 1 cent for teachers' pensions, and 1 
 cent for free kindergartens, though the kinder- 
 gartens are not imder the control of the School 
 Board. There are 873 persons in the teach- 
 ing force, including superintendents and super- 
 visors. Of these 633 are teachers in the graded 
 school — 65 colored. IThese are the regular 
 teachers, and there are also 40 special teach- 
 ers, who visit various schools, including 16 
 manual training teachers, 5 sewing teachers, 6 
 cooking teachers, 4 mvisic teachers, 5 art teach- 
 ers, 3 physical training teachers, and 1 pen- 
 manship teacher. There are also 43 German 
 teachers in the graded schools. Shortridge 
 High School has 47 teachers and Manual 
 Training High School 69. The remaining 
 members of tlie teaching force are supervisors 
 and superintendents. 
 
 The Indianapolis public schools have re- 
 ceived many compliments,-^ and certainly none 
 more frank and sincere than those of Dr. Jos. 
 M. Rice, the editor of the Forum. He says: 
 
 ■"The Indianapolis schools, though upon a 
 rather high level, and, in my opinion, among 
 our best, are not perfect. A perfect school 
 means a perfect teacher, a teacher who pos- 
 sesses a beautiful character, education, cul- 
 ture, and great professional strength. The In- 
 dianapolis teacher is not perfect. Her spirit 
 is beautiful, but her professional strength, 
 though it compares favorably with the strength 
 of the best of our teachers, is not yet great. 
 The first steps toward the ideal have been 
 made. * * * When our teachers combine 
 the beautiful spirit of the Indianapolis teach- 
 ers with the technique of the German school- 
 master, America will have the best schools in 
 the world. To exchange our spirit for the 
 German's technique would, 1 think, be taking 
 a backward step. We must not be content unt'd 
 we have both."' "'•' And in his summing up he 
 adds: "Although Indianapolis was the twenty- 
 third city that I visited in my tour, I discovered 
 in the first class-room entered that the schools 
 of that city had reached a higher stage of 
 development than any that I had previously 
 investigated. Before visiting the schools of 
 Indianapolis, my attention had never been 
 called to their excellence, and the first school 
 that I saw was one to which I had been di- 
 rected by the porter as being the most conven- 
 ient to reach from the hotel. In nearly every 
 city later visits served simply to confirm the 
 judgment I had formed on investigating the 
 first school." ■"> 
 
 -^News. :March 8, 1905 ; December 18, 1905 ; 
 Star, May 5. 1907. 
 
 -U^rum, Vol. 14, pp. 442-3. 
 
 ^"Forum, Vol. 15, p. 516. These articles 
 were published in book form in 1893, under 
 the title. The Public School System of the 
 United States.
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 TllK I'AIK KIKE DEPARTMEXT. 
 
 The paid liiv de|j:irtiiiciit ui ludiauapulis 
 began opeiatioii.s on quite a modest scale. One 
 ordinance of November 14, 1859, disbanded the 
 volunteer comjianies and another provided for 
 a paid department consisting of one steam 
 and two hand engines and a hook and ladder 
 company, 'riie lirst company was to take The 
 Conqueror and use the old Invincible house on 
 North Xovv Jersey street, with Charles Kich- 
 mann ag captain. The second was to take the 
 Indiana (No. 4) and the house of the Wes- 
 terns on West Washington street, with W. O. 
 Sherwood as captain. The Hook and Ladder 
 Company was to kee]) the a])paratus in their 
 house on the west end of the East .Market 
 I Square, with W. W. Darnall as captain. The 
 ! members of the companies were to serve only 
 ' at fires, and to receive $25 a year, except that 
 two members of each of the engine companies 
 were to remain at the houses all the' time, 
 and they were each to receive ^'Mio a year. 
 The steam engine did not arrive until Marcli, 
 1860, and it was then located at the house 
 of the Westerns on West Washington street, 
 and the Indiana was placed at the house of 
 the Unions on South street. The new engine 
 was a Leo & Earned rotary, which puffed and 
 shook so tremendously tliat the timid expected 
 it to go to pieces at any moment, but it was 
 efficient and soon won public I'avor for the new 
 system. In August, ISdd. a third-class Latta 
 was bought, which arrived in October and was 
 located at the house of the Marions, at New 
 York street and Massachusetts avenue. On 
 October 22, 18G0, a Seneca Falls engine was 
 exhibited at the State Fair, before a com- 
 mittee of the council, in competition with 
 other engines, and the council purchased it 
 for S.S.odo. turning in the old Fnion at ^dnd 
 in part pay. It was ])laeed at the Union 
 
 house on South street, and these three en- 
 gines, known as Nos. 1, 2, and 3, in the order 
 of purchase, with the Hook and Ladder Com- 
 pany constituted the equipment for the next 
 seven years. Frank Glazier was appointed en- 
 gineer of No. 1, Charles Curtis of No. 2, and 
 Daniel Glazier of No. 3. 
 
 Until the steam engines came, the old liand 
 engines were hauled to fires by horses, and there 
 manned by the members of the paid companies 
 and such volunteers as were willing to aid. 
 The latter were usually plentiful, for there was 
 little of the bitterness of opposition to the 
 change that appeared in some cities, and it was 
 naturally hard for an old fireman not to lend 
 a hand if he was present at a fire. The paid 
 system went into effect with little friction, 
 and witliin a year the war was absorbing every- 
 body's attention, and the old fire e(nn])any 
 troubles had practically dropped mil nf sight. 
 The first step of improvement after l>S(ii) was 
 the jjrovision of a central alarm system. The 
 council made arrangements to place a wateh- 
 tower on the Glenn's Block — on the old hotel 
 site now occupied by the New York store — 
 which was about the highest building in the 
 city,, of central location. Here Charles Rhodes 
 was stationed with a field glass, during the 
 hours of the night to look out for fires. When 
 one was detected the alarm was given on a 
 bell that was niotmted on an open framework 
 tower in the rear of the building, '{'here were 
 nine wards at the time, and the bell struck the 
 number of the ward in which the fire appeared 
 to be located, whereiqwn tin- firemen went in 
 that direction and hunted it up as best they 
 could. During the war the watchmen had in- 
 sfructions to keep s|)ecial watch on (.'amp Mor- 
 ton, where the rebel prisoners were confined, 
 and give an alarm if any trouble appeared. 
 
 281
 
 282 
 
 HISTORY OF GK'HATEll INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 ■I 
 
 i 
 
 It was one of the popular fancies of the time 
 that if the prisoners escaped their first act 
 would be to tire the city and destroy the fire 
 apparatus, but fortunately this dire condition 
 was never reached. 
 
 In 1867 a second Seneca Falls engine was 
 bought and put in service in December, but 
 no comjiany was organized for it for several 
 years. It replaced first Xo. 3, then No. 2, and 
 then Xo. 1 while they were sent off for over- 
 hauling and repairs, and then was stored as 
 an extra at the Massachusetts avenue house 
 until 1872, when a readjustment was made, 
 in connection with the new water works sy>- 
 tem. Steamer Xo. 1 was put at Indiana ave- 
 nue and .Michigan street, with G. ^I. Bishop 
 as engineer. Steamer Xo. 2 — the "William 
 Henderson'" — was put at Massachusetts avenue 
 and Xoble street, with Andrew 0. Cherry a< 
 engineer. Steamer Xo. 3 was located on \\v- 
 ginia avenue between Huron and South, « itli 
 John R. Bellis as engineer. Steamer Xo. 4 — 
 the "John ^larsee'' — was put at the cornei' of 
 Illinois and ^lerrill streets, with Cicero Sei- 
 bert as engineer. The Hook and Ladder Com- 
 pany, with a hose reel, was located at Massa- 
 chiisetts avenue and Xew York street; and 
 three other hose reels were placed, one at the 
 old Xorth Xew Jersev house, one on Washing- 
 ton, west of Mississip])i, and one on St. Joseph 
 street between Meridian and Illinois. The com- 
 ing of the waterworks, the first fifteen miles 
 of mains being laid in the mile square in 
 1870, made a change in fire protection en- 
 ergies, for it was on the Holly system, and 
 largely did away with the necessity for en- 
 gines. The number of ho.se companies wa< 
 increased until in 1874 there were ten of 
 them in operation. 
 
 Prior to 1874 there had been only three fire- 
 in Indianapolis that would now be considered 
 large, the Kingan pork house, ilorrison's Opera 
 House, and the Woodburn-Sarven Wheel Co. 
 The Kingan fire occurred on Jlay 22, I860, 
 and was one of the most spectacular fires ever 
 seen here. The building was a new one, fiv(i 
 stories high, and was full of pork and lard. 
 The flames lighted up the country for miles 
 and tlie heat was so intense that the firemen 
 could hardly get in reach of the fire. But thev 
 kept at it and at least saved some of th'^ 
 stock in the cellar bv flooding. The loss at this 
 fire was about $200,000, largclv covered bv 
 
 insurance. On January 17, 1870, the night 
 of (Jough's lecture, ilorrison's Opera House, 
 at the northeast corner of .Maryland and iler- 
 idian streets, was burned. The fire started 
 during the lecture, but the audience passed out 
 without any accident. The fire spread to ad- 
 joining buildings, and caused a loss estinuited 
 at .$2oO,000, about four-fifths insured, making 
 the most destructive fire known, to that date. 
 'J'he ^\'oodbu^n-Sarven Wheel Company's jilant 
 was originally built in 1847 and enlarged by 
 an addition on the west in 186G. The fire, on 
 March 11, 1873, began in this addition which 
 was filled with inflammable material, and 
 which was higher than the old building. In 
 an effort to get at the fire Chief Daniel Glaz- 
 ier led a party of hose nu'n into the second 
 story of the old building, and while thert' the 
 lire wall of the addition fell, crashing thiougli 
 ihr roof, killing (ilazier, and woundiuij sov- 
 c lal of tlie men. The money loss of this 
 fire was n(>t reported, but the death of the 
 chief — the first death of an Indiana])olis fire- 
 man in the perfornuinee of duty — overshadowed 
 <ither considerations. The extent and fury of 
 these fires was chiefiy due to the contents of 
 the buildings, but the city was coming to a 
 ])eriod when its worst fires were due to light 
 and cheap construction of high buildings. Un- 
 til 18"4 no fire ever crossed a street in In- 
 di.-inapolis, and it was generally supposed none 
 ever would, on account of their width, but 
 now it was demonstrated that high buildings 
 of infiammable structure presented a situation 
 differing from low buildings of solid construc- 
 tion. 
 
 On the exening of March 22, 1814 a fire 
 started in an unfinished building known as 
 Wrighfs E.xchange Block, on the west side of . 
 Pennsylvania street north of Market. It was 
 a four-story, ii-on-front building, nearly com- 
 pleted. The open studding and large ipian- 
 tities of lumber ready for placing made it a 
 veritable furnace. The water company was 
 slow in getting jiressnre, and the fire was so 
 well started before any effective streams were 
 had that tlie building was doomed. Burnini'- 
 brands were whirled up in the air and carrii'd 
 for more than a lilock. .\s the heat increased 
 fiames ajijieared in the ^[artindale block and 
 the unfinished Sheets Hotel (now the N'ew- 
 Denison) across the street, and before the com- 
 ))an'es could get at them, bi'tli were fully in
 
 isroi.'v or (u;i:.\ii:it lndianapous. 
 
 28.-? 
 
 flame. H\it li\' tliis limc tlic uatcr jUTssuri' 
 had Ix'CoiiR' satisfactory ami the tiiiMiicii man- 
 aged to kee]) the tire within these limits. liv 
 midnight the ')iiil(lins;s were snmkinj;' niiii> — 
 the wall:- still standing — and a loss of over 
 $200,000 had been incurred, not more tiian one- 
 fourth insured. There was criticism i)f the 
 fire department, partly ])olitieal, of the water 
 company, and of the tire apparatus. Undoui)t- 
 edly the huildings on the east side of the street 
 could have been saved if the department had 
 abandoned the original fire and given its at- 
 tention to them, but nobody dreamed of the 
 fire crossing the street. It w-as unprecedented. 
 A high wind from the w'est and a lack of water 
 pressure when it was most needed, coujded 
 with rotten hose and engines not in the best 
 condition, were the principal factors in the re- 
 .sult. It convinced everybody that it wniild 
 not do to rely on the water works alone. Said 
 the Ncvs: "Although it was claimed i)y tlie 
 Holly Company that their system answered ;ill 
 the pur])0ses of a fire department, experii'nee 
 has shown that it does nothing of the kind. 
 and that we shall have to rely mainly upon 
 engines. We need at least two more here, and 
 better ones if possible than those now in 
 use." This was the general sentiment, and 
 three new engines were ordered, with a supply 
 of new hose. Steamer Xo. 1 was placed at 
 Indiana avenue near Michigan : Steamer Xo. 2, 
 on Massachusetts avenue north of Walnut; 
 Steamer Xo. 3, on "\' irginia avenue below South 
 -treet: Steamer Xo. I. at Hussell avenue and 
 .Merrill street: Steamer Xo. .■) — calliMl "Snacks"', 
 in honor of Gid. B. Thompson of the News — 
 on Sixth street (now Fifteenth) ea«t of Ten- 
 nessee: Steamer Xo. li, the Thomas D. Tvingan, 
 was on Washington street west of West street; 
 Steamer Xo. 7, at 2(5 K. :\raryland. There 
 was also a hose wagon stationed at each of the 
 seven engine houses. The three remaining 
 hose wagons were at 20 X*. Xew Jersey street. 
 31 W. St. Joseph, and 12.5 East South street. 
 One of the new engines was a Seneca Falls, 
 one a Lee & Lamed rotarv, and one a Latta — 
 the last named being held in special esteem 
 bv the firemen, as the old T.atta bad been 
 also. 
 
 There were some fair sized tires in the next 
 fourteen years, but nothinsr startlinir. .\mong 
 the more notable were Kle\atnr H 'n .Tune, 
 1S7.5: the stv<'et car staliles atid Toii-ev I't 
 
 Wiggins meat-storage bouse in 1876 ; the .\ead- 
 emy of .Music on January 27, 1877; the Cen- ■ 
 tennial Block in the winter of 1878: Ferguson's 
 ])oik house on February ■; , 1881; the Hominy 
 Milks, October 8, 1881; Failey's Wheel Works, 
 October .30, 1883; the street car barns, Janu- 
 ary 1, 1884; the Indianapolis Stove Co., on 
 .May 9, 1883; the Love Bros, cotton mill, De- 
 cember 27, 1884; the Evans Linseed Oil .Mill, 
 December (i, 188.J; the Wasson fire, ilay 2(), 
 and Tucker & Dorsey fire, Xovember 4, 18S7. 
 In 1888 came two fires that were fairly beyond 
 the powers of the department, and it did well 
 to confine them as it <lid. The first, long 
 known as "the South ileridian Street Fire" 
 occurred on the night of January 13. It was 
 discovered in the dry goods house of D. P. 
 Erwin & Co., on the cast side of the street l)e- 
 low (ieorgia. soon after 11 o'clock, and gained 
 such headway that it could not be extinguished. 
 The night w-as bitter cold, and at first the 
 firemen were hardly able to handle the hose 
 on that account. In spite of their efforts it 
 took the wholesale grocei-y house of Geroge W. 
 Stout, on the north, and they would not have 
 beiMi aiile to save the ilry goods house of Bvram, 
 Cornelius I'lt Co.. on tlie cornel', if it had not 
 been jirotected by a heavy fire wall — a de- 
 fense which saved the buiJding from another 
 next-door fire some year.s' later. From StouCs 
 the fire jumped the street to an unfinished 
 building, and thence spread to and consumed 
 Pearson & WetzelTs (|ueensware house, ^Ic- 
 Kee Ik Branham's boot and shoe house, C. B. 
 Cones & Co.'s overall factory. Tanner & Sul- 
 livan's tinners' suonbes house, David Kahn's 
 trunk house, and damaged some other estab- 
 lislinients. .'Vfter the fire was well started the 
 cold <if the night was forgotten. It was so 
 hot on Meridian street that clothing was 
 scorched, and some of the hose was so badl\' 
 bui'iied as to be unserviceable. The men could 
 not get to windows on lailders on account o( 
 the heat, and tlu'rc was not a ladder in the 
 dejiartmcnt that would i-cacb to the roof of a 
 four-story building. .\ hard night's work 
 sei'\ed only to hold the lire within these bounds. 
 On June 13. a fire started in Stone & Co.'s 
 laliinet shop which formed the southeast cor- 
 ner of a group of factories, sheds and lumber 
 piles on the block at the southeast corner 
 of Clifford (now Tenth street) and Massa- 
 chusetts avenues. The wind was from th(»
 
 •2tii 
 
 HISTOIJY 01' GKEATER I^DIA.XAI'ULIS. 
 
 soiilli, and the iiiatirial was like tinder. It 
 .stopped ouly for lack of material after eou- 
 .■^luniug Adams & \Villiamsou"s veneer works, 
 and ;M. J. Osgood's lumber yard. The heat was 
 so intense that the boots of the firemen who 
 got in close to it ''cracked and fell otf their 
 feet." While the whole force was fighting this 
 fire, commonly known as "the Veneer Works 
 Fire", an alarm came in from Deloss Eoofs 
 foundry at the corner of Kentucky avenue 
 and Sharpe street, and part of the force was 
 sent there. Between the two the firemen had 
 a night that will long be remembered. 
 
 But mere work, or even hardship becomes in- 
 significant in comparison with the tragedy of 
 the Bowen-Merrill fire on March 17, 18911. 
 The fire began at 3 o'clock in the afternoon 
 in their establishment which was then on the 
 north side of Washington street on ground 
 now cohered by H. P. Wasson & Co. It soon 
 became evident that to prevent the fire spread- 
 ing to other buildings a determined fight 
 would have to be made, and a party of firemen 
 went to the roof, while others entered the win- 
 dows. Without a moment's warning the floors 
 from bottom to top of the building, and the 
 roof fell in. In the face of this appalling 
 disaster the remaining firemen redoubled their 
 efforts and volunteers aided both in extinguish- 
 ing the fire and in rescuing the victims. Twelve 
 dead firemen wei-e taken from the ruins : 
 Thos. A. Black. John Burkhart. Andrew 0. 
 (^lierry, George S. Falkner, Ulysses G. Glazier, 
 Albert Huffman, David 0. R. LowTy, Espy 
 Stormer, Anthony Voltz, Wm. L. Jones, George 
 W. Glenn and Henry D. Woodruff. There 
 were also wounded: Thomas Barrett, Fred 
 Bloomer, Geo. W. Diller. Wm. A. Hinesley, 
 Charles Jenkins, Eb. R. Leach, Wm. C. Long, 
 Albert ]\Ieurer, Wm. McGinnis, Samuel Xeall, 
 Samuel Null, Wm. C. Partee, Louis F. Rafert, 
 Wm. Reasner, Webb Robinson and Wm. Tal- 
 lentire. Wm. McGinnis afterwards died of 
 his injuries, and several of the others were 
 permanently incapacitated for bard work. The 
 tragedy sent a thrill of horror through the com- 
 munity, which quickly gave place to desire to 
 help the living. On the next day, ilay 18, 
 flavor Sullivan issued the following: 
 
 "Proclamation : 
 "The discharge of their duty has brought 
 death, sudden and terrible, to a large number 
 
 of our liremeii. Many others are confined to 
 their beils from injuries which will bring weeks 
 (if liclpless suffering. These men have families 
 dependent upon them. It is the duty and 
 pleasure of our citizens to see to it that want 
 is not added to the grief of those so bereaved. 
 In order that there may be no delay in this 
 matter, and that all generous givers may have 
 an opportunity to contribute to the discharge 
 (if this most pressing obligation that has C(Hne 
 upon us, 1 hereby appoint Geo. G. Tanner, 
 Kli Lilly. Theodore P. Haughey, John W. 
 Murphy, Caleb S. Denny, A. Kiefer and Mich- 
 ael O'Connor a committee to receive all funds 
 donated, and to take charge of the disburse- 
 ment of the same; and 1 request that the 
 above-named gentlcnii^n meet at the ilayor's 
 ottice in the Court House, at 10 :'.W a. m.. to- 
 day. 
 
 ■■Thomas L. Sullivan, Mayor." 
 
 The committee met. elected ilayor Sulli- 
 van chairman, Theodore P. Haughey treasurer, 
 and Caleli S. Denny secretary and went to 
 work at once, tlie subscriptions the first day 
 amounting to $1,725. Everybody wanted to 
 help. Collections were made not only in busi- 
 ness houses and organizations of all sorts, 
 but also by the children in the public schools 
 and the Suudav schools. Soon contributions 
 began coming in from the outside, especially 
 from fire departments, not only in Indiana, 
 iiul far outside. Louisville, Cincinnati, Dayton, 
 Akron, Cleveland, Toledo, Chicago, Pittsburg. 
 Atlanta, Brooklyn, and Xew York added gen- 
 erously to the fund ; and from London came 
 a check for $1,000 from the representatives 
 of the foreign insurance companies doing busi- 
 ness in Indiaiui. By August 23, 1900, the 
 fund was completed, with a total of $.12, 443. 49. 
 The committee wisely distributed this fund 
 on the basis of needs, instead of dividing it 
 equally. They paid $35,207.38 for annuities, 
 providing $15 a month for each of the nine 
 widows and one denendent mother left by the 
 casualty, $5 a month for each of nineteen or- 
 jihans and $10 a month for each of three in- 
 fant ori)hans till they reach the age of six- 
 teen. Homes were bought for the widows of 
 Glazier, Woodruff, Voltz and Glenn, who had 
 none, and mortgages paid on the homes of 
 Hoffman and Stormer. All fimeral and medical 
 bills were ]nr<\. and $11,804.37 was paid out to
 
 HISTOEY OF GREATER I^'DIANAPOLIS. 
 
 285 
 
 "._,^'^-v 
 
 
 
 OLD FIRE AT-ARM TOWER. 
 (From an old cut.)
 
 '2S(; 
 
 lllSTOHV OF GltKATHU IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 tlic families of llu- dead, and ^I.'JIH.-.H) tu the 
 injured. The annuities were bought in tlic 
 Equitable Life Assurance Company, the In- 
 dianapolis manager. 1). B. Shideler contributing 
 his commissions, which amounted to .$().3T.5"2. 
 
 In less than two years there came another 
 tire horror with the greatest loss of life ever 
 known here, but not to the fire department. 
 This was the burning of the Surgical Insti- 
 tute, at the northeast corner of Georgia and 
 Illinois streets. It was a veritable tire trap 
 for sound people, let alone helpless cripples, 
 including the upper poi'tions of several old 
 l)uildings connected bv narrow and intricate 
 passages, and insiitficiently furnished with fire 
 escapes. The alarm came a quarter of an hour 
 before midnight on January 21. 1892. By 
 the time the de])artment reached the scene the 
 building was filled with «tifiing smoke, but not- 
 withstanding this, and the warning of tbe 
 Bowen-^Ierrill fire, firemen and a number of 
 outsiders who were earlv' on the scene entered 
 the building and succeeded in rescuing a num- 
 ber of the dazed and almost helpless patients. 
 In spite of their efforts nineteen lives were lost 
 in surroundings so a])]ialling as to beggar de- 
 scrijition. This tire probably did more to 
 awaken the community to the moral responsi- 
 bility for dangerous buildings than all the 
 rest of their experience. The Democratic cor- 
 oner returned a verdict exonerating the owners 
 of the Institute, and the Sentinel vigorously 
 denounced his action and demanded his defeat 
 for renomination. which duly resulted, not- 
 withstanding the efforts of the local Democratic 
 machine to save hini.^ Since then there has 
 been a steady trend of sentiment in favor of 
 fire protection by prevention that has borne 
 good fruit, and though the enforcement of 
 the law outside of mere construction of build- 
 ings is not perfect, it is an improvement on 
 former conditions. 
 
 With the inauguration of government iiinlei' 
 thi' new city charter, in 1891. came an im- 
 provement in tlu> fire department. In 1891 
 the Chief reported "six engines, three ahnost 
 worthless", but in that year three new engines 
 were bought, one first-class and two second- 
 class: two of the old engines being given in 
 exchange and one repaired. A new cheinieal 
 
 'Senfinel. .lannarv '2'^ : Februaiv 2:! : ,\pril 
 0. 1892. 
 
 was bought, at a cost of -iio.oOO. a new hook 
 and ladder truck, and two hose wagons. The 
 city entered on 1S92 with seven serviceable en- 
 gines, three chemicals, three general purpose 
 trucks, one aerial truck and eleven hose wagons. 
 The one thing lacking, which was asked for 
 and was not provided, was a water tower, 
 and this request was repeated in 1893. The 
 need of it was demonstrated in several tires 
 that could not be reached by ordinary appara- 
 tus. There were several bad fires in 189.'), 
 involving heavy loss — tlie Corde fire. Febnuiiy 
 5; the Denison, Februarv 7; Geo. W. Stout. 
 February 10; Eastman. Schleicher it Lee. Sep- 
 tember 18, and Schnull & Co., December 3 — 
 and the insurance companies raised insurance 
 rates, with a broad intimation that they migiit 
 be reduced if the fire department were im- 
 proved. The justice of the demand was gen- 
 erally conceded, and the Sentinel made a 
 s|iecial tight for a water tower. Two new en- 
 gines were purchased, with two hose wagons 
 and a Champion water tower, the latter i)eing 
 put in service ^lay 30, 189(>. The water tower 
 had a disastrous experience, owing to the fact 
 that nobody seemed to know how to handle it. 
 It was designed to be liacked up to a tire, so 
 that the recoil of the tower would come length- 
 wise of the truck, but this required that the 
 truck should set across the street, which block- 
 aded it. At the Denison house fire im Janu- 
 ary 29, 1897, it was undertaken to operate 
 it sidewise. and the result was that when the 
 pressure was put on, the recoil upset the truck 
 and the tower was badly smashed. Chief Coots 
 has obviated this troulde. by providing a pair 
 of heavy iron braces, which are clamped on 
 the tops of the wheels at one end. and se- 
 curely spiked to the pavem,ent at the other 
 when the tower is in operation, thus making an 
 upset impossible. The repaired tower is now 
 a valuable feature of the fire-fighting equip- 
 ment, and has rendered great service by get- 
 ting a heavy stream of water to points which 
 nu'n could not approach on account of the 
 heat. This fact is recognized by all who give 
 attention to such matters, and has been dem- 
 onstrated repeatedly; for example, at the 
 Badger fire, on Xovember 22. 190.-). the water 
 tower un(|uestional)ly prevented a disastrous 
 conflagration. 
 
 In 189() the worst fires were tbe Balke & 
 Krauss fire on Februarv 21 : the Atkins fire on
 
 II!ST()i;V OF r.UKATF.i; IXniAXAPOIJS. 
 
 •,'s: 
 
 Jl.iv 111; tlu' iVarson A Wi'tzell on Uctolu'i 
 1">: and llie Laurie & Kobson, on XovenilxT 
 7. In tliat year two additional engines were 
 purcliai-pd. There was then nothing serious 
 until 189!), when the Stedihaii Lounge factory 
 burned on February 'i'i ; and the Atkins plant 
 had another Ijail lire on December 29. In 
 IDOO the bail tires were luni|)e<l in February 
 and March, beginning with the disastrous Stout 
 and Kiefer tire on February 1 ; aiul followed 
 by the C'lune mattress factory on February 17. 
 tiic Star store, on March il. Cones Overall 
 factory on March 11. and Mussman's planing 
 mill, on ^larch is. The year 1J)04 was sig- 
 nalized by two bad church fires, the First Ra]!- 
 tist on January ;!. and Meridian Street Method- 
 ist Church, on November IT. both being total 
 losses. During this period there luid been a 
 steady improvement in (ire e(iui]iment. In 
 isni two new engines witc bought; and in 
 190"^ two more engines, three hose wagons, a 
 combination truck and chemical, two general 
 piirjiose trucks, one aerial truck, and one uni- 
 versal wagon iu)zzle. N'evertheless. the year 
 190.i witnessed the worst tire tliat Indianapolis 
 ever had. 
 
 On the evening of February 19. a (ire started 
 in Fahnley & ^McCrea's wholesale millinery 
 house on South Meridian street. It stood in 
 a quarter of a scpiare bcumded by Meridian, 
 r.ouisiana and McCrea streets, with an alley 
 on the north, which was almost solidly built 
 up, with a large amouiit of frame construc- 
 tion liack from the street fronts. The Fahnley 
 & AfcCrea establishment ran through Iroiii Mer- 
 idi.i.n to ^IcCrca street, with an 1- running 
 Fouth to T.ouisiana street between the Savoy 
 TTotel and the .Sherman FTouse. The origin 
 of the fire was a invstery and its rapidity of 
 spread was phenomenal. It may have started 
 from electric wires or from esca|iing gas. The 
 firm had several machines for curling feath- 
 ers (hat were heated by gas. conducted through 
 rubber tubes. If the gas did not start the fire. 
 there is no doubt that the tubes quicklv burned. 
 and the gas fed the flames. Nearly the wb(de 
 deiiartniciit was on haml within fifteen minutes 
 and the fire was so liot that the first water 
 was thrown on buildings across the street to 
 prevent its spread. Jn a very short time it 
 was evident that the Fahnley & McCrea es- 
 tablishment and the buildings south of it were 
 doomed. North of it was the dru^' house of 
 
 \. Kiefer I'v: Co.. which was considered lire- 
 l)ii>(if on account of heavy walls and an auto- 
 matic sprinkler — the only one in the square. 
 In .'^ome mysterious way the fire "jumped" 
 this building, and started in the secoiul floor 
 of GrilKths Bros, millinery house, north of it. 
 Possibly this was due to sonu' effect of the fire 
 on the electric wires, for another buihlin<T far- 
 ther north — Muellerschoen's saloon — took fire 
 twice from electric wires during the conttagra- 
 tion. but was put out both times. (Jritfiths" 
 wa> ipiickly a niass of flame. Kiefer's withstood 
 ilie heat on both sides until the water supply of 
 it> automatic sprinkler was exhausted — more 
 than half an hour. Then it took fire at the 
 lop. and soon the large water tank crashed 
 down through the roof and floors. l'\irtunately, 
 the bas(Mnent was by this time pretty well 
 flooded, and the fire did not reach the stocks 
 of whiskv, ammonia and nitro-glycerin. that 
 were stored there. 
 
 Meanwhile the fire had progressccl to tlie 
 north and taken the druggists" sundries and 
 holiday goods house of the E. C. Dolmetsch 
 Co., in the upper story of which was a tpian- 
 tity of fireworks. The explosions of these and 
 the drugs in Kiefer's resembled cannonading, 
 and the pyrotechnic effects were startling. The 
 wind was blowing steadily from the south, and 
 <parks and burning l)rands were carried for 
 Idocks. A chemical engine was detailed to 
 p.atrol the streets of the business district and 
 look for fires. A cupola elevator-shaft of the 
 Crand Hotel, a block away, took fire, but luckily 
 was soon discovered and extinguished with a 
 loss of not over *-2,()00. Tt is probable that 
 what saved the ci(v was the fact that there 
 had been s(>veral recent snows, and roofs were 
 nut in condition to ignite readily. The de- 
 partment devoted its efforts to preventing the 
 furtb"r spread of the fire, and by great exer- 
 tion prevented its passing the alley at the 
 north, or any of the streets, though buildings 
 op|)osite were scorched and their windows 
 cracked to pieces. Evervhody conceded the <ino(\ 
 work of the department, and the spread of the 
 fire was due to its peculiar character, and the 
 lack of wnter nressure in its earlier stau'cs. 
 Since thi< fire the notable ones have been that 
 of Brinkmt'vcr. Kuhn & Co.. on Juni' '.'0. 
 1005, and the Daniel .Steward Drug House, on 
 July 7. 1907. There have also been warnings 
 in ihi three Presto-Tiite fires on October 17,
 
 288 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIA]S\\POLIS. 
 
 1907; Deuciiibcr '.'0. 1907: and .7une 6, 190S. 
 The record of alarms aud adjusted losses by 
 3'ears, as far back as available, is as follows: 
 
 a 
 
 1882 
 
 c:: 
 
 < 
 
 213 
 
 o 
 $ 52,160 
 
 1896 
 
 371 
 
 VJ 
 
 C 
 
 337,974 
 
 1883 
 
 214 
 
 110,579 
 
 1897 
 
 696 
 
 $221,540 
 
 1884 
 
 2C2 
 
 83.723 
 
 1898 
 
 704 
 
 174.298 
 
 1885 
 
 293 
 
 199,901 
 
 1899 
 
 957 
 
 207.394 
 
 188G 
 
 
 
 1900 
 
 1.052 
 
 695.244 
 
 1887 
 
 408 
 
 139.702 
 
 1901 
 
 1,099 
 
 225,872 
 
 1888 
 
 327 
 
 749.399 
 
 1902 
 
 1,098 
 
 297,448 
 
 1889 
 
 302 
 
 241,902 
 
 1903 
 
 1,109 
 
 286,798 
 
 1890 
 
 324 
 
 259.501 
 
 1904 
 
 1.092 
 
 480,029 
 
 1S91 
 
 3^0 
 
 358,714 
 
 1 905 
 
 1.148 
 
 1,013,012 
 
 1892 
 
 435 
 
 304.308 
 
 1 i)06 
 
 1.293 
 
 370.886 
 
 1893 
 
 53G 
 
 lfi2.105 
 
 1907 
 
 1.171 
 
 181,756 
 
 1894 
 
 473 
 
 234.566 
 
 1908 
 
 1.414 
 
 633.418 
 
 1895 
 
 fi78 
 
 712.090 
 
 1909 
 
 1,326 
 
 
 It is to be noted that these are the figures 
 for the adjusted losses as taken from the oth- 
 cial reports of the companies to the Auditor 
 of State — down to 1894 by the Fire Depart- 
 ment, and since that date bv the Indianapolis 
 Fire Inspection Bureau. There is no record 
 of uninsured losses. The vear 1905 is the only 
 one in the history of the city in which the 
 losses exceeded the insurance premium ])ay- 
 mcnts for the year from the city. In that 
 year the premium payments were $1,000,058. 
 Tlie loss for the year is due to the great fire of 
 February 19, on South Meridian strcrt, tlic 
 aggregate loss in which was $825,000. 
 
 The fire force of Indiana]iolis, on Janua'" 
 1. 1909. consisted of 264 men. of wIkuu 23 
 were substitutes and 241 regular em]iloyes. 
 with an annual pay roll of $227,000 to which 
 is added $45,000 for current expenses. The 
 equipment consists of eleven engines in acti\i' 
 use and one held in reserve. Three of these 
 are Metropolitans: five Ahre7is; one Continen- 
 tal: one La France: one Xott, and one Clapp 
 & .Tones Five are first class — two extra : three 
 second-class, and four third-class. There are 
 twenty-six hose wagons in active service and 
 one in reserve. Five of these are furnished 
 with the Glazier turret nozzle and two with 
 the Maltese cross. There are three chemical 
 engines in active service, and one in reserve. 
 The city has one water tower, a ('iinnipinn. 
 
 whicli is also furnisbetl with a dcek nozzle. 
 There are nine hook and ladder trucks in ac- 
 tive use and one in reserve, of which two are 
 aerials, and three combination chemicals. There 
 are sixty-eight portable Babcock extinguishers, 
 each hose wagon and ladder truck being 
 equipped with two of them, except the five wag- 
 ons that have the Glazier wagon nozzles. The 
 city is chiefly dependent on the water-works 
 system for fire protection, aud there are 2.371 
 fire hydrants scattered through the city. There 
 are also 177 fire cisterns scattered through the 
 citj'', located chiefly in neighborhoods where 
 large fires are possiljle. Xinety of these are 
 connected with the water mains, so that they 
 can 1)0 replenished while the engines draw from 
 them. They are usually filled from the water 
 mains unless convenient to the canal or river. 
 Two of these cisterns are of only 300 barrels 
 capacity, but they run from that up to 2,000 
 barrels, the average being 800 to 1,000 barrels. 
 The custom now is to make new cisterns of 
 aliout 500 barrels capacity, and connect with 
 the water mains. 
 
 The old watcli tower system was the only 
 source of fire alarms until 1868, when, in Feb- 
 ruary, the city put in an automatic electric 
 alarm svsteni. at a cost of $6,000. This was 
 gradually extended as the city grew, and con- 
 tinued in use until 1901. It was vei-y satis- 
 factory except in rare cases when two alarms 
 were sent in at the same time, in which rase 
 it confused them, and indicated Udthina'. 'i'his 
 system repeated the alai'm by sounding the 
 box number, five times. On ^farch 4, 1901, a 
 I'ontract was made with the Gamewell Com])anv 
 for a new equipment, including a complete 
 exchange, for $62,500. It called for 120 new 
 boxes, and the remodeling of 104 old oiks. 
 This equipment is now in use. the number of 
 boxes being increased from time to time until 
 now there are in all 289 boxes. Of these 160 
 are fitted with the "Smith glass front"; i. e.. 
 they have the key in the box under a glass 
 cover which is to he broken in case it is de- 
 sired to send in an alarm. For the others 
 the keys are kept in the most convenient 
 neighboring houses. It is astonishing how 
 many people are unable to send in a fire alarm, 
 and in their excitetnent fail to notice the direc- 
 tions which are printed in hirae letters in the 
 box. There have been repeated cases m-Ium-o 
 pcojile thought thev had <i'\)\ in the alnnn liv
 
 HISTORY OF GIJHATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 289 
 
 opening tlic door of the box. without pullin;; 
 down the hook. The new signals are non- 
 interfering, i. e., if a second signal is sent 
 in wliile one is still coming, the second is 
 held back until the first is conLj)lete(l. .\ 
 second alarm is sent in by sounding two strokes, 
 with the box number. A second two strokes 
 with the box number, is the third alarm. The 
 citv is divided into districts, and only the com- 
 panies in a district run to a first alarm from 
 that district. Additional ones come at the 
 second and third alarms, and three successive 
 two-strokes call out the reserve. At a second 
 alarm the assistant chief goes to headquarters 
 and takes charge of the reserve force, which 
 is directed by telephone, and is brought from 
 the suburbs to more central houses, where it 
 will be available for the protection of larger 
 territory in case of another fire. 
 
 In addition to the electric alarm sys- 
 tem, the watch tower system has been 
 maintained, but in April, 1882, the 
 tower of the Court House was secured 
 as a ))lace for observation instead of the 
 old one. The fii'st watchnum there was on duty 
 only at night, but his work was found so 
 valuable that a da\ watch was instituted, with 
 three shifts of I'ight hours each. The watch- 
 men are supplied with strong field-glasses with 
 which they scan the city, and usually locate 
 fires and send in the alarm ))efore it is sent 
 in from a box. Repeatedly the firemen have 
 appeared on premises to fight a fire before the 
 inmates knew there was oiU'. The ]irivate 
 watchman at the Van Camp Packing Ifousr 
 was on duty when the fire occurred there, but 
 admitted that he did not know of it till the 
 tower man sent in the alarm. On one occasion 
 the attention of the tower man was called to 
 a bright light issuing from a ])artly curtained 
 windoAv on the fourth floor of a idock on 
 Delaware street, nortli of Washington. Closrr 
 inspection revealed some men |iouring nirial 
 into molds. Hi' (elephoned his suspicion of 
 counterfeiters to iiolice head(|uarters, but a 
 raid was not made promptly, and when the po- 
 lice arrived the birds had flown; but they left 
 ample evidences of their nefarious work'. 
 
 In addition to the fire signals, the alarm 
 pongs siriki' 12 strokes at noon, and oiu' at 
 7 p. m. It is an interesting fact that the de- 
 partment horses learn to distinguish these 
 froTii ahii-iii~. They usually give evideiu-e of 
 Vol. I— i!i 
 
 anticipation as the noon hour approaches, and 
 when ilie gong sounds run out wan none of the 
 excitement displayed when an alarm comes in. 
 'J'hey are hitclied, and after standing quietly 
 for five minutes are returued to their stalls. 
 When an alarm conies they are all alive. The 
 harness is hung above the places where they 
 stand for hitching. At the first tai) of the 
 bell the doors of their stalls open automatically; 
 they hasten to their places ; the harness drops 
 on their back; the men snap their collars, and 
 the lines to the bits; the driver mounts his 
 scat; the doors swing open, and away they go 
 in less than twenty seconds. 'I'hc training 
 makes the horses almost as much firemen as 
 the men. There are now 121 horses in the 
 department. They are purchased at about five 
 years old and are given close caie from the 
 first. Large horses are used for the engines 
 and trucks, some weighing as much as l.fidO 
 pounds, but for the hose wagons and lighter 
 work ],300 pounds is near the maximum. 
 
 .\s stated, Joseph W. Davis was made 
 Chief Fire Engineer at the organization 
 of the paid dej)artment. and he con- 
 liiiued in ottiee until 18(vi, when Charles 
 IJichmann succeeded him. Rich maim served 
 until 1867, when (ieorge W. Buclianau 
 took the office for a year, giving |)lace to 
 ]{ichmann again in 1868. Richmann then held 
 till 1870, when Daniel Glazier was elected, 
 and after his death on March 11, 187;?, Rich- 
 mann was again made chief until 1874. In 
 that year the Democrats elected the city coun- 
 cil, and, the office being then a political one, 
 .Michael (J. Fitchey was made chief. Two 
 years later the political whirligig ])ut W. O. 
 Sherwood in his place. Sherwood held for two 
 years, and was followed by John G. Pender- 
 gast. the first chief who had not seen service 
 in either volunteer or paid department. How- 
 ever, be made a very good chief, and held the 
 position for four years, when he was suect'cded 
 iiy Joseph Webster. Webster served from 1882 
 to 1888, and after an interim of two years in 
 which Frank \j. Daugherty was chief, he was 
 recalled in 1891. On the adoption of the new 
 charter the head of the de])artiuent became 
 known as Chief of the Fire Force, and Webster 
 was installed in this office on March 6. 1891. 
 He continued until Xovember 18. 1896. when 
 Thomas F. Barn'tt took his |)lace. under tlie 
 administration of Ma\(U' Tai;i::irt. There were
 
 iW) 
 
 HISTORY OF GREA'I'Ki; INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 
 o 
 
 z 
 
 S 
 E- 
 « 
 < 
 
 a 
 
 Q 
 
 a
 
 IIISTOKY OF GEEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 ayi 
 
 ^■liargc; tliat tliu changL' was politiial. hut Mavur 
 Ta;ji;art insisted that it was t'ssciitial to tho 
 disfipline of the departiiicnt. aiM t.i 
 generally concetled.- Barrett held the otlice 
 until November 14. 1!K)1, when he was suc- 
 ceeded hy Charles K. Coots, the |)re3ent etfi- 
 cient ehief. Under the charter the department 
 is retpiired to be non-partisan, or rather bi- 
 partisan, the men being equally divided be- 
 tween the Re]nd)lican and Democratic parties. 
 The Bowen- Merrill lire disaster was largely 
 the cause of a jjublic sentiment for a firemen's 
 pension fund, and the legislature of 1S91 
 passed a law taxing foreign insurance com- 
 panies one per cent on gross receijjts in In- 
 diana foi- the benefit of paid fire departments. 
 This law was contested, and held unconstitu- 
 tional l)V the Supri'nie Court, but before the 
 decision one assessment had been paitl. and 
 it was allowed to remain in the Indianapolis 
 fund, the amount being .$1,33.5.1.5. The first 
 board of trustees of the fund organized on 
 June 1, 1891, composed of Sterling R. Holt, 
 W. A. Sullivan and R. F. Cattersen, then 
 members of tlie Board of Safety, and Thomas 
 Barrett, A\'illiam Tobin. William Ilinesley. and 
 Eb. Leach of the fire force. Voluntary sub- 
 scrijitions and a fireman's ball, brought the 
 fund np to $3..5.53..59 on January 1, 18i)2. and 
 it has been growing steadily ever since. Jn 
 1S0« a tax of one-half cent on $100 on city 
 |ii'o|)ertv was added, and has since been levied. 
 
 -Xiirs. November IG, 1896. 
 
 The jiroceeds, aside from benefits paid, have 
 been invested in interest Ijcaring bonds. On 
 Januarv 1, 1909, the fund was composed of 
 cash .$3,256.5; and bonds $84,295.88, a total 
 of $87,352.45. At that date there were 62 
 beneficiaries, widows, orphans and disabled and 
 and retired firemen, who were receiving 
 $1.5o6 monthly in benefits from this fund. 
 
 There has been a steady growth in the rec- 
 ognition of the fact that "an ounce of ])reven- 
 tion is worth a pound of cure'' in fire pro- 
 tection, though the city is still neglecting pre- 
 cautions that are called for by prudence. In 
 1904 a quite elaborate and rigid building or- 
 dinance was adopted, with general approval. 
 It fixed the fire limits, loo.sely speaking, be- 
 tween St. Clair street on the north, McCarty 
 street oit the south ; Shelby street and the 
 tracks on the east, and Blake street and the 
 river on the west. Within these limits no new 
 frame structures were to be allowed. Four 
 months later, however, this requirement was 
 quietly changed, and on October 18, 1904, an 
 ordinance was passed permitting frame dwell- 
 ings outside of tlie mile square. In a gen- 
 eral wav till' provisions for buililing inspecticni 
 are fairly good, and are |>retty well enforced. 
 Not so much can be said about the require- 
 ments for the removal of rubbish, and combust- 
 ible and explosive matei'ials. In this, how- 
 ever, there comes aid from the inspection l)u- 
 reau maintained by the insurance companies, 
 for it promptly raises insurance rates on risks 
 pronounced dangerous.
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 A POLITICAL EPOCH. 
 
 There was never a political event that 
 caused a greater sensation in Indianapolis 
 than the tally-sheet forgeries in November, 
 1886 ; not that political fraud, even of so ag- 
 srravated a character as that, had been un- 
 known, but because of the boldness of the 
 performance and the still more unusual de- 
 termination that was shown to punish it. 
 The truth is that Indiana had been reduced 
 to a pitiable condition of political corruption 
 by the fact that it was ""a pivotal state,'" and 
 both the great parties had been exhausting 
 the resources of political depravity to carry 
 it. In I\Iay, 1886, just six mouths before 
 this event, Wm. P. Fishbaek delivered "A 
 Plea for Honest Elections" before the stu- 
 dents of Indiana University in which he 
 dealt very plainly with the situation. It 
 caused much comment then and afterwards, 
 but, as was well known by everybody con- 
 nected intimately with politics, it did not 
 exaggerate the evil in the slightest. He re- 
 ferred to the campaign of 1876, when a dis- 
 patch, from the Democratic National Chair- 
 man, ]\rr. Barnum, was intercepted, authoriz- 
 ing the purchase of "seven more mules" on 
 account of the Democratic National Com- 
 mittee; and added: "While the mule busi- 
 ness was active, the telegraph wires were kejjt 
 warm with messages from Republicans in 
 the East to Republicans in Indianapolis con- 
 cerning certain mythical Indian agents, 
 which agents, whatever else they may have 
 done, iTDJenished the Republican excheq- 
 uer." 
 
 He th(>n passed to the campaign of 1880, 
 when Chairman Barnum. of the Democratic 
 National Committee, and Chaii'man Dorsey, 
 of the b'l'publican National Committee, came 
 to Indiana in person to supervise "the or- 
 
 ganization of the state." and spent "■snnu'- 
 thiug over a half million dollars" in the ef- 
 fort. They were business partners outside of 
 ])olitics, Barniun being president and Dorsey 
 secretary of the Bull-Domingo Mining Com- 
 panj', and were familiar with underground 
 workings. Says Fishbaek: "What was ^Ir. 
 Barnum, the representative of the great 
 Democratic Reform party, what was ilr. 
 Dorsey, representing the party of reminis- 
 cences and great moral ideas, doing in In- 
 diana, with their money bags > * * * j^et 
 us not blink matters. l)ut speak the truth. 
 We Imow to a moral certainty that these 
 gentlemen, Barnum and Doreey, were the 
 custodians and distribut(U's of large sums of 
 money, which were used, and intended to be 
 used, to promote illegal voting, the bribery of 
 electors, and other election frauds. And it 
 is a matter of indift'erence whether the money 
 u.sed was the 'cri.sp, uncut bank bills fresh 
 from the treasury' described by Mr. English, 
 or the greasy, ragged currency contributed 
 by the hungry otfiee-seekers of the Demo- 
 cratic party. No reputable Democrat or 
 Republican pretends that these vast sums of 
 money v>ere necessary to be used, or were 
 in fact used, for the purposes of legitimate 
 political warfare. It was an organized as- 
 sault upon the riglit of suffrage, counte- 
 nanced, I am sorry to believe, if not ap- 
 proved, by party leaders of both parties, who, 
 in the midst of excitement, connived at trans- 
 actions from which, in (juieter times, an 
 honorable man instinctively recoils. From 
 Barnum and Dorsey, down through the wliole 
 gamut of lesser scoundrels, to the poor devil 
 who sat on the fence till five miinites before 
 six o'clock p. m.. and then sold his vote for 
 a dciHai' oi' a drink of whiskv — all who were 
 
 292
 
 HISTORY OF GRKATKi; I \'T)[A\.\ I'ol.lS. 
 
 29S 
 
 'ii'.'a.i.'ed in the disgraceful business deserved 
 tlif penitentiary. 
 
 "If Nathaniel Hawthorne's magic bugle 
 were to suninioii into line — clothed in proper 
 raiment of horizontal stripes— all the rascals 
 who bribed votei's. or who took bribes for 
 their votes, who corini)ted election officers. 
 or falsified election i-eturns, who swore in 
 illegal votes, who colonized votei-s, who voted 
 twiee. or voted double tickets, who tampered 
 with ballots after they were east, who con- 
 sorted with or encouraged repeaters and bal- 
 lot-bo.\ stuffeis. oi- who were accessory to 
 thcii- escape fi-oni tiie just penalties of the 
 violated law, it would be, I fear, a large pro- 
 cession, in which we should sec both parties 
 represented, and in which we might discover 
 men of good iM^pute. as the phrase goes, and 
 some who ha\c had miuI now have official 
 preferment mainly because they had earned 
 a place in that pi'ocession."" This is a some- 
 what repulsive picture, but it has the essen- 
 tial f-^-atures of a photograph. 
 
 The year liSSd was an ■"off year" — no 
 presidential election — and the elections of 
 that .vear were managed by local talent, edu- 
 cated in this school. The Democi'atic Chair- 
 man of Clarion County was Sim Coy. lie 
 was a i-eal chaii-num- an unilis|)utcd boss— > 
 and to understand the events of the .vear it 
 is necessary to understand Sim Coy, who 
 was one of the most unitpie characters known 
 to Indianapolis. lie was conunonl.v reputed 
 to be the natiu'al son of a rather prominent 
 man. of more than average mental ability. 
 and had the lack of moral training incident 
 t« such a condition. In his book. "The (ii'cal 
 Conspirac.v," which is well worth reading 
 by every student of social science, will bi> 
 found uinri' punyent philosophic and even 
 nioi'al obsiTvations than in the proihK-lioiis of 
 the averau'f Indiana author: and among them 
 nothing more striking than this comment on 
 a convict ac(iuaiiitance in the penitentiary: 
 "I ask myself if tin- law does not deal 
 harshly man.v times with those who go astray. 
 Wliat do any of us know of the temptations 
 that must bes(>t sncli a man, and how can 
 any of us gauge or undeistand the iiiHuences 
 that drive him into the tribe of Ishnuiel ? Is 
 tliiM-e. lifter all. a Fate that marks out the 
 path iMch human soul iiinsi travel and out 
 
 of which no human pnwer nr mortal will can 
 turn him?"' 
 
 Do not mistake this for an apology for 
 himself. Sim Coy was not an apologist, and 
 it is not probable that he ever contem()lated 
 himself for a moment as a ci'iminal. He de- 
 rived his moral standard from his observa- 
 tion of the doings of his fellow men, and con- 
 sequently it was not high ; but he had a moral 
 standard, and he lived up to it with a firhi- 
 ness that might put many men of better op- 
 poi'tunities to the blush. For example, he 
 says: "I was never addicted to driidiing to 
 an extent calculated to alarm either myself 
 or my friends; but fi-om the time I became 
 closely identified with political matters I 
 have never permitted a drop of intoxicating 
 lit) nor to pass my lips. This may seem strange 
 to many of my readers who know of ni.v 
 connection with the liquor business. But as 
 I have said in the introductory pages of tliis 
 book. I generally had a policy to guide me. 
 and always hewed to the line. Jly reasons 
 for not drinking intoxicating liquors nuiy be 
 summed up as follows: In the various offi- 
 cial positions I have held, I necessaril.v came 
 in contact with men of various avocations 
 and callings, and I doubt if it is an over- 
 estinuite to say that there have been occa- 
 si(^ns when, during a da.v, I have been invited 
 to drink a huntlred times. To have complied 
 with sucli requests would have soon and in- 
 evitably i-educed me to a physical wreck. 
 Had I accepted of one invitation, I could not 
 have declined others without giving offense, 
 and I therefore refused all. I belong to that 
 class of nu'n who concede to others the right 
 to act as their .indunicnt dictates, as long as 
 they keep within the bounds of decency, and 
 do not interfere with the riiihts nf dthers. A 
 jx'i-son may be a glutton, anil by over-eating 
 make himself the victim of ills .scarcely less 
 repulsive than those which result from di'iidv- 
 ing: and hence my motto is: R«> temperate 
 in all things, in (wdcr to be healthy and h'ad 
 a successful life. '" - 
 
 Coy entei-ed the enq)loy of the Shaw Car- 
 riaue AVorks in IStiti, as an apprentice in the 
 painter's trade. ;it the age of fifteen. .\t the 
 age of twenty-four he left it and went into 
 
 '77(c Great Couspiracy. p. 188. 
 "The Great Couxpinn i/. \i. '2'iO.
 
 294 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAP0LT8. 
 
 the saloon business, in partnership witli T. C. 
 Redding, superintendent of the Shaw plant, 
 remainintr in it thi-ouyh the rest of his life. 
 He says; "A man ou»-ht always to be ready 
 to give a reason foi' his choice of callings. 
 Some say selling liquor is disreputable : if that 
 is true, the laws of Indiana are disreputable, 
 and consequently, the men who made the 
 laws are disreputable. If the man who sells 
 liquor is disreputable, the man who makes 
 liquor must also be dishonorable, and the 
 man who drinks li(|uor belongs to the same 
 class. There is no way that I' know of for 
 the people of the state, their representatives 
 the law-makers, the men who distill and 
 brew, make wine and cider, those who sell — 
 wholesale and retail, and the men who drink, 
 to escape the same verdict, unless the court 
 that tries the case is so warped and pre.ju- 
 diced, so mean and contemptible, as to punish 
 a foe and let a friend escape," ^ 
 
 Coy went into politics early, and was a 
 member of the Democratic County Commit- 
 tee at twenty-one. In 1881 he was nominalcl 
 for the city council from the EighteiM'tii 
 ward, then normally over 200 Republicai'. 
 He was elected and repeatedly re-elected, in 
 spite of all etT'oits to defeat him. The reason 
 was that he looked after the interests of his 
 constituents. Xo matter whether the city 
 had a Republican or a Democratic adminis- 
 tration, no ward fared better than the Eight- 
 eenth in the cai'e of streets and other public 
 work. Moreover he was wise. He says : 
 "There are many men who ruin themselves 
 politically by making promises which they 
 find themselves unable to fulfill : while others 
 make promises which they never intend to 
 comply with: in either case such men ruin 
 themselves and in.jure their party. A man 
 should never make a promise to one of his 
 constituents, no matter how humble he may 
 be, unless he intends to faithfully carry it 
 out. and my expeiience is there are few men 
 who can hold tlie party workers in line who 
 violate their pledges. The political field is 
 no place for a timid man, and the person who 
 is thin-skinned had better never enter the 
 arena of politics." To these extracts I would 
 add an observation he once made to me: 
 ■'Xev^r Tnake a jxilitical enemy if you can 
 
 ■77/f Grrnt Cons!>iriicif. ]i. 10. 
 
 help it. You will have all you can take can- 
 of without trying. If I hear of a man that 
 is sore on me, I always look around and see 
 if I can do him a favor, and get him right." 
 
 My knowledge of the man leads me to pio- 
 nounce the.se extracts frank and truthful 
 expressions of his real views, polished gram- 
 matically and rhetorically by some friendly 
 hand. And they give the key to his char- 
 acter. He had no scruples about political 
 crookedness. That was a part of "the game." 
 as played by nine-tenths of those in it: and 
 the man who did not take any kind of politi- 
 cal advantage when he had opportunity was 
 not only a "chump," but was not "playing 
 the game." Coy ditt'ered from most of the 
 othei-s in his frankness. He did not thiidj it 
 was worth lying about. And frankness was 
 more common then. It was not luiusual to 
 hear a party worker offer as the supreme 
 proof of his party loyalty that he had "'I'lsked 
 the penitentiary" for his jiarty. And theiv 
 was a fellowship between the rascals of op- 
 posite parties, outside of politics. They 
 hunted together between times, and they 
 helped each otlier out in case of little trou- 
 bles like indictments. T'sually after a warm 
 camjiaign thei-e were several arrests, and 
 sometimes indictments, but there was always 
 an "exchange of prisoners," except in one 
 ca.se where a colored man was by some mis- 
 chance convicted and punished for violating 
 the election law. But with his loose i leas in 
 this respect and others. Sim Coy was straight 
 in some things. It was imiversally conceded 
 that if he wei-e given money to ""buy a 
 crowd," he either accomidished the result or 
 i-eturned the money. If he said he would 
 do a thing you could count on him. His most 
 supreme contempt was for the man '"who 
 wouldn't stay bought when he was Iwught." 
 
 In the election of 1884 the Democrats for 
 the first time in thirtv years elected a ma- 
 joi'ity of the county commissioners, and this 
 boai'd, composed of Albei't Sahn and AV. O. 
 Reveal, Democrats, and AV, R, Clinton, Re- 
 publican, institnted a reform in the conduct 
 of the county business that was highly satis- 
 factory to tax-payers generally. In 1886 
 there was a hotly contested campaign, and it 
 was ap]iarent from the informal returns that 
 the Democrats had elected all the county 
 officers except the judge of the ci'iuiinal court
 
 iiisi-(m;v of (;i;i-:a'1'i:i! lxdia.xai'olis. 
 
 2!).> 
 
 ami the coroner. That year the Democrats 
 had the ai)pointineiit of the eh'ctiou inspec- 
 tors, tlie election hoard in each |)i-cciiict lic- 
 inf: composed of the inspector with one judjie 
 and one clerk from each of the two leadintr 
 parties. The eaiivassinp hoard was composed 
 of the inspectors from all the precincts, a 
 jiidtre acting' in the ahsence of the inspectoi-. 
 Eaeh election board was required to make out 
 two poll books and two tally sheets, certified 
 by the members. One of these was re(|uinMl 
 to be securely sealed in a bap- and returned to 
 the clerk's office by the inspector, not later 
 than the sueceedintj Thursday. The other 
 set of papers, commonly called "the (Uitside 
 papers." was to be taken by the inspector, or. 
 if he could not serve, by one of the .iudires 
 "selected by the board of .judiics. "' and 
 brou;:ht to the canvassini;' board on the suc- 
 ceeding Thurstlay for the canvass of the 
 votes. Considerable excitement was caused 
 by a circulai- letter sent out by General Cai-- 
 nahan, the Republican chairman, on the nisrlit 
 befor? the election, instructing the Kepubli- 
 ean .iudpres to demand the custody of "the 
 outside papers.'" They had no riiilit to tlicm. 
 but in six cases they succeeded in yvttini: 
 possession. The Denioci'ats naturally as- 
 sumed that this was a scheme to fret control 
 of the canvassing board, and promptly took 
 steps to head it oif, which were successful. 
 
 The canva.ssinir boai'd met on November 4. 
 am] was oi'sanized by the Democrats, \V. V. 
 A. Hernhamei-. an inspector of the Twenty- 
 seeond ward, beinir elected (diairnuiu. The 
 canvass proceeded with the usiud minor 
 squabblinir until the Second precinct of the 
 Thirte(>ntli ward. Allen Hisey inspector, was 
 reached. The tally-sheet showed Iti votes 
 less for Irwin, the Republican candidate for 
 criminal jiidfie, than the informal returns. 
 and the tally-sheet showed thiit Ifi votes hail 
 been erased and a like number added to the 
 vote of Albert F. Ayei's, the Democratic can- 
 didate. Protests were made, and a demand 
 that the duplicate returns in the clerk's office 
 he sent for. but this was ruled out of order, 
 on the firound that the canvass had to be 
 made from "the outside |)a|)ers. " As the 
 count proceeded, siiidlar chani;es were found, 
 and some in which acids had eviih'utly been 
 Used to i-emove the oi-iudnal fiirui-es. in tln' 
 S nd ])recinet oT the l-'(inrtli wmi-iI. .biliii 
 
 Counselman inspector; Fii-st precinct of the 
 Seventeenth ward, Anili-ew Odder inspector; 
 S<'cond precinct of the Eijjhteenth ward, 
 .John Edwards inspector; First precinct of 
 the Twenty-third ward, Lorenz Schnndt in- 
 spector; Third precinct of the Thirteenth 
 ward, Stephen Mattler inspector; jirecinct 6 
 i lielmont) Center township, Joel H. Baker 
 inspector. The total of the changes was 
 iiiough to elect Albert F. Ayers criminal 
 judge, and Fraidv A. Morrison coroner. As 
 the canvass proceeded the excitement grew 
 moi-e intense, and the protests more vehe- 
 ment. Mr. Lorenz Schmidt, Democratic in- 
 spector of the Fii'st precinct of the Twenty- 
 Ihii'd waid. .joined in the protest and de- 
 mand for the duplicate papers, saying that 
 the returns fi'om his j)recinct had been 
 <dianged while out of his hands, but no lieed 
 was paid, and. early on Friday morning the 
 returns were made up and certitied as shown 
 by the mutilated tally-sheets. 
 
 There was a general rise of tempei-ature 
 in the local political atmosphere on that No- 
 veudier 5. In the afternoon the Democrats 
 held a meetini;- at the Supreme Court room, 
 ;in(l appointed a conuiiittee of safety, to pre- 
 vent the Republicans from stealing the ne.\t 
 legislature; and the action was timel.v. In 
 the evening a citizens' meeting was held in 
 Superior Coui't room \o. 2, to consider the 
 more pressing tally-sheet fraiids. It ap- 
 pointed a sub-committee composed of (ien. 
 • lolin Coburn, (!eo. B. Wright and W, P. 
 l''ishback'. Rei)\ddicans. and William IltMider- 
 son and A. li. Conduitt. Democrats, to name 
 a committee of one hundred, who .should take 
 the mattei' in charge. The list of appointees 
 was announced on November 8, nearly one- 
 half of them being at least noiinnal Demo- 
 crats, but not all of v.hom served. But more 
 to the point. Judge W. A. Woods, of the 
 r. S. District Court, called in the grand .jury 
 on the afternoon of Novendier o, and in- 
 structed them to investigate the violation of 
 law "at an election at which a representa- 
 tive in congi-ess is to he voted foi-. '" On No- 
 vember 8 this was followed b.y a subpa?na to 
 County Clei-k ^IcI^ain to appear before the 
 urand .jni'v and to l)i-ing with him all the 
 ballots, poll-books, tally-sheets and other elec- 
 tion ])apei-s involved, which w<'re Ihencet'orth 
 placed in eustody of the federal court.
 
 296 
 
 UlSTdKY OF GREATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 Tliis ste|> raise<l liiiili hupcs aiiioni; tln^ 
 friends of prosecution, and on November 8, 
 1886, the Journal published its "When I am 
 done I am did" cartoon t)f Coy, which was 
 probalily tlie most hnnidrous effort of its U)nK 
 existence. Tliese words liad lieen used by 
 Coy in response to a leqiiest for an inter- 
 view on an election in whicli his side liad 
 
 "j=A: 
 
 •WHEN I AM DONE 1 AM DID." 
 (Journal cartoon of November 8, 18S6.) 
 
 been beaten, indicatinj;- that he had no time 
 for post mortem contests. But the federal 
 grand .jury after three weeks' investi^^ation 
 of tlie case, reported on Decembei' 4 that the 
 evidence did not warrant an indictment; 
 whercui)on Jndue Woods reprimanded ;ind 
 discharged them. < >ii December 7 Dr. 'i'heo- 
 dore A. Watrner. the i^epubliean candidate 
 for coroner, filed an infoi-mation before U. S. 
 Commi.ssioner \'an Hnren. charwini;- election 
 fran<ls ))y Simeon Coy. \Vm. V. A. Bern- 
 hamer, TIenrv Spaan and .lolni II. Coniisel- 
 
 man. The parties i;ave bond antl the exam- 
 ination began December \A. On December 
 IS Samuel E. Perkins was subpcenaed to 
 testify, but refu.sed to do so, The matter 
 was brought before Judge Woods, who ruled 
 that he must testify. On December 21 he 
 Muain refused, and was conunitted to jail for 
 three months for contemjit. On December 21 
 a petition for a writ of habeas corpus was 
 made to Judge Woods, who refused it. Ap- 
 peal was then taken to Judge Gresham, of 
 the Circuit Court, who on February 28, 1887, 
 decided that Perkins was not in contempt be- 
 ran.se the United States courts had no juris- 
 diction of the case. 
 
 The active prosecution of the cases was by 
 ( 'ol. Eli F. Ritter, who had been employed by 
 the Committee of One Hundred. The U. S. 
 District Attorney was David Turpie, and he 
 uave Ritter full swing, tendering assistance 
 if desired: and saying that "in case of viola- 
 tion of the law he knew no politics; a crim- 
 inal was a criminal." On ]\Iarch 9, 1887, the 
 < 'ommittee of One Hundred had another 
 Mieeting and decided to go on with the cases 
 in the state courts. On December 1, 1886, 
 Wm. Irvin had brought suit against Albert 
 V. Ayers, for possession of the office of crim- 
 inal judge, before Judge D. W. Howe of the 
 Superior Court. A recount was agreed on 
 and it resulted in the election of Irvin for 
 judge, and Wagner for coroner, by small ma- 
 jorities. Judge Irvin was on the bench at 
 the March term, 1887, and Major James L. 
 Mitchell, the Democratic prosecuting attor- 
 ney, gave ]\Ir. Ritter the same opportunity 
 lor piLshing the cases that Judge Turpie had. 
 The grand jury examined the case through 
 the March term, but found no indictment. 
 
 But now came a change. Perkins became 
 alarmed, and on ]\Iarch 29 entered into a 
 wi'itten agreement with the prosecution that 
 he would testify that he altered the tally- 
 sheets from the Second precinct of the Thir- 
 teenth ward, at the recpiest of Coy; and ^Fa- 
 ior ^litchell and ^Ir. Ritter agreed that if he 
 did so he should not be prosecuted. The 
 reason of this change was that Allen Hisey, 
 inspector in Perkins' precinct, had testified 
 to the grand jury that he let Perkins have 
 I'is returns and that they were in good order 
 .■it the time but nuitilatcd when they were 
 ii'turned. Kittei'. who considered Perkins
 
 llIS'I'()i;v OF ClIKATEll IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 297 
 
 simply :i tool, uot pcniiission to ott'ci- him iiii- 
 I'.itiiiity if he woiihl talk, aud t'oufronted him 
 with Hi.sey's testimony and the ap])areut fact 
 that he was j;etting into tlie position of a 
 scapeiToat: also sii^irestini;- that they did not 
 want him, but Coy. After eonsultation witli 
 friends, e.speeially with his relative. Osear B. 
 Iloi-d, Perkins atireetl to testify. 'I'he agree- 
 ment was put in writini;', aud is eorreetly 
 given by Coy in liis book.* It sets out the 
 evidence to be i;iven, and that evidence im- 
 plicates no one but Coy. The county grand 
 jury met again on April 4, and took up the 
 ease. This time I'ei'kins t.'stified that he al- 
 tered the tally-siieet for the Second precinct 
 of the Tiiirt<'iMitii ward (liisey's precinct) 
 at Coy's reipiest. and that this was all he 
 knew about tiie uiattei'. The grand .jury re- 
 turned no indictment, and the same expe- 
 rience was had with the iii'antl juries in ]\Iay. 
 June and July, ladi of which examined the 
 case under special instructions. 
 
 ]Meanwhilc another chanire of base occurred. 
 Ju<lire AVoods had leai'ucd tiiat Justice Har- 
 lan did not agi'ce with Juilge (iresiiam on the 
 question of jurisdiction, and on JNlay '■'>. 1SS7. 
 another federal grand jury was impaneled 
 and instructed l)y Judge Woods to take up 
 the tally-sheet cases. Perkins was now in 
 woi'.se shape than ever, for he had inculitated 
 himself liopi'h^ssly, and he had no |)romise of 
 immunity from the federal authoi'ities. The 
 prosecution had some suspicion that the 
 county grand juries hail been "fixed,'" but it 
 was also eviilent that Perkins' testimony was 
 not convincinL^ It was simply incredible 
 that he should l;niiw as much as he testified 
 to. and not know more. An ai-rangement was 
 made with the federal authorities foi- nom- 
 inal punishment- practical immunity— he 
 was fined $.")0 -if he would tell thi' full story, 
 lie went befoi-c thi^ federal urand jui'y and 
 then' eidarged his testimony t(j inculpate 
 nine oth(M-s besides himself ami Coy. .\t this 
 time he also testified that he altered the tally- 
 sheet for the Third |)i-ecinct of the Thir- 
 tcetith ward. On May '_'(). 1SS7, indictments 
 Were returned aiiiiist Simi'on Coy, William 
 F. .\. Hernhairier, John E. Sullivan. Jului 
 If. Counselmaii, d'co. AV. Budd. Strphen .Mat- 
 tlrr. Clmrlrs \. Mctcalf, John L. Reardon, 
 
 Henry X. Spaan, Alljert T. Beck and Samuel 
 E. Perkins. They all gave bond, but on July 
 7 ('oy surrendered and went to jail so that a 
 writ of habeas C(n-pus could be asked of 
 •liidge (iresham. Justice Gresham referred 
 I he matter to Justice Hai'lan. of the Su- 
 preme Court, who refused the application, 
 and whose ruling was subsei|ucntly confirmed 
 by the Supreme Court.'' 
 
 The ease came on for hearing J\ily lit. 
 
 1887, and after a trial lasting ovei- a week 
 the jury disagreed, standing, it was said, 
 eia'ht for acquittal and foui- for conviction. 
 The prosecution obtained new indictments. 
 and on Janur\' Ifi, 1888, the cases were calli'd 
 of Coy, Bernhamer, JIattler and Sjjaan. 
 S]iaan asked for a separate trial, which was 
 gi'anted. The trial of the other three was 
 taken up, and it was sinqily a cpiestion 
 whether the jury would accept the testimony 
 of Perkins, and the lawyers for the defense 
 had little room to do more than revile him. 
 A bystander was asked what sort of speech 
 John AV. Kc>rn, of the defense, had made, and 
 replied: "Oh, it was gi'cat. He called Pcr- 
 Icins evci'ything I evei- heard of except an 
 ornithorhynchus. '" On January 28 the jury 
 returned a verdict of guilty as to Coy and 
 Bernhamer, and not guilty as to Alattler. On 
 February 3 (^oy was fined $100 and sen- 
 tenced to 18 months in the penitentiai'y, and 
 Bernhamer was sentenced to one year in the 
 I)eiiitentiary and fined ,$1,000. On Alay 1, 
 
 1888, Sullivan, Tveardon, Counselman, Met- 
 calf and Budd were brought to trial. A 
 verdict of not guilty was rcturncnl as to 
 Kearilon, CounselniaTi and .Mcti'alf, and a 
 (lisagi-eemcnt as to Sullivan and Budd. The 
 cases aii'ainst them. Beck and Sjiaan were aft- 
 erwards nolled or lismisse<l. An etf(U't was 
 made to ex|)el Coy from tiie City Council 
 after conviction, but failed for want of a 
 two-thirds majority, the body dividing politi- 
 cally, fifteen Republicans for expulsion and 
 nine Democi-ats against. At the end of his 
 tei'm, June 1, 1889, he returned to Indian- 
 apolis iind resumed his seat as eouMcilman; 
 and on Octobi'r 8, 1889, was re-elected to 
 the council by an increased majority. 
 
 This I'csult was partly due to sympathy for 
 Cov. I think no on(> of anv intelligence 
 
 *//i( (Iriiil Ciitisiiinitii . p. 41. 
 
 In re i\^.\. 1-J7 F. S. Sup. Ct. 
 
 r.-ii.
 
 208 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 doubted that he was 'jriiilty. but there were 
 many who felt that his ott'ense was one that 
 had been comiimn without punishment, and 
 there was. a.s usual, a widespread aversion 
 to punishing a man on the testimony of an 
 accomplice. The otfense it.self was the most 
 glaring piece of political idiocy that was ever 
 Icnown in this region — in fact, it was not 
 really political. The (udy office that was 
 wanted was that of criminal judge, and Per- 
 kins furnished the key to the desire for that 
 in his statement that "Coy said there was 
 $500 in it to the liipior league, and we might 
 as well have it." The other changes were 
 "merely incidental, and in part as a cover to 
 the main purpose. Di-. ilorriscn declined to 
 accept his counnisison as coroner when it was 
 issued, ainl never served. Coy was never un- 
 mindful of the liquor interest. The audaeit\' 
 of the performance was obviously due to the 
 knowledge that a Democratic clerk had been 
 elected, who would have charge of the elec- 
 tion papers, and the assumption that they 
 would readily disappear, as embarrassinir 
 papers had disappeared before. In fact, it 
 seemed to be assumed all along that any 
 Democrat would be pleased to aid in stealing 
 an office, or assisting those who did, and this 
 is the one almost incomprehensible thing 
 about it all, in view of Coy's well-known 
 maxim that "the fewer fellers you have in 
 these polities the better." An experienced 
 Democratic i>olitician who was jocidarly asked 
 if he wei'e mixed up in the affair, dryly an- 
 swered, "No; and if I should have occasion 
 to change any election returns I woidd m t 
 call a town meeting to do it." 
 
 But there was another potent ctiuse of 
 Coy's election wholly indejx'ndent of his 
 merits, atid that was the revulsion of feelim: 
 caused by the Dudley case. The cauioaiirn nl' 
 1SS8 was unusually wai-m, even for Indiana, 
 for Benjamin Harrison was the Reouhlican 
 candidate, and local feeling was at its high- 
 est pitch. On October .SI the Snitin(l pub- 
 lished a fac-simile of the celebrated Dudley 
 let+er, dated Xew York, October 24. It was 
 a letter of instruction to Republican man- 
 agers in Indiana and in jiai-f was the usual 
 style of campaign instruction. The signifi- 
 cant portion was as follows: 
 
 "I hope you have ki'pf the conies if tlic 
 lists sent me. Such information is Vfi-v val- 
 
 uable and can be used to great advantage. 
 It has enabled me to demonstrate to friends 
 that with proper assistance Indiana is sui-ely 
 Republican for Governor and President, and 
 has resulted as I hoped it would, in securing 
 for Indiana the aid necessary. Your eom- 
 inittee will certainly receive from Chairman 
 Huston the assistance necessary to hold our 
 floaters and doubtful voters, and gain enough 
 of the other kind to give Harrison and" Mor- 
 ton 10.000 plurality. * * * 4th. Divide 
 the floaters into blocks of fives, and jnit a 
 trusted man with necessary funds in charge 
 of these five, and make him responsible that 
 none get away and that all vote our ticket. 
 5th. Make a personal appeal to your best 
 business men to pledge themselves to tlevote 
 the entire day, November (i, to work at the 
 polls, i. e. to be present at the polls with 
 tickets. They will be astonished to see how 
 utterly dubfounded the ordinary Democratic 
 election bummer will be and how quickly he 
 will disappear. The result will fully justify 
 the sacrifice of time and comfort, and will be 
 a source of satisfaction afterwards to those 
 who help in this way. Lay great stress on 
 this last matter. It will pay. There will be 
 no doubt of your receiving the neces.sary 
 assistance through the National, State and 
 County Committees— only see that it is hus- 
 banded and made to produce results." 
 
 The publication of the letter caused a tre- 
 mendous sensation, but the Republicans 
 promi>tly rallied to oti'set its effects. The 
 letter had been telegraphed to New York, 
 and appeared on the same ila\- in the Sun and 
 the Times: but some Eastern ass, evidently 
 tecalling the effect of "rum, Romanism and 
 rebellion" in 1884, had struck out the woi'ds 
 ""the ordinary Democratic election bunuiier" 
 in the passage quoted altove. and substituted 
 for them tln' words "the luituralized Demo- 
 cratic voter." The chauL'e was obviously 
 made with the idea of incensing foreign-born 
 voters, and has nothing to do with the cor- 
 I'uption scheme of the letter. })ut it enabled 
 Dudley to say: "The alletretl letter, as pub- 
 lished here in the Sun and Times, is a case 
 I if fiiruery." On beiiiir asked what he meant 
 by this he replied. "T mean to say that they 
 iittribute to me words T never used." .V-^ked 
 to point out these woi-ds. he underscored "the 
 naturalized Demoeratie voters," and adileil :
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOTJS. 299 
 
 HEADQUARTERS. 
 31 DFTH AVENUE. 
 
 Hew York. Oct. Z4t7i, JB8B. 
 
 Dear Sir.. 
 
 I hope you have kept copies of the lists 
 tent me Such Inforxatlcn is very valuable and can te used 
 to great advantage. It has enabled rne to demonstrate to 
 friends here that with proper assistance Indiana is surely 
 hcpublican ''or Governor and president, and has ^suited, as I- 
 hoped it would, in securing for Indiana thiJ aid necessary. 
 Your Coimittae will certainly receive from CHalntnn Huston thjt 
 assistar.ca necessary to hold our floaters and doubtful voters/ 
 and gain enough of the other* kind eo give Harrison and Morton 
 10,000 plurality. Haw York is now safe beyond peradventwe 
 for the Rapubllcari Presidential t lcket;Connecticut likewise. 
 In short every Northern State , except possibly Haw Jersey, 
 though we still hope to cari-y that State. Harrison' ^ majority 
 in the Electoral Colic^aMiil 1 not be less timn 100. Make 
 cur friends in each "precinct wake up to the fact that only 
 toodle and fraudulent votes and false counting of returns 
 can boat us in the State. Write each of our precinct 
 
 correspo'-dents , 1st .To find our uiio has Demcratlc toodle , and 
 steer the Democratic workers to them, and make them pay big 
 prices fen the ir own nen. 2nd, Sean the elac':lon officers 
 closely, and nake swe to have no nan'vn the Board whose in- 
 tegrity is evm quest icnable, and insist on Republicans Hatch- 
 ing every novemont of the election officers. 3rd, See that 
 our workers know every voter entitled to a vote, and let no 
 one -el se e^>en offer to vote. 4th. Divide the floaters Into 
 blocks of fti:e,md put a trusted man uitth necessary finds in 
 c>iarc^ of these f Ive .and make hi'i respoyjs ible that none getr 
 away and that all vote -our ticket. Sth.Mak.^ c pei'sonal ap- 
 peal to. your best business , men to pledge themselves to de- 
 lete the oitlre day ,No'j.6th,to work at the polls,i.e. to be 
 present at the polls with tickets. Thay will be astonished 
 to see how utterly dubfoimded the ordinary Democratic 
 election burner will be and how quickly he will disappear. 
 77ie result will fully Justify the sacrifice of time arkl con- 
 fort, ar.d will be a source of satisfaction afterwards to those 
 wha hi^lp in this way. Lay great stress on this last 
 matter. It will pay. 
 
 Tliere will be no doubt of your receiving 'the necessary 
 assistance through the national .State and County Commit t.-es, 
 
 071.;^ see that it is husbanded and mada to pnoduce results. 
 
 1 rely on you to advise your pr»clnct correspon^ients.and 
 urge tlirrm to unremitting and constant efforts from now till 
 tite polls close, and the result Is announced officially. Wg 
 will fight for a fair election here if necessary. The Hebat 
 crew can't steal this election from us as they did in liiS4, 
 without s cmeone u;ett ing hurt. Let eviry Republ lean do his 
 iimole duty and the country wHl pass Into Republ lean hands, 
 never to leave It, I trust. Thariting you again for your 
 efforts to assist me In my work. I remain 
 
 Yours Stneargly. 
 
 Please wire me result in principal precincts artl coimty. ^ 
 
 THE DUDLEY LETTER. 
 (Reducel one-half.)
 
 300 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 "Understand uie now; I don't say I wrote 
 any such letter, or that any letter of instruc- 
 tion has been written from these headquar- 
 ters, but if the words 'average Democratic 
 bummer' had appeared in the place of those 
 I have underscored I should not have found 
 fault, for otherwise I think the letter is a 
 sti'ong one." The local Republican papers 
 used the simple statement of Dudley that the 
 letter a.s published in New York was a for- 
 gery and fought out the last week of the cam- 
 paign on that liasis. The Journal also devel- 
 oped a counter-irritant in an alleged Demo- 
 cratic scheme to carry the election by voting 
 double ballots, and, on the whole, it is doubt- 
 ful that any material number of voters were 
 afl'eeted by the exposure. 
 
 AVhen Mr. Dudley first saw the publication 
 of the letter he said: "Somebody has been 
 robbing the mails;"' and he was quite right. 
 The letter was in fact "held out" by a pos- 
 tal clerk whose attention was attracted to a 
 number of similar envelopes going through 
 the mails. There were two slight typograph- 
 ical errors in the Sentinel's publication of it 
 on October 31, which were promptly cor- 
 rected. The Scniinel also tried to meet Dud- 
 ley's statement as to the New York publica- 
 tion by offering him $1,U00 to come to In- 
 dianapolis and swear that the letter as pub- 
 lished in the Sentinel was a forgery, which 
 offer was of course ignored ; but it was re- 
 peated at intervals for months. On Novem- 
 ber 13 the federal orand jury met, and Judge 
 AVoods. of the District Court, charged it 
 especially in regard to the reported election 
 frauds, the following passage referring to the 
 Dudley letter, in connection with Sec. 5511, 
 IT. S. Revised Statutes : 
 
 "Considerable (juestion has been raised 
 since the last election as to whether an at- 
 tempt to bribe a voter constitutes an offense. 
 I instruct you that it does not under this 
 statute. The latter clause of the section does 
 make it an oft'en.se to bribe a voter, and also 
 makes an offense to counsel, aid or assist in 
 bribing a voter, or in conunittin'j any other 
 oft'en.se named in the section, but an unsuc- 
 cessful attempt to bribe a voter is not an of- 
 fense, under this statute. The last clause of 
 the section eont.rins th(> word 'attempt,' but 
 in order to understand the value of the word 
 as there ii.sed. it is necessary as I interpret 
 
 the clause, to insert or supply the word 'to' 
 before the word attempt. So that the clause 
 will read in this use. 'aids, counsels, procures 
 or advises any such voter, person, or officer 
 to do any,' etc., or 'to omit to do' any duty, 
 etc., or 'to attempt to' do so; and, so read, 
 the clause makes it an offense to advise an- 
 other to commit any of the offenses named in 
 this section. So that while it is not a crime 
 to make the attempt, it is a crime to advise 
 anyone to make it.- If A attempts to bril)e 
 B, that is no ofl'ense under this statute; l)ut 
 if A advi.ses B to attempt to bribe C, then 
 the one giving this advice is an ott'ender, and 
 there is some wisdom in that provision."''' 
 
 The Journal report was taken by a short- 
 hand man. It did not use the charge in full, 
 but ]irinted the passage above, in quotation 
 marks. 'Slv. Leon Bailey, the assistant dis- 
 trict attorney, then had full copies made by 
 the stenographer, and verified, for future use. 
 The passage above is the same in both except 
 some slight verbal changes, not aft'eeting the 
 sense, such as a stenogi-apher might naturally 
 make in translating his notes at different 
 times. And here a word as to attorneys. 
 AVhen the tally-sheet cases arose, David Tur- 
 pie was district attorney, having been ap- 
 pointed August 2. 1886, for a term of four 
 years. Being elected to the national senate 
 in 1887 he resigned, and on March 5, 1887, 
 Judge "Wooils appointed John G. ^IcXutt, the 
 a.ssistant district attorney, to fill his place 
 till an appointment was made. On Alarch 
 
 22, Emory B. Sellers, of IMonticello, was com- 
 missioned for the vacancy, and on January 
 
 23. 1888. he was again connnissioned for four 
 years. He served through the prosecution 
 of the tally-sheet cases, and then resigned. 
 All of the preliminary work of the prosecu- 
 tion of these cases was done by Col. Eli F. 
 Ritter, who was employed by the Citizens' 
 Committee of One Hundred. He felt that 
 the prosecution at the trial should be con- 
 ducted by a Democratic lawyer, and on Jan- 
 uary 10, 1888, .Judge Solomon Claypool was 
 appointed assistant district attoi'uey by At- 
 toi'ney-General Garland for that purpose. 
 On Novemlier 23. 1888. Judge Claypool was 
 specially appointed to aid in the defense of 
 TT. S. Marshal llawl^ins in eertain civil cases 
 
 Mounnil. Xov. 14. 1888.
 
 IlISTOiiY Ui' UliEATEit i.NDlA.X Al'UlJS. 
 
 301 
 
 lirougrht on aci-omit of arrests in the election 
 nf 1888: and (in Deeeniher 1"), 1888. he was 
 ^IH'cially appointed to proseeute the eases 
 iLMinst Dniih'v and others, trrowinii' out of 
 that election. On January U, 1889, .Mr. Sell- 
 ers havinjj resi<_nie(l, Judge Harlan ai)pointed 
 • ludge Claypool ilistriet attorney, and he re- 
 mained until his resiunation on March 10. 
 1889. On .March 13. 1889, Smiley N. Cham- 
 bers was appointed district attorney, and 
 John B. Cockruia assistant. 
 
 The Dudley invest ijration drai;^e<l. It was 
 dela.ved by ati.journnients of the jirantl jur.v. 
 and impeded by the unexpected resignation 
 of Mr. S"llers, which was announced here on 
 December 13. On December 17 the nomina- 
 tion of Leon Haile.v foi- the place was sent 
 to the senate, but it was "held up," and 
 meanwhile the |)oint was raised that indid- 
 ments sii^ned by Bailey would not be valid 
 until his iiomiiuition was confirmed bv the 
 Senate. Also, it was suggested that Judgi' 
 Harlan had the right of appointment ad in- 
 terim, and the interim would last until the 
 Senate chose to couHi-in sond)od.v. I'nder 
 these circumstances, by agreement of all con- 
 cerned. Baile.v's name was withdr;iwn by the 
 president on Januar.v 3. 1889, and .ludge 
 Claypool "s sent in." As the Senate was sbiw 
 about confirmation Judge Harlan appointed 
 Cla.\i)Ool to the vacancy on Jainiai-.v 11. It 
 is notewoithy that at this time Judges Har- 
 lan and Woods had come to an iigreement as 
 t(i a new construction of the law. 
 
 On January 1.") JudL'c Woods suniuKined 
 the grand .iui-.v fm- supplemental instruetioii. 
 Just before their adjournment for the holi- 
 da.vs the.v had asked for instruction as to 
 whether they should indict for advice to bribe 
 if they could not learn the name of the pei'- 
 soii 1o wlioiii the advice was given. T'nder 
 the cover of an answer to this Judge AVoods 
 delivered a long argument to the efl'ect that 
 Ihe law made it an offense to "aid. coun'^el. 
 priicui'e oi- advise" bribery, and as one eoulil 
 not "aid" or "})roenre" briber.v if no brib- 
 ery were committed it must be that one could 
 not "counsel" or "advise" bribery unles.s 
 bribery was actually connnitted. It concluded 
 with the words: "But in any ease besides the 
 mere fact of the advice or counsel, it must be 
 
 shown that the crinie contemplated was com- 
 mitted, or an atteni])! made to commit it. 
 It results of course that the mere sending b.v 
 one to another of a letter or document con- 
 taining advice to bribe a voter or setting 
 forth a .scheme for such bribery, however 
 bold and reprehensible, is not indictable. 
 There nuist be shown in addition an attempt 
 by the receiver of the letter, or of some other 
 instigated bv him to execute the scheme, by 
 bribing or attemjjting to bribe some voter in 
 i-espect to the election of congressmen, or in 
 such a wa.v as to elifect such election." 
 
 This change of front, which made the in- 
 dictment of Dudley impossible, though even 
 with it the grand .jury voted 10 to 6 for in- 
 iictment,* roused a storm of indignation. 
 That night ^forss wrote a leader for the S( n- 
 liiifl that wa.s a classic in indictment and ex- 
 eoriation. Judge Claypool said there was not 
 another man in Indiana that could have done 
 it, and he was right. It was really remark- 
 able that a man without legal training should 
 have taken a position in such a case that 
 nevei' needed to be changed or amended, and 
 did it while in passion, at that. It concluded 
 with these words: "Weighing our words 
 earefull.v. and fully prepai-ed to accept all 
 Ihe co!ise(|uences, we ])i'onounee the course of 
 Judge AVoods in this matter a monstrous 
 abuse of his .iudieial opportunities and a 
 flagrant, scandalous, dishonorable and utterlv 
 unprecedented pei-vei'sion of the machiner.v 
 if .justice to the |iur]>oses of knaverv; 'and 
 ■.ve believe that it should leatl to his impeach- 
 ment instead of. as it jirobabl.v will, to bis 
 promotion to the supreme bench nf the 
 I'nited States, as soon as it is in the power of 
 Benjamin Harrison to reward him in this 
 manner foi- dragging his judicial robes in 
 the filth of Dudleyism." " 
 
 Indeed, if ever a man was "scourged with 
 a \\lii]i of scorpions." William A. Woods was 
 lliat man. ]\Iorss did not giv(> him an.v rest 
 I'lir months. Kver.v ed'ort of the X(irs and 
 ■luurnal to defend liiin was jiromptl.v an- 
 swered, and usuall.v by parallel columns show- 
 in ;,•■ their statements to be false. The iiar- 
 allel column nevei- had so extensive a use in 
 Indiana as in this ease, and the Scntiiid was 
 
 'SfnfiiKl. J.- 
 
 4. 1889. 
 
 "fientincl. I-'eb. K;. 1889. 
 "Slenfind. Januarv 1(1. 1889.
 
 :!()■? 
 
 lllsToh'V OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 in)t ;iloue. Tlie whole Deinofi-iitiu press and 
 independent press of the country united in 
 the condemnation. It was rather risky for 
 lawyers to criticise the court, but several of 
 them spoke out emphatically. Senator ^Ic- 
 ])onald condemned the second instruction as 
 erroneous, but disclaimed any reflection on 
 the motives of Judge Woods. Judge Glay- 
 j>ool was indignant, and condemned the in- 
 struction,'" but went on with his work until 
 I\Iareh 10, when he resigned in disgust, 
 charging that his efforts to secure the pun- 
 ishment of Dudley and other offenders were 
 being thwarted by Woods." When ("liambers 
 came in as district attorney the work of clear- 
 ing the docket of nearly two hundred in- 
 dictments for election frauds that had been 
 returned was begun in earnest. On IMareh 
 28 Judge Woods qua.shed the indictments in 
 twenty-five cases on the ground tliat they did 
 not charge that a congressman was voted for 
 illeually, though he had held in the Coy cases 
 ■ind others that it was necessary only that 
 the offense be committed "at an election at 
 which a congressnuin was voted for." This 
 change practically, disposed of most of the 
 cases, and they went off the docket in batches 
 on the 29th, :50th and April 1st and 2n(l. 
 
 By this time Claypool was furious, and he 
 had cause to be, for the action of Judge 
 Woods placed him in the attitude of being 
 "confideneed. " As a Demociat he had gom' 
 into the tally-sheet cases in good faith, and 
 prosecuted them to a finish in spite of criti- 
 cism from his own party. And Woods had 
 co-operated, to such an extent that Claypool 
 said: "Wood's rulings were so outrageously 
 biased in the Coy-Bernhamei- cases that I 
 often protested with him, though at the same 
 time I was representing the government. ""'- 
 His interest in ccmviction was shown not only 
 in court but out, and frequently he would 
 rail at Claypool's house two or three even- 
 ings in a week, dui'ing the trial, and talk 
 over j)lans for the prosecution. But when 
 the defendants were Rei)ul)licans all this was 
 changed, and all of Claypool's earnest work 
 for indicting Dudley was broiight to naught 
 
 ^"Sentinel, Januarv l(i, Febniarv 16, 1889. 
 "Sentinel. March 11, 1889. 
 '-Sentinel. :\r.ai-cb 11. 1889. 
 
 I)y the si'i'( ml insti'uction. while the indict- 
 ments .secured were tossed out of court. On 
 -April i, Claypool gave a long interview to 
 the Sentinel in which he condemned the ac- 
 lion of Judge Woods throughout, showed that 
 the forms of indictment qua.shed had been 
 used for years in this court, and demanded 
 that the grand jury be recalled to amend 
 them to conform to the new ruling, as had 
 been done in the Coy cases. 
 
 In fact, the propriety of this last sugges- 
 tion was so obvious that everybody saw it, 
 and on March 30 the Xen-x. which had stood 
 by Woods as long as it could, in comment on 
 the alleged defect in the indictments, said: 
 "Grant it for ai-i<ument. Why doesn't the 
 court remedy the defect? It is retorted that 
 it is not the court's business to remedy such 
 defects. The court made it its business in 
 the Coy ease. Everv avenue of approach was 
 tried and every defect of process corrected 
 to reach Coy; but when scores of Republicans 
 are indicted an alleged 'defect' opens the 
 door for their escape. These men were in- 
 dicted by a mixed .iury of Republicans and 
 Democrats. That jui-y thought the evidence 
 of their guilt sufficient to hold them: but now 
 they go; the court does nothing; the CJovern- 
 ment attorney declares he will do nothing. 
 This thing is a shame, an outrage, a disgrace, 
 and public opinion should rebuke it and see 
 that the nerveless hands of justice are 
 strengthened." But nothing was done, and 
 the docket was practically cleared and kept 
 clear without the trouble of trials. 
 
 It is possible that I am not fitted to discuss 
 the merits of this affair hi.storieally, for I 
 was in the melee at the time and the action of 
 Judge Woods seemed to me the most shame- 
 ful abuse of judicial jiower I had ever 
 known. It was widely discussed in the press 
 at the time and later, and able lawyers gave 
 their views concerning it. It went into Con- 
 gress. On December 11, 1889, Dudley made 
 his first visit to Indianapolis after the elec- 
 tion of 1888. A warrant wa.s sworn out for 
 his arrest before V. S. Conuiiissioner Van 
 Bureu, but according to his statement further 
 proceedings were stopped by direction of Dis- 
 trict Attorney Chand)ers. Senator Voorhees 
 introduced a resolution of incpiiry in the Sen- 
 ate conci'rnim;- this and made an exhaustive
 
 liiSTOiJi' Ui' UKHATKU IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 :io;! 
 
 speech coveriii-,' tlie entire subject.'^ Finally, 
 stiinjr by the extensive criticism of his course. 
 Judge Woods j)reparetl a defense of himself. 
 which appeared in the Jounial of Seiitember 
 22, 18t)0, and later in iiamiililcl. It was kept 
 very secret before publication, but the !Sen- 
 tinel got wind of it, and ou September 20 an- 
 nounced the forthcoming publication in a 
 "telegram from Washington,"" wliicli ile- 
 olared that it was ""to be nominally a de- 
 fense of his own action, but is to be written 
 on so broad a ])lan that it will relieve the 
 Colonel from any criminal or moral responsi- 
 bility for his famous ' blocks-of-five ' letter;" 
 and that the object was to aid in carrying out 
 a scheme of vote-buying in the then pending 
 election. Tiiis (l(>fense, to which was aj)- 
 pended Judge Woods' correspondence with 
 Judges Harlan antl Xiblack, and Senator Mc- 
 Donald, but not his correspondence with 
 Judges Gresham and Ciaypool, called forth 
 renewed discussion, in which ^loi-ss added an- 
 other masterpiece on September 25, iu a two- 
 column parallel on the editorial page of the 
 Sentinel, giving the contlicting statements of 
 Woods at various times, with no comment but 
 the heading: "Oh what a tangled web we 
 weave, when first we practice to deceive." 
 
 I leave the discussion of the merits of the 
 ease where the above mentioned arguments 
 and statements put it, but a few words of 
 explanation may aid those who care to in- 
 vestigate it further. The common defense of 
 the two instructions in the Dudley case, and 
 the one used by Judge Woods, is that the first 
 instruction was merely "a statement of the 
 law" and the second was ■"an interi)reta- 
 tion." The quotation from it above, how- 
 ever, is plainly '"interjjrctation." and was 
 plainly so intended, fni- it was inti'oduced by 
 the statement: "1 will now instr'uct you 
 fully upon the woi-d 'attempt' as it is used in 
 this clause, in order tljat you may under- 
 stand its force in relation to the specifica- 
 tions iiiaile regarding 'counseling' to bribe 
 and iictiial bribery;" and it is follnwc-d li\' 
 the words: "I think, gentlemen, that 
 those statutes I have interpreted cover all the 
 charges that have been brought against any- 
 body or that are likely to be brought against 
 anvbodv. " 
 
 In his third letter to Senator .McDonald, 
 February 8, 1889, Judge Woods announces 
 that he had by tiiyt time reached the conclu- 
 sion that the Dudley letter was not neces- 
 sarily corrupt, in these words: "I shall not 
 attempt to extennite the oiTense of the writer 
 of the Dudley letter, but I have carefully re- 
 read the copy in tfie ,Scntind and do not find 
 in it the expression you use, 'to buy up tiie 
 floating vote in Mocks of five,' or any ex- 
 pression which a .judge could say clearly and 
 necessai-i!y means that voters should be 
 bribed." All that Senator McDonald cpioted 
 as from the Dudley letter was "in blocks of 
 five." The rest was his own. and was the 
 universal interpi'ctation of Dudley "s letter. 
 If there were any doubt as to its meaning, it 
 would be cleared by the Whittaker letter call- 
 ing for the "lists of voters."" to which Dmlley 
 refers in his letter— both ari> published with 
 Judge W^oods' tlefense— in which he says: 
 "^lake the doubtful list as small as iJossible, 
 and mark everyone who has to have money 
 as a 'float.' Those who have to be bought 
 are not 'doubtful.' but air "floats." Look 
 closely aftei' every one. Let no one escape." 
 
 Judge Woods and his defenders at times 
 intimate or charge that the Sentinel report 
 of the first instruction was not accurate. As 
 above .shown it is practically identical with 
 the Journal report made at the time. It is 
 also practically identical with the instruction 
 as furnished bv Judge Woods himself to the 
 
 Cliicafio Lefial Xeirs. of February 
 
 1889. 
 
 ''■'Se^itind. Janiiarv IS. 1890. 
 
 A\u\ in the letter of Judge Woods to Senator 
 McDonald of January 27. 1889. he says: "In 
 respect to this (luestion of inconsistency I will 
 only add that while the i-eport which the 
 Sentinel contains is not full and accurate, in 
 respect to the main points in dispute, it is in 
 substantial accord with what I intended to 
 say, and am (|uite sure I did say. and I am 
 willing to have it so treated.'" This leaves 
 the only questions in the Dudley case wheth- 
 er the two instructions can be reconciled, and 
 if not, which is right. The first insti'uction 
 was given aftei- considerable investigation 
 and consultation. Judge Harlan concurred 
 in it. and Senator ^IcDonald. who had been 
 asked i'or an opinion by Judge Woods, gave 
 
 a written opinion iu ; ordauce with the first 
 
 instruction, in wliieli his partner, John ^I. 
 Butler. cnii'MirnMi. .Ml of these gentlemen
 
 :i04 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANA I'OLIS. 
 
 resrarded the two iiisti'iictions as iu eouflict. 
 Judge Harlau, who concurred iu both, says 
 in his letter to Woods, of September 12, 1890, 
 that his further investigation of the question 
 resulted in "an entire change of opinion;" 
 that his first opinion "was wrong;" and that 
 he had at the time advised Judge Woods "of 
 my change of opinion and of the reasons for 
 such change." Senator jMcDonald, in his let- 
 ter to the Journal of September 23, 1890, 
 says of the two instructions: "I cannot rec- 
 oncile them, and must leave the task to one 
 more apt in casuistry than I am." 
 
 As to the "defective indictments," the 
 form had not only long been in use in the 
 federal court, but Judge Woods had ex- 
 pressly decided that it was not necessaiy that 
 the offenses specified should affect the vote 
 for congressman, both in the ]MeBosley, or 
 Orange County, eases,'^ and in the Coy case; 
 and in the latter had been sustained by Judge 
 Harlan and by the Supreme Court. '^ The 
 quashing of the indictments was tlie "last 
 .straw" with Claypool. and it resulted in a 
 stormy interview in Judge Woods' chambers, 
 in consequence of which AVoods threatened to 
 proceed against Claypool for contempt of 
 court. No proceedings were instituted, but 
 a rather savage correspondence ensued, which 
 did not get into print. Claj-pool's view of 
 the whole proceeding will be seen from the 
 following extract from his letter to Wootls 
 of August 27, 1889 : 
 
 "Finally, you ask in your 'notes,' 'Do you 
 think the court ought to have helped obtain 
 an indictment on false grounds, as he be- 
 lieved?' First. I answer such grounds would 
 not have been false. Second, if false and be- 
 lieved to be so by you in the beginning, you 
 have proved your willingness to allow an in- 
 dictment on false grounds. There may be 
 some difference in morals between a court 
 'helping' and 'allowing'— between helping 
 and allowing wrong— but the difference is not 
 striking to me. This, however, may result 
 from a dullness of my moral sense, in your 
 opinion, as at one place you pronounce views 
 expressed by me not good morals. 
 
 "In a letter to Justice Harlan written Jan- 
 
 uary 26, 1889, about six weeks after your first 
 instructions, you use this language, "I avoid- 
 ed the point involved in your second propo- 
 sition in mj' original charge to the grand 
 .jury, being willing to give the district attor- 
 ney lee way to obtain an indictment if ho 
 could, and if raised to decide these questions 
 only upon argument". You were giving "lee 
 way.' This 'lee way' is good. Before the 
 grand .jui-y came together the first time there 
 was a pretty general impression, as I under- 
 stood — such was my own impression until 
 after I came to look into the evidence— that 
 the 'so-called Dudley letter' could not be 
 proved to be the letter of Dudley. If the 
 ,iury had come anil gone through their in- 
 vestigations without asking "that question,'"' 
 and returned no indictment against Dudley, 
 the public mind would have settled down 
 upon the conviction that the 'so-called Dud- 
 ley letter" was a forgery. Such result from 
 "lee way" to some persons for some reason.s 
 would have been delightful. When 'that 
 (luestion' came 'lee way' got away. Then six 
 weeks after your first instructions you beuan 
 to correspond with Harlan, and labored with 
 him, and on such citations as you made to 
 him finally induced him to reluctantly change 
 his views. Under the circumstances then 
 existing. concediuL;- that you had doubts aboiii 
 the views which I luulerstood to be expressed 
 in your first instructions, if the 'lee way' 
 had continued longer and an indictment had 
 been obtained there would have been no 
 moral wrong in it. as the conduct of the per- 
 son indicted involved so much moral terpi- 
 tude. Had this been done the questions 
 could, as you suggested in your letter to Har- 
 lan, have been discussed on motion to quasli. 
 Believing this I have the right to say so with- 
 out being considered in contempt of court. 
 
 "Your correspondence with Justice Har- 
 lan demonstrates how reluctant you were tf> 
 follow the first expressed opinion of Harlan, 
 which was in accord with your first instruc- 
 tions as understood by everybody, and sup- 
 ported by the opinion of a lawyer as distin- 
 sruished for ability and honesty as ex-Senator 
 AIcDonald. To have followed the opinion of 
 
 ^*Federal Rf porter. Vol. 29. p. 897. 
 "31 Federal Remrter, p. 794: 127 V 
 Supreme Ct.. p. 731. 
 
 .9. 
 
 '" i.e. the question whother they could in- 
 dict without kiiowinij the jutsoii to whom 
 ilic letter was sent.
 
 iii.sT(ji;v oi" (;i;i:a TKi; i.\i»ia\.\1'oi.is. 
 
 305 
 
 
 a: 
 
 H 
 O
 
 300 
 
 HISTORY OF CIREATEK INDIAXAl'OLLS. 
 
 Justice Harlan iiiiiilit liave. to say the least, 
 lead to ail indietmeut afiainst Dudley. Wheu 
 it came to quashing indictments after a form 
 long in use in your own court you could fol- 
 low the opinion of a judge not your superior 
 in position and whose ruling you were not 
 bound to follow. So this matter seems to me : 
 'Hesitancy to follow the opinion of a supe- 
 rior in the one case antl willingness to fol- 
 low the opinion of one not your superior in 
 the other case.' When 'that question' came 
 from the .iury you began to labor with the 
 Justice, then six weeks aftei- your tirst in- 
 structions, on such presentation and citation 
 of authorities as you made. Justice Harlan 
 gave his I'eluctant assent to youi' views. The 
 prosecution had no chance to make a presen- 
 tation of the other side of the question. Jus- 
 tice Harlan's 'reluctant assent' to your views 
 was in a sense the result of an ex parte pres- 
 entation. Under other circumstances he 
 might not have given even a reluctant assent. 
 Mr. ]\IcDonald made a most complete and un- 
 answerable review of the authorities cited by 
 you. 
 
 "I care nothing about your letter to Judge 
 Gresham calling him to your assistance after 
 you had qua.shed the numerous indictments; 
 to me this seems curious, to say the least. If 
 he had been called sooner, and come in an- 
 swer to the call, I have an impression the out- 
 come would have been dilVerent. Whatever 
 may be said of him, he has views of his own 
 and follows them, and under the same cir- 
 cumstances -he would not have labored so 
 much with Justice Harlan. If Dudley wrote 
 that letter, so much caution lest he might 
 have been indicted illegally for that act I 
 think strikes the average inind as undue cau- 
 tion in a wrong direction, and especially so 
 in view of the fact that there was no other 
 probable way of getting a legal question in- 
 volving .so much of public interest before the 
 courts, and in view of the further fact that 
 if you were w-rojig the iruilty would go un- 
 punished. " 
 
 The guilty went unpunished so far as the 
 courts were concerned, though they did not 
 escape the tribunal of public sentiment : but 
 a more important result came of it all in the 
 movement for honest elections in Indiana. In 
 the campaign of 1SS8 T had lieen in charge of 
 the literar^- wiork of the State Centi-al Coiii- 
 
 mittee. and at its close Mr. ^lorss, being 
 called away from the city for a week or so, 
 asked me to take editorial charge of the 
 Sentinel during his absence. I had long been 
 disgusted with corruption in politics, and the 
 knowledge that the state had been bought 
 by the Republicans roused a determination 
 to try for reform. Out of the wreck the 
 Democrats had saved nothing but the legisla- 
 ture, thanks to an eti'ective gerrymander, and 
 this presented the chance for reform. I had 
 a smattering knowledge of the Australian 
 ballot system, and after search the only man 
 I could find in Indianapolis who was com- 
 petent to write intelligently about it was 
 Lafayette P. Custer, <f telegraph ojierator, 
 and prominent figure in labor circles. He 
 prepared an ai'ticle which I printed on No- 
 vember 19, with editorial indorsement, and 
 so the movement was formally launched. 
 Readers were invited to send in suggestions, 
 and did so very freely. When Morss re- 
 tuined he took an earnest interest in the 
 movement, and printed columns of corre- 
 spondence and comment on the proposed re- 
 form, the strong tendency of which kept on 
 <leveloping for the Australian system. 
 
 Meanwhile work had begun on a practical 
 form for the proposed legislation. The fir.st 
 meeting to consider it was at Morss' resi- 
 dence, those pi-esent- being Governor Gray, 
 John R. Wilson, ]\Iorss and myself. We agreed 
 on a plan for an Australian ballot law, based 
 on the New York law but modified to meet 
 our established customs as far as possible: 
 and also on provision for small precincts. 
 The latter was urged by Senator McDonald, 
 who had been unable to attend the meeting 
 but favored the movement. He thought that 
 as near an approach to the old English "hun- 
 dred'" as possible was the best precaution 
 against election frauds, as it came nearest 
 insuring mutual acquaintance of the voters 
 and knowledge of each other's legal status. 
 T was appointed clei-k, and directed to pre- 
 pare a tentative foiiu for the law, which was 
 considered and modified from time to time, 
 the numbers called into the consideration be- 
 ing gradually increased until at last thirty 
 or forty were present, including a number of 
 members of the legislature. Several of the 
 newcomers made valuable suggestions, not- 
 ablv :\lr. W. .\. Pickens, who added th.- "de-
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 ..(»; 
 
 vice" systt'iii. liy wliicli an illitcratt' voti-r 
 could vote a straisrht ticUot. in i)lafe of tin' 
 Belgian color system of distinyuishin<;' the 
 several tickets on the haljot. which had been 
 oritrinally adopted. The bill was ])nt in tin' 
 hands of Senator James ^I. Andrews for in- 
 troduction, because his name came first on 
 the roll, and went through as Senate Bill 
 No. 1. Its management was in charge of 
 Senator James M. Barrett, and it was a very 
 clever piece of work. Most of the members 
 had come with some scheme of election re- 
 form, and the only way to bring them into 
 harmony was to let them convince themselves. 
 The bill was discussed and amended for 
 nearly a month in the Senate, and th<'n the 
 amendments were repealed and the bill 
 passed almost as introduced. 
 
 In addition to the Australian ballot law. a 
 very imf)ortant bribeiy act was passed by 
 this legislature. It was an entirely original 
 measure devised by Judge iEcCabe, later of 
 the Supreme Court. It made the purchase 
 of votes penal, but not the sale, and also gave 
 the seller a right of action against the buyer 
 for .$:^00, as also the pei-son who fui-nished 
 the money. .M'ter judgment the defendants 
 went to jail until the .iudgment was paid, .just 
 as in a bastardy case. It was effective, and 
 the elections of 1890, 1892 and 1894 weie 
 the cleanest that had been known in Indiana 
 for years. In 1897 a Kepubliean legislature 
 destroyed the eft'eet of the law l)y a law i)nn- 
 ishing the seller of his vote by a fine of .t.")<)n. 
 imprisonment from 1 to f) years, and dis- 
 franchisement. Not .satisfied with this, the 
 legislature of 1899 repealed the law of 1889, 
 and made the vote seller punishable by dis- 
 franchisement, with a reward of ."islOO for his 
 conviction. The Supreme Coui't held that 
 the vote buyer could not recover this rewjird. 
 and of course usually no one else would be 
 able to convict. Under this legislation tin- 
 vote buyer was inunune to punishment, and 
 so continued until 190."), when the .same prii- 
 alty was i)rovide(I for both buyer antl seller. 
 Th!s of course ended jirosecutions by eitliri'. 
 and in eonsi'i(iience of this legislation vote 
 buying is now almost as conuiion as it was in 
 188(i: and that was the object <>{' the Iciiisla- 
 tion. The Australian ballot law insures more 
 unlcrly elections, and i)revents to a large ex- 
 
 tent the intimitlation ui voters, but it does 
 not prevent vote buying. 
 
 These remedial measures of 1889 received 
 almost unanimous sn])port from the Demo- 
 cratic members, but there was considerable 
 opjjosition at first. I recall in particular one 
 old representative who wanted no change — 
 who wanted it "so that he could take a 
 floater back of the school-house and mark 
 his ticket for him." But on January 16, 
 1889, the day on which the Soitiiid first pub- 
 lished the Australian liallot law, it also pub- 
 lished the second iu.structiou of Judge Woods 
 in the Dutlley ease. On Jantiary 17 the Scn- 
 finrl made its first editorial plea for election 
 reform in which it was put flatly on the 
 ground that the Democratic party could not 
 compete with the Republican party in ras- 
 cality — its only hope was to be honest and 
 insist on honesty. There was no assiuuption 
 of sii|)eri(H- virtiu' in this. The reason offered 
 was that, "The moneyed power of the coun- 
 try is arrayed on the side of the Republican 
 I)arty. In every national campaign it has 
 a corruption fund of untold millions at its 
 disposal." And this was the argument that 
 convinced hesitating Democratic legislators, 
 wlicn to it was added the consideration that 
 this must be so as long as the Democratic 
 I)arty maintained its opposition to a protec- 
 tive tarifi' and to trusts: and also the con- 
 sideration that the Repidilicans had the fed- 
 eral courts, whose disposition to punish 
 Democratic scoundrels and relea.se Repub- 
 lican scoundrels had been demonstrated. 
 
 The argiunent won then, but it is a.stound- 
 ing how diffictdt it has been for Democrats 
 to keep it in practical i-emcndu-ance since. It 
 is so simple in its logic that it is almost 
 mathematical. .\nd it was not new in 1889. 
 It had been realized by thinking men long 
 before. Seven .vears earlier lion. W'm. 11. 
 Enulish had pointed it out in telling how 
 the Republicans had bouulit the state in 1880. 
 altlioiurh he frard\ly admitted that. "More 
 tiioncy was used tiy the Democrats in the 
 Indiana campaign of 1880 than was ever used 
 in any previous camijaiuri ; " and "My own 
 .jiulgment is that it was largely in excess of 
 what was needed, and five times more than 
 T should recoiiuncnd tlic Democrats to raise 
 in any campaign hereafter." He said: "The 
 idea tVat we could eompc>te with the Keiuib-
 
 .308 
 
 niSTOltV (U' liJJEATKU IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 lieans either in raising; money or usinsj: it for 
 corrupt jjiirposes. was an ntter absurdity. 
 * * * The Denioeratie ])arty, to sueeeed, 
 iimst stand on the etei'nal principles of right, 
 and if they should in future contests en- 
 deavor to carry elections by the corrupt use 
 of money or other rascalities, they will de- 
 serve to be beaten. * * * Wp hacj ^ot 
 the influence and salaries of a hundred thon- 
 .sand federal otticers to help us in that 
 October fight : nor Star Route and treasury 
 thieves to pour corruption funds into onr 
 borders, and chnckle with the beneficiaries 
 over the beautiful supply of 'soap'; nor a 
 great system of banks, nor great manufac- 
 tories nor moneyed corporations to look to for 
 aid ; nor cart-loads of crisp and unworn 
 greenbacks apparently fresh from the treas- 
 ury of the United States, the histoi-y of 
 which may yet startle the country if the sub- 
 .ieet is ever properly investigated. Even if 
 there had been no principle involved, success- 
 ful competition with the Republicans in mon- 
 ey and corrujit practices was absni'd :md iiii- 
 po.ssible. "'" 
 
 There is nothing in this peeuliai' to the 
 Democratic party. It is necessarily true of 
 any party, in any country, that opposes a 
 lirivileged jjlutocracy. The direct cause of 
 1h( jirinciple's being recognized and acted 
 t)n in 1S89 was the Dudley att'air, to which 
 the election reform legislation of that year 
 is a monument. That the improved condi- 
 tions of the next few years have not lasteil is 
 primarily due to Republican assaults on that 
 leuislation, but scarcely less to Democratic 
 failure to keep always at the front the stand- 
 ard of honest elections. If Indiana could re- 
 turn to the bribery law of 1889, and add to 
 it a constitutional provision for the registra- 
 tion of all present voters, with future ad- 
 mission to reaistration based on an education- 
 al ([ualitication, and all sntfrage conditioned 
 on payment of taxes, it might again be in 
 ])osition to boast of advancement in political 
 honesty and political sanity. At pre.sent it 
 has no room for hoastins. 
 
 '" Cinciiiitati Enquirer. February 9. 1882; 
 Fishback's "Plea for Honest Elections. "" j). 9.
 
 CHAPTER XXVll 
 
 THE CITY CHARTER. 
 
 Out of the iiiiul of Indiaiiapdlis strcrls 
 pivw its present city cliarter. TIk' Icxi'l sur- 
 face and rich soil, which had iiidiicrd tlic in- 
 cation of the cai)ital at tliis point, were de- 
 sirable for agi'icnltural jnu'poses. Init tht'v 
 were serious di'awhaeUs in the drainafii' and 
 istrect construction of a city. It is dillicult 
 even for those wlio lived here at the time to 
 realize now the wretched eonilition of the 
 streets up to 1891. As a geueral rule the 
 business streets were paved with "bowlders'' 
 or cobhK'-stones, iiresentiny' an uneven sur- 
 face over which vehicles rattled and jolted, 
 with interstices in which i-aiu aiul s])riid<lini; 
 water stcjod uutd splashed out by wheels, 
 'file only iniprovenient of other .streets was 
 L'radiuii aiul jrravelini;-. In wet weather tlu-y 
 were nniddy, and in dry wi'atber i)eo]ile could 
 realize the force of '.lie old minstrel .ioUe that 
 "dust is nothin" but nuid wid de juice 
 M|ucczcd out." There bad been only two 
 oi- three attempts at substantial i)a\ini;'. and 
 they had not been very eiU'oui'ai;inu'. In the 
 spriny of 187ii. mi pdition of Iwo-thii'ds of 
 the I'i'sideut |)i'opei't\ -owiU'rs. the council or- 
 dcn il Delaware street paved with "Nicholson 
 lilocU pavement." from Washiufrton to St. 
 Clair streets. It was a sand foundation. 
 <'ovi'red with pine boai'ds. on which ])iue 
 blocivs were set. Tin- work' was done by 
 •bibn .\ndci-son i.^ Coiiipany. nl' ('hieaeci. at 
 a <'ost of .$.")L>.(i:5!).22.' 
 
 It was a i)erfect dream to Indiaiuipolis 
 peeple while it lasted, aud tliei-e weiv numer- 
 ous proposals fur other pavenu-nts of the 
 same kind, but the city autbiu'ities concluded 
 to eivi' the fii'st one a lest bef(U'e |)avitie' e.\- 
 
 'Coiuicil I'meei'diii'/s. 18(j9-7n. j.p. 8:W. 
 
 teu.sively, and the only other improvement 
 of the boom times of the early seventies was 
 the continuation of the Delaware street im- 
 provement from St. Clair to Tinker (Six- 
 teenth street), in 1878. It was just as well 
 that they proceeded slowly, for the impi'ove- 
 ment soon went to i)ieces, and on ilay 2!), 
 187(5. Andrew Wallace, oni' of the Delawai'e 
 stivet i)roperty-owiu'rs. jietitioned the coun- 
 cil, reeitinu' how a good siravel and bowldei' 
 sti'eet had been toi'u up. and an "experimen- 
 tal im|)rovement " forci-d mi the property- 
 ownei's, and asking the council "to take up 
 those rotten blocks and |)lace our street in as 
 good condition as it was when you removed 
 it."- The city attorney however, advised that 
 this could be doiu- only at the expense of the 
 jM-operty-owners. 'J'he panic of 1873 put an 
 end to street impi-ovenu'uts for some years, but 
 the need of passable streets was a pressing 
 one, and tlu' .Meridian street jieople next 
 desired improvenu'nt. Aftei- two yeai's of 
 wrangling abcnit it, .Meridian sti-eet was 
 paved, in 1882, with cedai' blocks, from .\ew 
 York to Seventh (Sixteenth) street. This, 
 too, was not lasting, and it was repaired by 
 the city in 1887, on the urgent recouunenda- 
 tion of Mayor Denny-." aud again in 1891. by 
 the first lioard of Pnblie Works under the 
 new charter. 
 
 The next experiment was on Washington 
 street, in 1888. from Mississippi (Senate ave- 
 nue), to .MabaiiKi. The pro|)erty-owiiers 
 ther-e did not want a liloek |iav(Mneut. aud 
 tbei-e was a contest lietween advocates of as- 
 phalt and .-1 ]iateiited mati'fial eallecl Yul- 
 canite. Till' .Idiiniiil warmly espeused the 
 
 S79: and 1S7(I-71. 
 
 .'.1: 
 
 -Council rroeeedinvs. p 
 
 ■'■('ouileil I'l-oeeedinus. I 
 
 1 27. 
 2:!4. 
 
 309
 
 :!li) 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 Vulcanite cause, and a Republican eouncIL 
 adopted it. There were some insinuations 
 of interested motives at the time, and more, 
 a few weeks later, when the contract was as- 
 signed by the Nation:,! Vulcanite Company 
 to the Indianapolis Paving Company— a new 
 corporation. Tlie cost of the pavement was 
 $74,488.68, of which tlie Street Railway Com- 
 pany was assessed with $15.:i63.28.* It diil 
 not pay it. however, the Snjjremc Court hold- 
 ing that it Was under iu> obligation tn pay foi' 
 new paving.^ 
 
 This pavement was very satisfactory in 
 cold weather, but in warm weather it at- 
 tained a chewing-gum consistency that causetl 
 it to be popularly known as "the Yucatan 
 pavement." The chief value of these ex- 
 periments was in educating intelligent people 
 to the importance of some adequate authorit\- 
 to take charge of public improvements. At 
 that time the work of investigation and 
 supervision was done by a "board of publii- 
 improvements" — a committee of three elec- 
 tecl by the Common Council, — and all final 
 action was by the Council and Board of Al- 
 dermen. The opportunit.v for obstruction 
 was so great that practically nothing was 
 done, except on a compromise basis, in case 
 any serious objection was made to any pro- 
 posed im])rovement. And when improve- 
 ments were made, there was a general feel- 
 ing that the public was not getting wliat it 
 was entitled to, or what it might have under 
 a more rational method of procedure. 
 
 The nmtter was brought before the legis- 
 lature of 1889, and it passed a bill establish- 
 ing a "Board of Public AVorks and Affairs." 
 in Indianapolis ("cities of fifty thousand oi' 
 moi'c inhabitants"), wliich was an excellent 
 measure, objectionable in only oiu' respect. It 
 provided that the members of the first Ixiai'd 
 should be elected by the (jeneral Assembly, 
 and their successors should be appointed bv 
 the Mayor. The General Assembly was 
 Democratic, and the Alayoi- a I\epul)lican. 
 On this account the bill was vetoed by Gov- 
 ernor Hovey, but it was passed over his veto." 
 
 At the same session a bill was passed, provid- 
 ing for a "Board of Metroitolitan Police and 
 Eire Department," of the same character, 
 which was likewise vetoed, and pas.sed over 
 the veto.' ^Members of these boards were 
 duly elected, and presented their bonds, 
 whii-h ;\Iayor Denny declined to approve. 
 Mandamus proceedings were then instituted 
 in the Superior Court, and the three judges, 
 in banc, held both acts unconstitutional. 
 The cases were then appealed to the Supreme 
 Court, which likewise held both laws uncon- 
 stitutional. Judge Jlitchell alone dissenting.* 
 This left matters, at the close of 1889, where 
 they were at the beginning, except that uni- 
 versal attention had been drawn to the sub- 
 ject, and the need of better control of public 
 w(u-ks was universally recognized. Its im- 
 |)ortauce was also much increased by what is 
 known as "the Barrett law," which was 
 pa.ssed at the session of 1889. 
 
 The Barrett law is rightly named, for it 
 was wholly original with Senator James "SI. 
 Barrett, of Allen County, and it has seldom 
 fallen to the lot of nuui to originate a meas- 
 ure of more profound effect. Shortly before 
 the session of 1889, Mr, Henry Williams, a 
 prominent citizen of P"'t. Wayne, easuall.v 
 suggested to ^Mi-. Barrett the propriety of a 
 law giving ]u-operty-owners time in which to 
 pay for sti'cet assi^ssments. The idea ap- 
 [)ealed to ]\lr. Barrett, and he endeav(u-ed to 
 find some ]irecedent or model for such legis- 
 lation. Being unable to find anything of the 
 sort in the statutes of any state he devised 
 the simple but ingenious plali of a bond issue 
 covering the assessment liens, which should 
 he met at maturity by the payment of the 
 assessments in installinents with 6 per cent, 
 interest. He preinired the (u-iginal act of 
 1889 unaided, brought it here, and got it 
 passed, in addition to nnich other valuable 
 legislative work, notable among which was 
 engineering the Australian ballot law 
 through the Smiate. 'i'he law of 1889 was 
 practically a compilation of existing laws 
 as to ordering inu)rovements and assessiiur 
 benefits, the essential new feature beinu' the 
 
 ••Council Proceedinus, p. :?42: X(ics. De- 
 cember 18, 1888, 
 
 •■Supply Co., vs. Stivct Railwav Co., 128 
 Ind., p. 525. 
 
 «Aets 1889, pp. 247-254. 
 
 'Acts 1899, pp. 222-280, 
 
 'State ex rel. Jameson vs. Dennv, IIS io'l., 
 p. ■182; State ex rel. Holt vs. Denny, 118 Ind., 
 p. 44!r
 
 lIlsroK'V OK CKKA'I'Hl! IMHAXAPOl.IS. 
 
 311 
 
 riirht ^'iveii tlie propei-ty-owner to call t'of 
 li) years" credit, followed hv the issue of 
 lionds and the i)i'oee(hii'e in relation thereto. 
 It is sometimes called "a loan of the city's 
 < redit," hut it is not. It is virtually a moi"t- 
 isuge by the city of the property on wliich 
 i-redit is desired, and all the city loans is its 
 Miiiervision of tlie l)ond issues and collection 
 I' the money. The debt is not a city debt. 
 I)ut is securi-d by the lien on the property of 
 the indixiduals affected. It has become 
 oonnnon to call all subse(|uent laws contain- 
 insr this principle "Barrett laws," and it 
 should perhaps be borne in mind that Mr. 
 Barrett had nothinjr to do with any of them 
 but the first, as some of them have added 
 other j)i'ovisinns for which lie niiylit not care 
 to be held I'esiinnsible. 
 
 This law— this priviletre of payint;- for pub- 
 lic im])rovements in installments, has not only 
 had an enormous etfect in promoting' public 
 improvements in Indiana cities and towns, 
 but also has been copied widely in other 
 states. It came to the aid of Indianapolis ;il 
 the most oppoitnne moment, wlien slie was 
 .iust "nteriuL' on hei- era of public improve- 
 ment, and reconciled hundreds of men to the 
 policy of public improvemcnl on an extensive 
 scale — a scale that would liavi' created in- 
 tolerable burdens if the expen.se had been 
 obliged to be met in full on the completion 
 of the work, as it was before. It not only 
 foi'warded the aduption of the |)olicy. but it 
 nni|Ui'stiotud)ly made it possible foi- many 
 people to j);iy foi' iiii|)rovenients who could 
 not have done so on the old basis. In the 
 city of Tndian«polis. up to .Tannai-y 1. 1009. 
 there were issued a total of $.').r)4().n(;i.Sfl of 
 these bonds: and of that total .$8,(i9f).91f!.8G 
 had been redeemed. leavin<r outstandini:' 
 !fl.^!-l9.14.").(i:i. This, of course, does not show 
 the entire amount of sti-eet and sewer ex- 
 penditure fi-om 1890. but it shows ajiproxi- 
 mately tlie extent to wliicli propei'ty-owners 
 would have been i-inbari-issed if they bad 
 been i-efpiin^d to meet their assessments at 
 once, and in full. 
 
 There was another influence that was most 
 I>otent in turniriL'' public attenticm to the 
 nec'd of improved sti-eets. The puiilie sei'\iee 
 c(irporati<ins of Indianapolis had never lieen 
 tu'oinpt in puttini: sti-eets in re|);iir. This 
 hail 1 n the subject of nuniernu.s complaints. 
 
 a.s, for example, on March 21, 1881, when, on 
 motion of an irate councilman, the City 
 .Marshal was '•directed to notify the Water 
 Works Company to at once pull up cordwood 
 and rails on youth Meridian sti-eet, and to 
 fill up chuck holes made by them with good 
 irravel or cinders."" But in 1890 the condi- 
 tion of the streets was appalling on account 
 of the race of the two natural gas companies 
 to get in their mains. They had toi'n up a 
 nm.jority of the stieets of the city, and filled 
 the excavations without settling the earth, 
 lu consequence there were miniature moun- 
 tain ranges along most of the streets, cutting 
 ott' drainage and impeding passage. There 
 wei'c hundreds of citizens who could not 
 lu-ing a vehicle to the curb in fixint of their 
 residences. As the comjjanies failed to put 
 the sti-eets in order, the city began to do it, 
 and sentl the bills to the companies, A re- 
 port to the council showed that the Indian- 
 apolis Compan.y had paid one of these bills 
 of over .t:?00, while the Consumers' Trust 
 had refused to pay one of over .$1,000. '" 
 The City Attorney was instructed to sue, but. 
 public sentiment was with the Consumers' 
 Trust, and this was treated as an attempt to 
 embarrass It financially, and nothing was 
 finally done. In the meantime the streets 
 remained in their torn-up condition until 
 permanently imi)roved. 
 
 Early in 1S9() the Conniiercial Club was 
 oi-ganized, the chief atti'action to most of its 
 iiienibers being the improvement of the 
 streets. On H'ehruary 27. ""in view of the 
 I)roposed rebuilding of over a thousand 
 S(|uares of streets," it adopted its plan for a 
 paving exposition which was held that sum- 
 mer. Interest in the matter was geneial. 
 The newspapers were discussing it and iieo- 
 ple were talking about it. On Jlarch '■]. on 
 motion of J. V. AVildmaii. the Bctard of Ti-ade 
 adopted a resolution, "that a connnittee of 
 three be ajipointed from the Board of Trad" 
 I the [>resi(h'tit of the board to be chairman) 
 and request that a like connnittee be apjioint- 
 ed from the Conniiercial Club, and also that 
 the ]\Iayor of the eit\-. the president of the 
 Board of Aldermen, and the chairman of the 
 Finance Committee of the Citv Council be 
 
 "ConncU l'r<ic( cdiiKis. p. 980. 
 
 ^"Ciiuiicil I'nici ( tliiii/s. 1S9I). pp. 74. 7.").
 
 31-.' 
 
 llIsroltY OF CiKKATER IXDIAKAPOLIS. 
 
 requt'stt'il to scivi' ;is meiubeis oi saul cmn- 
 raittee. It shall he the duty of these ji.iiit 
 committees to organize as die, and fully ui- 
 vestiirate and carefully [irepare a bill to he 
 presented at the next iiieetinL;- of the tieneral 
 Assembly, for establishinu' a Board of Pulilie 
 "Works for this city, and such other bills on 
 such other subjects as the interest of the city 
 may demand ; and use all proper efforts to 
 have the same become laws."" In addition 
 to the president (Mr. (ieo. (j. Tanner) Jas. 
 A. AYildman and S. '!'. Bowen were appoint- 
 ed meiiil)ers of this coiiimiltee. 
 
 On ^lareh 10 the Oouimereial Club heUl a 
 large meeting at the Board of Trade Hall, 
 which had been tendered for the club's use 
 till it got a home. The announced subject 
 was "The City Charter: What Is It; What 
 Ought It to Be?" The discussion was led by 
 Dr. Henry Jameson, who advocated refonn 
 legislation, and offered this resolution: "Re- 
 solved, That .we reconnnend to the board of 
 directors the appointment of a committee to 
 consider the matter of revising the laws gov- 
 erning the city, the fcn'mulation of new laws 
 believed to be needed, and the embodiment 
 of the same in a bill covering the entire sub- 
 ject of city government. The report of the 
 conunittee shall be ]n'esented to the club in 
 regular session, thrmmh the board of direc- 
 tors, for final consideration and action." This 
 resolution is broader than it was in its orig- 
 inal form, and was nuide so at the suggestion 
 of, and with the assistance of A. L. ]\Iason, 
 who urged that when the conunittee came tn 
 examine the cround it would probably find it 
 necessary to |)repaie a new charter. After 
 discussion, all favorable to the movement, in 
 which numerous evils were pointed out and 
 remedies suggested, this resolution was 
 adopted. Another resolution was introduced 
 by Charles B. Fletcher, reciting that 
 ""Whereas, the connnunity has awakened t" 
 the deploraI)le condition of our streets " and 
 "Whei'cas the sewei'age of the city is very 
 limited." a committee of three should \<r a|>- 
 pointed to devise nieans for obtaiiiinu the 
 preparation of a compi-ehensive sewer system 
 by reliable engineerinu- talent, so that tlie 
 sewers could be consti-ueted befiu'C the streets 
 wei'e improved. This was referred to the 
 
 directoi's. in reuular course, and later adopt- 
 ed. '- 
 
 On ilarch 11 the dii-ectors of the Com- 
 )nercial Club met. "A conniiunication from 
 the Board of Trade reporting the ap])iiint- 
 ment of a committee to secure the etuu-tnient 
 of a bill establishing a Boai-d of Public 
 Works in Indianapolis and asking the ap- 
 I)ointment of a like committee by the Com- 
 mercial Club, the two to work together, was 
 read. The president was authorized to ap- 
 ])oint, in accordance with the resolution of 
 .March 10th at a meeting of the club, a com- 
 mittee of three to considei- the matter of re- 
 vising the laws governing the city, this com- 
 mittee to act with the Board of Trade com- 
 nnttee on Public Works, in accordance with 
 the provisions of 1he resolution reported.'" 
 ■| he president apiminted Augustus L. IMasou. 
 Samuel K. ^lorss. and <iranville S. Wright 
 as mendiei-s of this conunittee. They were all 
 outspoken advocates of thorough revision. 
 -Mr. ^lason had urged that practically a new 
 charter was needed: and Mr. Wright had 
 spoken for radical changes, at the meeting 
 of March 10. and especially for a centraliza- 
 tion of powei' in the mayor.'* The members 
 of the city government who had been invited 
 to join in the conunittee work — the nuiyor, 
 Thonuis L. Sullivan; the president of the 
 Board of Aldermen. Isaac J. Thalman: and 
 the chairman of the Finance Conunittee of 
 the Council. AVilliam Wesley Woollen — all 
 ;u'ce|ited. The joint conunittee of nine nieni- 
 liers. thus formed, met jiromptly, and almost 
 at the start resolved to undertake the draft 
 of an entirely new charter. George O. Tan- 
 ner was made chaii'nuui. and A. L. ]Mason sec- 
 retary of the conunittee, and it proceeded at 
 once to utilize the ten months that interveuetl 
 bd'oir the next session of the legislature. On 
 Mari'li l,") the Board of Trade held a public 
 nieetiui;- to discuss "Our ^Municipal Affairs. 
 Is there a Necessity for a New City Char- 
 ti'f,'" The affirmative was ably presented 
 liy the City Attorney. W. L. Taylor and 
 others, and a resolution indoi'sing revision 
 was adopted.'^ 
 
 'Miiiiitis. p. l?;it: .hiiniKil. M.uvh 4. 1S!)0. 
 
 -Joiinnil. :\Iarch 11. 1890. 
 ''■C(jiinii( rciiil Club Minutes. 
 KJourunl. :\Iarch 11. 1800. 
 '■Joiinnil. ^\■.\Vi■h Ki. 1890.
 
 iiisToK'v oi'- (;i;k.\'I'I-;i; i.\i»iA.\.\r(ii.i.s. 
 
 • » 1 o 
 
 Nil coiniiiitti't' ever did more .systcinjitic, 
 ratitinal and foiisciciitioiis work tliaii this 
 joint CMinnnitti'e to wiiicli the ri't'onn had Ix'cn 
 rpfi'iTi'd. After it lia;l resolved to (uulertake 
 the draft of au entirely new charter tlie next 
 (|uestion considered was the ^enei'al plan of 
 the new ehartei-. S. Iv Mmss ealled atten- 
 tion to a ]iublication by the Jolnis IlopUius 
 I'liivei'sity, shiiwiiii; the worUiivu' of the Hul- 
 litt I>a\v in the City of IMiiladelphia. iti \vhi<'h 
 the mayor was aiithoiized to ap|)oint a Hoard 
 of Pnblie Works and some other otTieers. 
 Aujiiistus L. ^lason ealled attention to tlie re- 
 cent charter of Brooklyn, New York, eon- 
 strncted on the so-callecl federal i)lan with a 
 division of the city ,<;overum"nt into leiiisJa- 
 tive. exeeiitive. and .iudicial branches, the 
 mayor heiiifr tlie sole head of the executive 
 branch, with jxiwei to a|)piiint siibordinafes. 
 After careful consi<leration it was resolveil 
 to atlopt the ideas of the Bullitt Law and of 
 the Brooklyn charter, as a irenernl jilan tf) 
 wliich the committee should wcn-k. It was 
 recognized that the I'eal problem would be to 
 adapt the lieiu.'ral theory to the j)articular 
 necessiti'^s of Indianapolis, havinu' in mind 
 the institutions to which our ])eo|)le had been 
 accustomeil. l-'oi' the ensuing' ten months 
 sevral meetinjis a week were held in the 
 evenintr. either of the Avliole committee or of 
 siib-committoes. at the office of Mr. Masim. 
 901 ^, Ka.st :\Iarket street. 
 
 The introduction to tlie law. the part I'c- 
 latinir to tli(> legislative branch of the city 
 povernnient and the pai't relating' In the 
 executive branch, were drafted by Jlr. ^Mason. 
 The sources of matei'ial were, in the main, 
 the old laws L'ovei'iiinir the city of Indian- 
 apolis, the new Brooklyn charter, the Bullitt 
 Tiaw of Philadelphia, and the somewhat old- 
 fashioned but the ve^'y carefully drawn char- 
 ter of the City of Cliicai,'!). When the roimli 
 draft of any ])ai't was wi'itten it was submit- 
 ted line by line to a. sub-committee and care- 
 fully considered, modified or appi'oved. The 
 snb-comiiiitte(> cliarLred with the preparation 
 of that portion of the charter re^'ulatini;- the 
 Icirislative branch n)' ihe city uovernment. had 
 fleori;!' li. Tanner for chairman: the siib- 
 coiiniiiltee charged with preparation of thai 
 Itoriien of the charter reiruliitini;- the execu- 
 tive branch of the city iiovernment. had for 
 its cliiiiniian TluiiriMs L. Sullivan, liater i1 
 
 was jiresented to the committee of the whole, 
 which met at regular intervals, ami again 
 gone over line by line. The part of the cliar- 
 ter relating to the .judicial branch of city 
 government was drafted by Thomas L. Sul- 
 livan and (iranville Wi'ight. 
 
 Every member of the committee contribut- 
 ed important ideas and a.ssisted in the phras- 
 inir of the law. .Mr. Tanner, showing great 
 lirecision in the use of words, in iiointing out 
 ambiguities and in testing proposed provi- 
 sions, by the common working of business 
 and public attains as transacteil from day to 
 day. gave particular attention to the powers 
 fpf the city council. Jlr. Woollen and "Sir. 
 'I'haliiuui were extremely valuable in sha[)ing 
 those parts of the bill touching city finance, 
 the making of approi>riatioiis. the issue and 
 sale of bonds, the making of street improve- 
 ments, and the granting of franchises to pub- 
 lic eori)orations. 
 
 In the work of the einiimittee, ]\Ir. ]\rorss 
 and ilayor Sullivan kei)t in touch with the 
 views of the Democratic organization in the 
 city and carried on ilijilomatie negotiations 
 so as to avoid obstruction when the charter 
 should go before the legislature. Colonel 
 AVildman. ^[r. Thaliiian and .Mr. Wright 
 kept in touch with the Uei)ublican organiza- 
 tion for a like purpose. ^Ir. Bowen acted 
 as a committee on style and polished oH:' 
 many rough places in the English of the 
 (locnmcnt. .Mr. 'I'anner furnished that kind 
 of enthusiasm and untiring energy, as chair- 
 man of the committee, which kept the com- 
 mittee constantl}' at work and tolerated no 
 unnecessary delay and no carelessness on the 
 part of any member. Through the hot nights 
 of the snniim r id' ISilll the committee met 
 with tireless reuulai'ity and this without 
 stimulants, for when late in the evening they 
 left the liot little oflice on Hast .Market street 
 they would repair to the drug store in the 
 Halcyon block at Delawiirc and Xew 'S'ork 
 streets and refresh with soft drinks only. 
 
 The great central I'latiire of the charter 
 revision was the entire s( |)aration of the 
 executive, legislative and judicial fnnctioiis. 
 all administrative functions being trans- 
 ferred to th(> executive deiiartnieiit. Tliis 
 iiieant a ureat coiieeiil ration (d" [xiwer in the 
 mayor, and witli the powei was i)lac(>d the 
 full ri'sponsibilitx' wliii'li slionid aeeoinpaiiy
 
 314 
 
 HISTORY OF GHEATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 jtower. Thcrt' are many fine points in the 
 charter which even to this day the jjublic is 
 not familiar with. For instance, usually 
 where the mayor or some other executive 
 officer has the veto power, the failure of such 
 an officer to sign a bill within a certain limit- 
 ed time, permits such a bill or ordinance tii 
 become a law by the lapse of time without his 
 signature. In the city charter this is ail 
 changed, and the shoe, as it were, is put on 
 the other foot. The mayor is compelled to 
 take his full share of responsibility in every 
 iii-dinaiice that is passed", by signing every 
 (ii'dinance which he approves. In case, with- 
 in the limit named in the charter, he does not 
 sign an ordinance, his failure to sign consti- 
 tutes a veto. Thus it is incumbent upon tl 
 mayor to thoroughly study every ordinanc-c 
 that is passed, and to take his full responsi- 
 bility for all laws. The mayor is really made 
 the key-stone to the arch. It was the desii-e 
 of the gentlemen who drafted the city char- 
 ter to fix the responsibilit.v \ipon some one 
 for ever.v act, and the mayor is the responsi- 
 ble head, and it is im]ioi-tant tiiercfore undi^r 
 our city charter that the peojile should selecl 
 the very best material in electing a mayor. 
 The mavor appoints the various boards, the 
 Board of Public Works, the Board of Public 
 Safety and the Board of Health, and the 
 Cit.v Engineer, and in order not to have a 
 lot of political dickering, and to avoid tyintr 
 the hands of the ma.voi- and place him in tlie 
 attitude of making deals with the City Coun- 
 cil, his appointments do not have to be ap- 
 proved by the City Council, and he is at lib- 
 erty to at anv time remove any one of his 
 appointees; and in order that he may do no 
 in.i'ustice to a person so removed, it is only 
 incumbent upon him, when he does remove a 
 person, that he stat*^ his i-ea.son for so remov- 
 ing his appointee. Thus if a person removei' 
 considered himself aggrieved, the fact that 
 the ma.vor is compelled to state his reason 
 gives the p-^rson so removed an opportunity 
 to come before the people and give his sidi^ 
 of the case, if there is a dift'erence of opinion. 
 During the prei)ai'ation of the charter the 
 committee i)riidentl.v allowed the public to 
 know some of the ideas which were being con- 
 sidered. The plan giving the ma.vor power 
 to appoint and discharge his subordiiiates 
 was mui'h debated in privab' cdnvei'sation. 
 
 in the jniblic [U'ess, and elsewhere. Even the 
 debating class at the Y. JI. C. A. argued the 
 (juestion and later it was submitted to some 
 classes in the public schools for essays by the 
 [)upils. It was argued against the provision 
 that such a concentration of power was un- 
 democratic and un-American, and would re- 
 sult in a dangerous political nuichine. It 
 \vas urged in favor of the provision that a 
 concentration of executive power in the hands 
 of the mayor was neeessarv for efficient ad- 
 ministi-ation and followed the plan of the 
 federal government, as laid down in the Con- 
 stitution and T.iaws of the United States. It 
 was pointed out that the proposed charter 
 instead of unduly concenti'ating power, reall.v 
 divided it li.v separating the legislative and 
 executive branches of the government instead 
 lif vesting the whole in the Conunon Council 
 as had been previously done. The whole 
 nature of the office of mayor was to be 
 clianged. Instead of being merel.v presiding 
 officer of the Council and Judge of the Police 
 Coui-t, the mayor was to be sti'ietl.v the heail 
 cif the executive branch of the government. 
 This provision met with general approval. 
 The power to be given the controller to recom- 
 mend appropriations and tax levies to the 
 Council, with the provision that the Council 
 might reduce but could never increase the 
 '^anie. was regarded with seneral favor. A 
 section occui'rintr in the introduction to the 
 I'hai'ter pi'ohibiting city officials from having 
 :in.v interest in contracts with the cit.v, and 
 the provision authorizing the mayor to re- 
 voke saloon licenses for cause, elicited much 
 approval. Much embarrassment was oeca- 
 -ioned by the pi-oblem of changing from the 
 old to the new form of government. Certain 
 officials holding office under the Ccmncil felt 
 ♦ hat the ma.vor, who undei' th(> new charter 
 had the power of apjiointment, would deprive 
 them of office. This difficulty was smoothed 
 over by seeurine their positions to them for 
 the terms for which they were appointed. 
 
 On January .">. ISill. the Board of Trade's 
 portion of the conuiiittee r'eported to it. and 
 on Janmii'.v t) the Commei-cial Club's I'cprc- 
 sentatives did the same, the two i-eports being 
 practically identical. They state that the 
 committee first decided "that it was neces- 
 sai'.v to undertake a revision of ;dl the laws 
 uoverninu' the City of Tiidianapolis. except
 
 JIISTOKY' OF (IKKATEl! IXDIAXAPOIJS. 
 
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 CO 
 
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 c 
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 O 
 
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 H 
 Q
 
 :Mi; 
 
 IlLSTOEY OF GKEATEIl 1M)1AXA1'0LIS. 
 
 those in relation to tlie public sehools. to em- 
 body the revision in one uniform code or 
 charter drafted in accordance witli the most 
 approved modern notions of municipal gov- 
 ernment. A sub-eonnnittee was appointed to 
 jirepare a general outline of the work. * * * 
 One member of the committee was at an early 
 date designated to prepare a draft of the new 
 charter, upon each topic iu its proper order, 
 wliich draft would be gone over line liy line 
 by the sub-committee rewritten and reconsid- 
 ered as often as necessary, and afterwards 
 presented to the whole connnittee, by whom 
 the entire document was twice revised line 
 by line and twice rewritten."" In the course 
 of the work they exivmined and digested "all 
 of the magazine articles, some three hundred 
 in innnber, which have appeared in this coun- 
 try on the subject in the last twenty years. 
 Next we sent for, read and considered a num- 
 ber of volumes, by writers of eminence, which 
 have appeared, embracing exhaustive histo- 
 ries of the charters of the great cities of this 
 countiy, with the progressive changes, and 
 the results of their workings, fi'om the ear- 
 liest colonial times to the present day."' To 
 this was added an examination of the best 
 American and foreign city charters. 
 
 The next work was to classify and index 
 "rdl of the statutes now in force governing 
 the City of Indianapolis."" This woi'k "de- 
 veloped the fact that the present powers of 
 the city are exceediimly ilefective ; that many 
 ordinances which have been passed are un- 
 doubtedh^ invalid for want of corporate 
 power; and that in many particulars the 
 present statutes are imperfect, loesely drawn, 
 conflicting, and in many instances wholly in- 
 opei'ative. '" With this preparation the com- 
 mittee had prepared the new charter, which 
 was submitted in jirinted form. The pro- 
 posed charter had already been submitted to 
 the Marion County delegation and to the 
 press. The thanks of both organizations were 
 extended to the members of the connnittee 
 for their public-spirited and faithful labors: 
 and thi>se labors were also justly made thi' 
 suli.jcct of eom|)limentary connuent in the 
 annual I'cjiorts next following. In this com- 
 ment may be noted the statement of Presi- 
 dent Lilly in his annual address of February 
 9, 1891: "The ueneral committee further 
 honored the rouniicn'ial Club by plaeinii the 
 
 construction ot the charter in the hands of 
 ^Ir. ^lason, a trust bringing with it a duty 
 so great that it took months of constant labor 
 to bring the mass of ideas into legal form."'" 
 
 The work of preparing the charter was 
 slow, but it was sure as compared with the 
 work of passing it, for there were obstacles 
 of various sorts. Perhaps the most serious 
 ( ne was that the charter had Iieen prepared 
 on an absolutely non-partisan basis, and was 
 now offered to a Democratic legislature for 
 passage, it being a certainty that there was a 
 percentage of Democrats who had conscien- 
 tious scruples against a failure to take a par- 
 tisan advantage when opportunity offered. 
 Secondly, all of the public service corpora- 
 tions—street railway, gas and water compa- 
 nies — were against it, though they did not 
 venture on an ojien Hght. Third, some of the 
 large owners of real estate looked with ap- 
 prehension on the great power lodged in the 
 Board of Public Works, coupled with the 
 prevalent sentiment for extensive and es- 
 |)ensive street imin-ovements. The most in- 
 fluential of this class was Wm. H. English, 
 who was always conservative, and whose con- 
 servatism had been a blessing to all Indiana 
 municiiialities by securing the 2 per cent debt 
 limit. ^Ir. English had extensive influence 
 with the legislature, and had been for years 
 a verv close personal and jiolitical friend of 
 Dr. AV. C. Thompson, the leading senator 
 from ;\Iarion County. ^Ir. English made no 
 secret of his opposition, and it was well 
 known that when he went into a legislative 
 fiuht he went in to win. 
 
 It being evident to the initiated that they 
 had a fight on theii' hands, the directors of 
 the Commercial Club, on December 9, 1890, 
 authorized the president to ajipoint "a com- 
 mittee of twenty-one meiidiers or more, to co- 
 operate with the members of the General As- 
 seiidily representing Indianapolis in urtring 
 the enactment of bills in the interest of the 
 city." President Lilly thereujK)n appointed 
 a connnittee of twenty-five of the most influ- 
 ential members of the club, with John P. 
 Frenzel as chaii'man. The .ioint connnittee 
 which prepared the charter co-operated with 
 this committee, and all the friends of the 
 charter ranged themselves under its leader- 
 
 '"Miini/fi f'oHuiii rr-ial Cluh. p. 1.58.
 
 inSToKV or CKKA' 
 
 IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 !1T 
 
 ship. It ])oi;;in operations by lai^iuj.' a luiiul 
 in the oriranizatioii of the House of Kepre- 
 sentatives. and secured its candidate for 
 speaker, Hon. ]Mas(in J. Xii)lack, and its can- 
 didate for cliainnan of the Committee on Af- 
 fairs of tlie City of Indianapolis. Tlon. J. E. 
 JfcCuliouirh. These ]irecauti(Uis were timely 
 for the Senate deleuation— Di-. \V. C. 
 Thomi)son and Heniy Hudson of Marion, 
 and Daniel Foley of Marion, Shi'ihy and 
 Hancock, were a'jainst the charter; and all 
 three opposed i1 till a test vote in the Senate 
 showed tliat it wctuld pa.ss that body: and 
 then Hudson and Foley voted for it . 
 
 The measure was introduced on .January 
 by Representative ]\le('ullough, as House Bill 
 Xo. 44. and referred to tlie Connnittee on Af- 
 fairs of the City of Imlianapolis. ()n Jan- 
 uary 22 a '"heariui;"" was had by the House 
 Comiiiitte''. with the Senate Committee in- 
 vited but not attendin"'. Representative ilc- 
 Clilloutrli presideil, and the discussion was 
 opened by W. P. Fishbaek, who .spoke briefly 
 in favor of the chartei-. \V. H. Euiilisli. of 
 the opposition, was called on next, but de- 
 elined to speak, sayiuji' that there had not 
 been sufficient notice, noi- snftieient opportu- 
 nity to e.Kamine tlu' chartei-. -I, 1'. Fren/.el 
 replied, callinii attention to the fact that the 
 ehai'ter bill lia<l been published in full in the 
 Si III ill! I of Decembei' 2S. and full synopses 
 iu the other i)ai)ers. den. John C'oburii ne.xt 
 spoke afrainst the bill. ui'Siinu: that it created 
 "an absolute monarchy." an<l was antagonis- 
 tic to "local self-gdvciiniiciit. " Wliile he 
 was speakini:. ^Ir. Fishbaek, who sat next to 
 nie, whis|)eretl, "'.Just wait and sec (ius skin 
 him;" and sui'e enough, when be sal down 
 Augustus I,. .Mason was called out. and he 
 certainly did Hay GeiKM'al Coburn, airiid 
 laughter and ajiplause; and his victim could 
 retaliate onls' by declaring that .Mr. .Mason's 
 assault was "beneath conteTupt." The truth 
 is that in this discussion, which was al! 
 niapjieil out lieforehand on both sides, lln' de- 
 fenders of the ehai'ter had lln' iniiiieiiM' ad 
 vantage of knowing their giDiiiid. while ihe 
 assailants <lid not, and consci|iientl\' fell into 
 errors that were readily ex|)osed. The char- 
 ter peo])le had gone over their work so thor- 
 oughly that they knew every argument for 
 and against evei'y provision in the bill, and 
 
 were like an entrenched army resisting the 
 attack of a ]ioorly armed mob. 
 
 There were about a dozen speakers, it be- 
 ing evident that the charter people were 
 meeting attacks .systematically— a Democrat 
 replying to a Democratic objector, and a Re- 
 publican to a Republican, (ieo. Tanner. S. 
 E. Mor.ss and Isaac Thalman, of the commit- 
 tee that fr.-imed the bill, were heard; also 
 Otto Stechhini. II. 11. ll.iniia. C. \V. Fair- 
 banks, Father (J '1 )nnagliue. A. H. (iates, 
 Charles Martindale, Judge A. C. Ayres and a 
 few others spoke, all favoring the bill or sug- 
 gesting minor amendments. 1 had atteiKled 
 the meeting as an ■"innocent bystander." 
 with no intention of taking pari, but, being 
 calle<l upon. I stated frankly that wliile 
 favoring the measure iu general there were 
 two things that T thought should be changed. 
 The bill as introduced provided for a council 
 of 25 members and a board of aldermen of '■> 
 members, both bodies elective from districts 
 made by Ihemselves. In view of the possibil- 
 ity of gerrymandering I urged that the board 
 of aldermen should be elected on the general 
 ticket, by the whole city. The other point 
 was that tlie board of works was given unre- 
 stricted po\\ei- in till' iii.-iller nl' street im- 
 provement, aiiil I iirgeil that if a decided 
 majoiity of the pr(i|)eit> -owners on a stn'ct 
 did not want a projiosed improvement tlii\v 
 should ]i;\\r the riuht d' remonstrance.'" 
 
 .\fter th eeling Mr. Morss told me he 
 
 would like to do away with th(^ board of al- 
 dermen altogether if it were not for the lia- 
 bility of a eouueil gerrymander. In fact, the 
 abolition of the board of aldermen had been 
 extensi^■ely favored, and it \\as formally dis- 
 cussed al a uieetiug of thi' Commercial Club 
 on Jaiinary 12. but the club voted to retain 
 it. on the theory that a check on legislation 
 was desir.'ible. T suggested that this could be 
 avoided by electing enough <'ounciliiien-at- 
 large to offset any possible gerrymander ad- 
 vantage. He at once indorsed this idea, and 
 if was put into the bill by general consent. 
 
 1 may add bete Ih.ii al this time I was 
 State Librarian, and was also writing exten- 
 sively foi- the S( iiliiK'l. as well as keei)iiig an 
 eve on legislative movi'meiits for its benefit. 
 
 "Till* .lounial of .lannary 2:!. 1s:n. has 
 the best account of the meeling.
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 1 liad notified ilr. ^lor.ss several times that 
 certain people wiioni he trusted in eonneetion 
 with legislation were betraying him, but he 
 doubted the accuracy of my information. On 
 •January 26 I informed him that a private 
 meeting had been arranged for that night, at 
 Representative McCullough's office, of the op- 
 ponents of the charter with the Clarion 
 County delegation, giving him the names of 
 some of his friends who would be present, 
 and their purpose. They had adopted the 
 plan of letting the chartei' go through but 
 of amending it by making the board of pub- 
 lie works elective, from three districts, one 
 of which was to be the city north of Ohio 
 street, and the other two south, divided by a 
 north and south line. It was supposed that 
 this would insure two Democratic members, 
 and the board of works was considered the 
 one important thing in the whole system. 
 This was the first opportunity that had been 
 given for a body blow, and ]\[orss at once 
 ]irepared a scorching editorial denouncing \h'- 
 proposal. It was held until repoi'ters lirouglit 
 in word that the meeting was actually in 
 progress, and of who Mere present. Fart of 
 their names were published but a few were 
 withhild and advised with privately. 
 
 The opponents got very little satisfaction 
 at the meeting. es])ecially from 'Slv. McCu'- 
 lough. who notified them that he would o[)- 
 pose any such amendment. They were sim- 
 ply overwhelmed when they read the Sentinel 
 in the mornintr, and found their private meet- 
 ing thoroughly ventilated. They imagined it 
 liad been given away by some of the delega- 
 tion, but in fact the editorial was written b(>- 
 fore the meeting was held. And it produced 
 efifecfs ])esides carrying consternation into 
 their camp. Up to that time the sujipoi-t of 
 the Neics had been very perfunctory. That 
 afternoon it reproduced the Scnfiiirl's edi- 
 torial in full, with hearty indorsement, and 
 said: "The thing to do is to pass the charter. 
 We had in mind suggestiims for some amend- 
 nuMits to the charter. Rut we waive these 
 in the face of the greater necessities of the 
 situation. As a whole we believe the scheme 
 to be the soundest and best that has ever 
 been devised, and an imperative requisite for 
 the good career and fair progress of Indian- 
 apolis. We do not think it is peifect, and 
 do not claim that it i^. Rut its iniix'rfcctions. 
 
 we believe, are of the surface, the root of the 
 matter sound, and its deep and pure plant- 
 ing right now requisite for the healthy 
 growth of this city. We can test it by ex- 
 perience for two years. Then in what things 
 time shall show that it needs amendment, 
 can come to the next legislature for such 
 amendment. The thing now to do, and to do 
 now, is to pass the ehai'ter as it stands." In 
 addition to bringing more allies into active 
 service, the exposure put an end to the dou- 
 ble-dealing with the Sentinel, and left the 
 friends of the charter with an open field, and 
 their enemies all in front of them. 
 
 On February 6 the bill was reported with 
 recommendation for extensive hut not serious 
 amendments, all of which had been agreed to 
 by the friends of the charter.'" The most 
 important was the striking out of the board 
 of aldermen and making the council of 21 
 members, of whom fi were to be elected at 
 large, and 15 from districts. Aiuither amend- 
 ment gave the right of remonstrance against 
 a street improvement by two-thirds of the 
 property-owners, in which ease the impi-ove- 
 ment stopped unless the council ordered it by 
 a two-thirds vote. The city tax-limit was 
 reduced from $1 to $.90 by another amend- 
 ment. Others reduced certain salarii>s, bnr 
 left the power with the council to raise them 
 to their original figure. The other amend- 
 ments were formal or technical, thei-e being 
 none that altered the real principles of the 
 original. The report was joined in by all the 
 ]\Iarion County members, McCullough. Cur- 
 tis, ^lack, Thienes, ]\Iatthews and iNIcCloskey, 
 all Democrats. The three outside members, 
 Hess, Wells and Guthrie, all Republicans, 
 made M minority report reconniietiding the 
 passage of the bill as originally intri)diieed, 
 and continued to play politics by voting 
 against the bill on its passage. It pa.ssed 
 the House easilv on Februarv 16, by a vote 
 of 65 to 13.'» 
 
 The Senate was the danger j)<)int. The bill 
 being a local matter, with the three local Sen- 
 atoi's against it. and they all Democrats, in 
 a Democi-atic Senate, it is obvious that there 
 was a tremendous obstacle to be overcome in 
 mere "senatorial courtesy." ^loreover it en- 
 
 ^^House Jmirnal. pp. 570-581. 
 ^"Ifoiise ./•iiiriml. p. fiS4.
 
 lllSTOlfV OF (;i!KATER INDIAN APOLIS. 
 
 319 
 
 t'Oiinti'it'il in the St-iiatc i)r()l)al)ly tlic only 
 inau ill tlie (ieui'ral Asseiiit)ly wlio opposed it 
 as a iiiarter of (lisiutercstcd principle, and 
 that was Frank B. Burke. Burke was a bril- 
 liant uenius, but somewhat erratic in his bril- 
 liancy. He was so devoted to abstract prin- 
 ciples that it dis(pialified him for really im- 
 portant legislative work, in which abstract 
 principles, in their logical exti-emes. have 
 usually to be abandoned, for the simple lea- 
 sou that human beings do not live on a logi- 
 cal basis. It has been said that all really 
 great legislation is the product of compro- 
 mise. It is so only so far as the eompromi.se 
 is in the line of adapting it to actual human 
 conditions, as against theories. Hut when 
 Burke once set his head he knew no com- 
 promise. These (pialities had given him in 
 ]8f^M the distinction of beinii- the only Demo- 
 crat in the General Assembly who voted 
 against the Australian Ballot Law. On this 
 occasion his hrfc noir was the provision of 
 section 60, autlio?-izing the board of jjublic 
 works to i)urcliase or erect and operate 
 water-works, electric-light works, etc., i)ui- 
 siiant to an ordiiuiiice. He felt that true 
 Deinocratic ])rincipli's called for a vote of 
 the peofjle on such important matters. (let- 
 ting info the opposition, he became by reason 
 of his ability the leader of the opposition in 
 the .Senate. The friends of the charter were 
 shut out of home (•bam[)ions for tlieii' meas- 
 ure, but they found two able and iiitluential 
 ones in Kufus Magee, of Cass, and Timothy 
 E. Howard, of St. .losi'i)!! and Starke. 
 
 The opposition had their troubles als'i. 
 They could not flatly refuse any charter re- 
 vision, and .so they were forced to show by 
 amendments what they thought would be de- 
 sirable in a charter. The rejxu-t submitted 
 by the coiiiiiiittee on l''ebruary "28 was so evi- 
 dently framed for the i)urp(^se of holding 
 together a discoi'dant opposition that it was 
 fairly ludicrous, and it no doubt had the ef- 
 fect r)f bringing intellitrent outside support 
 to the bill. The Sruliiirl said: "We are 
 charitable enough to believe and to say that 
 these L'entlemen (the majority of the com- 
 inittee) have simply been imposed upon. The 
 rejmrt is not their production. It was not 
 wtifteii by either of them. Two. at least, of 
 these L'entlemen ha\'e trday cnlv tl-e vairuest 
 ide;i of wlijit the'i- report eoU t .M i IIS. aiid eiiuM 
 
 not explaiu, to save their immortal souls, in 
 what respect their i-ecommendations differ 
 from the bill as passed by the House of Kep- 
 rcsentatives. They have lent their names to 
 a document of the uature of which they have 
 no intelligent conception. Incredible as it 
 may appear, the Senate committee on the af- 
 fairs of the City of Indianapolis, to which 
 this bill was referred, has never held a meet- 
 ing to consider it. This committee consists 
 of Senators Kertli and Griffith, Democrats, 
 and Senators Yaryau and Hubbell, Repub- 
 licans, in addition to the three Marion 
 Count.v senators. The bill has never been be- 
 fore this comiiiittee. The report which is 
 presented in its name should therefore carry 
 no weight with the Senate."-" 
 
 The minority report, signed by Yaryau and 
 Hubbell. recommended the jjassage of the bill 
 with two unimpoi'taiit ameudments. The ma- 
 jority report, without restoring the board of 
 aldermen, proposed a council of 25 members, 
 all elected from districts. It made the ap- 
 pointing power of the mayor subject to con- 
 firmation by the council, and prohibited the 
 removal of an appointee without the consent 
 of two-thirds of the council. It prohibited 
 the erection or purcha.se of water-works, elec- 
 tric-light works, etc., except by a new coun- 
 cil, after six months' public notice of the 
 action contemplated. It uave the majority of 
 nroperfy owners, "residing in such city.'" on 
 the line of any proposed street imi)rovement, 
 the right to prevent if, even if the council as 
 well as the board of uoi'ks favored it. But 
 its choicest feature was the amendment of thi« 
 section establishing the health boaril, which 
 it made, "The Department of Health, Phniib- 
 ing and Charity;" and this it put "under 
 the control of one health commissioner and 
 one inspector of plumbing and luuise drain- 
 aae, who shall be appointed by the mayor," 
 giving them autocratic jiowers which might 
 well make the other dejiartmeiits green with 
 envy.-' The obvious i)uri)ose of this was to 
 hold Senator Hudson, who was a plumber, 
 and \<ho rode this hobby of compulsory 
 plumbiuir for years. lie got an ordinance for 
 it throuuh the council once, but Mayor Tag- 
 gart's attention was calleil to the fact that 
 
 -"S<,iIIihI. Maivh 2. 1801, 
 ''S'ii(il<- .1 iitirviil . pp. 92.")-9'?.'-!.
 
 V2t) 
 
 HISTORY OF OtREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 it wiiuld mst thf fitiz(_-ns about $2,0(HI.(HI() tn 
 [Hit it into effect, and lie vetced it. 
 
 But with all their advantage of reason, 
 the friends of the charter were very blue. 
 They had been unable to hold a single Demo- 
 crat on the Senate coiiiiiiittee, and they knew 
 that thei-e were some Republicans who 
 thouuht it would he sjood politics to have the 
 bill defeated in a Democratic Senate. Some 
 of them thouiiht it would be advisable to 
 couipi'omise to some extent on the confirma- 
 tion of appointments, and remonstrance 
 ag-ainst street improvements. Right there the 
 siMiuil column of John P. Frenzel became an 
 imjxirtant factor. He refused to consider 
 any compromise— said he would resign from 
 the committee iP it was done— said the bill 
 couhl lie )nit through, and they would put it 
 thr(]Ui;h as it was (U- lose it altogether. The 
 bill had been made a special order for ]\Ion- 
 day, ]\Iarch 2, at 3 o'clock. A't that time 
 Senator Hudson moved to adopt the majority 
 repoi't, and Senatoi- ]\Iagee to substitute the 
 minority report. Senator Burke then moved 
 to suspend the reading of the report and con- 
 sider the hill by sections, which carried. 
 IMagee at once met this play for delay by 
 movins that when the Senate adjourned it 
 lie to 7:35, for an evening session. After 
 motions to table, postpone and adjourn had 
 been lost. Burke threw down the gauntlet 
 with a motion to remain in session until the 
 adoption or rejection of the minority report, 
 which carried without division. Magee then 
 demanded the previous question on the nio 
 • tion l(- sub.stitute the minority report, which 
 was seconded by the Senate-, and the minor- 
 ity report was then substituted by a vote of 
 2!> to 18. Senator Howard at once moved to 
 suspend the rules, consider the amendments 
 engrossed, and the bill read by sections, and 
 put on its passage: and ck>manded the pii'- 
 vious question. The Senate seconded the de- 
 mand, and adopted the motion by the same 
 vote of 29 to 18. Ilavint!- now pnt it beyond 
 aiiK'ndmetit. the Senate adjourned on motion 
 of Si'iiator Howard. 
 
 On the followiuL'' morning a motion to sus- 
 pend tlie rules and pass the liijl without read- 
 intr failed for want of a constitutional major- 
 ity, the vote being 27 to 20. Burke then of- 
 fered the amendment that had been included 
 in the majority repoit for Voldini:- baek tile 
 
 erection or jjurchase of water-works, etc., uii- 
 lil after an election in which it was an issue; 
 iiut this was nded out of order, and the bill 
 was read and put on its passage. The first 
 business of the afternoon was to jiass it, 
 which was done b> 42 votes, the only nega- 
 tives being Burke, Pawing (of Decatur and 
 Shelby), and Thompson, of ^Marion. Uiirke 
 then filed a pi'otest reciting that tlii-re had 
 lieen bad faith in shutting ot}' ameudiiieiits; 
 that his amendment of the power of the board 
 of public works would hnA'e been ado]ited if 
 submitted: and that the power vested in tlie 
 board of public works "if exercised in a care- 
 less or negligent way, or abused, will result 
 in absolute financial ruin to the interest and 
 jieople of such city.'"-- The enrolled act 
 was filed with the Governor on Man-li (i. and 
 signed by Jiim the same day. In cciineetion 
 with Senator Burke's protest, it may be 
 worth while to rememlier that the jiower 
 lodgml in city ofticials by the charter is very 
 larue, and that the welfare of the city de- 
 ])ends ehiefiy on the character of the offieials 
 selected. Some of the jieople who jiooh- 
 poolied Burke's apprehensions have r<'cently 
 been nmch concerned over an analogous exerr 
 cise of power in the erection of a city hall, 
 and are now awake to the fact that we have 
 a representative government in which the 
 ]>owers are delegated to officials, and dele- 
 gated beyond recall. If this is not borne in 
 mind on election days, there might <'asily 
 come a time when Burke's jn-otest woiiid he 
 vindicated. 
 
 There has not been a session of the leni^la- 
 ture since 1891 in which there has not lieeii 
 some amendment of the city charter, Init 
 none of them can be considered as .•iffeetiii-r 
 the fiuidamental principles on which it is 
 based, unless it 1k^ the leeislation in regard 
 to parks. By the original charter, parks were 
 ])nt under control of the Board of Public 
 AVorks: but in 1890 the Department of Pub- 
 lic Parks was created, and all park aff'airs 
 were pnt into its custody, it beint; one of 
 the executive departments of the city govern- 
 ment. There was nothiiitr in this ineeiisisteiit 
 with the theory of the original charter, for 
 the new department was one of like ])owers 
 with the cither departments. The law of 
 
 -•Snxih Jiiitri'iil. p. 9118.
 
 llISTOliV or (M.'KATEl! IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 :!•.'] 
 
 I90!>. however, makes a larj^e iiici-easc of tlie 
 powers of the board of park eoinmis.sioiiers. 
 and estahlislies a fixed revenue by requii'hiir 
 the council to le\'j' "a tax of not less than 
 tlve cents nor more than nine cents on each 
 one hundred dollars of taxable property." 
 for the de])arliiK'iit and also giving; to it all 
 revenues derived fi-oiii the i)arks. The boartl 
 can also establish |)ai-ks and boulevards, as- 
 sessintr benefits and daniaizes to pay for the 
 same: Init the amount of this is limited to 
 $200,00U in any one year, and to .i;1.23(),00() 
 within ten yeai-s. This power is in addition 
 to assessments for sti'eet. sewer and other im- 
 provements on lioulevards or in jiarks, which 
 are the same as those of the Boai-d of Public 
 Works elsewhei-e. In addition, by the act of 
 1909. the council may, on recommendation of 
 the park board, by ordinance divide the city 
 into pari; districts, and the property in each 
 district is made assessable by the park l)oai-d 
 for benefits of the boulevai'd and parkway 
 improvements constructed in such district ; 
 and this has l)e(ii done. I'nder this law the 
 Departm-'ut of Public Pai'ks is almost inde- 
 pendent of the city ij-overnment or any jiart 
 of it, although api)ointed by the iiuiyor. It 
 is an ap]iroxinuition to jxnver without le- 
 sponsibility that will be watched with much 
 interest by students of economics and gov- 
 erinniMital science. 
 
 Othei- amendments have been usually oL" 
 mattej-s of detail as to salaries of offices, 
 modes of a.ssessmeut foi- public improve- 
 ments, annexation of territory, pensions for 
 firemen and i)olicenieu, elections, depositories 
 of funds, etc. In 1905 there was a general 
 i-evision of the charter, which was included 
 in the "municipal corpoi'ations" law,-'' In- 
 dianapolis tailing under the division of 
 ■'cities of the first class." In this there was 
 no material change of the chai-tei'. The same 
 year a very important law for the elevation 
 of railroad tracks was enacted. This was 
 l>repared by City Attorney Henry Warnun, 
 and undei- it the work of track elevation is 
 now under headway. In 1903 a law was 
 passed establishing a Juvenile Court in .Mar- 
 ion County, which is ])ractically a city insti- 
 tution -* and modifies the judicial department 
 of the city government. On the whole, 
 the city charter as it now exists nu)y be con- 
 sidered the natural dexcldpnicnt and jierfee- 
 tion of the "federal plan'" of city govei-n- 
 ment, which was instituted in 1891. and the 
 general satisfaction with the .systt'm is a 
 ti-ibute to the good judgment of those who 
 originated it. 
 
 -Acts 1905. p. 219. 
 -^\cts of 1908. p. 51 (i. 
 
 Vol. 1—21
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 I'L'HLIC UTILITIES. 
 
 The most friendly chroiiieler eoukl not call 
 early Indianapolis ]irogre.ssive in the matter 
 of public utilities. Before the coming- of the 
 railroads it moved along on a very quiet 
 country town basi.s, and after their coming 
 it 'vas slow to take on city airs. The first 
 l)robleni confronted was that of public light- 
 ing, of which there had been none of any 
 kind before the fifties. Gas had been in use 
 in eastern cities for a number of years. Balti- 
 more began experimenting \\ith it in ISlti, 
 and was the first American city that adopted 
 it for street lighting. By 1825 most of the 
 large eastern cities had followed suit, but 
 there wa.s no inducement for its adoption in 
 smaller places, except in private plants. Its 
 first trial in Indiana was at Lawrenceburg. 
 in the winter of 1826-7, and it was soon after 
 used for lighting the Methodist Church in 
 that place.' I'he first use of gas for lighting 
 in Indianapolis was in the Masonic building 
 which was completed in 1850-1. and the first 
 street lamps were two in front of it supjilied 
 from its plant. 
 
 On February 12. 18.")1. the Indianapolis 
 Gas Light and Coke Company was incorpo- 
 rated by the legislature with the "privilege 
 of supplying the City of Indianapolis and 
 its inhabitants with gas for the purpose of 
 affording liuht for tin- term of twenty 
 years;" but it was to secure the consent of 
 the city to the use of streets, and the legis- 
 lative trrant was not to be exclusive. The in- 
 corporators named were C. Cox, Wm. Ilan- 
 naman, Alfred Harrison. A. AV. !\Iori'is and 
 N. B. Palmer; but the originatoi- and chief 
 promoter was John J. Lockwood. Tiic cap- 
 ital was .'|;20,OnO. witli pennission to iiici-ease 
 
 Klo'iniiil. Septcii;l)iM- 1><. 1887. 
 
 to .$50.(300, but to be used exclusively iu 
 lighting work. On ^lay 3 the council gave 
 the company the exclusive right of furnish- 
 ing gas for 15 years, prescribing the condi- 
 tions of use of streets, and stipulating that 
 gas should be furnished for street lamps at 
 the price then prevailing in Cincinnati. Stock 
 books were opened on ;\Iareh C, and on ilardi 
 2() the company organizetl, with D. V. Culley 
 as president. W. \V. Wright secretary and 
 H. V. Barringer sujjerintendent. In July tlu- 
 comiiany bought a lot on Pennsylvania street 
 south of ]'ogue"s Run. and built a retort- 
 house and p-as-nolder in the fall. Plains were 
 laid on Wai^hington and Pennsylvania streets 
 and gas was first furnished for consiuiiption 
 iii^ Jan'iary 10. 1852. It was an occasion of 
 public interest. W. W. Roberts, druggist, 
 adv'ci-tised as a special attraction that even- 
 ing his "gas light sign" which all were in- 
 vited to see at 6 p. ni. — "admittance free, 
 children half price." 
 
 With the pros|iective coiiiiiiir of the com- 
 pany the (|uestion of street lighting came up. 
 The council decided that the city could not 
 undertake the exjiense without additional 
 i'evenue&, and refei-red to the voters at a spe- 
 cial election on September 13, 1851, the ques- 
 tion of a tax of 8 cents on $100 for street 
 lighting. At the same time they submittc<l 
 the (piestion of a tax of 1 cent fc!- a trnvn 
 clock. There was not nuu^h discussion of the 
 clock question, but that of the gas (piestion 
 was (|uite warm. Everybody favored gas, 
 but many urged that the iiiercliaiits and 
 clnirches in the central part of the city, which 
 alone was propo.sed to be liutited, should i)ay 
 f(H- their own lights just as they paid for 
 their sidewalks. The Jfninml unred the tax, 
 and pointed out tli;it while the iiiuiiicipal tax
 
 lllsruUY OF (iUHATEi; IXDJANAPOLIS. 
 
 323 
 
 in liKliaii;i|)(p|is was only 321/. cents on .$100. 
 that of Cincinnati was over $1: Lafayette ti.') 
 cents; Madison oO cents, New Albany t)4 
 cents, and Lawi-euceliiirir 50 cents. The op- 
 ponents rejilied that tliis was no occasion for 
 lamentation. Althouuh 943 votes were cast 
 for mayor at the spring- election, only 401 
 were east at this election ; and they were 137 
 for the Eras tax, and 264 against: 2ol for tlie 
 clock tax. and I'lO airainst. 
 
 The result called forth sarcastic conuiieiit 
 from other towns, especially ]\Iadison, which 
 was fi'^'urintr as a rival of Indianapolis, and 
 which had .just voted for street liglitiuo:. The 
 Madison papers jjleefnlly announced that her 
 streets would be liirhted by jras within a 
 month, and wanted to know when Indian- 
 apolis and New .Albany woidd follow her 
 lead. The ta\Mit brought no result. The tii-st 
 street lights were erected on Washington 
 street between Meridian and Pennsylvania in 
 the fall of 1853, and the e.\i)ense was borne 
 by the propert,v-owner.s on the block. The 
 first contract with the city for street lamps 
 was in December, 1,S.54, and parts of Wash- 
 ington and ad.joininu- streets were lighted in 
 1855, from which time there was a gradual 
 increase. In .May, ISfill. there were SV:: miles 
 of street lighted, with 265 lamps. For sev- 
 eral years aftei- the start the company was 
 not a success, owing largely to defective con- 
 struction and machinery and an imxpc- 
 rienced supei-intendent. The works were w- 
 Miii(leled and Christopher Bi-o\vn was made 
 su|)ei'intendent. after which matters im- 
 proved. In 1863 the company consti-ucted on 
 Delaware *street a new ga.s-h'older of 300. 000 
 cubic feet ca()aci1y. at a cost of about $120,- 
 000; and was then producing abont 175,000 
 cubic feet daily. 
 
 When the compHii.v's charter e.xiiii'cd in 
 1866 it pro|iosed to fui-nish gas at $3.48 jjcr 
 1.(100 feet to both cit.v and private consmn- 
 ei-s. and clean and light the street buops for 
 !l)5.48 each per vear— it had been chai-ging 
 $4.50 i>er 1.000 feet: $20 per year for each 
 lamp: and $8.44 for lighting and cleaning. 
 It also claimed the right of sui^iilying private 
 '■oMsumers fi\-e years lontrer under its legis- 
 bitive charter. The council refused the pro- 
 I'lisal. and made a counter |)i'oposal of $3 piM- 
 1.000 feet for private cons>imei-s and $28.80 
 till- street lamps. This was not iieeeptcd ; iKir 
 
 was a farther projxisal by the city fci- a part- 
 nership arrangement. In the spring of 1867. 
 while the matter wa.s unsettled, a rival com- 
 pany, the Citizens' Gas Light and Coke Co.. 
 was formed by K. B. Catherwood & Co. and 
 offered a $3 rate, the city to contest the 
 monoi)oly claim of the other company. The 
 Lnlianapolis Company then offeree! a $3 rate, 
 and after some tiickei-ing was rechartered 
 from Jlarch 4, 1867. for 20 years. The com- 
 pany |)ut in meters free of cliarge, but it was 
 soon found that the city was paying more for 
 gas than before. Tlu' ofifice of gas inspector 
 was then created, and (ieoi-ge M. Fleming np- 
 pointed to it, an<l furnished with an $800 set 
 of instruments. The council idso ordci-ecl 
 that streets lanrps shduld be used only at 
 corner.s, and should be shut off at midnight, 
 and by these measures the annual expense 
 was reduced from about $40,000 to about 
 $20,000. 
 
 This charter was nof exclusive, and ou 
 .\])ril 3, 187(), ;i ('barter was given to "'Kob- 
 ert Dickson ami bis associates'" to install gas 
 works and nuiins and fin-nish gas at not over 
 $2 |ier 1,000 feet. The moving sjjirit in this 
 eiiter|)rise was that incarnation of energy, 
 John K. Pearson, and the tras to be snjiplied 
 was "water gas,'" The works were com- 
 pleted, the necessai'y ten miles of mains laid, 
 and the furnishing of" gas beuan on Sepfem- 
 bei- 1, 1877. The I'cceivi'r of the new com- 
 pany w;is located at Pratt sfi-cet and the 
 canal. On November 15, 1877, there was a 
 tei'rific explosion that wrecked the receiver 
 and nut the company out of Imsiness for 
 some time. In the meantime the Indianapolis 
 conipan.y had taken steps to meet competition 
 by giving notice that after \ovend)er 1 its 
 charge for gas w-ould not exceed $2 ])er 1,000 
 feet, and "on all streets whei'C the Citizens" 
 Gas Light and Coke Company have nuiins a 
 discount of $1 per 1,000 feet will be allowed. - 
 The charter of the Citizens" Compan.v ex- 
 pressly pi-ohibited its sslIc to the Indianapolis 
 com]iany under pcnall.x' of f'oi'feitiire, but on 
 December 22, Frost &' Son. of Philadelphia, 
 who financed the new plant, sold the conti'ol 
 of the stock to R. J. Ri'igbf, an<l the comiiany 
 was reorganized with Iv !•". Claypool as 
 
 •News. October 30. 1877.
 
 :5'i-i 
 
 HISTORY OF OHHATER INDIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 president." It \\as niaiutained as a separate 
 company, hut it was an open seei-et that the 
 real owners were the owners of the Intlian- 
 apolis eonipany. ]Mr. Pearson was retained 
 as superintencK'iit, and he testified in a judi- 
 cial hearinii that the average eost of making- 
 gas at the new plant had averaged from 461^- 
 cents to 60 cents per 1,000 feet. 
 
 Thei-e was no material change in the gas 
 situation until the discovery of natural gas 
 hrought about a revolution. Natural gas was 
 first found in Indiana at Eaton, in 1S76. 1)\ 
 parties boring for coal with a diamond di'ili. 
 Its value was not known, and the well was 
 abandoned until after the discoveries at 
 Findlay, Ohio, beginning in 1884. A large 
 well was then sunk and a good flow obtained. 
 In 1886 gas was struck at Kokomo, and that 
 city began to be supplied. The subject at- 
 tracted attention at Indianapolis, and re- 
 quests for natural gas franchises were m(n\>' 
 in i\Iarch and April, J886. No definite action 
 was taken until the spring of 1887. ]\Iean- 
 while a .special coiinnittee visited Pittsburg, 
 and May 16, 1887, made a very full report on 
 the precautions and restrictions that should 
 be required in an ordinance for the use of 
 the streets. By this time an organization, 
 understood to be the Standard Oil Oonqiany. 
 had representatives in the city trying to get 
 a franchise ordinance with rates that were 
 very high, and various companies were pro- 
 posed, including a citizens' company for 
 ,vhich a public meeting was held.* Also the 
 ndianapolis Natural C4as Company was 
 "ormed. which was controlled by the artificial 
 ras company. All forces joined hands to 
 lead off the Standard Oil scheme, and on 
 \Iay 23 an ordinance was passed by the coiui- 
 ;il fixing rates at about one-fifth those pro- 
 Dosed by the Standard Companj.^ This was 
 idopted by the Board of Aldermen on June 
 27, and the Standard Company then disap- 
 peared from the field, in appearance at least. 
 
 Then matters dragged. Natural gas was 
 being found daily, and getting closer to In- 
 dianapolis, but it was not here. People grew 
 impatient. In September Major C. T. Doxey 
 of Anderson appeared on the scene and of- 
 
 \TnuniaI. December 25. 1877. 
 Wfus. 'Slay 14. 19, 1887. 
 ''Ncv<<. dune 7. 1887. 
 
 fered to bring in unlimitetl gas if he could 
 get proper support. His proposal was to 
 take three-years' contracts at ordinance rates, 
 or five-years' contracts, payable in advance, 
 which should entitle the subscriber to paid- 
 uji gas perpetually, or as long as it lasted.'' 
 Everybody was interested and he was given 
 much aid in getting subscribers, but on Octo- 
 ber 14 he withdrew from the field, complain- . 
 ing that he had only 1.200 subscribers, but at 
 the same time giving several other explana- 
 tions that did not exactly consist.' Folhiw- 
 ing this came the announcement on October 
 17 of active preparations to do something by 
 the Indianapolis Natural Gas Company, but 
 that it would want a small increase in the 
 I'ates it had helped to make to keep the 
 Standard Oil Company out. Then caiiie a 
 storm of I'euMinstrance, with charges that 
 Doxey had been bought off and that the 
 Standard Oil Co., the Ouft'ey syndicate 
 (large gas operators), and the Indianapoli.-^ 
 company were in alliance. On Octobi r ill' 
 came the announcement of the Indianaixilis 
 company's demand for an increase of 50 per 
 cent in domestic rates and an exclusive fran- 
 chise for five years. 
 
 But by this time a way of escape had been 
 found. The experience of the past few weeks 
 had convinced everybody that the great need 
 was for some form of a citizens' company 
 that could not be sold out, and such a plan 
 was brought forward by Alfred M. Potts, a 
 young attorney. It was a company in which 
 the voting of the stock was ii'i-evocably fixed 
 in a board of self-perpetuating trustees, while 
 its earning power was restricted to 8 per cent 
 interest and the repayment of the face value 
 of the stock. AVhen this repayment was made 
 the trust remained, for the public benefit, to 
 furnish gas at cost. It was more than a sulu- 
 tion of the existing ])roblem: it was a solu- 
 tion of the problem of controlling all jiublic 
 utilities, with all of the advantages of munici- 
 ]ial ownership and none of its disadvantages. 
 It was at once met by claims that it was un- 
 sound and impracticable, but the ablest law- 
 yers in the city pronounced it perfectly 
 sound. C)ii the morning of October 29 a 
 committee appointed by the Board of Trade 
 
 ■Xars. September 15. 1887. 
 'Xni-s. October 15, 18S7, 
 
 I 
 
 5 
 i
 
 TTTSTOUV OF HT^KATER INDIA VAPOLTS. 
 
 325 
 
 met at the (irand ll<it('l and adopted artieles 
 of iiicorpdratioii of the Coiismiiers' (ias 
 Trust, on the plan of Mr. Potts, whieh were 
 formally indoi-scd hv a coiiuiiittec of lawyers, 
 comp'ise<l of William Wallaee. John M. Hut- 
 ler. W. P. Fishbaek. Ferdinand Winter and 
 W. H. II. .Miller. The eonnuittee also named 
 as trustees (h'U. T. A. ilorris. John W. ;\lur- 
 phy. John ^I. Butler. Henry Sehdull and 
 Alhert (J. Poi'ter. and ;iuthoriy,ed them to 
 ap|)oint the first board of direetoi-s. The 
 ineetiiitr then started business by sulxseribing 
 70(5 shares of stoek— .$.S5.800. 
 
 (In November 1 the trustees seleeted as 
 directors Jud^e Kolx-i't X. Lamb. Frederick 
 Fahnlev, Edward C'laypool. John 11. Ilolli- 
 day. Julius F. Pratt. John P. Frenzel. Thom- 
 a.s Davis. Eli Lilly, and Henry Coburn. On 
 November 2 the directors announced the elec- 
 tion of R. \. Tjandi. president; Henry Co- 
 burn, vice-president : E. F. Claypool, treas- 
 urer: and A. F. Potts, seci-etary. The arti- 
 cles of association wei-e filed on Xovend)er '2. 
 Or<raiii/ati()n was bcjun at onee foi- subseri])- 
 tious to the .t.")0(l.()0() of stock which had been 
 fixed as necessary for a start, ami volunteer 
 solicitors appeared on every hand. It was a 
 whirlwind of enthusia.sm. Meetinirs were 
 held in all the wards, and mnnerous extra 
 ones. By November f) the subscription hail 
 passed $2;'i().()00: on November 14 it was 
 $410.(100: on N()vend)er 19 the half million 
 was made wp and .^iT.OOO to spai-e. Snbse- 
 <|Uently ^lO.l.OOO moie of stock was issued, in 
 the early days of construction, to meet ex- 
 penses. On Novembei- '2'A the Consumers' 
 Trust accepted tln' provisions of the ordi- 
 nance without ipialification it had already 
 announced that it would furnish <,'-as to manu- 
 facturers at () cents per 1.000 feet instead of 
 7 cents, the ordinance rate. It was a jrreat 
 triumph, and thei-e was ueiieral i-ejoieinj,'. not 
 only over the immediate result but over the 
 ii»a!ization of evei'vbody that the people had 
 the power of self-protection if tlii'v wouhl 
 exert it. 
 
 Two small companies had already ai'ce|)ted 
 the ordinance the Capital City on October 
 22. and the Broad I{ipi)le on Oefol>er 24 — but 
 they wei'e not expeete(l to funiish the general 
 public with the ^as that would be called foi'. 
 ''"he Trust had an enormous tasl< l>efore it- 
 to secure the neccssjirv sup])ly of Lias, and 
 
 establish i)ipe lines to the city limits before 
 beyinninii' woi-k inside the city. The Indian- 
 apolis Company, doubtinq; its rival's abilitv 
 to do this. held"ofl' till February 20, 1888, be- 
 fore it accepted the ordinance. Then began 
 a race for establishment of lines and patroii- 
 atre. The Indiana|>olis comjiany liad an im- 
 mense advantaiic in the fact that it had al- 
 I'cady nearly 1.") miles of available mains in 
 duplicate, which it had control of through 
 the Citizens' Gas Company, and proposed to 
 use for natural gas. The contest for patron- 
 asre waxed warm. The Trust and its sup- 
 jiortei's urged that it had been the means of 
 sectiring the adoption of the ordinance rates. 
 and the [leople shoukl stand by it. An effort 
 was made to buy the Indianapolis com|)ani(>s' 
 interests, but it was claimed that it failed 
 because the company wanted reind)ursement 
 of the expense of getting Doxey and others 
 out of the way." The Sentinel and Nitrs 
 advocated pidJic snpjxirt of the Trust. The 
 Indianapolis company claimed that it had 
 been unfairly treated, and annoiuiced a cut 
 of .")0 per cent below ordinance rates." The 
 result was that the ])ati-onage was ])ret1y 
 evenlv divided, lias beuan to be sujjplied in 
 the fkll of 1888. 
 
 The management of the Ti-ust very wisely 
 devoted its efforts to extending its service and 
 assuriuir the supply of uas rather than l)ay- 
 ing subsci-ibers, ami it paid no intei-esf divi- 
 dend for four years, when, on January 1, 
 180:5, a stock divideml covering interest to 
 that date was made, brinuing tlie total of 
 stock to ii;789.000. In ISIW the receipts from 
 the .sale of gas were .+:n."),857.38, but all this 
 went back into the y)lant. except running ex- 
 penses, and the total investment by the end 
 of 1890 was $1.21)7.11 LIT. The company 
 thc'i had 22.") miles of mains and 94 gas wells 
 in operation. It was sup|>lying 10.()79 con- 
 sumers with ;JO,:5(J9 tires and 21,411 lights.'" 
 The supply of gas gradually decreased. New 
 teri'itoi-y had to h{> acquired, and immping 
 stations liad to be erected, and the total in- 
 vestment was over .'|;2..')00.00() ; Imt the eai'U- 
 intrs of the Trust paid all of this, with 8 [ter 
 cent intei'est on tin' stoi'k and ;ill but .') per 
 
 "Senli,,,]. Mav 12, 1888. 
 "Jniirn.il. May 12. 1888. 
 '".Voc.s-. F«bi-uarv (i. 1891.
 
 32G 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 cent oi' the stoek itself. It wa.s a great suc- 
 cess in every way. It has been e.stiniated, and 
 reasonably, that it saved the people of the 
 eity .1^1, ()6( 1,000 a year," and in addition to 
 that it gave them a clean and convenient 
 fuel whose final Inss was a cause of universal 
 regret. 
 
 One weak spot in the plan developed later. 
 There was no explicit provision as to what 
 should become of the property in case of the 
 failure of natural gas. It was quite gener- 
 ally antici])ated that the suppl.v would be tem- 
 porary, but people wanted the fuel then, and 
 hundreds subscribetl with no expectation of 
 getting the money back, but only of getting 
 cheap gas. As time passed, and no interest 
 was paid, many sold their stock to buyers 
 who took it as a mere interest investment. 
 Some of it sold as low as .$8.75 a share (.$251 
 and large amounts at $10 a share. After 
 payments began it advanced to par and high- 
 er. As the gas began to fail there were sus- 
 picions that the lack of supply wa.s the fault 
 of the companies, and in 1899 suit was 
 brought to compel the Indianapolis company 
 to drill more wells and comply with ordi- 
 nance requirements. This dragged along in 
 the courts till :May M. 1904, when the Su- 
 pi-eme Court dismissed it, taking judicial 
 notice that the suppl.v had failed, and the 
 relief asked was impossible.'- ^lean while the 
 gas had stopped. Early in 1902 the theory 
 was advanced that waste was the cause of 
 faihu'e of supply, and on April 7. both com- 
 panies joined in a request for pi-ovision for 
 the use of meters with gas at 25 cents per 
 1.000 feet. Before any definite action was 
 taken on this, the Indianapolis company gave 
 notice that it would discontinue the suppl.v 
 of gas on September 30, and relin((uish the 
 use of the sti'cets foi- that purpose. On Au- 
 gust 20, the ^lanufncturers" Coiiipan.v gave 
 notice that it would suspend on Scptendier 1. 
 
 The eit.v ii])plied f(^r an injunction against 
 the Indianapolis comjjan.y, and the hopeless- 
 ness of the situation was prett.v full.v devel- 
 oped in the heai'ing.''. The Trust maintained 
 
 "A. F. I'otts, in .!/)(. Ii(ruir of l\(viiics. 
 November, 1S99. 
 
 '-State ex I'el. vs. lndian:i|iiilis Natural <ias 
 Co., ^6S Ind. p. 48. 
 
 '''News. October 9-11. 1!)02. 
 
 a feeble suj)pl,v in the winter of 1902-:5, but 
 at a loss to itself. It was evident that the 
 end wa.s at hand: but what was to become of 
 the Trust's property? It had nt)t only its 
 jiipe lines but large land holdings in the oil 
 i-egion, the whole being then valued at about 
 a million dollai's. The majoi'it.v of the direc- 
 tors desired to use the ])lant for supplying 
 artificial gas, and so resolved in November, 
 1903. Rut meanwhile the Eureka Investment 
 Companv had been organized to get control 
 of the stock and wind nj) the compan.v. on 
 the theoiy that the propei-ty belonged to the 
 stockholders. The competition for control of 
 tl*^ stock became so warm that some of it 
 "sold for 2,000," i. e. a share, which was all 
 paid (uit but $1.25, brought its face value of 
 $2o. On February 19, 1904, Byron C. 
 (^uiidtv In-ought suit in the federal court to 
 enjoin the proposed action of the directors, 
 and on Ajpril 11, 1905, it was decided that 
 the Trust had no power to make artificial gas, 
 and must be wound up ; and that the prop- 
 ert.v belonged to the stockholders.''' 
 
 This decision brought consternation to the 
 advocates of cheap gas till City Engineer 
 Jen)> pointed out a mode of escape at one of 
 their meetings at the Connnercial Club. The 
 natural gas contracts contained a pi'ovisiou 
 that the cil.v might purchase the plant on 
 six months' notice, and an ai-tificial gas com- 
 pany might obtain this right from the city. 
 This plan was promptly adopted. On ilay 
 17, 1905, the Board of Works gave the neces- 
 sar.v six months" notice of intention to i>nr- 
 chase. On August 25 Alfred F. Potts. Lor- 
 enz Schmidt ami Frank D. Stalnaker as rep- 
 resentatives of the proposed gas company, 
 were given a franchise conti-act for the use 
 of the streets to furnish artificial gas at 60 
 cents ]ier 1.000 feet. The same night it was 
 ratified bv a special session of the council. 
 As soon as the enemy learned what was in 
 contemplation, Quinby bi-(wn;ht ancillarv pi'o- 
 ceedings in tlie federal coui-t to enjoin the 
 city's action, and Judge Baker held the city's 
 lMirchasi> option void.'-' .\n appeal was taken, 
 liut it \v;is not derided until Februarv 6, 
 1906: and this was a si^-ious complication. 
 
 'M37 Federal Reporter, p. 882. 
 '■'•Ouinbv vs. Gas Co.. 140 Fed. Reporter. 
 p. 302.
 
 lllSTUlii (JF CHEATER IXDIAXAI'ULIS. 
 
 327 
 
 hccaiise the fity rt(liiiinistrntii)ii cliaiijix'd on 
 .liiiiiiiiry 1, lilOti, jmtl the clu'jii) u;is jiilvocates 
 weiv fearful that the new adiiiiiiisti-atioii 
 would he hostile to them. 'I'his was avoided 
 by a eontraet. ou Deeeniber 1], 19()o. that the 
 city would deliver its option if .Judf^e Baker's 
 decision were overnded, for which the ful- 
 filhnent of whieh Messrs. Potts, Stalnaker 
 and Smith made a jjayiiient of ^'Iri -. and this 
 agreement became comiiioidy known as "the 
 option on tlie option". 
 
 'I'he Cii-cnit Court of Ajipeals icversed 
 Jud^re Baker's decision"' and on February 11. 
 1906, tlie tru-stees named asked for the trans- 
 fer of the option, but wei'e i-efused ni the 
 frround that (^uinby miii'lit yet a rehearing-. 
 On A|>ril 1(1 a petition fen- reheai'inu- was 
 overruled; and on April 21 the i-e([Uest for 
 transfer of the option was renewed. It was 
 refused ou the <iro\uul that yTiinby mi<iht 
 a])peal. On I\Ia.v 4, Potts. Stalnaker and 
 Schmidt sent an open letter to the .Alavdi-. 
 settiu"!- out all the details of the atl'air. ami 
 askinsr an answer by May 8. Xo answer 
 was received, and ou IMay 25. 19()tt. they 
 broutrht action for specific performance.'' 
 The ca.se was never ti'ied. but was dis])osed 
 of by Judge Carter's ovei'ridins the city's 
 demnri-ei- to the complaint, which did not 
 occur until January 26, 1907. Then ^layor 
 Bookwalter announced that he would deliver 
 the option under' certain "safefjuards", the 
 chief of which was that the co)n|)any should 
 atri-ee to "|)i-oceed with ex])edition"". The 
 company promptly aL'reed, and the optiim 
 was delivei'cd on January 80, 1907. All this 
 time the company was trying to comi)lete its 
 stock subscription, which was necessai'y in 
 order to pay for the lines of the Consumei's' 
 Trust. These wei'e appraised at .$409,0()1 ou 
 May 1. 1907, and on ]\ra.v 8 a contract was 
 made foi' their delivery by Xovembei- 1, 
 19()7. By the terms of the stock subsci'iption 
 the mains were 1o be obtained by Xovember 
 1, 01- the subscriptions to be void. In spite of 
 all obstacles the company raised the neces- 
 sary amount and paid foi- the mains on Octo- 
 ber :31, 1907, receivintr a bill of sale of the 
 Trust's property within the city.'" * 
 
 "■144 Federal Kei)oiter, p. 640. 
 '■Citizens' (jas Co. vs. City of Indianapcilis. 
 Xo. 71,o24, Superior Court. 
 '"Xfirs. October U. 1907. 
 
 The com])any ])nrchased 22 acres of land 
 on the Belt and Bit; Four railroads, north 
 of Prospect sti'cel, and pi'oeecded at once to 
 erect a water gas plant, in order to conii)l\' 
 with its fi'anchise i'e(|uirement of beginning 
 to supply g-as within IS months after acquir- 
 ing' the Trust's mains. It turned on the first 
 Lias on March 81, 1909, a month inside of the 
 time limit. It also erected another water <;as 
 |ilant of equal capacity — 1,000.000 cubic fct 
 a (lay — and in these, with the modern iiii- 
 provements, it has been able to put uas in 
 the holder at less than 30 cents per 1.000 feet. 
 But this was not the ultimate aim. The 
 (lii'ectors had in view a coke jilant, in wliii-h 
 t;'as should in fact be a by-product ; and the 
 company proceeded to erect two batteries of 
 coke ovens. 25 ovens in each, with a toal ca- 
 pacit.v of 2,500,(100 cubic feel of gas pei- day. 
 The first production of coke was drawn on 
 Xovember 19, 1909, and the coke gas began 
 to be used the next da.v in con.junetion with 
 water gas. The water gas jilants were shut 
 down in two weeks and ai'e held in reserve 
 for emergencies, as the ovens supply moi-e 
 gas than needed at j)i'esent. The comjiany 
 has about 5.500 consumers, the nund)t'r in- 
 creasing dail.v as ra])i(lly as meters can be 
 advantageously installed. It has 136 miles 
 ■of mains, and about 9,000 connection ])ii)e.s 
 not yet put in use. The gas fui-nished is 
 well above contract requirements in both heat 
 and light. It is produced practically with- 
 out cost — the other products paying the ex- 
 penses. 
 
 This is an interesting ri-sult, especially in 
 view of the confident assertions of the o|)po- 
 sition that gas could not be profitably sold 
 for 60 cents per l.Odd. .Vnd tlic entire bene- 
 fit is for the public. Those who havt' in- 
 vested in the stock receix'e their money 
 back, with ten |icr cent interest, and when 
 that is done the entire jilant becomes the 
 l)roperty of the i-ity. The franchisi- is for 
 twent.v-five years, ami if at the entl of that 
 |)eriod the stock is not full.v paid out tln' 
 city can pay the remainder due on the stock 
 and take the plant. It is therefoi'c to the 
 advantage of every citizen to take gas of 
 this company, and promote the payment of 
 its stock, for when that is done gas can he 
 furnished at cost, or neai- cost. The fran- 
 chise of the company cannot be ti-ansferred
 
 328 
 
 HISTORY OF (n.'KATKi; IMHAXAPOLIS. 
 
 without tlie consent of tlic city ; and one 
 member of the lioard of five trustees is ap- 
 pointed by the mayor. A vacancy on this 
 board is filled by the board, except in the 
 ease of the mayor's appointee, who is re- 
 placed by another appointment by the mayor. 
 The present officers of the company are 
 Franklin Vonnegut, Pi-esident ; A. F. Potts, 
 Vice Presid(nit ; Lorenz Sclmiidt, Treasurer, 
 and J. D. Forrest. Secretary. The trustees 
 arc Thomas L. Sullivan, Thomas H. Spann, 
 AY. D. Cooper, Henry Kahn, and Lucius B. 
 Swift. The mayor's appointee is Judj;o 
 'J'homas L. Sullivan. 
 
 In August. 1897, an (inliiiance was jiassed 
 fixing the maximum price of artificial gas at 
 75 cents per 1, ()()() feet. The Indianapolis 
 company resisted this in the courts, claiming 
 that ga.s could not be supplied here at that 
 rate. In 1889 the Board of Public AYorks 
 appointed John J. Appel and Henry AYetzel. 
 experts, to examine the company's books iis 
 to the cost of production, and they repoi-ted 
 that they showed tlie company's contention 
 to be true. A compiomise contract was then 
 made on June 28, 1899. by which the i-atc 
 was made .$1 per 1,000 feet on a total con- 
 sumption less than 30(),00().()00 cubic feet; 95 
 cents from that to 85().()00,()00 : and 90 cents 
 on more than :^50.000,0()0. There wei'c woful 
 predictions of the results of such cutting, 
 but not enough consideration of the increase 
 of pati-onage following a decrease of rates. 
 The company reached the 90 cent rate in 
 190'2, and under it the consumption, in cubic 
 feet, increased as follows: 190:?, 879,(i59,300; 
 1904, 544,:]5l>..55() ; 1905. (i68,828.()()0; 1906, 
 775,512,000; 1907, 897,:?2ti,l)00 ; 1908. 946,- 
 561,700. In 1902, in anticipation of the fail- 
 ure of natural gas, the company purchased 
 2614 acres of land in the northwestern pait 
 of the city, and erected a combined coal and 
 water gas plant. 
 
 In February, 1890, the Indianapolis own- 
 ers of the Indianapolis (iaslight and Coke 
 Co..- the Indianapolis Natural (ias Co., and 
 the Electi'ic Lighting, Cas Heating and Ilhi- 
 minating Co. — which had succeeded the old 
 Citizens' Company on the .judicial sale of its 
 property in 1880— sold their stock to a New 
 Yoi-k syndicate, commonly known as the 
 Dieti-ich's syndicate. It was understood that 
 the selling i)rii'e was •|;2.000.000. Th(> pi'iii>- 
 
 erties were reorganized as the ludianapoli.s 
 (ias Company, with $2,750,000 of bonds — 
 i|i250,O00 not "then issued— and .+2,000,000 of 
 stock. The stock paid 12 per cent dividends 
 and sold at .$1.50 for most of the next dozen 
 years, and the company was also able to 
 erect the handsome Majestic Building, at a 
 cost of about $400,000. The capitalization 
 was changed later to $4,250,000 of bonds 
 (outstanding) and $2,000,000 of stock. These 
 facts helped to illuminate the public mind, 
 and the demand for cheaper ga-s grew more 
 insistent. The solemn as.suranees that 60- 
 cent gas was impossible, when the Citizens' 
 Gas Company was proposed, fell on deaf ears. 
 On Jaiuiary 14. 1907. Senator Linton A. Cox. 
 of Jlarion County, inti'odueed a bill in the 
 legislature providing that no future gas con- 
 tract in Indianapolis should permit a rate of 
 over 60 cents per 1,000 feet: and that when 
 any company's service franchise expired it 
 should remove its mains or furnish gas at 
 that price. All et^'orts to defeat it failed, and 
 on Alarch 4. 1907, it became a law. 
 
 The franchise id' the Indianapolis (Jas 
 Company, under its ten years' contract, ex- 
 I)ired on July 5, 1909. It waited till the last 
 moment and then asked an injunction in the 
 federal court to stop the state and city offi- 
 cers from enforcing the 60-cent law. It 
 claimed a perjjcttial franchise under the old 
 Citizens' contract, and this was warndy at- 
 tacked as void — the franchise having been 
 sold under a mechanic's lien.'" Judge An- 
 derson decided only that the company had 
 no ground for injunction, as it had had 
 ample time to test the vali<lity of the law. 
 The Indianapolis Company then decided to 
 submit to the int>vitable, and as it.s fiscal 
 month ran from the 20th to the 20th, it an- 
 nounced that its bills from June 20, 1909. 
 would be at 60 cents per 1,000. and from 
 that time forward all gas consumers iti In- 
 diana]iolis had sixty-cent gas. 
 
 The *iL!hting over the gas question had 
 some effect in hasteniuL;' the introduction of 
 electric lights. Eai-ly in 1881. shortly after 
 Charles F. Brush had made Cleveland fa- 
 mons by his electric lights, representatives of 
 the Cleveland company came to Indianapolis 
 and put (>x-Mayoi- Caven at the head of an 
 
 '"•Xnr.t. Julv :i and 5. 1909.
 
 iiisih)i;y uf iii;i:Ai'i;u lxdia.xai'Oijs. 
 
 .T29 
 
 pflFort to introduce the system here. On June 
 20 yir. Cavcii presented to the council i)ro- 
 |)Osals for liuhtiiiu' tlie streets witli Inrush 
 arc liL'lits. on towers, vai'vinu' from seven 
 towers, of Iti.dilii candle |)0uer each, for 
 *42,000, up to ten tiiwers for $()0,U00, which 
 was a little less than the city was then pay- 
 in<r for fias; and which ^Fr. Caven said would 
 riiake Indianapolis "the most splendidly illu- 
 niiiiated city in the world, and at the least 
 cost". At that time the i;'as company iiad 
 influence with the council, and the clccti'ie 
 street-] iirhtiiiLr ])roposition did not ilo well ; 
 but after some etl'ort an ordinance was passed 
 which allowed the Indianapolis Brush Elec- 
 tric Liirht and Power comjianN- tn put poles, 
 masts or towers in the streets to demonstrate 
 the practical liuditinii ])ower of the system. 
 The Board of .Mdermen carefull.v amendeil 
 even this oi-dinancc b.v pi-ovidin<; for a fu- 
 ture ta.x on the company, ami the ordiiunict> 
 finally became effective on Xovembei' Ki. 
 1881.-" It save a five .veare' franchise, which 
 was extended on ^Farch 14. 1887. fur five 
 years more: and allowed the comi)an\' to fui'- 
 nish electric liiiht and power to citizens. 
 
 Afr. Caven was ;;iven a free hand in the 
 inana'.;ement of the com|)any, and he put up 
 five towers to show the ca[)acily of the .sys- 
 I teni. One of the.se w'as in the center of the 
 Oovernors Circle, and the other four were 
 at the inner ends of the foui- main avenues 
 —the cornels of Illinois an<l Pennsylvania 
 I with Washinuton. and of the same sti'ccts 
 j with Ohio. These wei'c skeleton sti'uctui'cs 
 I made of iron pipinii. under the Adams jiatent ; 
 I and by tliem Indianapolis was initiated in 
 I electric li^htintr. and introduced to the "elec- 
 ; trie light bufz". The ne.xt step in electric 
 lichtinL' was the aihiMit nf the Jeniiey com- 
 paiiv which formed a local (iryanization with 
 A. IT. Xordykc and Hrainard Rorison at the 
 head. It wanted a place to show its work, 
 ami on Auuust :U. 18S,"). entered into a con- 
 tract with the town of West Indianapolis to 
 establish a ])lant then' and lijiht the town 
 with IS lamps of 2,000 candle power each, 
 fo!- the sum (iT $2.S00 annuall\-. Twelve of 
 till- lamps were to be put on three towel's — 
 Four to each — and the balance to be located 
 i!s found desirable. In 18SS Daniel \V. Mar- 
 
 •"Coumii r 
 
 rati ( (Iniiis. p|) 
 
 .':i:!. 744. 82.'.. 
 
 mon and Chas. ('. Pei-ry ortranizeil the Mar- 
 mon-Pei'ry Li>;ht Co. and bciiaii fui-nishinu- 
 nie;indescent lijihts on a j.urely connnercial 
 basis. The i)ublic wanted electric lif;ht, and, 
 fortunatel.v, the opposing- interests were 
 strong enough to force a good contract for 
 the city. The electric lighting ordinance of 
 Xovember 19. 1888, reiiuired underground 
 wirt's in the original mile s((uare, construction 
 under supervision of the cit.v engineer, and 
 |iayment of 2'/o pei' cent of gi'oss reeeii)ts to 
 the city till Januaiy 1. 1896 — after which •". 
 per cent. 
 
 The iMarmon-Perry Company bought the 
 Jenney plant in 1887; the franchise of the 
 ^Fai-ion Count.v Hot Water Heating Co. in 
 1901: and the' Brush Company in 1902. In 
 1902 they consolidated the two lighting 
 companies as the Indianapolis Light and 
 Power Com])any, and in 1904 the Hot Water 
 Heating Co. was merged with this, making 
 Indianapolis Light and Heat Compan.v. Be- 
 fore the consolidation in 1892, on April 22, 
 a contract ordinance was adopted by which 
 the Bi'ush Company was to furnish the city 
 with 750 ai'c lights of 2.000 candle power, at 
 $85 each jier year on "moonlight schedule", 
 or .$9") on "all night schedule". The wires 
 were to go uiulerground in the mile s(piai-e, 
 and the company to pay the .same percentage 
 to *he city on incandescent lighting as the 
 othei- company. This contract was for 10 
 years, and was assigned to the Light and 
 Power Company in May. The contract of 
 February 2(). 1904. is very elaborate, cover- 
 ing all the safeguards of preceding ordi- 
 nances and agi'eements: and is for 10 years 
 from April 1, 190'). The rates for the city 
 ai-e .$74 for ai'c lamps, and .$85 for incan- 
 descent lamps of 50 candle ]>ower. on all 
 niiiht schedule: and for private consumers 
 not over 10 cents jx-r 1.000 watts for incan- 
 descent lighting. The ])a.vment to the cit.v is 
 .5 ])ei' cent of gi'oss receipts, which in 1908 
 was .$27,488.04. 
 
 The compan.\' has tun powci' stations, one 
 on KentucK'.v a\'cnui' of 10.000 horse powiM' 
 capacit.w and one on Mill sti-eet of 15,000 
 hoi'se powci- capacit.v. For use in emei'geney 
 it has a sfoi-age battery on Bird sti'eet of 
 •'?,000 horse powei-: ami is |)utting in another 
 on Wabash street of 4,000 horse power. The 
 one in use 'is till' lliird biriii'st in the world.
 
 330 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEE INDIAlfAPOLIS. 
 
 beinji' siupassed duly hy llinsc at Chicaiid 
 and New York City. The t'oiiipany main- 
 tains over 1,800 arc lights for the street 
 lightinii: and 450,000 incandescent lights for 
 eoiuniercial and domestic lighting. Its un- 
 derground wires in the central part of the 
 city are carried througli tile conduits, the 
 largest mains having 48 d\icts, through whieli 
 separate wires or caliles pass. This was the 
 first company in the worhl to use the l,l>00,- 
 000 cii-cular mill cable— nearly 2 inches in 
 diameter — for underaround transmission. It 
 is claimed that Indianapolis has the best 
 lighted streets in the country, and that it 
 has the hirgest consumiition of electincity 
 per capita. The stock of the company is 
 owned in tlie city, and most of its bonds. 
 
 The Home Heating and Lighting Company 
 was given a franchise l)y ordinance of Octo- 
 ber o, 1900, and established its plant at the 
 corner of Sixteenth and Alabama streets. In 
 11)05 it was succeeded by the People's Liglit 
 and Heat Co.. which operates the same jirop- 
 erty. It had oi-iginally ^.'lO.OUO of stock, but 
 this was later increased to $1,000,000. Its 
 special purpose was to supply hot water heat- 
 ing and electric lighting to residences, and 
 its actual operations have been confined to 
 the region between Tenth and Twenty-sec- 
 ond streets, from College avenue to Illinois 
 streets. Its plant has six boilers, with a total 
 of 1,912 hor.se power. The company has a 
 twenty-five year franchise, under the gen- 
 eral provisions fixing the maximum charge 
 fo)' heating at 20 cents per s(|uare foot of 
 radiating surface, and for lighting at 10 
 cents per 1,000 watts. It pays the city 5 per 
 cent of gross reeei])ts, which, in 1908, was 
 $4,397.36. 
 
 The ^lerchants' Heat and Light Compaux 
 has a twenty-five year franchise from Sep- 
 tember 1, ]96;5, granted on July 29, 1902. Its 
 maximum rates for steam are 30 cents and 
 for hot water 17 cents, per .square foot of 
 radiating surface; for electi'icity 10 cent.s per 
 LOOd watts. The com])any was originated by 
 mendiers of the \\lereh;iuts' Association to 
 take the place of natui'al gas. on its failure, 
 but has extended fai' l)eyond its original pur- 
 pose, until now the total replacement value 
 is estimated at $1,002,140, exclusive of fran- 
 chise, and the investment of a million more 
 is planned. The company has two power 
 
 stations, one at New Jersey and l*eai-l stn-ets, 
 with rated 4,200 horse power: and one dii 
 ( ieisendortf sti-eet, from ]Market to Washing- 
 ton, with 5,000 horse power. It is said to be 
 the largest heating plant in the world. Its 
 franchise covers the entire city, but its opera- 
 tions have all been south of North street, 
 from White River to East street. It has 
 gone as far south as Louisiana street with 
 heat, and to the Belt road with light. It.s 
 franchise payment, of 5 per cent, of gross 
 receipts in 1908, was .$8,(i21.34. There are 
 several small heating and lighting |il;nits 
 opei-ating under the genei'al oi-dinance regu- 
 lations. l)ut not on a eommercial basis. All 
 of the franchises of a public character con- 
 tain provision for purchase of iilant by the 
 city at the expiration of the franchise. 
 
 Tlie first consideration of water works for 
 Indianapolis was in the winter of lS")9-60, 
 and was no doubt brought up by the change 
 from a volunteei- fire department to a paid 
 deiKirtmeiit which had .just taken jilace. 
 Daniel ]\[arsh, an engineer of Rocliester, N. 
 Y., was employed by the Canal Conii)any to 
 investisate and report on the situation at 
 Indianapolis, and made a report on Decem- 
 ber 24, 1859, which was submitted to the 
 city council, and referred to a seh-ct eoiii- 
 mittee of which Erie Locke was cluiirman. 
 The conunittee reported it back with a re- 
 quest that the city papers publish it, an<l the 
 Journal did so on Februaiy 29, 1860. .Mr. 
 ^larsh's conclusion was that the most feasible 
 plan for a supply of 1,000,000 gallons per 
 day was to take the water from the canal, 
 Toui- miles above the city, "whei-e no con- 
 tamination of the water can be ajipi'chended 
 from the approach thitherward of the ])opu- 
 hiti'in or the improvements of the city"'. 
 From there it was to be pumped to a reser- 
 voir on Crown Hill, with "two or three 
 acres of water surfaee and fifteen feet in 
 depth"". The jiumping machinery was to be 
 ••un by'two overshot wheels, worked by water 
 from the canal: and the distribution fi'om the 
 reservoir was to be made l)y gravity pres- 
 suri', throu'jh a 14-ineh main to the city. He 
 estimated that the system, with 150,000 feet 
 of mains from 3 to l4 inches in diameter, 
 would cost $255,000 if iron jiipe were used, 
 or $146,000 if wooden pipes were used. The 
 probable income was figured at .$31.51."). of
 
 JIISTOltV OF GREATER INDIANArOLIS. 
 
 331 
 
 vvhieh i?;.1,00() Wiis from the statr. $4,800 fnun 
 railroads, and $7,000 t'lom llie city. 
 
 This called forth a coiiiiiiuiiicatinu rrmii 
 Ryland T. Brown, who .said there were three 
 possibilities for water supply, cisterns, an 
 aqueduct, and artesian wells. The first two 
 would not supply pure or cold water. A 
 deep artesian well would |)rol)al)iy cost $3,000, 
 and the watf-r would he l)rackisli and iuipreg:- 
 nated with sulphur: a well thi-ouuh the hard 
 pan clay to second water level would cost 
 $150 to $"200, and would i;ive irood, cool 
 water which might rise to the surface or 
 hifrher.-' As a result of these opinions, 
 and the <reueral discussion, an artesian well 
 was started at the insane asylum. .\t ~'2 feel 
 it struck a Hint howidei'. and was ahantloned. 
 although thei-e were i)i-edlctions that inside 
 200 feet "water may confidently be expected 
 to rise to a hei<;ht even above the I'oof of the 
 as>linii buildiufi".-- fJrown says that, "In 
 April a .Mi-, liell of Rochester. New York, 
 submitted plans for water works to the coun- 
 cil" ", t)Ut I find no coutempoi'ai'y uu'iition of 
 this, uuli'ss it be in the c(juncil minutes of 
 April 7. that "sundry documents'" were pre- 
 sented and refei'l-ed to the counnitte(> on 
 water works. Xi any rale nothiiiL; further 
 was done at the time. 
 
 On July 15, 1864, a committee of owners 
 of the canal made a proposal to ory:anize a 
 company and furnish the cilv with water l)y 
 the newly invented Holly jirocess of direct 
 pressure, lint sliijht eonsidi'iation was siven 
 to it. On Auirust 15. lS(i4. Mayoi- Caven 
 revived the artesian well iilea, expressing: lit- 
 tle hope for its success, but reeommendinfr an 
 appropriation of $1,000 to try it. on the 
 gi'ound that, "As a matter of curiosity, com- 
 bined with some jirobabilities of usefulness, 
 the experiment is w(H'th the trial, aiul the 
 pid)lic mind will not be at rest until it is 
 attem|)ted'".-'^ Tie was quite right about the 
 "public mind"', but no further experiment 
 was tried until the beginning of August, 1868, 
 when a well was started on the .south side 
 of Vermont street, at the northwest corner 
 of TTniversity squaie It was uudei' direc- 
 
 tion of the fire depai'tmeut. ;niil a man with 
 the suggestive name of Keno was euq)loyed 
 to manage the work. An appropriation of 
 $600 was iiuide; and on Se])tembi'r 14 the 
 Chief Fire Engineer reported that $640.66 
 had been expended, and the unpaid bills were 
 $303.61. The well was then 66 feet 6 inches 
 deep. Aiuither appi'oiiriation was nuule; and 
 on Xoveniber 9 the chief re])orted the money 
 experuletl, the well 92 feet dee]), and Keno 
 "(|nit and left the city, leaving the sand 
 l)ump fast in the bottom of the well". On 
 Decembei' 7, the Committee on Fire Depai't- 
 inent reported faith that an artesian supply 
 could be had in fifteen or twenty feet more ; 
 and on Deceudier 14. Keno offei-ed to get the 
 sand pump out f(n- $50 anil continue the 
 well at $13.60 per foot to rock. But the city 
 fathers wei-e satisfied to (|uit. and the well 
 was abandoned. In 188!) the Water Works 
 company struck a re.servoir of fresh water 
 at a depth. of 210 feet — 128 feet in limestone 
 — on their ground north of Fall Creek, the 
 water rising to two feet above low water 
 level of the river, but with additional wells 
 it liecame necessai-y to ])unq) the water to 
 the surface. This was doiu' by a compressed 
 air ])ri\ssure known as "the I'ohle air-lift 
 system", which is still in use. The eonqiany 
 has 33 of these wells, with a ca|)aeity of Ki,- 
 000.000 gallons per day. 
 
 There have been a number of "salt water 
 wells" struck in later borings f(U" natui'al 
 gas, but in most of these eases the wells 
 were di-y at first, pi-oducing natui'al gas, 
 then oil. and finally salt water. This was 
 notably the case north of tlie eit.\'. about 
 Broad l\i|)])le. .At Bright woml salt water 
 was struck at l.lSl feet, ami .it Irvington at 
 990 feet.-' About 1897 E. 1'.. .Mail in dale 
 sank a well ;it the New Deuis'ui hotel, and 
 at about 1.200 fe(>t struck a vein of water 
 heavily im|)regnated with salts and sulphur- 
 etted hydrogen. This w;is used for bathing 
 for several yciirs. but is now ])lugged up. lii 
 1899 a well was sunk at Blount Jackson ami 
 at a depth of 1,541 feet a strong vein of 
 mineral water was struck which rose to 
 
 within l-''>0 feet of the slirfnce. Its ini'dieiliiil 
 
 ■\Tounnil. :\[aivli 3. 1860. 
 "■iSf( )(/(«(/, April 12; l.iictiino/iri . Api'il 
 1860. 
 
 -•''Couiieil Biocecdings. p. SO. 
 
 -'AVater Resources of Indiana and Ohio, in 
 istli Rept. U. S. Oeol. Survey, p. 4SI); lltli 
 liept. I'. S. (ieol. S>iir\'ev. p. 700.
 
 332 
 
 HlSTOltV 01" GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 ciualities have caused -a tiourisliiiig sana- 
 torium to be located there, and the water is 
 bottled and shijiped to some extent.-^ Sev- 
 eral shallower wells, with water of differing 
 qualities have since been sunk at the same 
 place. 
 
 (^n October 2, liSfif), flavor Caven again 
 brought up the subject of water worlss, sug- 
 gesting a gravity system, with a reservoir on 
 Crown Hill. As the state law authorizing a 
 city franchise for water works required that 
 the council should first declare the erection 
 of water works expedient, and their erection 
 by the city inexpedient, he reconnnended 
 such a resolution, which was adopted on Octo- 
 ber 9. On ]May 21. 1866, ]\layor Caven again 
 presented the subject, with a comnuinicatit)n 
 from James B. Cunningham, a civil engineer, 
 who had been figuring on a gravity system 
 with a reservoir on Crown Hill, but nothing 
 came of this. On October 15, 1866, K. B. 
 Catherwood jjroposed to construct watei- 
 works if granted a liberal cluirter: and a 
 resolution was at once adopted that any jirop- 
 osition would receive prompt consideration, 
 and ^Ir. Catherwood would be given the pref- 
 erence, other things being equal. On Octo- 
 ber 22 an ordinance was introduced, and 
 after some amendment was passed on Novem- 
 ber 3. The com[)any accepted on November 
 5. The company laid about 50 feet of pipe 
 on North street witliin a year, to save its 
 charter, but nothing was done bv it there- 
 after. 
 
 In the fall of 1869 the Water AVorks Com- 
 pany of Indianapolis was incorporated by 
 James 0. AVoodrutV. of Rochester, N. Y., the 
 founder of Woodrutf Place. Aissoeiated with 
 him were AVm. Braden, George Stilz, W. A[. 
 Wiles. J. A. Comingore, Geo. F. McGinniss, 
 Thomas A. Hendricks. James E. ]\[ooney and 
 Albert G. Poi-ter. of Indianapolis. 'Sir. 
 Woodruff Avas the first i)resident. but re- 
 signed within a yeai- on account of the pres- 
 sure of other business, and was succeeded by 
 John R. Eldei-. Tlie company was granted 
 a franchise on November 15, 1869,-''' which 
 was repealed and replaced by a more favoi'- 
 able one on January 3, 1870, to construct 
 and operate water wor-ks in the city, on the 
 
 -■'Indiana Geological Rept. 1901-2. p. 78. 
 -'■'Pi'inted in full in Jdiininl. Novembei' 20. 
 
 Holly system. It was to lay 5 miles of pipes 
 within Hfteen months, and 15 miles witliin 
 twenty-seven months or forfeit its rights. Ou 
 June 1, 1871, water began to be supplied to 
 consumers, from two large wells sunk near 
 the river, below Washington street. Engines 
 and machinerv had been installed to puuip 
 6,1100,000 oall„ns a day. By the end of 1871. 
 about 20 miles of mains had been laid. The 
 private demand for water was not large, 
 however. By January 1, 1873. the company 
 had expended $400,000 aiid had only 784 
 private consumers. The company also had 
 trouble with the canal, of which it was the 
 owner. In the sjirinu of 1873, all its stock- 
 lu)ldei-s were indicted foi' maintaining a 
 nuisance in "the lower arm of the canal'" — 
 i. e., along ^lissouri street south of Market. 
 The company maintained that the city per- 
 mitted this to be made a sewer by the peo- 
 ple, as well as draining gutters into it. A 
 compromise dismissal was made. The com- 
 pany sold this lower arm. A sewer was laid 
 in it fi'om Market to Louisiana streets, and 
 it was soon tilled up as far as Merrill street. 
 
 The company's charter calls for fire pres- 
 sure, to be actually furnished when needed, 
 for "throwing eight streams at once, one 
 hundred feet vertically thrt)ugh one inch 
 nozzle"'. At the "Sheets hotel fire", on 
 :\rarch 22, 1874, the first really great fire of 
 the city, it was claimed that this was not 
 done; but there were also claims that this was 
 due to the bursting of rotten hose, attaching 
 two lines of hose to one plug, and other mis- 
 management. The special conunittee of the 
 council on water works I'cpoi'ted on Alarch 27 
 in favor of the city constructing water wni'ks 
 of its own on the gravity .system, with n 
 re.sei'voir on Crown Hill, and it was decided 
 to submit this to a vote of the people. The 
 council also decided to buy three more en- 
 gines, and adopted more stringent fire regu- 
 lations.-" 1"he ])rop(^sal for the city to con- 
 struct its own watci- works, at an estimated 
 cost of .+1.000,000. was submitted at the city 
 election on Alay 5, 1874, and was defeated by 
 the decisive vote of 2,142 for, and 6,800 
 against. 
 
 The fire caused a genei-al improvement, 
 however. Tlic cuiiipaiiN' put its pumping uia- 
 
 'Joi 
 
 il. March 28. 1874.
 
 lIlSToiJV OF (JlfKATKi; I XDI.WA IM »].1S. 
 
 33:? 
 
 o 
 
 
 a 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 IB 
 
 oi 
 
 32 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 
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 « 
 o 
 
 s 
 
 H 
 
 z
 
 ;54 
 
 HlsTolfV OF ClIKA'I'Ei;. 1 XDI AXAl'ol.ls. 
 
 c'liinery in lictter (ii-der iind iiddiMl a new 
 engine of ti, 00(1. ()()() gallons capacity, doubliuu- 
 tlie power of the plant. It also proposed to 
 lay 20 miles additional of mains by the end 
 of 1875 if the city would take 365 addi- 
 tional hydrants at the regular rate of $50 
 (the contract called for only one hydrant to 
 1,000 feet) and to this the council agreed on 
 June 15. 1874. But the company did not 
 thrive, for its private jiatronage was not 
 large. All sorts of efforts were made to j)er- 
 suade the ])ublic that the well water supply 
 was dangerous, but the average citizen 
 thought it was better than the water works 
 water, and it was. The "wells" did not sup- 
 ply the water needed, and a gallery was 
 iniilt out into the river, into which the water 
 came through a "filter" that was a humbug, 
 and which washed away periodically. The 
 company also used canal water when Beces- 
 sary. The facts became so notorious that in 
 1881 the company decided to get its supply 
 from a gallery and filter north of Fall Creek, 
 and this pi'O.iect was warmly condemned by 
 the Board of Health.-'* However, the plan 
 was carried out. Meanwhile the company 
 had failed to meet its financial engagements, 
 and had been put into the hands of a re 
 ceiver. It was sold by order of court, on 
 April 23, 1881. and was bought by the In- 
 dianapolis Water Company, which had .just 
 been organized luider the act of 1881. 
 
 The new company did not make an.\' 
 greater effort to supply "pure, filtered and 
 wholesome w"ater". as required by it.s con- 
 tract, than the old one. In 1888 the com- 
 pany aroused the wrath of Councilman Dar- 
 nell, and he secured the appointment of an 
 investigating connnitee, which reported that 
 water was taken directly from both river 
 and canal. Affidavits of witnesses were filed 
 in support of the i-eport and also .showing 
 a pollution of water that would make a pro- 
 hibitionist use whisky instead of it.-° The 
 company sat up and took notice, and in 1880 
 began construction of a new i)umi>iiiu- station 
 north of Fall Creek. In 18111-2 it ])egai\ 
 sinking deep wells, from which watei' w;is ob- 
 tained free from surface contarninatioTi 
 thoxigh .somev.hat liarder than conniioii well 
 
 ■^Council Proceediiiffs, 7i9.97. p. 366. 
 -"Council Pinrrcdlnns. 1SSS. pp. 624-8. 
 
 ( r river water. Hut these were not sufficient 
 for the necessary supplv. and after the straw- 
 board works at Xoblesville began dvniiiiing 
 its refuse into the river, the water company 
 was forced to divulge its source of supply 
 by bringing suit to en.join its pollution of the 
 river. It showed very conclusively the nox- 
 ious effects of the strawboai-d refuse: that it 
 killed the fish, made the water undi'inkable 
 for animals and "caused the crawfish to 
 crawl out on the rcx'ks" for relief. An in- 
 .iunction wa.s granted, and there was little 
 trouble from the strawboard plant thereafter, 
 except in 1897, when the company's "reser- 
 voir" broke and loosed its whole accumula- 
 tion of filth <;n the country below. A citation 
 for contempt, and notification that anotlui' 
 accident of the kind would close the plant. 
 made the resen'oir more secure. 
 
 After exhausting other possibilities, and 
 after much hanunering by the press — espe- 
 cially the Sentinel— the company took up the 
 only feasible mode of complying with its 
 contract to furnish "potable" watei-. as it 
 had been expressed in the contract of Auuust 
 19, 1901. In 1896 it emploved Allen Hazen. 
 of New York, and Prof. E. G. Smith, of Be- 
 loit, to examine the situation and advise a 
 solution. They advised sand filtration : but 
 some years were consumed in experiment and 
 preparation befoi'e it was undertaken. The 
 company had already bought some 250 acres 
 about its upper plant, to protect from con- 
 tamination. In 1900 it bought the land at 
 Schofield's mill on Fall Ci'cek. with the dam 
 and water rights. In 1902 it began the con- 
 struction of its filter beds on the west bank 
 of the canal, south of the aqueduct over Fall 
 Creek. In these the water is taken from the 
 canal— the purest stream sun])ly that now 
 reaches Indianapolis — throntih a brick and 
 concrete intake house at the lower end of_ 
 "Wide Cut". It passes to the laboratory 
 building, where a solution of lime water is 
 added, and then through a defleetimr cham- 
 ber, where a solution of ii-on is added, int" 
 the sedimentation basin. This holds about 
 30.000,000 ualloiis. and is cut by walls into 
 passages throuuh which the water ti'avels 
 several times the leuL'^th of the basin before 
 it emertres throuah the screens. The iron and 
 lime f(n-m a flocenlent precipitate, which 
 slowl.v settles. cai-ryiuL.' down suspcTided solid
 
 lUSToKY UF (illKA'l'Ki; I XDlAXAl'OLlS. 
 
 33") 
 
 iiiattiT. The sci-fciis take out all tlnatiii-; 
 matter, and throui;!! them the water passes to 
 the filter beds. Thei'e are six of these, built 
 of reinforced eoiierete. and each l()()x:i.")() in 
 sui-faee. In these the water passes throuiiii 
 a thick bed of carefully irraded sand aiut 
 j^ravel to drain pipes beneath, reproducintr 
 nature's filtration of sprint;- water, except 
 that when the top layer of sand becomes 
 cioyj-ed it is sci-aped otT and replaced. 'Phis 
 process, by pi"ictical demonstration. I'emoves 
 not oidy :dl suspended solid matter but also 
 !)8 i>er cent, of all l)Mcteria. harmfid and 
 harmless, making absolute "potable water". 
 The capacity of the filter l)eds is 16.()()0,0()U 
 to 18.()()0,0()0 gallons jx-r ;lMy. 
 
 From them the water passes to the pm-e 
 water i-eservoir, holdint;- r),0()(i.O()() jiallons, or 
 throULrh a ijravity conduit to a eonci'ete dis- 
 tributinu well at Riverside station, whence it 
 is piunped throuuh the city mains. The 
 piimpin<z station, a vei-y handsome buildini: 
 of its kind, was built in 1897-8 and in 180S 
 a pumpinjr eiiirine with a capacity of 20. ()()(•.- 
 000 L'alloiis in 24 hours was installed. In 
 1901 another enL'ine. with a capacity of :{(!.- 
 (X)0.(MI0 gallons daily was installed.' These. 
 with the earlier 12.(100.000 gallon enijine 
 make a c;ipacity of ti2. 000.000 gallons at the 
 l\i\'crsi<le station and at the lower station 
 are ;i pumps of .l.OOO.OtK) trallons capacity. 
 and one of 6,000,000, makin<; a total capacity 
 of 83.000.000. The water is snh.iect to daily 
 examinations by the city and state boards of 
 health, as well as by the company, and has 
 been found satisfaetoiy since the filtei- sys- 
 tem was adopted. The comi)any is also exer- 
 oisini.' connnenda])le foi-esi;;ht in the conser- 
 vation of the future water supply of the 
 oity ; and in this if deserves and receives the 
 aid of the city ami the public. 
 
 Thei-e is a possible aid to the domestic 
 water supjdy by instituting; a separate sys- 
 tem of liit;h pi'essure mains for fii'c ]iui'i)ose«. 
 throuuh the business section of the city. This 
 will no doulit be dene as (Iciiiiinds for aui-eed 
 fire pi-otection inei'casr. and the e(im|)any 
 realizes the extravairanee i\{' flushing' streets 
 and puttiim- out (iivs with liltered water. .\t 
 present the cniup.iiiy li:is :il2 miles of mains. 
 23.0.")0 pi-ivate coMsumers. and 2..')4.") city 
 hydrants. Its liabiliti<'s are .'1;482.000 of 'i 
 per c..nt bonds: $2.:!1 S.IKMI ,.|' ."> per cent 
 
 bonds: ^1.000.000 of 41 . per cent bonds: and 
 !(;r)00,000 of eonnnon stock. Its income from 
 <)()eration is about .$(iOO.OOO. of which about 
 .$115,000 is from the city under the contract 
 of AuKiist III, 1901. 'I'he contract of 1901 
 was substantially a continuance of the eon- 
 tract of 1870, w^ith some additional conces- 
 sions of free use of water to the city, and 
 an agreement of the city to take and pay for 
 one hydrant for every 500 feet of mains in- 
 steatf of 1.000 feet, as foi-merly. This con- 
 tract, by its terms, expired on December 31. 
 1908. On November 4, 1908, an exten.'iiiin of 
 the contract was made to December 31. 1918, 
 with some additional concessions of free 
 water. The amount of free water to which 
 the city is entitled for fountains, street 
 flushiiii;, markets, sewers, lati'ines and city 
 buildings is estimated at 2,000.000 gallons 
 per day. By a su])plemental aji'reenient the 
 company addi'd 46 modern hydrants without 
 removint;' the old ones, which were left for 
 use for flushinu' and sprinklinu' waaons: 
 while the city discontinued the use of the 
 fire hydrants for these purj)oses. 
 
 Fiider the closer administrati\(' sui)ervi- 
 sion of the new charter ynvei'niiieiit the (pial- 
 ity of the water servii'c of the city has 
 steadily impi-ovM. and the company has 
 profited by it. as is shown by the ninidjer of 
 |)rivate consumers. The company has gained 
 the confidence of the (tublic to such an extent 
 that few j)ei'sons hesitate to driid< its wafer, 
 and those who do ai-e influenced by past 
 l)re.judice which has not fi'iven way to lati'r 
 a.ssurance. The works of the company, and 
 its foresight for water supi)ly, are reassur- 
 insr to the citizen who fakes forethoufrht for 
 the welfare of the city. So far a.s the com- 
 pany can s;o it has oone. with the exception 
 of the sei)arate hish-pressnre fire line before- 
 mentioned. Ifs plea for purification of 
 sti-eanis is wise, and should meet the cordial 
 support of the people. There is mithini: 
 more absurd- if not criminal than the 
 .American system dl' i]i;d<inj;' open sewers of 
 our sti'cams, and the elfeets of it necessarily 
 i;row wor.se a.s population increases. It can 
 be but a few yeai's until it is absolutely pro- 
 hibited in Indiana, as il has already been in 
 some other places. 
 
 The earliest Ivnown sueuestien fur a street 
 railway in liidi.inapulis was made by the
 
 33(5 
 
 HISTORY OF OK'KATEIt IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 Locomotive on Fcbiuary 5, 1859. It thou^liT. 
 a line on Wasliintrton street, from White 
 River to the Deaf and Diniib Asylum would 
 pay, and that "If this was done, a person 
 could live in the neiiihliorhood of the Deaf 
 and Dumb .\sylum and iid and return to his 
 meals a.s easily and as quick as if he no\v 
 lived on North street". This wild dream fell 
 on deaf ears, but in 1860, when the State 
 Fair was moved from ^lilitary Park to wheic 
 ]\Iorton Place now is. there was considerable 
 discussion of a street railroad to the grounds. 
 The pressing need of it was avoided by lay- 
 ing railroad tracks from the Peru road to 
 the northeast corner of the fair grounds. The 
 accommodations w"ere inadequate, however, 
 although hundreds of visitors camped in the 
 open grounds adjoining, and caused a re- 
 newed call for a street railroad before the 
 next fair.-'" The Locoinolivc proposed a line 
 up ]\Ieridian street to Tinker i Sixteenth), 
 thence east to Delaware, and up it to the 
 fair grounds. It urged that it would pay, as 
 the I'ailroad "took in for fare $2,300", and 
 "the hacks and wagons, conveying passen- 
 gers, made !)i8,000".''' This problem dro]>ped 
 out of sight, however, for in Api'il. 18(51, the 
 militai'v took possession of the grounds and 
 convei-ted them into (^'amj) ]\Iort(ui. and there 
 were no more fairs held tliere until after the 
 close of the war. 
 
 On June 5. 1863, the Indianapolis Sti'eet 
 Railroad company was incoi'porated nnder 
 the general law. with (Jeneral Thomas A. 
 [Morris as president, AYm. (i. Wiley secretary, 
 and Wm. O. Rockwood ti'easurer. (3n August 
 24 they a.sked a charter from the council, and 
 sulmiitted an ordinance based on their tenns. 
 "While this was pending a rival company was 
 formed by R. B. Cath<*rwood of Xew York, 
 with John A. Bridgland of Richmond presi- 
 dent and Oatherwood with AYm. ?I. ^lorrison. 
 E. B. :\Iartindale. ^Ym. Wallace, John C. Xew 
 and J. A. Crossland, of Indiana])olis, as direc- 
 tors. There was a warm ccmtest, in which the 
 financial responsibility of this, the Citizens' 
 Company, was questioned. (!)n December 7 the 
 Citizens' Company filed its bond for .'t;100,000 
 to build and operate 3 miles of ti'ack bv Julv 
 4, 1864; 2 miles additional bv Julv 4." 1865': 
 
 ""Sinlintl. October Til, 1860. 
 "^Lncomoiive, October 27, 1860. 
 
 and 2 miles additional by July 4, 1866, if 
 granted the franchise. The council prepareil 
 an ordinance covering these proposals and 
 aranted the franchi.se to the Indiaii- 
 ajiolis company. On December 28 the In- 
 dianapolis company declined to accept 
 it. and Catherwoiid telegraidieil that he 
 would accept it. On January 18, 1864, 
 the Citizens' Company was given an ex- 
 clusive franchise for 30 years. In 1866 the 
 control of the stock was bought by W. IL 
 English and E. S. Alvord, who held it for 
 ten years, the actual juanagement being di- 
 i-ected by ^Ir. Enulish, who induced his 
 father, i^lisha (i. p]nglish, to leave his Scott 
 Count.v farm and take active charge of the 
 road, as Vice President. 
 
 In 1877 the road was sold to the Johnsons. 
 of Louisville— it was understood that Mr. 
 Dupont of Louisville was the actual investor 
 — and Thos. L. Johnson, later congressman 
 and mayor of Cleveland, became superintend- 
 ent of the lines. Tom Johnson wa.s a genius 
 in mechanics and mathematics. He had in- 
 vented a steel rail and .several street car de- 
 vices, including an automatic fare box. He 
 made inimerous improvements in the system 
 ;is to its earning capacity, and in some re- 
 spects as to quality of service. The abolition 
 of conductors, and requirement that passen- 
 gers put their fare in the box, was very un- 
 popular, especially when the comi)any re- 
 ([uired drivers to stop the car and hold it 
 until everybody paid. In 1878, the Indian- 
 apolis Street Railway Comjiany, Charles E. 
 Dark, secretary, asked foi' a franchise for 
 ■'a system of railways centering at the Cir- 
 cle, with waiting room and genei'al office at 
 that point ".^- It wa.s before the council for 
 several months, but meanwhile the Citizens' 
 Company had given .-atisfactory evidence of 
 intention to extend its lines as ordered by the 
 council, and the o|uirsition ordinance wa.s 
 stricken from the files on September 22, 
 1879. On April 7, 1880, the franchise of 
 the Citizens' Company was extended seven 
 years, to enable it to negotiate 20-year bonds 
 for improvement pui-poses, and to refund its 
 indebtedness. In the soring of 1883 an ef- 
 fort was made by the ^leti-opolitan Railway 
 Company t.) olitain a francbis". and tlu'ie was 
 
 "^-Couiiril rro(( ( (lliifis. p. 499.
 
 ]1IST()1;^- OF CIIKATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 33 ;■ 
 
 so imicli dissatisfaction with tln' system <it' 
 the Citizens' ('onijiany that there seeiueil 
 some promise of sueeess; hut the Citizens" 
 Company promised to tie good— to aiiaudon 
 •"bob-tail ears"', pnt on conductors, give uni- 
 versal transfers, replace T rails with Hat 
 rails, build a line to Crown Hill, and allow 
 other comi)anies to use their ti'acks undei- 
 certain conditions. 'I'he .Metropolitan ortli- 
 nance was amended so that its advocates re- 
 fused to accept it, and on .hil.\ L'. ISS:?. was 
 stricken from the files. 
 
 On J[areh "28, 1888, the Johnsons sold the 
 road to parties representeil by .John ( '. Sluif- 
 fer, who became its superintendent. Hy this 
 time the value of the road had grown imkh- 
 mously and was soon to gi-ow more. ( )n 
 February 1. ISSti. ("has. F. Bidwell had 
 asked for a franchise for an electric road. 
 but no action was taken on the recpiest. On 
 June 20. 1887, a franchise was granted to 
 Colonel \V. \V. Dudley and others for a cable 
 road— on Jul.v 2, 1888. amended to an elec- 
 tric road — and at the same ses.sion of the 
 pouncil a special conunittee re])ort was made 
 that tlie Citizens' Company had violated its 
 charter in at least eight pai-ticuiais. and 
 thereby forfeited the same. Nothing was 
 done under this franchise bey-ond laying a 
 little ti-ack that was never used. 'Piie Citi- 
 zens' Coni])any antici|iate(l it on pait of its 
 proposed line, and obtained an injunction 
 fi'om the Sn|)ei'ior Coui-t to prevent inlei-- 
 ferenee. The case went to tiie Snpi'i'me 
 Court, which held that no company could lie 
 siven an exclusive fi'anchise, but that, when 
 two conflicting franchis<'s were granted, the 
 company first occupying a street was en- 
 titled to its possession.'" In the meantime the 
 main cable company which contT-olJed the In- 
 dianaiiolis conijiany had become lianki-upt. 
 'ind the whole matter was (li'op|ied. 
 
 The tlemand for rapid transit grew more 
 insistent. In his m<'s,sage of Januai'.v 2. 1888. 
 Mayor Denn.v pronounced a continuation of 
 iinile power "cruel and disgraceful". It 
 was also becoming a matter of importance to 
 tlie company. On Decemin'!- 18. 1889. the 
 council passed :in nr.liuance permitting the 
 Citizens' company to use eh'ctricity as well 
 
 ■''Tndianai)olis Cable St. I{. I\. Co. vs. Citi- 
 zens' St. K. K. Co.. 127 In.].. |>. M?.}. 
 Vol. 1—22 
 
 as animals for motor |)o\\er-lhe company to 
 "place iron poles between their tlouble tracks, 
 and susiieiul the wires from an arm on the 
 saitl poles"'. This requirement continued un- 
 til 1893, when permission was given for [lolcs 
 at the sides of the street. The ordinance, to 
 he valid, was to be accepted within 
 ()0 days; woi'k to commence within 90 
 days; antl .") miles of track to be 
 electrified in 1890. This was complietl 
 with, and no more; and the compan.y re- 
 newed its efforts to get an extension of fran- 
 chise. On May 21, 1888, Jlr. Shatler had 
 made a modest proposal to electrify the lines 
 on condition of receiving a 99-year fran- 
 chise; the city to receive from $10 to $2.") a 
 car. annually, on a rising scale, for the use 
 of the streets. This was jiromptly hooted out 
 of consiileration. On ilay 5, 1890, an effort 
 was made to get an extension to 1926, on con- 
 tlition of the company's giving rapid transit, 
 and paying 2 per cent of its receipts after 
 1901.'^ This was indorsed by the Conuner- 
 cial did) and opposed l)y the labin' organiza- 
 tions, iwhich were beginning to demand 
 cheaper fares. It was stricken from the fili's 
 May 19, and another ordinance introduced 
 making an extension to 1917. This was also 
 defeated. 
 
 The situation became chriotic. There was 
 a growing realization of the value of the 
 franchise, but a growing difference of opin- 
 ion as to the form of compensation, some 
 ui-ging cheap fares only, and also a gidwing 
 doubt as to the legal i-ights involved. The 
 S( utinrd made an especiall.v vigoi'ous demand 
 for full compensation. The Shaffer, or Chi- 
 cago .syndicate, had sold out to the ^FcKee & 
 Verner, oi- Pittsburg syndicate for .$3,250,000. 
 The new syndicate issued a jirospectus for 
 $4,000,000 of bonds and $.-..0(10.000 of stock, 
 showing a prospective li per ci'nt. on stock, 
 based on net ainnial eai'uings (d' $.")22.0(I0. 
 Tile Srnlind cai)tui-ed and published this 
 prospectus on January .">. 1S93. and the ex- 
 citement grew intense. On .Mni-ch 31. Cily 
 .Attorney Jones gave tin- mayor an opinion 
 that the "seven years" extension" id' the 
 Citizens' Comi)an.v's franchise, made in 18S0. 
 was invalid, and that the franchise ended on 
 dainiarv 18. 1894. The Hoard of P\dilic 
 
 Wcws, .Mav (i. 1890.
 
 338 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 Works at onee pi-ei)ai-ed a form of franchise 
 for bids, which was published on April 8, 
 with the announcement that bids would In- 
 received till April 19. The bidding was to 
 be on the compensation to the city, all other 
 conditions being fixed. The franchise was 
 for 30 years, divided into six equal periods, 
 and s. minimum bid was required of 2i-> pei- 
 cent of gross receipts for the first period; 5 
 per cent, for the second: 6 per cent, for the 
 third; and 7 per cent, for the remainder. A 
 deposit, or forfeit, of $23,000 was to be made 
 with each bid. 
 
 No bid was received until the afternoon of 
 April 19. The Citizens' Company apparently 
 thought none would be made, and sent in a 
 communication pronouncing the plan inqirac- 
 ticable. But a local organization was fm-med, 
 repi'esented by Judge Byron K. Elliott, and 
 deposited its $25,000, and bid Tt-.. per cent 
 over the minimum amount of receipts re- 
 cpiired— i. e., 10 per cent for the first five 
 years, and so on, to 1414 per cent for the 
 last 15 years. Everybody was dazed by the 
 result, and before the Citizens' Company got 
 its bearings, a contract was made on Api-il 
 24, and ratified by a special meeting of the 
 council on April 25. The contract carefully 
 safeguarded the interests of the city, provid- 
 ms for supervision by the Board of Public 
 "Works, 6 fares for a quarter with universal 
 transfers, and for the company's paving be- 
 tween its tracks and IS inches on each side. 
 The efforts of the City Company to lay tracks 
 were obstructed, and litigation followed in 
 the U. S. courts. Judge AVoods of the Cir- 
 cuit court held that the Citizens' Company 
 had a perpetual franchise, and en.ioined the 
 City Company from interfering with its pos- 
 session. On appeal, the U. S. Supreme Court 
 held that the Citizens' Company cei-tainly 
 had a franchise till Januaiy 18, 1901, and 
 declined \o decide the question of perpetual 
 franchise.'' This was in 1897. 
 
 The legislature of 1897, on the theory that 
 the decision of Judge Woods might stand, 
 pa.ssed what was called "the New act", to 
 alKilish perpetual franchises in cities of 100,- 
 000 inhabitants'" and also the "three-cent 
 
 fare law" nuiking 3 cents the maxinuun fare 
 on street railways in cities of lOO.OOO inhabi- 
 tants. The Central Trust ( 'omjiany of New 
 York, trustee for the bondholders of the Citi- 
 zens' Company brought suit in the federal 
 court to enjoin the enforcement of the three- 
 cent fare law, and Judge Showalter of Chi- 
 cago was called here to hear the ease. He 
 held the law unconstitutional as "special 
 legislation", Indianapolis being the only city 
 of 100,000 population in the state. This ap- 
 plied equally to the New act. A little later 
 the Supreme Court of Indiana held the three- 
 cent fare act valid :'" and Judge Showalter 
 was asked to dissolve his injunction on the 
 groiuid that the consti'uction of a state's 
 laws and constitution by its own courts is 
 binding on the U. S. courts. He declined to 
 do so, and on appeal the Circuit Court of Ap- 
 peals held that it had no power to review 
 his decision. The City Attorney then brought 
 suit again.st both companies to quiet the title 
 of the city to its streets after January 18. 
 1901. This was heard by Judge Neal of 
 Hamilton County, who decided for the city, 
 holding the contract with the City Company 
 void, and the New act valid. Both com- 
 panies appealed to the Supreme Court, which 
 decided the City company's contract valid, 
 and also the New act, on December 16. 1898.''* 
 The personnel of the court changed soon 
 after, and a rehearing was granted, but had 
 not been held when the legislature of 1899 
 met. 
 
 The situation was further complicated by 
 a varietv' of additional franchises belonging 
 to the Citizens' Company. It had secured 
 fifty-year franchises from all the suburban 
 towns that had subsequently been annexed 
 to the city. It had obtained perpetual fran- 
 chises from the comity in a number of roads 
 that had later become city streets. In this 
 situation the INFcKee and Verner syndicate 
 sold to a Philadelphia syndicate, the Dolan- 
 IVforgan, and Hugh J. ATcCiowan was sent 
 
 "Citv Kv. Co. vs. Citizens' St. R. R. Co.. 
 166 U. S.. p. 557. 
 ••"'Acts 1897, p. 154 
 
 " Navin vs. the Citv, 151 Ind.. p. 139. 
 
 ''City Ry. Co. vs. Citizens' St. R. R. Co.. 
 et al. Northeastern Reporter. 52. p. 157. This 
 decision is not in the Supreme Court report**, 
 as a rehearing was granted but never had, 
 the controversy bein? settled by the legi.sla- 
 tion and mertrer of interests.
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 339 
 
 here to straig:liten the tangle. He succeeded 
 in yetting cnntrol of tlie City Company, and 
 then applied to the legislature of 18!I'J for an 
 act, which was adopted, authorizing the city 
 to enter into a contract with any company 
 that could procui-e and surrender all out- 
 standing franchises. The city could grant a 
 franchise for not over 34 years, with single 
 fares not over 5 cents, and tickets at si.\ foi- 
 25 cents, or twenty-ti've for $1. I'nder this 
 law a franchise for 34 years was gr-antcd on 
 April 6, 1899, running "to April 6, 1933. It 
 contains the statutory provisions and also 
 provides that the company .shall pave be- 
 tween its tracks and 18 inches each side: thai 
 it .shall expend not less than .^l.OOO.OOll for 
 repairs and inipi'0\t'nients ; that it shall pay 
 the city in cash :i<3(),()()() a year foi- the liisl 
 27 years of the contract, aiul ^.lO.UOO Ilieic- 
 after: that it suri-ender all franchises o\it- 
 standing, and that all its right.s in the streets 
 cease absolutely at tin' end of its fr;iiichise 
 period. 
 
 This franchise was pi'obahly tlu' l)est in the 
 coiuitry at the time of its adoption. The 
 animal payment to the city shotdd have been 
 larger, but considering the confused situa- 
 tion that was cleared up, the agreement for 
 termination of all franchises, and the im- 
 provement made in the service, the settle- 
 iii'-nt was not a bad one. The company has 
 not satisfactorily lived up to its pjiviug 
 aL'reeiMcnt, or its aureenuMit for cross-town 
 lines, hut that is largely the fault of the 
 Board of I'liblic Woi'ks, which should see 
 that it does. Under the contract, the cit.y 
 resen-e.s the right to purchase the plant iit 
 actual value: not including fi-anchisc val- 
 ues, before the ex|iir;ition of the contract. 
 There is also i)rovision foi' use of the tracks 
 by interurban cars. 
 
 This la.st iirovision was more important 
 than had been realized, for at the time of the 
 contract there was no interurban reaching 
 the city except the Broad Ripple line, on 
 which cars had been running since Septem- 
 ber, 1894: and that was moi'c properly a sub- 
 urban than an interurban line. But iiitcrnr- 
 bans were on the way. The first Indianap- 
 olis man who saw what was in clecti-ic lines 
 was Henry L. Smith, who organized the In- 
 dianapolis, (Jreenwood & Franklin Comiiany 
 in 1895, and did the grading to ( ireeiiwood. 
 Noah Clodfelter of Cr:iwfordsville started 
 
 the woi'k in the gas belt about the same time. 
 Both wei'C forced to close out by the Htum- 
 cial stress of the i)residential campaign of 
 1896, but the work went on. The Indianap- 
 olis, Greenwood & Franklin was comi)letecl 
 and opened to Greenwood <iii -lanuary 1, 
 1900. the first interurban into Indianapolis. 
 The Indianapolis & Eastern was opened to 
 Dublin on June 17, 1900; the road to Mar- 
 tinsville, Augu.st 2, 1902; to Sheibyville, Sep- 
 tember 12. 1902; to Plainfield, September lo. 
 1902; to Lafayette, October 9, 1903; to Rush- 
 ville, July, 1905; to Danville, September 1, 
 190(i; to Crawfordsville, July 4, 1907, 
 
 On Atigust 11, 1902, the city granted a 
 franchise to the Indianapolis Traction and 
 I'ermiiial Company, by which it was permit- 
 ted to accjuire the Indianai)olis Street Rail- 
 way property, which it did in December, 
 1902. The Traction and Terminal Company 
 agreed to build a commodious terminal sta- 
 tion, permit the use of tracks to any inter- 
 urban, pave between its tracks and 18 inches 
 outside, chare-e the same fares in the city as 
 the street railway company and make reason- 
 able extension of lines as lequired. This has 
 resulted in a great develo[)ment of the busi- 
 ness, though a ma.ioi-ity of the (U'iginal lines 
 have been consolidated in the Union Traction 
 Company and the Terre Haute, Indianapolis 
 & Eastern Company. In 1900 there were but 
 two lines into Indianajiolis ; in 1909 there 
 were twelve lines, operated by si.x companies. 
 In 1900, a total of 377, 7fn i>assengers ai-rivcd 
 or dejjarted: in 1909 thei-e wei'e 4,979,371. 
 In 1902 there were 533 freight car trips on 
 .•ill the lines into the city: in 1909 there were 
 8,59f!. The effect of the development of in- 
 terurban lines has been a practical revolu- 
 tion both in suburban residence and in subur- 
 ban business with the city. 
 
 The telepiione made its lirst appearance in 
 Indianapolis late in 1877, and as a ])rivate 
 enterprise, (^n October 1 of that year Cobb 
 & Braiihaiii asked permission of the council 
 to erect telephone wires from their office at 
 Market and Delaware to tli(>ir coal yards on 
 Christian avenue and on South Deliiware 
 street. This was at once granted, juid on 
 October 15 like permissi(ui was given to (^mer 
 Tousey & Co. for a line from their ollice on 
 (ieorgia street to their soap works on IMorris 
 street: and also to .1. C. Ferguson & Co. for 
 a. line from the ( 'ii.'inilier ii\' ('onniieree to
 
 •?40 
 
 HISTORY OF GHKATKI! JXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 their pork-house ou White Kiver. This de- 
 velopment caused the Xews to observe: '"This 
 is to be a eity of telephones as well as of a 
 Belt railroad. The council granted the rij^ht 
 of construction to two applicants last ni<:lit, 
 eonnectint;- their up-town offices with their 
 factories."-''' Several others followed, and 
 in December, 1878, E. W. Oleason and others, 
 organized as the Indiana District Telephone 
 Company, and asked permis.sion to erect poles 
 and wires in the streets. This was refused,*" 
 l)ut the Fire Department wanted the liouses 
 connected, and on Januai'y 20. 1879, Chief 
 I'eiulei-iiast reported that it would cost ^'l-il 
 to install the plant, and $176 a year for rent 
 of the instrument.s. 
 
 After considerable negotiation a compro- 
 mise was reached by which, vmder ordinance 
 cf February 17. 187!t, the (ileason Company 
 was given the right to hang its wires on the 
 fire-alarm telegi'aph poles, provided it would 
 keep them in repair, and would furnish the 
 eity free of charge twenty-two telephones for 
 the fire houses, with additional phones if new 
 houses were established. The new company 
 then pi'oceeded to business, the chief parties 
 in it being the brothers E. T. and James 
 Gilliland. who also estalilisbed the Indianap- 
 olis Telephone Co., and manufactured tele- 
 phones. Their factory was on the I. C. & L. 
 road south of English avenue. The com- 
 pany '.s "exchange" was in the Vance block, 
 since reconstructed as the Indiana Trust 
 building, and it did not reach 100 siib.scrib- 
 ers. It used the Bell phone. ^Meanwhile the 
 Western Union Telegraph Co.. which had 
 fontrol of "the Gray printer" and other pat- 
 ents, started an opposition exchange, which 
 ran for about a year, when the Gillilands 
 wanted to sell the exchange business on ac- 
 I'oiuit of the great development of their fac- 
 tory busines.s. The Telephone Exchange Com- 
 pany of Tndiana|)(ilis was oi-ganized on Jan- 
 uary 2, 1880. This continued for a year, and 
 nas then sold to the Central Union (Bell) 
 Telephone Co., or rather to the syndicate 
 uhich organized the Central Union in 1888. 
 
 The business moved along (|uietly luitil 
 188f). The service was jioor: the patronage 
 not large; the charges high. The legislature 
 of 1885 pa.'^sed a law making the ma.ximum 
 
 charge for telephones $3 per mouth. I'lie 
 company at Indianapolis resisted and went to 
 the Supreme Court, which sustained the law 
 in two cases, in February and ^larch, 188(j.*' 
 'I'he company then gave notice that it woulil 
 terminate all contracts by June 80. Other 
 coiiii)anies then made proposals for service, 
 especially "the Citizens' Co-operative Tele- 
 phone Co.," of which ex-^Iayor Caven was 
 president, which had the ■'^\allace" phone, 
 that was claimed not to infringe the Bell pat- 
 ent ; and it was given a franchise. It tried to 
 buy the J^'entral Union's poles and wires but 
 without success.*- ]\leanwliile, ou April 7, 
 1880, the Council had repealed the Gleason 
 -franchise; and on Aipril 16 ordered the coiu- 
 ]iany to remove its poles and wires within 
 two weeks, or the street commissioner would 
 remoxe them. Nothing was done, and on May 
 24 numerous citizens petitioned that this or- 
 der lie revoked, which petition was granted. 
 Ou September 20 the Citizens' Co-oi)erative 
 Co. rej)orted that it could do nothing on ac- 
 count of the streets being occupied by the 
 jioles and wires of the Central Union, and 
 asked that they be removed.*" This was re- 
 fused, but on September 28, the Citizens' 
 Co-operative was given |)ermissioii to erect 
 l^oles and wires in the mile scpiare. The new 
 company did not get to work, and on ^larcli 
 28, 1887, the Central Union was given per- 
 mission to maintain its plant and erect new 
 ])oles and wires.** The situation dragged on 
 without anything being done until February 
 27. 1889, when the legislature repealed the 
 law.*"' and the company proceeded with no 
 leL'islative rt'striction on prices. 
 
 The multiplication of overhead wires be- 
 came dangei-ous to life and a serious obstacle 
 to the fire department, and the city govern- 
 ment determined to remove them. On Au- 
 gust 24. 18f)fi. a new contract with the Cen- 
 tral Union was approved, by which it was to 
 put all its wires underground in the mile 
 sijuare, provide efficient service, and pay the 
 city .$6,000 a vear for the use of the streets. 
 
 ^Wfws. October 16. 1877. 
 ^''Council I'rocccditifjs. p. 646. 
 
 "Ilt,(k(tt rs. Ih< Sliili. 1(1.') Ind.. p. 2.')0: 
 ('n)tnd I'liioii Til. Co. c.s". Briidhuni. 106 
 Ind.. p. 1. 
 
 ''-('oKiicil I'nivi nliiKia. 1886, j). 513. 
 
 *'('<iuncU I'roci cdiufix. ]>. 814. 
 
 ^*C(>uncil ProcecdiiKis. 1887. j)]). 152. KiS. 
 
 *Uc/s, p. 49.
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 341 
 
 Till- cniiiit;iii\' tlii'U sri'inc(l Id he lli(irciii_L;hly 
 entrenched, but its arbitrary nietliods bniuiiht 
 it trouble. It cliarged $72 a year for busi- 
 ness phones; and it refused eonuectious abso- 
 lutely to outside independent eoiiii)anies, 
 which had sjirunu' up in numerous towns in 
 the state. In IMKS tlie Xew Telephone Com- 
 pany was oriranized with the special view of 
 givintr outside independent companies en- 
 trance to the city. The chief members were 
 
 A. H. Nordyke, Simon P. Sheerin and Harry 
 
 B. Gates. On May 20, 1898, it was given a 
 franchise for 25 years in the streets, witii 
 ri^rht to the city, oi' a new company to whii-li 
 it '.'ranted a franchise, to take the i)ro[>erly 
 at ap[)raised value at the end of the fran- 
 chise ]ieriod. It was to ])nt its wires under- 
 grouiul. and pay the city .i>6,000 a year, as the 
 other company. It was also to furnish busi- 
 ness jihones at $40 per year, and residence 
 phones at $24. In Ai)ril. 1904. this franchise 
 was li-ausferred to the Indianapolis Tele- 
 phone Co. with the consent of the city. 
 
 Of couree the Centi-al Union — or "old com- 
 pany," as it is coMuiioidy called— met tl'.ese 
 rates, but it was claimed to be a losing' busi- 
 ness for both, especially as patronage in- 
 creased; for it appears to be established that 
 with telephone companies the greater the 
 l)atronage. the gi'eater the exjjense of sei'vice 
 piM' eapita. In 190S the Iiidian;ipolis Com- 
 pany applied for a raise in rates, claiming 
 that it could not do business under its fran- 
 chise. There was a great deal of opjiosition, 
 but the company in\'ited investigation by the 
 Board of Trade and Commercial Club; and 
 their committees, after examining its bo<iks, 
 recoMimended an increase. .Vccordingly. in 
 Jiarcli. 1909. tln' Indianapolis Company was 
 given a franchise lunning 30 years from July 
 1, 190S. with a rate of $r)4 fur business jihones 
 an<l $30 foi- resilience |)hones. The hitler 
 privilege, however, has not been used, the 
 eoinj)any i-etaining the old $24 rate. Tlie 
 coiiii>any also agreeil Id a readjustment of 
 rates every "> years, and boun<l itself to ex- 
 pend at once $.^"0."00 in impi-ovement of its 
 ser\'ice. It may be mentioned here that both 
 companies have found it advantageous to put 
 wires underuround in many cases, especially 
 heavy wires, and buth have voluntai'ily done 
 so outside of the mile sipiare. to the extent 
 of perhaps ^^ niiles ciieh. 
 
 liii .lulv 1. 1903. the Central rnion Com- 
 
 ])iin\'. whose territdry under a Bell license 
 covered parts of Ohio. Indiana and Illinois, 
 moved it.s general headquartei-s from Chicago 
 to Indianapolis. In 1907 it built its fine 
 eight-story, fire-proof oflfice and main ex- 
 change building at ^Meridian and Xew York 
 streets. It has ;dso four fire-proof exchange 
 stations: "North," built in 1902 at Twenty- 
 second and Pierson avenue: '" Woodrutf, " rn 
 Rural street, and "Prospect." on Pi'ospect 
 street, both built in 1907, and "Irvington, " 
 built in 1909. Soon after it was organized, 
 the new eomi)any bonglit the stone-front 
 ^'a.jen i-esidence. at 230 North ^leridian 
 sti'eet, and rearranged it foi' offices and ex- 
 change. In 1903 it built an addition to the 
 front of it. I'eaching to the sti'eet line. This 
 company also has four branch exchanges, out* 
 called ■■.\ortb," at Twenty-second and Tal- 
 bott avenue: "South." on Prospect neai- \'ii- 
 ginia avenue; ".Xortli Imlianapolis." at Clif- 
 ton and Eugene: and "East," now in een- 
 struetion on Beville avenue near Michigan. 
 
 The enormous advance in electrical discov- 
 ery has |)roduced movements for control of 
 local companies which leave the present status 
 of the Indianapolis companies somewhat 
 doubtful, though they are apparently inde- 
 pendent of each other. Sec. 11 of the new 
 company's franchise of 1S9S is vei'y ex|)licit 
 in jirovisions aa'aiust any combination of anv 
 kind with a competing company, even callitm- 
 foi' forfeiture if the control of one-third of 
 its stock is acquired by such company. Tlir 
 most important discovery, in its effects on 
 cont7-ol, was that telephone wires coidd be 
 used for telegraph purposes without inter- 
 fering with theii- use for telephoning. The 
 American Tele]ihone ami Telegi-aph Com- 
 pany, which controlled the Hell patents, the 
 fundamental ones of which have exi)ired. 
 bought the Western rnion Telegra])h Com- 
 pany; and it is understood that the Postal 
 Telegraph Company has large conlrol of the 
 independent lines — jusl Ikiw nmi-li I lie i)ublic 
 is not advised. It ap])i';irs tii be a contest 
 for control of the wii'cs of the counti-y, tak- 
 ing chances on the i)ossil)ilities of wii'eless 
 teleg-rajihy. and the possible future of the 
 telepost. The fraiu-hise of 1909 jiermits com- 
 bination with a competing comi)any, by con- 
 sent of the Board of Publi.- Works, 'if the 
 competing coni]iany .-lecepts the terms of that 
 franchise.
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT. 
 
 The business of Indianapolis has always ijeea 
 closely related to transportation facilities, on 
 account of natural conditions. In the earliest 
 stage there was little of it except supplying the 
 needs of the settlers, and getting to a market 
 such products as could be transported at any 
 profit with the very limited facilities of the 
 time. Heavy staples could be sent out ad- 
 vantageously only in the spring by flatboat, 
 and that was the chief form of export except 
 for live stock, which was driven on foot to 
 points on the Ohio River. It is notable that 
 trade was on a basis of barter, to a very large 
 extent, and that the commodities received on 
 a cash basis were those most readily trans- 
 ported, or that competed with imports difficult 
 of transportation. Of these, furs were the most 
 important. The only commercial advertisement 
 in the first number of the Western Censor, 
 March 7, 1823, is Robert Siddill's announce- 
 ment of "Dry Goods, Queensware, Hardware & 
 Groceries; consisting of Calicoes, Plaids, Irish 
 Linen, Steam Loom and Power Loom Shirt- 
 ings, Flag Handkerchiefs, etc.. Knives, Spoons. 
 Rutts, Hinges, Screws, Nails, etc. Tea, Coffee, 
 Loaf Sugar, Tobacco, Segars, Pepper, Allspice, 
 Nutmegs, etc." It concludes with "N. B. 
 CASH given for FURS and HIDES of every 
 description"'. This was characteristic of ad- 
 vertisements generallv: and the fur trade did 
 not fall off for many years. Indianapolis became 
 a center for it for a large part of the state, 
 and for some distance beyond its borders. On 
 February 18, 1860, the Journal stated that 
 "one house here, that of Samuel Wilmot. has 
 already paid out this .season over $1.5,000, and 
 is now buving furs at the rate of .$2,000 to 
 .$;?.000 per week". 
 
 Coiintrv sugar was always ('(luivaleiit t" 
 casli (in a(c()\int nf tjie expense and difficnlt\ 
 
 of bringing sugar in. Ginseng had a special 
 market value for a number of years. There 
 was comparatively little money in circulation, 
 and what there was of specie was silver until 
 some time after the California gold discov- 
 eries. There were no banks of any kind until 
 the internal improvement period opened, and 
 j)eople who had money carried it when neces- 
 sary, and stowed it away about their houses 
 when not in active demand. There is no 
 record of any bank at Indianapolis until the 
 State Bank of Indiana was organized in 1834. 
 On November 11, 1834, an election for direc- 
 tors of the Indianapolis Branch Bank was 
 licld, resulting in the choice of Samuel Hen- 
 derson, Harvey Bates, Benj. I. Blythe, David 
 Williams, Alexander W. Russell, John Wil- 
 kins, Homer Brooks and James Blake. The 
 directors for this branch chosen by the state 
 were Samuel Herriott. Alexander Worth and 
 John Given. The board elected Hervey Bates 
 president, and Bethuel F. ^lorris cashier. On 
 Xovember 19, Governor Noble issued his procla- 
 mation stating that the State Bank and 
 Branches are duly organized and are author- 
 ized to "commence the operation of banking": 
 and they commenced on November 20. In 1S43 
 Calvin Fletcher succeeded ^Ir. Bates as jiresi- 
 dent; and in 1845 Thos. H. Sharpe, who for 
 ten years had been teller of the bank, suc- 
 ceeded [Mr. ilorris a^; cashier. These two offi- 
 cers remained till the exjiiration of the liank's 
 charter. 
 
 This was the principal bank through the 
 early period. It was l<cpt in a building be- 
 liincring to Mr. Bates, at Washington and 
 Pennsylvania until 1840, when it nio\ed into 
 the building erected for it on the point be- 
 tween \"irginia avenue and Pennsylvania strt'ct, 
 now ()c(ii|iie(l by the Indiana National Bank. 
 
 342
 
 HISTOIJy (>|- GREATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 343 
 
 The advent of the workmen on ilie Xational 
 Road and the Central Canal caused a business 
 revolution in the city. Money was ])l('ntiful, 
 trade active, everybody i)usy. 'fhe lndiana|i(ilis 
 Insurance Co., which had full banking;- powers, 
 was chartered on February 8, lS3li. did a ciui- 
 siderable banking business until 1840, when it 
 suspended active operations in both insurance 
 and banking. It operated as a savings liank, 
 paying (i ])er cent interest on deposits of four 
 months oi' more.' It was reorganized in fS.52 
 by J. D. Defrees, Gen. Morris and others and 
 continued business for six years, when it again 
 susjiended. In ISfi.") it was again revived and 
 resumed banking business onlv, with a nomi- 
 nal capital of $.500,000. In 1807 it bought 
 and occupied the old Branch Bank building 
 at Virginia avenue and Pennsylvania street, 
 and in 18^.") its nanu' was changed to the Bank 
 of Cominerce. In 18.'i8, John Wood, who was 
 int<;rested with rnderhill in the foundry 
 business. Iiegan a baidcing and brokerage busi- 
 ness, but failed in 1841, leaving numerous 
 "shinplaster' notes as mementoes of his enter- 
 pri.se. E. S. Alvord & Co. did a banking busi- 
 ness from 1839 to 1843, and discontinued lie- 
 oausc times had become dull. In 183!) S. \. 
 FletcliL-r, Sr., opened an exchange and baid<ing 
 oftice in a .«mall frame building. No. 8, Kast 
 Washington street, with a capital of -$3,(300. 
 In December, 18.52, he removed to the site of 
 the present Fletcher National Bank, which is 
 the direct succosor iif the business, and the 
 oldest of the banking houses of the city. It 
 has been controlled by three successive Stough- 
 ton Fletchers, S. A. Sr., S. J. and S. .\. Jr.. 
 a portion of the time with partners, notably 
 Francis ^\. Churchman fniui 18(;4 to 18ii!. 
 It was operated as a pri\ate bank until 18!)8, 
 when it was changed to a national on account 
 of the greater advantages given by the federal 
 hiH. Here also may be mentioned the bank 
 of J. Woolley & Co., which did busiru'ss at 
 Indianapolis on a considerable scale from 18.")3 
 to September LI, 18.")T, wiien it went under in 
 the big panic. It paid 6 per cent interest on 
 demand deposits, and 9 per cent on time de- 
 posits for a year. Also premium on specie. 
 Its assets were abmil ball' il> liabililie- when 
 it failed. 
 
 There was no lack of money or fac'ilities for 
 exchange after the starting of the State Bank. 
 It was forced to suspend specie payments in 
 the panic of 1837 to avoid the drainage of 
 specie away from the state, there being a gen- 
 ei-al suspension elsewhere. But this caused 
 no trouble. On May 19, 1837, all the mer- 
 chants of the town — 42 firms — met and agreed 
 to receive the State Bank's notes at par: and 
 the action was practically approved by the 
 (iovernor; and the legislature adopted the prin- 
 ciple of its committee report that, although the 
 b;uiJv had forfeited its charter, it was inexpe- 
 dient to enforce the forfeiture. The bank of- 
 ficials were active in promoting national re- 
 sumption, and the bank resumed on August 13, 
 1838, without difficulty. In fact, the suspension 
 was not absolute, as customers in special cases 
 were su]i])lied with specie. There was another 
 suspension from Xovember, 1839. to June 1.3. 
 1843; but again without business disturl)ance.-' 
 The bank was successful from the start in 
 every respect. Its dividends the first year 
 were only 3 per cent., but they soon reached 
 10 and 12 per cent. In 1838 tlie lndiana])olis 
 branch reported $391,582 of loans: $li.'),180 of 
 individual deposits; $344,0.55 of notes in cir- 
 culation; and $38,500 in eastern banks, for ex- 
 change purposes. It may be noted tliat the 
 real motive of the second suspensicm \va~ that 
 loans were largely on land security, and while 
 ix'rfectlv good were not con\-ertible. 
 
 The manufactures of the early period wei'e 
 iH'cessarily restricted to home consum])ti )n. an<l 
 of course did not cover that in many lines. 
 In February, 1827, the Jonnial. wliich was a 
 stalwart advocate of Henry Clay and limne 
 manufactures, called attention to the alarming 
 fact that there had l)een $10,000 worth of 
 goods imported in the past year; and ealleil 
 loudly for steam engines. That remarkable 
 effort to overcome natvu'al conditions — the 
 steam mill — was then in motion and there is 
 no room for cpu'stion that the idea that the 
 blessed tariff would make everybody rieh was 
 largely responsible for that disastrous venture. 
 It provided facilities for manufacture far be- 
 yond any possible consu7n]ition of the town 
 I'l- the vicinitv, with no available outside mar- 
 
 'Dniiornil. Mav 15. 1 837 : .7o//r;)(//. Mav 12. 
 
 1 !S3S. 
 
 'The best hi.story of the bank is bv Wni. V. 
 Harding, in ■Imiriuil <if I'niitii-al /■Jcdiionii/. 
 \'ol. 4, p. I.
 
 344 
 
 HlSTUJiY OF URKATKl! IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 ket, and its failure was predestined. Aside from 
 the saw and grist mills, tanneries and distillery 
 the early manufactures were on an individual 
 basis, with no material employment of labor — 
 carpenters, blaeksmiths. cabinet makers, hat- 
 ters, potters, shoemakers, and the like. The 
 first development from this began in 1835. In 
 that year Robert Underbill and John Wood 
 started their foundry at Pennsylvania and 
 A'ermont streets, where, in addition to ploughs, 
 andirons, skillets and castings of all kinds, 
 they made ''cast iron fire i)laces by the use of 
 which the annual expense of patching up backs 
 and jams will be saved".' This was a profit- 
 able venture and the business was conducted at 
 that point until 1852, when it was removed to 
 South Pennsylvania street. In 1838 ilr. Un- 
 derbill introduced steam power in the foundry, 
 and it was thereafter commonly known as "the 
 steam foundry". In the year 1835 was estab- 
 lished a tobacco factory on Kentucky avenue 
 by Scudder & Hannaman, which grew to such 
 importance that when the sweat house hunied 
 in September. 1838, the loss was about $10,- 
 000. They made heavy black plug tobacco and 
 cigars almost as heavy — they were of soaked 
 tobacco then called "melee" — together with 
 twist and a little fine-cut. The business was 
 continued, with vicissitudes, till about 184S, 
 and tobacco manufacture then dropped out 
 until renewed by Geo. F. ^Feyer in July, 1850. 
 There was an effort at making linseed oil. 
 begun in 1834 bv John .S. Barnes and William- 
 son ifaxwell, and sold to Scudder & Hanna- 
 man who continued it for several years, and 
 then quit on finding that the hydraulic mills 
 with wliicli thov were competing could squeeze 
 more oil out of their "cake" than they had got 
 originally. There was also a small brewery 
 established in tliat year by John L. Young; 
 and a beginning of pork-packing by James 
 Bradley and others, who ])urchased slaughtered 
 hogs of farmers, and cured and .'^hipjied the 
 meat: btit this enterprise did not prove profit- 
 able and it was soon dropped. With the com- 
 ing of the canal there was a boom in manu- 
 facture. The mill sites were leased on June 
 11, 1838, and a woolen mill, a cotton mill, an 
 oil mill, two grist mills, two saw mills and 
 two pa])er mills were i)uilt soon after. The 
 Sheets paper mill was a financial success, and 
 
 ""Joiiniiil. Jnlv ;!1, 18.1 
 
 may bi- accounted the lieginning ol" a pernui- 
 neut industry. Xicholas Mct'arty began the 
 cultivation and manufacture of hemp in 1838. 
 l)ut the venture was abandoned after four or 
 five ycai's. In general, there was a heavy de- 
 pression of manufacture and trade after the 
 collapse of the internal improvement project 
 that continued until the coming of the ^ladi- 
 son railroad in 1841. 
 
 With the coming of the railroads manufac- 
 ture and trade both improved. In 1S4T the 
 (ieisendorfl's rejiaired the old steam mill ami 
 iiegan woolen manufactures, removing to a 
 building on the canal in 1852. In 1848 the 
 ilorris grist mill was built on South Pennsyl- 
 vania street — burned in 1S51: the Taylor, 
 Watson &- Co. fiunidry was built south of 
 Pogue"s Run. and afterwards developed into 
 the Hasselman it Yinton ])lant, and later the 
 Fagle ilachine Works: also the Crawford & 
 Osgood peg and last factor}', which after 
 ])assing though various changes developed into 
 the Woodbtirn-Sarvcn Wheel Co. J. R. Os- 
 good of this firm was always on the lookout 
 for new openings, and frequently found them. 
 On August 27, 1853, the Locoiiiotirc had an 
 account of the factory, in which liarrel making 
 had been added, with a machine for making 
 staves. It said: "He turns otit about l"2ti 
 perfect flour barrels a day, or 700 a week, and 
 can't keep tip with the demand at that. All 
 strangers should visit this factory, below the 
 Union Depot, on Illinois street, as it is a 
 great curiositv to see them make pegs and 
 lasts." ' 
 
 lu 1849 came Kortpetcr's saw mill: Blake & 
 Gentle's planing mill, the first in the city: 
 ^TeiTitt & Coughlen's woolen mill. In 1850 
 came Sloan iV' Inger.soll's furniture and chair 
 factory: and Field & Day's. In 1851 J. K. 
 and Deloss Root started a little stove foundry 
 on South Penn.sylvania street, of which the 
 Indianapolis Stove Co. is a lineal descendant. 
 And so they kept on itntil in 18()0, Clarion 
 County, chiefly in Indianapolis, had 100 manu- 
 facturing establishments, with a total capital 
 of $770,805. iisins;- $559,(535 worth of materials 
 and with a jjroduct of $1,090.{I7(). They were 
 cmploving 713 ])ersons, and paying $'2"?9.31'i 
 in annual wages. It does not look like a great 
 di'al now, but it was a great advance over 
 1850. Of course it will be kept in mind that 
 in census statistics every shoj> is a inanufai-tnry.
 
 HiST()i;v OK (;i;i:.\'i"i:i; ixdiaxai'oi.i 
 
 O-tj 
 
 ami at that tiiiio tlicie were many iiioiu iiulr- 
 pcmli'iit mecliaiiits, with their own shops, iu 
 jjn.iipoition, than tliuro aru uow. 
 
 \Vith the railroads also came the praclieal 
 beiriiiiiing ol' wholesale trade, though there had 
 been a little in some lines at an eai'lier date, 
 usually in connection with retail trade. The 
 iirst exclusively wholesale boot and shoe liouse 
 was that of E. C. .Mayhew- & Co. (ilayhcw and 
 .lame? .M. liay) which was established in 1855. 
 There had been some wholesaling of books and 
 stationery, which increased quickly. In 1S5o, 
 the last year of West & Co. before their sale 
 to Stewart it Bowen. their aggregate sales 
 reached .$30,000. In dry goods the develop- 
 ment was not so rajiid, because most store- 
 keepers preferred to buy at Cincinnati. The 
 iirst one was established here in 1847 by J. 
 ]>ittle A' Co. and was destroyed by tire on .May 
 14, 1S48. There were several eiforts at whole- 
 tale houses in the tifties, but the only ex- 
 clusively wholesale house here in 18()0 was that 
 of J. A. Crossland, and the aggregate sales of 
 dry goods and notions in that year were less 
 than $-^00,000. One of the earliest lines of 
 wholesale business was drugs, but of course 
 there was a certain amount of wholesaling in 
 all lines, there being no strict denuu'catioii be- 
 tween wholesale and retail, and none as to 
 special lines of goods. The first distinctive 
 drug store was that of Dunlap & ilcDougal in 
 18:?1. who advertised sales at both wholesale 
 and retail: and also introduced the first soda 
 fountain — the soda water was advertised not 
 as a luxury, but as '"contributing to health, and 
 the prevention of fevcM's, liver complaints, and 
 di.<eascs common to the hot months".* The 
 wholesale business was extended Ijy Win. Ilan- 
 nainaii, who opened in the S])ring of 1832. 
 Wines and liquors were handled largely by the 
 drug stores then. The first exclusive wholesale 
 liquor house was that of Patrick Kirlaiid, in 
 IS-IO: nnd its successor, Kirland i^- liyaii, was 
 the lir>t to >:end out traveling salesmen, in 
 IS.")!). In ISCO the wholesale lii|Unr trade was 
 <"itimated at about $100,000. 
 
 Confectionery was advertised at wholesale 
 and retail in 1837 by P.. V. Evans, who not 
 only kept "Candies, Cordials. Cakes of nil 
 kinds. Raisins. Fruits of all kinds, choice To- 
 bacco, Spanish, cciininon and Melee cigars, 
 
 We>teni lieserve cheese, Xuts of all kinds, 
 toys, etc.', but was prepared to furnish par- 
 ties with "cakes, ice cream, etc., at short no- 
 tice".^ There was, however, no material whole- 
 sale business in this line until begun by Dag- 
 gett & Co. in IS.")!!, [n 1870 the capital in- 
 vested ill the manufacture of confectionery in 
 Indianapolis was only $10,975, and the prod- 
 uct $11.5,092. The wholesale trade in groceries 
 probably went back as far as anyone desired to 
 buy at wholesale. In the first city directiiry, 
 of 1855, there were 14 firms that advertisi'd as 
 wholesale or wholesale and retail dealers in 
 groceries. The trade, however, was not large. 
 In 18G0 it was estimated at less than $400,000.. 
 in 1870 the sales were reported $0,443,150. 
 
 But the greatest impulse of the railroads 
 was in the export of domestic staples. With 
 wheat jumping from 40 to 90 cents a bushel, 
 and other farm products in proportion tliere 
 was an incentive to get busy. Pork packing, 
 as has been mentioned, was begun unsuccess- 
 fully by James Bradlev and others in 1835. 
 In "l841, John II. Wright— the first "cash 
 store" man, who had come here from Rich- 
 mond some time before, revi\(Ml the packing 
 business with his father-in-law. .lereniiah .Man- 
 sur. and brother-in-law William Mansur. 
 Wright bought slaughtered hogs at his store, 
 ■"half cash and half goods", and they were 
 cured and packed in Van Blaricum's old black- 
 smith sho|3 building, at the northeast corner 
 of Meridian and ilaryland streets. These par- 
 ties also packed (|uite extensively at Broad 
 R'ijiple, and all of their export product was 
 ship[)ed down the river in the spring freshets. 
 With the coming of the railroad they added 
 slaughtering to the business, and Isaiah Man- 
 sur joined the firm. They built a packing- 
 house southwot of I lie Madison de])ot, and a 
 .-laughter-house at the west end of the Xa- 
 tional Road bridge, hauling the dead hogs 
 across. lienjainin I. Blythe and Edwin Iled- 
 derly also jjegaii slaughtering and packing in 
 IS 17. and continued for .several years. Their 
 plant \\a.- quite extt'iisive for the time, employ- 
 ing 50 hands, and with capacity for slaughter- 
 ing from 500 to (iOO hogs per day." Israel 
 McTaggert was associated with them for a 
 time, and in 185-.' rornieil a partnership with 
 
 '■Jdiintiil. .hilv •.'. is.'Sl. 
 
 'Juiiniiil. June 10. 18.)7. 
 "ftocoiiiollri'. Dcceinbei' '.M, 1848.
 
 3-l(! 
 
 HISTOKY OF GEEATEE INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 David ^lacy for a separate business. The Maii- 
 surs divided in ISoi, "William and Isaiah form- 
 ing one firm, and Frank and Jeremiah Joining 
 J. C. Ferguson in another. Tweed & Gulick 
 began ])aeking abont that time, and Col. Alien 
 May in 18.55, but neither lasted long. 
 
 The fiatboat trade, prior to the railroads, 
 is not easily estimated, but it was considerable 
 for the time. The boats were made 40 to .50 
 feet long, 10 to 12 feet wide, and .5 to 7 feet 
 deep : covered in e.xccpt a little space at one 
 end for the cabin. They had big steering 
 sweeps at both ends, and sometimes on the 
 sides. A pilot was taken as far as the Ohio, 
 if one could be had, and "Old Beth (Bar- 
 tholomew) Bridges" was the most sought of 
 these. Farm produce of all kinds was shipped, 
 hut iisually — and prudently — ]iroducts that 
 would not lie damaged by water. Baled hay 
 was an important export, and was the cause 
 of the several hay presses about the town, the 
 most important of which was in a building 
 west of the State House, on ^larket street and 
 the canal. One year Mr. H. Jones (of Co- 
 burn & .Jones) and Cadwallader Ramsey sent 
 a cargo of chickens to Xew Orleans by flatboat. 
 The navigation was rather hazardous, so far 
 as the safety of the cargo was concerned, but 
 after passing the Waverly dam the mariners 
 felt comparatively safe. 
 
 Closely following the railroad came the tele- 
 gra])h. The legislature passed an act for the 
 incorporation of telegraph companies on Feb- 
 ruary 14. 1.S4S. and on the 2(ith Henry O'Reilly 
 iidvertised for subscriptions to build a line from 
 here to Dayton, Oluo. It was finished, and the 
 first dispatches .sent over it on May 12. The 
 first published dispatches, of a purely personal 
 character, appeared in the Sentiiirl of Max 
 IS, and it was long before there was any tele- 
 graphic news report of any consequence. But 
 in June. 1S48. a merchants" exchange was 
 formed for the reception of disiiatches and 
 the transaction of business. C. W. Cadv was 
 secretary and K. Homburgh, treasurer; but it 
 soon failed for lack of money, there being no 
 practical liusincss value in it at the time. In 
 .\ugust. 1S.53 a meeting was called at College 
 Hall to revive it, and after discussion it was 
 decided to organize a board of trade. A com- 
 mittee, consisting of Nicholas ^IcCarty, John 
 D. Defrees, Ignatius Brown, Richard .7. Oat- 
 ling, Au.'itin H. Brown and J. T. Cox. was 
 
 appointed to prepare a constitution, a circular 
 and map showing the advantages of the city, 
 and to solicit funds. The work of the com- 
 mittee was adopted on September 21, and the 
 board was formally organized. There were 3.5 
 managers elected, who chose as officers, Doug- 
 las Maguire, president; Wm. Robson, vice-pres- 
 ident ; J. L. Ketcham, secretary; R. B. Duncan, 
 treasurer; A. F. Morrison, R. J. Oatling. J. 
 B. Dillon, J. D. Defrees and J. W. Ray, exec- 
 utive committee.^ The work of the organiza- 
 tion was quite active for more than a year, 
 and then it grew slack. In 1856 it was revived 
 and !Mr. Brown states that it "did much good" 
 for the ne.xt two years iu circulating informa- 
 tion and securing the location of business 
 here, especially the rolling mill. The rolling 
 mill was built by E. A. Douglass & Co. in the 
 summer of 1857 ; a railroad track to it was laid 
 on Tennessee street ; and it began work Octo- 
 ber 29. It got into a precarious financial sit- 
 uation in 1858, and was sold to a new com- 
 pany, with J. M. Lord as president, which 
 o]ierated successfully for over ten years. 
 
 In 1857 the conclusion was reached that moiv 
 wholesale houses were nwded. A meeting of 
 citizens and business men was held at the Coun- 
 cil Chamber on July 29 to consider the matter. 
 .\^ committee was appointed, with Dr. T. B. El- 
 liott at its head, which reported on July 31. 
 It stated that while there were 81 houses, in 
 19 lines, and 39 manufactories, in 21 lines, 
 which sold at wholesale, there was only one 
 exclusively wholesale house in the place. It 
 recommended cooperation with the Board of 
 Trade in circulating information and securing 
 the location of wholesale houses and manufac- 
 tories.* The establishment of a wholesale dry 
 goods house by Blake, Wright & Co. was a re- 
 sult of this movement, but the house was short 
 lived. The board suspended oiierations for la<-k 
 (if funds, after a strenuous life of two years. 
 In 1864 the Chamber of Commerce was formed, 
 with T. B. Elliott as president and Jehial 
 Barnard as secretary, and did a little business 
 agitation — enough at least to stimulate the or- 
 ganization of a Me7-chants" and Manufacturers' 
 Association, in 1868. In 1870 the Board of 
 Trade was organized, and has practically con- 
 tinued since then, though the present body is a 
 
 ' Loco moi ire, Se)jtendjer 24. 1853. 
 ""Loromotive. August 8, 1857.
 
 IIISTOKY OF CliEATEK I M )1 A X AIM )I.1S. 
 
 :34: 
 
 ZLZL Lililn TTT ' TTX^ , ^■■'""*' 
 
 ,^ ,^ '*■ 8U1U for Cattl* 7 ^19. <o» 
 
 FIRST STATE FAIR GROUNDS.
 
 lil.STUKY OF GEEATEK IXDIAXAI'ULIS. 
 
 reorganizatiou made in 188"^. Uu February 
 1, 18^1. a state eoiiventioii of boards of traile 
 was held at the ■"eluunber of eommeree" — old 
 Sentinel building, southwest corner of Circle 
 and Meridian streets and resolutions for reme- 
 dial leufislation were adopted, including one to 
 prohibit the seiumg and netting of iisli. 
 
 In 1873 the question of better quarters be- 
 came important and various proposals were 
 made. The one finally accepted was by Henry 
 (_'. Wilson and others to form a company and 
 erect a Iniilding especially for trade purposes. 
 This was accepted on March "^3, 18T4; and a 
 com^Kiny was formed, called the Indianapolis 
 Chamber of Commerce. The building wias 
 erected at the southeast corner of Maryland and 
 Capitol avenue, and was formally occupied on 
 December 15, 1874. This building, sometimes 
 called the Chamber of Commerce, and some- 
 times the Board of Trade, was occupied until 
 lSt07, when the present building was occupied. 
 The new building and furnishing cost $300,000, 
 of which $50,000 came from the sale of the 
 old building and the remainder fri)in the issue 
 <if stock. 
 
 An important stimulant of trade in the ear- 
 lier period was the State l''aii'. 'fhe State 
 Board of Agriculture was chartered by the leg- 
 islature on February 14, 1851, and organized 
 May 27 with Governor Wright as president, 
 .John B. Dillon, secretary, and R. Mayhew, 
 treasurer. The first fair was held Uctoi)er Ul- 
 2b, 1852 on what is now Military Park, ami 
 some ground just west of it. Its most strik- 
 ing features were the lack of accommodations 
 and the superabundance of side-shows. lint it 
 drew crowds, and there were demands from 
 other cities for its benefits ; so it was held at 
 ],afayette in 1853, and at iladison in 1854. 
 Both of these were linancial failures, so the 
 fair was brought back to Indianapolis from 
 1855 to 1858 inclusive. In 1859 New All)any 
 was given a trial, but the receipts dropped 
 about one-third. In ]8(>0 the fair was held 
 here, but the managers decided on a cliange of 
 ])lacr. and secured 3() acres nortli of the city, 
 then known as "the Otis Grove", now "Mor- 
 ton JMace", and the fair was held there. In 
 1801 there was no fair, on account of the war. 
 In lS()2-3-4 it was held at :Military Park in 
 connection with the Sanitary Fair, the regular 
 grounds having been appropriated for Cam]) 
 Morton. In 18()5 it was held at Fort Wavne. 
 
 ami again at a tiiiancial loss. In 18GG it was 
 iit Indianapolis, and in 1807 at Terre Haute. 
 This was its last venture outside of Indian- 
 apolis, and the only one that was not a tinan- 
 cial failure. Those at Indianapolis were all 
 successes in a money way except that of 1860, 
 when the expenses incident to new grounds were 
 unusually heavy. 
 
 In 187"2 the exposition fever struck the city. 
 Ill October. 1812 a proposal for a joint fair 
 and exposition, lasting 30 days, was brought 
 before the State Board of .\griculture liy I'ep- 
 ri'sentatives of Indianapolis interests, and on 
 .lanuary S, 1873 an agreement was made l)y 
 which individuals resident in Indianapolis 
 guaranteed the success of a joint fair and ex- 
 position to the extent of -i^'lOO.OOO. and the 
 State Board accepted the proposition" A two- 
 story brick Iniilding. 308 x 150, was erected on 
 the south side of the grounds — now Xineteenth 
 street — then Exposition avenue. The fair and 
 exposition were opened with much ceremony on 
 ■September 10, and continued to October 10, 
 with such success that the debt left over was 
 only .1^90,000.'" Expositions were held with 
 considerable vigor in 1874-5-6 and then the 
 thing drifted Ijack to the old one-week State 
 Fair basis. The panic had killed the enter- 
 prise, and left a legacy of dei)t that was a cause 
 of heart-burnings and recriminations for years 
 afterwards." .\ number of Iiidiana])olis ])eo- 
 ple not satisfied with the racing facilities got 
 up the Southern Di'iving Park Association, 
 wliich made the State Board indignant, and 
 was a failure itself with only one meeting. 
 Its jjropcrty was unloadeil on the city for a 
 park, and in the course of time was reached by 
 the city"s growth and made available as Gar- 
 field Park. The fairs were continued at the 
 Camp ^forton grounds and then removed to the 
 present grounds, northeast of the city. The 
 most notable movement at this point, in con- 
 nection with the city, was the building of the 
 colosseuni. which was completed in 1908 in 
 time for the saengerfest, July 17-19. It is a 
 handsome and substantial auditorium witli a 
 (•a])acity for 12.000 people. 
 
 The ])ork-packing industry was always an 
 importaiU one to Indianapolis, liut it took on 
 
 ■' Ai^ricultural Keport, 1873, p. 43. 
 1" Airricultura! Report, 1873. p. 340. 
 " .\irricuUural Peport. 1883, p. 38.
 
 HISTOBY OF GHKATKIt I XDIAXATOLIS. 
 
 349 
 
 new importance in ISii:] from the consiriiclidii 
 here of tlu- Kin<;an Bros, plant, at that time 
 the largest pork-house in tiie world. It was 
 18T x llo feet in extent with five stories and 
 a basement, furnished with all the latest ap- 
 plianees, including a steam rendering plant, 
 and had a capacity for handling 3,000 hogs 
 per day.'- It was opened for business on No- 
 vember Ki, 1S()3. and from that time was the 
 leading packing establishment of the city. In 
 lt<73. to accommodate its growing business the 
 firm bougjit the large pork-house of J. ('. 
 Ferguson, on the south side of the I. & St. L. 
 tracks, and connected it with their own by a 
 tuimel. In IS^") tiie firm of Kiugan & Co., of 
 liuliana])oiis. then a partnership, amalgamated 
 witli J. & J. Sinclair & Co.. of Belfast. Ire- 
 land, to form the ]iresent limited corporation 
 of Kingan & Co. The stay of this establi.--h- 
 nient i-: the more notable because just after the 
 dose of its packing season of 18()4-5, on May 
 22, 1S()">. its plant was destroyed by fire, with a 
 'large part of the season's pack, involving a 
 loss of $"^-10.1100. The disaster, however, only 
 caused a renewal of the business on a more ex- 
 tender] scale. The house was relmilt — two 
 stories lower — and business was ri'sumcd in tin' 
 next season. 
 
 This house Avas the place of tiie ijcginning 
 of a great industrial revolution — the summer 
 packing of ])ork. Among the superior employes 
 of the Jiouse was (ieorge W. Stockman, a na- 
 tive Hoosier, of an old Lawrenci'l)urg family. 
 In ISfiS he commenced experimenting on the 
 artificial cooling of meats, and was backed In' 
 the firm. His first a]i])aratus was based on 
 two simiile ]ihysical facts, ( 1 ) cold air is heav- 
 ier than warm air. and will fall when mixed 
 with it: (■-') an oiiject will cool more rajiidly 
 in a current of air than in the same air at 
 rest. In the top story of the building Stock- 
 man ])laced a \at, jierhaps 10 x 1.") and 'I or 3 
 feet deep. Ill this were metal ]>i|ies, running 
 down at one end, across the bottom and o])cn- 
 ing at the other eiul ; altemating with similar 
 pipes running in the oiiposite directimi. This 
 vat was filled with ice and salt. The air in 
 the pipes cooled, and flowed out with a strong 
 current. There was an opening, with gratings, 
 from this room to one on the floor below, where 
 there was a similar vat: and so on to the base- 
 
 ^ ■Journal. N'ovembei' 1 I. I.s(i3. 
 
 iiieiit. There the now freezing air was blown 
 on the meat by a rotary blower, and a tem- 
 perature of 31 degrees Fahrenheit was main- 
 tained. 1 inspected this jilant one hot day in 
 •Inly, and the room where the dressed hogs 
 hung looked like a limestone cave with its 
 eoiiting of frost, and stalactites of white ice 
 hanging from the rafters. ()i)]jressive as the 
 heat was outside, it was a I'clief to get out of 
 that atmosphere. 
 
 The invention was utilized at once. Tlu' 
 Board of Trade rejiort of January, 18T"2 says 
 that Ivingan it Co. "have made extensive ami 
 ex]>ensive preparations for prosecuting their 
 business through the summer months, so that 
 III the fattened porker there can be no ])ost- 
 poneinent id' the death pemilty 'on account of 
 llie ueatbei'". This lirm ])acked and shipped 
 the prodnet of (iil.OOO hogs which were killed 
 lietween March and Novembei' of last year. 
 These meats were ice-cured. Their ice-cured 
 meats are equal to the product of their winter 
 slaughtering." In 1S73 the- "summer ])ack"' 
 reached 2()0,000. Tins system was followed for 
 a number of years by the Kingans and was 
 also adopted by J. C. Ferguson,''' but it was 
 supplanted bv the ammonia cooling jirocesses. 
 Stockman was also a ].)ioneer in these, and 
 took otit a number of jjatents.''' He was the 
 oi-iginator of summer [jacking, and it has been 
 the lot of few men to do auvthing of so great 
 importance. Men often speak of the far-reach- 
 ing effects of the Catling gun, which was in- 
 vented at lndiana|)olis, but here was some- 
 thing even more important. Before it, pork 
 could be ))acked only in I'leezing weather. The 
 season usually lasted only I wo or three months 
 and was often broken by warm days. A warm 
 winter was a yiublic <'alamity. ^foreover porlc 
 cmild be fattened chea]ier in summei-, and a 
 constant market did away with iniu-h of the 
 control by specidative buyers. If IndiaTiapolis 
 wants to |)ut u|p a monument (o a citizen who 
 did more for the world than all her |)i'ofessional 
 men and statesmen put together, she has the 
 -iibject ill Ceorge W. Stockman. 
 
 Till' coming of the Belt Railroad and the 
 I'nion Stock Yards in IS" and 187iS, which 
 are considered in the chapter on Hailroad l)i'- 
 
 '».Y '■»■■>.■. ,)uly 13, is: 8. 
 
 " Drawings and Specilieat ions <d' Pats., Xos. 
 -.'(iO.OCO; 204,] 13; 2r."),8(;!) : 304,8: 1: 304.8:2.
 
 350 
 
 HLSTUKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 velopment, added a great deal to the meat 
 packing industry of Indianapolis, and the 
 yoarl}' pack of hogs now averages over a mil- 
 lion and a half. Since 1891 a majority of the 
 hogs slaughtered here have been summer 
 packed. The development of the industry of 
 meat-packing and slaughtering has been steady 
 and notable. In 1870 the capital invested was 
 $1,2.51,000, and the value of the product was 
 $■2,261. ;.50. In 1880 the capital invested was 
 $1,018,000, and the product was $9,014,422. In 
 1900 the capital invested was $3,640,096. and 
 the product was $18,382,679. It should be 
 noted that these are the figures of the United 
 St-ates census, and those for 1870 are for Mar- 
 ion County, but they did not differ greatly from 
 those for the city alone. The figures for 188() 
 and 1900 are for the city only. The relative 
 increase of product to capital is, of course, due 
 to the increase of materials used, which in 
 meat packing make the chief value of the 
 product. 
 
 The advance in other commercial and manu- 
 facturing features has been of the same general 
 character though a little less in per centage on 
 the average. The cfnsus returns for the city 
 separately begin in ISSO. In that year Indian- 
 apolis had 688 manufacturing establishment.-; ; 
 in 1890, 1,189; in 1900, 1,910. In 1880 the 
 capital invested in manufacture was $10,049.- 
 •"iOO: in 1890. $1.1.266,685; in 1900. $36,828.- 
 11-1. In 1880 the value of the manufactured 
 product was $27,453,089 ; in 1890, $36,426,974 : 
 in 1900. $68,607,579. In 1880 the number 
 of wage earners emploved was 10.000; in 1890. 
 16,027; in 1900, 25..511. In 1880 the wages 
 paid were $3,917,114; in 1890, $7,060,056; in 
 1900, $10,882,914. Perhaps as good a gauge 
 of the commerce of the city as there is for 
 the last forty years is the receipt and forward- 
 ing of loaded freight cars, which is recorded 
 thus: 1873, 375,916 ; 1883, 797.930 ; 1893. 903,- 
 667; 1903, 1,191,019. The freight movement 
 reached a high point in 1907. with 1,311,664 
 cars, and dropped in 1908 to 1,116,867 cars. 
 
 It is notable that while there has been a 
 i|uite steady growth in the total of niMiuifac- 
 lures there has l)een a variation in dilVerent 
 lines. The steadiest growth has been in the 
 manufacture of domestic materials, as, for ex- 
 ample, flour and grist products. In 18(i0 tlic 
 capital invested in these in Marion Countv was 
 $83,100 and the product $198,590. ln'is:() 
 
 the capital was $514,000 and the product $2,- 
 207,153. In 1880 the capital had di'opped to 
 $462,000 (jjartly due to decrease of assess- 
 ment) and the product to $1,655,517 (partly 
 due to fall of price). In 1890 the capital was 
 $548,618 and the product $3,265,804. In 1900 
 the capital was $1,042,105 and the product 
 $3,820,373. On the other hand some manufac- 
 tures of domestic materials have fallen ofi' ou 
 account of decrease of supply of materials or 
 change of material. The invested capital in 
 cooperage in 1870 was $31,925 and the product 
 $150,785. In 1880 the capital had increased 
 to $277,700 and the product to $1,107,582. 
 In 1890 the capital had dropped to $115,840 
 and the product to $361,745. In 1900 the 
 capital was $43,553 and the product $131,432, 
 or less than it was in 1870. In a few cases 
 there has been only a temporary demand for 
 products, as in the case of bicycles and tricycles, 
 these are listed separately only in one census 
 report, that of 1900; and in that year the 
 capital invested in their manufacture in In- 
 dianapolis was $1,076,867 and the product was 
 $880,969. Probably a similar developnu'ut will 
 be shown in automoliiles in 1910 — possibly a 
 start, at least, in airships. 
 
 ITie banking facilities kept pace with tlie 
 development of business. When the State Bank 
 of Indiana wound up at the expiration of its 
 charter, on January 1, 1857, it was succeeded 
 l)y the Bank of the State of Indiana, which 
 had been chartered in 1855 to begin business 
 at tliat time. It was modeled on the same 
 plan as the State Bank except that the state was 
 not directly interested. It was a splendid bank- 
 ing institution, well managed, and met most 
 of the needs of the state at the time. It 
 weathered the panic of 1857 without suspending 
 sp(>cic payments, which gave it a high rejiuta- 
 tion everywhere. It maintained specie ]iay- 
 ments after the United States had suspended 
 and gone on a legal tender basis, until the 
 Superior Court decided that it was entitled to 
 pay in legal tender under its charter. But it 
 received a hard l)low when the natioiuil tax on 
 bank circulation was fixed under the act of 
 March 3. 1865, at 10 per cent per annum on 
 all but national banks. Tliere was, of course, 
 nothing to do but to withdraw the bank's cir- 
 culation. Preparation had been made for this 
 by securing from the legislature the act of 
 December 20. 1865. authorizing the retirement.
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 351 
 
 uf tile circuliUinn ami willulrawal of sucur- 
 itie* — a bit of t'ore?iglit possibly iliic to Husib 
 McCulloc'hV iiosition as Seeretai'v of rbt- 'I'reas- 
 uiT. But it may be noted that the Bank of 
 llie State was always managed witb prudence 
 and foresight. Hugh McCulloch had been its 
 president from the organization. As soon as 
 the Supreme Court decided that the bank 
 could redeem its notes in greenbacks, he had all 
 of its legal circulation put out, and what was 
 not in use was converted into gold, which was 
 then at less than "-i per cent premium. When 
 he resigned as president, in April, 18ci3, the 
 bank was holding .$;i,;iOO,000 of gold, on a 
 capital of .$3.0()0,()()0i^ And there were others. 
 When :Mr. :McCulloch, in ISCl, called the at- 
 tention of the In(liana|wlis Branch Bank to 
 the fact that the treasury notes of that year 
 were receivable for iiiiport duties, and there- 
 fore would probaidy be at a premium over 
 legal tenders, and should be kept separate, he 
 was surprised and delighted to find that the 
 teller, ybung "Tonr' :\Ialott. as A'olnev '!'. 
 Jfalott was then familiarly known, had al- 
 rearly inaugurated this policy, and had some 
 $3(1.1)1)0 of treasury notes laid aside. 
 
 The national banking law, which was origi- 
 nally passed on February 25, 18(>3, though 
 better known under its revised form of .Tune 
 3. 180)4, was not received with great faxor by 
 financial men, especially in the East, and did 
 not get into full swing till measures were taken 
 to drive other banks of issue out of business. 
 One of the first in Indianapolis to see the ad- 
 vantages olTered bv the law was Win. H. Eng- 
 lish, who. with ten associates, organized the 
 First National Bank of Indianapolis on Mav 
 11. 1S()3, being No. 55 of the country. It 
 was reorganized later as No. 2,55f). Its orisri- 
 nal caiiital was $150,000. which was later in- 
 creased to .$1,000,000. For eighteen months it 
 was the only national bank here, and then the 
 advantages of the system were generally recog- 
 nized, and others followed, the Citizens Na- 
 tional on November 28, 18G4: the Indianapolis 
 National on December 15, 18()t: the Fourth 
 National on .January 23, lSr>5 — consoliilated 
 witlt the Citizens National in Decenibei-. ISCo; 
 the Mercliants National on .Tanuarv K. ISCo; 
 ai)d tlie Indiana National on March II. 18i;5. 
 
 138. 
 
 ^■'.Vcii mill Meastireit of Ifulf n Criiliin/. \i. ] 
 
 .\s an illustration of the change of sentimetit 
 eoncerning national lianks it may be noted thai 
 while Hugh McCulloch, as president of the 
 Bank of the State of Indiana went to Wasbing- 
 toii in 18(52 to oppose the national banking 
 law, in his report of December 4, 18G5, as 
 Secretary of the Treasury, he says: '"The es- 
 tablishment of the national banking system is 
 one of the great compensations of the war."'" 
 The Indiana National was the practical suc- 
 cessor of the Indianapolis Branch Bank, tak- 
 ing over its business as far as possible, and 
 (Jeorge Tousey who had been the president of 
 the Indianapolis Branch since 185? resigned 
 in June, 18t)ti, to become president of the In- 
 diana National. The Bank of the State was 
 wound up in 18GT. When these national banks 
 were organized, I'nited States 5 and G per 
 cent bonds could be bought at par in green- 
 backs, and of course their subsequent change 
 niade a handsome profit to the banks. 
 
 At the close of the year 1872, the Ijanks of 
 Indianapolis were reported as follows: 
 
 Capital. Surplus. Deposits. 
 
 First National $1,000,000 $140,000 $ 46-J,-Ja4.»r> 
 
 Indianapolis National ."iOO.OOO 100,000 :!01,i;i6.41 
 
 Indiana National.... 500.000 110, OOO 32S»,3:!2.34 
 
 Citizens National.... 500.000 94,000 314.666.5a 
 
 Meridian National... 300,000 4.T4.S 7ii.J0T.0S 
 
 Merchants National, 200,000 13,500 100.299.73 
 
 Indiana Banking Co. . 200.000 774.399.90 
 
 Woollen. Webb & Co. 99.633 471,039.90 
 
 Fletcher's Bank 643.541.90 
 
 A. & J. C. S. Harrison, 30.612 420.281.10 
 
 Man.sur's Bank 41,554 
 
 Fletcher &- Sharpe 689,681.70 
 
 Indpls. Insurance Co 317,133.75 
 
 Ritzinger.s Bank 37,083 27S.994.0S 
 
 iTidpls. Savings Bank 93,127.69 
 
 State Savings Bank 49.000.00 
 
 Totals $3.408,SS3 $474,248 $5,980,997.16 
 
 Of these banks but three are in existence in 
 11)09, the Indiana National, the Merchants Na- 
 tional, and Fletchers, which has become a na- 
 tional. The first intimation of any trouble in 
 local banks came when Jay Cooke failed on 
 September 18. 18T;i and started the great |)anic 
 in Wall street. It reacliiMl Indianapolis on 
 September 25. when Woollen, Webb & Co, 
 clo.sed their doors, but it did not last long. 
 There were runs on Ritzinger's and the Indian- 
 apolis Savings Bank I'oi- I wo or' three davs. 
 Woollen. Webb & Co, was a com])aratively new 
 firm, having been organized in ^larch. 1870 
 They resumed after a few months and con- 
 tinued until ^lav •'il. 1882, when thev closed 
 lemianently, and on .lune I. 18.S2, assigned to 
 Franklin Landers.
 
 352 
 
 HISTOIIY OF (il{l-:ATER INDlAiSTAPOLIS. 
 
 The two savings banks were the next to go. 
 They had been organized in 1872 and got into 
 business just in time to find people consuming 
 tlicir -avings instead of increasing them. Tlicy 
 >truggled along till 1878. when, in January, 
 the State Savings went into the hands of a 
 receiver. The Indianapolis kept on till De- 
 cember and then closed. The State Savings 
 Bank paid out practically in full, and the In- 
 dianapolis about 90 per cent. The years 1878- 
 !t witnessed the extreme point of the financial 
 and industrial depression of the seventies, but 
 the effects continued for some time after. Some 
 of the banks had got loaded down with real 
 estate from taking mortgage note collateral, 
 and real estate went far below a mirmal |)rice 
 during the depression and w-as kept down iiy the 
 large amounts put on the market at forced 
 sale. Hanking business grew less profitable. 
 All business was dull and the demand for 
 money for anything but paying debts was light. 
 Moreover the public mind was apprehensive 
 and suspicious, and bankers had to keep their 
 loans in to the safety limit at their peril. But 
 there were also special causes of mismanage- 
 ment, dishonesty or bad bankinff in some cases. 
 
 The first bank to go in the eighties was the 
 Central, which closed on April 8, 1882. It was 
 originally organized in 1874 as a private bank 
 under the name of Eidenour, Cones & Co., 
 and tlie original owners sold in the same year 
 to .lames A. Wildman and E. F. Kennedy, who 
 reoiganized it as the Central Bank. The 
 immediate cause of its downfall was the 
 disap])earani-e. <in March 27. <if Artlnir 
 ^fiicller. who bad been teller for seven 
 years. It was at first announced that 
 all was right but an overdraft of $2,250, 
 bill it was soon discovered that Mueller had 
 been s])eculating at Chicago, and was short 
 over •$.35,000. The owners assigned everything 
 tliry had to Judge E. X. Lamb, for the beni'- 
 fit of creditors, on April 14. Oh A])ril 25 
 the assignee estimated the assets at $o9,-167.Sl, 
 and thought the bank would pay out 50 cents 
 (111 the diillar. It paid out ninety cents. On 
 May.:il, 1SS2, Woollen, Webb & Co. closed 
 as mentioned, and assigned on J\ine 1 to Frank- 
 lin Lamlers. There was nothing crooked in 
 their failure; they simply never recovered from 
 the panic of 1873. It was now confidently as- 
 serted that ''the weak banks had lieen weeded 
 out." and that tbr future was assui'i'd. 
 
 On August 9, 1883 the First Natiiuial and 
 the Indiana Banking Co. suspended. The 
 l-'irst National was reorganized imniediati'ly 
 by Wm. H. English, W. C. Depauw and' ntbers 
 who formed a syndicate, took charge of the 
 bank and reopened it on August 10. On Au- 
 gust 13 the Indiana Banking Co. publisbi-d a 
 statement that its situation was due to the 
 ])urchase of a controlling interest in tlic First 
 N'ational in February, 1878; that it had i)aid 
 $1(!5 for the stock, which was far almve its 
 value; that it had surrendered lialf its stock 
 in the svntdicate arrangement, in order to let 
 the First Xatiopal proceed; that it had lo>t 
 $300,000 in the transaction, and could net in 
 justice to its creditors restime business. .Inlin 
 Landers was appointed receiver for the baidv, 
 but there was a great deal of complaint about 
 his lack of experience, and finally, after much 
 contention and two or three attem]:)ted changes, 
 J. C. S. Harrison was selected as a satisfac- 
 tory experienced man, on October 8, and gen- 
 eral (piiet was restored for a few minntcs. Tlie 
 question of responsibility for the jiurcliase of 
 the First National stock, however, wi-nt into 
 the courts for very protracted litigation, which 
 seems to have reached a termination in ]'M\9. 
 as a jury finally agreed on a verdict against 
 the Indiana Banking Co. 
 
 On July 15, 1884, came the suspension of 
 Fletcher & Sharpe like a thunder-bolt from a 
 clear sky. It was one of the old banks, organ- 
 ized in January, 1857, and was a partnership 
 of families supposed to be wealthy, and who 
 believed themselves wealthy. William Wallace 
 was a])pointed receiver, and on the UUh an- 
 nounced that the bank would pay out. <iii 
 .Vuiinst 24 he reported the assets $1.301.iioi) 
 aiui the liabilities $1,942,801.78, otitside of the 
 estate of S. A. Fletcher, Jr., who had lieconie 
 a ])artner in the firm as a matter of acconi- 
 iiiodation. It ultimately paid 80 cents on the 
 dollar, of which about 37 cents came from the 
 bank's assets, and 43 cents from S. A. Fletcher, 
 Jr. The main trouble with the bank was over- 
 loading with real estate and overvaluing the 
 real estate. The failure caused runs on the 
 Indianapolis National. Eitzinger"s and Fletcher 
 & Churchman's banks, which were supposed to 
 have close connection with the failed bank, 
 but they passed through the ordeal without 
 trouble. On Julv 18. however, came the totally 
 unexpected in the suspension of llic iirivate
 
 HISTORY OF CHEATER IXDlAXArOLlS. 
 
 353 
 
 banking liou^e of A. I't J. ('. S. llariison, which 
 had been establislied in May, 1M.")I, iind was 
 regarded as a Gibraltar. 
 
 The immediate cause of the Harrison failure 
 was that J. C. S. had gone to New York and 
 undertaken to teach Wall street a few ])oints 
 in speculation. He left most of the bank be- 
 hind hini when he came back. It was a dis- 
 astrous failure, the ultimate paMuent being 
 only nominal. In addition to the bank, J. 
 C. S. Harrison was charged with $9.j,-148.40 
 as receiver for the Indiana Banking Co., and 
 Judge Taylor ordered this paid over forthw'ith. 
 It was settled on September 13. Harrison 
 paying a tliird with money raised by his wife, 
 and his bondsmen making \ip the other two- 
 thirds. The only depositor who saved anything 
 material from Harrison's bank was Anthony 
 Wiegand, the florist. He took judgment at 
 once, and levied on two carriages claimed by 
 Mrs. Harrison. He defeated a suit brought 
 by her for their recovery, and another brought 
 by the receiver, and secured the greater part of 
 liis claim. 
 
 The ne.xt surprise came on February 1, 1886, 
 when Ritzinger's Bank made an assignment to 
 Geo. B. Yandes for its creditors. This bank 
 had been established by J. B. Ritzinger, March 
 26. 1868, and was continued by his sons, F. L. 
 and A. W. Ritzinger. It had weathered sev- 
 eral seasons of trial but the struggles had left 
 some wounds. The immediate cause of trouble, 
 however, was undue backing of Simon Bunte 
 in a liquor speculation. Bunte was a young 
 fellow who inherited a fortune and undertook 
 to increase it in the wholesale liquor business. 
 He thought he understood the business, but in 
 fact had never got past the drinking depart- 
 ment of it. He lost all ho had. atid crippled 
 the bank so badly that it had to quit. The 
 failure was worse than had been anticipated, 
 Ibe liaids- paying out only about 48 cents on the 
 dollar. 
 
 On Mav S. 1886, W. H. English withdrew 
 from the management of the First National. 
 and E. F. ('layjjool was made president in his 
 place. Following this 'there was persistent 
 lalk about tin' bank, and on October 22 the 
 numagement. felt called on to make a public 
 statement of the bank's condition. This was 
 accompanied by a statement from ^fr. English 
 to the effect that when lu> took chavgr of the 
 haiilc in iss;; Ik' 'had im interest in il. hut 
 \'ol. 1—2.'? 
 
 was acting solely from regard to the public 
 welfare. Finding a.fter tw'o years and a half 
 of laborious effort tliat his motives were mis- 
 construed, and he misi'epresented, he decided 
 to withdraw from a thankless task. On No- 
 vember 11. 1886, the directors decided to go 
 into voluntary liquidation, and the bank was 
 wound up. There was no loss to any of the 
 depositors, though there was to the stockhold- 
 ers. 
 
 After this there was a period of quiet until 
 the panic of 1893. It struck on July 2.5, with 
 the closing of the Indianapolis National and 
 the Bank of Commerce. The latter was only a 
 suspension, caused by inability to realize on 
 assets or secure assistance from other banks on 
 account of the situation at the Indianapolis Na- 
 tional. In 1877 the Bank of Commerce had 
 got in a rather embarrassing condition by heavv 
 backing of the Indianapolis Water Company.'" 
 The bank had been formed under the charter 
 of the old Indianapolis Insurance Company, 
 and continued its banking business, with Wm. 
 Henderson as president. In 1877 a reorgani- 
 zation was made aiul John H. Stewart was 
 made president. Soon after W. C. Depauw^ 
 began buying the stock, and became practically 
 the owner of the bank. After his death his 
 son Charles Depauw came to Indianapolis, and 
 sank a large amount of money in tiw Premier 
 Steel Works, trying to manufacture steel by 
 the "open hearth process"'. This institution 
 had failed shortly before the troubles of IS!):; 
 came on, and had cau.sed considerable with- 
 drawal from the Bank of .Commerce, whose bus- 
 iness had not been large for some time. Its 
 assets were largely tied up in real estate — it 
 owned its building at Virginia avenue and 
 Pennsylvania, where the Indiana National now 
 stands. Its managers had ari'anged for a loan 
 of 20,000, which wotdd have tided them over, 
 but when the condition of the Indianapolis 
 National was learned on the evening of July 
 24, by a conference of bankers that had been 
 called, they decided that they could not ex- 
 tend help to the Bank of Commerce. It ac- 
 cordingly closed, and resumed some two months 
 later. It ran on then for over a year, paid 
 all its depositors in full, and wound uji hy an 
 
 '" See President Henderson's statement. Jfrr- 
 "1,1. April 27, 1878.
 
 354 
 
 HISTORY OF GIJEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 assignnu'iit to Andrew J. Mcintosh, on ,Iuiie 
 IS, 18!)5. because its business was killed. 
 
 The Indianapolis National was a bad fail- 
 ure. It was caused by heavy backing of a 
 half-dozen manufacturing concerns, in most of 
 which Theodore ]'. Ilaughey, the president of 
 the bank, or some of his family w-ere inter- 
 ested. It was made memorable as the only 
 bank failure in Indianapolis for which any- 
 body was punished. Indictments were returned 
 against Theodore P. Haughey, president of the 
 bank; R. B. F. Pierce, a director; E. E. Re.\- 
 ford, cashier ; Schuyler Haughey, son of Theo- 
 dore P. Haughey and president of the Indian- 
 apolis Glue Company, to which large loans 
 were made ; and Fi-ancis A. CotHn. Percival B. 
 Coffin and Albert S. Reed, of the Indianapolis 
 Cabinet Works, which was also a heavy bor- 
 rower. Theodore P. Haughey was disposed of 
 first Ijy a plea of guilty, and he was sent to 
 the prison Xorth for G years from April 9, 
 
 1894. The Coffins and Reed were tried in 
 ^fay, 189-i:, and all three were convicted, Fran- 
 cis being sentenced for 10 years and Percival 
 for .") years. They appealed to the Supreme 
 Court, which reversed the judgment.^" They 
 were tried again September 9 to October 3, 
 
 1895, and Percival was acquitted, and Frank 
 sentenced for S years at the prison Xorth. 
 The case was again apjiealed to the Supreme 
 Court, which affirmed the judgment.'* Schuy- 
 ler Haughey was not tried till October l.>-"20, 
 1895, and was then acquitted. The case against 
 Pierce was nolled on June 19, 1895, and that 
 against Rexford on October 22. 1895. The 
 judgment against Reed was siispended, and he 
 went free. 
 
 Tliere was a good deal of sympathy for 
 Frank Cotfni. He had borrowed more than 
 the 10 per cent limit allowed by law. but so 
 had dozens of the best business men in the 
 city, and of all other cities. But what he was 
 convicted of was conspiring with, and aiding 
 and abetting Haughey to violate the national 
 banking law for the purpose of defrauding the 
 bank. Xo p(>rson of any intelligence believed that 
 either of them had any intent to defraud the 
 hank. Coffin had a liig scheme for selling the 
 Cabinet Works in England, and would liave 
 succeeded, and come o\it rich, but for the 
 
 panic of 1893. Haughey was backing him on 
 his prospects. What they were guilty of was 
 a technical violation of the law with bad judg- 
 ment as to results. If there had been only this 
 one ease of the kind there would have been 
 as much sympathy for Haughey as for Coffin. 
 As it was, there was widespread attention at- 
 tracted by the fact that this was the first 
 case under the national banking law in which 
 a customer, outside the counter, had l)eeu 
 treated as "aiding and abetting" the banker in 
 the violation of the law by borrowing in excess 
 of the limit imposed on the bank. 
 
 In passing, two events in connection with 
 these cases may be noted. After the first 
 trial began on April 10, 1894, it was inter- 
 rupted for several days by the accidental shoot- 
 ing of A. C. Harris, principal attornev for 
 the Coffins, on April IT, at the office of Miller. 
 Winter & Elam, while trying to prevent Wm. 
 ]\r. Copcland from .'^hooting Wm. H. Brun- 
 ing. This had no connection with the case on 
 trial, except that ilr. Harris was painfully 
 wounded, and jnit out of commission for sev- 
 eral davs. On April 25 the trial was again 
 stopped by the defendants reporting that a 
 juror named Armstrong had offered to hang 
 the jury for $5,000. This necessitated calling 
 a new jury, and beginning over. Armstrong 
 was sent to the penitentiary for his offense. 
 The affairs of the Indianapolis Xational were 
 settled by Edward Hawkins as receiver, and it 
 paid out Gl cents on the dollar to depositors, 
 after assessing stockholders par value on their 
 shares. This, was rather a shock to popular 
 faith in national bank examination, as the 
 bank had been reported on a week before it 
 closed, on July IT. 1893, a< in good condition, 
 and "out of -Itl ,548,999 in loans and discounts 
 the i)robable loss on bad debts was estinuiterl 
 by the examiners at only $4T8.T3." " 
 
 Thi- was the last bank failure in Tndian- 
 a])olis until the Richcreek affair in 190T. if 
 tliat fiasco could be ditrnified as a bank fail- 
 UT-e. Seth ^[. Richcreek appeared in Indian- 
 apoli-i in 1892, and opened a law office, but 
 soon devoted his attention to buying street 
 assessment liens. He had left his country 
 home when a boy, and had just reai)peared 
 after an absence of 25 years, no one knew 
 where. He made a larac amount of monev in 
 
 '•Coffin vs. I'. S.. 
 '« Coffin vs. r. S. 
 
 15() V. S., p. 432. 
 1G2 T'. S.. |). GG4. 
 
 '""AV/cs. Julv 25, 1893.
 
 lllsroKV OF UEEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 355 
 
 MAP OF IMDIANAPOLIS AND HER RAILROAD CONNECTIOMS^ 
 
 
 BOARD OF TKADK MAP. ISRI!
 
 3.56 
 
 IllSTOKY OF GKEATEH IXUIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 a short tinic by bringing suits on assessment 
 liens and forcing payment of attorneys' fees 
 on compromise settlement. He then developed 
 into a sort of broker, and in March, 1904, 
 started The Eichcreek Bank. In 1907 he daz- 
 zled the community by announcements of a 
 new bank building. He leased the Phoenix 
 block, at Market and Delaware streets, for 99 
 years, agreeing to pay $5,000 a year rental for 
 two years, ■'(!(i,.jOO for one year, and an addi- 
 tion of .$150 a year for the next 96 years ; 
 also to erect a block costing not leess than 
 •HI 00.000, covering this property and 40 feet 
 adjoining on Delaware street that already be- 
 longed to him. He contracted for the steel 
 work for the building, to cost $32,000. 
 
 ^leanwhile nobody ever knew what was in his 
 bank. The law of 1905 governing private banks 
 required reports but did not authorize examina- 
 tion. Lhider it he reported on ]\[av 23. 190T, as- 
 sets of $657,315.37 in addition to $300,000 of 
 deposits. By September 30 he got his assets 
 down to $512,459.59. and at that time claimed 
 deposits of $374,069.20. In the spring of 1907 
 the legislature amended the law by a provision 
 for examination of ])rivate banks, but by the 
 terms of the act it did not go into effect until 
 December 1, 190^. About a month before that 
 date an application was made by Indianapolis 
 creditors for a receiver for the bank, which 
 wag defeated. On Xovember 25 another appli- 
 cation was made bv the Ford ilotor Co.. of 
 Detroit which had sent $7,200 in drafts to the 
 liank for collection, and had received no remit- 
 tance although the drafts were collected. This 
 was held off till Xovember 30, on account of 
 Richcreek's absence from the city, and then 
 the Ceniral Trust Co. was made receiver. On 
 December 17 this receivership was suspended 
 by the appointment of H. J. Milligan as re- 
 ceiver in an involuntary bankruptcy proceed- 
 ing. The estate jiaid out about 15 cents. Rich- 
 creek never came back, and opinions varied 
 widely as to whether he took much money with 
 him. There have been reports that he was in 
 South Africa, but there are knowing ones who 
 insist he is in this country. Wherever he may 
 be, the symjiathy nf Indianapolis goes out tn 
 that place. 
 
 On ilarch 4. 1803. was approved a law for 
 the organization and regulation of Loan. 
 Trust and Safe Deposit Companies, which has 
 added largely to the banking capital and baidc- 
 
 ing facilities of the city, 'i'lie object of the 
 law is to enable corporations to transact busi- 
 ness of a fiduciary character out of the line of 
 ordinary commercial banking, and to deal with 
 real estate collaterals and securities. Later 
 there was a call for institutions to act as sav- 
 ings banks, and in 1901 a law was passed au- 
 thorizing these companies to do so under the 
 same provisions as savings banks, in the law 
 of 1S75, wiiich allow the requirement of notice 
 for withdrawal of deposit.'^, varying from one 
 week to 90 days with the size of the deposit; 
 and allowing the Auditor of State to extend 
 the time if necessary. These institutions seem 
 to have solved the ancient and difficult problem 
 of utilizing land values as a basis of credit 
 ill a safe way. The original effort to secure the 
 passage of such a law was made in the legis- 
 lature of 1891, by Judge J. E. Iglehart,' of 
 iMansville. John P. Frenzel and John H. IIol- 
 Hday, but the legislators shied at the word 
 "trust"' and refused to pass it. Two years of 
 education sufficed to overcome this prejudice, 
 and with additional aid from ])ersons interested 
 in the pro))osed Indiana Trust Company, not- 
 ably John R. Wilson, the law was passed. 
 
 The first company oraanized under it was 
 The Indiana Trust Company, on April 4, 1893. 
 with John P. Frenzel as jn-esident; and closely 
 I'ollowing was the L'nion Trust Company ou 
 .lune 9, 1893. with John H. Holliday as presi- 
 dent. On December 12. 1895. the Marion 
 Trust Company was organized, with F. A. Maus 
 as president: on December 11. 1899 the Central 
 Ti-ust Company, with Chas. E. Coffin as presi- 
 ilent. Following these have come the Security 
 Trust Company, on April 22, 1900. with A. C. 
 Dailv as president; the Citizens Trust Com- 
 pany, on April 6, 1903, with Winfield Miller 
 as president ; the Farmers Trust, on June 28. 
 1905, with Charles X. Williams as president: 
 ihe German-American Trust Company, on 
 July 10, 1906, with Albert E. Jletzger as 
 president, and the Fidelity Trust Company, 
 which began business on June 3. 1909, with 
 William M. Fogarty as president. Xo trust 
 company in Indianapolis has failed, but one 
 was compelled to close by the Auditor of State 
 on discovering that its capital was paid in 
 notes instead of cash. This was the Commer- 
 cial Loan and Trust Company, organized on 
 June 26, 1902. All the others organized in 
 Indianapolis arc still in prosperous existence
 
 ITTSTOKV (»K CKKA'lHi; I \ I )1.\ N'A I'OlJS. 
 
 357 
 
 oxi't-pt the Citizens Trust. (A)iui)aiiy, wliieli was 
 sold to the rniou Trust Company in the fall 
 of 1908 at a prcniiuni on its stock value, and 
 absorbed by it. 
 
 The laws of Indiana have been so perfected 
 in their provision for state sujicrvision of 
 hanks, that there remains very sligiit oppor- 
 lunitv for any fraudulent concern. Under the 
 private hankinjr law of 1905 no person or 
 linn can enirage in private lianking without a 
 cortilicate of authority from the Auditor of 
 State. The only private bank now in Indian- 
 apolis is the ^lercantile Banking Company, au- 
 thorized on June 1, 190T. The state banking 
 law of 1873 with its amendments affords a 
 .-afe and favorable basis for banking and the 
 Indiana])olis institutions operating imder it 
 are the Peoples State Bank. Felix McWhirter, 
 president, incorporated November 37, 1900; J. 
 F. Wild & Co., J. F. Wild, president, incor- 
 porated June '20, 1905; the Meyer-Kiser Bank. 
 Sol. Afcyer. ])resident, incorporated Ajn-il 2, 
 19t)(;: the H. P. Was.^on Company Bank, H. 
 P. Wasson, ]iresident, incorporated Septeinlier 
 13. 1900; and the Fountain S(piare liank. 
 George G. lioliertsoii. president, incorporated 
 J[anh 2(i, 1908. 
 
 There was no clearing-house organized in 
 Indianapolis until 1871, in which year was 
 launched llu' 1 ndiaiuipolis Clearing House As- 
 sociation, with Wni. TI. English as president 
 ami .Tot F.llioK as manager, 'i'he clearings were 
 reported at .i;->().non.()()() in 1871: $33,000,000 
 ill 1873; and $3(;.ii()().ii00 in 1873; but these 
 probably well' not a full index of city busi- 
 ness on account of part of the banking houses 
 noi being represented. The present associa- 
 tion was organized in .Tulv. 1901, and does not 
 admit banking houses with less than $100,000 
 oapital. or which have not been in Inisiness 
 six months. 'I'lie reported clearings in 1SS1 
 were $109,557,313; in 1891. $314.3f)5,101 ; in 
 19(11, $113.91fi.(!78. In the imhlished reports 
 <i( local clenrances the high mark a])pears to be 
 reached in 1902, with $510,818,913, the next 
 rear droi)iiing to $317,l(i3.3-):!. This is due to 
 ■A (hange in tlie svstcin of reporting, which cut 
 the figures exactly in half. I'ndcr the old sys- 
 leni the amount re])orted was the total of deb- 
 its and credits, and as every debit of one bank 
 was a credit of another on the same check, it 
 was thought better to adopt a single entrv sys- 
 tem. The i-e|)i)ileil i lraniig< in 1'.>II8 were $380.- 
 
 .i:3,084; and for 1909, $421,123,214. The 
 ])resent clearing-house association is composed 
 of seven national banks of the city and the 
 Central, Indiana, Marion, Security and Union 
 Trust companies. 
 
 The banking conditions of the city in Janu- 
 ary, 1910, as shown by official reports, were as 
 follows : 
 
 ifElIBEUS OF Cr.EARIKG HOUSE. 
 
 CapUal. Sur- 
 pUis and un- 
 
 Institution. divided profits. Deposits. 
 
 tAmerican National Banlt..$ 2,151,260 $ 6,974,988.16 
 
 Capital National Bank 803.744 5, 346. 173. 23 
 
 Columbia National Bank... 523.366 1.975,163.97 
 
 •IFletcher National Bank.. 1.407,044 7,947,299.54 
 
 Indiana National Bank 2,140,136 7.013,274.36 
 
 Merchants National Bank. . 1,919.816 5,480,314.09 
 
 Union National Bank 344.261 1,542.330.18 
 
 Central Trust Co 381,876 •1,781.544.00 
 
 Indiana Trust Co 1,528,610 •7,437.151.00 
 
 Marion Trust Co 423.588 •3,283.800.00 
 
 Security Trust -Co 394,966 •519,085.00 
 
 Union Trust Co 1,118.599 •10,179,538.00 
 
 NON-MEMBERS OF CLEARING HOUSE. 
 
 People's State Bank $ 61.655 { 255,917.00 
 
 J. F. Wild & Co 40,464 387,936.00 
 
 Fountain Square Bank.... 26.290 68,705.00 
 
 Meyer-Kiser Bank 60,000 287,483.00 
 
 Haughville Bank 10.595 18.238.00 
 
 Continental National Bank. 388,486 691,000.00 
 
 Fidelitv Trust Co 100.000 116,813.00 
 
 Farmers' Trust Co 129.797 560.265.00 
 
 German-American Trust Co 512,167 2.161.235.00 
 
 Totals $14,536,720 $64,028,244.00 
 
 ton July 27. 1910, the boards of directors of the 
 American National Bank and the Fletcher National 
 Bank adopted resolutions for the merger of the 
 two into one bank, to be known as The Fletcher 
 American National Bank, with capital stock of 
 $2,000,000 and a surplus of $1,000,000. 
 
 •Including trust estates. 
 
 The movement of freight has been reuarded 
 as an index of business, and the records kept 
 show the number of loaded cars received at 
 this point and shipped from it, to have been 
 375,91fi in 1873; 81(!,75.s in 1SS1 ; 985,315 in 
 1891; and 1,135,779 in l!iol. For 1908 the 
 i-ecord was 1,n(),S(;7, which was a heavv drop 
 from 1907, in which it was 1,311,004,' The 
 \(>ar 1907 was one of a heavy failure record in 
 Indianapolis, making the highest recorded total 
 both in nuinher and in liabilities. The number 
 was S3 and the liabilities $4,385,fi44. The 
 only preceding year in which liabilities reachcxl 
 two millions was 1893, when the number was 
 57 with $2,334,407 of liabilities, Tlie sales of 
 real estate in 1871 were 1.133, with considera- 
 tion of $7,997,513. In 1S91 thev were 0,310 
 with consideration of $0,917,805, In 1901 lliey 
 were 0,700 with consideration of •1il."i,5(I5.333. 
 
 The postollice liusilles> (if a rit\' i- i-onsidcriMJ
 
 358 
 
 HISTOEY OF GREATER I^^DIAXAPOLLS. 
 
 :i laic index of l)UsiiK'S>. ami as the rates nt' 
 postage have been quite unifonu for over 
 twenty years the sale of stamps is an index of 
 the postal l)usiness. For the year ending May 
 ;U. 188T, the postage receipts of the Indian- 
 apolis office were $K:5,481).2-^ : for 1897, $386,- 
 884.64; for li)OT, $l,003,183.To. Of earlier 
 dates may be noted the receipts for the year 
 ending June .'iO. 1871, which were $44,()55.54 ; 
 and fi.r 1881, $147,139.39. A part of the large 
 growth of the later years is due to the develop- 
 ment of the city as a publishing center for 
 periodicals. Indianapolis was made a port of 
 entry, and a customs house was established on 
 .luly 1. 1881. The receipts from duties for the 
 first vear were $.50,080. For 1891 thev were 
 $l.-)0,b80: for 1901. $169,032 ; for 1909,'$186.- 
 234. In connection with Federal business the 
 l)ension statistics are interesting, though they 
 have no direct connection with the general bus- 
 iness of the city. In 1881 there were 16,2.53 
 pensioners on the rolls of the Indianapolis of- 
 fice and the payment to them was $3,069,486: 
 in 1891 tliere \vere 57,7 71 pensioners and $10.- 
 632,138 payment; in 1901 there were 67.021 
 pensioners and $10,309,093 payment; in 1909 
 there were 58.830 ]iensioners and $11,001,797 
 payment. The changes are of course largely 
 the result of changes in the laws. .\t the 
 present time the Indianapolis office carries 13 
 ])ensioners of the War of 1812, receiving 
 $1,872: 17 ])ensioners of the Indian wars, n- 
 ceiving *2.448: and 400 jjensioners of the .Mex- 
 ican \Var receiving $57,600. 
 
 One of the most serious difficulties that In- 
 dianapolis jobbers and manufacturers liave had 
 to contend with lias been discrimination in 
 railroad rates, which have been made in favor 
 of Chicago. Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati. 
 T.ouisville and St. i-ouis. This has been com- 
 plained of for yen IS by the Board of Trade and 
 other organizations, but nothing very ett'e<'t'\i> 
 ha> been acconi|)Iislied towards remedying it 
 until till' in(Ii;ina|iolis Freight Bureau was es- 
 tablished in liKii; ujtli ,T. Keavy as commis- 
 sioner. By prosecuting complaints before the 
 State Railroad Commission and the Interstate 
 Connncrce Commission relief has been obtained 
 in many eases. Of 23 cases brought iiefore tlie 
 Interstate Commerce Commission in .\iiril. 
 1907. 20 were successful, and as several of 
 these involved the readjiistment of rates the 
 benefits extended far bcvond tlir innncdiale 
 
 cases involved. The corrections brought reiluo- 
 tiotis of rates varying from 10 to 60 per cent on 
 various classes of goods and points of >hipnii'iit. 
 li'ailroad rates are now at much nearer a fair 
 relative basis than ever before, and Chicago 
 and Cincinnati can no longer shiji through 
 Indianapolis to points beyond cheaper than 
 Indianapolis can ship to the same points. It 
 is not ])racticable here to go into the details, 
 which the reader will find set forth in the 
 reports of the Bureau. 
 
 But business developed in spite of all ob- 
 stacles. In 1863 the Board of Trade estimate 
 of the volume of business of the citv was $28,- 
 000.000, and in 1872 it was estimated at $88,- 
 398,917, made up of "sales of merchandise. 
 $49,774,789: amount of manufactures, $19,- 
 ()71,832: sales of real estate, $16,32(1.350; 
 amount expended in building, $2,625.94(>."' 
 Just wiiat was intended by "sales of merchan- 
 dise"' is not explained. In 1899 the wholesale 
 sales w-ere estimated at $52,400,000. and the 
 manufactured product at over $()0.0(to.ooo. In 
 that year the sales of real estate were $9,909,- 
 50(i and the valuation of new buildings $1.6(!5.- 
 553. In 1874 the railroads began furnishing 
 the Board of Trade with reports of ri'ceipts 
 and shipments of freight, but unfortunately 
 they have not always been made on the same 
 basis, and not always tabulated in the same 
 way. The figures for ■"merchaiKlise" were orig- 
 inally given by "cans", and for 1875 the re- 
 ttirns were receipts 59.598 cars, ami shipments 
 45.328 cars. In 1896 the recei]its weic given 
 as 1,709.160.242 pounds, and the sliiiuueiits 
 as 1,182,112,983 pounds. In 1906 the rrceiiits 
 were 1,966.735,439 pounds and the shipments 
 2.332,489,985 pounds. There has also been a 
 cliange in the system of records of the Belt 
 I'ailroad that jirevents comjiarisons exce]it for 
 the iicriod 1892 to 1905. In 1892 the road 
 handled J2.063 cars for industrial csiablish- 
 nunts along its lines, and in 1905 it liaudled 
 90.153 cars. The experience of the )iast in 
 these various lines would seem to indicate a 
 >till more ratiid develo)inient under the condi- 
 tions that exist at ]iresent. and with the intel- 
 ligent and concerted action that is now so gen- 
 crallv taken bv the business men of the citv. 
 
 A notable impulse to business was given in 
 18!i0 bv the organization of the Commercial 
 ('Inb. So far as any public movement can be 
 (ailed the work of one man. this was the work
 
 iiis-|'ni;v OF (;i;i;.\'rKi; ixni.WAi'oi.is. 
 
 3.-)9 
 
 of \\ illiaiii l-"<ntiiiir. wild was thru m writer dii 
 llif Jiiiliaiiapoli.s Xcir.i. In the latter half of 
 Jaiuiarv he l)e<raii writiiijj articles on the de- 
 sirability of such a chill, iiased in large part 
 1)11 the success of the one at Louisville, as 
 also the benefits of those elsewhere. He ob- 
 tained interviews and letters to the paper from 
 .sympathetic business men. He prepared resolu- 
 tions for the movement which .Tohu H. llolli- 
 (lay presented to the Hoard of 'I'raile. Tlie 
 only man there who frt\cu'cd thcin was Col. Kli 
 Lilly, but he wm> a host. In such a movement 
 he was invaluable, 'i'be (pialitics he had shown 
 as artillcrv coiuiiiandei- in W'ildcr's I'rigadi' 
 were just wlial wci-e needed ill every reform 
 iiiovement. lie always bad his guns in action 
 at the right place and the right time. I )]i 
 February (i. .Mr. Fortune decided to move, and 
 called a meeting at the Bates House. Twenty- 
 .seven business men responded, and decided to 
 organize forthwith. A committee on constitu- 
 tion and by-laws was appointed, and reported 
 two davs later. Colonel Lilly was chosen pres- 
 ident and Mr. F'ortuiie. secretary. The eluli 
 -tarteil oil' with !S4 members on h'ebruary S. 
 
 It lost no time in proceeding to business: 
 and it wi-ely decided not to resti'ict its at- 
 tention to business, but to promote the welfare 
 
 the city in any way possible. The city was 
 urgently demanding improved streets, and there 
 was wide diversity of opinion about the kinds 
 of streets and ([uite as wide ignoi'anee. The 
 first action was to take steps on l'"eliriiary "i", 
 for holding "a jiaving exposition". It wa> a 
 novel entt'rprisc, but when it was held m Tom- 
 linson Hall, A])ril l-o, 1890, everybody agreed 
 that it was a great success, and was just what 
 was needed. There weje exhibits by all the 
 leading jiaving com|)anies, and companies that 
 manufactured paving materials, in the country; 
 and the exposition was visited by over 500 ofli- 
 cials and delegates from nearly fifty eitie>. 
 A full repoit was prepared by the committee 
 in charge, and pnblishi^d in pamphlet form by 
 the club. On ]\[arch 10. as a sewer system was 
 desirable before extensiv(> ]iermanent street pax- 
 ing was done, a committee was appointed to 
 investigate the sewer question, and its report 
 was likewise published and circulated by the 
 club to the general enligbteiiment of the com- 
 nmnity. 
 
 This use of printers' ink — wliieli did imi 
 involve anv neglect of the column'^ of the dailv 
 
 papers — has been one of the most useful melh- 
 eils of the club. In addition to these [lamph- 
 Icts, and its annual reports, it has issueii a 
 number of pamphlets of permanent value. In 
 \Sil-i, with the Board of Trade, it jjublished the 
 first "Statement of F'aets Showing the Neees- 
 Mty of a New F^ederal Building". In lS!i;! it 
 published a ivport of the G. A. R. Kiieampmeiit 
 id' that year. lii 1S!l-l it publislu'd the iiro- 
 ceedings of llic ■"Traek Fle\ation Dinner on 
 .May t^S, 1S!)4"; a repmt mi the extensive sjie- 
 c:al work for the reliid' of the unemployed, in 
 that vear: and a second "Statenient of Facts"' 
 fur the Federal building. In 1Si)T it publi-^lied 
 the proceedings of the dinner, on .\|iril '.'I. iii 
 tlic interest of beautifying the city, with Cicii- 
 eial Harrison's cekdirati'd •"no mean city"' 
 s|ieecli. In 1899 it publisjied the majority and 
 minority reports of the street railway franchise. 
 In 1900 it |iulilished the report on •"i'lie Xaviga. 
 bility of White Hiver". Jn 190: it inib- 
 lishcd Professor Bhitchley's report on "The 
 Vatural Resources of the State of Indiana,"' 
 iiiid Mrs. Stickney's •'l'ion(>er History of In- 
 dianapolis." 
 
 The mere naming of tlicM' re|iorts gi\i> snnie 
 idea of the diversified work of the club, but 
 little of its steady routine achievements. It 
 was early decided to have a building and to 
 make it a model business Imilding. A com- 
 mittee of fifty, with President Lilly at the 
 liead, was appointed to raise $.")(), 0(10 by sale 
 df eliilj >tdek. and did it in thirty days. The 
 elub then purchased it* site at Pearl and Merid- 
 ian streets, borrowed $12."),000 of the Ivpiit- 
 iilile Life, and erected the building' w'hich was 
 ready for iieeupaiic\ in the spring of 1 S9.'?. 
 This has been prolitable as an inxcstiiieiit. and 
 has furnished a "home" for business men. 
 The (dub occu])ies the two upper stories of the 
 building. The restaurant was managt'd by 
 lessees for a time, but in IS9S the house coni- 
 miltee decided to assume the management, and 
 since then it has steadily increased in popu- 
 larity. .\t the ]ircsent time the average at- 
 tendance af the noon dinner hour is about 
 • 10(1. ami the advantages uf a coinmon meeting 
 place for that number of business men can 
 liardlv be overestimated in their effects on the 
 business widfare of the city. The restaurant 
 ]iolicv has also been adopted by the Hoard of 
 Trade, and its esfabUshmcnt furnishes :in- 
 otlier assemblv ])oint for hii-iiiess men.
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 IXSURANCE COMPANIES. 
 
 The Imsiuess of insurance in Indianapolis 
 lias had a checkered career, due to a diversity 
 of causes. After tlie purchase of the first fire 
 enoine in Is;?.") a local insurance company ap- 
 ])cared feasible, and on February 8, 1836, a 
 charter was granted to the Indianapolis Fire 
 Insurance Company, with a capital of $200,- 
 000, in shares of $50 each. The company was 
 organized on March IG, with nine directors, 
 Douglass JIaguire ])n'sident, and Caleb Scud- 
 der secretary, and began business in April. 
 It liad had full banking powers, and trans- 
 acted a banking business also. Its business, 
 Iiowever, was not extensive and in 1859-GO it 
 suspended altogether. In 1805 the stock was 
 bouglii up and a new company organized, witli 
 Win. Henderson as president, and A.C .Tame- 
 s,ou secretary. On Decenil)er 20, 1865. the 
 cliarter was amended, ])ermitting an increase 
 ()( capital to $500,000, and making the com- 
 ]ian\ perpetual. Tlie old Branch Bank build- 
 ing. n( Virginia avenue and Pennsylvania 
 .-trcct \\as Ijouglit from the Sinking Fund, in 
 April. 1867, for some $30,000. and occupied 
 thereafter. .\ successful insurance business 
 was carried on for some time; but the company 
 insured a nunibiT of bridges for the Pennsyl- 
 vania railroad company, and a $10,000 loss on 
 one of these caused a withdrawal from insur- 
 ance business. It was abandoned gradually, 
 in 1870, the company at the same time develoji- 
 ing ]t~ baid<ing Imsiness. which was contiiuuMJ 
 under the name of the Bank of Connnerce un- 
 til .Inly, 18!)3. when the bank suspended. 
 
 Old special cluirters of this kind have ])een 
 much sought because they were usually verv 
 bioad. giving banking, insurance and other 
 privileges that were not conferred on any one 
 com|iany after the adoption of the Constilti- 
 tion cf 1851. ]'.n( (v\v of them ran for ovei' 
 
 fifty years, and they luive now mostlv expired 
 by limitation. (_)ne that is still nominally in 
 existence here was granted a perpetual char- 
 ter on February 13, 1851, as the Indiana Fire 
 and Marine Insurance Company. It was re- 
 organized bv act of the legislature in Februarv 
 1873, adding E. B. Martindale, Thos. A. Hen- 
 dricks, J. A. Wildman and Eobert McKee as 
 <ommissioners. .\dditional capital was sub- 
 scribed, and E B. Martindale was made presi- 
 dent and J. .V. Wildman secretary. It had 
 fairly successful business for some years, and 
 was sold to other parties, who reorganized it 
 as the Indiana Fire Insurance Company. It 
 is kept alive, on account of the value of the 
 charter, with James S. Cruse as president, 
 but has •doiu' no insurance for years, its only 
 iiusiness being the investment of a small capi- 
 tal. Many of the charters, however, had no 
 leal value as they involved defective plans, 
 'i'he second company organized at Indianapolis 
 was the Indiana ]\lutual Fire Insurance Com- 
 pany, chartered January 30, 1837, and organ- 
 ized in Feljruary with James Blake as presi- 
 dent and Chas. W. Cady as secretary. It did 
 a good business for several years but then mot 
 some heavv losses, and became insolvent. It 
 was wound u]) in 1855. 
 
 ]\rost of the Indianapolis home companies 
 have been organizi>d under the general law, and 
 among them perhaps the most notable is the 
 (ierman Fire. II was incorporated on January 
 21, 1854, and started business with a meeting 
 of German citiz(>ns in the German Evangelical 
 Lutheran Church (east side o"f Alabama, be- 
 tween Washington and Pearl streets), on Janu- 
 ary 25, 1854. with the i)astor. Rev. George 
 Long, as chairman. This com])any was suc- 
 cessful Prom tlie start, and was continued as 
 a niulual comiiauv till 1.S!m;. when it had as- 
 
 3G0
 
 IIISTOKV OF 
 
 i!i:.\'ri:i; ixdiaxai'oi.is. 
 
 niii 
 
 set* of $;3()3,07S.5 I. It was ilicn chauged to a 
 jjtock companv. uiulor the law of ^larch 1*4, 
 1S95, and still continues one, the name being 
 changed at tliat time to the German Fire In- 
 surance Company of Indiana. The presidents 
 from the start have been Henrv Buscher, Juli- 
 us Boetticher. Adolph Seidensticker, Andrew 
 JFiigen and Theodore Stein. Tlie secretaries 
 have been Adol])]i Seidensticker, Valentine 
 Butsch, Charles Yolmcr, Charles Balke, Ed- 
 ward Mueller, Frederick Ritzinger and Lorenz 
 Schmidt. On January 1, 190!). it had assets 
 of $C10,5I)8.(>(). and liad paid losses since its 
 organization aggregating $1,.58.").00.")..58. 
 
 Connected with the reorganization of this 
 company was an event of great importance to 
 insurance companies in Indiana. Section 22 
 of the law for the organization of stock insur- 
 ance (•om|)anies. passed in 1852/ provided that 
 when a loss occurred, and a claim for it was 
 ])rcsentcd, the company should pay it within 
 60 days, or i)ay a ])cnalty of 10 per cent of the 
 claim for each ;J0 days of delay in payment. 
 Of course a company had the right to 
 resist payment of a claim believed to 
 he fraudulent, liut if it did so, and judgment 
 were recovered, it was heavily punished. The 
 law was evidently passed to relieve a tempo- 
 rary evil without a realization of the legislators 
 that they were Hying to others that they knew 
 not of. Xo special attention was paid to it 
 for a dozen years, ilost of the companies 
 formed were mutuals, and not concerned ; but 
 then a stock company called the Union Fire In- 
 surance Companv. was organized at Indianapo- 
 lis ])y E. B. ^r.irtindale and others. It was 
 confronted by a liea^^' loss, believed to be 
 fraudulent. and refused paymi'iit. The 
 claimant did not bring suit, though he insist- 
 ed that his claim was valid. He was in no 
 buriT. The company officials began to study 
 ilie situation, and consulted their lawyers. On 
 ibeir advice the claim was settled, and the 
 loinpany reinsured its risks and went out of 
 linsiness. I'p to that time it liad been a ]iroR- 
 jicrous company, and no doubt would still bo 
 liut t'or this obstacle. It endeavored to get the 
 law repealed at two .sessions of the legislature, 
 but was unable to do so, although no other 
 >tate had such a law. In 1ST.0 a committee was 
 ;i|i)ioiiited to investigate the insurance laws of 
 
 'Sec. 3720 Rev. Stats, of 1881. 
 
 the state, with John a Finch as chairman; and 
 in 1881 it reported that the ])rovisions of the 
 law of 1852 were "practically prohibitory" of 
 home companies, but no action was taken for 
 c hanging the law. 
 
 When the German .Mutiuil desired to make 
 its change to a stock con'pany, it endeavored to 
 get the law repealed, but was unable to do so. 
 There was no apparent reason why it should 
 not be repealed except the opposition of foreign 
 companies. The law had come before the Su- 
 jireme Court in ISfiO, and again in 18(52, and 
 it had held that the law did not apply to 
 foreign companies, but only to domestic com- 
 panies.- Obviously nobody was interested in 
 ]ireventing the repeal except the foreign com- 
 ])anies: and after the exposure by the Arm- 
 strong Committee of the great sums paid by 
 the big New York companies for lobbying and 
 legislative corru]ition, there were people in 
 Indiana who thought they knew where some of 
 it went. The German .Mutual made its change 
 in 189(), but went on with its tight for repeal. 
 The press was enlisted, and the Commercial 
 Club 'took a hand. Tlie legislature of 1897 
 liiKillv removed the sword of Damocles that 
 had luing over every ])ro])osal for a home stock 
 insurance company for forty-five years.^ 
 
 Indiana])olis has another German company 
 lliat is unique in several respects, the Indian- 
 apolis German Mutual l'"ire Insurance Com- 
 pany. It was organized on July 15, 1884, and 
 iiegan business on August 1, following. Its 
 object is to furnish insurance at the lowest pos- 
 sible cost, and for that end it employs no 
 agents and pays no commissions. All business 
 must conu' direct to the office, and no hazard- 
 mis risks ai'e accrpteil. Policies are limited 
 to .f;'i. 01)11. and written for live years, the in- 
 sured paying ime yrar"< premium and giving 
 notes for the remaining four yeai's, on a con- 
 tract basis. The notes are not transferable or 
 taxable, and no ])ayment on them is called for 
 unless the com]>any suffers exceptionally 
 heavy loss. In twenty-four years, but one as- 
 sessment has liecn made (Det'cmber, 1891). and 
 durimr that I'uh' the (•(nnininy has paid $^9.- 
 45-1. 11 in In-ses. At the close of its liscal vear. 
 Julv 15. 19()S. it liad in force $4,893,09:1. (!4 
 
 -Cominniiwciillb Ins. Co., vs. Mdiiniiiger, 18 
 Ind.. 352: Igoe v~. State. 1 1 Iiid.. 239. 
 ■■•.Vets 189^ ].. 87.
 
 IIISTOKV OK Ci; MATER IN'DIAN APOLIS. 
 
 oi iu.-uraiici'. This cumpam' has a uimiaii 
 for secretary, ('harlotte Dinkelaker, ami it is 
 said to he the only tire company in the world 
 that has this distinction, 'i'he present presi- 
 dent is Alhert 8ahm. 
 
 There ai'e several other nuitiial eoniiniiiies in 
 the city, in siiecial lines, that ari' nci'v sik- 
 cessfnl. The tJrain Dealers" National Mutual 
 Fire Insurance Company was organized in 
 li)()2, and makes a specialty of insuriiii;- coun- 
 try grain elevators. In January, 190!i. it had in 
 force over nine million dollars of insurance, on 
 over -i.-iOO elevators: and had paid $-^S:!.4;i().1() 
 in losses since its organization. Its pi-csident 
 is H. -V. Knight, of ^lonticello. 111., and the 
 secretary. ('. .V. ^leCotter of Indiana))olis. The 
 Indiana Lund)ermen's ilutual Insurance Com- 
 pany was organized April 1, 1897, with llcin\ 
 C'olntrn as jiresident and F. B. Fowler >ecic- 
 tary. It l)ays no commissions and insures oidy 
 lumber vards and wood-working plants. On 
 January' 1, 1!)0!). it liad .$(i,:i91,;39 of insur- 
 ance in force, aud liad pa il since organization. 
 $;^Gl,G5-^.03 in losses, and $117,197.88 in divi- 
 dends. The present president is Cliapin C. 
 Foster, and Air. P'owler is still secretary. The 
 Indiana .Millers" ^lutual Fire Insurance Com- 
 panv commenced its successful career on Se])- 
 tember 2.-), 1899. It has paid $1,037,137 in 
 losses, and on January 1, 1909, had $1-.\31(;.- 
 804.92 of insurance in force. ]\L L. Blish is 
 president and E. E. Perry secretary and treas- 
 urer. Mr. Feriy is also secretary and treas- 
 urer of two other lire com]ianies, the .Xmi'iican 
 ^fanufacturers" Mutual, oi-ganized Fehniarv 
 1, 191)1, and the Metal Manufacturers' Mu- 
 tual, organized Febrnai-v 1. !!•();. The fdrmer 
 has in force $().23;).:!(;o df insurance, and the 
 latter $3,51 9, C 1 1). Tlie liuliana State Fire, or- 
 ganized May l."i. l!iii:. has $I.884.8.-)4 of insur- 
 a7ice in force, .\l\in T. Coate, is the scci-e- 
 tary. 
 
 There were a nuinh<'i' iif wrecks in lixal lii'e 
 insurance. The Indiana Fire, organizt-d May 
 9, 18()2. under the general law, with Jonathan 
 S. Tlarvey as jiresident and W. T. Gibson as 
 secretary. It seemed prosperous, and wrote over 
 eight millions of insurance in the next six years, 
 but met some discouraging losses and retire(l a 
 few rears later. The Siunisippi ^lutual was or- 
 ganized Vovendii^r IS. 1S(>3. with Elijah (iood- 
 win iiresidt'iit and John IJ. Berry secretary. 
 Il .iihertised extensiveh' and did a \:\V[Sr busi- 
 
 ness on a risky and expensive basis, and went 
 into the hands of a receiver iii IStiii. The 
 Ecjuitable Fire, a mutual company. \\a> or- 
 ganized in September. 18(j3, with \V. .V. I'eele 
 president and E. I). Olin secretary. It was 
 changed to a stock eomiiany, and met huge 
 losses which caused it to go into the hands of 
 a receiver early in 18(i8. The Home Mutual 
 was organized in April, 18()4, with J. C. (iei- 
 send(n-ff president and J. B. FoUett secre- 
 tary. Its business was not profitable, and it 
 susj)ended voluntarily in June, 18(!8, and was 
 wound up by a receiver. The Farmers and 
 ^lechanies was organized April 1, 18(i4. with 
 l>\land T. Brown president and A. J. Davis 
 secietary. It did a small business till the >um- 
 mei' of 18(i7, when it sus])ended, and was 
 wound u}). Some others of less note followed 
 the same general course. 
 
 Of all the collapses in lndiana|)oli,-. tlie one 
 that attracted the widest attention was that 
 of the Iron Hall, a fraternal organization, 
 \\hi( h was rather an investment eompan\ tliaii 
 an insiiraiu'c C(unpany. though it paid sick 
 lienelits. It was organized Decendiei- l."). ISSl, 
 under the voluntary assoeiaticm law of Vv\^ 
 ruary 20, 18(57, and was soon launched on an 
 a|iiiarently prosperous career. Its jiroposal 
 was that on the payment of assessments for 
 seven years, amounting to about $300, it would 
 at the end of the period ])av the imestor 
 $1,000. At the maturity of its first certifi- 
 cates it had a public jjayment to the bene- 
 ficiaries in a local theater, in which each $1,000 
 wa- brought out on the stage in silver, in a 
 \\heel-hari-ow. Of course, the undertaking was 
 unsound on if- face, but it attracted a great 
 many investors, and in 1892 the figures given 
 out by its officials were, total receipts, $2,o20.- 
 •^S;! : total disbursements $1,391!, 1 73 : reserve 
 IuikI, $1..-)00,924; cash in hand. $1,124,109; 
 total assets, $2,(i8t;.274. Uranehes had been 
 established in a number of other states, ami 
 the institution was beginning to rival the ^fis- 
 sissi])pi Eand Company of John I.,aw in its 
 palmiest days. 
 
 On July 29, 1892, an aii])lieatioii f(n' a re- 
 ceiver was filed in the Superior Court by .\1- 
 hert li. Baker and others, members of the com- 
 pany.'' It charged that the com))any was in- 
 solvent, but with over $1,000,000 of assets; 
 
 ■■.Yo. 43.().">4 Superioi' Court. I'lxun 1.
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 :lfi:? 
 
 that "the Supreme Sitting of the Order of tlie 
 Iron Hnll," wliich contmlled tlie insititiitioii 
 absolutely, had been guilty of extravagance 
 and niisnianagenient : that it had $1tiO.OUU of 
 the order's funds on deposit, without any se- 
 curity, in a bank in which Freeman I). Som- 
 crby, the Supreme Justice of the order, was the 
 chief party in interest; and some other irregu- 
 larities. A jirotractcd hearing was had, be- 
 ginning on Augu^^ 11. ami on August 23, 
 Judge Taylor ap|iointe(l a receiver. The order 
 a])]X'aled to the Supreme Court, which on April 
 26, 1893, allirmcd thi- ruling (d' the lower 
 court. ^ 
 
 jreanwhile, the organization had gone to 
 pieces everywhere. On Augu.st Ki, liS!)2, Soni- 
 erby's bank. The ^futual Banking, Surety, 
 Trust and Safe I)c|)osit Company of Philadel- 
 pliia, cb)sed its doors ; and soon after there 
 were a))plications for receivers in several other 
 states, for the ])urpose of holding the funds in 
 those states for the benefit of local investors. 
 The receiversliip was conducted on a rather 
 munificent basis, wliich caused considerable 
 clamor from the interested parties, and le<l the 
 factions to refer to it as "the Iron Haul." 
 Locally there was distributed to claimants about 
 *-.'.0(iO,000 : and .some further distribution was 
 made in other states where jurisdiction was 
 held locally. The chief i)art of it was settled 
 up by the close of 189."), but a ])ortion remained 
 \Hitil 1898, when tlie matter went to the Su- 
 preme Court again on a i|uestion of the rights 
 of the subordinate branches.'' 
 
 On the other hand there were some coni- 
 panics that wc?-c very well managed and might 
 have ci)ntin\ied in business l)Ut fru' extraneous 
 inlhiences. The I'^raidvlin Fire Insurance ( 'oni- 
 pany was originally chartered in 1S.">1 at Fraid<- 
 lin, Johnson ('o\inty, and did a moderate b\isi- 
 ness there until IS^l. It \va> then brought 
 hel-e b\- .lobn A. Cliibls and i-eorgailized. with 
 J. F. Hobertson as ])resident and (labiicl 
 
 Scliwack as secretary. It did a \cry g I 
 
 business h"re, and in 1S7-I erected a substantial 
 buililing at the southeast comer of Circle and 
 Market streets, which still bears the name id' 
 the company over its entrance. It ran along 
 until Childs became infatuated witli a young 
 woman and eloped to On>gon. leaving a wif<' 
 
 ^Supreme i.*i:c., vs. liaker, 134 Ind.. p. 293. 
 "Cowen vs. Failev, Tieceiver, 1-19 Iiul., p. 3S2. 
 
 and a Sunday school, of which he was super- 
 intendent, to mourn his loss. Then Jacob Xeu- 
 bnrger came into the comj)any as underwriter, 
 and after some m(niths ])ersuaded' the man- 
 agement that the ]n-udent course for them was 
 to reinsure and go out of business, which was 
 done. The charti'i- was sold to Jacob Weil, of 
 Fvansvillc, who organized and carried on a 
 company undei' it there till the charter ex- 
 jiired in 1901. Thr risk> were reinsurc'cl in 
 1902 and the company ended. There was 
 no ade(iuate reason for the discontinuance of 
 this company at Indianapolis. 
 
 But of all insurance enterprises at Jndian- 
 .■i]iolis, the one whose ending caused the greatest 
 soreness was the Indianapolis Fire Insurance 
 Company. The inception of the company is 
 said to have originated with John S. Spann, 
 and be -iKUi gathered a little knot of gentlemen 
 who united with him in the desire to establish 
 and build up a strong, well-managed home com- 
 pany. 'I'liey organized on July 12, 1S99, with 
 John 11. Holliday as ]iresi(lent and IL C. .Mar- 
 tin as secretary: and this management was con- 
 tinueil for eight \cars. The characteristic id' 
 tlie company \\a< its conservatism. It made 
 money and was developing satisfactorily, meet- 
 ing lU) serious I'l'verses until it had losses of 
 $69,000 in the great San I-'rancisco lire. But 
 this was only a set-back, and the com|>any was 
 repairing its suritlus and moving forward to 
 the general satisfaction of the stockholders. It 
 should be metdioned that the ca])ital of the 
 comjianv wa-^ *2()0.000 in shares of $50. These 
 had very readily been placed at $75, owing to 
 the general confidence in the mamisKMuent. 
 making a sur])lus of $10().()l)(>l on which to begin 
 business. In 190f! the control of a majority of 
 the stock was secured by the local brokerage 
 firm of Merer il' Ki.ser. supposed to ho acting 
 for other parties, and at the annual meeting in 
 Februarx. 19ii;, ibc old management was oust- 
 ed and a new one inaugurated. \t the anntial 
 meeting in 190S a number of minority stock- 
 holders attended, and on account of statements 
 of the discouraging conditions. ]iro|iosed that 
 the com|)any reinsure and uiml up, Tlr- \\a- 
 tlatlv refused. .\ few day- later a niunbei' of 
 .-iockholilcrs received the following letter: 
 
 "Februarv 22nd. 19iis. 
 "Dear Sir, — In strict eonlidence, because a 
 disclosure on your part woidd injure the com-
 
 ;l(ii 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOIJS. 
 
 pany, I desire to advise you of a crisis in the 
 affairs of the Indianapolis Fire Insurance 
 Company. Our surplus has been reduced from 
 the $100,000 originally paid in, to $58,000, as 
 appears in our last statement. As a matter of 
 fact this surplus has been further reduced ap- 
 jiroximately $20,000 by our fire losses in the 
 month of January alone. During this month 
 the ratio of tire losses, which should not exceed, 
 in order to make money, 49 per cent, ran 105 
 per cent. In other words, 5 per cent in ex- 
 cess of entire premium paid. 
 
 '■'These losses do not result from any one 
 ijr two conflagrations, but are the result of gen- 
 eral conditions obtaining throughout the coun- 
 try, and are apparently directly connected with 
 existing depressed financial conditions. In my 
 judgment, unless a radical change for the bet- 
 ter (of which there is not a good prospect), 
 should immediately occur, the entire surplus 
 of the company will be wiped out inside of !I0 
 days. 
 
 "Therefore, if the company is to continiu^ 
 liusiness, in order that we may comply with the 
 laws of the states in which we have agencies, 
 it will be necessary immediately to assess each 
 one of the stockholders at least $50 a share. 
 This cannot be done against the will of the 
 stockholders, but, by voluntary agreement on 
 the part of all interested, which will enable us 
 to make a respectable stati'ment and entitle 
 lis to do biisiness in states from which we will 
 soon be excluded. 
 
 "Will you kindly advise me whether you arc 
 mlling, in case the other stockholders con- 
 tribute, to voluntarily contribute for the pur- 
 pose of establishing a surplus of the company, 
 the Slim of $50 per share on the stock which you 
 own? I must ask you for an immediate reply 
 as the situation is so critical that it demands 
 instant relief of some kind. 
 
 "I again enjoin on you the necessity of en- 
 tire secrecy in the subject about Avhich I am 
 writing you. 
 
 "Yours truly. 
 
 "Sol. .Nfeyer, i)resident." 
 
 There ensued very speedily a meeting of 
 the principal minority stockholders, including 
 the original management, to consider the situ- 
 ation. The discussion disclosed a general 
 sentiment that the action was intended to bear 
 the company's stock, and tliat the r(ini|iauv 
 
 was in fact in better condition than immedi- 
 ately after the San Francisco fire. They 
 agreed to act in a body and a committee was 
 appointed to negotiate with Meyer and Kiser, 
 with instructions to first endeavor to get a 
 "buy or sell" price on stock. This was re- 
 fused, as also a proposal to reinsure. There 
 were more meetings and prolonged discussions 
 of the possibilities. A receivership would 
 probably be more disastrous financially than 
 a forced sale. A majority- in control, desirous 
 of forcing out a minority could exhaust the 
 surplus and force assessments. The negotiat- 
 ing committee was instructed to ascertain the 
 best terms that could be made, and on February 
 28. an agreement was made to sell at $62.50 a 
 share, or $12.50 less than had been paid for the 
 stock, which was signed by holders of TOS 
 shares. A number of others sold immediately 
 afterwards on the .same basis. On March 23, 
 the company was reinsured in the German 
 American of Xew York, and agents were noti- 
 fied to discontinue business, as the directors 
 had "after careful consideration, decided that 
 the interests of all concerned will be best con- 
 served by the reinsurance of the present liabili- 
 ty of the company."' 
 
 This affair came as a revelation in local in- 
 •Hirance business. The Iron Hall had demon- 
 strated how easily a company could be taken 
 out of the hands of those who made it, in 
 case of mismanagement or illegal action by 
 the officers, and wound-up by others. The State 
 Life had narrowly escaped a similar fate. But 
 here was a home company whose management 
 was above criticism put out of existence. It 
 was the most demoralizing blow ever stnu'k 
 at home insurance in Indianapolis, for what 
 protection was there against this form of as- 
 sault? Of course it would be possible to form 
 a voting trust, such as has worked out with 
 fair success in the case of the Consumers 
 Gas Trust. The only other feasible plan of pro- 
 tection would seem to be in the control of a 
 majority ownership of the stock by a close 
 corporation of individuals who could trust each 
 other absoluti'ly not to break the control by 
 sale of stock to any outsider. But that would 
 not be practicable without very large invest- 
 ment by a few jiersons : and a company organ- 
 ized on that basis woidd lack the advantage of 
 a wide interest of stockhohhM's in s(>curing in- 
 >iirance. r<issililv sonic <:cniiis may arise who
 
 lUsTuKV OF (;i;katek ixdiaxapolis. 
 
 3G5 
 
 =1 
 
 ?-i 

 
 II1ST()I;V OK (MM'.A'rKl't INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 will lind some luodu oi steeriug between the 
 .Scylla and Chani)dis of the insxiranee chan- 
 nel, and give Indianapolis a home eonipanv, 
 which will, to ^ome extent at least, check the 
 heavy drain of tribute to foreign companie;^. 
 hut it must be acknowledged that the prcscnl 
 jirospects of this desirable result are b.v lui 
 means encouraging; and those who have taken 
 the greatest interest in attaining this end are 
 not eager to make another attempt after the 
 disastrous result of their former effort in this 
 line. 
 
 Life insurance companies were not so nu- 
 merous as fire companies. The Franklin Mutual 
 Life was organized under the general law in 
 July, 186(], with J. M. Eay, president and 
 D. W. Grubbs, secretary. Its system was to 
 accept premiums one-half cash and the re- 
 mainder in notes, so that the longer a man 
 stayed in the more he owed. After some lif- 
 teen years, under other officers, it became un- 
 ])rofitable, and the directors undertook to wind 
 it up by buying in policies at half their siii- 
 render value. This was carried on in 18S1 and 
 1882, and to go on with it a mortgage of ^nT,.")!)!) 
 was put on the company's building — the old 
 State Bank building at Kentucky avenue and 
 Illinois street, which it had ]nirchased in LSfiS. 
 .After this had Ijeen expended there remained 
 some 300 policies, with a surrender value of 
 $75,000, and something less than $1S.(I0<I (d 
 assets. Part of the remaining policyludders 
 joined in a suit to set aside the mortgage, charg- 
 ing that the Northwestern ^lutual, to which it 
 was made, was fully informed of the ]nirpiisc 
 for which the money was to be used. The case 
 went to the Su]n-eme Court, which made the 
 somewhat startling decision that before these 
 ]iolicyholders, who had received nothing from 
 the loan, could set aside the mortgage, tiny 
 must repay the borrowed money.' 
 
 The development of life companies in the 
 last decade is largely due to the Stati' Life 
 Companv, which was organized Septcmiier .■). 
 1894, under the law of 1883, which i)r(ividcd 
 for companies on an assessment basis. The 
 company grew slowly but steadily, but its 
 husiness was hampered by the assessment fea- 
 lure. The officers desired to change to a legal 
 reserve basis, hut there was no law under which 
 thev could reoruanize formallv, althouHh the 
 
 Wright vs. lluL 
 
 no Ind., 3'.M. 
 
 comjiany had in fact been conducted on a legal 
 reserve basis from the start, charging full legal 
 reserve premiums and carrying full reserves, as 
 no other assessment company had done up to 
 that time. A bill was prepared by W. S. 
 Wynn, the aid of the press was enlisted by Dr. 
 Martin, and the law of February 10, 1899, was 
 si'cured. Xo better law can be found in any 
 state in the Union. It makes the policy- 
 liolder absolutely safe by recjuiring the de- 
 posit with the Auditor of State of a reserve 
 large enough to cover the reinsurance of all 
 risks. L'nder this law the State Life reincor- 
 porated on February 14. 1899. and at once en- 
 tered on a career of prosperity. On January 
 1, 1908. its admitted assets were $(1,3:)."). ir)3. 9."). 
 Other companies also took advantage of the 
 ni'w law, the American Central Life leading, 
 iiy organization on February 23, 1899. On 
 January 1, 1908, there were ten of these legal 
 icst'rve life companies at Indianapolis, with 
 total admitted assets of $6,513,290..-)8. in addi- 
 tion to the State Life. 
 
 The years 1906-T were years of stress to the 
 life insurance companies of Indiana. The ex- 
 posures of the Armstrong Committee in New 
 York of the practices of the great life insur- 
 ance companies had startled the country, and 
 ilie magazine articles of Thomas W. Lawsoii, 
 Burton J. Hendricks and others had made 
 the nature of the abuses understood by the 
 leading public. In October, 1905, Governor 
 Hanly had appointed James W. Xoel, William 
 N. Durborrow and \\'arren Bigler a committee 
 to investigate the affairs of the office of the 
 .Vtulitor of State, on account of irregularities 
 of David E. Sherrick, and the committee was 
 continued by him to investigate the Insurance" 
 I)e])artmcnt of the office, and the local eoni- 
 jianies reporting to iL The investigation re- 
 sulted in a demonstration that some of the New 
 York abuses were beginning to appear in In- 
 diana, though comparatively few and small, 
 no doubt for the reason that none of the In- 
 diana companies had so large reserve or sur- 
 plus funds to attract the cupidity and ingenu- 
 ity of the officials. The worst apparent alnises 
 were "agency contracts" Avhich were obviously 
 designed to divert the .iust income of companies 
 to individuals, and one charged ease of inter- 
 est of the ]iri'sident and first vice-president of 
 the State Life in a sale of pro]ierty to the eoni- 
 panv. The report of the committee was made
 
 HISTORY OF (ilJKAl'Ki; I M H A XAL'olJS. 
 
 367 
 
 on Oc-tol)er 'i'i. llKUi: ami lanl iniuh sti'css on 
 the avowed evils of special contraets. predated 
 and coinniiUed policies and other forms of re- 
 iialinj:. includinj; jireliminarv term insurance. 
 It rernmniended drastic legislation for their 
 prohihitiun. and (lovernor Hanly followed this 
 with a vigorous demand for it in his message. 
 and a strong exertion of his oHicial powers to 
 secure it. 
 
 Tlu' .-ituation wa> perplexing. Kvervhodv con- 
 ceded tiiat there were abuses that needed correc- 
 tion, hut evervhody familiar with insurance 
 business saw that the proposed laws woukl prac- 
 tically j)ut the small companies of the state 
 at the mercy of the large foreign companies, 
 which were originally responsible for the alntses. 
 The abuses were the result, in most ])art, of 
 comiietition foi- Imsiness; and this luu.l devel- 
 o|)ed to such an extent that the first year's 
 jiremium was practically consumed, and no re- 
 serve was laid aside from it tinder any system 
 of policy writing. It was common for com- 
 panies to sell "tlyer" insurance for ten per cent 
 of the regular i)remiuin for tlie first year. The 
 Stipreme Court of A'ermont found this condi- 
 tion to exist, through a case in that state, and 
 said: "Xo company can successfully do l)\isi- 
 iiess unless it pays commissions as large as the 
 leading companies of the country, and then it 
 i.= at a disadvantage from being small. As the 
 witiios Stone stated: "It is the large com- 
 panies tluit set the pace in such matters. Snuill 
 rompanies have to meet the comjietition or 
 tiiaKi' nil ])rogress.' .V new com|iany to begin 
 l)usines>. and a small company to continue, in 
 order to succeed must pay what companies in 
 p-neral liay."" T'he common form of meet- 
 ing the ciimpil it imi was b\' pr(iiiiiin;ir\ icriii 
 insurance, and though its prohiiiition was de- 
 manded, the committee conceded that there 
 was ■■nothing legally or technicallv wTong in 
 a provision in an insurance policy that it shall 
 for one \ear lie considered preliminary term in- 
 surance", and that "the onlv wrong in such 
 practice i<. \\f thiid<. that it is generally nol 
 under-tiKid bv llir parties." " In fact the oidv 
 f|iiestioii iiiMilMMJ is whether the expense of 
 getting the insurance shall be paid from the 
 first year's ])remiuin. or fmm the sur])his which 
 
 "l'>aid<ers Life Ins. Co. vs. Howard. ";! \'er.. 
 p. 1. 
 
 " Ifcport. p. 1.-,.x 
 
 e(|U;talily lielongs to the pulicyholders, and as 
 a piohleni of morality and justice it is of the 
 weight of the distinction between Tweedledum 
 and Tweedledee. 
 
 The committee also demonstrated in its re- 
 jiort that the people of Indiana were paying 
 yearly to foreign insurance companies more 
 than ten millions of dollars more than came 
 back to the state in payment of losses.'" This 
 fact put a damper on any desire to do any- 
 thing unnecessarily destructive to home com- 
 jjanies, and in consequence the legislature of 
 1907 enacted insurance laws on a rational ba- 
 sis, cutting olf real evils, and leaving home 
 comj)anies a fair chance for existence. Prac- 
 tically all of the com))anies had abandoiuxl 
 the objectionable contracts before the laws went 
 into etl'cct. and other reforms had occurred. 
 President A. M. Sweene^y, and \'ice-president 
 Samuel Quinn, of the State Life, resigned in 
 February, 1907; and in March the board of 
 directors was increased from 5 to 9, and Henry 
 W. Bennett, Wm. C. Bobbs, Wm. J. Jlooney, 
 Albert Sahm, John IJ. Wilson, and ,1. S. Dis- 
 sette were elected as new niendjcrs. Mi-. Wil- 
 son died in the following July, and lliiam I'. 
 Wassoii was elected in his stead. Henry W. 
 Bennett wa* elected j)resident of the company. 
 Wilbur S. W'ynn, vice-president, secretary and 
 actuary, Chas. F. Coffin, second vice-president 
 and general counsel, and Albert Sahm. treas- 
 urer. Cnder the new management the com- 
 ]iany resumed progress at onci'; and notwith- 
 standing the panic conditions of lliii';. \\iii(h 
 were depressing to insurance generally, it in- 
 crea.sed its assets $1,001.11)9 and its siirplu> 
 ■$■^7,775 in that year. The life insurance com- 
 panies of Indianapolis have not only recovered 
 from the shocks of this ])eri(id but ai-e in 
 stronger and better condition in c\rry way than 
 thrv were before. 
 
 Of miscellaneous insui'aiice com|iaiiies. In- 
 (liana]iolis has the Federal rniiui Suretv Cmu- 
 [)anv. organized Sept(Mnber ■^S. 1901, with 
 .l!;!()().()00 of capital and $.-)Ui,;?8-^.20 of admit- 
 teil assets on January 1, 190S: the Woodman's 
 Casualtv ("om|ianv. incor])orate(l Februarv 2, 
 1907. with .$10(),()0() of capital and $P^S,.V2'.-).f!-l 
 of admitted assets; and the Security Casualtv 
 Company, organized October II. IlXf;. \vilb 
 !f;^.':).0()0'of capital and $;!■.'.! (i-.'.SC, of admitted 
 
 '" Keport. p. 1 •-••-'
 
 :3(i8 
 
 llls-|'(H;v ()|- (;i;i-:A'ri-:U IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 a.-si'ts. Of assessment life and aeeideut asso- 
 ciations Indianapolis is the home office of 
 tlie Anici-ican Miners Accident, incorporated 
 Mairh i;. 19n(i. earrving $1,613,000 of risks: 
 till' (lic;ir \\'estern Life, incorporated April 
 ;!, mm:, and carrying $319,000 of risks: the 
 Hoosier Casualty Company, incorporated 
 May 29, 1907, carrying $1,21T,000 of i-isks ; 
 the Indiana Travelers Accident, incorporated 
 September 10, 1902, carrying $11,9:0,000 nf 
 risks; and the AVestern Life Annuity Co.. 
 incorporated January 3, 1907, carrying $1,190,- 
 000 of risks. Of fraternal insurance associa- 
 tions, Indianapolis is the home office of the 
 I. 0. Knights of Pvthias. organized Aiiuust 
 8, 1904, with $528,250 of insurance in force : 
 and the Knights and Ladies of Honor, organ- 
 ized April 5, 1878, with $88,027,250 of in- 
 surance in force. There are over 250 foreign 
 insurance companies, of various kinds, doing 
 liusiness in the citv. 
 
 The fii-st organization of local agents at In- 
 dianapolis was made in 1868, with Wm. Hen- 
 derson as president and David E. Snyder as 
 secretary. This was merely a "trades union" 
 affair, for the purpose of preventing rate-cut- 
 ting and otherwise promoting the good of the 
 order. The great fire at Chicago in October. 
 1871, which broke u|) a number of companies 
 and brought adjusted losses of $46,000,000 to 
 those that survived, caused a change in the 
 insurance business all over the country. The 
 companies insisted on inspection and a gradu- 
 ated schedule of rates. In the spring of 1872. 
 on demand of the state agents, the local agents 
 organized the Indianapolis Fire Insurance As- 
 sociation with Charles B. Davis as president, 
 and Charles W. Fi-cnch as secretary. Under 
 this system the local agents selected the secre- 
 lan-, subject to the approval of the National 
 Board of Underwriters; and the secretary ap- 
 plied a rather crude schedule agreed on by the 
 agents. In the spring of 1873 Henry Coe, of 
 Madison, Wisconsin, came here on a visit to 
 his lirother Ciiarles B. Coe (they were sons of 
 a cousin of Dr. Isaac Coe) who then repre- 
 sented the Nortliwestern Afutual of Milwau- 
 kee, and was made secretary of the associa- 
 tion. .Vt the time the National Board met 
 the expenses of the local associations through 
 an assessment on premiums, but in 1877 the 
 National Board willidrew its support, and the 
 local association dissolved. The results of this 
 
 were unsatisfactory, and after some nidiiths ihe 
 agents reorganized voluntarily, with M. \'. .M,-- 
 Gilliard as president and Ebenezer Beard, sec- 
 retary — later succeeded by James L. Green. Thi' 
 cimipanies supported this associati(ui hv pni- 
 portional contributions, and it continued till 
 1880, when the National Board companies lu- 
 ganized the Western Union Agetu-y, divided 
 into two '"commisgions". Indianapolis came 
 under "Commission No. 2"*, witJi headquarters 
 at Cincinnati, and J. T. Ashl)ri»ik was sent 
 JTere as manager. 
 
 In 1884 Mr. Ashbrook was succeeded bv A. 
 '!'. Allen, and he in 1895 by T. M. Goodloe. 
 Aleanwhile the two commissions combined and 
 I'onned the Governing Committee, which is 
 composed of the western managers of the vari- 
 ous companies. Jlr. Goodloe continued in 
 cliarge of the local work, known as the Indian- 
 oplis Fire Inspection Bureau luitil the spring 
 c.f 1908, when he took the management of the 
 i''ire Protection and Equipnu'iit Company, and 
 J. S. Mc^hirray, Jr., was put in cltargc of the 
 inspection liureau. The Fire Insurance Asso- 
 ciation of the local agents still continues, but 
 has nothing to do with inspection and rate- 
 making. Under the system now in force, the 
 rates for Indiana generally are made by an orr 
 ganization known as "Tlie Fellars Bureau," 
 hut Indianapolis is independent, and its rates 
 ;;re fixed by the Indianapolis Fire Inspection 
 i?ureau. ]5oth bui-eaus use the Dean Schedule, 
 which is an elaborate system of rating worked 
 out by A. F. Dean, Assistant Western Manager 
 of the Springfield Fire Insurance Company of 
 Massachusetts. It is on a thoroughly scien- 
 tific basis, taking into consideration all ele- 
 ments of fire risk, and adjusting rates accord- 
 ingly. It divides cities and towns into six 
 classes, according to water-supply, fire depart- 
 ment, inspection, etc., the rates increasing from 
 the first to the sixth class. Indianapolis is in 
 the third class. To teach the first class it 
 would he necessary to have a high-pressure 
 water <ystem. and a general improvement in 
 construction. But individual risks are taken 
 out of these class ratings by special precau- 
 tions, such as fire-proof construction, automatic 
 sprinklers, etc., and get a special rating. On 
 the otlier hand proximity to dangerous build- 
 ings increases rates. There is one central 
 I/lock in the cit\' in whicli the ratings of all
 
 iiis|-(ti;Y OF (;i;ka'im:i; ixdi.w ai'olis. 
 
 3g;) 
 
 buil(liiijr> me iiicirnx'd on iiicDiiiii nl' a livorv 
 stable ill it. 
 
 No aci-ouiit iif iiisiiriiiui' l)usiiirs> in liulian- 
 apoliti would be eoiniilelc wiliiout icleinife to 
 tliu local in^uraiRu journal. Iluugh Soles, and 
 its editor. Dr. H. I'. Martin, on account of 
 their extensive inHucnce on it. Hciirv ('. Mar- 
 tin is a Pennsvlvanian, born at ilaibor Creek. 
 A]>ril 16. IJ^:!.'). He studied medicine at Cas- 
 tlcton Medical College, Vermont, and the 
 University ^ledical t'ollege of New York, grad- 
 Jiating from the latter in 1857. lie pracliced 
 for two years at McGregor, Iowa, and then look 
 up insurance, in the employ of the Xorthwest- 
 ern Mutual of ^lilwaukee, being its first spe- 
 cial agent west of the ilississippi Hiver. He 
 organized agencies in several states, and was 
 state agent for Indiana for twelve years, al'ter 
 which he became the lirst Indiana agent of the 
 Travelers Insurance Comjiany. In IS" be 
 started Rougli Xoles, not expecting to make it 
 a permanent publication, as it was originated 
 for a mouthpiece in a temporary emergency in 
 insurance affairs. There appeared a deinaiKl 
 for it. however, and it was continued as a 
 monthly till ISOfi. when it was made a weekly. 
 It is ranked everywlieic as a high grad(> insur- 
 ance journal, and stands third or fourth of 
 its class in circulation in the I'nited States. 
 Dr. Ifartin has always stood for the best in 
 insurance, for justice to the public and to the 
 companies, and his reputation in that regard is 
 cstablislu'd. Whenever a newspaper man wanted 
 "straight goods" on an insurance ipiestion he 
 knew he could get it from Dr. Martin. It 
 was his ambition to found a first-class lire 
 company in this city, and he hail it well started 
 ill (be Indianajiolis Fire Coni])any. The wreck- 
 ing of that organization by others pained him 
 like the loss of a child. More than any other 
 one man he is entitled to the credit for the 
 excellence of the |iresent insurance laws of 
 Indiana: and in this connection ii is appro- 
 jiriate to rpiote the following from Hdiii/li yali's 
 for :>rarch 4, 1009: 
 
 '■'Hie present scs<ii)n of the Indiana legis-. 
 latiire marks the tentli anniversary of the In- 
 diana Legal T?e-;ervc Compulsory Deiiosit Tjife 
 Insurance Law. and it is lilting to review the 
 results at this time. When the Indiana legis- 
 lature convened in .lamiary. ISil!). there was 
 no act on the statute books of statt' where- 
 under a life insurance comjiany cmild be or- 
 Vol. 1—24 
 
 ganized ill the >tate upon a legal reserve basis, 
 ■('here was a law |)ermiltiiig incorporation 
 iijion an assessment plan, and the lax provisions 
 of this measure had made possible the exploita- 
 tion and disastrous finish of some of the most 
 ilisrcputable attempts ever misnamed as life 
 insurance institutions. 
 
 "For several years it bad been the ambit inn 
 of a number of influential citizens of the state 
 lo have placed upon Indiana's statute books a 
 law which would make it ]iossiblc to organize 
 and conduct in this state life insurance com- 
 jianies which would be such in fact as well 
 as in name. To this end they had made a study 
 of the best laws on the subject that were in 
 operation in other states and. after much con- 
 sidciation, they drafted a measure which more 
 closelv followed the Iowa legal resene deposit 
 law than any other measure, the deposit fea- 
 lure of that law impressing them as a most 
 worthy safeguard for the interests of policy- 
 bolders. it being recognized that the greater 
 and bettor the protection offered by Indiana 
 companies, the more certain of acceptance with 
 ihe insurance Inning public \\onld be their 
 contracts. 
 
 "Mucb preliminary woi-k had been done prior 
 to ISiii), and when the legislature convened that 
 year it seemed that the time was ripe for the 
 attempt to secure the passage of the law. The 
 friends of the proposed measure had their 
 forces well organized, but so wide a swing from 
 the wretched conditions that had prevaiU'(l in 
 the state was certain to meet with strenuous 
 opposition and it took constant viligance and 
 attention to get the measure finally t<i the (!ov- 
 crnor's signature. The bill became a law Feb- 
 ruary III. ISIItt. and that date marked the (ipeii- 
 ing of a ni'w epculi in the history of life iindcr- 
 wi'iting ill liiiliana. The day of assessmentism 
 completely gave way to the legal reserve plan 
 and several companies at once began business 
 under the new law. 
 
 "The results of the enactment of this meas- 
 ure have more than rulfilled the sanguine hopes 
 of its friends at the beginning. It has proved 
 practical and the comiianies under it have 
 thriven an<l develojied in a substantial way that 
 is a credit to the strife which gavi^ them cor- 
 porate being. In ten years (be following im- 
 posing aggregates have b(>en luiiH up. (he (ig- 
 iires being the totals for all enmnanie- now op- 
 ernting under th(> l;iw :
 
 370 
 
 IIISTOllY OF GKEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 "Admitted Asi^ets. Docemljer 111, 
 
 1908 $15.781, Gr;i 
 
 Prcniiuin Income durinj;: 1908.. 5.443,.')15 
 
 Total Income during- 191)8 6,294,739 
 
 Insurance in Force, Dec. 31, "08 165,183,565 
 Number of Policies in Force, De- 
 cember 31, 1908 (;9.390 
 
 On Deposit with Auditor of State 
 
 February -2.5, 1909 14.(i.M.(;!il 
 
 "This $165,000,000 and more of insurance 
 in force is every cent of it more than ami)ly 
 protected by the over fourteen millions on de- 
 posit with the auditor, which sum is available 
 first for the interests of the sixty-nine thou- 
 sand policyholders. 'Hie interests of the stock- 
 holders, the interests of officers, agents or man- 
 agers and all other interest-; are secondary to 
 those of the holders of the insurance contracts. 
 The company may be large or small, it may be 
 slow-growing or it may 1)uild up by great 
 bounds, but at all times it is required to make 
 as its first principle of existence the mainte- 
 nance of a sufficient reserve for full reinsurnncs 
 
 in the custody of the .\iiditor of State. No 
 company can make experiments or mistakes 
 which are allowed to impair this prime provi- 
 sion. The vital part of the transaction which 
 determines the clestinv of the policyholders' 
 interest is made as absolute as possible. 
 
 "Also, this measure had made it possible to 
 accumulate this vast sum of life insurance 
 funds within the state, which makes to the 
 ilirect advantage of borrowers on liigh-class se- 
 curities. A large proportion of the fifteen mil- 
 lions is invested in Indiana farm mortgages 
 which are imsurpassed as security or for rev- 
 enue production. The law has unquestionably 
 proven itself a splendid measure. The coni- 
 jjanies operating under it have peculiar advan- 
 tages in their op]iortunity to build on penna- 
 nent and enduring foundations. The achieve- 
 ments of the past ten years are not alone ex- 
 ])rcssed in the figures already quoted, but as 
 well in the experience that has been gained, 
 which experience should contribute the larsjest 
 jiart towards making the next decade produce 
 even more creditable results. ""
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 F l{ ATK RX A L (MIGANIZATIONS. 
 
 \Vl;etlifr ilasuiiry origiuutcd ill the Uardcii 
 ol' Ellen or in the necessities of huilding that 
 t'olloweil removal from that exclusive neighbor- 
 hood, it was certainly In Indianapolis at the 
 start, and for nearly a quarter of a century 
 was the only organization of a mystic and fra- 
 ternal character at this place. The Grand 
 Lodge of Indiana liad been organized in 18KS 
 with nine lodges, and the rapid spread of the 
 order may be inferred from the fact that when 
 a dispensation was issued for Centre Lodge, at 
 Indianapolis on .March '^1, 1822, it was "No. 
 23." The lodge remained under dispensation 
 iimil (Ktober 7, llS2;i, when a charter was is- 
 sued. 'J'he original otiicers were Harvey Gregg, 
 worshipful master; !Milo 1{. J)avis, senior war- 
 den ; John T. Osborne, junior warden and Sam- 
 uel Jlendersoii, secretary. These continued to 
 the issue of the charter, except that ililo 1!. 
 Davis was succeeded as first senior warden by 
 Hervcy Bates, and Saniiiel Henderson was siic- 
 ceedeil by James .\L l!ay as secretary. The 
 Otiier oMicials at the time of thi' issue of the 
 charter were Ubed Foote, treasurer; Samuel 
 McGeorge, senior deacon; Abraham Mct'ord, 
 juiMor deacon: William Xew, tyler. The meet- 
 ing jiiace was probaidy not fixed at first, as 
 the first ])ublishe(l call for a meeting that is 
 preserved — April 2, 1823 — was at "the oflice of 
 James yi. Hav, Esq.' When Henderson & 
 Blake cdinpleted their "Washington Hall" tav- 
 ern, in the winter of 182.'!- 1. the lodge liiok 
 (piarli'rs in it.- 
 
 Ilarvey (iregg. the first master, in addilioii 
 to being a lawyer, was a partner with l)i)ug- 
 las- Maguire in the publication of the H'cn/- 
 
 'Wrstrn, ('r„s(,r. April 2. 1823. 
 - I'^iiiilish's Ifisl. of Miisiiiini ill 1 iiilliiiiii iiiili.<. 
 10.' 
 
 evn Censor, which was apparently the organ of 
 the order. Nearly one-third of its initial num- 
 lier is given to the publicatioit of the oration 
 of Thos. ]\r. Allen, "at Bloomiiigton, Hul., on 
 the 2Tth of December, 1822, being the Anni- 
 versary of St. John the Evangelist."" 'J'bc 
 day the Masons usually celebrated, however, 
 was John the Baptist's — June 24 — -which is 
 supposed to be his birthday, and is celebrated, 
 contrary to the usual custom in saints' days, 
 instead of the day of his death. On June 2-1, 
 lS2.'i, Centre lodge celebrated, and adopted the 
 following: 
 
 "Resolved, That the thanks of this Ix)dge be 
 jiresented to the Kev. David C. Proctor for his 
 attendance and the satisfactory manner in 
 which he assisted them in going through the 
 services of the day. 
 
 "Hesolved, That the thanks of this Lodge be 
 presented to "Nfr. Caleb Scudder, ilr. Dan'l 
 J'.. Wick, aii<l Dr. .1. W. B. Moore, for their 
 politeness in attending as musicians. 
 
 "Resolved, That the thanks of this Lodge be 
 ]iresented to ,Mr. Juliii Hawkins for the dinner 
 prepared by him on that occasion."* 
 
 hi this period, miieh stress was laiil im the 
 advantage of being a Mason in time "f dan- 
 ger. In the address of Mr. .Mien, aliove men- 
 tioned, he said, "Often and repeatedly have in- 
 stances occurred where men have been overcome 
 in battle, and upon the very verge of destruc- 
 lioii, when the uplifted weapnns of hostility 
 have been ready to plunge into its victim, when 
 bo|)e had vanislied, and nothing but desjtair 
 was seen, still often liave individuals in this 
 situation been relieved and rescued bv tlie 
 
 ■Wi'><l('rn Censor, l^farch T. 1823. 
 'Western Censor, Julv 2."'., 1823. 
 
 371
 
 3r? 
 
 HISTORY OF CxKEATER IXDTAXAPOLIS. 
 
 outstivtcluMl ;iiiii <il a brother." It may he 
 noted in this ronnection that Antoine Las- 
 sello had saved his life after the Battle of the 
 Fallen Tinibcrs, when he was captured hv 
 Wayne's men. in 17;»4. by giving tlie mason ie 
 signal of distress.^ A somewhat amusing evi- 
 dence of this benefit was cited in the Censor 
 of August 4, 18-^3, in the statement of Captain 
 Harris, who had been captured by pirates, and 
 who said, "he was indebted for his life to the 
 circumstance of his being a freemason, having 
 met with several masons among the pirates 
 who interceded for him."'" On June 24:, 18'24 
 the celebration of Centre Lodge included an 
 address bv William W. Wick, which was pub- 
 lished in' full." On June 24. 182.5 was the 
 first procession recorded, the march being from 
 the lodge room to the court-house where the 
 senices were held and thence to Washington 
 Hall, and dinner: after which more marching 
 I'.nd return to lodge room.' On this occasion 
 the address was by Bethuel ¥. Morris.* The 
 dinner was furnished by "Brothers Yigus and 
 Henderson'", 'Sir. Blake having retired from 
 the tavern business, and the tenns were, "Din- 
 ner and Domestic drink $1, and if Foreign 
 liquors be furnished $1.2.")." On February (!. 
 1827, the Journal published an oration "de- 
 livered in this place on the late celebration of 
 St. .Tobn. the Divine, by P. Sweetser. Esq.." 
 before ('entre Lodge. 
 
 After this the new.spapers did not publish 
 the addresses or any accounts of the meetings 
 except as advertisements. The Grand Lodge 
 met in Indianapolis on Xovember 25, 1828. and 
 on the 2Tth had a procession from "ilason's. 
 hall" to "the Methodist Meeting House"" where 
 a sermon was delivered by Rev. Hiram A. Hun- 
 ter, grand chaplain : followed by dinner at 
 A^igus"s tavern. Possibly the change in the 
 attitude of the press was due to the Morgan 
 affair, which had set the whole county in 
 excitement at this time. ^lorgan who had 
 |iublished an "exposure"' of Masonry, disap- 
 jieared in September, 1826. and his fate was 
 in doubt for some months. On March 20. 
 182*. the Journal published extracts from 
 
 ■'Dunn's Indiana, p.. 438. 
 "Cm-tor. June 29: Gazrllr. June 20. 
 'Enqbsh'x lfi.'<t. of Mn.<!0:iri/ in I nJinuapiiHs. 
 p. 19.' 
 
 ~ Triiitrd in Co-.i-lh'. Julv ."i. 182.T. 
 
 several New York papers, all saying that he 
 had certainly been murdered. One of them 
 said : "A respectable citizen of Xiasara, who is 
 a ilason, has revealed facts derived from two 
 other ilasons, one of whom was concerned in 
 the murder, that will shock and startle the 
 boldest heart. He says that Morgan was con- 
 demned and executed in the manner which the 
 oaths that he had violated prescribe. I)y hav- 
 ing his throat cut. his tongue cut out and 
 burned in the sand, and his body sunk in the 
 depths of the lake." Xothing absolutely cer- 
 tain can be said as to the fate of ilorgan. ex- 
 cept, as Hon. Daniel ^FcDonald recently said: 
 "ilasonry as an institution can no more be 
 held accountaldc for Morgan"s abduction and 
 murder, if he was murdered, than can the 
 Presbyterians be held responsible for the bunt- 
 ing of Servetus at the stake at the instigation 
 of John Calvin : or the Jews, as a pcojile. be 
 held accountable for the crucifixion of Christ. 
 It was the work of ignorant, over-zealous and 
 misguided members at that time of Batavia 
 lodge, whose actions were then, and are still 
 condemned in the most emi)hatic terms by all 
 true and loyal ^lasons wheresoever dispersed 
 around the globe." 
 
 But whatever the truth about the Morgan 
 case, it was a fearful blow to Masonry. Tliere 
 was not only a sentiment against it that in 
 some cases produced actual jierseeution. but 
 hundreds of members withdrew from the or- 
 der. Says McDonald: "^Yllen the persecution 
 struck the lodges in Indiana in 1828 there 
 were 28 lodges, and a total membershiii of 
 0.5-1. In 1838. ten years later, the number of 
 lodges was 1.5. nearly one-half less than in 
 1828. and the total membership was i)ut -513. 
 showing a decrease during the ten years of 1.'! 
 lodges and 141 meinbers.'"" Even this hardly 
 represents the full effects of the depression. 
 In 1831 at the meeting of the Grand Lodge at 
 Yincennes there were only seven lodges re])re- 
 sented. In 1832 at Salem, there were but 
 seven: and at Indianajiolis. in 1833. there were 
 but five. There was no duly accredited repre- 
 sentative of Centre Lodge at either of these 
 meetings, btit Benjamin I. Blythe. Austin W. 
 "Morris. Charles I. Hand, and Thomas 'SI. 
 
 ^Masonic Advocate. Yol. 12. \<. 171. ^lav. 
 1909. 
 
 '"Mn^nnir Advocate, Yol. 42. p. ITD. 
 
 /
 
 lllSTOliV OF (IHKATEU INDIA NATol, IS. 
 
 373 
 
 Siiiitli, ol' Ci'iitrt' l.,odg(' wt'iv prosi'iit in 1833 
 :iii(l tuiik iiii iu-tivc part in tlic (iraiid Linlijo 
 iiiei'tiiii;'. Austin \V. Morris luul liccn re- 
 elected Grand Seci'etary in 1831, and, in that 
 capacity, ho was directed to take in charge 
 tile property of Centre Lodge, whieli liad I'aileil 
 to jiny its annual dues, and to hohl it until 
 tile lodge was reorganized and the debt paid. 
 This was aecom]jlished in 183o, and the lodge 
 was rtihartered on December IT, 1835. i'rom 
 that time its condition was prosperous, and 
 there was a general revival of Masonry througli- 
 out the state from the same time. 
 
 Just wliat connection there was lietween Ma^s- 
 onry and politics in the early times is not 
 definitely known, but it has been noted that 
 llervcy Hates "was the first person that ever 
 lillid the oflice of SlierifE of Marion County, 
 and it is rather remarkable that the first Judge, 
 the first Prosecutor, the first Clerk, the first 
 SiierilT. the first County Commissioner, the 
 first member of the Legislature, the first Post- 
 master, the first JIayor, and the first Justice of 
 the Peace ever known in the city ami county 
 were all at some time officers of Centi'c 
 Lodge"." it is even more notable that in 1831 
 :ind 183"i. when anti-masonry was at its highest, 
 the iiazeite, which was the Jackson organ, 
 made palpable efl^orts to fasten anti-Jfasonry to 
 ihc Clay movement: and the Journal, wbidi 
 wa> a Clay jiaper before his nomination as 
 well as after, resented these efforts with niurli 
 indignation. .\nd yet it made an effort to 
 linid both sides, leaving the discussion of Ma- 
 sonry to correspondents. On Aiigust 13, 1831, 
 it jiublislied a letter from Corydon as to the 
 'leitiou in Harrison County, where the year 
 liefore the anti-masons had organized undei- 
 I). G. ^litchell. and carried the coiiiitv. II 
 -ail!: "The large majoritv given to Dr. Slaugli- 
 tcr over Zenor and Paddocks, the anti-masonie 
 i-aiulidates. and the election nl' three counly 
 coiniui'^sioncrs against the antics, prove beyond 
 doubt tliat the hobby Anti-Masonri/ is down 
 here : and when put to the test in other jiarts 
 of the state, by the good sense nf \\\r peopli'. 
 will go into oblivion." 
 
 in 1831 the anti-masons tried to rorestall 
 tile Itcpublican. or Whiff, action by nominating 
 \\'ni. Wirt, of Maryland for president. Speak- 
 
 ing of their action, and the probability that 
 the Whigs would noinmate Clay, the ■/oiinml 
 said: '"The excitement prmhired by nla^o,i^, 
 and anti-masonry, thougli at \\u> moment gruU 
 in some parts of our country, and ])erha])s well 
 founded, will not. it is believed, be of long 
 duration; for wt' thiid'C it (juite ])robable that 
 masonry will ere long 1k> abandoned, and thus 
 leave no ground for tlie existence of anti- 
 masonry.'"'- Mr. Clay carefully steered clear 
 of the question, although a Mason himself. 
 A committee from an anti-masonic meeting at 
 Hanover, Indiana, composed of James A. Wat- 
 son. N"oble Butler and James JL Tiioinpson. 
 having written him fur his views on the suh- 
 .ject. he answered; ""1 do not know a solitary 
 jirovision in the Constitution (d' the L'liited 
 States which conveys the slightest authority to 
 the General Government to interfere, one way 
 or the other, with either Masonry or Anti- 
 Masonry, ir. tbci'elore. a PiTsident of the 
 [Initcd States, or an\' other functionary o! that 
 Government, were to employ his ollicial powei' 
 to sustain or to abolish, or to advance the in- 
 lercsts of ilasonry or Anti-Masonry it would 
 be an act of usurpation or tyranny. * * * 
 T cannot b(>lieve that Mhether I am hostile or 
 friendiv to Masoni'v or Anti-^Iasonry, is at 
 all material in tlie I'drmation of any Judgment, 
 on the |iart ol' ni\ fcl low-citizens, concerning 
 mv fitness for any ollice uiuler the Governnu-nt 
 (d' the Lnitcd States. * * * Entertaining 
 these views, 1 have constantly refused to make 
 myself a partv to tin' unhappy contest raging, 
 distant from me. in other parts of the Union, 
 b(>tween Masons and Anti-Masons.'"'" 
 
 Six weeks latei- the ■hnirnnl |)ublislied an 
 ingenious letter. >tating that "Mr. \\'iit is 
 chagrined and uioiiilicd in the exireine. at 
 having acce|jted the .\nti-Masonic iu)nuTia- 
 tion" and "venturing to predict"" that "Mi'. 
 \\'\i himseir will withdraw friun tlie cimlest 
 ami vote for Mr. Clay."'" Possibly there was 
 some hope of this, for in Indiana. Judge 
 James Scott, formerly of the Supreme Coui't 
 of Indiana, had been nominated for Governor 
 hv the Anti-Alasons. and had withdrawn from 
 the race.'-' But Wirt did iu)t withdraw, ami 
 
 ' luiiiJiyli'x //i.s7. of Miisoiin/ In J iidhiiKi jftilis 
 
 n. 
 
 '^-Journal. October lo. |8;!1. 
 "Journal. Decemher 3. 1831. 
 '^Journal. January 'il. IS:)-.'. 
 ^'•Journal. Julv •.'3. 1 s:'. I .
 
 374 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 in the election he secured only the electoral 
 vote of Yerniout, the popular vote then stand- 
 ing, Wirt, 13,100; Clay, ll.l.J-^ ; Jackson, 
 7,870. There did seem a probability in the 
 early thirties that the Journal's prediction of 
 Masonry being abandoned would be realized, 
 and it reached its high point on December 
 9, 1834, when the Grand Lodge appointed a 
 committee, with Caleb B. Smith, as chairman. 
 to "inquire into the expediency of this Grand 
 Lodge surrendering' its charter, and if such 
 surrender should be deemed advisable to re- 
 port such resolutions as may dispose of the 
 property of the Grand Lodge, and that of the 
 subordinate lodges, as may .seem just and ex- 
 pedient."' The report is not preserved, but \va^ 
 again.st the surrender; and the Grand Lodge 
 was aroused to new efforts, and the revival of 
 Jfasonry in Indiana may properly be (latcil 
 from the report of that committee. 
 
 One of the mo.st notable eifects of Jlasonry 
 in Indianapolis was through its hall. On May 
 26, 184G, the Grand Lodge appointed a com- 
 mittee to act jointly with a committee of 
 the Grand Chapter in the erection of a hall. 
 In the spring of 1847, lots 7 and 8 in square 
 f;7 were bought for $4,200. This was f!3 f-ct 
 fi'ont on Washington street, at the (-(U-nei' nf 
 Tennessee (Capitol avenue), and running back 
 to Kentucky avenue, on which the frontag ■ 
 was 121 feet. An effort was then made ti 
 raise $10,000 for a building by a joint stw-k 
 subscription. This did not meet anv enc(nirage- 
 mont outside of Indianapolis, but finally $12.- 
 0.50 was raised, almost wholly in Indianapolis, 
 and an assessment of $1 per member was laid 
 for four years to increase the fund. The cor- 
 nerstone was laid on October 2.'5, 1848, by 
 Grand ^Master Elizur Deniiiig of Lafayette, and 
 the occasion was memorable. In those day-; 
 the town turned out even more generally for 
 a "Freemason's procession" than it does now 
 for a big circus parade. Tlie mvstery of it 
 all appealed to the imagination of the young es- 
 pecially, and the more fearful the stories cir- 
 culated by the Anti-^fasons the more fascinat- 
 ing it was to the boys. On this occasion, accord- 
 ing to the local account, the streets were 
 crowded by people waiting for the procession, 
 which had been announced for one o'clock. 
 "At half past two "the men with the blue bands 
 round tlieir shoulders" and with 'little aprons 
 iHi", made their aiipearance. and, led by the 
 
 I'endiet.ui Band, marched and counter-marched 
 through the streets. The procession was com- 
 posed of Masons, Sons of Temperance and 
 Odd Fellows, and looked well. Their regalias 
 and trappings had a gaudy appearance, and the 
 whole made more show than was ever before 
 made in this city of tiie kind. There were 
 338 in procession, from all parts of the state, 
 and if the roads and weather had been giwd, 
 perhaps, doiible tiic number would have been 
 out." ^^ 
 
 One feature of the comer-stone ceremonies 
 was a poem by Sarah F. Bolton, which justly 
 won favor with the brethren, who presented 
 her a silver cup, handsomely engraved in mem- 
 ory of this "fragrant poetic flower". '■ After 
 the services at the site of the building the 
 jirocession moved to Wesley Chapel whore an 
 address was made by Grand Master Doming. 
 The crowd then dis]iorsed. a part to tlieir 
 homes "while a large number wont to ]iartake 
 (if a supper iiropared by the Ladies of Wcsky 
 Chapel at the residence of Governor Wliit- 
 comb." The building was pushed as rapidly 
 as possible by the architect, Joseph Willis, of 
 Indianapolis, and the building committee, 
 William .Sheets. Gov. James Whitcomb. and 
 -Vustin W. ^lorris. but it was not finally coni- 
 ])leted till the spring of IS.'il. when it was 
 dedicated. Tlic cost of building and grounds 
 to that time had been $21,693.98. It was a 
 profitable investment, as well as a great benefii 
 to the town, which tmtil then had no adequate 
 liall. The lower story was rented for business 
 purposes, and the hall was the scene of most 
 irf the lectures, concerts and other entertain- 
 ments of the city until after the close of tlie 
 war. It was sufficientlv advanced for occu- 
 l>ancy in the summer of IS.'iO. and was first on- 
 cupied then by ^Irs. Le-dernier. for n dra- 
 matic reading. The following winter, during 
 the session of the legislature, the hall was oc- 
 cupied by the Constitutional Convention. Its 
 only rivals in the earliest jieriod were two 
 smaller halls, one of whidi. College Hall, was 
 in the third story of a building erected at the 
 >outhwest corner of Pennsvlvania and Wash- 
 ington streets, by Daniel Yandes and Tlioma« 
 H. Sharpe, a slmrt time before ^fasonic HmII 
 
 '"Locomotive, October 28, 1848. 
 ^'MrDonnlfl's Iliston/ of Frrciiiiisonn/ in 
 III,!., p]). 112-116.
 
 HLSTOHY OF c KKA TEK I.NDIA.N Ai'OLiS. 
 
 375 
 
 was Ijiiilt. The otlier. erected a year or two 
 later, was W'asliiiifitou Hall, on Washington 
 street just east of the present Park Theatre, 
 which is still in use. Out of the iirofits of the 
 laiilding the (irand Lodge hought up the ont- 
 .-tanding stock, and became the sole owuer of 
 the propeity. 
 
 But like all other liiiildiiigs, the Masonic 
 Hall got out of repair, and in 1808-11, nearly 
 *10.000 was exj)endcd in repairing and ])ar- 
 lially remodeling it. In 18T3 further altera- 
 lions were reiiorted necessarv, and in 1ST.") it 
 
 to 1887 was ordered, which resulted in a saving 
 of about -tlU.OUO each two years, which was 
 also applied on the indebtedness. In ]88(j the 
 (Jrand ^Iaster announced that the Grand Lodge 
 was out of debt and had about $l"4,()()(l in the 
 treasury. A grand banquet and jubilee was 
 held on tlie evening of May 26 of that year 
 in honor of the payment of the Grand Lodge 
 indebtedness."'-'* Tile stress of the period, how- 
 e\er, warrants ilcDonald's statement that, 
 ■"this was the most exciting and trying period 
 the (I rand iiodge ever jiassed through", except- 
 
 THE FIRST M.\SOXIC TEMPLE, BUILT 1848-50. 
 ( Fiom an old cut.) 
 
 was decided to erect a new buililing. The coni- 
 niittee adopted iilans, and Iri the cunt rail, but 
 did not include a (irand i-odge Hall, and when 
 this was reported considerable feeling was 
 aroused, hut the matter was arranged by the 
 adoption of a resolution for the erection of a 
 liall in the re;ir of the proposed building. When 
 the two were coniplrb'd the cost was over $120,- 
 000, and the order bad a debt of over $100,000. 
 This came at a tinu' when the liard times fol- 
 lowing the panic of 187:5 were at their worst 
 and was the cause of extensive dissatisfaction. 
 Says ^FcDonald, ".\n assessment of $1 yeai'lv 
 on each mend)er in the state was voted to br 
 a|>plied to the indebtedness, and (uie niet'ting 
 t'\' llif (Jrand Lodge ever v two \('ars fi'om 18S0 
 
 ing, of course, tlie old Morgan period. It is 
 oliniati'd that in. Odd mciidiei's dro])|)cd out cd 
 the r)rder in the ten years, 187fi-188(;. 
 
 i''or thirty years the second buildings served 
 the needs of the order, but they Ijccanie inade- 
 (piate and incon\enieid, and there was alri'ady 
 talk (d' remodeling and rebuilding, when, on 
 IMay 9, IDIK), the front building was seriously 
 damaged by fire This brouLibt matters to a 
 head, and it was decided to build elsewhere, 
 the Grand Lodge uniting for this pur])ose with 
 an organization from the local bodies known 
 as the Indiana)i(dis Masonic Temple .Vssocia- 
 
 '"Masoinr Ailniinlr, N'ol. f.>. |,.i:] ; ///.</. of 
 Fri'iniKisiiiini in IikHuiiii. p. 12^.
 
 f) i (> 
 
 IIISTOKV or Cl.'KATKi; IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 tion. TIk' liiiildiiig committee was cmuposfd 
 of Lincoln \'. Craven and Alfreil \V. Knierv. 
 outgoing and incoming grand masters of the 
 (irand Lodge, with the Grand Lodge trustees. 
 Isaac ]'. Lcvden. Olin P. HoUoway and Frank 
 E. (iavin. hi February, 1907, the old temple 
 jiropertv was sold for $205,000, which, with 
 about $.'iO,000 received as fire insurance on tlie 
 old building, and other funds on hand made 
 some $2.jr).()0() tliat the Grand Lodge had avail- 
 able for the work. The Temple Association 
 raised $135,000, and the work began. The old 
 ^fayer homestead, southeast corner of North 
 and Illinois streets, was pvirchased for $70,000. 
 and the present massive temple of Indiana 
 limestone was erected at a cost of $4(31,000. 
 
 The temple, as mentioned is owned jointly 
 by the Grand Lodge and the Indianapolis Tem- 
 ple Association, the latter being composed of 
 S local lodges. 2 chapters of Royal Arch jMa- 
 soiis, 1 conimandery of Knights of Templars. 
 1 council of Royal and Select ilasons, and 2 
 chapters of the Eastern Star. The Grand 
 Lodge occupies the entire first Hoor ; and the 
 npper floors have tlie lodge, commandery, chap- 
 ter and social looms, with a handsome banquet 
 hall, kitchen and all desirable appurtenances. 
 It is all paid for but about $135,000 which is 
 practically the debt of the Temple Association, 
 the (iraiid Lodge having paid its share, sub- 
 stantially. The furnishing of the building is 
 in keeping with its impressive architecture, 
 that of the first floor having cost about $14.- 
 000, and that o( llie upper floors about $40,000. 
 The audience room on the first floor seats ovit 
 1,100. It is rented to the Christian Science 
 Church for Sunday ami some weekly meetings, 
 and is also rented occasionally for select musi- 
 cal and other I'litertainraents. 
 
 Center Lodge was the only ilasonic organi- 
 zation at Indianapolis, aside from the Grand 
 Lodge, until IS Hi. In that year Marion I^dge. 
 Xo. 35, was organized : and an interesting fea- 
 ture of its organization was that Dr. John 
 F.vans, later widelv known as Governor of Col- 
 orado, was its first worshi|)ful master. .\ gen- 
 eration passed before another permaueiit lodge 
 wa.s organized. Concord'a Lodge. Xo. 178,- 
 was chartered in 1S55. but its charter was 
 "arrested". September 1i), 1S(i5. In ISfil Cap- 
 ital Citv Lodge. Xo. 312. was (u-ganized. witli 
 Aaron T). Olir as wnr>Iiipfiil master; and .\n- 
 cient Landmarks l,ci(li;-e. N'd. ni;i. with Gen. 
 
 John Lo\e as worshiid'ul master, '{"eiitonia 
 Lodge, Xo. 178, was organized in lS(i,"), wiib 
 John C. Brinkmeyer as worshipful master, but 
 it did not prosper, and, in 1871, it surrcnderen 
 its charter. Next followed Mystic Tie Lodge. 
 Xo. o!)8, with John Caven as worshipful mas- 
 ter, in 1868: Oriental Lodge, Xo. 500, with 
 Charles P. Jacobs as worshipful master, in 
 1874; Peiitalpha Lodge, Xo. 564. with ilartin 
 JL Rice as worshipful master, in 1881 ; Logan 
 Lodge, Xo. 575, with George T. Anderson as 
 worshipful master in 1887 ; Veritas Lodge, Xo. 
 {)08, with Calvin W. Bush as worshi])ful mas- 
 ter, in 1896. 
 
 But while there were imly the two lodges of 
 "ancient craft Masonry" at Lidianapolis for 
 a number of years, there was a notai)le de\elop- 
 ment in the higher degrees. The Indianapoli- 
 Chapter, Xo. 5, of Royal .\rcli ^Fasons was m- 
 ganizcd February 3. 1846. with John L. Rich- 
 mond as right worshipful master and high 
 jjriest. The second Royal Arch chapter. Key- 
 stone, Xo. 6, was cbarti-red October 20, 1870, 
 with .Manin H. Rice as high priest. Chivalric 
 jMasi/iiry was introduced by the inception of 
 Rapcr Commandery, Xo. 1, Kjiights Temiilars. 
 in May, 1847, on which occasion Rev. Wm. Jl. 
 Paper himself was present at the annual meet- 
 ings of the Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter, 
 <:n a missionary visit. The organization was 
 perfected in ^lay, 1848. Indianapolis Coun- 
 cil, Xo. 2, of Royal and Select Masters, was 
 organized July 24 and 25, 1855, with Andrew 
 M. Hunt as illustrious master. The Scottish 
 Rite was introduced here in 1863. The origi- 
 nal mover for it was Dr. James ^I. Tomlin- 
 son, who called into consultation Caleb B. 
 Smith, who had already taken all the degrees 
 in the order. A number of other ^Lisons were 
 then consulted, and on October 7, 1863, Tom- 
 linson and Smith, with Edwin A. Davis, Wm. 
 John AVallace. Dr. P. G. C. Hunt, John C. 
 Xew. and Horace W. Smith went to Cincinnati, 
 where, with the e.xception of Smith, they took 
 the degrees of the Grand Lodge of Perfection 
 and the Council of Princes of Jerusalem. On 
 October 15, Adoniram Grand Lodge was organ- 
 ized, with the above named seven as officers, 
 and also the Saraiat Council of Princes of 
 Jerusalem. The Tndiana])olis Chapter of Rose 
 (^roix and the Indiana Sovereign Consistory 
 were organized, March 7, 1865. Murat Tem- 
 ple of the Ancient Or(h'r of Xobles of the
 
 UiSTOltY UF UIJEATKU 1M)1 A.\ Ai'()l,lS. 
 
 .Mvstii- ShrJiR' was ()ru;anizL'(l, Mnrch i;J, 188J. 
 witli Jdhii T. Brusli as illustrious jjotentatc. 
 Of the Eastoru Star onlui', (^ucen Ksther Chaji- 
 tur, Xo. 3. was orgaiiizwl, April 4. ISVi: ami 
 Xaoiiii C'hai)tc'r, Xo. i;51, on Fcliniary (3, IS!)."). 
 Ill addition to lodgo organizati(uis Indianapolis 
 has two notable Masonic organizations, the 
 ^Ia.sonic Kcliof IJoard, and the Masonic Burial 
 (iiound .Vssociation. The former was organ- 
 ized in 18()S. to look after relief to Mason- 
 not connected with local lodges; and the lat- 
 ter was organized in IS^;! to ])rovide for the 
 l)urial of Masons who did not have individual 
 lots. Kev. Willis I). Hngle has been secretary 
 of both since .lanuarv, 1880, and botii bear 
 witness to his faithful and efficient service. 
 
 The colored Masons are not in atliliation with 
 white Masons in this country, thougli they 
 claim to be elsewhere thi'iuighout the world.''' 
 Their first lodge in Indianapolis was organ- 
 ized in 18K. under the dispensation fi'oni tlie 
 (olored (irand Lodge of (lliio. It was called 
 rnion, Xo. 1, and continued until 187 1, when 
 its members united with Pythagoras Lodge to 
 form Central Lodge, which is now Xo. 1. and 
 the oldest existing lodge in the state. T1ic 
 (irand Ixjdge of Indiana was organized at In- 
 dianapolis in IS.").-), '{'here are in all 1)7 lodges 
 in the state, wliich in 1!)0S had 1.-J-39 niem- 
 lier^. In Indiaiuipidis there are live "blue 
 light"' lodges with about ."jOO miMubers ; and a 
 commandery of Kniglits Tem])lars with 1S<; 
 iiieiubers. There are also a chapter of Hoyal 
 Arch .Masons, a consistory of 1'rinees of Jeru- 
 salem, a council nf Knights of Kadosh, a chap- 
 ter of l?o,se ('nii\. a (irand Lodge of I'ei'fec- 
 tioM, a Temple n\' the ilystic Shrine, and two 
 chapters of the Mastern Star. The coloreil 
 Masons own im real estate in Indianapolis, 
 but iuive accumidated sonu- funds for purchase, 
 and are now easting about for a suitable loca- 
 tion for a home for the (irand Lodge and the 
 local organizat ions. 
 
 The second fraternal oi'ganization lo be es- 
 
 '^ The ground of oxehision here is that the 
 original '".Vfrican lodge"' was chartered Se|)- 
 tember ■.'!>. ITSf, by the Grand Tjodge of F,ng- 
 land, after the Grand Lodge of America had 
 dissolved connection with the British Grand 
 r/)dges. on account of the indepeiulence of 
 the colonies. — McDouahl. ITixt. Frcniinxonni. 
 11. ■.':!!. 
 
 tablished at I ndiaiia]iolis was the Indepen- 
 dent ()rd('r nf Odd I'"ellows. Thi> organiza- 
 tion probably had its inception in variovi> sn- 
 cieties of a social nature in Fngland in tln^ 
 eighteenth century, which gradually took on a 
 benefit character in a small way. The sulistan- 
 tial beginning of the modern order was about 
 181,'3, when the benefit feature was systematized 
 by the ilanchester Lnity, which was organized 
 in that year by the refornu'rs of the order. 
 From it the .\merican order is derived, through 
 a charter granted to Thomas Wildey and his 
 associates, who had organized Washington 
 Lodge at Baltimore in .Vpril. 1819. There had 
 been some other lodges in Xew York and Xevv 
 Englaml. but tlie\' all eventually recognized 
 Washington Lodge as superior, and the order 
 became homogeneous in the United States. 
 F'rom that time it spread quite rapidly. The 
 first Indiana lodge was organized at Xew .VI- 
 banv in LS.'l."), and the second at Madison in 
 18;)(). These two obtained authority for a 
 Grand Lodge of Indiana, in 1S;17, which was 
 located at X'ew .Mbany till 1841. and then 
 moved to JFadison. On December 'lA. 1S4 1. 
 Centre Loflgi'. No. IS, was instituted at In- 
 diaiKipolis, willi William Sullivan as noble 
 grainl : the oilier nieinbers being F.dgar l>. 
 iloyt. Jaei)b I'. Chapman. William .\. Day. 
 Fiioch Bile, .liiciib B. McChesney, and .lolin 
 Kellev. In ISI."). it was decided to move the 
 (ii-.-md Lodge to tlii,-. ])lace. and its first ses- 
 sion was opened hei-e on Janiuiry D, IS 1(1. 
 There were then ".'7 lodges with a nienilier-bip 
 
 of res. 
 
 The (U'dcr grew ipiite rapidly loeally. I'liil- 
 oxenian I,ihIl;i'. Xo. 1L was instituteil .lul\ 
 8, 1847, with Ilar\i'y Brown as noble grand: 
 Capital, Xo. Li I. on January 20, IS.").'!, with 
 John D\inn as noble grand : Gi>rmania. Xo. 
 l".'!l, on Januar\ ".M, IS.").'!, willi Charles ('o\i- 
 lon as noble grand. .\\<n Metropolitan b'n- 
 campment, Xo. •">. was inst iti;t<Ml .hdy ■.'n. 
 184(!, with Jacob I'. Chapman as child' ]iatri- 
 arch, and Clarion l-".ncam|)ment, Xo. .'l."), on 
 J[arc]i 24, IS.";:!, with Obed Foote as cliief ))a- 
 triarcb. In the winter of IS.")."^ the order began 
 ])re|)aration for a (iiand Lodge building liy 
 organizing a stock company. Subscriptions 
 amounting to .$4.">.0()0 were made by the Grand 
 and subordinate lodges, and individuals; and 
 in Febi-uary the lot at the noitheast corner of 
 Pennsyivaina .ind W.-i-liington was piircliased
 
 378 
 
 HISTORY OF CUKATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 for $17,000. On this site luid stood the store 
 of Colonel Russell and Wm. Conner, later that 
 of Smith & Hanna. A plan was adopted, later 
 modified hy Francis Costigan, a local archi- 
 tect, who also built the old postoffice and the 
 Oriental Hotel — now part of the Grand; hut 
 the building was finished by D. A. Bohlen. 
 It was dedicated with imposing ceremonies on 
 May 31, 1856. It was an unique but attrac- 
 tive structure of an oriental cast of architec- 
 ture, and probably drew more attention than 
 any building ever erected in Indianapolis. It 
 was remodeled in 18T2 ; the dome removed, 
 and a mansard roof added : otherwise it re- 
 mained the same until 1907 — stuccoed within 
 and without, — when it was torn down to make 
 place for the present building. 
 
 The building was notable as a business suc- 
 cess. The cost of building and grounds was 
 .ibout •$(52,000, on which it paid good inter- 
 est. The ground floors were occupied as busi- 
 ness rooms and commanded high rentals. The 
 second floor was occupied by the city offices 
 from 1855 to 1862, when they were removed 
 to Glenn's block (site of New York store), 
 and after that by private offices. Tlie third 
 floor was occupied by the lodge rooms, wdiich 
 were used by the Grand and local subordinate 
 lodges. The present building, erected in 1907- 
 8, appears to be a worthy successor as a finan- 
 cial investment. It cost $544,000, and has 
 a rental income of about $90,000. 
 
 The colored Odd Fellows are members of 
 the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows — 
 the parent order of England. The American 
 order — I. 0. 0. F. — declined to issue a dispen- 
 sation to Patrick H. Reason and other negroes 
 of Xew York who desired to form a lodge, and 
 tiirough Peter Ogden, a seafaring negro, tliev 
 obtained a dispensation from Eniiland and in- 
 stituted Philomathean Lodge, No. 646. at New 
 York, on March 1, 1843. The order spread 
 rapidly, and with the female degrei — the 
 "Household of IJuth" — has largely hmt loii.- 
 000 members. It has 42 lodges and about 
 1,500 members in the state. Of these, 4 lodges, 
 with ."550 members, are at Indianajiolis. The 
 Gerritt Smith Lodge, Xo. 1707, Lincoln 
 T'nioii Lodge, Xo. 1486 and 0. P. ^lorton 
 Lodge, Xo. 1986, jointlv, own the jn'opertv, 
 534-fi Indiana avenue, valued at $40,000. The 
 two Tndiana])olis lodges of the Household of 
 
 liutii meet there. Tlie Southside Lodge oe- 
 eupies rented quarters. 
 
 Odd Fellowship, in the American order, has 
 been a thing of progressive development, whicli 
 may be said to have started with John Pawson 
 Entwistle, who joined the order in 1820, and 
 whose initiative work has been carried forward 
 by able successors. One development of esiie- 
 eial local interest was the adoption of the Re- 
 hekah Degree in 1851-2, for women as well 
 as men, of which Schuyler Colfax, of Indiana 
 was the author. His statue iu University 
 Park is in commemoration of his service. The 
 >equence of the existing degrees of the order 
 was completed in 1885. by the organization of 
 the uniform branch of the Patriarchs Mili- 
 tant. An interesting feature of the order's 
 history is in connection with the Civil War. 
 which practically divided it. as it did other 
 orders, churches, and various organizations. 
 Rut during the war the roll call of the South- 
 eiii jurisdictions was maintained at the an- 
 nual sessions of the Sovereign Grand Lodge; 
 and at the session of September 18, 1865, all 
 survivors from those jurisdictions answered to 
 (lie call, as well as appointees for the others, 
 making the list complete. This was the first 
 known fraternization of the Blue and the Gray, 
 and the representatives of the reunited order 
 joined in a monster parade, on the following, 
 ilav, through the streets of Baltimore, .\mong 
 the specially notable celebrations of the order at 
 Indianapolis have been "the Diamond Celebra- 
 tion" of the seventy-fifth anniversary >>{ the 
 founding of the order in America, on .May 
 It), 1894; and the laying of the corner-stone 
 of the new temple on Xovember 21, 1907, both 
 ef which were occasions of large gatherings of 
 the members of the order. 
 
 On the first of January. 1909. the onler in- 
 cluded 754 lodges in Indiana, with a total 
 Miembcrship of 76,326. There was jia'd out 
 for relief during the year $311,848, the bone- 
 lits reaching 4,471 families. This brought the 
 total paid out for relief and charity in Indiana, 
 since the estahlisbment of the Grand Lodiri' in 
 1837, to $6,062,460. There are 17 suliordinafe 
 lodges of this order in Indianapolis, with a 
 membership of 4,000: 6 encampments, with a 
 membership of about 800; 15 Rebekah lodges 
 with a membership of 2,200, and 3 cantnns of 
 Patriarchs ^Militant. Philoxenian Lodge, Xo. 
 !1, owns its hnildiiiir on Xorth Meridian street.
 
 ilSl(»i;V Ol-- (.iUKATEJi iM)lAXAruJJS. 
 
 379 
 
 valued at $(i.">,UOO ; Cajjital Lodge, Xo. 124, its 
 building on Wasliingtou street, valued at $40,- 
 ()()(); Indianapolis Lodge, Xo. 4fj.j. its building 
 on \'irginia avenue, vahied at •$4U,U00 ; Harris 
 Lodge, Xo. (i44, its building on West Wash- 
 ington .street (Mt. Jaei<son), valued at ijili,!)!)!!; 
 and Samaritan Lodge (West lndiana})olis) its 
 building, valued at $5,000. Meridian Lodge, 
 Xo. 480, has purchased a lot for $-22,000, but 
 has not vet built. 
 
 'J'he ranking organization in Lidiana|)olis in 
 niendjershi]) is the Jni]iroved Order of Ked 
 Men, wliicii has over (),000 mendx-rs in its 
 21 local triijes. This order holds itself a dc- 
 veiopnieiit from the patriotic orders of Colonial 
 America — the Sons of Liberty, Tammany So- 
 ciety, and the later Society of Eed Men, or- 
 ganized during the War of 1S12. The pres- 
 ent order was started in ^larch, 1834, by the 
 organization of i^ogan Tribe. Xo. 1, at Bal- 
 timore. It was oriirinally brought into Indi- 
 ana by the organization of Seneca Tribe, Xo 
 1. at ^yietamora. on December 28, 18.5;^. Other 
 tribes followed, at Laurel, Terre Haute, Edin- 
 burg and Franklin; and on Jlay 11. LS.")."), n 
 Great (-ouncil was instituted. The organiza- 
 tion did not thrive, and in the course of two 
 or three years became practically extinct in 
 the state. After the Civil War <'tt'orts were 
 made to revive it. the only tribe then in exi — 
 tencc being Wyandotte, Xo. 8. of Kichmond. 
 which was organized in 18.19. Tippecanoe 
 'J'ribe, Xo. 9, wa.s organized in LSfifi at Pat- 
 riot; Iroquois, Xo. 10. at Brookville in 18(57 ; 
 Wal)as]i. Xo. n, at Lafayette on Juno 1, 1808 : 
 and Kanagliwagh, Xo. 12, at Attica, on Au- 
 gust 24, ]8(;8. ' On December 19, 1808, th- 
 Great Council was revived, at Patriot, and still 
 continues; but the earlier lodges became ex- 
 tinct, and the oldest now in existence is Wa- 
 bash. Xo. 11. 
 
 For twenty years the order grew slowly, there 
 being less than 1,800 members in the state in 
 1887. It originally admitted men engaged in 
 the retail lirpior business. Init later this was 
 made optional, and in 1899 the Great Council 
 of Indiana excluded them. Tlie first tribe 
 organized in Indianapolis was Polmete, Xo. 17. 
 on May 2. 1870, and it is .still in existence. 
 It is the only tribe in the state that transacts 
 business in German. Red Cloud Tribe, Xo. 
 18. was organized August 9. IS'IO, and is now 
 the largest in tlie state, liaving 91("> m('nil)ers. 
 
 The total membership in the stale at the last 
 Great Council meeting (October 20, 1908) was 
 o(),.527. Four of the Inilianapolis tribes have 
 buildings of their own, as follows: Comanche, 
 Xo. 128, in West Indianapolis, valued at $!».- 
 000: Tishimingo, Xo. 210, at Seventeenth and 
 Koosevelt, valued at $10,000; Itasca, Xo. 252, 
 at Indiana avenue and Xew York, valued ac 
 $55,000; and Winamac, Xo. 279, in Xorth In- 
 dianapolis, valued at $10,000. In 1905 the 
 Indianajjolis Wigwam Association was formed 
 by the five tribes, Polmete, Xo. 17; Hcd Cloud, 
 Xo. 18; Minnewa, Xo. 38; Hiawatha, No. 
 75; and Xewasa, Xo. 190. It has purchased 
 the old Ilaueisen residence, at the southeast 
 corner of Xorth and Capitol avenue, and will 
 soon erect a handsome and commodious build- 
 ing. The first council tire of the Degree of 
 Pocahontas, to which both men and women 
 are admitted, was instituted at Philadelphia. 
 February 28, 1887, and it was introduced into 
 Indiana in the same year. There were 18,504 
 members of this degree in Indiana in October, 
 1908, of whom 1,922 were in the 13 council 
 fires, located at Indianapolis. 
 
 For rapid develoj)ment, the most notable 
 order in Indianapolis is the Knights of Pythi- 
 as. As is commonly known, it was origiiuited 
 at Washington, February 19, 18(54. through 
 the efforts of Justus II. Rathbone. The first 
 lodge then formed was Washington Xo. 1. It 
 was followed on April 12, by Franklin Lodge 
 Xo. 2, and soon by two others, all of which 
 united in forming a Grand Lodge on April 8, 
 18(55. Then ensued an extraordinat^' reversal, 
 and by August 17, 1865, Fraid^Iin T^odge Xo. 
 •J. was the only one in existence. But its 
 nimdiers were "stayers." They assumed the 
 functions of a (Jrand Lodge >in(il a new one 
 nas organized on ^lay 1, 1S()(>: and prosecuted 
 missionary work with such vigor that on De- 
 (cmbcr 31, ISfiG, there were four active lodges, 
 .ill in Washington, with a mcml)ersliip of 379. 
 I-'rom that time it grew rapidly. It was in- 
 troduced in Indianapolis in 18()!t. .V dispen- 
 .-ation had been issued to Charles P. (^arty, Al- 
 bert JI'Lane and others to form a lodge on 
 .Line 1. 1869; but when it came to the fornuil 
 institution on July 12, there were 21 ajipli- 
 cauts, and it was determined to form two 
 lodges, whereu])on .Marion Lodge Xo. 1 and 
 Olive Branch, Xo. 2, were instituted. Three 
 lodiTes were instituted at I'"l. Wavne during
 
 ;380 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDTAXAPOLIS. 
 
 THE FIRST ODD FELLOWS HALL.
 
 HISTOI.'V ()!■■ CKKA'l'KH INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 381 
 
 the summer, and on Octuln'i- ".'i). lS(i!), the 
 Grand Lodge of liidi:iii;i was oi-ganizeil, with 
 Charles P. Carty :i- Niiierahle Grand Patri- 
 arch, and John taven as Grand Chancellor. 
 On ilay 1, 1871. there were nine active lodges 
 in tlie state witli membership of over TOO. 
 On Jmie 30, 1908, there were 491 lodges in 
 the state, with a reported .membership of G3,- 
 •i'Mi: of which 1-1 lodges and 4,4'^3 members 
 were located at Indianapolis. 
 
 One of the striking buildings of Indianapolis 
 is the "flatiron,"' Indiana I'vthian Building, at 
 the corner of Pennsylvania street and ilassa- 
 (husetts avenue. It was erected in 190.">-(i at 
 a cost of .^.tI 7,700, ihe ground costing $47..")0(i. 
 and dedicated with imposing ceremonies, and 
 accompanying celebration, August 12-17. 1907'. 
 'Hie order occupies about two full Hoors of the 
 liiiilding. and the remaining eleven are rent- 
 ed. I lie rental, when fully occupied, being 
 about -iilOO.OOO a year, and the running expense 
 ami fixed charges, about one-half of that 
 amount. Southeast of this l)uilding. at Nos. 
 115-119 East Ohio street, is the lodge building 
 of Indianapolis Lodge Xo. 56; one of the three 
 largest lodge Iniildings in the country ; and the 
 lodge, now numbering 880 members, is the 
 largest in Indiana. 'I'iie jn-opcrty is valued at 
 $(11.00(1, and the ground floor is rented for 
 !'!1.7(i(»; the remaining three stories are used 
 liv the lodge. This building was put up with- 
 niil assessment of members, or stock issue, the 
 money being borrowed ; and the lodge is grad- 
 uallv paying the loan from its receipts. One 
 bl()cl< east, on the north side of Ohio street, is 
 Castle Hall, the ])r(iperty of the Indianapolis 
 Castle Hall .\sso(iati<in, which was forini'd in 
 19(11. bv six local hxlges. ^Marion. No. 1 : Olive 
 lli-Miicb. \o. '2; Star. No. 7': Kxcclsior. No. •.'5-. 
 l'a|iiiiil City. Xo. 97: and Xinetcenth Cen- 
 tury. No. 497. The lifth ami sixth floors arc 
 reserved lor lodge purposes, including social 
 and ijan(|uet rooin>; and there remain fur rent- 
 al 5 store rooms ami 1 I office ro(nns. The 
 total investment for building and g-roiinds was 
 *1()3.000. The aiuiual rental receipts are 
 about $13,(10(1. ,,r wliicli a little Ir-s than 
 $8,000 goes tor rmiiiing expense and interr^t. 
 leaving a surplus of over $5,000. 
 
 The ladies' auxiliary branch of this ordei- is 
 the Pythian Sisters, whidi is |)ecnliarly an In- 
 diana institution. The first temple was or- 
 ganized at Wars.iw, Indiana, in 188S. On June 
 
 1, 1889, the Grand Temple of Indiana was in- 
 stituted at Indianapolis. The organization de- 
 veloped (piitc rapidly, and the Supreme 
 Temple (National), was organized at Indian- 
 apolis in the same year. There are now over 
 50,000 members, of whom about one-fifth are 
 in Indiana. There are four temples in In- 
 dianapolis, with something over 400 members. 
 The Improved Order of Knights of Pythias' is 
 the result of a split of the original order on 
 the subject of language. The original 
 Knights of Pythias allowed ritual work in any 
 language, but in 1892 it restricted it to the 
 Knglish language, not only as to future lodges, 
 but also as to those then existing. There were 
 at the timi'. 93 lodges in the order using Ger- 
 man rituals, and representatives of these with 
 13 others met at Indianapolis on June 12, 
 1893, and protested, and petitioned for a rev- 
 ocation of the decree. They were much in- 
 censed by the scant consideration their petition 
 received, and withdrew in a body, taking aliont 
 20,000 members. On l)eccml)er 18, 1893, tiie 
 seceding lodges organized a Supreme Lodge, 
 at Buffalo, X. Y., and began their independ- 
 ent existence. There arc now 11 lodges in 
 Indiana, of which 7. witli about 1,200 
 nienibei-s arc in Indiana]ioli-. The order is not 
 e.xelusively (iennan. as is quite commonly un- 
 derstood, but allows the same latitude in 
 language as the original Knights. Four of the 
 In(liana|iolis lodges use the English ritual. In 
 Sejjtembcr. 1906, representatives of the In- 
 dianapolis lodges formed a stock company 
 called the Castle Hall .Association, the object 
 being t" provide a suitable building for the 
 local lodges, to whom it is to be turned over 
 as soon as fully i)aid for. In 1909, the associ- 
 ation binight tiie old Board of Trade building, 
 southeast coriu'r of Capitol a\cnue and Mary- 
 land street. The cost, with some little alter- 
 ation ami repair, was $62,000. .\bout two full 
 floors ai'e orciipied by the lodges and the rent- 
 al from llie ri']nainder i- over $7.00(1 a yi'ar. 
 The ollice of the Supreme ."Scribe, K. F. Kjiodel. 
 is also located in this Iniiiiling. 
 
 Tbe colored organization of Knights of 
 Pythias claims to have originated with colored 
 men who were admitted to .-ome of the Eastern 
 lodges, and who uitlidicw because a separate 
 eliarter for a <oloreil lodge was refused. The 
 order was organized in 1SS0, and the first 
 lodge in Indiami was cstaiilished at Evans-
 
 382 
 
 HISTOEY OF GEEATEE JXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 ville, in 1889. This lodge is uow extinct, and 
 tile oldest lodge in the state is Pride of the 
 West, No. 2, of Indianapolis. There are 11 
 lodges of the order in Indianapolis, with about 
 l.--'00 members. Four of these, Pride of the 
 West, No. 2; Marion, No. 5; Montgomery, No. 
 (i; and Compeer, No. 31, have formed a 
 Castle Hall Association, and purchased the 
 projierty known as 701 North Senate, where 
 they e.xpect to build soon. The women's aux- 
 iliary organizations of this order are called 
 Courts of Calanthe. There are five of these in 
 Indianapolis, with about 400 members. 
 
 The Royal Arcanum is a fraternal insurance 
 and benefit association, which was organized at 
 l^ostou in 1877, and has paid over .$12."),000.- 
 iiUO to beneficiaries since that time. Its total 
 membership, May 31, 1900, was 242,873. It 
 has 43 councils in Indiana, with 3,200 mem- 
 bers. It was introduced in Indianapolis — 
 and in the state — in 1879 ; and now has 3 
 councils and 400 members in this city. Mem- 
 bership is restricted to white males, and the 
 (iulf States, and adjoining territory subject to 
 epidemics, are excluded from its benefits. The 
 order owns no real estate in Indiana, and in- 
 deed none in the United States, except the 
 Sujjreme Council's building in Boston, whicJi 
 was completed in 1872. The chief object of 
 the organization is cheap insurance for its 
 members. It has an invested '"emergency 
 fund" of over $.5,000,000 used exclusively for 
 death claims. 
 
 'Die Knights and Ladies of Honor is a com- 
 paratively new order that has been making 
 rapid progress without much parade. Its first 
 lodge was organized in Kentucky, in Septem- 
 ber. 1877, and tlu' Supreme Lodge was incor- 
 jiorated by the Kentucky legislature in 1878, the 
 charter being amended by the act of December 
 14, 1881. It is a purely beneficiary order, con- 
 fined to the Ignited States, with no uniform 
 rank. It is notable as the first order to ad- 
 mit women on terms of absolute equality willi 
 men in all res])ects, the charter meml)ers!ii]> 
 jtrovision extending to "all acceptable white 
 jiersons, male and female." On November 2."). 
 1891, the Supreme Lodge filed articles of in- 
 corporation witli the Secretary of State of In- 
 diana, and removed to Indianapolis thereaft- 
 er. In 1903 it purchased the ])roperty known as 
 429 North P(>iinsylvania street, which was for 
 many years the residence of Senator Joseph 
 
 E. ilcDonald, and erected its handsome 
 "temple" there. It paid $18,000 for the prop- 
 erty, and the cost of the building, including 
 the heating plant on the rear of the lot, was 
 $43,500. The order has now over 95,000 mem- 
 bers, and the annual receipts of the Supreme 
 Lodge are over $1..")00,()00. The order extends 
 to all part of the I'^itcd States, and is especial- 
 ly strong in New York. In Indianapolis there 
 are about 1,500 members, forming 11 subordi- 
 nate lodges, five of which meet in the temple, 
 and the other in rented quarters. The Supreme 
 Protector is S. B. Watts, of ileridian, Missis- 
 sippi, and the Supreme Secretary, Geo. D. 
 Tait, of Indianapolis. 
 
 The Benevolent and Protective Order of 
 Elks might be called the fraternity of "Bo- 
 hemia,'" at least in its inception. Its original 
 constitution, adopted in ilarch, 1868, restricted 
 it to '•'members of the theatrical, minstrel, 
 musical, equestrian and literary professions, 
 and others who sympathize with and approve 
 of the object in view," which was "to promote, 
 protect and enhance the welfare and happiness 
 of each other." But like most otlier organiza- 
 tions it broadened, and its new constitution, 
 adopted at Denver, in June. 1906. the jirofes- 
 sional limitation was dropjied formally, as in 
 fact it had always been practically, and the 
 oliject was declared to be "to inculcate the 
 priiicijiles of Charity, Justice, Brotlierly Love 
 and Fidelity; to promote the welfare and en- 
 hance tlie happiness of its members ; to quicken 
 the spirit of American patriotism; to cultivate 
 good fellowship ; to jierpetuate itself as a ira- 
 ternal organization and to provide for its gov- 
 ernment.'" Membershi]) is restricted to white 
 males. Only one lodge is allowed in a city, 
 and none in a place of less than 5.000 inhabi- 
 tants. It has a ritual inculcating morality, 
 but makes no assumiition of religious functions 
 and has no religious rites. It is beneficiary and 
 charitable in a practical way. but does not make 
 ]nil)lic the names of beneficiario. 
 
 The organizatiiHi developed from a convivial 
 association of actor-; and others, with head- 
 quarters at ^Irs. Gc'sman's lioarding-housc. 
 188 Elm street. New York Citv. It was called 
 The Jolly Corks, and was really formed to 
 evade the Sunday liquor laws. Most of f\w 
 members were English, and had been members 
 of s'lnilar organizations in the old country, 
 which held sucli titles as "The Frolicsome
 
 1IIS'|-()I;V OF ClMvV'IF.n INItlAXArol.lS. 
 
 :5S3 
 
 OvftcTS," '•The Iiollieking Kaiiis," "'['lie Himiid- 
 ing Biiffalof;," etc. 1'he name was due to an 
 initiatory ceremony. Eacli member carried a 
 cork, and the new meniljer, being I'urnislied 
 with one, was taught a new game, in wliich a 
 -igiial was given, and the last one to knock 
 over his cork, wiiich had been set on end, on 
 the bar, treated the crowd. The new member, 
 of course, knocked his cork promptly, and no 
 one else did, so that hi.s election wa# indisput- 
 able. Among these was (Jeorge F. McDonald, 
 who conceived the idea of making the associa- 
 tion of practical use in the aid of members in 
 need. There was some opposition, under the 
 load of Charles Mvian, who finally proiiosed 
 to make it a branch of the English order of 
 BufFalos, of which he 'was a member; but the 
 new order was instituted on February 10, 18(18, 
 its name l)eing suggested by a mounted Elk"s 
 head at r.arnum's museum. It may be added 
 that scientists usually consider the moose tlie 
 true elk of this country, it lieing similar to. if 
 not the same as, the Huropean elk. What we 
 call the elk — the wapiti—corresponds to the 
 European stag. On account of this confusion, 
 the scientifie name of the moose was used for 
 s(i;ue time as a password by the order of Elks. 
 The constitution, by-laws and ritmd of the 
 new order were chiefly tiic work of Henry P. 
 O'Xeil, who liad been a professional gymnast, 
 but with educational tendencies; and was then 
 the principal of Xew York Grammar School, 
 No. 1. and entitled to add B. A.. M. A., and Ph. 
 D. to his signature. The order grew ipiite 
 rapidly, and was incorporated by the New York 
 legislature ^larcli in. 1871. Its introduction 
 in Indianapolis — and in Indiana — -was due to 
 Geo. W. June, who obtained a dispensation and 
 with the aid of .laiiu's Y. Cook and othiTs, ob- 
 taiiiccl a list of SO signers to the petition for 
 a chartcM'. Indianapolis Lodge. No. K!. wa^ 
 dulv instituted ^March 20, 1881. witli W. E. 
 English as Kxalted Puler. On Mav 111. ISSI. 
 the new lodge liad a volunteer bcnrlil at 
 EnglisliV. largelv of mcmliers of Ilav>'rlv"s 
 minstnd-i. then liere. 'i'bis was followed bv 
 annual b(>nefits from vari(His companies, until 
 November •".. 188(1. when the first rciruiar Klks 
 Minstrels was given, with W. V.. iMigllsh as 
 interlocutor, and F. V. Wade. .1. II. Martin. 
 Pink Hall and iiob Johnson as end men. Tlii- 
 proved jiopular. and its annual ]ii-escntatiop 
 has liecome a feature of Indianapolis amuse- 
 
 ment. 'Riis was a suggestion of June's and 
 lijis since been widely tmitated elsewhere. The 
 rej)orted total membership of the Elks, .\pril 
 I. 1908, was '.'84.:!-M, in 1,11!) lodges. There 
 arc .")4 lodges in Indiana, and the membership 
 ill Indianapolis is about 800. 'I'he Indiaii- 
 a])olis lodge has had notable recognition by 
 the national body, two of its members, W. E. 
 Knglish and Joseph T. Earring, having filled 
 the highest office, wliich is Grand Exalted 
 iiuler: Geo. W. June has served as (Jrand 'i'y- 
 Icr. and Frank P. Wade was Grand Chaplain. 
 in 1902, the Indianapolis lodge erected its 
 handsome and commodious building on Mary- 
 land street, which was dedicated on June l.">. 
 of that year. Tlie cost of the building and 
 grounds was about $40,000. A pleasant and 
 commendable institution of the Indianapolis 
 Klks is their annual picnic or outing for the 
 orphans of the city, which includes those from 
 all the orphans" homes except the Lutheran, 
 who do not participate on account of their ob- 
 jections to secret societies. 
 
 The Tribe of Ben Hur is an order of special 
 local interest on account of its origin. It is 
 based, in its ritual, on Gen. Lew Wallace's 
 famous book; and the order grew from a con- 
 ference lield with Wallace by D. W. Gerard and 
 F. L. Snyder, in Novendjer, 180:1. Wallace 
 tlu'n agreed to the founding of the order on his 
 story, and to get the consent of his publishers. 
 The order was incorporated in Indiana, Jan- 
 uary 9, 1894, and the first meeting of the 
 Supreme Tribe was held at Crawfordsville on 
 January Ki. The first subordinate court was 
 instituted at Crawfordsville. :March 1, 1894, 
 and named Simonides Court. No. 1. The bene- 
 ficiary ]ilan was perfected soon after, the first 
 certificate being issued on April 5. It grew 
 rajiidly, attaining a membership of 12,.'J22 by 
 January 1, 1897. In July, 1909, its meinber- 
 slii|) reached 110,000 and its reserve fund, $1,- 
 ;i00,0fl0. It is a beneficial fraternity, witli no 
 iissessments. but regular monthly payments by 
 mendiers; the social members paying one-half 
 the rate of those who partici[)ate in sick !)eiie- 
 fits. Death and disability insurance is a 
 separate matter with rates graded by age. 
 Men and women are admitted on a basis of 
 absolute equality. 'i'he headr|iiarters of the 
 ordi'r is at Crawfordsville, where I lie Siiprenie 
 Tribe owns a modest "honu-.'" that cost !f!(;.(iO0. 
 Members applying for insurance must pass a
 
 384 
 
 HISTORY OF (;I;H.\11:R IXDIAXArOUS. 
 
 iiH'dieal exaiiiiiiatioii, and the amount issued to 
 any one person cannot exceed $3,000. 
 
 The order was introduced in Indianapolis in 
 1S!)4, wlien Arrius Court, No. 5. was organ- 
 ized. It now has 400 members. The succeed- 
 ing Courts, with their present menibersliii), 
 were Indiana, in 1903, with 103 members: Kiv- 
 erside, 1903, with -S.") members; Star, 19(H, 
 with 170 members; and Astrea, in 190S. with 
 99 members; there are also two smaller Coui'ts. 
 Daphne, Xo. 2.5. organized in 1896, with IS 
 members: and Sedan, organized in 1902, with 
 29 members. 
 
 An interesting event in the local history of 
 this order was its fight to put the statue of 
 Gen. Lew Wallace in the national statuarv 
 hall, at Washington. Each state is allowed two 
 statues of distinguished citizens, or persons 
 connected witli its history, and a statue of Oli- 
 ver P. ^forton had been placed there by order 
 of the legislature of 1897. The question took 
 on a political character. Democrats, generally, 
 felt that the other statue should be of Thomas 
 A. Hendricks, and Republicans, generally, were 
 determined that it should not l>e. The legisla- 
 ture of 1907, being Republican in both 
 branches, the party leaders decided to settle 
 the matter, supposing that there would be no 
 diificulty in passing an act to place a statue 
 of ex-President Harrison in the other place. 
 But the Tribe of Ben Hur was promptly on 
 hand with a demand for Lew Wallace. The 
 Star, which favored Harrison, made the ques- 
 tion the subject of a coupon voting contest. 
 Democrats, realizing that thev were not in the 
 game, payed little attention to it; but the labor 
 organizations started a movement for Edward 
 F. Gould, of Indianapolis, whose sole claim 
 was that he had been a devoted laltor leader 
 through his life. In spite of opposition ef- 
 forts. Wallace was kept in the lead, and when 
 the Star closed its contest on January 27, 1907, 
 the vote stood: Wallace, 10,48: : Harrison, 9,- 
 49fi; Gould, .■),1.-)1 ; and Hendricks, 1,083; with 
 a dozen others having smaller votes, notalde 
 among whom was Capt. James B. Eads. pei- 
 haps the most distinguished Indianian of them 
 all — c-ertainly the greatest civil engineer <if the 
 nineteenth century. American or foreign — who 
 had a total of .t votes. Meanwhile, the bill 
 ))assed the Senate easily on January 2.5. nnd. 
 notwithstanding a strong (iglit against it. mi 
 February 27. received the inii-e constitiUional 
 majority of 51 to 44 in the House. Walhu-e 
 
 was a native of Indiana, which Harrison was 
 not, and he had been a Democrat before the 
 war: so that the selection was not so bitter a 
 political pill as had been contemplated. But it 
 should not be foi-golten that the statue is a 
 monument to the Tribe of Ben Hur, in addi- 
 tion to its other significance. 
 
 The German order of Harugari, originated 
 in Xew York in 1847, and was largely a result 
 of opposition to "Knownothingism." It is a 
 fraternal benevolent order, with sick and death 
 benefits. It was introduced in Indianapolis in 
 187,5, and there are now two lodges here, each 
 of about .50 members. Schiller lodge, Xo. 381, 
 is a men's lodge, and Hertha, Xo. 43, is a wo- 
 man's lodge. They occupy rented property. 
 The Sons of Herman is also a German order 
 which originated in Xew York in 1848, large- 
 ly based on opposition to "Knownothingism," 
 and also to combat a system of peonage that 
 had grown up of selling immigrants to pay 
 their passage money. An unsuccessful at- 
 tempt was made to introduce it in Indianapo- 
 lis in 1884, and it was permanently introduced 
 in 1896. There are now 67 lodges in the state, 
 of which 2, with about 100 members, are lo- 
 cated at Indianapolis. 
 
 The Ancient Order of Druids was founde(l in 
 London in 1781, and suffered various splits 
 and factional troubles. The chief body derived 
 from it was the L^nited Ancient Order of 
 Druids, which was originally introduced in 
 (his country in 1833. It did not live long, and 
 in 1839, George Washington Grove, Xo. 1, was 
 organized at X'ew Y'ork City, and from that 
 time the order grew steadily in the United 
 States. It is a moral, social, beneficiary as- 
 sessment association. There is an auxiliary 
 branch to which women are admitted, the 
 lodges of which are called "circles."' This was 
 one of the early orders in Indianapolis, the 
 first grove — Octavia — having been organizecl in 
 18.54. It was a German grove, and indeed the 
 order was German, but this characteristic has 
 gradually worked out and the Indianapolis 
 gi'oves are now all conducted in English. 
 Manilla, Tuxedo, and other early groves have 
 (li>ap]ieare(l. and Octavia Grove was consoli- 
 dated with Capital City Grove in 1909. There 
 are now six groves in the city — Capital City, 
 Klondike. Garfield, iferidian. Lincoln and 
 ifagnolia — and l,70(i members, including the 
 circles, of which there is one for each grove. 
 \ U'rand ^'■roy(^ nf the slate was or^anizeil in
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 385 
 
 1800. 'I'lieiv liavL' been one or two splits in 
 this order, the last local one being in 190!t, 
 when ilodel Grove, No. 34, withdrew and start- 
 I'd ou an independent career, tinder the name 
 of Modern Druids. The chief cause of this 
 separation, was the objection of those with- 
 drawing, to the admission to the United An- 
 cient Order of Druids of persons engaged in 
 the liquor business. 
 
 There are a number of sick and funeral 
 benefit associations among the negroes of In- 
 dianapolis, both for men and for w^omen. Per- 
 haps the oldest and most important of these 
 is the United Brothers of Friendship, whicli 
 was organized at Louisville, August 1, 1861. 
 The controlling spirit soon became W. H. Gib- 
 son, a Louisville teaclier, under whose leader- 
 ship the society was reorganized in 1868. A 
 grand lodge was formed in Kentucky in 1S7.J. 
 with Gibson as State Grand Master for five 
 years and later National Grand Master. He 
 pushed the work of organization outside of 
 Kentucky, and in 1900, tliere were over lOO.OOo 
 members. In 18T8, a women's auxiliary was 
 formed, known as tlie Sisters of the Mysterious 
 Ten. There are .3 lodges of the United Broth- 
 ers in Indianapolis, with 850 members, and 6 
 lodges of the Sisters, with 800 members. There 
 is also a juvenile au.xiliary with 300 members. 
 Another of the older of these orders is the 
 American Doves of Protection, w-ith member- 
 ship for women only, the first lodge of whicli 
 was established here in 1805. It now has lO.'i 
 members, and there is another local lodge oT 
 the order with 85 members. Another women's 
 order is the Lilies of the Valley, which has 
 one lodge here with 75 members. There are al- 
 so 5 lodges of the Sisters of Charity ; 3 lodges 
 of the Daughfers of Charity, 1 lodge of the 
 Independent Daughters of Honor; and 5 
 lodges of True Reformers. An interesting so- 
 ciety is the International Order of Twelve, 
 of Knights and Daughters of Tabor, which was 
 founded at Independence, Mo., in 1872, hy 
 Rev. Moses Dickson, a Methodist minister. It 
 is based, in a way, on a secret anti-slavery as- 
 sociation of negroes, in 1840, known as the 
 Order of Twelve, and a later one of the same 
 kind, known as the Knights of Tabor. The 
 Knighls meet in "temples." the Daughters in 
 "tabernacles," and as Princes and Princesses of 
 the Royal House of Media, they assemble so- 
 cially in "palatiums." The juvenile auxiliaries 
 are Maids and Pages of Honor, and the adults 
 Vol. 1—25 
 
 are commonly known as Knights of 'i'iibor and 
 Daughters of the Tabernacle. 
 
 The Knights of the Maccabees of the World, 
 is a fraternal beneficiary association, organ- 
 ized at Port Huron, Mich., in 1883. It now has 
 about 5,000 tents, or subordinate lodges, and 
 .■!00,000 members. There are 190 tents in In- 
 diana, of which 5, with a membership of 1,300 
 lire in Indianapolis. The first tent was organ- 
 ized here in 1903. All of the tents occupy 
 rented quarters. Co-ordinate with this organ- 
 ization, but wholly independent in manage- 
 ment, is The Ladies of the Maccabees of the 
 World, for women only, organized at Port Hu- 
 ron, October 1, 1892. It has a membership of 
 over J 50,000, and lias paid benefits of over 
 !i<0,000,000. The order was introduced in In- 
 dianapolis in the year of its organization, and 
 now has 7 hives and 550 members in this city. 
 The Knights of the Modern Maccabees is simi- 
 lar to the preceding, and was organized at Port 
 Huron in 1881. It has one tent in Indian- 
 apolis. 
 
 The Modern Woodmen of America, is a fra- 
 ternal beneficiary organization, formed at 
 Wines, Iowa, in 1883." On June 30, 1909, it 
 had reached a membership of 1,075,068. It has 
 580 camps and 45,030 members in Indiana. 
 Of these, 12 camps and 3,500 members are in 
 Indianapolis. This order has the distinction 
 of establishing the first sanatorium for its 
 luember.s who contract tuberculosis. It in- 
 i-lu(les 1,900 acres of land, lying some 9 miles 
 south of Colorado Springs and afflicted mem- 
 bers are there given the modern open air treat- 
 ment, free of charge. The auxiliary branch of 
 this order is known as the Royal Neighbors of 
 .Vmerica. Members of the Woodmen and their 
 female relatives are eligible to membership in it. 
 
 The Ancient Order of Hibernians is an out- 
 growth of the patriotic Irish Catholic socie- 
 ties of the last centur}', in the period preceding 
 the Catholic Emancipation act. It was intro- 
 duced in America in 1836, and was brought 
 to Indiana about 1865 by Pennsylvania coal 
 miners, who located in Clay county. From 
 there it was brought to Indianapolis some two 
 years later. Tliere ar(> now eight divisions of 
 the order in this city, with about 1,000 mem- 
 licrs. The Ladies' Auxiliary, properly known 
 as "The Daughters of Erin," is more extensive, 
 having nine divisions and 1,100 members. 
 Tliere is also a Juvenile .\uxiliary of girls. 
 This is a bencfieiarv order, but its central in-
 
 nsc; 
 
 HisTorjY OF giu:ater ixdiaxapolis. 
 
 s|)iralioii is dcxoLion to Irclaiiil and the Irisli 
 cause. SoiiR' injustice is done this order bv 
 confusing it with tiie ■"Molly ilaguires" of 
 T'c'iinsylvania, which was a separate organiza- 
 tion, though its inemhers usually were Hiber- 
 nians. After the "^^olly ^Nfaguires'" was broken 
 u]). the Aucicnt Order of Hiljernians was re- 
 organized in the coal regions on the peaceable 
 and benevcdent basis that characterized it else- 
 where. The t'atholic Knights of America is 
 
 THE SECOND MASONIC TEMPLE. 
 
 a fraternal, beneficiary order, but is not a se- 
 cret society in any sen.se. It was founded in 
 1877, and is limited to the United States, be- 
 ing strongest in the West and South. There 
 are three "lu'anches" in Indiana])olis. 
 
 The Young Glen's Institute is a Catholic 
 fraternal association, which was organized in 
 1S80 at San Francisco, by four young men, 
 who desired a fraternal organization of Ameri- 
 can Catholics of all nationalities. It is re- 
 stricted to the United States and its ])osses- 
 sions, and has some 30,000 members. Sick 
 
 and (Icalli Ijenefits are ojjtional with the sub- 
 ordinate councils. Its councils for women are 
 known as The Ladies' Auxiliary in the East, 
 and the Young Ladies' Institute in the West. 
 There is also a Junior rank for boys of L") to 
 18. It was introduced in Indiana in 189.5, 
 and now has 30 councils in the state, of which 
 8, with aljout l,.jOO members are in Indian- 
 apolis. They own no real estate, Init Capitol 
 Council, Xo. 27G, has accumulated a consider- 
 able fund which is expected to be used for a 
 building. This order corresponds to some ex- 
 tent to the Y. M. C. A., especially in its pro- 
 vision for athletics and gymnasia. Many of 
 the councils encourage debating societies and 
 other forms of intellectual culture. Its greatest 
 strength is in the West, notably in California. 
 
 The Knights of Columbus is a strong Cath- 
 olic beneticial association for men. It was or- 
 ganized in ^[arch, 1882, at Xew Haven. Con- 
 necticut, where the principal offices are located, 
 and has 262,000 members. Tliere are 42 coun- 
 cils in Indiana, with G,200 members, and one 
 in Indianaiiolis with 5.50 members. Indian- 
 apolis Council, Xo. i37. was organized June 
 2.5, 189P, and was the first in the state. It 
 recentlv purchased the propertv known as 707 
 and 70!) Xorth Illinois street for $19,500, and 
 expects to begin in 1910 the erection of a build- 
 ing costing $50,000 or more. This order is 
 largely devoted to intellectual development of 
 its members, of which there are two classes, 
 insurance and associate. It has about $70,- 
 000.000 of insurance in effect. It excludes 
 persons in the liquor business. 
 
 The Catholic Order of Foresters is a frater- 
 nal insurance association, organized May 24, 
 18S;;. It has 140,000 members, and 1.625 
 sul)ordinate courts, in Canada and the United 
 States, excluding the extreme southern state 
 as subject to epidemics. It was introduced in 
 Indiana at Hammond in 189(). There arc two 
 courts in Indianapolis with about 150 members 
 — St. John's Court, organized ilay 6. 1905. 
 and St. .\nthony"s Court, organized in 1907.. 
 During its existence the order has paid over 
 $l?.OO0.000 in benefits. There is also a wom- 
 en's lodge of this order in Indianapolis. The 
 Knights of Fathei- "Mathew is a fraternal bene- 
 ficiary societv, es])ecially devoted to the pro- 
 motion of total abstinence. It is named for 
 Father Theobalil ^lathew, a Ca]nirhin, who 
 started the great ti'mperauce reform in Ire- 
 land in 1838 and pushed it to wonderfid
 
 Ilis'i'oi.'v ()|- (;i;i; \Ti:i; I MH.WAl'oi.is. 
 
 381 
 
 siK-i-ess. "'Vhv Aji(i?Ilc iif 'l'riii|ii'i-aiui' " visitrd 
 llu' United .Stales in 1S4!), and was asked In 
 sneak in the national House and Senate. Ijeiiiji 
 tlie tirst foreigner to whom that iionor was ae- 
 eorded since Lafayette. He was invited to 
 visit Indiana, but was unable to aecejit. 
 
 Of the distinctive Hebrew' organizations, the 
 oldest in Indianapolis is the Independent Order 
 of B"nai B'rith (.Sons of the Coven.int). It 
 was originated in 1S4;) in Xew York Citv. as 
 :i fraternal, charitable and benevolent soeiety. 
 Its chief direct aim being to foster education 
 and social uplift among the immigrant Jews, 
 most of whom were of the jieasant classes. 
 It was originally of a pali'iarchni fonii of gov- 
 ernnient but took on a thoroughly repres(>nta- 
 tive basis at its reorganization in l,S(i!l. In 
 l.ss'* the order was introduced in (h'rmany, 
 and it is now world wide, having aljout ")()0 
 lodges and 4<l,()00 members. It was intro- 
 duced in Indianapolis in 18G2 by the organi- 
 zation of Abraham Lodge; and Esther Lodge 
 was organized in LS84. In 1008 these two 
 were combined in Indianapolis Lodge, which 
 has .TOO mcmljers. The beneficiary features are 
 optional with subordinate lodges: and Abra- 
 liani Lodge had an endowment system which 
 continues as to its surviving members. The 
 present Indianapolis lodge is whojly sociable 
 and charitable, contributing to the numerous 
 -plendid charities of (he oi-der. ainoiig which 
 :iri' notable the .li^wisli Orphan .\sylum, at 
 Clcvidand, Ohio, and the ( 'oiisuinptive Hos- 
 pital at Denver, Colorado, admission to which 
 is open to all sects. It holds its nu'ctings in 
 the vestry room of the temple, at Delauare and 
 Tenth streets. 
 
 The largest of tlie H(4)rew fraternities in 
 llii- eitv is the Ordci- of IVritb .\braham (cov- 
 ■iianl of .Mirabam ) \vhii4i originated in Xew 
 'I'ork in 18.")0. It is l>oth beneficiary and 
 iharitai)le with e(lucational features. r.,odges 
 for women, relatives of mend)ers, are formed 
 under sanction of the Granil f..odsre. Over half 
 of the lodges and the membership are in Xew 
 Vork City. There are three lodges in Indian- 
 apolis, the Eev. "M. ^[essing Tjodge, Xo. 13T. 
 organized in 1S!)2, with 180 mend)ers ; the Ilun- 
 ■rarian True Brothers Lodirc. Xo. 204, with 100 
 members — organized in ISO."); and the Indian- 
 npolis Lodge, Xo. 2;)0, organized in 1807. with 
 i8f! members. There is an olfslioot of this 
 organization known as the I iiili'penilent Order 
 
 of li'ritli .\lirahain. It is ivpi-eseiited here hv 
 Zion Lodge, organized in 1000, which has 200 
 members. The Independent Order of Sons of 
 Benjamin is also a charitable and benevolent 
 association, ou the mutual a-ssessment basis, 
 which originated in Xew York in 1877. It has 
 one lodge here with 40 members. The Knights 
 of ,Iose])h, of similar character, has one lodge 
 m indianaiiolis, with 30 members. There are 
 sexeral Hebrew fraternities ou a more purely 
 insurance basis, one of the largest of which at 
 this point is the Progressive Order of the West. 
 It has two local lodges, the Abraham Jacobs, 
 organized in 1902, with 120 members; ami the 
 Jacob Sehiff, organized in 1009, with (10 niem- 
 bers. The Order of the Western Star has one 
 local lodiic with 200 memliers, (U'tranized in 
 189.3. 
 
 There are a nuiuher of orders that ba\e 
 been represented here in the past which are now 
 out of existence or at least not now rc'pi-t- 
 sented in Indianapolis. An example is the 
 Ileptasophs, or Seven Wise ^len. which had two 
 lodges here in the "Tds. Most of these were 
 small and unimp(n'tant orders. Perha])s the 
 largest was the American Protective Associa- 
 tion — the noted .\. P. A. — whosi; cardinal prin- 
 ciple was hostility to Catholicism in every- 
 thing, but especially in jiolitical matters. 
 There had been a score or more of anti-Catho- 
 lic fraternities in the country since the great 
 "Know-nothing" movonent, but most of them 
 were short-lived, and those that still existed 
 when this one was started wore swallowed 
 u|) in il. Tlie A. P. A. originated in the town 
 of Clinton, Iowa, in 1887. Its founder was 
 H. F. Bowers, a lawyer of that place; and it 
 spread with phenomenal rapidity, especially 
 through the Central West tintil it was said to 
 be the stronsiest in numbers, and in the abilitv 
 and standing of its leaders, of all the organi- 
 zations of the kind that have been known in 
 the country. It was pre))aring to enter ])olitic~ 
 on a large scale, by demands for ileclarations 
 on the subject by the leading ]iolitical i)arties, 
 when the bitter campaign on monetary i.ssues 
 in 1800 put everything else out of the minds 
 of the j)eople. It is said to have b<>en rpiite 
 strong in Indiana]iolis at the time, but if it 
 exists here now it is on a very secret basis. 
 About the only manifestation of its former ex- 
 istence is the occasional nrotestation of some 
 candidate that he did not beloni; to it.
 
 CHAPTER XXXll. 
 
 THE PRESS. 
 
 The beginnings of newspaper publication 
 in Indianapolis— the Gazette by George 
 Smith on January 28, 1822, and the ^Vestel■n 
 Censor and Emigranis' Guide by Harvey 
 Gregg and Douglass Afaguire on March 7, 
 1823, have been described in the chapter on 
 "The Primordial Life." These two papers 
 and their lineal successors, and occasional off- 
 shoots, were praetieally the only newspapers 
 for the first twenty-five years, and were the 
 leading papers for half a century after that, 
 being the state organs of the two great politi- 
 cal parties of the country until they were 
 finally discontinued, the Journal— i\\e "Whig 
 and Republican successor of the Censor — on 
 June 8, 1904, and the Sentinel— \\\Q Demo- 
 cratic successor of the Gazette — on February 
 25, 1906. Both had numerous changes of 
 control and vicissitudes of fortune. The 
 Journal was published longest under one 
 name, though it was the Indiana Journal at 
 its beginning under the name on January 11, 
 1825, varying to the Indiana State Journal. 
 and on April 25, 185-3, it came oiit in a new 
 tjT)ographieal dress as the Indianapoli'< 
 Mornino Journal. In August, 1830, the In- 
 diana Democrat was started, and the Gazette 
 wa.s consolidated with it. This name contin- 
 ued till July 21, 1841. when it was changeil 
 to the Indiana State Sentinel. On March 1. 
 1855, there was a change of management, 
 and a prospectus had been issued stating thai 
 the name would be changed to the I'imcs. but 
 this wa.s droiiped, and the paper was con- 
 tinued as the Indianapolis Daily Sentinel — it 
 had become a daily on April 28, 1851, the 
 Journal leading it one week and starting as 
 a daily on April 21, 1851. Both had pub- 
 lished dailies during the sessions of the legis- 
 lature prior to that, the Sentinel beginning 
 
 on December 6, 1841, and the Journal on De- 
 cember 12, 1842. Prom November 1, 1865. 
 to April 11, 1868, the name of the Sentinel 
 was changed to the Indianapolis Daily Ilir- 
 ald, and then back again to the Scntinil. 
 which was retained until the end. And these 
 two paperes were the ones that the great ma- 
 jority of the reading public, on one side or 
 the other, loved and cherished, in sickness 
 and in health, till death did them part. 
 
 The Gazette was originality published 1)\' 
 George Smith alone, but his stepson. Nathan 
 iel Bolton, joined him and they eondueteil 
 the paper together till 1823. Then Bolton 
 ran it for a year, but he persuaded Smith to 
 resume the partnership, and they remained 
 together till 1829. Then Smith retired again, 
 and Bolton continued it till its consolidatioj; 
 with the Democrat, which had just been 
 started, in August, 1830. Alexander F. Mor- 
 rison, the new owner, formed a partnership 
 in 1833 with Nathaniel Bolton; and in 183li 
 sold his interest to John Livingston, whu 
 continued the paper till 1841, when he sold 
 the paper to George A. and Jacob Page Chap- 
 man. Alexander F. IMorrison was a clear, 
 strong writer, always ready and able for a 
 journalistic "scrap," who made quite a repu- 
 tation as editor of the Democrat, as also in 
 1856, when he wrote for the Sentinel. He 
 was a delegate from Marion County to the 
 Constitutional Convention of 1850, and died 
 at Indianapolis in 1857. John Livingston 
 was a college bred man. of the New York 
 Livingston family, and of rather more liter- 
 ary culture than was connnon with western 
 editors at the time. The Chapmans, who had 
 been publishing the Waba.sh Enquirer, at 
 Terre Haute, changed the name to the Sen- 
 tinel: and on Jnlv 21. 1841. the first number 
 
 388
 
 IllSTOUY OF GlIEATEU IXDlA.NArui.l.S. 
 
 389 
 
 appeared, boarint;- a cut of a gauie-cock in 
 the title and the words, ''Crow, Chapman. 
 Crow!" Concerning tliis motto Austin H. 
 Brown says: 
 
 "The ineident on whieh this motto was 
 founded occurred in 1840, and with it these 
 ( 'ha[)nians had nothing to do. Joseph Chap- 
 man was the Democratic candidate for the 
 Senate in Hancock County, and things were 
 looking discouraging for the Van Buren 
 pai-ty. when George Patterson wrote a letter 
 i a ])olitical friend at Greenfield u.sing this 
 xpression. 'Tell Chapman to Crow.' The 
 letter fell into the hands of a "Whig opponent 
 who made it public in the Journal, and the 
 Whig press took it up all over the state as 
 I'vidfiicimr the a]iproaching defeat of the 
 Dciiiiicrats. The new Sc}itincl proprietors 
 were shrewd Yankees from Boston, and they 
 took hold of the words mentioned, and plac- 
 ing them at the head of their paper in con- 
 nection with their name, made a hit, and ever 
 -itice the rooster has been the cho.sen emblem 
 of the Democrats. The Sentinel prospered 
 under the new "ontrnl. The pi-oprietorship 
 continued in the Chajjiiians until about seven 
 years later, when John S. Spann was taken 
 into partnei-slii|). The firm name thereafter 
 was Chapman & Spann until the sale to my- 
 self of the good-will and name of the Sentinel 
 in 1850." 
 
 Mr. Brown undoubtedly knew the facts, 
 for he was working on the paper at the time. 
 IIi> came here with his father and the rest 
 of the family on December ."^1. 18:16. his 
 father faking the office of secretary of state 
 on January 1. 1837. A few weel^s later, a.s 
 a youngster of 9 years, he got a job in the 
 'iffice of the Democrnt in the capacity of 
 "devil." roller-boy, and carrier, and contin- 
 ued to worlc there till 184."). Georire I^atter- 
 son came into the Dtmarmt office in ]8:iS. 
 Tie was a ynumr hnvyer talented and forcible 
 as a writci-. T)urinu' tlic campaign nf 1840 
 a campaign sheet called "The Constitution" 
 
 bearing a cut of "Old Ironsides"— was is- 
 sued from the Dcmorrat office, edited chiefly 
 by Patterson. .\t the same time the Journal 
 issued a campaign paper called "The Spirit 
 of '7fi. " of wliich Jdsepli M. ^loore was edit- 
 or: and hi- was in tli^' better luck, for Presi- 
 dent Tlai'risnii made him i)()stinastei- after the 
 el(>ctioii. .\t tlli-i time the [>i inacnit was 
 
 ]n-inted in a one-story brick building, where 
 the News office now stands. It was furnished 
 with a two-pull Hmith press, on which the 
 Democrat and a paper called ''The Me- 
 chanic" were printed. The Mechanic was a 
 weekly, edited and published by Henry Com- 
 ingore, a printer in the Democrat office, and 
 another printer named Gilmore. 
 
 Bolton was a very industrious man, and 
 made nearlj^ a "full hand" in the office as 
 well as writing editorials. He wiis, however, 
 a trifle absent-minded, as i.s illustrated by an 
 ineident recounted by Isaac ^I. Brown, who 
 was a printer in the office at the time. There 
 were no janitors in those days, and the first 
 man on hand made the fire. One cold night, 
 when there was some work to be done early 
 next morning, Bolton ofl'ered to bet Patter- 
 son and Brown that he would be at the office 
 first. The bet was taken, and Patterson and 
 Bolton slept that night in the editorial room, 
 which was over the postoffice, next door; but 
 Brown beat them, and had the fire going 
 when Bolton came in the next moi-ning. He 
 says: "Mr. Patterson told me that he was 
 awake when Mr. Bolton got up, and, in his 
 hurry to get to the office, he pulled on his 
 boots first, then his coat and hat, and started 
 to the office. After Mr. Bolton reached the 
 office he complained of feeling unusually cold. 
 On his walking up to the stove I discovered 
 that he was minus pants and vest. When I 
 reminded liim of this oversight in his dress 
 he seemed very much chagrined. About this 
 time George Patterson came in, and we had 
 a good laugh at the cool ap]iearance of Mr. 
 Bolton's dress. It was then daylight and 
 people were passing on the street. Finally, 
 Mr. Bolton started on a run for his room, 
 and never liked to hear this joke spoken of 
 afterward." 
 
 The circulation of the leading Indianajiolis 
 papers was not \ery extensive then. Wi'iting 
 in 1000, Austin If. Brown says: "When I 
 began to carry the fhninerat in 1838, the 
 Iiopulation of Indianapolis was less than 
 1,700, and the carrier's list did not exceed 
 one hiuidrcd subscribers. 'I'he route em- 
 braced the entire town. (Jovernoi- Noble's 
 wa.s the farthest delivery to the east — near 
 where the baseliall giounds of last sea-son 
 wei-e. The farthest ncir-theasf was General 
 Hobert Tlaiiiia's, just i'M-;t nl' llie riiimi tracks
 
 390 
 
 IIIS'l'()i;V OF CRKA'I'F.IJ IXDI.WAl'OI.lS.
 
 ins'|-()in" III' (.KKA'l'EU IXDIAV \]'()I,1S. 
 
 ;?!i 1 
 
 on M;issaclui.si't1s avenue. The t'aitliest Udrtli 
 Jiiuicij Blake ".s on North and Tennessee, and 
 Arthur St. Clair's, where the Blind Insti- 
 tute is loeated. The remotest western deliv- 
 ery was in Strinytown, beyond the river; anel 
 the farthest south was Samuel ilerrill's. at 
 Jlerrill and New Jersey, and Dr. Mc( 'lure's, 
 wliere the present Inihistrial Seliool ( Manual 
 Training High Sehoolj stands. Thei'e wer'- 
 a few outlying houses beyond these limits. 
 One wa.s called the Presbyterian Grocery, a 
 bakery kept by a good Lutheran named 
 George Brown. I usuall.v lunched there oii 
 ginger cakes and spruce beer. When 1 eai- 
 ried the Sniliiul. in 1841-3. the population 
 had increased to 2.800 and the city subscrib- 
 ers to more than two hundred and fift.v, with 
 two carriers. When I became the owner of 
 the .paper, hi 1850, the population wa.s 8,091, 
 but notwithstanding this increase the city 
 subscription list did not exceed four hundred 
 for the semi-weekly." 
 
 The Chapmans ma<le a live pajti'r of th<' 
 S(iillii(l. Jacob I'age doing most of the edi- 
 tDi'ial writing. It became the leading paper 
 of the state, and the recognized state organ of 
 tlie Democratic jiai'ty, wielding an intluenee 
 that was rare even in the da.v of part.v or- 
 igans. For two years befoi-e their nwncrship 
 the i)aper had been published in a frame 
 liuildine- where the L. Strauss it ("o. store 
 now is. They moved it to Blake's block, on 
 the south side (if AYashington street, we.st of 
 Illinois. It I'emained there until 1844, when 
 t was removed to a two-storv brick building 
 erected specially for it. on the east side of 
 Illinois street. Iialf a scpiare north of "Wash- 
 iimtoii: and an extensive job office was o])er- 
 ated in connection with it. In 184t) John S, 
 >>pann. a thorough practical printer, hecaine 
 a UHMuber of the firm, and he. with K. \V. 11. 
 HIlis, j)\ircha.sed and continued the .job office 
 wln'u the paper was sold to iMr. Brown in 
 1850. George A. Chapman died soon after 
 the sale of the Sinlincl. In the spring of 
 ^X~^■\. J. P. Chai)man started a weekly paper, 
 called the Clianticleei'. with Berr\' Sulgro\-e 
 as associate editoi- aiu1 George II. Chapman 
 »ti city editor. This venture lasted foi' a year. 
 In 18r).'), Jacob Page Chapman's miiul became 
 deranged, and he was taken to the insane hos- 
 pital, where he died. His sou George IT. 
 <'llapirian later (,'eneral ( 'hapiii.in — was for 
 
 .vears a well-known law.ver uf the eity, and 
 .judge of the Ci-iminal Court from its begin- 
 ning in 186.') till 1870. He became as strong 
 a Kepubliean as his father had been a Denu)- 
 crat, and the first negro who ever served on 
 n .jui'y in ]\lai'ion Count.v did so in his court. 
 
 Austin II. Brown published the S(iitiii(i 
 foi- five years, selling in .Mai'ch. ISoo, to Dr. 
 John C. Walker and Charles W. Cotton. ]\Ir. 
 Brown made the Seniiticl more of a nevvs- 
 pajjcr than it had been before, and also made 
 it a daily on April 28. 1851. One of his not- 
 able achievements was priiding the Know- 
 nothing ritual, which he had obtained from 
 a Brown Count.v deserter of the order. Some 
 Know-nothings who got wind of it fired two 
 pistol .shots through the window of the eom- 
 l)osing room, but no one was hurt, and the 
 ritual appeared the next morning. He was 
 elected county auditor in 1855 and served 
 f(u- four .vears. Walker and Cotton sold the 
 S( ntiiifl in December. 1855, to John S. Spann 
 and John P>. Norman, the latter becoming 
 editor. Norman had learned his trade of 
 printei- in the Diniocial office in the earl.v 
 foi'ties, and had foi- some timi^ edited the 
 .\ew Alban.y Ledger. He tired of the Stu- 
 liiid in six weeks and returned to New Al- 
 banv. being succeeded bv Prof. Wm. C. Lar- 
 rabee, late of Asburv (Depauw) I'niversit.v, 
 with whom Alexandei- V. ^fori-ison was asso- 
 ciated : and Cotton was cit.v editor. In Au- 
 Liiist. 1856, Joseph J. Bingham of Lafayette' 
 purchased an interest in tlii' paper, and in 
 January, 1857, John Dought.v ]uirchased the 
 I'iMuaining interest. These two fitted up the 
 old Capital House (.just west of the pi'eseni 
 liOmbai'd building) making the largest and 
 best lU'wspapei- building in the state, and 
 moved into it on Ajiril 7, 1857. Karly that 
 evening a new boiler, which had been place(l 
 in the rear of the press room, exploded with 
 terrific force, wrecking the east room and 
 dropping the composing room with its eon- 
 tents into the jiress room lielow. One of tln' 
 press haufls. named Homan. was killed, and 
 sevei'al were in.jui-ed. The loss was heavy 
 and seriousl.v embai-ras'^ed the proprietors, but 
 ap|)eals for pai't.v aid resulted in the forma- 
 tion of the Sentinel Comiianv ami the pap<'r 
 was resumed on April 21. and eonliuued un- 
 iler that management until .Inlv :il. 18(11, 
 
 .\t that time John K. KIdei- and J. liii
 
 ;592 
 
 HISTOKY OF GKEATEIi IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 Harkness, who had Ix'en publishing- the Stale 
 Guard, joined with J. J. Bingham iu pui-- 
 ehasing the Soiihtil and moved it to the ohl 
 Locomotive and lluaid office iu the Hubbard 
 block, where the L. S. Ayres & Co. establish- 
 ment now is. In 1863 a new building was 
 put up especially for it, at the southeast cor- 
 ner of Pearl and Meridian streets, where it 
 remained until 1863. It was then bought by 
 Hall & Hutchinson, who changed the name 
 to llie Herald, and moved back to the old 
 Capitol House site, 16 East Washington 
 street. Jiidge Samuel E. Perkins was then 
 political editor. In October, 1866, the paper 
 went into the hands of a receive!-, and in 
 January, 1867. it was purchased by Lafe 
 Develin of Cambridge City; and in April, 
 1868, he sold to Richard J. Bright, who 
 changed the name back to the Sentinel, and 
 made J. J. Bingham editor. In 1869 Mr. 
 Bright remodeled the old Wesley Chapel, at 
 the southwest corner of Circle and Meridian 
 streets, and moved the paper there in De- 
 cember of that year. He held the paper un- 
 til 1872, when he sold to the Sentinel Com- 
 pany, organized by John Fishback and others. 
 If ever a man in Indiana had an unen- 
 viable task, Bingham had it, in steering the 
 Sentinel through the Civil War period, and 
 it is a guaranty of considerable ability on his 
 part that he brought it through as well as 
 he did. Naturally those who had any Sovith- 
 ern sympathies were attracted by the Senti- 
 nel's criticisms of the party in power, and 
 H. H. Dodd persuaded Bingham to join the 
 Sons of Liberty, where he was made chairman 
 of the committee on literature. He swore, 
 however, that he had no knowledge of even 
 the existence of a "military circle," and that 
 as soon as he learned that any treasonable 
 action was contemplated he reported it to 
 Joseph E. ]\IcDonald, and co-operated with 
 him, Michael G. Kerr and others in bringing 
 the matter to the attention of Governor ]\Ior- 
 ton. He was a witness for the state in the 
 prosecutions.' As a newspaper man Bingham 
 was progressive and had material influence 
 in developing the Sentinel on the news side. 
 Even his adversaries gave him credit for 
 adroitness as a political writer.- 
 
 The year 1870 may he treated as the be- 
 ginning of a new era in Indianapolis jour- 
 nalism, and we may here turn back for a 
 look at other newspaper ventures of the 
 earlier period. As has been mentioned, the 
 Journal was the one other leading paper in 
 the state capital besides the Sentinel for 
 nearly half a century. As mentioned, the 
 Western Censor and Emigrants' Guide — the 
 predecessor of the Journal, was started March 
 7, 1823, by Douglass JMaguire and Harvey 
 Gregg. On October 29, 1824, Gregg sold his 
 interest to John Douglass, who was prepar- 
 ing to come from Corydon as State Printer. 
 On January 11. 1825, the paper was enlarged 
 and the name changed to the Indiana Jour- 
 nal, ilaguire continued as editor until 1826, 
 when he was succeeded by Samuel ^lerrill. 
 In 1829 IMaguire resumed his position as edi- 
 tor and continued till 1835, when he sold his 
 interest to S. Vance B. Noel, who had for- 
 merly been a printer on the Journal and had 
 gone to Ft. Wayne with Thomas Tigar, a 
 fellow printer, to start the Ft. AVayne Sen- 
 tinel. Noel continued as editor till 1842, 
 when he sold his interest to Mr. Douglass. 
 
 ilr. Douglass secured for editor Theodore 
 J. Barnett, a man of considerable ability, and 
 the most pugnacious editor the Journal ever 
 had. With the Chapmans on the Sentinel 
 there was the finest of opportunities for a 
 row. In fact, the Chapmans were probably 
 looking for trouble, for in their salutatory 
 editorial they say: "From our first settle- 
 ment in tliis state persecution and violence 
 have been exercised towards us."' There 
 was more coming, for Barnett made the most 
 vicious attack on J. P. Chapman that was 
 ever made on an Indianapolis editor.* Thei'c 
 was talk of a libel suit, which was not begun,- 
 and thereafter exchanges of compliments 
 from time to time. In 1843 "Slv. Noel bought 
 out Douglass, and retained Barnett as edi- 
 tor. One night Barnett wanted a pound of 
 butter, and, not being able to find Noel, 
 signed his name to an order for it. Chapman 
 learned of this, and promptly denounced 
 Barnett as a forger. They soon after met at 
 the pastoffice. and there wa.s an altercation 
 in which it is said a pi.stol was drawn by 
 
 'Treason Triol.i. p. 97. 
 -Sulgrovr '.•; Indianapolis 
 
 234. 
 
 ^Sentinel. Julv 21, 1841. 
 ^Journal, November 23. 1842.
 
 HISTORY OF r4UEAT£H I^DlANArOT.IS. 
 
 393 
 
 Hiii-iiett, l)Ut that was a.s i'ar as the c-oiilro- 
 vei'sy went, lianiett was suceeeded as editor 
 hy a ^Ir. Kent, who remained but a few 
 months, and was succeeded in March, 1845, 
 by John D. Defrees. 
 
 ■Mr. Defrees was a Tennesseean by birth, 
 but his father moved to Ohio wlien he was 8 
 years old. Tliere he learned the printer's 
 trade, and there read law in Thos. Corwin's 
 office. From 1831 to 1844 he resided at South 
 Bend, Indiana, where he edited a newspaper, 
 and from where he was two or three times 
 elected to the state legislature. He was a stu- 
 dent and a man of proiiress. Berry Sulgrove, 
 who knew him w^ell, says: "He was the first 
 man in the state to use steam to drive a print- 
 in<r press, the first to use a caloric engine for 
 the same purpose, the fii-st to see the value of 
 the Biillock printing press and encourage the 
 inventor, the first to use the metallic stitching 
 machine for binding, and the first to use the 
 Edison electric light except the inventor." 
 He edited the Journal till early in 1854. and 
 thi-u put Berry Sulgrove in charge of the 
 editorial while he managed the business de- 
 jiartmi'iit. In October, 1854, he sold the 
 paper to the Journal Company, which con- 
 sisted of Ovid Butler, Joseph ^1. Tilford, 
 James M. JIathes and Rawson Vaile. On 
 ^farch 23, 1861, President Lincoln appointed 
 Mr. Defrees goveriuuent printer, and he 
 served until Pi'esidcnt Johnson removed hiin 
 September 1. ISfifi. Congress then made this 
 n Senate oi'fice, and Defrees was elected 
 ]\rarch 1, 18f)7. remaininsr until April 15, 
 18(i!l. when President Grant removed him. 
 On June 1. 1877, President Hays I'cappointed 
 him. and he served until April 14. 1882, 
 when he resigned on account of failing health. 
 Tie was n hich gi-ade man in cveiy i-espect, 
 but rather outspoken foi- a politician. Both 
 his removals were said to be due ti> ci-iti- 
 cisms (if the administration. 
 
 The C't ii.sor. and after it the Journal, had 
 its office on AVashincrtnn street opposite the 
 State Life bnildiuL'. In the later thirties it 
 was moved to the opposite side of the street 
 one block west, and sevei-al years later to the 
 north side, nearly opposite this location. In 
 1853 it was removed to Pennsylvania street — 
 a site now covered by the i-ear part of the 
 Saks buildintr. In 18fiO (be company erected 
 a buildins for it at the sdulbeast coi-ner of 
 
 ^leridian and Circle streets. Berry Sulgrove 
 (lid most of the editing for the company till 
 1864, when it sold the paper to Wm. R. Hol- 
 loway & Co. Judge Horatio C. Newcomb 
 then became editor until 1868, and was one of 
 the ablest editors the paper ever had. In 
 February, 18C5, James G. Douglass and Alex- 
 ander H. Conner bought an interest in the 
 paper, and in 1SG6, with Samuel M. Doug- 
 lass, bought all of it, controlling it as Doug- 
 lass & Conner until 1870. In 18C6 they 
 bought the old First Presbj'terian Churcli 
 and built on the eastern half of the property 
 —now included in the American Central Life 
 building, the western half being added by 
 Col. Nicholas Ruckle some ten years later — 
 ■ind moved the paper there early in 1867. In 
 June, 1870. Lewis W. Hasselman and Wm. 
 P. Fishbaek iiurchased the paper, and Fish- 
 back became the editor. He was a brilliant 
 man and an able writer, but rather indei)en- 
 dent for the editor of a party organ. 
 
 I'hese two papers were chiefly devoted to 
 politics, and up to 18(iO almost exclusively so. 
 The local news was brief, and but for com- 
 munications would throw little light on the 
 doings of the cominunity. The first extended 
 account of anything, except political speeches, 
 was the Jourual's: account of the old settlers' 
 meeting of 1855 on June 5. which made five 
 columns — small cohunns in large type — and 
 it was not printed till .June 7. There was no 
 effort to rejiort events of the preceding even- 
 ing in the morning ])apers. The first break 
 in that line was in 1852. when the Eagle Ma- 
 chine Works burned. Th(> fire wa.s early in 
 the evening, and J. II. ]\IcNeely, city editor 
 of the Jonrnah on his way home from it, 
 stopped the pi'ess .ind inserted a brief notice 
 of it. which made the town gasp at his enter- 
 prise. In the latei- (if'ties there began to be 
 some report of the pi-ecedinff evening's 
 events. Altliouiih the teleirraph closely fol- 
 lowed the I'aili-oad. there was pi-actically no 
 newspaper telegraph service until the siege 
 of Sevastopol, and not very nnich then. At 
 that stag(^ ^Fr. John l'\ Wallick used to read 
 the disjiatches froiii a ^Morse dot-and-dash 
 record to th(> city editors of the Journal and 
 SSrulinrl. who .wi-ote them out in long hand. 
 A year or two later Coleman Wilson liecame 
 the news (iperator. and I'l'ad the disjiatches 
 bv sound. M( si of the "iiv ina'.;'ne1 ic tele-
 
 394 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 graph" reports before that time were re- 
 prints from Cincinnati and Chicago papers: 
 and it may be added tliat a great many sine' 
 that time have been likewise. 
 
 It seemed impossible to furnish the public 
 enough politics in those early daj's, and both 
 papers usually issued special campaign edi- 
 tions under other names. "The Constitu- 
 tion "' on the Democratic side and "Thi' 
 8i)irit of '76" on the Whig side, in 1840. 
 have been mentioned. In 1844 the Democrats 
 followed with "Chapman's Coon Skinner," 
 and their opponents with "The AVhig Rifle." 
 In 1845 polities took another chute, on ac- 
 count of alleged intolerance of the Chap- 
 mans, and A. P. iforrison and John S. Spann 
 started The Indiana Dfmorrai as an organ of 
 the Democrats who had favored General Cass 
 as nominee for president, and who claimed 
 they were being shown no consideration by 
 the adherents of Van Bui-en. This paper 
 stai'ted on November 7, 1845, and wound up 
 on October 30. 1846. when ^Ir. Spann stated 
 that I\[r. ilorrison had gone to ^lexico for 
 the war. and that after consultation with 
 friends he had concluded to suspend. About 
 the same time an anti-slavery paper, called 
 The Freeman, was started here by a ^Iv. De- 
 puy, on the .south side of "Washington street 
 west of ^[eridian. It was a very well edited 
 paper, but the office was not mobbed, thougli 
 several times threatened, and occasionally 
 visited with minor indignities, and it died 
 after a year oi- so of lack of notice. At that 
 time Whigs and Democrats vied in their hos- 
 tility to abolitionism. 
 
 By this time the temperance movement 
 wa.s becoming formidable enough to call for 
 an oi-gan. and in June. 1848. Dr. B. T. Kava- 
 nagh started a weekly called Tin Fmnih/ 
 Yisifor. as the organ of the Sons of Temper- 
 ance. It was discontinued on November 7. 
 1850. to nuike way for The Temperance 
 Chart, which was the temperance organ for 
 the next half dozen years. After the suspen- 
 sion of Chapman's Chanticleer in 1854, a 
 weekly was started in its place, and in 1855 
 this liecame Tli< Dailii Evening F< piilitican. 
 with George IT. Chapman as "active editor." 
 This was continued for several years under 
 various editors, and wound up with Willis 
 W. Wright & Co. as propi-ietors and John 
 Coburn editor. The next afternoon dailv was 
 
 The Indianapolis Daili/ Citizen, which was 
 started on April 5, 1858, by Cameron & ^Ic- 
 Xeely. It was indejientlent in politics, and 
 had no telegraph, but v.-as one of the best 
 local papei"s the city had before the war. 
 
 The best of the locals, however, was the 
 Locomotive. It was first issued on August 
 16, 1845. by John H. Ohr, Daniel B. Culley 
 aiul David R. Elder, who were apprentices 
 in the Journal office, as a small weekly, seven 
 by ten inches in size. It lasted for three 
 months, and was then discontinued till Ai)ril 
 3, 1847, when it M'as revived by the same par- 
 ties for three months longer. Its short stays 
 had demonstrated that there was a place for 
 it. and on January 1, 1848, it was again re- 
 vived by Douglass & Elder, enlarged and put 
 on a more permanent footing. On ^Nfarch 30, 
 1850. Elder & Harkness became the ]iroprie- 
 tors, and again enlarged it. It acquired the 
 largest circulation in the county, and thereby 
 .secured the "letter list." which was a much- 
 coveted plum in those days, and which was 
 especially desirable to the Lucomettivi t'u ac- 
 count of its personal character. It was the 
 fii'st paper here that approached "society" 
 reporting, and it did it outside of the stereo- 
 type room, noticing only affairs of some in- 
 terest and getting in most of the go.ssi]) of 
 the place. As Berry Sulgrove aptly says: 
 "It was the first paper that the women and 
 sirls wanted to read regidarly, and the paper 
 that makes itself a household favorite is set- 
 tled for life." But the political microbe 
 finally destroyed it. On July 17, 1860, Elder 
 & Harkness started Tlie Old Line Guard as 
 a Breckenridge and Lane organ — the Sen- 
 tinel having gone with the Douglass faction — 
 in' order to preserve true democracy. On 
 Xovember 10, 1860, the Locoinat ivi an- 
 nounced its own discontinuance, and merger 
 with the Guard, and so ended the city's most 
 interesting publication prior to the war. 
 Some further notice of it will he fomid in 
 the chapter on "The liiterary Atmosphere." 
 
 On August 15. 1851, a paper similar to the 
 Loconuttive. called the Hoo.sier Cili/. was 
 started by Sanniel H. blathers. Francis 'SI. 
 Thayer and Henry C. F^ei-guson, another 
 combination of Journal apprentices, but it 
 lasted only three months. It was well editeil, 
 however, and some of its articles were widely 
 eoi)ied. In 1855 Charles Hand beuan a liter-
 
 HISTORY OF 
 
 :i:.\'ii:i; imhaxapolis. 
 
 395 
 
 iU'V iiJid local weekly called tlie Ru'droad 
 Ciiy, but it also lasted but a few months. A 
 similar fate overtook the Dispatch, a daily 
 started in LSoO by W. Thompson Hatch. On 
 April l.i. 18.jS, an afternoon jiaper called 
 The I iidiuiKipolis Dailji Cilizoi ajipeared. 
 published by Cameron iSc ilcXeely on ■".Meri- 
 dian street, seven doors south of the [jostof- 
 fice. " It was au excellent paper, and was 
 maintained foi- two y^ears, when it was 
 bought by .Idim I). Defrees and merged with 
 the Aihts. which he had started in 1859. In 
 1861 the Alias was purchased by the Journal 
 and diseontiinied. The slavery ipu'stion 
 called several papci's into existence, besides 
 The Fncmaii, to meet the views of that por- 
 tion of the coiiuiiunity for which the regular 
 •party organs were too conservative. The first 
 of these. Th< Fvrc Soil Banner, appeared in 
 1848. edited by William (Ireer and Lew Wal- 
 lace, and understood to be backed by Ovid 
 Butler. On January :i. 18r)7, the Wcstvrn 
 Fnsaip ai)i)eared. published by Bidwell Bros, 
 at 8-1 East Washington street. It was an ex 
 ponent of radical Rejjublican views, which 
 wei-e not widely popular, and was jirinted 
 in an expensive style, the condiiiuition 
 bi-inging it to a natui-al death in April of 
 the same year. In 1S.")7 also, the Indiana 
 AvKrican. edited by Rev. Thos. A. (ioodwin. 
 was removed to here from Brookville. It 
 was an enthusiastic anti-slavery and tem- 
 l)eranec papei-. After the beginning of the 
 war. he sold it to Downey & Co., who made 
 it a daily e\ening paper. The name was later 
 changed to the (lazdli. and the paper was 
 bought by the Journal in 18()9. In the same 
 year Th( Indiana American was revived by 
 ]\[r. Goodwin, but it cimtiiiued oidy a year 
 or two. 
 
 The German press went in vigoidiisly for 
 politics. The first German paper here, tie' 
 Volk.sblatt. was established in »Septeml>er. 
 1848. by Julius Boetticher, while the Ger- 
 man population was still small. lie did 
 nearly all the mechanical work of the |)aper 
 himself, assisted only by his, little son and 
 daughter, as well as the editing: but even 
 on this inexpensive basis the venture was in 
 a fair way to exi)irc in three months, when 
 luckily T'l-of. Hoshour stai-ted a (ierman 
 class, and recommended his pupils to take 
 and read a (ierman papei-. The little Imneli 
 
 of cash subscriptions from this source re- 
 newed ;\[r. Boetticher "s determiiuition. and 
 the Volksblatt lived on for twenty years un- 
 der his management, and on his death was 
 continued by the (iutenberg Company. The 
 Volhsblalt was Democratic in its tendencies 
 from the stai't, and was made intensely .so l)y 
 the development of Know-nothingism. In 
 Sei)tend)ei-, 1853. Theodore Ilielscher started 
 the Frcic L'rcssc in su]i]>ort of the free soil 
 and abolition principles, and the two papers 
 went at it, hanuner and tones, just like the 
 other jiolitical i)ai)ers, as is more fully noted 
 in the (•hai)ter on "The (lernians in Indian- 
 apolis. " 
 
 The Frcic Prcssc was continued until dur- 
 ing the Civil War, and the Volkshlatt passed 
 into the hands of the (iutenberg Co., which 
 continued its publication as a weekly until 
 1907. In 1S6o the (iutenbery Co. established 
 the Tdcfjrnph. a (jerman daily, and si.x 
 months later the Spotlvond. as its Sunday 
 issue. lu 1877 The Tribum. a (ierman daily, 
 was started in o])position to the Telegraph, 
 and these two divided the field for a quarter 
 of a century. In ^larch. 1907. these two wei'e 
 (•(msolidat'^d, and The Teleeiraph and Tribune, 
 with the Spoitvoijcl (^locldng-bird) as Sun- 
 day i.ssue, now ])ublish(>d In- the Gutenberg 
 Co., is the only German news|)ai)er of In- 
 dianapolis. The Volksblall was diseontiinied 
 at the time of the consolidation. The only 
 Genuan paper now published in Indianapolis 
 besides the Telceirapli mid Tiihunc and the 
 Spoftroe/el. is the I)( ulscli-Anierikanischc 
 Hncliilrucker-Zeilung. the official organ of the 
 ( ierman-^\merican Typographical Uni(m. 
 This is edited by Hugo Miller, and is issued 
 semi-mon1hi>-. It was originally established 
 in New York City in 187:!. but was removed 
 to Indianapolis in 1894 wIh'o the headquar- 
 ters of the union wi-i-e 1i-ansferreil to this 
 noint . 
 
 There is no publication in lniliaiui|)olis in 
 any othei- foreign language than (iei'nuui, but 
 there ai'e two trades papers that pidjlish de- 
 |)artments in Fremdi and Italian, as well as 
 (Jerman and English. ()iie of these is Tin 
 Carpenler. a monthly paper, which was es- 
 tablished in 1881, i'he olliei- is The Briek- 
 Idi/t r and Mason, also a monthly, which was 
 started in 1898. The Bnihdruek( r-Zeitung 
 s(i-ves the purpose of a (li'i'iiian organ for
 
 396 
 
 HISTOKY OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 the International 'I'ypuuiaphical Union of 
 America as the (ieniian Union is in alliance 
 with it, and from the same headquarters, in 
 the Newton Claypool bnilding, is isned The 
 Typographical Journal— t\\Q official organ of 
 tlie International Union— a semi-monthly 
 which was established in 1S93. There are 
 several other labor union publications in the 
 city, printed in English only.. The Team- 
 sfir. the official organ of the International 
 Brotherhood of Teamsters, was started in 
 1903, and is published from the Carpenters 
 building on East ^lichigan street. The Car- 
 penter is al.so published here, and so is The 
 Journeyman Ba>h<r. The latter is the offi- 
 cial magaziui' of the Journe.yman Barbers' 
 Intei'iiational Union of America. It was 
 started as TIte Barbers' Journal in February, 
 1891, at Syracuse, N. Y., and later moved to 
 Cleveland and then to Los Angeles, following 
 the headquarters of the union. At Los An- 
 geles the name was changed to Tlte Journey- 
 man Barber. It was moved to Indianapolis 
 in 1905. It is pul)lished monthly. Other 
 labor union papers published here are the 
 United Mine Workers Journal, organ of the 
 United Mine Workers of America, established 
 in 1891 ; and the Locomotive Firemen and 
 Enginemen's Magazine, established in 1885, 
 and now edited by John P. McNamee. 
 
 In addition to the organs of special unions, 
 the city has had several general lalior papers, 
 of which Cal Light's Worhingmen's Map 
 may be resarded as the pioneer. It was 
 started early in 1876 and continued till IMay, 
 1877, when it was suspended, and the sub- 
 scribers were furnished with The Times, a 
 weekly that had been started also in the 
 spring of 187f). and which continued for two 
 or three yeai-s longer. Tlte Times originally 
 devoted itself to sensations and scandals, but 
 improved, and became a fairly decent labor 
 paper. Light started The Democrat soon 
 after the suspension of the Worldngmen's 
 Map and it lasted but little longer than its 
 predecessor. One of the most notable of 
 these w-as The Labor Signal, which was estab- 
 lished in 1881 as the organ of the Central 
 Trades and Lal>()r Union. For a number of 
 years Wm. LangstafT was trustee, and Thom- 
 as M. Gruelle editor. It claimed to be "the 
 ol(3est esta])lished bibor i)aper in tiie West:" 
 was verx well edited, and had eimsiderahle 
 
 influence. Early in 1S9G it was bought by 
 James Wilson, then pioprietor of The People, 
 who wanted the material and fixtures of the 
 office, and who discontinued the paper. The 
 labor field was already occupied by The 
 Union, which was founded in 1888 by Edwin 
 F. Gould. The paper in that year bitterly 
 opposed Gen. Harrison, who Gould made affi- 
 davit to have said "a dollar a day is enough 
 for a workingman." The Union was contin- 
 ued by Gould till his death, on May 4, 1906. 
 It was then continued for a few weeks by 
 Edgar A. Perkins as his administrator; when 
 he bought the paper from ilrs. Gould, and 
 still continues it. It is the organ of the In- 
 diana Federation of Labor, and the Central 
 Labor Union of Indianapolis, and is an ex- 
 cellent paper of its class. A shorter-lived 
 labor paper was T/te Workingman, which was 
 established in 1892 by Frailey and Goodwin. 
 It wa-s continued for about two years. 
 
 The first agricultural paper published here 
 was a monthly called the Indiana Farmer, 
 which was started in the last half of the 
 '30 's by Osborn & AVilletts. Very little is 
 known about it, and no copies are known to 
 have been preserved. The same is true of 
 the second one. The Western Cultivator, 
 which was published at Indianapolis by W. 
 Thompson Hatch, who also started a short- 
 lived daily called The Dispalcli, about 1850. 
 The Cultivator was in existence when Henry 
 Ward Beecher started his paper in 1845, and 
 is referred to by him as a very valuable pub- 
 lication that had been established by great 
 effort. ° ]\Ir. Beecher had always taken a 
 great interest in agriculture, floriculture and 
 horticulture, and had been contributing 
 periodically to the Journal, as well as stir- 
 ring up the community generally on these 
 sub.iects; and usually in a very rational and 
 useful way. There was already a wide and 
 intelligent interest. In a leter in January, 
 1843, Beecher says there were then 18 regu- 
 lar nurseries in the state, and that apple-trees 
 sold at 10 cents and pear trees at 20 cents. 
 lie also states that an association of gentle- 
 men had been formed in Indianapolis to 
 plant the streets with shade trees; and would 
 "take ample stock froin our own forests." 
 
 ■'Indiana Farmer and Gardener. 
 pp. 1. 114. 
 
 1.
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATKH INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 397 
 
 and also plant some pear and i)lum trees, tlii' 
 latter in the belief that they would be free 
 from the eiu-eulio on hiiihways. He mentions 
 with reo-ret that the fine "oaks, maples, syca- 
 mores* beeches, tulip trees and elms" had 
 been cut from the public squares, and that 
 these had been replanted with "short-lived 
 locusts.' 
 
 The Indiana Farmer and Gardener was the 
 result of a scheme arrauo;ed by Vance Noel 
 of the Journal and Mr. Beecher by which if 
 was issued semi-monthly from the Journal 
 office, and such of the niatli'i- as was wanted 
 
 into it. which makes it very readable to this 
 day. He also showed unusual newspaper en- 
 terprise. One of his strokes wa.s issuing a 
 double lunnber on October l!l, 1846, with a 
 complele almanac for 18-i7. He explained 
 that "almo.st every family purchases an al- 
 manac of some kind," and he proposed to 
 furnish one in which ''uncouth wood-cuts 
 and pointless anecdotes" were replaced by 
 "u.seful information". This was done very 
 satisfactorily, but included amon<ir the useful 
 information were some powei-ful arguments 
 for subscribing' to I lie Wishrn Farmer and 
 
 S^A 
 
 
 THE STATK .lOURNAL BUILDING, 1S.5U. 
 (p-rom an old cut.) 
 
 was then lifted into llie Journal forms with 
 credit to the Indiana Farmer and Gardener, 
 which was thereby nuide possible of sale at 
 ■")() cents a year. 'I'his arranjicmeiit contiiuied 
 for some eiLihteen months. The finst number 
 was isued on P\'bruary 1, 1845. On January 
 1, 184f;, the name was changed to The Wesl- 
 crn Fanner and Gardener, the paper haviuLT 
 absorbed The We.iter)i Farmer of Cinciiniati. 
 It closed its second year with 1.200 subscrib- 
 ers, wliich is not surprising, for Mr. Beecher 
 got a large amount nf iiileresting informal inn 
 
 "Indiana Quarhrhi ^Ja(|azine of Histori/, 
 Vol. 3, p. 189. 
 
 Gardener. The paper was discontinued when 
 ^Ir. Beecher left in 1847, and for nineteen 
 vears the city was without an agricultui-al 
 paper. In 186G Ur. T. A. Bland started the 
 Sorthivestem Farmer, and in April, 1871, 
 this came under the editoi-ial control of J. (!. 
 Kingslniry, who changed the name to The In- 
 diana Farmer, and made it the leading agri- 
 cultural paper of the state. In 1872 J. J. 
 Hillingsley, publisher of the Drainacje and 
 Farm Journal, bought an interest in it; and 
 ill 1874 J. B. Conner boutrbt a half interest. 
 Mr. Conner then assumed the active business 
 matiiigement i>f' the pajxT, which he still re- 
 tains.
 
 !)S 
 
 11IS-1(»|;V (»!•' (iltEATEH JXDIA.NAI'OLIS. 
 
 There have been several .short-lived agri- 
 cultural papers started at Indianapolis, such 
 as the Agriculiural Frrss, by Cyrus T. Nixon, 
 and Farm, Herd aitd Home, by Austin H. 
 Brown and A. Abromet; and in the later 
 period there have been several notably suc- 
 cessful ones. The American Farmer, which 
 was started in 1885, developed remarkably, 
 and had at one time a circulation of over 
 200,000; but has lost some in the last few 
 years on account of changes in postal regula- 
 tions. It is published by a company, of the 
 same name, of which Solon L. Goode is the 
 largest owner. I'p-to-Date Farmiiui is an ag- 
 ricultural semi-monthly that was started by 
 J. A. Everitt in 1898. and was pidilished by 
 liim till January. 1909, when it passed into 
 control of an ineor])orated company, of which 
 he is the chief owner. It claims 125,000 cir- 
 culation. The Equiiij Farm Journal is the 
 official organ of the American Society of 
 E(juity, and is devoted more to agricultural 
 l)uying and selling than to the science of cul- 
 tivating the soil. It was started in Chicago as 
 an independent publication in November. 
 1907, but was acquired by the society and 
 moved to this point in January, 1908, the 
 headquarters of the society being here. Its 
 circulation is about 60,000 and is rapidly in- 
 creasing. 
 
 Clasely following Beecher's Indiana Farm- 
 er and Gardener came another notable pub- 
 lication, which, strange to say, has dropped 
 entirely out of sight in the histories of In- 
 diana. This was The Common Seltool Advo- 
 ratf. fii-st issued on October 1, 18-16, as a semi- 
 monthly, by Henry F. West, later mayor of 
 Indianapolis, and the founder of the book 
 store now known as The Bobbs-ilerrill Co. — 
 or rather the W. K. Stewart Co. This edu- 
 cational journal is not mentioned even in that 
 very thorough work, Boone's History of Edu- 
 cation in Indiana, and yet it did more to se- 
 cure the free school system of Indiana than 
 any other publication in the stat(\ It was 
 fref(uently (juoted in contemporary jiajiers. 
 and it no doubt won the fight for the free 
 school tax in Indianapolis, in 1847. ])y its 
 vigorous argtnnents, one of which was a 
 demonstration that the illiteracy of Indian- 
 apolis was greater than the average illiteracy 
 of the entire state. I have been able to find 
 in exi.stence only ( iie copy of it— the second 
 
 luunher — i)ound at the back of a volume of 
 Beecher's Indiana Fanner and Gardener, 
 formerly belonging to Judge II. V. Biddle, 
 and now in the Cit.y Librarj^ at Indianapolis. 
 It was probably discontinued shortly after 
 the battle for free schools was finally won in 
 1852, as that was its mission. 
 
 In January, 1856, the Indiana Seltool 
 Journal was started in |)ursuance of resolu- 
 tions adopted by the State Teachers' As.so- 
 ciation ti) publish an educational journal simi- 
 lar to that published in Ohio. It was con- 
 ducted by nine editors, appointed by the as- 
 sociation, one of whom was "ivsident editor'', 
 on a salary. The first resident editor was 
 (ieorge B. Stone, then Superintendent of the 
 Indianapolis schools. He was one of the 
 numerous teachers who left the state in 1858, 
 after the Supreme Court had held the school 
 law uneonstitntional. He was succeeded by 
 W. 1). Henkle for one year, when he also 
 left, and O. Phelps was ai)pointed. Mr. 
 Phelps was absent fi-om the state so much 
 that he could hardly be said to "reside", and 
 the work of issuing the paper fell chiefiy on 
 II. II. Young, the publisher. The paper de- 
 teriorated greatl.v and its sub-scription list 
 fell to 150. In the spring of 1862 the Asso- 
 ciation transferred the paper to Geo. W. 
 IIos-s, then of the faculty of Northwestern 
 Christian University (Butler) and later State 
 Superintendent of Public Instriu-tion. who 
 edited it for eight years, and put it in good 
 standing once more. The Journal was then 
 consolidated with the Indiana Teacher, and 
 Wm. A. Bell was associated with 'Slv. Hoss as 
 chief editor. In August. 1871, :Mr. Bell 
 bought the interest of ^Ir. Hoss. and for the 
 next twenty-eight years was proprietor and 
 editor of the Journal. 
 
 Wm. A, Bell was an important factor in 
 education in Indianapolis and Indiana. He 
 was a native of the state, born in Clinton 
 Comity, January .SO, 1833 ; and attained an 
 education by his own effort, graduating from 
 Antioch College. Ohio, in 1860. He tried 
 teaching in the South, but returned on ac- 
 count of the war, and in 1861-2 was in charge 
 of the schools at Williamsburg, Indiana. In 
 1863 he was made principal of the old Sec- 
 ond Ward school in Indianapolis, and in 1864 
 of the newly-organized high school. In 1865 
 he was superintendent of schools at Rich-
 
 HIS'TORY OF CltKATKIi I \ I )1A \.\ I'Ohl^,. 
 
 399 
 
 niontl. liiiliiiiia, and in 18til) rcturiU'd ;i.s prin- 
 cipal I't' the Indianapolis liiuli scIiodI. wlici'i' lie 
 continued till 1871. After niiyinu- the Sclioo! 
 Jotinial he was president of the State Teaeh- 
 ers" Assoeiation in ISl'A, and from that time 
 was an et!ieient meml)er of the Indianapolis 
 School Board for twelve yeai-s. 1873-85, and 
 was president of the board for seven years of 
 that time. In June, 1899, "Sh: Bell sold the 
 School Journal to D. ]\L Geeting, late Super- 
 intendent of Puhlie Instruction, who became 
 editor, with K. B. Bryan and Geo. W. liass 
 as assistants. In 1900 the paper was con- 
 solidated with the Iiihnid Educator, which 
 was started in Terre Haute in 1895, and has 
 since been published, as The Educator-Jour- 
 nal, by a company which was formed at the 
 time of the consolidation. The present edi- 
 tor is Robert J. Aley, State Superintendent 
 I if Public Insti'uction. 
 
 In Decembfi'. 1897. appeai'ed the first num- 
 ber of The Indianian, a rather unifjue semi- 
 monthly devoted especially to the interests of 
 townshi]> trustees. It was publi.shed by The 
 Indianian Company, the chief factor in 
 which, and the business manager of the pub- 
 lication, was B. F. Blair. The managinii' 
 'ditor was F. W. Van Sicklen. In Octol)er. 
 Is'.is. W. H. Smith, author of a Historti of 
 Iiidiaiiii. Ijcgan editing a historical (le])ai't- 
 iiient in the Tndiaiiiaii. and in July. 1899. he 
 took editorial control, the principal aim of 
 the publication thereafter being to promote 
 the study of local history in the public 
 schools. It was got out in good st.vie, witlt 
 excellent illustrations and descriptive articles 
 iif various counties and othci- intcrr-sting his- 
 torical matter. But the publication was too 
 expensive for the returns. In ()ctt)bei', 1900, 
 .Mr. Smith was dropped as editor, and in De- 
 ceinbci- op tlin same yeai' The ludiniii'iii sus- 
 pended. 
 
 There was no historical jjcriodical pub- 
 lished in the city, or in the state, until 1905, 
 althoneh the Indiana Historical Soci(>ty was 
 organized on Di-cenibei- 11, 1830, and ii^ 
 corpoi-ate(l by special act of the legislature 
 on January 10, 1831. The society had an 
 iiitei-mittent existence for over half a century, 
 suspendinir and being revived, but inactive 
 most of that lime. In 188fi it was ivoi'ganized, 
 and since then has b(>en iriaintained contin- 
 uously, issuing pamphlets from time to time 
 
 until it has now conii)leted I'oui' \oluiiies of 
 its i'ubliciitioHS. As there had been several 
 publications prior to that date, those of 188t) 
 were started as Volume 2, ami in the course 
 of the next ten years those preceding were 
 gathered up, and published as Volume 1. 
 It never undertook a regular periodical. JNIr. 
 George AV. Cottman, of Irviugton, a pleasing 
 writer, who had given much attention to 
 local history, became convincetl that there was 
 a field for an historical periodical, and in the 
 spring of 1905 launched the Indiana Quar- 
 terly Maejazine of Histori). He continued it 
 for three years, giving it up on account of 
 removal. It was largely a labor of love, as 
 the returns were very little more than the ex- 
 penses. But by that time a niunber of per- 
 sons were satisfied that the publication was 
 too valuable to be di-opped, and arrangements 
 were made to continue it. Prof. C. H. Colc- 
 nuin, of Butler, undertook to edit it: State 
 ]jibi"irian Demarchus Brown undertook a 
 large i:)art of the business management; and 
 the Indiana Historical Society guaranteed 
 expenses to the amount of $150 a year. Un- 
 der this arrangement the publication is still 
 continued, and the matiazine is steadily gain- 
 ing an independent footin<>: on its merits. 
 
 One I'eason foi- taking 1870 as a sort of 
 dividing line between the old and the new in 
 Indianapolis news])apers is that it was the 
 fii'st year of a pei-manent afternoon paper, 
 and one that had the press reports— the In- 
 dianapolis Xeirs. Its fii'st issue appeared on 
 ])ecend)er 7, 18t)9, ami its low ])i'ice— it W'as 
 the first 2-eent jiaper— clean make-up, con- 
 tlensed form, and refusal to i)rint advertise- 
 ments as editorial mattei- soon made it ]io]iu- 
 lar. It was well edited. Its founder, ]iro- 
 prietor and editor was John H. Ilolliday. 
 who was of one of the oldest families in this 
 i-egion. His gi'andfather, Samuel Hollida.y, 
 was one of the associate .iudgcs at the Indian 
 trials at Pendleton, in 1824. His father. 
 Kev. "Wni. A. Holliday. was jiastor of the 
 First Pi-e.sbyterian chui-ch in 1832-4, and re- 
 sided in Indianapolis from 1841 till his death 
 December 16, 18(if). exee])t for two years, 
 1864-6, when he served as professor of Latin 
 and modern languasres at Hanovei- College, 
 lie was a nuui of nnieli leai'ning. and for a 
 nuiiibei- of years conducted one of the noted 
 private Schools of the citv. Jolui II. Ilolliday
 
 400 
 
 HISTOKY OV GKEATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 gi'ew up in ludianapolis, was educated at 
 Hanover, and had several years' newspaper 
 experience on the Sentinel and other city 
 papers. His editorials were sane, pithy, and 
 to the point, as a rule. His one failing was 
 in not realizing how important and valuable 
 a paper he had established. In 1884, when 
 the News was the chief independent news- 
 paper of Indiana, Joseph E. McDonald was 
 a candidate for the Democratic nomination 
 for the presidency. Mr. HoUiday con.sidered 
 him the most available Democratic timber in 
 sight, aud could have been of material in- 
 fluence b.y simply saying so. With Mr. Mc- 
 Donald's approval I endeavored to get him 
 to do this, but the resiilt was a tame, almost 
 non-committal article that was not of the 
 slightest use to Mr. McDonald or anyone else. 
 But usually no one had much trouble in lo- 
 cating the News, though it was at times in- 
 consistent, notably in the matter of preaching 
 tai'iff reform and generally supporting pro- 
 tective tariff Republicans in national elec- 
 tions. The only Democratic candidate for 
 president it ever supported was Horaci> 
 Greeley. 
 
 As important a factor in building up the 
 News as Mr. Holliday himself was Gideon B. 
 Thompson, who came to it in the second year 
 of its life as city editor. Thompson is a na- 
 tive of Ohio, bora August i. 1839. His 
 father was a Presbyterian minister. Gideou 
 worked at the printer's trade in a country 
 office, and came to Indianapolis to perfect 
 himself in the trade iu the winter of 1856-7. 
 He worked for the Sentinel Company, 
 which then had the state printing, till I860: 
 went to Kentucky for a few months; then 
 back to the Sentinel, and later to the Journal. 
 when it got the state work. He was a mem- 
 ber of Shoup's Independent Zouaves, and 
 went to cauip for the three months' service. 
 but took sick, became delirious, and did not 
 come to himself till the regiment was gone. 
 But he went out in August, 1861. and came 
 back in 1863, broken in health. He married, 
 but soon fell ill, and for years was unable to 
 do a ftdl day's work. Nevertheless he worked 
 in the Journal composing-room, setting type 
 for an hour and thou sleeping for an hour on 
 a board he had placed under his case. In 
 the winter of 1868-9 he besran reporting the 
 council for the Jottrnnl and Sentinel to help 
 
 out his earnings; and then went on the Jour- 
 nal as repoi-ter. His most noted work there 
 was a defense of the management of the 
 Orphan Asylum. George C. Harding who 
 was then city editor of the Sentinel, attacked 
 tlie management. Mrs. Newcomb, wife of 
 Judge H. C. Newcomb, who was then editor 
 of the Journal, was one of the members of 
 the board. Thompson interviewed her and 
 the other ladies of the board, and they talked 
 very spicily. Harding was too gallant to 
 come back at the ladies, and, not su.specting 
 Thomp.son, he replied by horsewhipping 
 (feorge Long, the city editor of the Journal, 
 who was innocent of any connection with the 
 matter. When Harding left the Sentinel, 
 'Ihompson took his place as city editor, which 
 he held till R. J. Bright sold the paper, and 
 then he went to the News. 
 
 Jlr. Thompson has long been known as 
 "Snacks", many people not knowing him 
 l)y any other name. He picked up this cog- 
 nomen at Danville, Indiana, where he worked 
 for some months before coming to Indianapo- 
 lis. He took the character of "Snacks" in an 
 amateur play there. The young ladies of tlie 
 place were interested in knowing something 
 about him, but he would satisfy their curi- 
 osity onh' by assuring them that he "came 
 from nowhere, was going no place, and had 
 no mission in the world that he knew of". 
 They retaliated by christening him "Snacks", 
 and the name followed him. While in the 
 army he iised it as a pen name in his cor- 
 respondence for the city papers. In a paper 
 on "The Reporter", read before the State 
 Editorial ^Association in the early seventies, 
 Mr. Thompson described the requisite quali- 
 fications of a reporter as, (1) "an Argus 
 nose for news", (2) "a talented pair of 
 legs", and (3) "brains"; the emphasis be- 
 ing laid on the first two, and the third being 
 treated as of small importance. But he had 
 all three, and one of the most attractive 
 features of his work was the inven- 
 tion of unique expressions, with a 
 faculty for iteration that was not mo- 
 notonous. Many Indianapolis people re- 
 member the epithet "the commonest kind 
 of a common deadfall", which he applied to 
 a "skin" auction room on South Illinois 
 street until he fairly ran it out of town. He 
 made Street Commissioner Kennington fa-
 
 Ilis-|()i;v OF (,|;K. \'n-:R INDIAN. M'oi.is. 
 
 tOl 
 
 inous as "the little red wa^ron with a wart 
 (111 it"". But perhaps his most noted expres- 
 sion was ""The Slick Six"", which he applied 
 to Harry Ailaiiis, Koseoe Hawkins, John 
 Leonard, Dan Kaiusdell. Lee IMothershead, 
 and Ot. Hasseliiian. (hen tlie "brains"" of 
 the loeal Kepiihlitaii niaeliiiie. It was a 
 clianee sliot. suii<icstcd liy "the Big Six" who 
 were then runnini;' \ew York City, and wonld 
 probably have spent itself with tlie one use 
 had not one of the assailed made tlie iiiistak(> 
 of askiiii,' Thom|)son not to use it aijaiii; 
 wliereupon he nearly lost his breath iiettin^ 
 back to the office to use it. antl kejjt it u]> 
 until it became an established political epi- 
 thet, outliving the memoi-y of its original ap- 
 plication and meaning. 
 
 It may be noted here that one element of 
 the success of the .\( ics was employing the 
 best writers available in <'very department. 
 After it was well on its feet, whenever a man 
 .showed ability on another paper the Xtics 
 went after him and usually got him without 
 trouble, for sane newspaper men prefei- day 
 \Mirk. Ill its reportoi'ial force it took on such 
 irieii as Chai'les Dennis, Hilton 1'. Brown. 
 Krm-st B. Bieknell. .Meredith Xieholsnii. 
 James I loi'iiaday, Harry I'almer. Mai-k This- 
 tlethwaite, and oth(>rs of little less loeal note. 
 To its editorial force were called Dan Baine. 
 a writer of charming verse as well as prose: 
 .\rorris Ross, a graceful writer; and Louis 
 1 lowland, much of whose work is of magazine 
 or review quality. The Nctcs could always 
 l)iiast III' being well-written as well as well- 
 edited, and that has been a large factor in 
 its success. One of its first victoi-ies was 
 swallowing up its only afternoon rival. Tin 
 Kroiiiif/ Mirror, which, as a daily, was of 
 alxnit its own age. It was started as a Satur- 
 day afti^rnoon ])aper on December 22. 1867, 
 by (ieorgc C. Harding and AT. ('<. lleiirx'. In 
 a year oi- two Henry sold out in John B. 
 ]\Iorton. and W'm. B. Vickers also entered the 
 firm. In the winter of ISti!) the jiaper began 
 to be issued as a daily, but fell by the way, 
 and in February. 1870. was sold to tlie Xcirs. 
 The Weekly Mirror was suspended at the 
 same time, and Vickers soon began a weekly 
 in its [)laee. called Toini Tall;, which did not 
 liust lomr. Mr. Hardirm- then formed another 
 union with ^fr. Vickers. and revived the 
 Mirror as a weekly. In .\hi.\. 1870, Harding 
 Vol. I— 2G 
 
 sold his interest to Vickers who continued it 
 for about a year, when Ik- became managing 
 I'llitor (if the Jdiinidl and sold the paper to 
 B. (). ;\Iullikeii. .Mulliken succeeded in 
 killing it in a few weeks. 
 
 (ieorge V. Harding was the most pieliir- 
 es(|ue character that ever appeared in In- 
 dianapolis .iournalism. He was born near 
 Knox\ille. Tennessee, August 26. 182!), ajid 
 learned nature at first hand in his boyish 
 rambles. Before he reached bis teens his 
 father, who was a lawyer, movetl to Baris, 
 Illinois. Here the boys named him "The ("hei-- 
 iikee" on account of his swarthy complexion 
 and wild ways, but after he liad thra.shed 
 all of the fighting element the Indian prob- 
 lem was solved. At fourteen he left school 
 and went to woi-k at odd jobs; ran otf to 
 St. Ijouis. wlience lie soon returned penni- 
 less and disheartened; got a chance to learn 
 the ])rintei-'s trade on the Tern Haute Cour- 
 ii r, which he accei)ted with .joy. Here he be- 
 gan writing: and on compb'ting his api)reTi- 
 liceshiji he went to aid his father, who had 
 starte(l the I'reurie Heaeon at Baris, and 
 wrote more extensively. Then the ^fexican 
 Wai- broke out. and after a desperate effort 
 to enlist, in which he followed the troops to 
 .\ew Orleans on a fiat-boat, he fell sick and 
 came near dying. His next newspaper ven- 
 ture was at Charleston, Illinois, as [lart owner 
 of the Courier, a warm Kej)id)licaii paper, 
 which is said to have been the fii-st newspajier 
 to suggest Fremont for president. After ex- 
 |)erieiice tliei-e. and on the ('ineiiiiiuli Com- 
 iiiireial. he became associate editor of the 
 Houston (Tex.~) T< Ii f/rapli. which be left to 
 come north .just before the Civil War began. 
 
 Hai-ding enlisted in the Twenty-first In- 
 diana (First Heavv Artillery) under Col. 
 John W. ]\rc:\Iillaii. "which went first to Balti- 
 more, anil then to theliiilf l)ei>artment. He 
 was promoted from the ranks to secdnd 
 lieutenant, but soon after resigned, and in 
 1864 took a [wsitioii on the .Vdc Or/on/.-.- 
 Tiniis. Wliile in the army he c(ii'res|)oiide(l 
 for the Ciiieiniuiti Coiiimereial. and his let- 
 ters attracted much attention. In 1882. after 
 his death, these lettei-s. with other articles, 
 were jniblished in Imok form, at Indianapolis, 
 under the title. "The ^Miscellaneous Writings 
 (if (ieorge C. Harding". .After six months 
 on tile Tliiiis be c;ime iKirfli; worked for a
 
 402 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 slicirt tiiiii' on tlir CIik niiiaii ConiiiK rciiil : and 
 then came t(i Imliaiiapolis. where most of the 
 remainder of his life was passed. His first 
 work here was as local editor on the Journal, 
 then under Lafe Devlin on the Herald, and 
 Dick Bright on the Sentinel. Then he went 
 to the Journal ajiain, and was managing edi- 
 tor of the shoi't-lived evening edition of that 
 paper in 1871. After the failure of the 
 Mirror, his next venture was the Saturday 
 Herald, which was a great success. It was 
 first issued on January 5, 1873. ilost of its 
 popularity was due to Harding's work, but he 
 was ably assisted, especially by Jlrs. Gertrude 
 Garrison, who was an exceptional writer, and 
 a woman of fine literary judgment. 
 
 Harding's great forte was as a para- 
 grapher, in which he had nnich of the quality 
 of George D. I'rentice. In pereonal on- 
 slaughts he was jiersistent and merciless, and 
 the public really enjoyed seeing a victim 
 squirm when he gigged him — he did it so 
 artistically. The only pereon on record who 
 got ahead of him in a personal controversy 
 was Frank McDonald, son of Senator Joseph 
 E. McDonald. Frank was a keen wit, noted 
 as a raconteur and natural actor of high abil- 
 ity. Although puny and deformed, he could 
 assume a fierceness that was almost terrify- 
 ing. On one occasion Harding made an on- 
 slaught on Senator ilcDonald, and when 
 Frank met him he fiercely notified him that 
 if he assailed his father again he would have 
 him to settle with. This was the food Hard- 
 ing fed on, and the next issue of the Herald 
 had all the mean things- about Senator IMc- 
 Donald that he could study up, on the notice 
 given. In due time Frank appeared at the 
 editorial sanctum and sternly said: "I told 
 you, sir, that if you assailed my father again, 
 you would have to deal with me.'' '"Well," 
 said Harding, "what do you propose to do 
 about it?" "This, sir!" replied Frank, and 
 plaring a box of fine cigars and a bottle of 
 choice whisky on the de.sk, he walked out. 
 leaving the astoni.shed editor to swallow his 
 punishment. The next issue of the Herald 
 contained this brief paragraph: "Frank Mc- 
 Donald certainly knows how to heap coals of 
 firewater on the heads of his enemies"; and 
 thereafter Senator ^IcDonald was allowed to 
 live in peace. 
 
 Perhaps the most attractiv<' (|iiality of 
 
 Harding's writing was its originality. He 
 was always doing something novel. In 187tJ, 
 April 1 fell on Saturday, and the Herald 
 celebrated the day with a very plausibly 
 written story of the discovery of Charley 
 Ross in Indianapoli.s, and his temporarj' lo- 
 cation at the Grand Hotel. It was a great 
 success. Numbers of the most inquiringly 
 pronunent people of the city ha.stened down 
 to call on the long lost boy. The victims 
 naturally demnuiced Harding as a heartless 
 monster, but they got little sympathy. But 
 there was very general satisfaction a little 
 later when Harding himself was taken in by 
 ■'the meteor hoax", which was the most suc- 
 cessful thing of the kind ever worked in In- 
 dianapolis. On January 16, 1879, the Jour- 
 nal published what purported to be a special 
 from Crawfordsville giving an account of the 
 remarkable death of I^eonidas Grover, a 
 Fountain County farmer, who, while asleep 
 in his bed, was killed by a twenty-pound 
 aerolite that came through the roof, pa.ssed 
 though his body, and on to the cellar where 
 it buried itself five feet in the ground. There 
 was no one else in the house at the time, and 
 the family, who returned later, did not dis- 
 cover the casualty till the next morning. 
 
 The story was as complete a hoax on the 
 Journal as on outsiders. It was found on the 
 telegraph editor's desk with other matter, in 
 the usual foi'm, but it did not come over the 
 wires. The authoi' was nevei- discovered. I 
 was charged with it at the time, and numer- 
 ous deluded people still hold me guilty, but 
 I never saw it luitil I i-ead it in the News 
 that afternoon. Xearly everybody believed 
 the story, though it was absurd on its face. 
 Meteors do not fall straight down : an<l they 
 become intensely heated in passing through 
 the atmosphere, many being conq>letely con- 
 sumed. That one should pass through an in- 
 flammable building without setting fire to 
 anything: bury itself in the cellar, without 
 giving otf fumes that would attract the at- 
 tention of a family entering the house later: 
 and, most of all, retain the "stains of blood", 
 as the story stated, was simply prepostei'ous. 
 But the learned were caught also. Profes.sor 
 Cox, the State Geologist, hastily sent Major 
 Palmer to the scene to get scientific details 
 and secure the aerolite. He soon discovered 
 the lack of facts. Init decided "to keep up
 
 IlISTOUV Ol-- (;i!i:.\'l'Kl! IXDIAXAI'OMS. 
 
 403 
 
 lliL' joke". He seeuivd ;i ciihljIe-stoiiL' ol' iip- 
 [iropriate size and c-Dlon^d it with black and 
 ird ink; also a rustic photo>i:raph which 
 serveil for a portrait of the mythical (Jrover; 
 and prepared ])lans of the non-existent house 
 showing: the course of the iniaiiiiiai'v aerolite; 
 all of which he j)ut on exhibition in Joe 
 Perry's drui^store. then at the northwest cor- 
 ner of I'ennsylvauia and AVashinutou streets. 
 where they were viewed by wonderintr hun- 
 dreds. Perhaps the most notable result was 
 that the story was reproduced by Alexandei- 
 Winehell, the noted geologist, in one of his 
 scientific works.' 
 
 The story appealed to Harding and he 
 wrote a feeling article on the sti'ange way 
 in which death had come to this man. sleep- 
 ing in supposed security. It was published 
 on the 18th. after the hoax had been ex- 
 posed, but it had been put on the "inside". 
 and the inside was printed, so it had to go. 
 The next Saturday the Hiruld resumed the 
 subject as follows: "We take it back in its 
 totality. The death was not a iihenomenal 
 one. The aerolite did not come hurtling from 
 the depths of space. It did not tear a ragged 
 opening through the roof of ^Ir. (i rover's 
 house, nor did it crash through his breast and 
 then j)a.ss through the bed, the floor, and 
 so on into the earth, five feet. IMr. (Jrover's 
 dauirhter and her husband were not away 
 from home at the time of the accident, and 
 they didn't fail to discovei- his death until 
 the next moi-ning. He didn't die. Hediilu't 
 fret hurt. He didn 't even get frightened. He 
 wasn't there: he isn't anywhere now. Duru 
 him. If Mr. Leonidas Grover ever should 
 come into existence, and get killed by an aero- 
 lite, he will have to yet some one else to write 
 his obituary. It is a nice enough thing to 
 moralize over, and it furnishes gi-eat sco])e 
 for the play of sentimental fancy, but we 
 despise the subject, and we have precious 
 little faith in thunder-stones, anyhow. The 
 audacious villain who invented the canard is 
 an unmeasured fi-aud and an infinite liar. 
 Hell gapis for him. The devil beckons to him 
 with his hands, ami horns and tail. Ktei-nai 
 cremation, with a brimstone aeeompaiiimeiit. 
 is his doom." 
 
 Naturally Hardiui; had fre(|uent Hings at 
 
 'Wiirlil /,//'.. p|). 14-1.'). 
 
 his contemporaries, one of which was Tlie 
 People, which was started as a Sunday paper, 
 on November 6, 1870, by Enos B. Read. It 
 wa.s a modei-ately decent paper at first, but 
 soon degenerated into a chronicle of crimes 
 and na.sty scandals, illustrated occasioiuilly 
 with wood-cuts, hand made, with a butcher- 
 knife. Nevertheless it had a clientele among 
 the ought-to-be-submei'ged ti'uth, and lived 
 long after its more respectable contempora- 
 ries had collapsed. Read was a j)ompous in- 
 dividual who imagined he could write jjoetry 
 and grind out pure literature. He also 
 thouirht he was a sportsman, and made a 
 specialty of his fisherman's column, but his 
 highest ideal of sport was sitting in a boat 
 and anijling for red-ej-es and sun-fish, with 
 worms. He used the editorial "we" always, 
 even in local items, until the facetious got 
 to calling him "AVe, The People". He tried 
 to cultivate Harding, and for some months 
 after the suspension of the Mirror Harding 
 edited a column in The I'eopic: but after 
 Tlai'ding got a i)a])er of his own he took a 
 fancy to spear Read, and broke his heart by 
 christening him "Piles, the Poet". Read 
 wailed about the betrayal of friendship, but 
 he quit writing poetry. 
 
 But not all of the a.s.sailed were so mild. 
 Among them was ("alvin A. Light, who was 
 a very radical labor leadei\ and edited a 
 weekly called Tlu [)(ino(riil. He made him- 
 self cons|)icuous in the Railroad Strike of 
 1S77, and after it heaix'd unmeasured con- 
 demnation on the local officials, partic\darly 
 ]\rayor Caven, though Caven had jierformed 
 a real service to the strikers by inducing tliem 
 to dis[)erse when there were 'j.OOO regulai-s, 
 militia, and armed citizens, including a large 
 sprinkling of old soldi(Ms. reatl.v to attack 
 tliem. and just mad enough to shoot with in- 
 tent to hit. Harding took an intense di.slike 
 to Light, and on one occasion ordered him 
 out of the flerald office— with variations. 
 After that there was some exchange of civili- 
 ties, which reaclu'd a climax in the spi-ing 
 of 1879: and then Harding showed his one 
 weak spot as a vei-b;d puirilist. lie could not 
 take punishment. lie had called Light a 
 "venomous re()tile", ntid a "pestilent little 
 beast", and just because Light I'cferred to 
 him as "the Ticper of the Pi-ess" he got mad. 
 On Mav 4 he went to Li'.;lit "s house and tried
 
 404 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 to shoot him. but after one ineffective shot 
 was di-ajri;ecl away liy neijihbors. The next 
 day he went to The Democrat office and shot 
 at Light three times, but only succeeded in 
 woundini:- a printer named Lizins. He was 
 duly arrested an>1 tried, but S'ot off on a plea 
 of insanity. 
 
 Soon after he sold his interest in the 
 Herald, and went to Minnesota, where he 
 started a country paper. But he longed for 
 Indianapolis, and was soon back, quite cured 
 of his insanity. On October 31. 1880, in 
 company with Charles Dennis, he started the 
 Saturday h'cview. They made, with the aid 
 of Gertrude Gari'ison, a strong joui-nalLstie 
 team, and the jiapei- (piickly gained popu- 
 larity and circulation. Its prospects were 
 very bright but he was not to reap success. 
 He received a slight wound on his leg from 
 a projecting grating, neglected it. and died 
 from blood poisoning on ^lay 8, 1881. The 
 Review was continued for a couple of years 
 by Mr. Dennis, associated at tirst with A. C. 
 Jameson, and later with Bert Metealf, and in 
 1883 was sold to John 0. Hardesty, an old- 
 time editor. He first made it a political, and 
 then a G. A. R. paper, changing the name to 
 The Veteran's Eericir on December 13, 1884. 
 It discontinued shortly thereafter. The 
 Herald passed successively into the hands 
 of Samuel X. Bannister. A. H. Dooley. J. C. 
 Ochiltree, Lowry & Hyman, and the Hymau 
 brothers. On November 5, 1889, it appeared 
 as The American Implement Herald, ' eon- 
 ducted by a company with D. M. Parry as 
 president, and "devoted to the farm imple- 
 ment, vehicle and kindred trades'"; but as 
 an organ it was not a success, and soon sus- 
 pended. 
 
 After Enos B. Read's death The People 
 passed into the control of James B. Wilson, 
 who also edited a liquor paper called Free- 
 dom and Right. "Wilson appeared to be do- 
 ing a thriving business when the U. S. au- 
 thorities objected to some of his publications, 
 and on December 12. 1895 he was sent to the 
 penitentiaiy for two years, for sending ob- 
 scene matter through the mails. Wilson had 
 some good qualities, with others. While in 
 prison he became convinced of the innocence 
 of Wm. E. Hinshaw. a life prisoner, con- 
 victed of the murder of his wife, at Belle- 
 ville, west of Indianapolis, on January 10, 
 
 1895. Wilson said that every man in the 
 prison believed Hinshaw innocent, and that 
 convicts were never deceived by pretended 
 innocence. After his release he devoted con- 
 siderable effort to advocating Hinshaw 's in- 
 nocence. The People was discontinued after 
 Wilson's death The Hinshaw ease attracted 
 as much attention in Indianapolis as any 
 murder case that ever occurred in this vicin- 
 ity. Hinshaw said that his wife was killed 
 by burglars, during a struggle in which he 
 was cut several times with a razor, and shot 
 twice. The prosecution maintained that liis 
 wounds were self-inflicted, and the burglar 
 story made up to cover the crime. He was 
 convicted on eircumstanial evidence, on (Octo- 
 ber 3; and on October 6, the Sentinel re- 
 viewed the ea.se in a four-column editorial 
 and declared its "belief, from the evidence, 
 that the defendant is a wholly innocent man'". 
 Its chief reasons were (^) that the case was 
 tried on the theory that she was shot in bed. 
 and the .state's medical experts said that the 
 bullet cut an artery in the brain, aiul tliar 
 the wound would have filled with lilood and 
 have begun to discharge extei-nally in eight 
 seconds ; but there was no blood on the bed : 
 (2) that the last shot was fired across a street 
 from the house, and the revolver, from 
 which it must have been fired, and with 
 which the woman must have been killed, if 
 Hinshaw did the shooting, was found iiinety 
 feet away from that point, on the farther 
 side of a wood shed and within one foot of 
 its foundation, where Hinshaw could not (los- 
 sibly have put it. Noah Baney. a confirwiiefl 
 criminal, afterwai'ds confessed that he and 
 two others Avere the buriilars. and confirmei! 
 Hinshaw 's story, except that he said ^Irs. 
 Hinshaw was shot on the back steps of the 
 house, where she was found by the neiahbors 
 with her head in a pool of blood : but ho 
 recanted when an attempt was made to in- 
 dict him. Hinshaw Avas parolinl on January 
 9, 1!H)."). by (iovei'uor Dui'bin, but was sent 
 back (m November 9, 190fi, In- Governor Han- 
 ly, for an escapade with a woman, under cir- 
 cumstances that proved him a very stupid 
 man to have concocted the story he told about 
 the mijrder. 
 
 Of the weekly newspapers that have main- 
 tained their existence, the oldest i.s the Tn- 
 d( p()id< III . which was established in 18S1. 
 
 1 ■■ 
 
 I
 
 IS'I'OIJV {)]■ (MtKAT 
 
 XniAXAI'ol.lS. 
 
 405 
 
 It is a sprightly sheet, devoted chieHy to 
 l(H'ai polities, and publishing: quite ;ui niiiount 
 of politieal gossip not aecessihic elsewhere. 
 The proprietoi-, ^Ir. Sol Hathaway, does the 
 greater j)art (if the reporting for the paper, 
 whieh led to .Mayor Rookwalter's little joke 
 that "the Inch p( nchnt was a paper whose 
 editor eireulated more than the paper". 
 Thomas (inielle, former editor of the Labor 
 Sigiiiil has assisted in the editorial work of 
 the Indrpriideiit for .some time pa.st. Another 
 local weekly, but on a county basis, and 
 making a specialty of farming interests, is 
 Th( Marion Counlij Mail, which wa-s estab- 
 lished in November, 1902, by Leo K. Fesler, 
 and has a circulation of 3,700. There hav,' 
 been several othei' weeklies that died in child- 
 hood. The fiunddy Morning Call was begun 
 in November, 1(^7!), by Ned Reed & Co., and 
 contiinied for a couple of year.s. The Soutli- 
 sidf was .stai'ted in 1878, and gave especial 
 attention to affairs south of Washington 
 .street. In 1870 it was bought by J. A. 
 Dynes & Co., who changed the name to Tlie 
 Indianapolis Republican, and published it 
 liir five or si.x years longer. The first issue 
 of Tlu Wist Side Herald was on Januai-y 5. 
 1894. It was devoted to affairs west of the 
 liver, and had very jiatent iusi(h»s. It was 
 (•cin(luet''d by ('lark Bi'own, Wni. J. Smith, 
 and Chas. I." Kiser till 1897, when AVest Tn- 
 diana]iolis was annexed to the city. 
 
 The pioneer of the religious press appears 
 'ii ha\e been Tin Christian Record. This was 
 ■iri^'iiially a monthly published at Blooming- 
 tnii, Ind.. by -Tames ^Mathes. It started in 
 1S48. In 18o0 it was moved to Indiana])olis, 
 ;iiii! Klder Elijah (Joodwin became the editor. 
 It was latei- made a weekly, and was pub- 
 lished he7-e until 1866, when it was consoli- 
 dated with Tlic Christian Standard, of Cin- 
 cinnati. Soon after the Record came Tlie 
 Gospil Herald: and after it The Western 
 I'mversalist was established by Manford & 
 •To>'ilan, and continued foi' two or three years. 
 Next came Tlu Wilnfss. a liajitist i)ubliea- 
 tion, edited by l)i-. M. (i. ClarK-e, wdiich con- 
 tituied till 18(5(1, and was then merged with 
 /'/;( Standard, pidili.shed at Chicago. While 
 Eld(>r doodwin was publishint;- the Uieord, in 
 18(i8. :\Iis. .M. .\r. Rassett started, at Cincin- 
 nati, Till Chrisliiin Monitor, which was "the 
 pioneer mauazine devoted tii the sisterlmod of 
 
 the current refinnialinn," i.e. Id the women 
 of the Christian (Disciples, or Campbellite) 
 church. The editors exchanged ])iipers, and 
 their writing inspired a mutual jia.ssion which 
 led them to exchange vows: and on Jvuie 19, 
 1863, Polder (ioodwin and i\[rs. Bassett were 
 wedded. The Monitor wa.s then moved to In- 
 dianapolis, where it continued a,s The Ladies' 
 Christian Monitor until 1881-82, when it was 
 [lurchased by Mr, and Mi-s. Smart, and re- 
 moved to St. Loui.s. It was continued by 
 them then, the name being changed later to 
 'The Christian Companion : and, a few years 
 ago, it was merged with 'The Christian 
 Evangelist, which is still pid)lished at St. 
 Louis. In 1869 Jlrs. (ioodwin also published 
 The Mother's Monitor, and The American 
 Housewife, at Indianajiolis. At the same time, 
 her stepson, Angelo Q. (ioodwin, who had 
 learned the printer's trade in the Record 
 office, started a literary paper called 'The 
 Sparl'ling Gem, which sparkled for a few 
 months, and then faded. 
 
 When the Christian Woman's Boai'd of 
 ]\rissions began the publication of Mi.'ision- 
 ary Tidings here, in ]\ray, 1883, Mrs. Good- 
 win was made editor, but resigned in Sep- 
 tember of the same year on account of ill 
 health. She died at" Cleveland, Ohio, Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1885. This papei' was then edited 
 by a publishing committee, conijiosed of Mrs. 
 S. E. Shortridge and Mrs. L. A. IMoore. for 
 one year, when Mrs. Shortridge took the 
 position of editor, aiul continued till her 
 death in April, 189(1. Folhnving her, the 
 editors have been Aliss Lois A. White, April, 
 1890, to January, 1899: :\[rs. Helen E. Moses, 
 January, 1899, 'to ^hiy. 1905: ^frs. Ainia K. 
 Atwater, :\Iay, 1905, to November, 1909 ; and 
 Mrs. Efifie L. Cunningham from then to date. 
 This is a flourishing paper, with over 33,000 
 sub-scribcrs, in all parts of the United States 
 and twenty foreign countries. It has t-v- 
 cently been moved to the new building of 
 the Board at Irvingt.on. 
 
 After the war there came a nulalilc devel- 
 opment of pid)lication liei-e in the Chi'istian 
 Church, through Rev. Wm. AVorth Dowling, 
 for some time a teaelier, and head of the 
 ]>reparatorv dejiartmeut nf X<ii'th Western 
 Chi-istian Universit.\-. In .lanuary, 1865, he 
 stai'ted The Liltli Soirer. the tii-st 5>iniday 
 School pajiei- jirinted here, and the first one
 
 iOb 
 
 HISTORY OF (JlJE.vTEK 1 XDI ANA I'OLIS. 
 
 of the Christian Church juiywhere. There 
 was some opposititm among' the ehurcli head- 
 ers to Sunday .School papers at the time, on 
 the j^round that they were "unseriptural,"' 
 as introducing- some other instrument of in- 
 struction than the Bible, so the work began 
 with due caution. The paper was a monthly 
 for the tirst year, then a semi-monthly for 
 three years, and in 1869 became a weekly. 
 It continued till 1884, when the name was 
 changed to The Sitiulaij School EvaiujcUiit. 
 and later to llu Young EvaiKjelist. As in- 
 terest in Sunday School work grew, a paper 
 was needed for teachers and older students, 
 and Mr. Dowling started The Morning Watcli 
 to cover that ground. Its name was later 
 changed to The Cliristian Sunday School 
 Teacher, and in 1891 to Our Young Folks. 
 under which title it is now i)ublished. There 
 was also a call for a primary paper, and TIk 
 Little Watclivian was issued for that, the 
 name afterward becoming llie Sunny Sidi. 
 and later Our Little Ones. There was also a 
 lesson leaf published under the title of Good 
 Seed, which, after the adoption of the Inter- 
 national Lesson Leaf, developed into a (piai-- 
 tei-ly and annual. All of these publications 
 were started in Indianapolis, but in 1877 the 
 "Christian Publishing Company," with j\Ir. 
 Dowling as editor-in-chief, moved to St. 
 Louis, where they are still continued, with 
 various others. The success of Tlie Little 
 Sower suggested a similar publication for 
 dav schools, and in 1868 !Mr. Dowling and 
 Prof. "a. C. Shortridge started The Little 
 Chief. They continued it for two years, and 
 Prof. Shortridge, and Shortridge & Alden, 
 kept it up for several years after that. 
 
 There have been a number of short-lived 
 religious papers here, among which ma.v be 
 mentioned Tlie Illustrated CJiristian. pub- 
 lished also at Boston, in the later sixties. It 
 was bought by A. A. Barnes, the name 
 changed to Heart and Hand, and the publi- 
 cation continued for several months, with 
 Rev. E. P. Ingersoll as editor. Mr. Barnes 
 then turned it over to the Y. M. C. A., under 
 whose care it soon died. The Y. M. C. A. 
 had another i)ub]ication in 1873. called Our 
 I'aper: and another in 1876 called The Y . .17. 
 C. A. Review and Sahhatlt .Magazine, which 
 also died young. In 1869 Kev. F. C. Ilolli- 
 ilay published Tlie W(stirn Fireside, which 
 
 had a brief career. In 1871 Kev. Thos. A. 
 tiood«in started the Indiana Christian Advo- 
 cate, which lasted for a couple of years, and 
 was ehietly devoted to the temperance cause, 
 with friendly I'emarks on woman's suffrage, 
 and hearty opposition to state institutions of 
 higher learning— at least in Indiana. In 1875 
 the Journal and Messenger was started by the 
 Central Baptist Press Company. Early in the 
 eighties came The Gospel Trumpet, published 
 by Daniel S. Warren, The Christian I'niun. 
 and 77k Crown of Glory. A more permanent 
 [jublication was Tlie Indiana Baptist, started 
 in 1881 by Elgin & Chaille, brothers-in-law. 
 Elgin dropped out in a few years, and the 
 l)aper having become somewhat involved 
 financially, it was taken over by a company 
 called the Baptist Publishing Company. lu 
 1902 it was reiiioved to Greensburg, Ind., and 
 is still published there as the Baptist Ob- 
 server. 
 
 The Catholic Church can hardly be said to 
 have church papers as the Protestant 
 churches have. The papers known as "Cath- 
 olic" are private ventures, devoted not to the 
 di.scussion of doctrine, but to the publication 
 of news of interest to Catholics, and to the 
 promotion of the welfare of the church and 
 its members. There was no Catholic paper 
 here until 1875. AVhen Father O'Donaghue 
 came here, in 1874, he was impi-essed with 
 the desirabilit.v of such a paper, and advo- 
 cated its establishment. As a result a stock- 
 company was foi'ined in 1875 which began 
 the publication of Tlie Central Catholic. It 
 was edited for a short time by Dr. J. W. 
 Rogers; then bv Capt. Thos. K. Barrett; 
 then bv Dr. AYalters. The paper was .sold to 
 L. H. Bell of the Louisville Catholic Advo- 
 cate, who continued it as The Central Catho- 
 lic Advocate. In 1882 there was another 
 eliange of ownei-ship. and the name was made 
 The New Record. It ne.xt passed to Alex- 
 ander Chomel. who made it The Catholic Rec- 
 ord, and published it till 1895, when it was 
 sold to The Catholic Columhian, of Colum- 
 bus. 0., and the name took its present form 
 of The Catholic Columbian Record. The vol- 
 ume number was changed in 1882 when the 
 paper M'as called 'The Xrw Record, and the 
 tiles would indicate its origin in that year; 
 but it was practically all one paper back to 
 1875. The only other Catholic paper here V 
 
 i
 
 IllsToItY OF CK'KATKK I \! )| A XAI'OI.IS. 
 
 40r 
 
 The Indiana Catholic, which was started iu 
 February. 1910, by J. P. O'-Mahony, who 
 had been for several years the manager of the 
 Record. 
 
 Of the later religious publications, still 
 continued. The India nil Reporter, a seiiii- 
 montlily. is under auspices of the Seveutli- 
 Day Adventists. The Herald <if Light is 
 published by the Pentecost Band. The 
 Awakener is the organ of the Indiana Sun- 
 day School As.sociation. and is devoted to the 
 extension of Sunday School work. The Epis- 
 copaliajis have an organ in The CliureJt 
 Chremiele. This is a monthly publication 
 which was begun in April, 189!). by the 
 Woman's Au.xiliary of the Diocese of In- 
 dianapolis, and was ably edited for ten years 
 by Jlrs. \V. D. Pratt. She then resigned and 
 the paper was taken over by Bishop Francis. 
 He and Kev. (Jeo. Burbanck are now the 
 editors. 
 
 There is hardly any imaginable .sort of 
 pap)er that has not been ))ublislH'd in In- 
 dianapolis at some time. Humor has been 
 represented by The Humorist, published by 
 Laudon & Hastings in I860: the Jolly IIoo- 
 sier, by A. C. Rooche & Co. in 1870; Scissors, 
 started by the Indiana Publishing Company, 
 the principal iin'iiibcrs of which were the 
 Hyman brothers, in 1888. (his last with car- 
 toons of the '"Puck"' oi-der. Of skeptical, or 
 "free-thought'" jjapers there were Monroe's 
 Ironclad Age. a rather ably edited paper, 
 and Lamaster's leonoelast, which was bitterly 
 opposed to everything that apyone else was 
 in favor of. Pajjcrs of fraternal organiza- 
 tions will be found meiiti(med in the clia])t('r 
 treating of those organizations; but it may 
 be mentioned in jiassing that the most widel.\' 
 circuhited j)ai)er. of any kind, evei' published 
 here was the Modern Woodman, whose last 
 issue before it was removed to Rock Island, 
 in October. 1908. was of 1,040.000 copies. 
 Of paper's of the colored population the 
 pioneei' was Th( Indianapolis Leader. ])ub- 
 lished by Bagby l^ros.. and the present rej)- 
 resentatives ai-e The Indianapolis World, pub- 
 lished by (lurley Brewer and A. E. ]\Tan- 
 ning; the Hieordcr. pid)li.shed by Oeo. P. 
 Stewart, and Ttic Freeman, published by 
 fieo. L. Knox, of licjunr papers there liavc 
 been half a dozen, the most striking, in name 
 at least, being liarrds and Bottl(s. ])ul)lisiie(l 
 
 by \V. 0. Bates. Of literary papers— more 
 or less literary— there have been still more, 
 of which the pioneei's ma.v be considei-ed The 
 Olire Branch, published by .Miss Carrie 1). 
 F. Bush, and ^liss Dill's (lazette, published 
 liy Lizzie St. C. Dill, in 18fi(). The most pre- 
 tentious venture in this line was Thi Reader 
 Magazine, published by The Bobbs-^Mei'i-ill 
 Co. from November, 1902, to Februai-y, 1908, 
 and then consolidated Avith Putnam's Maga- 
 zine. This was published as I'utnam'n and 
 The Reader for a year, and thereafter as 
 I'ut nam's. 
 
 The Hrst medical i)aper hei'i was published 
 by Dr. Theophilus Parviii. He had been as- 
 siK'iated in the ownership and publication of 
 the Cincinnati Journal of Medicine, and in 
 June, 1867, acquired the entire ownership. 
 He removed it to Indianai)o]is. the July num- 
 ber being issued here as The Western Jour- 
 nal of Mcelicine. Dr. Parvin was a man of 
 tiie-h culture, and of the fii'st rank in his i)ro- 
 fession. His paper was a high-grade 
 monthly, with 64 pages of reading matter, 
 issued by Robert Clarke & Co. of Cincinnati 
 at the same dates that it appeared here. 
 After several years the name of the i)aj)er 
 was changed to Tlie American I'ractition( r. 
 and Dr. Yandell, of Louisville, was associated 
 in the publication. He stood as jiigh in Ken- 
 tucky as Dr. Parvin did in Indiana, and at 
 the time wa.s lecturing here at tiie Indiana 
 Medical College, while Dr. Parvin was also 
 lecturing at Louisville. In 1880 it was the 
 leading medical .iournal of Indianaj)olis. In 
 :\lay. 1870. Dr. Thad. :\r. Stevens, a nephew 
 of the celebrated Pciinsylvanian of the same 
 name, started a monthly called The Indiana 
 Journal of Medicine, which was contiiuied 
 foi" several years. There were two or thi-ee 
 short-lived medical papers in this jH'i'iod. 
 among them the Medical Rerien-. published 
 by Dr. J. A. Bi-own in 1S77. and Lilxral 
 Medicine, published by Dr. Frank A. Wi-ight. 
 Joseph Perty also issued for some innntlis a 
 paper called the I'harmaeisl. 
 
 In Septendier, 1S82. Di-s. Fi-aiik I-'eiiiusoii 
 and A. W. Brayton began jiublisliing '/'/((• 
 Indiana Medical Journal, which has proven 
 the most lasting of all. Dr. Ferguson dropped 
 out in a year or two and the publication was 
 continued by a stock company, with Dr. 
 Bravton as editor. Dr. i5ra\t(iii is an all-
 
 408 
 
 HISTOIJY OF GKHATKU INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 round sc-iiMitist and litterateur, as well as a 
 medical man. and made the Jouniul of in- 
 terest to many pei'sons outside of the profes- 
 sion. In June. 1898. the Medical and Sur- 
 gical Monibir was started by a stock com- 
 pany, with Dr. Samuel E. Earp as editor. 
 In YMi Dr. Earp became editor of the Ceu- 
 (ral States Medical Magazine, published at 
 Ander.son. Ind. ; and the Monitor was edited 
 by Dr.s. A. E. Sterne and S. P. Scherer. In 
 1905 these two papers were combined, ami 
 published at Indianapolis as The Ventral 
 States Medical Monitor, with Dr. Earp as 
 editor. In January, 1909, arrani;enients 
 were made to combine this with the Indiana 
 Medical Journal, and the resultant is now 
 published under that name, with Drs. Earp 
 and Brayton as editors, and Drs. Saul C. 
 Norris and S. P. Scherer as a.ssociates. Xor- 
 ris was the original editor of the Central 
 States Medical Magazine, and Dr. Scherer of 
 t\\& Monitor, so that The Indiana Medical 
 Journal now represents all the interests of 
 the old school, except the students at the 
 Medical College of Indiana, who have been 
 publishing The Medical Student since Octo- 
 ber, 1902. 
 
 The other schools were not inactive. In 
 June, 1874, the State Physio-iMedical conven- 
 tion adopted resolutions to publish a paper. 
 A publishing conunittee was appointed, and 
 in Januai'y. 187i), the first number of the 
 I'hiisio-M< dieat Journid apjieai-ed. In 1878 
 Dr. (ieorge Hasty, the founder of the local 
 Physio-]\ledical College, became editor, and 
 did much towards building the paper up. It 
 continued till 1897. In that year the Plnjsio- 
 Medical Record was started, with Dr. Hag- 
 gard and the Drs. Anthony as editors, and 
 still continues. In the later seventies the 
 Eclectics got busy. They established a med- 
 ical college at Indiana avenue and California 
 street, whose first class graduated in 1881. 
 In 1878, Dr. Geo. W. Piekerill started the 
 Indiana Medical Eclectic Quarterly, which 
 lasted only a year or so. In January. 188:i. 
 Piekerill started the Indiana Eclectic Med- 
 ical Journal, which was more hardy. In 
 July of the same year Dr. K. C. Kelsey 
 started the Medical Free Prc.ts, which was an 
 iM?lectic monthly. Dr. Kelsey being dean of 
 the college. In 1890 the 'Eclectic Medical 
 Journal combined with the Medical Free 
 
 Press, and the paper was contiiuied uudtr 
 the latter name. 
 
 The legal profession ha.s managed to get 
 along most of the time without a local paper, 
 there being comparatively little occasion for 
 one. The chief current i)rofessional informa- 
 tion is the decisions of the Appellate courts 
 which are largely furnished by the various 
 i-eporter publications, and, long before these 
 were instituted, digests of the decisions were 
 I'onunonly printed by the daily papers as 
 news matter. On ;\Iaieh "25. 1881. J. C. and 
 Frank L. Wells started a jiublication called 
 The Indiana Law Hi porter, devoted almost 
 exclusively to the publication of court deci- 
 sions, which was discontinued after a few 
 months. They were not wholly discouraged, 
 however, and in ^lay, 188:5. began publishing 
 The Indiana Law Ma(/aziu(. This was on a 
 slightly broader basis, and was continued 
 through five semi-annual volumes. The next 
 legal periodical was Th( Indiana Law Stu- 
 dent, started by the students of the Indian- 
 apolis Law School in 189(). but their vaulting 
 ambition lasted for less than a year. In Jan- 
 uary. 1898, the Indiana Law Journid was be- 
 iiun. with ^^^ p. Fishback as editor, and Wm. 
 F. Elliott. Charles W. :\loores and Wm. P. 
 Kappes as a.ssociate editors, but they found 
 little in the venture but work and expense, 
 and it was discontinued aftei- a year or so. 
 The only other publication approaching this 
 chai-acter was Tin i'uhlic Ojjiiiat. which was 
 Ik'uuu in 189."). aii<l ran tlii-dugh three vol- 
 umes. 
 
 A publication which was uni(iue at the 
 time of its beginning in 1891, was Pavinfj 
 and Municipal Engiueering. It was an out- 
 growth of the paving exposition held by the 
 Connnercial Club in 1890. There were so 
 many inquiries sent here concerning it that 
 Mr. AViliiam Foi-tune. secretary of the club, 
 conceived the idea of stai'ting a ])ai)er to sup- 
 ply information on such sult.iects. ]\Ir. Wni. 
 P. Bobbs associated with him as business 
 manager and the magazine was launched. 
 ^Ir. Bobbs disposed of his interest in Deceni- 
 licr, 1892. and the papei- was continued by a 
 stock company controlled by ^fi-. Fortune. 
 The first two volumes were animals and the 
 succeedinir ones semi-annual. In July. 1896, 
 the word "Paving" was drop|)e(l from the 
 title, and it has since been |)ublislied as
 
 HISTORY OF GKEA'JKi; I \ DIAX Al'OLIS. 
 
 409 
 
 Miiniciptd Kiigiiu ( ring. In \S'.H> Mv. C'luirk's 
 (J. Brown IjccaiiK' editorial writfi-, and in 
 1901 editof. The jrreat l)(idy of the niattei- 
 lias always been specially prepared by con- 
 tributors, usually by recognized experts. 
 This characteristic, as well as its efficient 
 editing, has given it an authoritative stand- 
 ing, and it now has a widely scattered circu-- 
 lation of over .j.tiOd. 
 
 Another successful |)ublication of its own 
 cla.ss was Thr Ihiih/ R(pori(r, which Ix'gan 
 publication Sc])tcnil)er H. 1895, nominally liy 
 tlie Keportei- Publishing Co., but the moving 
 
 I.. I'urdy. formerly of the iS'io/. and appar- 
 I'Mtly continues its old-time prosi)erity. 
 
 There has been no form of temperance agi- 
 tation that has not been represented by an 
 Indianapolis jjublication, and prohibition has 
 had its i-i'])rcsentntive since 1884. In that 
 year .M. K. .Shicl moved the Monitor-Journal 
 — a i)a])er published at Srymour, Ind.. 
 formed by a ciniiliinatinn of the Monitor and 
 the Rril h'il)l)on .lournal — to Indiaiuipolis and 
 united with the Snn. a South Bend temper- 
 ance paper, nndei- the luune of Tlie Fhiilaiix. 
 It was owned by a stock company, and soon 
 
 THE SENTINEL OFFICE, 1850. 
 (From an old cut.) 
 
 spirit of the enterprise was Joseph T. Klliott, 
 •Jr. Its specialty was connnei'cial reporting. 
 aJid incidentally i)romotin,g the interests of 
 the Indiana Banking Assofiation. On May 
 lid. i;)U.'J, the name was changed to The In- 
 lianaijolis Vommercial licportcr. From the 
 start the paper gave very full and accurate 
 reports of markets, legal jiroceedings and 
 otiier business matters, and liecame the chief 
 local medium fo!- legal a<l\ei'tisements. In 
 19()S :srr. Elliott sold his interests and re- 
 moved to California. On April 11, 1908, the 
 name of the paper was changed to the In- 
 (liannpolis Cotnmercial. and its scope was 
 sliirhtlv enlarged. It is now edited bv Fred 
 
 irained a i-eputation as a spicy anil vigorous 
 |)ublicati(>ii. In 1891 it i)asscd into the con- 
 trol of Will. \'\ and F.dward \V. Clark, who 
 have since ])ublishid it. The name was 
 changed in IS'Xi lo The I'atriot Phalanx. 
 From the Phalanx office is also issued Clean 
 Politics, a paper on a national basis, pub- 
 lished by a stock company, with W. JI. Li- 
 kins as manager and Chas. ^M. Fillmore as 
 a.ssociate editor. It was started in July, 1909, 
 and attained over 8."),000 circulation in six 
 months. It is a weekly, published at 50 cents 
 a year. 
 
 There liave been two or tliicr attempts at 
 society papers here, such as Mudnni. but none
 
 410 
 
 HlS'l'ol.'V OF (il.'EATER IN DIAN AJ'ol.lS. 
 
 of tlu'iu that lasted long. The most notable 
 paper that might be included in this class 
 was The Indiana Weekly, which was started 
 November 9, 1895. by E. E. Stattord. It was 
 rather broader than a mere society paper, 
 and j)reserved quite an amount of biography 
 in its sketches of local characters. In the 
 fall of 1900 Mr. Stafford sold it to Lieutenant 
 Governor Haggard and John Reichman. 
 Within a year they sold it to Geo. McCulloch, 
 who cdutinued it two or three years longer. 
 
 On July 14, 1881, appeai-ed a new morning 
 daily called The Indianapolis Times. It was 
 a two-cent paper, published at the old Jour- 
 nal oiitice, at the northeast corner of Circle 
 and ]\Iarket streets. It was published by a 
 company, the chief factor in which was Wm. 
 R. Holloway, who is a newspaper man by 
 both heredity and environment. His father 
 wa.s for years editor of the Richmond Palla- 
 dium, with occasional political prefennent, 
 having sei-ved for a term as commissioner of 
 patents. William learned the printer's trade, 
 and before he w-a.s of age worked as com- 
 positor on a Cincinnati paper. When his 
 brother-in-law, Oliver P. Morton, became 
 Governor. ]\Ir. Holloway became his private 
 secretan*, and served in that capacity to 
 1864, when he, with others, bought the Jour- 
 nal, and remained its editor \intil the winter 
 of 1866. In 1869 he was appointed postmas- 
 ter, and retained the position for twelve 
 years, during which time he dabbled a little 
 in newspaper work, and on leaving the office 
 started the Times. Charles ^I. Walker, one 
 of the best known newspaper men in Indian- 
 apolis, who had been editor-in-chief of the 
 Journal, was made editor of the new paper, 
 and served until he went to Washington as 
 chief clerk of the postoffiee department, un- 
 der Judge Greshara, in 1882. But the Times 
 was not a money-maker, and its last issue 
 appeared on August 9. 1886, the paper being 
 sold to the Journal Company — nominally 
 consolidatetd in the Indianapolis Journal 
 Newspaper Company with John C. New-, 
 Henry New, and Oliver T. Morton as direc- 
 tors. The United Press franchise, which had 
 been held by the Times, was sold to the 
 Evening) Neivs. 
 
 Up to this time the Journal had absorbed 
 everytliing in the form of an evening paper 
 that had appeared, excepting the News. As 
 
 mentioned, The Citizen, started in 1857, had 
 been merged with Tlie Atlas; and in 1861 
 The Atlas was sold to the Journal. In 1867 
 the Journal bought the Evening Gazette, and 
 in 1870 'The Daily Times, which had been 
 started nominally by Dynes & Chene.v, but 
 really by James H. Woodard, a correspon- 
 dent, widely known as " Jayhawker. "' In 
 1871 the Jemrnal bought The Evening Com- 
 niereial, which had been started in 1867, and 
 made it the evening edition of the Journal, 
 with George Harding as managing editor. 
 This was regarded as an effort to displace 
 the News in the afternoon field, but it was 
 not successful, and was an expensive luxury; 
 and after a convincing trial of the experi- 
 ment, the Journal was glad to confine itself 
 to its morning issue. 
 
 The only paper that ever proved able to 
 hold a place in the afternoon field against 
 the Xeics is the Sun. This was started on 
 ^larch 12, 1888. by a company of five news- 
 paper men who had worked together at Cleve- 
 land, Ohio. The chief stockholder and finan- 
 cial backer of the paper was J. S. Sweeny, 
 of Detroit, a member of the Scripps-]\IcRae 
 Company, who did not take up residence here. 
 The others were Fred L. Purdy, who edited 
 the paper; Charles J. Seabrook, who was 
 business manager; Wm. S. Speed, who had 
 charge of the book-keeping and office work; 
 and A. C. Keifer, who looked after the cir- 
 culation. It was a one-cent paper, supplied 
 with the Scripps-^McRae telegraph service, 
 and soon found a field in which it was very 
 successful for a number of years. Mr. Purdy 
 is largely an editor of the old school train- 
 ins, but with all the new school trimmings. 
 He was born at Bellaire, Ohio, January 22, 
 1859; and, after getting a rudimentary edu- 
 cation in the conunon schools, entered the 
 office of the Free Press, a country paper in 
 Chemung County, N. Y., at the age of 13, to 
 learn the printer's trade. At 18. having 
 learned his trade, he went to the Elmira Free 
 Press, where he set type and incidentally 
 edited telegraph till 1882. A printers' 
 strike then came on. and he edited a paper 
 j>rinted by the strikei-s till it reached 
 the usual "bust.'' He then went to Cleve- 
 land and got a .iob as marine reporter 
 on the Pre.^s; and in due time rose to the 
 position of city editor, which included the
 
 ISTOKV OF CRKAT 
 
 IXDIANAl'Ol.lS. 
 
 411 
 
 functions of niatia;j:iug I'^litur. Ki-om tlifiv 
 he came to luilianapolis to .stai't the Sun. 
 In Dccenibei', 1904, when he sold the Star. 
 George ileCulloch inade a contract under 
 which he controlled and operated the Sun. 
 with option to purchase tlie stock. The build- 
 ing in which it is published belongs to J. S. 
 Sweeny. I'uder its new nianageiiient the 
 Suu wa.s (piite severely atHicteil with Ilearst- 
 itis, which has usually proved fatal in this 
 climate. Giving iriore si)ace to headlines than 
 to matter, and printing editorials in display 
 type is too much like holding an ordinary 
 conversation through a megaphone to be pop- 
 ular in sober Indiana|iolis. Early in 191(1 
 the Sun was purchased by Mr. Kudolidi 
 Leeds, of Richmond, and j)assed to a finan- 
 cial basis that is sound enough for any news- 
 paper, as well as to an improved condition. 
 
 But the Sun is hardly a competitor of the 
 Xeu:s: The most serious competition the 
 yews ever had was from the Press: and that 
 was not so serious as it looked, because the 
 Press was too largely handicapped to have 
 any real chance for success. On ^fay 12, 
 1892. John 11. HoUiday sold the controlling 
 interest of the Xc^^•s to AVm. Henry Smith, 
 widely known as majiager of the Associated 
 Press. His son-in-law, Chai-les R. Williams, 
 then became editor-in-chief of the paper. 
 ^Tr. Williams is a man of wide culture. Born 
 in New Yoi-k. April 16, 1853, he was honor 
 graduate at Pi-inceton in 1875, with i)ost- 
 graduate woi'k at Goettingen and Lei|)zig. 
 He wa.'i tutor in Latin at Prim-eton and pro- 
 fessor of Greek at Lake Forest. He was 
 editor of Potter's American Monthlij ; liter- 
 ary- editor of the New York World, and as- 
 sistant ireneral manager of the Associated 
 IVe.ss from 18S;i to 1892. On the death of 
 Mr. Smith on July 27, 18tl(). his son, Delavaii 
 Smith, became the i)iMnci])al owner of the 
 I)aper. It has been widely believed that Sen- 
 ator Charles W. Fairbanks was ai part owner 
 of the \eu-s, but this is not the fact, lie is 
 a first coiisin of Delavan Smith, and their 
 relations are naturally close. In conscfpienee 
 the Xfirs has commonly been regarded as a 
 Fairbanks "organ," thousrh it has not been 
 one in the usual sense of the term. 
 
 Mr. Holliday's chief rea.son for srlliiig the 
 Xeu's was impaired health, which he attribut- 
 ed to the close confinement of editorial woi'k. 
 
 He founded the liiion Trust Go. in 1883 and 
 became its i)resident. He regained his health 
 and, like most men who have become accus- 
 tomed to newspaper woi-k. both he and Major 
 Richards desired to return to it. They ac- 
 cordingly decided to start the Press, and, 
 after elaborate i)reparatioiis the fii-st number 
 was issued on December 13, 1899. They un- 
 deaiook to make it from the first a larger 
 and better paper than the Xetis. but tlu? lat- 
 ter at once met the competition, and both 
 were soon issuing bhudiet sheets resembling 
 the ordinary Sunday paper. In this the 
 News had nnich the advantage. It had the 
 monopoly of the United Pi-ess service, and 
 of the afternoon franchise of the Associated 
 Press, and these furnish the cheapest high- 
 grade news matter known in this country. 
 It had a large established eii'culation and a 
 large line of profitable advertising contracts, 
 while the Press had to build up a circula- 
 tion, and take advertising at such rates as its 
 circulation justified. It had not exactly a 
 monopoly of "classified ads." but a great 
 lead ovei- all the rest of the city i)apers com- 
 bined, and which all the other papers had 
 nuide vain efforts to rival. Gonsecjuently the 
 News was ahvays able to make the better 
 showing of ctirrent news, and had enough 
 advertising to carry its inci'cased reading 
 matter without serious lo.ss. The Press kept 
 up the fight for si.xteen months, but it was 
 swallowing money so rapidly that its owners 
 took council of discretion, and on Ai)ril Ki, 
 1901, suspeiuled. Mr. Plolliday "beconnng a 
 member of the News copartnership" and Mr. 
 Richards retiring. Both have since taken 
 [n-ominent parts in financial affairs, Mr. Hol- 
 liday being re-elected president of the Union 
 Trust Co., and ]\Ir. Richai'ds becoming vice- 
 president of the Union National Bank. 
 
 .\fter the i)urchase of the Jnurnal by Tlas- 
 selnian and Fishl)ack in 1870. W. R.'llollo- 
 way bought a si.xth interest; Mr. IIas.selman 
 l)re.sented a si.xth to his son Otto: and Thom- 
 as D. Fitch botight a sixth. In January, 
 1872, these sold to a Journal Company in 
 which Jonathan i\I. Ridenour and (Jen. Na- 
 than Kind)all, former State Treasiirer, were 
 the chief ownei-s. '{"hey improved the me- 
 elianical department, and l)ought a Bullock 
 pei-fecting i)ress, the first bi-ouirht to the 
 state. In 1875 Nicholas [^l,•kle. ex-sheritV of
 
 412 
 
 HISTOUV OK GKEATER IXDlAXAl'oLIS. 
 
 the couiitN', obtained a coutrolliiiy interest. 
 and Mr. Ritlenour retired. In 1876 the i)aper 
 was sold to E. B. ilartindale and AY. R. llol- 
 loway, the .job office being retained liy 
 Kuckle, who later sold it to Ha.sseliiian & 
 Co. The new ]iroprietors moved the paper 
 to the new Journal office — now tlie American 
 Central Life Ijuilding- — and later to "ilar- 
 tindale Block' ' — remodeled Roberts Chapel, 
 where the Lemcke bnilding now stands. In 
 1880 the paper was purchased by John C. 
 New and his son Harry, who had started in 
 as a reporter undei- the IMartindjile miuuige- 
 ment, and they li(>l(l it for twenty-two years. 
 
 This last ciuarter of a century of the Jour- 
 nal was its best period. The earlier jiart of 
 it was under the editorial inanai>ement of 
 Elijah W. Halford, one of the best-known 
 newspaper men of Indianajiolis. lie is an 
 Englishman, born at Xottinghani. September 
 8. 1843. His family came to the United 
 States in 1847. settling first at Cincinnati, and 
 in 18.51, at Hamilton, Ohio. Here Elijah got 
 his education in the common schools, and 
 served an apprenticeship of six years in the 
 printing trade. He came to Indianapolis in 
 December. ISfil. and worked fii-st in the job 
 office of John Fahnestock. and later at Bra- 
 den's, where lie attracted the attention of 
 Dan Paine, who recommended him to the 
 editor of the Journal, and he was employed 
 as a reporter. He rose to the position of 
 city editor, and when John Young Scannnon 
 started the Chicago Inler-Occan in 1872. Hal- 
 ford was called to it as managing editoi-. 
 After two years he returned to the Joiiriiul 
 went from it to the Xcws during ^[r. Ruckle's 
 ownership, and back again after John C. 
 New bought the paper. He did effective work 
 for the nomination and election of General 
 Harri.son, and was made private secretaiy by 
 the president soon after his election. Just 
 before the close of President Harrison's term 
 ^Ir. Halford was made a paymaster in the 
 army~a life position with a comfortable sal- 
 ary. ■ 
 
 After "S\v. Ilalford's departure Thomas 
 Steele took his place as managing editor. 
 Halford had written only a part of the 
 editorial when in charge, most of it being- 
 written by Charles 'SI. Walker and Berry 
 Sularove. 'Sir. Steele wrote still less. He 
 had come u|) fi-om the jirinter's case, as 
 
 proof-reatler ami lelegra|)h etlitor, and was an 
 excellent judge of matter, and a wise man- 
 ager, ^[iss Anna Nicholas began writing on 
 the Journal umlei- Halford; was with it to 
 the eiul, and went to the !<t<rr when the 
 Journal su.si)ended. She is a clever and in- 
 dustrious writer and has given much of the 
 I'haracter to the editorials of both the Journal 
 and the Star. Her brothers preceded her, 
 John D. Nicholas being managing editor of 
 the Journal during the Ruckle ownership, 
 and Will Nicholas, now of New York City, 
 ha\'ing been for some time one of the bright- 
 est writers on the Journal staff. They were 
 from .Meadville, Penn. I'nder Mr. Steele's 
 uuuuigement Col. Z. A. Smith became the 
 jiolitical editorial writer. In the winter of 
 1902-3 the proprietors .sold the paper to 
 Charles L. Henry, who continued it till the 
 sununer of 1904. when he sold it to George 
 MeCulloeh of the Sinr. The papers were an- 
 nounced to be continued as The Star and 
 Journal, hut the name "Journal" was merely 
 added in small type to the regular large head 
 of the Star, and on October 27, 1904, even 
 this was dropped, and the Journal became 
 only a memory. 
 
 The .S7r/;-ha'.l b.-eii started June (i. 190;?. by 
 George IMcCulloeh. with Earl ]\[artiu as 
 editor. It was jjriiited at the southwest cor- 
 ner of Circle and ^Market streets, and was 
 "one cent a day. seven days in the week." 
 Later it -ivas made a two-cent paper, with a 
 five-cent Sunday edition. In October, 1904. 
 the Star was sold to a comjtany, in which 
 Daniel Reid of New York was the chief stock- 
 holder. At this time llr. Ernest Bross was 
 secured as editor. He is a native of ilichi- 
 gan, bom in 1860. He was educated at 
 Doane College, Nebraska, and had newspaper 
 training on several papers, especially the 
 Omaha Iirp'ihliran. In 1887 he went to Port- 
 land, Oregon, to take charge of the Oregou- 
 ian. where he attained a wide notability as 
 an editorial writer. He is still the chief edi- 
 torial writei' of the Star. The Star was 
 edited and published in the building at the 
 southwest corner of ^larket and Circle streets 
 until July. 1907. when it was removed to the 
 building .specially erected for it at the north- 
 east corner of New York and Pennsylvania 
 streets. In April. lOOS. :\rr. K'eid applied to 
 the I^. S. Court for ,'i I'ci-eivei- foi' the Star
 
 lusTonv ni-^ (;i;i;.\'i'i".ii ixdiaxapoi.i.s. 
 
 413 
 
 "chain." including the Muncii Slur jiiid 
 Tcnr Haute Star, both owned by the same 
 eonipany. on the ground of insolvency. There 
 were .$650,000 of outstanding bonds. $500,00(1 
 of 6 per cent preferred stock, and $500,000 
 of eoninion, besides a demand note to him for 
 .$220.()40.86, and past due interest of 
 •tlti.lKJ.fM. The paper had not earned divi- 
 dends, ayd it was alleged it could not. On 
 April 30 Judge Anderson appointed as re- 
 ceiver (ieo. \V. Hitt, the veteraji business 
 manager of the Journal, and in twenty 
 months from tlien. to December 31. 1909. he 
 reported snrj)lus net earnings of $140,731.11. 
 after paying all fixed charges due. Moral : 
 If not prosperous, go into the hands of a 
 receiver. 
 
 On July 1. 1886. the control of the Scu- 
 tinel passed to W. J. Craig, with Gus Mat- 
 thews as editorial writer. Craig was one of 
 the most courteous men as an employer 1 
 have ever known, but he took a very serious 
 view of the Sentinel's responsibility as the 
 organ of the Democratic party, and he did 
 not believe in "weak-kneed polities." and 
 that was what caused the worst "break" the 
 Scntinr] ever made. In the campaign of 
 1886. the office of Lieutenant-Govei-iior l)einu 
 vacant, both parties nominated candidates. 
 and the Republican candidate, R. S. Koberl- 
 son, was elected. The only per.son who oh- 
 .iected to a nomination by the Democrats was 
 A. (i. Smith, later Attorney-CJeneral. who 
 had been elected president pro tem. of the 
 Senate at the preceding session, and who in- 
 sisted that a lieutenant-governor cotdd not be 
 elected until 1888, under the constitutional 
 provision for an election once in four years. 
 After the election he announced his intention 
 to hold as |)i'esiding officer of the Senate, and 
 as the leLHsiature was very close, the Tve|)uli- 
 licans holding the House, and a L'nited States 
 Senator was to be elected, the Democratic 
 leaders decided to support him. A ca.se was 
 prepared and huri'ied to the Supreme Court, 
 but the court i-efused, on January 4. 1887. 
 to decide the f|uestion on the gi'ound that it 
 had no jurisdiction of tli<' case, as the consti- 
 tution made each house the jtidge of the elec- 
 tion of its members and officei-s, atul that it 
 was not proper for the court to decide what 
 was tlie law unless it had jurisdiction in th.' 
 
 case at bar. -iudges Miteliell and llowk dis- 
 sented. 
 
 As the majority of the court \vas Demo- 
 cratic, the Democrats were naturiilly indig- 
 nant at this evasion of tlie (juestion. and none 
 more so than ]\Ir. Craig lie luul .Matthews 
 write a scathing editorial denunciation of the 
 court, antl. after reading it. added the intro- 
 ductoiy sentence. "Danui their cowardly 
 souls." This furnished water for the Re- 
 publican mill, with a vengeance, and for some 
 days the merits of the case were completely 
 eclipsed by criticism of this assault on the 
 highest court in the state. I had been sub- 
 stituting occasionally for ^latthews as edi- 
 torial writer, and I assured him that his edi- 
 torial position was well taken, with the ex- 
 ception of the opening sentence. The ques- 
 tion involved was not merely of the election 
 of a presiding officer of the Senate, but of a 
 lieutenant-govei'nor, who would succeed as 
 irovernor in case of the death of that official. 
 The hesitancy about stating the law where 
 a supreme court has not jurisdiction, or 
 where the question is not j)roperly presented, 
 was all rot. Although it is not often a com- 
 mendable thing, all courts make such state- 
 ments when they like, and the reports of the 
 Indiana courts were full of "obiter dicta." 
 But further than that, there was a very 
 strong line of decisions to the ett'ect that in 
 time of public excitement and threatened 
 disturbance over a disputed question of law, 
 it was the duty of the court to state the law. 
 even if it coidd not give it the force of a 
 decision. At the request of ^latthews I pre- 
 pared an editorial on these lines, taking sev- 
 eral days to collect authorities, but when it 
 was i>repared Ci-aig was so much intimidated 
 that he decided not to ]>ubli.sh it. And there 
 he lost his ehanc(> of at least partial vindica- 
 tion, for within two months, on rehearing, 
 the court practically reversed itself and gave 
 the statements of the law which it had held 
 improiier; and the iqiinions sustained Smith's 
 position.* 
 
 In February. 1SS8. the conti-ol of tlH> Sin- 
 linrl was pui'chased liy Samuel E. ^loi-ss. and 
 this marked an epoch in its existence. I 
 think he was one of the strongest editorial 
 
 "Robertson vs. The State ex rel. 109 Ind. 
 p. 79.
 
 414 
 
 HISTOKV OF GREATER IXDIAXAl'OLIS. 
 
 writers Indiaiia])()lis ever had, if uot the 
 strongest, and eertainly he was the readiest, 
 lie was bold and outspoken ; made up his 
 mind on new questions very quickly, and sel- 
 dom decided erroneously. He was born at 
 Ft. Wayne. Dec. 15, 1852, and had only a 
 common school education, which, however, he 
 broadened by extensive and solid reading. 
 He began work as a boy on the Ft. Wayne 
 Gazette, and after growing np bought the Ft. 
 Wayne Sentiticl. This he sold to his partner 
 in 1880, and went to Kansa.^ City. There he 
 established the Star, but did not reap the 
 benefits of tliat ureat newspaper success, foi- 
 overwork brought a nervous breakdown, and 
 in 1882 he sold and went to Paris for treat- 
 ment by a nerve specialist. H(? returned in 
 the winter of 1888-4 much improved— tlumtili 
 he never fully recovered — and went on the 
 Cliicago Times as editorial writer, and later 
 Washington coi'respondent. From there he 
 came to the Sentinel. 
 
 It was a national campaign year, with Gen- 
 era] Harrison as the Republican candidate. 
 Both sides were enthusiastic and confident. 
 The Republicans carried the state by a small 
 7)lnrality in response to General Harrison's 
 apjieal that he did not want to be elected and 
 failed to carry his own state. The slogan was 
 "get one vote," and this resulted in the most 
 extraordinar>' individual effort ever known 
 in Indiana. The Se)itinel made a gallant 
 fitrht, and thoujih beaten it exposed the Dud- 
 ley frauds and inspired the party with the 
 desire for honest elections. The legislature 
 was Democratic, and the Sentinel began its 
 fitrht for election reform inunediately after 
 the election, the results of which are detailed 
 in the chapter entitled "A Political Epoch". 
 But that was not all. Morss was a natural 
 reformer, for the simple reason that he be- 
 lieved in good uovernment. Anything that 
 promised improvem(>nt appealed to him. He 
 took up Oscar jrcCulloeli's bill for a State 
 Board of Charities and Corrections, Repre- 
 sentative Pleasant 's bill for a state school 
 book system. Senator Barrett's street im- 
 pi-ovement liond bill. Senator Byrd's bill to 
 abolish ''pluck-nie stores" in the coal i-e- 
 gions, and made earnest campaigns for them. 
 The Icffislatiire of 1889 went on record as the 
 greatest reform le<rislature in tlie history of 
 the state, and th(> Sentinel received and de- 
 
 served much of the credit. A similar course 
 was followed in the legislature of 1891 with 
 the city charter, tax law and other measures. 
 
 In 1892 there was the iLsual Democi'atic 
 figuring for a "favorite son" on the na- 
 tional ticket, but 'Sir. ^[orss was convinced 
 that the party sentiment of the state was 
 overwhelmingly for Cleveland, and boldlj* 
 said so. The result was an Indiana delega- 
 tion for Cleveland in the national conven- 
 tion. In 1893 Mv. ^lorss was appointed Con- 
 sul-General to Paris, and left the editorial 
 department of the pai)er in my charge — I 
 having been associated in it since 1888. ^lat- 
 tei-s went smoothly enough till the campaign 
 of 1896. Both ]\Ir. Morss and myself were 
 international bimetallists by conviction, and 
 as between a gold standard and "free silver" 
 considered the latter the lesser evil. All that 
 the Sentinel could do to hold the party to 
 international bimetallism was done, but after 
 Bryan was nominated Mr. ]\Iorss cabled me 
 to support the ticket. I did so to the best 
 of my ability. It did not do much good, but 
 the paper was at least made obnoxious to the 
 opposition. That campaign ruined the Sen- 
 lind financially. The i;reat majority of busi- 
 ness men acquired the delusion that if Mr. 
 Bryan were elected their property would be 
 practically confiscated. The feeling was in- 
 tense — far beyond anything ever known be- 
 fore or since, over an economic question. The 
 boycott on advertising, begun during the 
 campaign, wa.s continued long after. It 
 made the Sentinel a losing proposition on the 
 business side, and it never recovered from 
 that condition. There was no compensation 
 from the other side. Indeed, some of the 
 Democratic leaders assiduously claimed that 
 their worst obstruction in the campaign was 
 the Sentinel's concession that fire coinage by 
 this country alone must result in a silver 
 staiulard. 
 
 ]\rorss made an earnest effort to overcome 
 his difficulties, but only succeeded in making 
 more. He convinced himself that the morn- 
 in<r paper was out of date, and on May 18, 
 1903. brought the Sentinel out as a one-cent 
 evening paper. The morning edition was 
 continued nominally for a few days, under 
 the name of the Indianapolis (llohe, to pro- 
 tect the Associated Press franchise, but this, 
 which was perhaps the most valuable asset of
 
 HI.STORY OF GEE ATE i; INDIAN" A I'Ol.lS. 
 
 415 
 
 thi- p;ipi>r. was sold to the fouiidcrs of the 
 ISIar. wliich started in .Time. But the even- 
 in<;' was no Ix'ttcr than the morning', and tlie 
 financial situation slowly grew worse luitil 
 the unfortunate death of ^Ir. ]\Iorss by a fall 
 from the third story of the Sentind building 
 on Ootober 21. 1!1():5. The paper was contin- 
 ued by A(iuilla Q. Jones as administrator, 
 aided by Thomas Taogart. who had an in- 
 terest. For some months it wa.s eondueted by 
 Harme.ver and Alien, two Chieairo newspaper 
 
 men. who took an option on it and gave it up. 
 It was then managed by Frank Tarkington 
 Baker, who made it such a ghastly imitation 
 of a Hearst pai)er that it was really a relief 
 to have the poor old thing put out of its mis- 
 ery, wliich occurred on February 25, 1906. 
 The Sundajj Sentinel was purchased by the 
 Stnr, and the daily and plant went to the 
 owners of the Xews. And so ended the lineal 
 successor of the first newspaper in Indian- 
 apolis.
 
 CHAPTER XXXllI 
 
 rXDKH THE CHAKTER. 
 
 The task of inaugurating the new govern- 
 ment under the city charter of 1891 fell upon 
 ]Mayor Thomas L. Sullivan. The law took 
 effect on its passage, and continued in oifiee 
 the mayor, clerk and councilmen ; the alder- 
 men, and other officials not pitjvided for in 
 the new charter, dropping out. The most 
 important of the new ofiSces were the City 
 Controller and the Board of Public Works, 
 and the appointments to these were an- 
 nounced as soon as the ilayor learned that 
 the law was signed, which occurred just be- 
 fore noon on ilarch 6. The neW government 
 dates from March 7, though it was actually 
 inaugurated ]March 9 in the new departments. 
 For Controllei'. I\[ayor Sullivan chose an 
 ideal man in William Wesley Woollen, an 
 old-time banker who had been manager of 
 the local clearing-house since its establish- 
 ment, and who for two years had been chair- 
 man of the Finance Committee of the Coiu]- 
 cil. The Board of Public Works was com- 
 posed of .\lleii W. Conduitt, Adolph Scherrer 
 and ]Morris ^I. Defi-ees. In accordance with 
 the provisions of the charter an election was 
 held on October 13, 1891, at which Mayor 
 Sullivan was re-elected, defeating Wm. "W. 
 Herod. 14,320 to 11,598. His service was 
 therefore two years and eight months, and in 
 this time the practical forms of the new sys- 
 tem were very fully established. Among 
 these may be noted that while the charter 
 provided for an annual statement from the 
 Mayor to the Council of the finances and gen- 
 eral condition of the city, it did not require 
 departmental i-eports, and flavor Sullivan 
 originated the custom since followed of de- 
 tailed reports from the various departments. 
 
 At the beginning of 1891 the area within 
 the city boundaries was 7,927 acres, or 12.39 
 square miles. By the onlinance of Ai>ril 18. 
 
 1891, this was increased to 9,610 acres, or 
 15.03 squpre miles. Extensive preparations 
 for street improvement had begun. The 
 Connnercial Club held its street-paving ex- 
 position in Tomlinson Hall, April 1-5, 1890, 
 and 55 contraetoi-s and manufacturers of 
 paving material made exhibits. It gave a 
 general education to citizens in rational jiav- 
 ing, and was visited hy official delegations 
 from a number of other cities. One thing it 
 taught was the desirability of proceeding 
 systematically, and especially with reference 
 to sewer improvements, which, of course, had 
 to be made first to avoid tearing up the im- 
 proved streets, as also the laying of adequate 
 gas and water mains. At the beginning of 
 
 1891 the city had 1.632 miles of asplialt 
 streets, 1.69 of vulcanite, 1.90 of cedar block. 
 2.22 of macadam. In 1891 were constructed 
 4.118 of asphalt and 1.90 of brick; and in 
 
 1892 2.96 miles of asphalt and 3.94 miles of 
 brick streets with .99 mile of l)rick alleys. 
 There were a little over 10 miles of graveleil 
 ami bowldered streets completed in the two 
 years, and 15 miles of brick and cement side- 
 walks. 
 
 But obviously the first thing to adjust was 
 the sewer system. In 1869, when the city 
 council first decided on underground .sewers, 
 a new committee on sewers, sewerage and 
 water works was ci-eated on June 11, and 
 John Marsee. C. E. Whitsit and Erie Locke 
 were appointed members. The conuiiittee in- 
 vited to this city R. C. Phillips, city engineer 
 of Cincinnati, and Jacob Wirth, ex-city eii- 
 ijineer of Cincinnati, to aid in devising a gen- 
 eral sewerage i>lan. They did .so. and the 
 plan was reported on August 23.' For- 
 tunately, before adojUing this ])lan tiic eoiii- 
 
 ^Conncil^ Procn (Jinqx. p]i. 349. 353. 
 
 IK)
 
 Jiis'i'(»i;v (II- (;i;i:ATEii IxXDIaxai'oi.i 
 
 417 
 
 niittee called in Mcisi's Jjaiic, wlio was thuu 
 Ihe higlu'st authority in the United States ou 
 sewerage, with possibly the exception of his 
 partner, E. S. Chesbrough (w^ho also visited 
 Indianapolis, and approved of the plans) ; 
 and he modified it in several respects, most 
 notably as to the Washington street main 
 sewer which had been designed to run 
 straight west to the river. The Lane plan, 
 which was adopted, made the Washington 
 street and Kentucky avenue sewer the main 
 one of the city. It began at Pogue's Run and 
 ran 7 feet in interior diameter to Noble 
 street; then 7i/o feet to Pennsylvania street; 
 then 8 feet to Illinois, where it turned into 
 Kentucky avenue and followed it to the 
 river, without change in size. The main 
 branch was the South .street sewer, which was 
 4I/0 feet interior diameter through Fletcher 
 avenue and South street to East; 5 feet to 
 Meridian ; and 51/. feet to Kentucky avenue, 
 where it emi)tied into the main sewer. The 
 region south of ^IcCarty street was to be 
 drained by the Kay street sewer, which had 
 already been constructed. There was also 
 another soiithside branch on Merrill street 
 which was not expected to be built for some 
 time. On the north side there w^ere to be 
 laterals on Mississippi, Illinois, Penn.syl vania 
 and Noble streets. - 
 
 This report also ])rnposed the drainage of 
 the region west of the canal, as also that 
 north of First street (now Tenth street) into 
 Fall Creek, but with provision in view for 
 an interceptor which should carry the sewage 
 to the river at a point below Wa.shington 
 street. It also mentioned the feasibility of 
 turning Pogue's ]\'un into Fall Creek north 
 of the city and making a main sewer in its 
 bed. The Lane iilan was adopted, with the 
 addition of a latei-al in Alabama street, and 
 the sewers constructed under it are still in 
 use, except the one in Alabama street, which 
 had to be rebuilt some twenty years later. 
 The Ray street sewer had been built by 
 Samuel Ilanway and Samuel Lefever; the 
 South strecl sewer, and Uic Kentucky avenue 
 sewer were built by Jacob Wii-th & Co. of 
 Cincinnati. The Washington street sewer 
 from Pogue's Run to Illinois street encoun- 
 tered most serious opposition, probably be- 
 
 cause it was paid fur by assessments of bene- 
 fits and damages instead of by a general tax. 
 Neai-ly all the property owners protested, 
 and Councilman II. S. Bigham 1 popularly 
 known as "Little Big") made a thrilling re- 
 port against it as an impediment to business 
 while in construction, and a menace tu health 
 and comfort when completed; besides all 
 which the main sewei- ought to be put in the 
 bed of Pogue's Run.- But a .small ma,iority 
 of the council were determined to proceed, 
 and an ordinance was finally passed for a 
 .sewer from Illiaois to Pennsjivania street, in 
 Washington, and the contract was let on 
 May 25, 1874, to Bruner & Riner, who did 
 the greater part of the sewer construction of 
 the citj- for some years after. 
 
 It may be noted here that the conflict of 
 opinion at that time as to the desii-able loca- 
 tion of sewers is not at all strange, for it is 
 ilifficult for the average man to dissociate his 
 idea of an underground sewer from the sur- 
 face configuration. The earliest known ])ro- 
 posal for an underground sewer .system in 
 Indianapolis was made by the Locoiiiotive on 
 Maj' 7, 1859. It suggested two plans. One 
 was to construct sewers in New Jersey, Penn- 
 sylvania and Illinois streets, from Market or 
 Ohio street to Pogue's Run. The other was 
 to make a large sewer in Washington or 
 .Maryland street, from New Jersey to the 
 river. It observed : "One of these two plans 
 must eventually be adopted. Which is the 
 best? The best, that will accomplish the ob- 
 .ieets desired, for the present and futui-e 
 drainage of the city, is the cheapest, no mat- 
 t(>r what the cost of construction may l)e." 
 In this suggestion the Ijocomoihu contem- 
 plated only disposing of surface water from 
 rains; and if you are disi)osed to criticise its 
 short sight, pause and reflect if our present 
 sewer system is not one that will have to be 
 abandoned, or so modified as to prevent the 
 flow of sewage into White River. Is it not 
 manifest that it can be but a short time until 
 this making sewci-s of running streams must 
 be wholly discontinu(>d'.' 
 
 By the time of the adojition of the new 
 city charter the city had const I'uctcd a total 
 of 26.66 miles of sewer, varying from 1 to 8 
 feet in interior diameter, of which '-^.32 
 
 -Council Proceedings. ts:n. jip. SS'2-nO. 
 Vol. 1—27 
 
 'Council Prorifdimis. IS'/.-^-l. p. lf)21.
 
 -lis 
 
 HISTORY OF GIJKATEU INDIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 miles \\ei-e brick, and .3.34 miles pipe. Most 
 of this ^\as serviceable but it was overtaxed, 
 partly on account of extensions and partly 
 on account of improvements; for roofs and 
 street pavements serve equally to prevent 
 the rain reachinij' and being soaked up by the 
 natural soil, and turn it into the artificial 
 drainage ways. This was generally realized. 
 A committee of the Commercial Club recom- 
 mended the adoption of a comprehensive sys- 
 tem to begin with. The new Board of Pub- 
 lic Works, composed of A. W. Conduitt. M. 
 ^r. Defrees, and A. Scherrer, the last two be- 
 ing professional engineers, decided to submit 
 the problem to the best talent obtainable. 
 They selected Kudolph Ilering. who had 
 ])een the sewerage exj)ert for New York, Chi- 
 cago and Philadelphia, and who had two 
 years earlier been called to Washington by 
 President Harrison to devise a sewerage sys- 
 tem for that city. Previous to his coming, 
 extensive surveys were made by City Engi- 
 neer ]\lansfield, and the data for the investi- 
 gation collected as far as possible. Mr. Her- 
 ing's services were secured on February 12, 
 1892, and on June 14, he made an elaborate 
 report covering the entire subject.'' 
 
 Hering divided the city into five main 
 drainage districts, following the natural divi- 
 sions as modified by the work already done. 
 The first was the territory north of Fall 
 Creek ; the second the natural drainage area 
 of the State Ditch and the region between it 
 and Fall Creek; the third, covering most of 
 the city, was the natural drainage area of 
 Pogue's Run; the fourth the i-egion west 
 of the canal ; and the fifth the natural drain- 
 age area of Pleasant Run. The third and 
 fourth districts only were covered in Lane's 
 ]ilan. The sewage from the firet and second 
 districts was to be brought to a common 
 main running through the river bottom west 
 of the main city to a point below Washing- 
 ton street, while the storm water of the sec- 
 ond was diverted to Fall Creek through the 
 Belle street interceptor. The fifth was 
 wholly independent of the others, and a mat- 
 ter for future treatment, as the district was 
 sparsely settled. The third and fourth re- 
 tained and wei-e ba.sed on Lane's work, ex- 
 cept that the outflow of these districts was 
 
 *('ih) AniuKil li't j'orls. ls'):J. pp. T:!-!!."). 
 
 diverted lu ■"the ri\er interceptor"", and 
 carried to a point farther down the river. 
 The sewer work since that time has been on 
 the lines laid down by Mr. Hering, and up 
 to January 1, 1909, there had been com- 
 pleted 224.23 miles. The 26.66 miles con- 
 structed prior to 1891 cost $726,157.73. The 
 total cost of sewers, including this, to 1909, 
 is a little in excess of $3,000,000. None of 
 the later sewers are larger than the AVash- 
 ington sti-eet sewer except the State Ditch 
 .sewer, on Twentieth street, and the Harding 
 street sewer in West Indianapolis, both ol' 
 which are semi-circular in construction, 8 feet 
 high by 12 feet 4 inches broad at the base, 
 with about the capacity of a circular sewer 
 10 feet in diamefei'. 
 
 A notable achievement of ]\Iayor Sullivan's 
 administration was the construction of the 
 Virginia avenue viaduct. For several years 
 there had been great complaint over the divi- 
 sion of the city north and south by railroad 
 tracks, but no feasible form of relief ap- 
 peared until 1886 when the railroad coni- 
 jianies desired to construct the new Union 
 Station. This necessitated the closing of Illi- 
 nois .street, and some other street vacation, 
 in compensation for which the Union com- 
 pany agi'eed to pay .$30,000 towards the con- 
 struction of a tunnel under the tracks at 
 Illinois street, and to l)uild a viaduct over the 
 tracks in the first alley east of ^Meridian 
 street. The viaduct was to have a grade of 
 7 feet in 100, to be 50 feet wide, and the 
 alley was to be widened accordingly. The 
 work on the tunnel was beuun promptly, and 
 on May 7, 1888. the City Engineer reported 
 it complete except liowjdering the north ap- 
 proacli. which had been omitted because the 
 company desired to asphalt it. The viaduct 
 dragged. Suits were brought to prevent 
 closing .Meridian sti-eef, and in connection 
 with the wideninu' of the alley. After Mr. 
 Sullivan became mayci- he took up the mat- 
 ter with the raili'oad authorities, especially 
 with ]\Iessrs. Ramsey and Ingalls of the Big 
 Four, and insisted on action. They pointed 
 to the .suits and .said they wei'e anxious to 
 proceed, and were willing to build elsewhere. 
 This proposal was advantageous to the city, 
 for nobody di^sired an alley crossing, and it 
 was too near the Illinois street tuiuiel to be 
 as serviceable as it might be. for the gi'eat
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATEU IMJIA.N Al'OLlS. 
 
 419 
 
 ■»|)rc;ul of tlii> city he\'oii(l tlie tracks wa.s to 
 I 111' suiithcast. Filially they came to au airivc- 
 iiieiit for a eoiu'ciit ration of tracivs at Vir- 
 ginia avenue — renioving: those formerly on 
 Louisiana street— and a viaduct as at pros- 
 iiit, flO feet wide in the ai)proaches and 7U 
 feet in the bridiic lint ^Mayor Sullivan in- 
 sisted on a grade of not over 4 feet in 100; 
 Mr. Ramsey for the railroads put 5 feet in 
 1(1(1 as the limit. At leiiiith the railroad peo- 
 ple submitted a pi'o|)()sition that a grade of 
 4 feet would cost $10,000 more than a grade 
 of .") feet, and if the city would pay -i^o.OOO 
 it would make the change. As the street rail- 
 way comjiany was vitally interested in this 
 matter. Mayor Sullivan laid the matter be- 
 foiT Mr. Shart'ei-. then president of the street 
 railway company, and he agreed to pay the 
 city's $5,000. The work then proceeded and 
 was completed in the summer of 1892, the 
 viaduct being formally opened with great 
 Democratic rejoicing on September 23. 1892. 
 The Columbia and ^Marion Clubs, and the Re- 
 publican speakers invited, all declined to 
 participate on the ground that the ceremony 
 had been postponeil for political purposes. 
 
 Under ]\Iayor Sullivan, a new contract was 
 made with the Water Company by whicli it 
 was to furnish water free for fountains in 
 the pai'ks; to reduce the rate for water for 
 city buildin'JTS from 10 cents to 5 cents per 
 l.(io(i iralbms: and to lay 20.000 feet of mains 
 annually, if i-erpiii-ed. instead of 7.000. An 
 iiripuitant contract was made with the In- 
 dianapolis HiMi-sh Electric Light and Power 
 Co. to light the streets with electricity— they 
 had been lighted with gas. This contract 
 was notable for introducing the principle of 
 iMimpensation from ])ublic service corpora- 
 tions for use of thc> streets. It ])rovided for 
 payment by the com])any into the city treas- 
 ury of 21 i. per cent of its gi-oss receipts till 
 January 1. 1896. and '> jx'i' cent thereafter. 
 Street sweeping was inaugni'ated for im- 
 pi-oved .streets. ;ind a system of street sprin- 
 kling paid for by property owners; street 
 name signs were ])ut up. the streets rennm- 
 liered. and there was a general advance of 
 the city government on business lines. 
 
 Hut the defeat of the city admiiiisti-dioii 
 on other lines w;is made inevitable by a com- 
 bination of circumstances. In the middle of 
 •Faiiiiai-v. 1892, a strike occuired <iii the street 
 
 railway. The men had been furnished with 
 baducs entitling the wearer to free transpor- 
 tation, and on complaint that these wei'c be- 
 iiiL;- loaned to others not entitled to them, 
 John P. Frenzel, the president of the com- 
 j)any. ordered them taken up. It was tem- 
 j)orarily ad.pisted by an agreeiiuMit to arlii- 
 trate and service was resumed on .Jatmary 
 14. But no settlement was reached, and on 
 February 21 the men struck again, and de- 
 manded the removal of Frenzel fi-om the 
 presidency. What made the sitiuition serious 
 was politics. The Xrirs stated it very accu- 
 rately on February 24: "The whole thing 
 reeks with politics. The very decency and 
 safety of living in Indianapolis are involved 
 by politics. The Lincoln LeasiiU', with dele- 
 g;(tes from different ])arts of the state, meet- 
 ing here before the strike began, insulted the 
 memory of the name it bore by adopting a 
 resolution espousing the cause of the strikers 
 in advance. The Reiiubliciin primaries meet- 
 ing on the eve of the strike systematically 
 adopted resolutions urging the men on to 
 stake their living in (|uittin<i- their woi'k. The 
 maycu' of the town for offset abdicates his 
 sworn dntj' under the law. and openly an- 
 nounces that the Republican j)oliticians are 
 l)laying a game, and the city (i. e.. Demo- 
 cratic control) does not propose to help them 
 play it." The city government did not run 
 the ears. aii<l the situation emitinneil till 
 everybody, the iiublic included, was mad. and 
 all blaming someone elsi\ 
 
 On February 29, \Vm. P. Fishbaek a|)iilied 
 to the Superior Court (Juduc X. H. Taylor i 
 foi- a receiver "in his own behalf and in be- 
 half of thousands of other citizens of said 
 city". The complaint charged that the com- 
 pany was a monopoly, and that it desii'cil 
 an extension of its chartei-; that it had made 
 Frenzel president because he claimed to con- 
 trol the J iKlidiiiipolis News, and could ob- 
 tain the (li>sired franchise extension: that by 
 his arbitrai-y acts he had caused the sei-vid 
 to be stopp<'d and plaiiititV to he daiiiMgi'd. 
 etc.'' Judge Taylor ;ip|)ointed W. T. Steele 
 receiver, and the cars wi-ie started. The 
 liadges wi'i-e at first I'etnrned to the men. but 
 wei'c given up tiy direction of the <Miiirt en 
 March '■]. subject to I'litiin' .-idjusl meiit of tin 
 
 '•Xnrs. March 1. 1892
 
 420 
 
 HISTORY OF (JREATER I^fDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 question between the meu and the company. 
 On Marcli 4 an appeal wa.s allowed, and the 
 property was restored to the company. The 
 whole matter was settled, but the News de- 
 nounced the manner of settlement, and there- 
 after eritici.sed the administration as strongly 
 as it had formerly approved it. There were 
 others, who did the same, as was natural, for 
 the doctrine invoked was rather novel. But 
 it set the whole country to tliinkina:, and 
 the conviction that the public has a tangible 
 interest in the service contracted for by a 
 public service corporation is much more gen- 
 erally acce})fed now. And in connection with 
 the street railway company it may be noted 
 here that the Sullivan administration deter- 
 mined on a new franchise which should give 
 better returns to the pulilic. On April 19, 
 1893, bids were received on a franchise pro- 
 viding for rapid transit : six fares for 25 
 cents with universal transfers; paving be- 
 tween the tracks, and payment to the city of 
 a share of gross receipts ranging from 10 per 
 cent the first five years to 141/2 per cent the 
 last five of the thirty years of the franchise. 
 The Citizens' Coiupany made no bid, but a 
 new company — the City company — (U'ganized 
 here, did bid, and the contract was approved 
 by the council on April 24. Naturally the 
 Citizens' Company was in politics and 
 against the administration thereafter. The 
 subsequent disposition of the City franchise 
 is presented elsewhere. 
 
 The panic of 1893 hurt the city administra- 
 tion — the national administration being 
 Democratic — but there was a local complica- 
 tion that added to its effect. In 1893 there 
 were $21,000 of Sellers farm bonds falling 
 due on April 1, and .$600,000 of funding 
 bonds falling due on July 1. The $21,000 of 
 bonds were taken up at maturity, and on 
 May 26 bids were taken for $621,000 of 41/0 
 per cent "refunding" bonds, to replace the 
 total amount. The best bid was from 
 Coifin & Stanton of New York, who offered 
 par for the lot, and were awarded the bonds. 
 The panic prevented their placing them, and 
 they could not meet their contract, which 
 they abandoned on the ground that the issue 
 of the $21,000 was illegal, as not being "re- 
 funding", and invalidated the entire is.sue. 
 They had deposited a five per cent forfeit 
 ($31,500), and afterward, in a suit to recover 
 
 tliis Judge Woods su.stained their contentiou 
 and ordered the money repaid.® City Con- 
 troller Woollen hastened to New York and 
 made arrangements with Winslow Lanier & 
 Co., by which they were to take up all bonds 
 presented, and carry them at the same rate 
 of interest (7.3 per cent) until the cit.y could 
 arrange for their payment, so that the city 
 maintained its record of never defaulting an 
 obligation.' In one sense the occurrence was 
 fortunate, for after the financial stringency 
 had eased the city placed the $600,000" in 4 
 per cent bonds at a premium of $10,187.50. 
 on February 15, 1894, which, with the saving 
 in interest, was over $100,000 better for the 
 city than the sale that failed. There was no 
 real cause for blame of the city authorities, 
 but the Journal made lurid charges of man- 
 ijiulation under malign influences, for eam- 
 [laigu purposes.'* and though no one who 
 knew ]\Ir. Woollen believed them, there were 
 many persons who did not know I\Ir. Woollen. 
 The Republican city platform, adopted on 
 July 22, did not mention this bond matter, 
 but denounced "the Democratic policy which 
 closes our manufactories and business enter- 
 prises and throws thousands of men out of 
 employment". 
 
 Nor did this platform mention the street 
 railway strike. It had a paragraph pledging 
 "a strict enforcement of all laws, city and 
 state, in the interest of public order .and th;' 
 preservation of public rights": but this was 
 construed to refer to liquor and gambling 
 laws, and the campaign was fought, nomi- 
 nally at least, almost wholly on that issue. 
 To read the papers, especially the Xcivs, one 
 might have supposed the city had entered on 
 an era of wild debauch, under the control of 
 Sim Coy and Charley Polster, saloon keepers, 
 and Bill Tron, gambling capitalist. In real- 
 ity the conditions were the same that they 
 had been in the earlier part of Sullivan's ad- 
 ministration, when the Nncs was supporting 
 
 vs. the City, No. 8888 U. S. 
 Journal. Julv 
 
 ;>. 
 
 •Coffin et al 
 Circuit Court. 
 
 'Woollen 's .statement 
 1893. 
 
 Mounml. July 6 and 12, 1893. See also 
 Journal editorials Septendiei' 8 and 9, 1892, 
 and Woollen's card in Journal, September 9, 
 1892.
 
 msTdltV OF (iRKATKR, I XDTAXAPOLIS. 
 
 421 
 
 him. The administration of the liquor laws 
 
 had always been "liberar", i. e.. the Sunday 
 
 .■losing and eleven o'clock laws were not 
 
 Nti-ietly enforced; but that there was tiny 
 
 -.pecial development of law violation, or 
 
 irrcciiient for it. wa.s absurd. As the result 
 
 if the combined influences, Caleb S. Denny. 
 
 the Republiean candidate for mayor, was 
 
 elected on October 10 bv a vote of 1G,328 to 
 
 13,250 for Sullivan. 
 
 !Mayor Denny proceeded in y;ood faith to 
 
 ■ ■arry out the platform pledges on which he 
 had been elected. As soon as he took office he 
 sent for Superintendent Colbert of the police 
 force, and directed him to see that all saloons 
 were closed on Sunday and after 11 o'clock, 
 and that gambling was suppressed." In fact 
 this, and the attempted su])pression of the 
 social evil were the distinguishing features of 
 the administration. George AV. Powell, who 
 was in the fullest sympathy with this policy, 
 
 ■ :is made Supci'intendent of Police and he 
 •I rtainly spared no effort to enforce the laws 
 in full. In his report of January 1, 1895, 
 he said: "Hou.ses of prostitution have been 
 n'gidated, places used for assignation pur- 
 l)0ses have been closed, and the professional 
 caniblci', who lives upon his ill-gotten gains, 
 debauches tlic youth and causes the ruin of 
 iiicn has been taught that he can not ply his 
 vocation in this cit.y, and gambler and gani- 
 Itling furniture have been removed to towns 
 and cities more congenial. The battle against 
 violations of the liciuor law has been a con- 
 stant and relentless one. and will be con- 
 'iiuied " There were many who doubted the 
 accuracy of this statement of the results at- 
 tained — who maintained that the evils had 
 in fact only been scattered, aiul put on a 
 more secret basis— but there was no (lucstion 
 of the sincerity of the eiVort. 
 
 The business affaii-s of the cit.v progressed 
 smoothly on established lines. Preston C. 
 Truster, a capable man, was appointed Con- 
 troller, and Milder the improved financial con- 
 ditions soon [uit the city on a satisfactory 
 basis. The .tfiOO.OOO of refunding bonds were 
 placed advantaueouslv, as above mentioned, 
 and also $100,500 of Southern (Garfield) 
 Park purchase bonds which matured on Janu- 
 ary 2(1, l.sii:;. All Ihesi' i)()iids ])ore 7.3 per 
 
 cent interest, and were refunded at 4 per 
 cent. Most people were desirous of improve- 
 ments and this work was pu.shed. In 1894 
 there were 20.02 miles of sewer completed, 
 and in 1895 15.99 miles, a total three times 
 that of the preceding three yeai*s. There 
 were 3.99 miles of asphalt street made in 
 1894, and 8.3() miles in 1895; 4 miles of brick 
 street in 1894 and 1.77 miles in 1895; 1.07 
 miles of wooden block street in 1894 and l.fiO 
 nnles in 1895; 9.05 miles of cement sidewalks 
 in 1894 and 11.77 miles in 1895. Additions 
 were made to the city, on the north, east and 
 west, during 1895; bringing the total area at 
 the close of that .vear to 19.38 square miles. 
 It was charged by the Democrats in their 
 platform that this was a taking in of Repub- 
 lican territory to affect the city election, but 
 if so the results did not indicate it. During 
 the sununer of 1895 ar effort was made for a 
 readjustment of the street railway situation, 
 by a new franchise to the Citizens' Company, 
 on terms less fa\'(n'able to the city than those 
 of the City Company's franchise. The Sen- 
 tinel made a bitter fight against this move- 
 ment;"* and it was finally killed by an appli- 
 cation for an in.iunction against the proposed 
 action made by Fi'ank ^laus and Williain 
 (iordon, on August 19. Judge Brown took 
 the case under advisement till September 2. 
 and then held that the court could not inter- 
 fere with the exei'cise of discretionaiy execu- 
 tive power. But the suit ended the negotia- 
 tions, and also caused the removal of Mr. 
 ^laus from the Park Board. 
 
 On December 3. 1894. on account of 
 charges in the press of defective work and 
 frauds in the depai-tment of Public AVorks, 
 the Council apjiointed a connnitfee to inves- 
 tigate that depai-fnumf. It was composed of 
 (Jeo. JFerritt, J. U. Allen, A. A. Young, Jas. 
 H. Costello and W'm. Ilennessy. It held 
 eighteen public meetings for the taking of 
 testimony, and on January 28, reported that 
 there had been "no dishonesty or corruption 
 on the part of the Board of Public Works 
 or any mend)er thereof, or on the pai-f of 
 any suboi'dinatc or employe of such Board", 
 but there had been "errors of .iudgment, 
 irregularities and negligence, aiul it is also 
 clear that there has been in some cases im- 
 
 ^Ncirs. Oeldbei- 12. 1893. 
 
 ^"Sentinel, August 5 to SeptemixM- 5.
 
 423 
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATEK IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 perfect exeeution of correct plaiLs"." The 
 committee considered the plan of lettinu' 
 street sweeping: contracts by districts instead 
 of streets an "error", and that the inspection 
 of work had been of little value. As to 
 sewers there was some defective construction 
 bnt the evidence was conflicting as to 
 whether it would "jeopardize their durabil- 
 ity". As to catch-basins, "the specifications 
 were not followed, and many catch-basins 
 were villainous frauds". There was "much 
 imperfect work in making house connec- 
 tions", and "much of the cement sidewalk 
 work has not been constructed in accordance 
 with specifications". On January 31, the 
 membei-s of the Board of Public Works re- 
 signed, and a new board was appointed, the 
 resigning members issuing a .statement in de- 
 fense of their course. '" 
 
 On August 3. 1895. the Republicans nomi- 
 nated City Controller Trusler for mayor, and 
 on August 29 the Democrats nominated 
 Thomas Taggart. There were obviously nu- 
 merous causes for dissatisfaction with the 
 existing regime, but by far the most potent 
 was enforcement of the liquor laws. Then- 
 were hundreds of Republicans who had voted 
 for Mr. Denny who did not want his plat- 
 form pledges redeemed, and the revolt of the 
 "liberal element" was the chief factor that 
 gave Taggart. on October S, a vote of 17,491 
 against 13.769 for Trusler. Taggart was re- 
 elected in 1897, defeatino- Wm. N. Harding 
 by a vote of 20,005 to 16.191. In this elec- 
 tion C. P. Smith, an independent candidate, 
 received 464 votes. Smith had allowed him- 
 self to be filled with the tales of a number 
 of irresponsible liars about street railway 
 "deals", and became a candidate on that 
 issue. He got out a campaign sheet, which 
 was a source of much entertainment; and 
 in it he charged that the city press had been 
 bought up in the attempted "settlement" 
 under 'Mayor Denny. He included in this 
 charge the Snifiiirl. which had, as before 
 mentioned, opposed this settlement proposi- 
 tion, and defeated it. After the election, on 
 October 17, the Scnthul demanded a retrac- 
 tion, which was promptly made on October 
 19. The Srnfhul took the matter under ad- 
 
 ^'C'ouncH i'ro(( (diiijis. p. 452. 
 '-Journal. Februarv 1. 
 
 visement, and on October 27 proposed that 
 if Mr. Smith would withdraw his retraction, 
 as to it, it would bring suit for libel and ask 
 no damages beyond attorneys' fees and costs. 
 I)Ht Smith preferred to "stay apologized", 
 and so the matter dropped. On October 10, 
 1899. Mayor Taggart was re-elected for a 
 third term, receiving 20,388 votes to 20,041 
 I'di- Chai-les A. Bookwalter. The S(iitiii(i 
 crlclirated the occasion on October 12. by 
 putting all its editorial in doggerel verse. 
 
 The six years of Mayor Taggart 's admin- 
 isti'ation were yeai-s of steady develojunent 
 in the improvement of the city. The mileage 
 of constructed sewers grew from 48.41 to 
 ]28: asphalt streets from 26.88 to 43. Oil; 
 brick streets from 15.76 to 25.75 ; woixlen 
 block from 1.60 to 15.77: cement walks from 
 34.91 to 154.99. The total co.st of public 
 works in the six years, 1896-1901, . inclusive, 
 was .i>4.01 5,090.42. In ('(uinection with the 
 extension of block pavement, it should be 
 noted that the Ijlocks then laid were "creo- 
 soted"". i. e., treated with oil of coal tar, be- 
 f(ue laying, to prevent decay. This was a 
 new pi'ocess, introduced at this time. In 
 1897 the towns of Haughville, Mt. Jackson, 
 Brightwood and West Indianapolis were an- 
 nexed to the city, with much interlying ter- 
 ritory, the area of the city inei'easing from 
 19.38 stpmre miles Januaiy 1, 1906, to 28.15 
 sijuare miles January 1, 1902. In 1899 the 
 policy of constructino- permanent bridges was 
 adoi)ted and contracts were let for the ^lelan 
 arch bridges over Fall Creek at Illinois and 
 ^feridian streets. This construction was 
 adopted on account of cheajuiess of construc- 
 tion and the nppoi'tnnity it gives for a bridge 
 between comparatively low banks without ob- 
 structing the channel of the stream with nu- 
 merous piers. The Illinois street bridge cost 
 *50,000 and the JMeridian street bridge $55.- 
 000. They are of concrete, with 10-iiicli "I" 
 beams running Jengthwise through the 
 arches. 3 feet apart, and are faced with Bt'd- 
 ford limestone. 
 
 A most notable step of Mayor Tauirart's 
 administration was the park purchases. The 
 $500,000 of Belt Railroad bonds which the 
 city had issued were paid at maturity, in 
 1896, by the railroad company, thus releasing 
 the city's credit to that extent. The appli- 
 cation of a lai'ge part of this to park pur-
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIAN A I'ol.ls. 
 
 423 
 
 piist's \\;is l;ii-t;('l.\- due to S. E. .\loi-ss. whose 
 i>('\vsi)ni)('r position made liiiii very intlucntial 
 with the aihiiinistration. aud who simply 
 insisted on a park system. Tlierc was need 
 for extensive impi-ovement in tJie fire and 
 police departments, and $150,000 of bonds 
 were issued foi- that purpose on June 1, 
 1897. By ordiiuinee of ^lareh 4. LS!)7. .t:5-')0.- 
 000 of park bonds were issued, of the pid- 
 ceeds of whieh ij^.'JOO.OOO wa.s to be used for 
 tlie pnrcha.se of park lands, and the balance, 
 with any premium obtained, for their im- 
 provement. The park bonds brou<;ht a pi-e- 
 minm of $23,485 and the public safety bonds 
 a ]iremium of .^lO.fiOO. It had been intended 
 to purchase lands for a larue jiark alonu' Fall 
 Creek, but the ownei-s of the land found it 
 so valuable that it i;ot beyond the city's 
 reach. What had oriijinally been apprai.sed 
 l)y the city's appraisers at $157,825 was 
 raised bv the owner's experts, on appeal to 
 the Board of Public AVorks, to .$339,790. On 
 •Tune 3, the Sentinel, for the pur])ose of in- 
 ducinpr a more reasonable view of the matter 
 by the land-owners, sus>;ested that, the park 
 be located on White River, north of Fall 
 Creek, and a boulevard be built along- Fall 
 Creek, for which the owners of the vahiable 
 land there could help pay. A number of land 
 owners on White River jumped at this pro- 
 posal, which had not been made with expec- 
 tation of action : and befoi-e the Fall Creek 
 people realized the situation, a salisfactorj' 
 pr'oposal was iriade by the Whit<' River peo- 
 I>lc. and was scon acce])ted. On .Inly 9 the 
 couiii'il authoi'ized the purchase of 953 acres 
 in what is now Riverside Park, and 82 acres 
 in Brookside Park, with Tlishland Square 
 and Indianola Scpiare in West Indianapolis. 
 The Riverside lands cost $230.(100: Brook- 
 side $25,000: Uitihland Sipiare .$23,500: and 
 Indianola S.piarc $8,000. 
 
 Fp to this time Indiana|)olis had no ])ark 
 of any size except Garfield Park, and it was 
 rather a .joke as a park. It was orisinally 
 known as the Sonthei-n Di-ivinsr Park, havini;' 
 been pui'chascd li,\' llic "Indianapolis Fair 
 Association", and arranufcd foi- horse racinir 
 — the membei-s beiny dissatisfied with the 
 provisions at the State Fair 'grounds, .\ftcr 
 on(> i-eally jxiTat meet in 1872, at which (Joid- 
 .smith Alaid, Judye Fullerton and Red Cloud 
 were the chief ;it1 inactions in hoi'seHcsh, the 
 
 venture was aliandom-d as a (iuancial failure, 
 and the '.\1 acres of land sold to the city 
 for $109,500; for which bonds were issued 
 January 26, 1874, for 20 years, bearing 7.3 
 per cent interest. These were refunded in 
 1894 at 4 per cent for 30 years. There was 
 no street car line to this i)ark until 1895, and 
 pi-obably a ma.joi-ity of the jicople of Indian- 
 apolis had never seen it. In trutli there was 
 no jrreal call for i)arks uji to this time. Alex- 
 ander Ralston, indeed h;id urged the people 
 to .secure land for parks while it was cheap, 
 hut the settlers who were then trying to get 
 land cleared for roads and fields probably 
 thought him mildly insane. All i>ark pur- 
 poses of the pei-ioil before 1870 were served 
 by the ^Military Reservation, the State House 
 and Court House squares, and University 
 Square, Anyone who wanted more rural sur- 
 roiuidings co)dd easily reach "the counti'y'' 
 in any direction. In the spring of 1868 the 
 heirs of Calvin Fletcher offered to donate 
 the city 30 acres of land at its northeast cor- 
 ner, if it would dedicate it to park pur|)Oses, 
 and expend $30,000 for its improvement 
 within a cei-fain time: but the suspicious saw 
 in tliis a scheme to advance the value of ad- 
 .jacent property at the expense of the city, 
 and the offer was refused. A correspondent 
 made an eloquent appeal for a "suburban 
 pai"k", in the vicinit.v of "the five-mile 
 bridge" ovei' White River, in the Journal of 
 May 19, 1870, but no sentiment was aroused. 
 In fact the pai-k sentiment had little food 
 for development in the conditions. Indian- 
 apolis had no congested residence ((uarter, no 
 slums. Its broad streets and large building 
 lots made the whole city almost a i>ai-k, as 
 was often noted b.v visitors to the city. Even 
 in 1898 the intei'cst taken in the park projio- 
 sals was chiefl.v due to the supposc^l inlluence 
 if a park location on neiuliboi-iiii;- real estate. 
 .\nd there was an abundance of criticism of 
 the locations selected, oi-iginating largely 
 with people who wanted other locations; ami 
 taken up by papers and orators foi- jiolitical 
 pui'poses. The city campaign of 1S99 was 
 actuidl.x' Fought on the ch;\ruc thai the cit.v 
 had s(piandei-(>d vast sinus fiu- "bog lands" 
 at Riverside and Brool<side parks; inei'edible 
 as it may seem to one who visits those parks 
 t(iila.\'. Public opinion is (piite generally set- 
 iled now in the belief that these two i)ai-k's
 
 424 
 
 HISTORY OF GRHATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
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 UTSTOUV OF GREATER IXOIAXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 425 
 
 ronijjrise tlio ludst lU'.sirablc pavk lands ad- 
 jaeont to the city. 
 
 Perhaps the most notable episode of the 
 Ta^'trart administration was the settlement 
 .if the street railway franchise difficulty 
 which was in bi'ief as follows: On January 
 18. 186-4, the Citizens' Street Railroad Coni- 
 [)any was i;ranted a franchise for W years, 
 .ind in 1880 the Council extended this 7 
 ..ears, to January 18, 1901. In 1893, as be- 
 fore mentioned, the Cit.v Attorney crave an 
 opinion that this exti'usion was invalid, and 
 a fi'anehise was iri-antcd to the City Railway 
 Company, on terms much more favorable to 
 the city. When the latter undertook work, 
 the Citizens' Company asked an in.junctiou 
 in the Federal Court, alleging- that its fran- 
 chise was perpetual, sub.iect only to termina- 
 tion by the Legislature. Judge AVoods sus- 
 tained this claim and granted a perpetual in- 
 .iunetion. The (^ase was appealed to the U. 
 >^. Supreme Court, which decided that the 
 Citizens' Company held at least until Janu- 
 ary 18, 1901. and reserved its opinion on the 
 i|uestion of a perpetual franchise. The legis- 
 lature of 1897 undertook to dispose of the 
 pei-]ietual franchise by what was called the 
 '"\ew Act", terminating the franchise on 
 January 18. 1901. It also passed a stringent 
 three-cent fare law for "cities liaviiig a popu- 
 lation of more than one hundred thousand", 
 which applied to IndianajKilis alone. The 
 Central Trust Co. of New York, trustee for 
 the bondhokleis of the Citizens' Company, 
 at once asked an in.iunction in the Federal 
 Court to prevent the enforcement of the 3- 
 eent fare law. and Judge Woods called Judge 
 Showalter of Chicago to hear the case. He 
 decided the law unconstitutional as special 
 legislation, and the "New Act", which was 
 also restricted to cities of over 100,000 popu- 
 lation, fell nnder the same principle. A few 
 weeks later the Supreme Court of Indiana 
 took till' o))posite view and held the 3-cent 
 fare law <'oustitutionid.''' Judge Showalter 
 was then asked to dissolve the iii.junction and 
 follow the riding of tlie State (^ouit. but re- 
 fused to do so. Apjieal was taken to the Cir- 
 cuit Court of Appeals, composed of Judge 
 Woods and Judires Jenkins and Rui-n of 
 
 Wisconsin, and it held that it had no juris- 
 diction to review Judge Showalter 's decision. 
 About this time the city, in an effort to get 
 a decision of the whole matter, brought suit 
 against both eomi)anies, alleging their fran- 
 chise contracts to be void. It w^as heard by 
 Judge Xeal of the Hamilton Circuit Court, 
 on change of venue, and he held that the 
 City Company's contract was void, as against 
 public policy; that the "New Act" was 
 valid; and that the Citizens' Company's fran- 
 chise exi)iivd January 18, 1901. .\ppeal 
 was taken to the State Supreme Coin-t, which 
 on December 16. 1898, reversed Judge Xeal's 
 decision as to the City Company, holding its 
 lliirty-year franchise valid, and sustained his 
 I'uling that the franchise of the Citizens' 
 ('ompany expired on January 18, 1901. Soon 
 after this decision was given, by a divided 
 court, the three .iudges who had concurred 
 in it went out of office by the expii-atiou of 
 thi'ii- terms, and the new court granted a 
 ])etition for a rehearing.'* This was the situ- 
 ation when the leuislature of 1899 met. 
 
 Meanwhile the control of the Citizens' 
 Company had changed, and 'Sir. Hugh Me- 
 (iowan had been sent here to untangle the 
 snarl. He succeeded in getting eonti-ol of 
 the City Company, and in securing the pas- 
 sag(> of an act of the legislature I'cmoving 
 most of the difficulties, and authoiMzing the 
 city to enter into a new fi-anchise contract.'"' 
 Th" franchise was to be limited to 34 years: 
 fares were not to exceed i) cents, with 6 
 tickets for a quarter and 2o for a dollar, and 
 universal transfers- the i-iglit was to be re- 
 sei-ved to substitute new modes of i)r()pulsion 
 to insure first class sei-vicc: the company was 
 to pave between the ti'acks and 18 inches 
 outside: it was to allow the use of its lines 
 for interurban cars to the center of the cit.v 
 on a reasonable basis; and it was to surren- 
 der as a part of the purchase price all exist- 
 ing franchisi's or claims to franchises. This 
 la.st provision was of special impoitancc. for 
 aside fi'om the (luestion of jx'rpetual I'raii- 
 
 '■"CitN' of ln(Iiaiia))olis v;. Xaviu. 1-"il Tnd.. 
 !>. 139.' 
 
 '■"Till' relii-aririii was not bad on aeeouut of 
 the new leuislation. and for this reason the 
 decision dees not appeal- in the Supreme 
 Court renorts. It will be found in the N(u-th- 
 eastern Reoorter. Vol. .")2. p. ir)7. 
 
 '•Acts 1V!I9. p. 2()0.'
 
 426 
 
 IIISTOKV OF GiiEATEK IXDIAXAruLlS. 
 
 chise, the Citizens' Company luul 50-year 
 I'rauchises iu all the suburban towns that 
 had been annexed to the city; and it had 
 been yranted perpetual franchises over a 
 number of important roads, by the County 
 Commissioners, parts of which were already 
 far within the city limits. On April 6, 1889, 
 the Board of Public AVorks entered into a 
 carefully drawn contract with the Citizens" 
 Company, includiu';- all the provisions of the 
 state law, with numerous safeg\iards in the 
 way of citj- supervision and control of the 
 service rendered, and with a further provi- 
 sion for a flat payment of $30,000 a j'ear to 
 the city for 27 years, and $50,000 a year for 
 the remainiu]!;- 7 years of the franchise. The 
 company also obligated itself to s|)end, as 
 rapidly as needed, not less than $1,000,000 in 
 the improvement of tlie plant and etjuipment. 
 There was not a little wild talk and rumors 
 of corruption and "hold-ups" at the time, 
 in connection with the matter, as "to which 
 the full truth will probably never be known, 
 but it is scarcely questionalile that, all things 
 considered, Indianapolis got a more advan- 
 tageous contract than any street car fran- 
 chise then existing in the country. The chief 
 point of legitimate criticism is that the fran- 
 chise provisions have never been carried out 
 as to a cross-town line and paving between 
 the tracks, and these are largely due to the 
 city administi-ations which have not insisted 
 on compliance with those provisions, in the 
 exercise of the supervising powers held by 
 them. 
 
 But the singular thing is that the chief is- 
 sue in the city campaign was not any impor- 
 tant economic question that had come up, but 
 "the 59-cent tax levy"— an issue that de- 
 veloped as great a display of stupidity and 
 iml)ccdity as was ever shown in a civilized 
 community. Mr. Taggart had declined to be 
 a candidate for another term, and the Demo- 
 crats nominated Charles ]\[aguire. who had 
 been a member of the Board of Public Works, 
 by direct primary on August 26. Charles 
 A. Bookwalter had been nominated at 
 the Republican primaries on July 23. 
 The contest was of necessity largely based 
 on IMayor Tagsrart 's 7-eeord, and a not- 
 able feature of the campaiirn was a series of 
 letters from ^Mayor Taggai-t in his own de- 
 fense, published in the X< (*■< from Septem- 
 
 ber 20 to October 2, and later iu pamphlet 
 form. The tax levy issue began in 1898. In 
 every year up to that time, since the adoption 
 of the new charter, the citj' tax levy had been 
 (iO cents on $100, except the year 1893 when 
 it was 61iv: cents. In 1898 there was an esti- 
 mated increase of $127,568.60 in city ex- 
 pen.ses, of which $61,510 w-as for improve- 
 ment of the new parks, and the remainder 
 for extended public service due to the an- 
 nexation of the suburban towns. City Con- 
 troller Johnson and jMayor Taggart recom- 
 mended a tax levy of 70 cents, and it was 
 adopted. This was promptly criticised as e.x- 
 travaganee, especially by the News, which 
 had fallen out with ilayor Taggart after sup- 
 porting him for four years. In 1899 Alayor 
 Taggart decided to meet this criticism by a 
 counter-move and the tax levy was reduced 
 to 59 cents for current purposes, with 1 cent 
 added as required by law for the firemen's 
 pension fund. 
 
 The criticism now turned quite as fiercely 
 to the proposition that this levy was not 
 high enough, and this was speedily taken up 
 for political purposes. In the election of 
 1899. although ]Mayor Taggart was re-elected, 
 the Republicans carried the council, and the 
 chief energies of the council were directed 
 to making it appear that the levj^ was too 
 low. Every impediment possible was put in 
 the way of the financial administration. 
 Evei-ything that woidd increase the city's 
 receipts was refused. In this line the most 
 absurd action was the refusal to levy the tax 
 of 3 cents a foot on natural gas mains, which 
 by the contracts of the comi)anies could be 
 imposed at any time after July 13, 1896. 
 This would have given a revenue of about 
 $50,000 a year to the city, and would ]irob- 
 nbly have caused the property of the Con- 
 sumers' Trust to jiass to Iho city without cost, 
 instead of going into the hands of speculators 
 who made a nice thing from it. The $409,- 
 061 paid to the Eureka Company for the old 
 Consumers' Trust property just about covers 
 what the city should have received in taxes 
 on the natiu'al gas mains — the direct cost 
 of "putting Taggart in the hole". The city 
 was entitled to it because the companies 
 did more than that amount of damage to the 
 streets when they put in their mains. Tlie 
 stockholders of the Consumers' Trust had
 
 TIlsrORY OF r.RKATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 427 
 
 received the amount of their investment witli 
 8 per cent intei'est, which was all their 
 "stock" called foi-, in additinn to cheap gas. 
 The Indianapolis Company had made at least 
 an equal jirotit. There was no reason why 
 they shoukl not have been held to their eon- 
 tract for a tax of A cents per foot on their 
 mains, hut the most stu|)id (|uality of small 
 politics. 
 
 The action as to brewery licenses w'as 
 worse in principle thongh there was not so 
 much involved. The city had instituted a 
 lii-ewery license in 189], and it had been sus- 
 tained by the Supreme Court."' On Septem- 
 ber 18, IftOO. the coiuicil repealed this license 
 ordinance, under which ovei- .$tir),0(X) had 
 been paid into the city treasury, and substi- 
 tuted for it a wholesaler's license, which was 
 invalid, and was so held by the courts. This 
 action cost the city $12,000 a year for the 
 next five years, for that time elapsed before 
 the old ordinance was re-enacted and put in 
 force.'' Rut without nnich rejiard to the 
 is.sues presented, the people wanted a change; 
 and on October 8, 1901, Charles A. Book- 
 waJter was elected by a vote of 21,513 to 
 19,3:^8 for :\Iaguire. ' :\rr. Bookwalter's vic- 
 tory was largely due to his personal qualities. 
 lie is one of the most persuasive stump 
 speakei's ever known in Indianapolis, and of 
 a genial chai'acter that makes him "a good 
 iiiixei'". 
 
 Partly on accoinit of delay in issuing the 
 annual reports, and partly because he found 
 it more convenient to review the city's work 
 in connection with the animal estimates, 
 JIayoi- Bookwalter never followed the custom 
 of till' other mayors of making a detailed 
 Ktatement in connection with the annual de- 
 partmental reports. ITis contributions to 
 these are brief messages, and his reviews of 
 the city work will be found in the Council 
 Proceedings instead of the Annual Reports. 
 Mayor Bookwalter's first task was with the 
 financial situation of the city, which was 
 theoretically bad on account of "temporary 
 loans" made in anticipation of tax-payments. 
 In reality, here, as generally in America, 
 legislation has been made to favor the lax- 
 
 '"City vs. Bieler, 138 Tiid.. p. 30. 
 "A full history of tlu> brewery license is 
 in the City Controller's report for llt03. 
 
 payer until taxes are much belated. To il- 
 lii.strate, the taxes of 1908 were assessed in 
 the spring of 1908, and levied in the fall of 
 
 1908, but the first half was not due until 
 May, 1909. and the second half in Xovember, 
 
 1909. Ill reality a muiiici])ality that meets 
 its bills without loans is a year in advance 
 of its revenues. The times when municipali- 
 ties run short of funds are before tax-paying 
 times, the loans not running over 3 months. 
 Consequently the interest charge is for about 
 (J months in the year. But ilayor Bookwal- 
 ter had promised to make no temporary loans, 
 and he kept his promise by issuing $195, 000 
 of "emergency bonds" hearing 31/0 per cent, 
 to replace an equal amount of temporary 
 loans at 3 per cent — in other words made an 
 interest pajTnent of $6,825 to replace one of 
 $2,925— and this was actually applauded by 
 those who had denounced "the 59-cent tax 
 levy". 
 
 But this was not the only step in the line 
 of the argument of the campaign. In 1900 
 the tax levy had been made 73 cents— 1 cent 
 of this for firemen's pen.sion fund— on Mayor 
 Taggart's recommendation. In 1901 it was 
 made 75 cents, of which 2 cents was for the 
 sinking fund provided by the last legislature, 
 and 2 cents for the jiolice and firemen's pen- 
 sion fund. In each of these years the levy of 
 the brewery and natural gas mains taxes was 
 urged by the ^Mayor. which would have re- 
 duced the levy 5 cents. In 1902 the estimates 
 of expenses were increased over $200,000, and 
 Mayor Bookwalter recommended a tax levy 
 of 86 cents, with 4 cents additional for pen- 
 sion and sinking funds. The Republican ma- 
 jority of the council committee on finance 
 recommended a reduction of 2 cents from 
 this, which was adopted, the Democratic 
 minority advocating a reduction of 8 cents. 
 In 1903 the assessment of citv property hav- 
 ing been raised from $132,927,210 to "$142,- 
 846,065, Mayor Bookwalter recommended a 
 reduction of the city levy to 78 cents with 4 
 cents achlitioiial for jiension and sinking 
 funds which was adopted. The emergency 
 bonds were issued as of T)(>cember 14. 1901, 
 makinir the bonch^d debt on .Tannarv 1. 1902. 
 $2,446,600. There \y,'ro added in 1903, $30.- 
 000 of Market lions,, bonds, $100,000 of 
 Boulevard Bdids. and .$25,000 of Bridge 
 bonds- with pri vision for $-1(1.(1(10 more —
 
 428 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIAXAL'OIJS. 
 
 making the bouded debt on January 1, 1904, 
 $2,537400. Of this increase $11,500 was 
 due to the annexation of Irvinnton in 1902, 
 with a bonded debt of $19,000. of wliich $7,- 
 500 was paid in 1902 and 1903. 
 
 The anne.xation of Irvington, witli tlie in- 
 terlying territory brought the area of the 
 city to 29.35 square miles. The work of pub- 
 lie improvement was carried forward at a 
 moderate pace, the chief work being on 
 sewers, of wliich 10.36 miles were completed 
 in 1902 and G.9 miles wei'c completed in 1903. 
 An attempt was made to repair the Wash- 
 ington street bridge over "White River, but 
 .just after the repairs had been completed, on 
 January 16, 1902, the bridge collapsed, drop- 
 ping three street cars and four wagons into 
 the stream, with 11 men and 4 teams of 
 horses. Fortunately no one was killed and 
 only one person seriously in.jured. The 
 principal franchise concessions were to the 
 internrban roads, with the Indianapolis ter- 
 minal. Franchises were granted to 8 inter- 
 urban roads in 1902, the only compensation 
 to the city, aside from approved service, be- 
 ing a payment of 1 cent per round trip for 
 each ear entering the cit.v. The city tri]is are 
 made over the lines of the Indianapolis Trac- 
 tion and Terminal Company, lessee of the old 
 Indianapolis Street Railway Company, and 
 it, by contract with the city on August 15, 
 1902, through the Union Traction Company, 
 bv contract of the same date, pays the cit.v 
 5 cents per car, per round trip, to November 
 4, 1908; 15 cents to NWember 4. 1918; and 
 25 cents per cai- thereafter. The payments 
 are not \eiy heavy, the total /of them, in 
 1907, reaching only $4,386.25. The city also 
 granted a franchi.se to the Indianapolis & 
 Southern Railway Company on Ajnil 11, 
 1902; and one to the Lulianapolis. Logans- 
 port and Chicago Railway Company on Sep- 
 tember 8, 1903. The lattci' has "not been 
 built, and by its terms the franchise is for- 
 feited if the road is not built in five years. 
 "Upon the proper written resolution of said 
 Board of Public Works".— which has not 
 l)een made. 
 
 The city campaign of 1903 was under a 
 notable change of Democratic management. 
 The old organization, popularly known as 
 "the Taixgart machine", which had been in 
 control for a dozen years, was overthrown in 
 
 the primaries, and James L. Keach became 
 the city chairman. On July 25 the Demo- 
 crats nominated John L. Holtzman for mayor, 
 and their jilatforni made the most explicit 
 charges of cori-ui)tion and maladministration 
 against the Hookwalter administration that 
 were ever made in a city platform. The 
 moral issue was made prominent in the cam- 
 paign, especial emphasis being put on the 
 toleration of wine-rooms. But what devel- 
 oped into the most serious political obstacle 
 for the Republicans was their early conven- 
 tion. The primaries for organization were 
 held on ]\Iarch 7. on three days' notice, which 
 was complained of by the anti-administration 
 forces; and the eitj' convention was promptly 
 called by Chairman Logsdon for ]\Iarch 28, 
 The antis made an effort in the primaries, 
 but with so small elTect that they made no 
 fight in the convention beyond a motion to 
 postpone; and ^Mayor Bookwalter was renomi- 
 nated by acclamation. The "snap conven- 
 tion" was made the basis for an open bolt 
 by a number of Republicans, and the cam- 
 paign was further enlivened by the move- 
 ments of the Citizens' League. This body 
 undertook to expose the city administration 
 through a detective imported from St. Louis, 
 but instead of trapping anyone he got ar- 
 rested for an attempt to bi-ibe a city official, 
 and his trial added to the picturesque feat- 
 ures of the season. At the election, on Octo- 
 ber 13, ilr. Holtzman was successful, by a 
 vote of 20,528 to Bookwalter's 19,702, and 
 5,470 for Hitz. the independent candidate. 
 
 The most important problems of the Holtz- 
 man administration were track elevation and 
 cheap gas to take the place of the exhausted 
 natural gas ; and it was hampered in its work 
 by a Republican council, for the unexpected 
 had again happened, and a council whose 
 ma.jority diflfered from the mayor in politics 
 had been elected. There was no mode in 
 which track elevation could be obtained but 
 by agreement with the railroads, and in Octo- 
 ber, 1904, the Board of Public Woi-ks reached 
 an agi-eenient with the ]Monon, L. E. & W. 
 and Big Four roads for elevation at IMassa- 
 chusetts avenue and Tenth streets, by which 
 not more than one-fourth of the expense 
 should be borne by the city. On November 
 21 the Board asked the council foi- an appro- 
 priation of $25,000 to carry out this contract
 
 HISTOIIY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 429 
 
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 430 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATEli IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 which involved a partial depression of streets, 
 but action was not taJjen until January "2:5, 
 
 1905, when the ordinance was passed, and the 
 work proceeded. It was completed early in 
 
 1906, the expense to the city being $24,558.0-J. 
 Meanwhile the legislature of 1905 had met 
 and adopted a law, prepared by the city ad- 
 Miinistration, authorizing- the city to require 
 track elevation under certain restrictions: 
 (1) it could nut require more than $400,000 
 cost of elevation in one year; (2) the rail- 
 road or roads affected wei-e to pay 75 per 
 cent of the expense, which was to include 
 any alteration in the grade, pavang or drain- 
 age of the streets affected, and the salary of 
 the city engineer while engaged in the work, 
 but not the cost of rails, ties, ballast or track- 
 laying; (3) if the crossing was used by a 
 street railroad it was to pay 5 per cent of the 
 cost, the city 14 per cent, and the county 6 
 per cent ; but if not used by a street railroad 
 the city was to pay 17 per cent and tln' 
 county 8 per cent. There was some criticism 
 of requiring the city to pay any of the cost. 
 but the public generally i-ealized that the 
 railroads owned their franchises, and in fact 
 had obtained most of them when there were 
 no crossings; and also that these terms were 
 more favorable than prevailed generally in 
 .\nierican cities. As soon as this law went 
 into effect, the Board of Public AYorks 
 adopted a resolution for the elevation of the 
 Vaudalia, Big Four and Union railway 
 tracks over Kentuclrv avenue, at AVest street. 
 This work was completed in November, 1908, 
 the total cost being over $500.0(X), and the 
 city's share !t;8:3,091.(ll. The Board of Works 
 next ordered the se]iaration of grades at the 
 Big Four ci'ossing of Thirtieth street, ,iust 
 east of Rivei'side T'ark. but before work was 
 begun the railroad company practically aban- 
 doned the.se tracks for a new line west of the 
 city, and removed its l)ridge over AVhiti' 
 River, so that the work became nnnecessai'y. 
 It also ordei-ed an elevation and subway at 
 Ihe Big Foui- crossint;- of YalK\v avenue, 
 which was coniiilcted in 1908. at a cost of a 
 little over -i^'iO.dOO, the citv's expense licinu' 
 .$6,133.79. 
 
 There was nothinii- left of the city's ritrhts 
 under the natui'al i;as contracts of 1887 but 
 the city's option to i)ui-cha'-e the "entire 
 plant " of the Consumer's Trust, and there 
 
 was a widespread desire that this be ntilized 
 to secure the mains for the distribution of 
 cheap artificial fuel gas. The Citizens' Gas 
 Company was therefore projected, and active 
 efl'orts were made to secure the subscriptions 
 to its proposed .$1,000,000 of stock. On Au- 
 gust 25, 1905, the Board of Public Works 
 granted a franchise to this company through 
 its trnstees Alfred F. Potts, Fi'ank D. Stal- 
 naker and Lorenz Schmidt and gave them a 
 liurchase option on the city's option. This 
 was ratified by ordinance of August 30, 1905, 
 and the mains of the Consumer's Trust 
 passed into the hands of the new company 
 under this agreement. In 1905 the Board of 
 i'uhlic Works induced the Water Company to 
 lay a 36-inch main from its j)um])ing station 
 northwest of the city to Ohio street, and 30- 
 iuch mains thence to the business district, 
 giving a direct pressure reinforcement to the 
 water service of the whole city. 
 
 Tlie great floods of ]March, 1904, did a 
 lartic amount of danuige to public property, 
 destroying bridges and roadways, and float- 
 ing oft' several block pavements. On this ac- 
 count an issue of .$125,000 of flood bonds was 
 made on May 1. 1904. These were the only 
 bonds issued under ]\Iayor Holtzman, except- 
 ing .$40,000 of bridge bonds which had been 
 ordered by the preeedinu- administration, and 
 not sold for want of bidders; and .$45,000 of 
 lefunding bonds, issued July 1, 1905, to re- 
 place a like amount of old bonds whose pay- 
 ment was optional. All three issues were 
 sold at a premium, and the refunding bonds 
 bore 314 per cent, interest while the bonds 
 they replaced bore 4 per cent. An ordinance 
 I'equiring a license of $1,000 from breweries 
 was adopted in April, 1904, and the city 
 that year began receiving $10,000 annually 
 from that source. On January 1, 1906, the 
 city's total bonded debt wa.s * $2,585,800 as 
 against $2,537,400 on Januaiw 1, 1904; and 
 the available cash was $224,048.63 a.s against 
 $64,848.94 (m January 1, 1904. In Sei)tem- 
 ber. 1905, the tax levy was reduced to 85 
 cents. There were a number of expenditures 
 in 1905 outside of the ordinaiy current ex- 
 penses, among which were $37,000 for grounds 
 at Kentucky avenue and ^laryland street for 
 a new central engine house ; $14,764.24 for 
 the Raymond sti-eet eneine house; $9,000 for 
 openini;- Jackson place, to give ati enti'ance
 
 IIISTdliY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLI 
 
 431 
 
 l(j tlie riii(iii St.-itic^i from Alfridian strtx' t ; 
 and >f2o.0W) for the purehase of the Deaf and 
 Dumb Asylum ^louuds, for a park. 
 
 lu the (•ami)aiiin of 190o there was a de- 
 eidol |)olitieal ehauue tliat hail notliini;' to do 
 with city busiue^s. Mr. Hooi<\v;ilter decided 
 to be a candidate auaiu, and was renominated 
 at the I\e])ubliean |)rimaries on June :i(). 190."), 
 defeatinj;- Frank 1). Stalnakei- l)y a vote of 
 V2,'2'21 to i'.TfJtl. This disposed of any claim 
 of irrefrularity of nomination, which had been 
 damayini;- two yeai's before. The Democrats 
 were weaker for the disappointments of a.spir- 
 auts to office, and also by a develojjment of 
 local factional eontrc.versies, and ^Ir. Holtz- 
 nian. wlio was i-enominated on Aaisust 26, un- 
 ']iiestii;n;d)ly ditl not receive his full jiart.v 
 \iiti' -Mr. Hitz for .some mysterious i-eason 
 iiiiaLiined it wa.s a trood time for him to run 
 ayain. The election on Xovendjer 7 resulted, 
 Hcokwalter 25,988; Iloltzman 24,827: and 
 Hit/. l.liO:!. It is hai'dly questionable that a 
 lai-ye part of the vote that went to Hitz in 
 190.8, from the Republican side, was ca.st for 
 BiKikwalter in ]9<i."). The dati' of election 
 was charmed from ()ctobei' to .November by 
 law ill 1905, '" and the same law made the 
 ti'rms of city officers four years, instead of 
 two, bejrinnins' on the first Monday in Jan- 
 uary following' theii' election, with further 
 provision that they should be ineliiiible to 
 succeed themselves. 
 
 Mayoi- Hookwalter's second administration 
 was rather stormy. The eit.v had for a nuni- 
 li"r of years had its offices in the basement of 
 ilie eoui't Jiouse. but county officers claimed 
 that tile room was neede(l for county business, 
 especially after the creation of two new su- 
 perior courts by the leirislature of 1909, and 
 inv^istcd that the city move out. The city 
 otiices found lodsintr in various buildinn-s 
 niakiui;- the transaction of cit.v business in- 
 i-onvenient, aiul ^layor Bookwalter deter- 
 mined to build a city hall. His oi'ifrinal i)lan 
 was to build a eily hall in conjunction with 
 a Colosseum, for lar'.>'e i)ublic sathei'injis. This 
 was to be placed ovei' a pai't of the market- 
 house, and involved a partial depression of 
 the lowei' story used for market purposes. 
 When this was announced, a nundier of mar- 
 ket men objected. Two actions for injunc- 
 
 tion wei-e hroughl,'-' both of which resulted in 
 i.ecisions against the plaintiff's on the ground 
 that the action was prenuit\ire. A third suit 
 was brought, after a contract for the building, 
 at a cost of $614,000, had been signed. 'I'his 
 was heard by Judge Carter of the Superior 
 Court, who, on June 26, 1907, decided that 
 the city could not build a hall for public 
 gatherings not connected with city business; 
 that it could not contract foi- a building for 
 $614,000 because that would exceed the debt 
 limit; and that the city could not put any 
 building on the nuirket square which would 
 interfere with its use for market purjxises. 
 This ended the colosseuni project, and 
 .Mayor Hookwalter then anntuuiced that he 
 would build a city ludl to cost not less than 
 .H;500,000.-" It was at. first proposed to put 
 it on the north side of the Court House 
 sipiare, making virtiudly the extension of the 
 coui't house which was contem])lated in the 
 ordinal plans. This could have been done, 
 with the co-operation of the county, but ob- 
 jections were made, aiul on Octobei- 80, 1907, 
 a site was purchased, at the northwest cor- 
 ner of Ohio and Alabama streets, for 
 $115,000. I'.y this time the pro<-eeds of the 
 .$800, 000 of bonds issued for the colosseum 
 had been largely exh;ius1ed. Mayor Book- 
 waltei- stating the use as follows: Temi)orary 
 sheds for market $11,881; architect's fees 
 $S,000; site for new hall $115,000; Fall Creek 
 boidevaril $45,000; repaii-ing Riverside dam 
 $15,000; (^ity Hospital improvements $51,000; 
 a total of $245,881; leaving $54,619 of the 
 bond proceeds, with $22,000 that had been ap- 
 l)i-opriated from the city treasury. It was 
 thei'efore neeessai'y to have additional funds, 
 and on Xovembei' 17 the council authorized 
 the issue of $(iOO,00() of city hall Iwiuls, 
 which was then allowable becau.se the eit.v 
 assessment had been increased to $176,665,190, 
 making the city's 2 per cent, debt limit 
 $8,583,308,80, These bonds were issued on 
 January 15, 1909, but with a i)rovision that 
 the purchaser need not take the whole is- 
 sue till the cit.v wanted the money, and that 
 the interest should not begin to riui initil 
 they were actuall.v taken and iiaid for. It 
 
 [els 1911.-. p. 219. 
 
 '"Cook vs. City. No. 15,188, Circuit Court; 
 Cook vs. City, No, 72.914, Superior Court. 
 -"Nin-s. Jiilv S; S7<(/-. Julv 16. 1907.
 
 -132 
 
 HISTOIIY OF GREATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 should also be mentioned that the tempdraiy 
 uiarket-sheds. erected along: ^Market and Ala- 
 bama streets in preparation for work on the 
 eolosseum, were not a total loss, as the city 
 retained the lumber, and used it in making 
 sheds for the street-sweeping vehicles. 
 
 Plans for the new city hall, prepared by 
 Kubush & Hunter, were adopted on Novem- 
 ber 3, 1908: and protests against hasty ac- 
 tion on them were then made by the i\Iunie- 
 ipal Art League, and the Merchants Asso- 
 ciation."' No action was taken for some 
 months, and the plans were put on exhibition, 
 and public criticism was invited. On j\Iarch 
 6, 1909, suit was brouuht in the Circuit Court 
 by Otto Stechhan and Frank AV. Planner of 
 the Marion County Taxpayers League to en- 
 join the city from letting a contract on these 
 plans. Their contention was that the plans 
 of themselves indicated fraud. The ca.se was 
 heard by Judge Remster, who, on April 8, 
 1909, decided for the defendants, holding that 
 mere opportunity for fraud, without evidence 
 of actual fraud, or intent to commit fraud, 
 was not sufficient to sustain an injunction. 
 The contract was then let, and the work pro- 
 ceeded with no further interruption but a 
 labor strike in September, 1909. 
 
 In railroad elevation, the Bookwalter ad- 
 ministration ordered no new work in 1906, 
 but continued the work ordered in 1905. In 
 1907, on March 17, it ordered the elevation 
 of the Big Four and C. H. & D. tracks at 
 Washington and Decatur streets in West In- 
 dianapolis, and also the Belt tracks at Mor- 
 ris street. The latter order was abandoned, 
 and the former was completed at a cost of 
 about $150,000, the city's share being 
 $25,406.46. In 1908 it ordered tlie elevation 
 of the Belt tracks at Ea.st Washington street 
 as part of an elevation of the Belt road about 
 two miles in extent, reaching from East Tenth 
 street to Prospect street and providing sub- 
 ways at East Michigan street. East New York 
 street. Southeastern avenue, and the Pan- 
 handle tracks. The elevation at Washington 
 street was opened for traffic October 7, 1909, 
 and cost about $110,000. The remainder is 
 to cost $600,000 to $700,000. and tn be com- 
 pleted in 1910 and 1911. 
 
 On February 11, April 27. and ^lay 4. 
 
 1906, the trustees of the Citizens Gas Com- 
 pany demanded the ti'ansfer of the city's op- 
 tion to purchase the Consumers Gas Trust 
 mains as contracted for by the preceding ad- 
 ministration. On the last occasion they sent 
 an open letter reciting the histoiy of the mat- 
 ter, and stating that unless an answer was 
 received by ]\Iay 8 they would understand 
 that the city refused to carrj' out its con- 
 tract.-- On May 25 the trustees sued the city 
 for specific performance of the contract.-" 
 The case came before Judge Carter, and was 
 disposed of on January 26, 1907, by his over- 
 ruling the demurrer to the complaint; which 
 was practically a decision that the option 
 must be transferred. After some small addi- 
 tional stipulations it was transferred on Jan- 
 uary 30, 1907. The legislature of 1907 also 
 took up the gas question, and a bill intro- 
 duced by Senator Linton Cox was passed 
 limiting the price of heating and lighting 
 gas to 60 cents per 1,000 feet in Indianapolis, 
 and regulating the quality of the gas fur- 
 nished.-^ Under this law the citizens have 
 been receiving 60-cent gas since. 
 
 .\side from governmental atfaii's, the year 
 1907 was memorable as a year of donations. 
 It began early by raising $95,000 by public 
 subscription for Butler University. The Y. 
 M. C. A. and the Y. W. C. A. were both 
 desirous of new quarters, and also appealed 
 to the public, in organized campaigns. The 
 Y. M. C. A. began first, and in a whirlwind 
 campaign of 17 days, closing March 1, ob- 
 tained pledges of $273,000. General enthu- 
 siasm was aroused, and dozens of business 
 men, some of them having no connection with 
 the Y. M. C. A., gave their time and effort to 
 the work. As soon as this was finished most 
 of them volunteered to help the Y. W. C. A., 
 which began work on March 2, and completed 
 a ten days campaign on March 11, with 
 pledges of $140,000. This made a total of 
 over half-a-million dollars raised for public 
 purposes in Indianapolis in less than three 
 months. The Y. ]\I. C. A. sold its old build- 
 ing on the east side of Illinois between Mar- 
 ket and Washington streets— now removed — 
 
 ''^Star, November 8, 1908, \). 10. 
 
 --News, May 4. 1906. 
 -^ Citizens Gas Co. vs. City 
 .\(i. 71. ■'124 Superior Court. 
 -*Actx of 1007. p. 149. 
 
 of Indianapolis,
 
 IllSIOi.'V ()|- (IlIKAl'Kl! INDl.WArol.H. 4;« 
 
 for .+---''AIIH). ami juit .$400,000 into its iires- of iiiachiiic cdiitrol. 'riicrc wert- also more 
 
 I'lit nuai'tei's at Illinois aud New York streets, votes than usual in tln' |uini:iries, thoufjli li'ss 
 
 I'm- huiUlini; and irrounds. The buildino; was than two-thirds of tlie nund)er cast in the 
 
 dedicated tlu'on)ih the week FeluMiafv 18-20, election. For canditiates for mayor, the Re- 
 
 1909. The \. W. C. A. already owned a site. publican vote was 1:^270 for Samuel Lewis 
 
 with ji buildini;' on the rear which met a ])art Shank and o.OO.S foi- Win. X. Harilini;: the 
 
 of its needs, but witii a debt of some $27,000. Democratic vote was 8,6(58 for Cha.s. A. 
 
 Tt paid its debt, and erected its present main (ianss; ."),08(i for Chas. B. Clarke; and 1,013 
 
 l)uildin}i:, which cost .$1.")0.00(), furnished. It for Win. K. Ki'oll. The most sinjrular feature 
 
 was dedicated on July 2(i. 1!)08. of the result was thi' make-up of the Demo- 
 
 The city tax levy in lilOG was made 88 ciatic ticket, all of the candi<lates on which, 
 
 cents on .$100; in 1907 it was 92 cents; in but two. were Catholics. This was not a re- 
 
 1908 it was 91 cents; and in 1909 it was 91 suit that was son-rht for, but was due to the 
 
 cents. Included in these levies each year fact that the avei-aije man, without any spe- 
 
 are 1 cent f(U' fire and police pension funds; cial inducement, votes for the candidate he 
 
 ") cents for sinkins; fund; aiul 4 cents for knows Inst, in either a primary or an elec- 
 
 track elevation. The legislature of 1907 fi.xed tinn. pnividint; he does not know him un- 
 
 a tax of not less than 4 cents nor more than favorably. Of the Democratic candidates the 
 
 8 cents foi- parks and boulevards, and the most active and widely known hajipened to 
 
 les'islatui'e of 1909 inereasc>d this to not less be Catholics. The result caused iuuuediate 
 
 than .") cents noi- more than 9 cents. The law sur])rise and some consteriuition. as much or 
 
 of 1909 also irives the Park Hoai-d power to more amonu' Catholic politicians as among' 
 
 assess benefits and dMina^cs foi- new boule- others. In a convention, expei'ienced lead- 
 
 vards and parks, by disti'icts. to the amount ers are always cai'cful to disti'ibute their 
 
 of .$1.2')0,000 in ten years, liut not more than tick<'t as unich as possible, freojiraphically 
 
 .$200,000 in any oni' year. and with reference to race and relifrion and 
 
 Another law of I'lOl). introduced by Sen- other larire controlline: features. This feature 
 at(H' Cox, red\iciHl the city council to nine of the ticket ])i-ob;d)ly <lefeated it, for it had 
 members, nominated from districts but elected been uiMierally believetl for some months be- 
 by vote of the entire cit\'. StilL another pi'o- foi'e the pi'imaries that the Democrats were 
 vided for the nomination of ])arty candidates sure to carry the election. The result of the 
 by direct primaries. The pi-inmrics were held election was Shaid< 27.0M8. and (ianss ■£.">. 40:i 
 on .'Xu^ust .'). and were uncpiestioiuiblx' mil with 2,1(i7 scalterinp. 
 
 Vol. 1—28
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 
 'IIK SLBLHBAN TOWNS. 
 
 Indianapolis had "suburbs" from a very 
 early date. One of the earliest was "Water- 
 loo"" which was the region between the Blutf 
 road (now South Meridian street), and the 
 river bottom, for some distance below the Belt 
 Iiailroad, which was once a rather tough neigh- 
 borhood.' "Kinderhook"'" was not a suburb, 
 but a name given to the triangular l)l()ck be- 
 tween Maryland, and Alal)ama streets and Vir- 
 ginia avenue, after the old Kinder House was 
 moved there.^ 
 
 A real suburb was "Cotton town'", on the 
 west side of the Canal, about Sixteenth street, 
 where Natlianiel West put up his cotton mill, 
 and caused a number of operatives to locate 
 about it. In the early fifties the name "German- 
 town"" was given to the region about North 
 Noble street, where a number of the German 
 immigrants settled. "Stringtown"' was for 
 years the region along the National road west 
 of the river, ^luch later we had "Cerealine- 
 town'" which grew up about the cerealine fac- 
 tory, north of Fall Creek. ''Bucktown'" de- 
 velo])ed from tlie influx of negroes, during and 
 after the war, in the region about Indiana 
 avenue, west of the canal. ''Sleighgo'", or 
 "Sleigho, under the Hill" was the colored set- 
 tlement, east of Broad Cut and west of tiic 
 gravel ])it, where the awful Purdue wreck oc- 
 enred. "Peedee"" was a name early conferred 
 on I'ike Township, and later transferred to 
 other things in that direction.'' After the city 
 bounds were extended to Sixteenth street (olil 
 Tinker, or Seventh street) the school house 
 that stood west of Illinois on the south side of 
 Tinker, was known fur years as "the Peedee 
 school house." 
 
 '^Noirland's Jiciiiiinsrrncps, |)p. 1(i!)-lO. 
 •Xrir.t. July l!t. ISrO, p. 2. 
 ^Locomotive, .hine 5). 1855. 
 
 But none of these localities ever developed 
 into a town with an independent governnu'nt, 
 anil it was not until the boom times of the 
 early seventies that a real surburban town 
 appeared. The first of these was Irvington, 
 wliich was platted on November 7, 1870 by 
 Jacob B. Julian and Sylvester Johnson. The 
 plat covered 304.47 acres, and was designed 
 as a residence suburb, being about four miles 
 east of the city by rail. The avenues were 
 laid out on curved lines, and two circles were 
 made — Irving Circle for a park, and College 
 Circle for a female college. The place was 
 named for Washington Irving, and it was de- 
 signed to place a statue of him in Irving Cir- 
 cle, but this has never been done. All deeds of 
 lots contain this clause: ''The trrantee accepts 
 this deed from the grantor with the express 
 agreement that he, his heirs and assigns will 
 not erect or maintain, or suffer to be erected 
 or maintained, on the real estate herein con- 
 veyed any distilkrv, brewerv, soap-factory 
 pork-house, slaughter-house, or any other e.^- 
 tablishment offensive to the people, and that 
 he will not erect or maintain, or suffer to be 
 erected or maintained, on said premises, any 
 stable, liog-pen, privy, or other offensive build- 
 ing, stall, or shed witliin fifty feet of any ave- 
 nue in said town, and that he will not sell or 
 suffer to hi' sold on said premises any intoxicat- 
 ing liquors except for medicinal, sacramental 
 or mechanical purposes strictly, and lie ac- 
 cepts this deed on the further asrecnient that 
 the right to enforce and compel compliance of 
 the above conditions rests not only in the 
 grantor, his heirs and assigns, but in all the 
 )iroperty-liolders and inhabitants of said town." 
 Additions made later were' covered by a similar 
 condition. The early locations in the new sub- 
 urb were cliiefly by ]iersons more or less inter- 
 ested in the site but there was a satisfactorv 
 
 4:14
 
 HISTOKV OF GHKATKi; 1 XDIAXAPol.lS. 
 
 435 
 
 uiowtli for tho first thnv ye:ii>. mikI on March 
 11. 18"3, a petition for inroiporalion was jnadc 
 ici till." Board of L'Diiiity ( oniiniHsiontTi^, wliicli 
 •rdercd an ulcctiou on .Marili 'il. The vole 
 Mir incorporation was nearly nuauinious, and 
 an election of otlicers was ordered for April 
 • 1. It resulted in the choice of Jacob B. Julian. 
 Levi Rittcr and ('has. W. Brouse for trus- 
 tees. Sylvester Johnson for assessor and treas- 
 urer, and Ferdinand Wann for marshal. The 
 tin-tees met on Ajjril T and adopted four 
 ordinances; (1) re(|uirinL;' lot owners to jirade 
 ilieii- sidewalks and plant shade trees; {'i) ])ro- 
 hiliitin;;' hogs running at large; (.3) prohibit- 
 ing the use of Hre-arnis within the town lim- 
 its: (4) prohibiting the killing of "any bird 
 within .said town." The last stringent provi- 
 sion was never construed to a]i])ly to domestic 
 fowls. On April 21, an ordinance was adopted 
 to ]irohil)it cattle running at largt'. On Oc- 
 tober 1, an issu(> of .$1.").(J0() for school pur- 
 poses was orderecl. An ambitious school build- 
 ing was undertaken, and on A])ril tiS. I.STI. 
 .$1(1.110(1 more of l)onds wei'c ordered to com- 
 plete it. 
 
 Jn the spring of ls;:> the directors of Xortli- 
 wostern Christian (Butler) I'niversity detided 
 to select a new site for the institution. There 
 Were Several competitors, and the pro])rietors 
 of Irvington and adjoining property, made an 
 'itfer of 2it acres of ground for a campus and 
 S|.")().()00 for bdildings. This was formally 
 accepted on June 1*. \S', { ; and the main 
 building was begun that fall — a three-storv 
 brick, 135 x To, with steam heat and all mod- 
 ern conveniences. Instruction in the new build- 
 ing was begun in the full of 1875. and from 
 iliat time on Irvington was '"a college town". 
 .•Vnd it was fortuiuite in being so, for the col- 
 lege life not only helped it weather the finan- 
 cial stress of the seventies, but gave it an in- 
 telle(-tual atinos|)here that has made the place 
 attractive for residence. The .Vthenaeum has 
 always ranked with the best literary societies 
 of Indiana[)olis. The crowning service in this 
 line came with the Bona Thom]ison library, in 
 1003. for while it was given to Hutler its 
 donor very wisely ])rovi<led for its free ]iub!ie 
 use. 
 
 The college life also aided in solving the 
 trans|iortation ])roblem. which was one of the 
 ino<t serious of the earlv days, for nuinv of the 
 students lived in town. .\t first the onlv serv- 
 
 ice was by the railroads, the I'anhandle lia\iug 
 Its station, and tho C. 11. \- I), stopping at 
 the college for aceoniniodation. In 18.S1 an 
 extension of the "mule-car" service was made 
 out English avenue, with ears leaving hourly, 
 and arriving more nearly daily. For awhile 
 in the seventies a bus line was tried, out Wash- 
 ington street, with a horn and other stage- 
 coach accompaniments outside the city limits. 
 In 1893 the Washington street car line was 
 secured. It was then a mule-car line, but 
 soon after a ilummy steam motor was imported 
 from Muncie, and used till it ran otf the tracks 
 into a ditch, near the Deaf and Dumb School, 
 injuring several passengers. There was never 
 any satisfactory service to any of the suburbs 
 until the street railway lines were electrified. 
 
 .\s a natural result of the conditions, early 
 life in Irvington was very quiet and peaceable. 
 There were no saloons to stimulate the ag- 
 gressive, or attract the boisterous from the 
 city. The most alarnung noise was the college 
 yell, and the only times that could be called 
 exciting were elections, when tlie pacific burgh- 
 ers .seemed to let out all their |)ent-up exuber- 
 ance. 
 
 The wildest excitement that ever developed 
 was in 1877. Owing to the failure of newly 
 elected school trustees to ipialify. there de- 
 velo])ed two school boards, each claiming con- 
 trol, the old board consisting of (Jeo. \V. Julian 
 and J. O. Ilo|)kins, and the new board of 
 Sylve.<ter Johnson and Dr. James A. Kruni- 
 rine. The old br)ard emi)loyed Miss l.ydia 
 li. I'liliiam, who had been teaching in is;ii. 
 to conduct the School in hSTT; but Ijcfore the 
 .-ehool opened Hopkins resigned, and William 
 II. II. Shank was elected by the town board on 
 August 'i. He alliliated with the new boanl. 
 and they notified Miss Putnam that lu'r serv- 
 ices were not wanted. She replied that under 
 her written contract they wen'. She bad the 
 keys to (he building, so the lU'w board bad new 
 locks put on ; and on Seoteinber .3, when school 
 was to open, they were on hand to maintain 
 their autbiu-ity. l^ikewise came Miss I'lilnam 
 to nniintain hers. Tlu' board ordered bee out. 
 but she went not. Then they put her out. the 
 witnes.ses stating that Johnson and Kniinrine 
 each held an arm while .Shank brought up the 
 rear "boosting with his knee." Before the\ bad 
 recovered front their exertions .Miss I'utnam 
 had irot in again at the i)ack door, and the work
 
 436 
 
 HISTORY 01' (iHKA'l'Kll I MHAXAI'ol.IS. 
 
 had all to be done over. This time the teai-her 
 got hold of a staple in the wall, and hung on 
 for some time, but the allies finally got her 
 out, and held the house. 
 
 For the next two weeks the Indianapolis pa- 
 pers were full of "the Irvington war", and the 
 comnuinieations from the two faetions that de- 
 veloped were nothing if not spiey. But the pro- 
 ceedings were not confined to the papers. Miss 
 Putnam liad the board members arrested for 
 assault and battery, and the case was tried by 
 a jury in Justice Glass' court on September 11 
 and 12, with a crowd in attendance, and a 
 formidable array of legal talent. The de- 
 fendants were fined $15 and costs each. Then 
 .Miss Putnam lirouglit suit for damages for the 
 manner in which she had been "bruised and 
 lacerated"". As the Neivs said: "War to the 
 knife has been declared, and no quarter will 
 be given or taken. The amenities of suburban 
 life are enchanting."' She won again, getting 
 judgment for SiSOO. The case was taken to the 
 Supreme Court, which affirmed the jiulgment. 
 and so "the Irvington war"" was closed.'' 
 
 Irvington maintained its separate existence 
 longer than any of tlie surburban towns, but 
 the increasing population after the advent of 
 the electric railway desired city conveniences 
 that were not accessible to the town. Electric 
 lighting had been oVifained liy threats to put 
 up an independent lighting plant, which caused 
 an extension tn Irvington. The town also se- 
 cured the important concession from the rail- 
 roads of maintaining electric lights at their 
 crossings, which was both valuable and un- 
 usual. But it was still without water service, 
 and intimations of the grant of a water fran- 
 chise were supv)osed to have hastened the coun- 
 cil's action on annexation. Kesidents of the 
 territory lying between Irvington and the city 
 were desirous of annexation, especially in the 
 region of Tuxedo Park, and efforts were made 
 in 1900 to annex it, but without success. On 
 December 2, 1901 an ordinance was introduced 
 for the annexation of l)oth Irvington and the 
 interjacent territory, which was )iassed on Feb- 
 ruary 7, and approved February 17, 1902. Irv- 
 ington had no debt when annexed but its school 
 house bonds, $19,000. and these were assumed 
 by the city. 
 
 When the collef'e removed to Irvington it 
 
 Mohnson ct al. vs. Pntnam. 9.") Ind.. p. 
 
 ua^ the \orth Western t.'hristian University. 
 On February 28, 1877, the name was changed 
 to Butler L'niversity in recognition of the bene- 
 factions of Ovid Butler. As the original uni- 
 versity plan was never fully developed, and on 
 account of the movement for the University of 
 Indianapolis, the jiame Butler College was 
 adopted on April 8, 189ti, to designate lin- 
 academic department, which is located at Irv- 
 ington. The University of Indianapolis did 
 not fully develop, but Butler is affiliated with 
 the Indiana Law School, and with the In- 
 diana Dental College, a prosperous institution 
 wiiich owns its own building at Ohio and Dela- 
 ware streets. In addition to the main building, 
 wiiicii has 18 recitation rooms, offices, chapel, 
 and halls, the college lias Burgess Hall, with G 
 recitation rooms, museum and laboratories; a 
 college residence for girls; a fine gynniasium 
 building with exercise hall 35 x 58, baths, etc.; 
 and the Bona Thompson ^lemorial Library 
 building. This last was donated in 190:1 l)y 
 Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Thompson in memory of 
 their dausrhter Bona, who graduated at the 
 college in' 1903. The library has 12,000 vol- 
 umes, and is also a station of the Indianapolis 
 Public Librarv. The college has its own Y. 
 ^l. C. A. and" Y. W. C. A., and the students 
 publish a weekly paper, The Biitlrr {'ollcijinii. 
 The college maintains a summer school, and 
 has a Teacher"s CoUetre Department for tin- 
 training of school teachers. In 1907 an addi- 
 tion of $250,000 was made to the endowment 
 of the college. Joseph Irwin, of Columbus 
 ofTcrcd $100,000 if $150,000 additioiuil were 
 raised. ^larshall T. Beeves, of Columbus, con- 
 tributed .$:!0,0n(). ami Andrew Carnegie agreed 
 to give the last $25,000. .Vn enterprising local 
 campaign secured the remaining $95,000. 
 
 An important addition to Ivvington was 
 made in 1909 by the location there of the gen- 
 eral offices, publication department, and mis- 
 sionary training school of the Christian Wom- 
 an"s Board of ilissions. 'llie year 1909 was 
 celebrated as the centennial of the church, be- 
 ing the one hundredth anniversary of the "dec- 
 laration and address"" of Thomas Campbell, 
 and was made the occasion of donations for 
 tho establishment of this institution as a per- 
 manent memorial of the event. The largest 
 single gift was of .$25,000 from ^frs. C. ft. 
 Fi'rris, daughter of Sarah Davis Deterding. in 
 acknowledijement of which tlic new school is
 
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 4:^8 
 
 lIlsroKV OF (JKKATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 naiiu'tl The Sarah Davis Deterding ilissimi- 
 ary Training .Sciindl. The object of the sclmnl 
 is not to duplicate tlie worlv of colleges and 
 academies, but to give special training to per- 
 sons who propose to go into the missionary field. 
 not only in a general way, but with special 
 reference to the countries in which they pr,;- 
 ])Ose to locate, their peoples, their religions, 
 tlieii- manners and customs and laws. A part 
 of the work will be practical training in home 
 missionary work in Indianapolis, especially 
 among the foreign element. The centennial 
 conti-ibiitions amounted to some $90,000, whicii 
 has been put into the Ijuilding and grounds, 
 and about $10,000 more will be raised to coni- 
 jiiete the work on them as originally contem- 
 jilatcd. The building is now occupied by the 
 offices and publication department, and tlic 
 school is expected to open in the fall of 1910. 
 The town of Brightwood was original I v 
 platted (in September 17, 18:2, by W. D. WWx. 
 1). 11. Wiles, C. A. Greenleaf and John L. 
 Mothershead. On May -27. 18:4, an amended 
 plat was filed, which included E. T. Fletcher's 
 First Addition to the town. Tlie action wa- 
 a result of a decision to locate there the plants 
 of the Greenleaf Mamifaeturing Company, 
 which manufactured a patent turn-table, and 
 the foundry of ilothershead & ^Vlorris, wlm 
 were doing business in Indiana])olis. In tiv,' 
 winter of 1874-.">, the interests of the Green- 
 leaf Manufacturing Company were ])urchased 
 l)y the "Bee Line" Kailroad Company, which 
 removed its Michigan street shops to that 
 point in 1877. On account of the prospective 
 change it was decided to incorporate the town : 
 and on June 9, 187o, a petition was filed fo- 
 that purpose with the Board of County Com- 
 missioners by Isaac X. Hoover. J. .T. Bickncll 
 and others. It showed that the proposed tow i 
 had at that time 132 inhabitants. The county 
 commissioners ordered an election to be held 
 "at the door of the postoffice" on June 26. The 
 town was duly incorporated, but some contro- 
 versies arose: and the )ieople also found that 
 they had accumulated an elephant by taking i'l 
 a township school that they were unable lo 
 support. Accordingly the incorporation was 
 abandoned, and a second petition was filed on 
 April n. 1876. An election was ordered f t 
 ^lay 1. which was favorable to incorporatio'>. 
 there being 2.3 votes in the affirmative, and 
 none against. 
 
 The election of officers was held on June 111. 
 and a spirited contest occurred, which resulted 
 in ibi' clioice of Joseph E. Ayers, Eichard At- 
 tridge and Willis E. Miner for trustees; John 
 Henry, marshal; Luke Wells, assessor; James 
 Hclnies, treasurer; and Isaac X. Hoover, clerk. 
 For a nundjer of years the elections were theo- 
 retically non})artisan, with a "citizens' ticket" 
 and an "independent ticket", but the former 
 was usuall\ Eepublican and the latter Demo- 
 cratic, and more recently they dropped their 
 jiiasks and appeared in their hideous nakedness. 
 The most interesting question of local politics 
 was the water works, for Brightwood is the only 
 part of Indianapolis that ever tried municipal 
 ownership of a public service. The water wm-ks 
 construction was in 1895-6 and was installed 
 with a tire department of two hose reels. It 
 has extended until there are now 5 miles of 
 mains. The water su])ply is from deep wells 
 (■"iOO feet) and there is a reservoir of 40. (too 
 gallons capacity. In December, 1906 a report 
 was made on the plant by Brossman & King, 
 engineers. They count the capacity of the 
 mains for domestic supply at 10 times their 
 ]iresent use, and the fire capacity sufficient for 
 2 lines of hose, with II/4 inch nozzle, for 1% 
 hours. 
 
 From th.e financial standpoint they estimate 
 tlie waterworks as self-supporting since 1904, 
 Itut not before that date, allowing credit for 
 five hydrants at $4.t ]ier year. This is a fair 
 credit for .Ire protection since the annexation 
 of the town, for it is the rate the city pays U>v 
 hydrants. It omits the consideration, however, 
 that the extension of the city mains to Bright- 
 wood woiild call for a number of additional hy- 
 drants. .\nd it seems obvious that this was 
 not a fair measure of the value of fire protec- 
 tion to the town prior to annexation. Under 
 the existing system of six grades in insurance 
 rates, the difference between a town with no 
 (ire protection and one with the protection 
 Brightwood liad is at least two grades ; and 
 tlie difference in insurance is 13 per cent a 
 grade on buildings and 2 to 8 per c-ent on good>. 
 Tlie allowance for Brightwood's 40 hydrants 
 at $4.5 is only $1,800 a year, and that would 
 soon he eaten up by an increase of 2(i iier 
 cent in insurance: and that would not repre- 
 sent half the difference in a fire loss, for town 
 insurance averages under TtO per cent of valu- 
 ation. It is firettv safe to sav that the Bright-
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 439 
 
 wooil water \vork< was a good investment for 
 fiiv pvotuction. The water ^'upply for doniestie 
 ])iiri)oscs is imieh apjireeiated by tlie people. 
 iiiui tlu'V have always strongly resisted any pro- 
 posal to abandon the system. 
 
 The greatest snp])ort of Brightwood is, of 
 course, the railroad company, which pays there 
 iiiuuially -iiinething over $500,000 in wages. 
 There have always been, however, several man- 
 ufacturing enterjirises giving em[)k>ynienl to 
 a mimbi'l' of men. The life of the town has 
 been largelv independent, with its own churclies. 
 fraternal organizations and other social fea- 
 tures. The "Town hall"' is a 3-story building 
 that was erected in 1890 by an association, com- 
 posed originally of members of the Ivnights of 
 Honor, but with stock held outside now. The 
 first story is i-ented for business purposi's ; llii' 
 second is the hall : and the third is used for 
 sncietv ineeting>. Aiiother quasi-public builil- 
 ing is the \. M. ('. .V., which was erected in 
 the winter n( 1902-3, at a cost of about $20,- 
 iMKi, (if which til ree- fourths was paid by the 
 raili-oail eoiiipaiiy. and the balance by pnpulai- 
 <ubscri|)tic>n. it is designed chieiiy for the 
 us( of men in the railroad company's service, 
 and is furnishe(l with restaurant, dormitory, 
 baths, ])ool room, and other equipments of a 
 modern Y. ^I. ('. A. house. 
 
 Its independent ccnidition made Brightwood 
 the largest of tlie suburban towns in 1880, its 
 po|inlation being ()T9. By the census of 1S90 
 it bad grown to 1.38;. It was fairly well off 
 in transpoi-tation. a< the railror.d ran special- 
 morning and evening trains for its men, and it 
 was one of the first suburban towns to get an 
 exfensioii of the ■'miile-car" street-railway sys- 
 tem. This line, however, was not electrilii'd 
 fni- xiirir time after the others; and the Jiright- 
 wonil ( ai- \ia- fur mnnths pulled as a trailer by 
 the Columbia aveniu' ear, being switched off 
 where the two lines separate, and hauled the 
 remaiTiing two miles bv mules. The town was 
 antiexed to Indiana])olis by ordinance of March 
 I.'), 189:. The town debt "at the time was $18,- 
 (HKi; all water-works bonds. 
 
 W huff I'lace is the one suburb of Indian- 
 
 apojis that has avoided annexation, although 
 eiitirelv surrounded by the city. It was ]ilatt<d 
 Oi'tober ■.*. is:-.', bv .1. (). Woodruff and wa> ile- 
 sigiied for a park residence section. A re-er- 
 vation of two feet all around the boundarv was 
 made for a (Mimmon fence, and ]iro\ ision was 
 
 nuide in the deeds |ireventing any "stiiulure" 
 within fi.\ed distance from the streets. The 
 streets were laid out with central grass plots, 
 with flower beds, fountains, and iron statuary, 
 ■■hand-ptunted." It has always maintained this 
 distinctive character. In the spring of 187G, 
 not being able to secure city advantiiges of fire 
 and police protection, the people of Woodruff 
 I'lace decided to incorporate independently. 
 Their petition foi' incorporation was heard on 
 March 1(>, IS'Iti, and was op[)osed by City .\l- 
 torney Byfield, who considered that it would 
 be injurious to have an independent munici- 
 pality practically within the city. On consulta- 
 tion it was decided that the matter should go 
 over to the next teim, and meanwhile, Mr. 
 Byfield woidd try to secure fire and police pro- 
 tection fnmi the city: in case oi success the 
 petition was to be withdrawn. The matter was 
 presented to the city council, and the .hnliciary 
 Comnuttec was directed to act with M i-. Uylield 
 in an eti'ort to secure some satisfactoiy adjust- 
 nii'iit. This coidd not be done, and >() the op- 
 position was withdrawn. The incorporation 
 election was lield on .Inly VIL and resulted six 
 in ra\or <d' incor])oration. and none against; 
 and so, on August 8 the town was incorporated. 
 The separate government system was not 
 without its troubles. The new town obtained 
 lire ])rotection by paying for a main connecting 
 them with the city system : and secured the 
 service of the city fire department by iloiialing 
 $50 to the pension fund wlicii tliere is a lin^ <all 
 from Woodruff. The school proiilem was man- 
 aged for some years by the Woodruff I'lai-e pu- 
 |iils paying tuition in the public schools; but 
 in 1891. a contract was made bv which the 
 town levied 25 cents im $100 school tax, and 
 paid ibe pi-oceeds to the Indianapolis School 
 Board, and in return the children were allowed 
 the Si'.me school privileges a< llnwe (d tin- citv. 
 This proved so satisfactory that Ibe same ar- 
 rangcmcTit has been continued ever since. The 
 people of Woodruff I'lace have always resisted 
 annexation, the reason being that they desireil 
 to preserve their i)ark features, and feared that 
 the city would not keep them no if annexed. 
 Since the park board has assumed work id' thai 
 kind, there is not the sentiment ai;ainst annex- 
 ation that formerlv existed, and that will prob- 
 ablv result in due time. The population of 
 WoodrufT riace was 20 in ISSO; liil in 1890; 
 and i:r in 1900.
 
 440 
 
 HISTOKY OF (iKKATKi; 1X1)1 AXAI'OLIS. 
 
 West Jii(liaiia|iolis was a by-product ot the 
 Stock Yards and several factories that were 
 located along the line of the Belt Railroad. 
 'J'he stock yards wei-e opened for bnsiness No- 
 vendier 1'^ 1877, with grounds covering 1'^' 
 acres and eajiacity for tlie care of 4,000 head of 
 cattle and ;35,000 hogs. The business connect- 
 ed with it made almost a town of itself, but ol' 
 cour.^e it was largely transacted hv resident* of 
 the city and transients. Jleanwhile a village 
 grew up to the north of it that was known as 
 Belmont. In the spring of 1882 it was decided 
 to incorporate, and on .March 5 a petition was 
 filed for the incorporation of the town of West 
 Indianapolis. It covered a territory of 1,565 
 acres and had a resident population of 471. 
 The petition was favorably considered, and an 
 election was called for April 4. At this the 
 400 did not vote and the 71 cast their votes 
 solidly for incorporation. The election for of- 
 ficers was set for Jlay 3, and at it David John- 
 son, Joseph McClain and George W. Jinks 
 Avere elected trustees; John C. Williams, clerk, 
 Charles F. Kisner, treasurer, and Charles Shell, 
 marshal. The trustees organized on ilay (I. 
 electing David Johnson iiresident. The first 
 ordinance was of "rules and regulations for the 
 town government," and among other things 
 it provided that the board should meet each 
 -Monday evening at "Room 42, Union Stock 
 Yards Building," at 7:30 p. m. from Ajiril 1 
 to October 1. and at (i p. m. fnun October 1 
 to April 1. 
 
 There was iu)tliing very striking in the his- 
 tory of the town. It developed rapidly and 
 steadily in population. Of course it does not 
 appear in the census of 1880, but in 1890 it 
 had outstripped all the other suburbs, and had 
 a population of 3,527. In 1894 it was decided 
 to incorporate as a city, and the trustees divided 
 the town into 3 wards and 7 jjrecincts in prep- 
 aration for the election on ilay 1. The electinn 
 was on national party lines, and the Re])ubli- 
 cans succeeded in electing their entire ticket 
 except the councilmen in the third ward. The 
 officers elected were A. B. Tolin, mayor: (). K. 
 Williamson, clerk: Walter S. IIoss, treasurer, 
 and Thomas Peri-y. niarshal. It was clainuMl 
 on both sides that •'boddle" was freelv used, am! 
 it is ]iot recorded that anyliody denuinded proof. 
 Air. Tolin continued to bold the office of mavor 
 until West Indianapoli> was annexed in 1S9;. 
 He was the senior mendiei- of a live stock com- 
 
 mission firm operating at the stock yards. 
 West Indianapolis was annexed to the city by 
 ordinaiue of March 15, 1897. At the time of 
 annexation its debt was $7 9,000, which was 
 much larger than that of any of the towns that 
 have been annexed : but then West Indianai)olis 
 was a city. 
 
 Haughville is a little older than West In- 
 dianapolis, but was a little slower about iu- 
 corjjoration. It came into existence as a 
 manufacturing suburb. In 1856, Levi B. Will- 
 iamson and Emmanuel Ha ugh started a little 
 factory for the manufacturi' of iron railings on 
 Delaware street, opposite the court house. In 
 1863 the establishment passed to the ownership 
 of Benj. F. Haugh, who had lieen foreman of 
 the factory, and F. Schowe. The business de- 
 veloped steadily, the firm style changing several 
 times, and the establishment moving to South 
 Pennsylvania street, where it manufactured jail 
 a)id court house fittings and architectural work. 
 In 1875, Haugh iV Co. (Oenj. F. Haugh and 
 Joseph R. Haugh). icmoved their works across 
 the river to Michigan street, west of Germania 
 avenue. In 1881, owing to financial complica- 
 tions, the firm was reorganized as Haugh, 
 Ki'teham & Co., and in 1885, it w'as incorporat- 
 ed as the Haugh. Ketcham & Co. Iron Works. 
 A village grew up aliout the works, and on 
 December 16, 1882, a petition was filed by 
 "Tliomas Afoi-row and 31 others," for the in- 
 ( oi|i(inition of the town of Haughville. The 
 election was set for .January 10, 1883, "at the 
 store of Thomas ]•:. Spafi'onl and W. P. Can- 
 field," and resulted in 40 votes for incorpora- 
 tion w'ith none against. The town had several 
 .seasons of disquiet owing to labor and race 
 troubles, having a large foreign element and 
 also a considei'able colored population. Al- 
 though not incorporated, its population was 
 ir|iorfed 70 by the census of 1880. In 1890, 
 it was ^.lll. making the suburb second only 
 to West Indianapolis. The town was annexed 
 to Indianapolis by ordinance of March 15, 1897. 
 .\t the time of annexation its debt was $18,300 
 of school and to\\ n ball Iwnds. There had been 
 unsuccessful etforts to .secure its annexation for 
 two or three years ])reviously. 
 
 Xorth Indianapolis was never an ineor|)orat- 
 eil touii, although its ])opidation is gi\en in the 
 cen-us of 1890 as a town. The residents were 
 then 1,479., but exactly what extent of terri- 
 lorv was included is iinkiunvn. The town was
 
 iiis'iom' oi' {;i!i:A'rEi! i.ndi.wai'oi.is. 
 
 441 
 
 (iriirinally platted October •.'(). Us;:!, by Wju. 
 Hiaik'ii, .lolin ('. Sboemaker. II. \{. Allen. A. 
 J,. Roaclie, and Thos. F. Evan, 'rhi.s subdivi- 
 .sion of parti- of section.^ 2(i and 27, extended 
 only from the Canal to Kadev street, e.xcepi 
 between Arni.*tron<;- and Eusvne streets, where 
 it readied east to the Michigan road. The new 
 suburb ])inn(d its faith to tlie Udell Ladder 
 Works, which located there that year, the Xorth 
 lndirtna[)olis W'auon Works, and the Henry 
 Ocow Manufacturing- ("oin|iany, whicli made 
 l)ent wood furniture. ])ai'ticularly the "improved 
 gothic cradle". It was made the Western 
 tenninus of the Hell Kailroad, and has always 
 been a manufacturing suburb, thougli since 
 electric transportation came into use, it has be- 
 come quite jiopulai' for residence pur])oses. The 
 Ocow ilanufacturing ('om]iany Imrned out and 
 discontinued; but the Xorth Indianapolis 
 Cradle Works, which makes cradles for agri- 
 cultural instead of infantile purposes, came in 
 and remained. The wagon works also burned, 
 but othei' factories came, and Xorth Indian- 
 ajiolis spreail until it lnH-ame a sulistaiitial town 
 in its independent life. 
 
 Mt. Jackson was the oldest in name of the 
 -uburljs, for it was given to his farm at thai 
 point by George Smith, the first newspaper 
 pro|)rietor and editor of Tndiauapolis. in bonor 
 of the great .Vndrew. The nanii' mllici-cd. but 
 there was iu)t much of a town, and not uuub 
 occasion for oiu'. when the ])etition for its an- 
 iu'xation was tiled on Se|)tember 3, 18SS, bv 
 "W. W. Webb. II. M. Carpenter and twenty- 
 five others". On December I. the remon- 
 strance of "Christian Titisb and olhers" was 
 tiled, and on Decend)er I I an election was or- 
 dered to be held on -January o, 18S9, at "tlie 
 grocery store of Dorus J. Baker'". It was a 
 warm election, but of the (II votes cast. ;iT 
 favored incor])oration and "iT opposed, and so 
 the advance was made. The town was blesscil 
 with a "business administration" from the start. 
 The first business, after organizing on February 
 Vi. of the town board, composed of ^fessrs. 
 ■lobn-on. Startling and Taylor, was to provide 
 for hiring a lawyiu'. On Febnuiry "'t, the 
 board instructed the clerk to "arrange with 
 S(piire Martin to investigate taxes". On March 
 1."), it adopted an ordinance for a $10(1 liquor 
 license and a dog license, tbu- providing the 
 uecessarv lubrication for the wheels of govern- 
 ment. In further cn idencc nf it< \\ ise inanage- 
 
 meiit may be mentioned the fact that when an- 
 nexed, by the ordinance of .March i5, 189T, it 
 brotight to the city a debt of only $700, which 
 was for a school house. 
 
 ]\Iapleto7i was never an organized town. It 
 was platted as an addition to the city by Han- 
 nah C. and. Tlu!0(lore 1'. Haughey on May 4. 
 1889. It took its name from the growth of 
 sugar maples in the vicinity, and the country 
 cliureh, 'which had been there for some years, 
 was commonly known as Sugar throve Church. 
 The growth of the place was uneventful, and 
 quite slow until the electric car lines brought 
 it within reach. 
 
 The latest, ami what bids fair to be the 
 greatest of the sidnirbs of lndiana])olis is 
 I'eech Grove, southea.st of the city, a result of 
 the location of the construction and re))air 
 shops of the X\'W York Central road. When, 
 in 1!HH), it was announced that this company 
 would invest here $.1,000,000 in "the greatest 
 loc<)motive hospital in the world", there were 
 few wlio had any coiu'cption of what it meant. 
 The average human mind does not grasp mil- 
 lions, liut when one sees all the woiulers of 
 massive electrical machinery that were shown 
 in the last great world's exposition in [n-ae- 
 tieal operation, the conce])tion becomes clearer. 
 Five of the princi])al buildings have been com- 
 pleted. One, the Machine and Erecting Shop, 
 is 320 X 'u'> feet, ami as one enters this mam- 
 moth room, without a partition, and sees a 
 120-ton electric crane pick a locomotive off its 
 trucks and place it where desired, he realizes 
 that he is among the latest and greatest achieve- 
 ments in .seientific machinerv. Tn addition to 
 this the Blacksmith ShoD. ' 154x30 feet: the 
 Boiler Shop, 12(!x.")(M feet: the Store and Of- 
 fice Building, 7()\24 1 feet and three storio 
 high; and the Power House, IKi.xl 10 feet, have 
 liecn completed. In addition to these there are 
 14 other shops in the jilanned works, the snntll- 
 est, a ])aint shop, .■)8x()0 ; with round botises ami 
 other minor btiildings. and yards with swit<'h 
 accommodation for over Ki.OOd cars. The 
 ]dant is now em])loying l.ood men ami when 
 in comi)lete operation will require more than 
 three times that number. .\t present, most of 
 the emploves are not residents of the stiburb, 
 but (iOO to 700 of them are brought to their 
 work bv sjjccial train-:. 
 
 Earlv in liHX;, Wocber Bros, were instructed 
 to ]>urcbase ' III ai res of land for these shops;
 
 448 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
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 a 
 
 z 
 
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 z
 
 H18T0UV OF (iUKA'lKi; I X DI ANA I'ol.lS. 
 
 443 
 
 and tlicv alno took opt ion.-; on soiuc l.GOO iu-rcs 
 additional, and adjai-ent, and organized the 
 Hec'i;-ii CiroNc I ni|ir<ivi>niont Company, t<i liandir 
 it. with $;J00.()0() of prcfunvd stock and .$;i()().- 
 (100 of common stock. Tlie main part, or 
 "Section A." "was platted on November ].'3, 
 ];»(!() : with additions known as "Section B." on 
 Viigust (i. liiOT, and "Section C,"' on OctohiT 
 -.'S. ]!)(»:. On June 7. IDOtl, "Louis McMains 
 and y2 otiicrs"" filed their ])etition for the in- 
 corjjoration of l."80.5 acres as the town of 
 Beech (irove. The petition showed that tluic 
 were TM residents of the tract, of whom (il 
 were heads of families. The county commis- 
 sioners ordered tjie election to he hchl "at the 
 residence of John Tacoma. on Sherman Drive." 
 on June 1!'. A part of the residents were 
 farmers wlio had iiivcn options on their land 
 without heing told of the proposed location of 
 the shojis — there were SO farms, large and 
 small, included in the tmrehase — and most of 
 them o]ipose(l the incorporation, hut the in- 
 corporators won. The op])osition tlicn contest- 
 ed the election, and remoiist I'ated in the County 
 Coinmissioners" Court. On July 14. the com- 
 missioners sustained this remonstrance, and 
 held the election invalid ou the grouiul that 
 the tickets used liv the incorporators were in- 
 valid in form. The incorjiorators then appealed 
 to the Circuit Court, which reversed the com- 
 missioners on October 20, 190(), and declared 
 the town incor])orated.'' The costs were assessed 
 to Eugeiu' crueller and the other remonstrants, 
 who took some steps for an appeal, but never 
 perfected it. 
 
 The first town election was held on \ovem- 
 her 9, 1906, and John Wocher. Louis ^Ic- 
 ifaius and Herman 11. Weelburg were chosen 
 as trustees, and Harry K. ^[arsli as treasun^r 
 and clerk. The town has grown with consider- 
 able rapidity although so many of the employes 
 reside outside. The resident ])opulation is 
 now estimated at 1.000— the vote at ,the last 
 town election. Novendier 2. 1909, was ISl. It 
 is probable that there have been many loca- 
 tions ])revented by the lack of street railway 
 connection with the city; and a company has 
 been formed to supply this deficiency, and has 
 begun work, the company being under contract 
 to have the line in operation liy .\pril 2T. IfllO. 
 
 •''Li lie Incorporation of Beech tii'ovc. ('ausc 
 Xo. 15,273, Circuit Court. 
 
 Business establishments have been attracted by 
 the shipping facilities, the most notable being 
 "ihe mammoth elevator of the Cleveland Grain 
 Company, which cost $3.50,000, and has a ca- 
 pacity of a million bushels. The company has 
 wisely provided for parks, and a modern school 
 building has been erected, 7G.\94, with ac- 
 •omniodations for 200 pupils. It has a base- 
 ment with play I'oom, etc., and is constructed 
 with a view to adding a second and third stories 
 if di'sircd. Presbyterian and Bajjfist churches 
 ha\e been built and occupied. The (Jatholics 
 ha\e put up a handsome parsonage, and have 
 bought land for a church and a school, for 
 which plans have bi'cn adopted that call for an 
 expenditure of $100,000. The Sisters of St. 
 l-'rancis have bought a block of 30 lots, ou 
 which thev propose to build an .$S0.000 hospi- 
 lal. 
 
 There is another suburb, not exactly a town, 
 which may be mentioned here, and that is Fort 
 Benjamin Harrison, the United States Army 
 Post, imrtheast of the city. The army [wst 
 was something that was worked for a long time 
 liefore it was secured. It became apparent in 
 the nineties that the government was going to 
 abandon the arsenal, which was merely a stor- 
 age institution, and the Indianapolis people 
 thought thev should ha\e something at least 
 t'qually good. Congressman Overstreet and the 
 Indiana Senators took an intt'rest in it. and 
 there was some persistent and etfectivc work 
 for it by Harry New. and also by .\ddison C. 
 Harris. Bv 1S99, the prospects were looking 
 .-o bright, thai, by Joint resolution of March 
 I of that yi'ar. the legislature ceded Jurisdiction 
 to the United States of any lands bought or 
 to be bought by the Fnited States for an army 
 post. The]-c \\a- (piitc a warm competition 
 for the site. In .\ugust, 1903, a board of 
 armv oflicers \isitcd Indianapolis to examiii' 
 the five sites offered, and report on the same. 
 Later in th(> year it was announced by the 
 llcpartnicnt of War that il wnubl purchase the 
 site near Lawrence', containing 1 ,S33 acres. 
 
 In the summer of 1903. the site had its first 
 baptism of theoretic blood. The state militia 
 were in cam]) at the state fair ground thai year. 
 and on the last night of July they stole awav 
 from their tents and on .\ugust 1. fought a 
 "battle" at the new grounds. Possibly this had 
 xuuething to do with their selection, for army 
 men rcirard the local ion as ideal for nianeu\ers.
 
 411 
 
 HISTOKV OF GREATER INDIAN^APOLIS. 
 
 Ill U)Oi. the militia held their L-aiui) uf iu.slnir- 
 tioii at the army post site from July 2T to 
 August 5. anil the Twenty-seventh United 
 States Infantry joined in the exercises. From 
 that time forward it has been the scene of an 
 annual meeting;- lor instruction iu large mili- 
 tary movements, the tirst extensive one being 
 in' 1906. On July 1.5 of that year, 2,(I(M) 
 regulars began their march to Fort Benjamin 
 Harrison from Fort Sheridan (Chicago), F'ort 
 Wavne (Detroit). Fort Thomas (Newport, 
 Kv."). Fort Brady (.Michigan), and Jefferson 
 Barracks (St. i.ouis). to take part in the 
 maneuvers. 
 
 Meanwhile the luvjmrations for ]iermaiient 
 occupancy were ])roceeding, and on June •.'o, 
 190.5, Captain Cheatham, in command of the 
 ])ost, announced the awards of contracts for the 
 buildings — commanding officer's quarters, $1"2,- 
 SOO; four field officers" quarters, .$45,v'(l(i: 
 bachelor officers" (|uarters, .$29,900; two non- 
 comnrissioned stafl' officers" cpiarters. $:!.l(»(l-. 
 hospital, $;n,400; band barracks, $13,900 : ad- 
 ministration building, $18,900 ; stable, $l(i,400 : 
 wagon shed, $3,.500 ; fire engine house, $2,200 ; 
 bakery, .$8,300; granary, $10,000: six double 
 l)arracks, $235,000; quarternuisters" and s\di- 
 sistonce storehouse, $25,500; eight double cap- 
 tains' quarters and six double lieutenants" 
 quarters, $217,800; guard-house, $19,000; with 
 smaller l)uildings, making an aggregate of 
 $868,346.31. The post appears to be growing 
 in po])ularitv with army men, and there has 
 been a sentiment manifested to enlarge it; and 
 also to make it a center for the purchase and 
 training of horses for the army. The post is 
 connected with the city by electric interurban 
 line, with special cars running at regular in- 
 tervals. The reservation now contains 2,030 
 acres, and is the station of the Tenth infantry. 
 
 One other sulmrb remains to be noted, which 
 is quite unique in character. Early in 1902. 
 Wm. L. Elder, submitted to White River Con- 
 ference of the Cbui-ch of the Fnited BrethiTii 
 in Christ, a proposition to donate to the church 
 8 acres of cam])us ground and a college build- 
 ing, costing $40,000, if the church would fur- 
 nish huvers of 446 lots in an addition, to be 
 known as T'niversitv Heights, south of tlu' city. 
 
 in which the college «as lo be located. In that 
 \ear, White River Conference voted to accept 
 the offer if one other Indiana conference would 
 co-operate, which St. Joseph Conference did 
 two weeks latei' ; and Indiana Conference joined 
 in the year following. The work' was ]n'osecut- 
 .'(! vigorously, and the college building was 
 ciinipleted and occupied in the year 1905-6, the 
 I instees receiving a deed to the entire property 
 "11 June 13, 1906. The church, prior to this 
 lime, had no institution of higher education in 
 Indiana, and has entered into this work with 
 enthusiasm, supplementing the original move- 
 iiicut Ijy the three conferences agreeing to raise 
 :M\ amount equal to $1 a year for each member, 
 I'or three years — or $150,000 — for an endow- 
 ment fund. Jn addition to this, there have been 
 numerous individual gifts and pledges. The 
 institution, known as Indiana Central Universi- 
 ty, is now soundly established in a ])rasperous 
 career, with 15 professors and instructors, and 
 about 200 students. It has a diversified and 
 thoi'oughlv up-to-date curriculum, and an 
 academy has been added for preparation for the 
 college course. The college property is luiw 
 valued at $90,000. 
 
 The original theory of the movement was 
 that the establishment of the college W(uild 
 necessarily create a settlement about it, and 
 that the advance in the value of lots would 
 more than compensate the purchasers, so that 
 the church would get its institution with ]>rac- 
 tieallv no expense to the purchasers. This an- 
 ticiiiation has already been largely realized. 
 The ])lat of University Heights was filed on 
 May 9, 1904; and on May 7, 1907, a jK-tition 
 was filed for the incorporation of the town. At 
 the election, on ^lay 21, 17 votes were cast for 
 in(^)rporation, and 1 against; and so the muni- 
 (■iy)al government was instituted. The present 
 officials are Robert Hostettler. .1. .\. Cummins. 
 Jr., and Oliver ^lumaw, trustees; and W. C. 
 Brandenburg, clerk. The town is oik' mile 
 from the city limits, and is reached in twenty 
 minutes from the center of the city by the 
 Columbus and Southern Traction Company's 
 line. It thus presents the ideal combination 
 for collegiate life of country surroundings with 
 easy access to all the atlvantasres of tb(» city.
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 "THE DEMON RUM." 
 
 When JaiiR's Ulakc was about to open tlic 
 first Washington Hall tavern, in partnersliip 
 witii Samuel Ilcnderbou, Calvin Fletcher, on 
 December 4, 1S'i'.i. entered in his diary, "I do 
 not prophesy that a very great advantage will 
 result from the connection". Commenting on 
 tliis. Hev. J. C. Fletcher says: "We can .see that 
 this tavern did not result to any very great 
 advantage to the writer on the :i.-)th of Decem- 
 ber, when he naively records the following: 
 'December •^^. i visited ilessrs. Henderson & 
 Blake"s in the a. m. Drank rather too much 
 whisky and brandy, and ate too much sweet 
 cake". (Then follow a lot of dashes with r"s 
 between them.) 'r — r, r — -r, came lunne and 
 went to bed*. The 'sweet cake' was too much 
 for the writer . .V few years later, when he made 
 a profession of religion, he banished all wines 
 and liciuons from his house, and became a tem- 
 perance man from principle".^ This was not 
 an unusual ex])erience, for in the earliest days 
 practically everybody drank, and indeed, it was 
 the very general belief that was necessary to 
 do so in order to prevent, or alleviate, fever 
 and ague. .\t the old settlers' meeting in IH", . 
 Ifr. Fletcher told how when starting to help 
 survey the Ft. Wayne road, "he stopped at 
 Washington Hall and took some egg-nog, and 
 filled his pocket pistol, which they all carrie(l 
 in those days to keep out the chills". .\t the 
 same meeting. Demas McFarland told of his 
 e.xperience with chills, and said, "Old rye. 
 with salts, was his remedy, and although the 
 disease was bad, the remedy was not hard to 
 take — in fact it was always a legal tender, and 
 the principal circulating medium".-' There 
 were some, however, who doubted the cftiiacN 
 
 ^Ncws, September 10. IStil. 
 •LocomoHrr, June 1.'?. IS.")?. 
 
 of whisky. Sairiuel .Meirill. in commenting nn 
 the extensive malarial sickness of 1821-.'5, says: 
 "When the sickness first commenced, those w-ho_ 
 drank spirits mostly escaped, and it was a mat- 
 ter of frequent boasting among them that they 
 "kept above fever heat". Hut they were soon 
 after attacked much more severely than others, 
 and their taunts WH're then returned with iu- 
 terest"".-' 
 
 But as a general proposition, the condition 
 is very accurately portrayed by Rev. T. .\. 
 (ioodwin: "Whisky was the prevailing drink. 
 Whisky raw and whisky sweetened, whisky hot 
 and whisky cold, and sometimes whisky watered, 
 and often whisky medicated. Roots and herbs, 
 and barks, when steeped in whisky had wonder- 
 ful i-urative properties. Snake bites and milk 
 sickness, rheumatisms and agiu's, alike, yielded 
 to the thousand and one preparations which 
 the hardy men of those days knew how to make 
 with whisky; and a birth or death, a wedding 
 or funeral, a log-rolling or shucking, or a rais- 
 ing or a quilting, was incomplete and unsatis- 
 factory witliout it. Egg-nog or toddy, or both. 
 was much more certain at an afternoon visit- 
 ing i)arty of women than 'store tea" was for 
 su]iper: and well-to-do ilethodists, and Bap- 
 tists, and New Ijights, and other good pcoi)le, 
 wcni as thoughtful to supply it for their guests, 
 even their [)reachers, as were other peojjle. 
 * * * -Ml churches tolerated it~s use, and many 
 a good pioneer had a license from the state to 
 kee]i a tavern, meaning a license to sell whisky, 
 and at the same time a license from his church 
 to |n-ea(h : and they were ])reachers of no mean 
 re]iute. cither, as well as good tavern keeiM-rs. 
 
 ''The Methodist church made special provi- 
 -ion"in her discipline I'M- lu'r members, re(|uir- 
 
 'Ind. Gazette 
 
 P- 
 
 445
 
 44G 
 
 HISTOKY OF GlfEATEK IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 ing them to kci'i) orderly liouses, and iu tlieorv. 
 not jjermittiug her loeal preachers to retail at 
 all. But, like her inhibition of slave-holding, 
 this was in practice a dead letter, for many of 
 her best local preachers kept tavern, to put it 
 mildly, and many of them liberally patronized 
 their own bars. Many of the early preaching 
 jilaces for all deiioininations were in the bar 
 rooms of these taverns. Good men bought and 
 .■^old and drank, but bad men also engaged in 
 the business, and kept dens of dissipation ; 
 hence those provisions of the early laws which 
 re(|uired all apjdicants for license to prove 
 that they were of irood behavior, and, later, of 
 good moral cliaracter. Every store that kept 
 tea or cofPee kept whisky by the quart, and as 
 there was then no law against giving it away, 
 the barrel, or bottle, was free to all custom- 
 ers. Whisky was cheap then, and merchants 
 were liberal. It is no wonder, therefore, that 
 with saich business and social habits, men died 
 of delirium tremens in large numbers, called 
 
 then, brain fevei 
 
 * It was not until about 
 
 1800 that men began to associate together for 
 the purpose of checking the tide of dissi|iation 
 which was swee]»ing over the country''.* 
 
 There was jjrobably as little drinking in 
 Indianapolis, in the early years, as in any place 
 of the same size in the country, l)ut there was 
 very little of scruple about drinking; and In- 
 dianapolis did its share. The Journal of Oc- 
 tober 2, ]827, reported that there had been 21:'! 
 barrels of whisky purchased by Indianapolis 
 merchants from outside, and 71 barrels of home 
 product, within the past year. A census of the 
 town on Xovember 2.5, 1827, showed a total 
 of l,Ofif> inhabitants, of whom 50.1 were fe- 
 males, and 4."')4 were under 1.") vears of age. 
 Mention has been made of the hilarious ci'lebra- 
 tion of Christn\as. 1821, when the fiivl political 
 campaign was inaugurated, and of the free 
 use of whiskv at the first election on .\|iril 1. 
 1822, when, ^Ir. Fletcher says, "the ((uantities 
 drunk must be reckoned in barrels"'."' It ma\' 
 be questioned, however, if even these can wre~t 
 the rank of "a hot time in the old town", from 
 llie night of February 17, 1827 — the day on 
 which was received the news of tlie ratification 
 of the Potawatoniie treat v in 182(1. Tliis treatv 
 
 gave to the state a strip of land 100 feet wide, 
 so far as the Indians were concerned, running 
 from Indianapolis to Lake Michigan, for a 
 state road, and with its ratification, the citizens 
 seemed to see the road opened and the town 
 leaping forward under the impetus it gave. 
 The coming of the capital had helped growth 
 sonu'what, liut the crying need was for roads, 
 and here was a new outlet to the great lakes, 
 and water connection to the ocean. The rati- 
 fication, as the Gazette said, gave "a road from 
 Lake ilichigan through this place, to the Ohio 
 River, a section of good land being given for 
 the purpose of making each mile of said road". 
 
 It mentions that the news "was received with 
 tile most lively enthusiasm by our citizens, 
 on Saturday last, which was more fully demon- 
 strated by an illumination of the town on that 
 evening.'" " But a more detailed and inter- 
 esting account is given by Mrs. Betsey Martin 
 (then i[rs. Goldsberry) who was a witness of 
 the joyous occasion. Her early newspaper 
 training had given her an appreciation of news, 
 and a facultv for presenting it. She savs of 
 it: 
 
 "In 1827 the treaty was ratified between the 
 United States and the Indians, and the Mich- 
 igan road was granted, to Lawrenceburg. Well, 
 we had a grand turn-out of all the citizens, 
 with lanterns of every design, and mottos ap- 
 pro])riate for the occasion, and music, and 
 everything to make it grand and enjoyable. 
 ^Ir. Goldsberry carried a Imrning tar barrel 
 on a high pole till it was burnt through. It 
 spoilt a new suit of clothes that Aunt Co.\' had 
 just made of blue casinet. After marching 
 through the streets, or the main ones, which 
 were Washington and ^leridian, they man4ied 
 down to old Dunning"s tavern on the river, aiul 
 all got tight and had a dance. ITncle Nat Cox 
 and Governor Rav danced a nigger jig. There 
 was not one but di-ank too much. Mr. Golds- 
 berry came honu' as tight as a brick, carrying 
 a big transparcncv which he took after the 
 tar barrel burned out. He was very jolly, and 
 when I oiiened tlic door he pulled me out 
 in the mud to see his transparency. That was 
 the only time he drank too much, and he was 
 excusable when the Governor was tight, and 
 all concerned. Tlure were a lot of sick folks 
 
 *Seventv-Six Yea 
 pp. 4-6. 
 
 ^New?. April 12. Mav 
 
 Tussli' With the Trallic. 
 
 Ill, 18:;). 
 
 '■(Idzettr. Frbniarv 20, 
 ■ Mrs. Xaihan'(4 Cox. 
 
 1827.
 
 HISTOHY OF GKEATER IXDIAXAPUI.IS. 
 
 447 
 
 llir next (lay, for iiiauy ol' tliciii had never 
 ilnink too much before."" The eoiiipleteness ol' 
 the celehratiou may be inferreil rinin the fart 
 that at the time Mr. (iohlsl)cn-y \va> miv of the 
 pilhirs of the ilcthnilist Chiifeh. ami a viTv 
 exemplary citizen. 
 
 But reform w;i^ on the way. The earliest 
 iiKivcment for teinpei'auee in this country was 
 among the physicians, witli Dr. Benjaniiu Kush 
 as the chief factor. For years it was devoted 
 chiefly to urjfinf; moderation, and the reform 
 made little progress until in 1837 the country 
 ^va^ stirred by an address of Jonathan Kit- 
 tredge, one of the ablest jurists of his day, 
 who urged that all drunkards were devel()|)ed 
 from moderate driidvers — "'have become drunk- 
 ards by the lemiierate. moderate, and haldtual 
 use of anient spirits, just as you use them 
 iHiu-. Wcie it not for this use of ardent spirits, 
 «c ^lioiild not now hear of drunken senators 
 and drunken magistrates, of drunken lawyers 
 and drunken doctr)rs ; eburcbes would not iu>vv 
 lie mourning over drunken ministers and 
 drunken members; parents would not now be 
 weeping over druidien children, wives over 
 drunken husbands, bu.sbands over druid<eii 
 wives, and angels over a drunken world." In 
 Xovember, lS'i7, the Massachusetts Society for 
 lite Suppression of Intemperance, wbicb bad 
 been advocating moderation since ISl."?, recom- 
 mended total abstinence. The American So- 
 ciety for the Promotion of Temperance, which 
 had been organized at Boston on February 1;>, 
 ]8?n. soon followeil. Kittredge"s address was 
 (initiated broadcast by the American Tract 
 Society, and other literature — notably Lyman 
 Keecbcr's "Six Sermons''— by the temperance 
 society. 
 
 Indianapolis respondeil i^arlv. On Oclnber 
 :i. 1S-2S. a meetitig was held at "the ^[(^bodisl, 
 Me(ting Housi "", with I?ev. John Strange a- 
 chairman and .lames .M. I'av ;is secretary, and 
 the "TemiK'rance Society of Marion County" 
 Wit- organized. Its object was "to discontinue 
 lb( \\<i' nt' ardettt spirits, except as a medicitic. 
 both b\ ])recept and example." Ebenezef 
 S)i;ir|ie was made president: James Givan and 
 Henry Hradlev, vice-presidents: James "SI. T?ay, 
 secretary: with a committee of correspondence 
 eomiMKcd of Daniel Yande>. Caleb Scttdder. 
 T-^aac \. j'bii)ii<. dnlm (J. Rcown. Cha-. 1. 
 Hand. (;i.iifi:e I'.n-li. .lolm W'dkiti-. (Jeor'ie IIol- 
 
 lo":l\. \\'illi;llll li'ectol, N:iai' Cor iMlll .lollll 
 
 Walton. I'rovision was made for a meeting 
 on the first Saturday in January, at which ad- 
 dresses were to be made by "the President, 
 Ebenezer Sharpe, Esq., on the objects of the 
 Society, the encouragement, and the objections 
 iigainst it. Hev. George Bush, on the moral 
 ()bIigati(Jiis re(juiring exertion in the cause. 
 l{ev. Edwin Itay on the demoralizing effects of 
 intemperance. Dr. Isaac Coe on the destiiic- 
 live effects of inteniiJerance on the human .sys- 
 tem. James M. Eay on tlie expense of the 
 manufacture and consumption of ardent s])ir- 
 its." ' The next niwetiug was actually held cni 
 December 20," and the society met i|narterl\ 
 thereafter. 
 
 At its meeting, Xovember 'i'.\, IS'.'l), the 
 .-oeiety adopted residutions, "that entire absti- 
 nence is the only course which promises success 
 in suppressing intemperance"', "that the prac- 
 tice of selling liquor to the intemperate does 
 not onlv in its injurious consequences immedi- 
 ately artect the purchaser, but in an imminent 
 degree the morals and means of the commu- 
 nity"", and "that it is ex|jedient to form a State 
 Tem])erance Society, auxiliary to the Ameri- 
 can Temperance Society." Among the new 
 names that appear at this meeting are Uev. 
 Thos. S. Hitt, Alfred Harrison, Robert A 
 Taylor, Douglass ilaguire, Rev. Joseph Merrill, 
 Robert Brenton and Joseph Catterlin. The 
 proposed state society was duly organized on 
 December 9, 1829,'" but no account in detail 
 was ]iublished. At the first annual meeting, 
 on December 13, 1830, Jeremiah Sullivan, of 
 Jefferson County, presided, and J. F. D. Lanier 
 — subsequently of Winslow, Lanier & Co., bank- 
 ers — acted* as secTetary. Dr. Sylviin ilorris 
 presented a resolution "that the habitual use 
 of ardent spirits is injurious to health, de- 
 structive to the mental faculti(¥, and tends to 
 ^borten human life", which after an address 
 liy him was unanimously adopted. Hon. Beth- 
 uel F. Morris presented and spoke for the 
 following resolution, which was unanimously 
 rtdo)ited: "Resolved. That the custoimiry and 
 fashionable use of ardent spirits is dangerous 
 to the civil institutions of our country." Rever- 
 end Sickl(>s presented the following resolution, 
 su[)porte(l by himself and Reverend Lewis, 
 
 ".Journal. October K!, 1828. 
 ■■'■/uiinnil. December 17, 182fi. 
 '"■loiirinil. December l(i, 1829.
 
 448 
 
 liLSTOUY UF GHKATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 which was unanimously adopted : "Resolved, 
 that the use of ardent spirits, either oeeasion- 
 ally or habitually, exerts a demoralizinji' influ- 
 ence and is injurious to public and tloniestic 
 happiness." Hon. Wm. Sheets presented a 
 resolution, supported by himself and lion. 
 Stephen S. Harding — later Governor of Utah — 
 "that the formation of temperance societies, 
 on the principle of entire abstinence, is the 
 only effectual preventative of intemperance and 
 its evils", which was unanimously adopted. 
 The society then elected officers : President, Jer- 
 emiah Sullivan ; Vice-Presidents, Milton Stapp 
 of Jefferson, David H. Ma.xwell of ^lonroe, 
 Edwin Ray of Vigo, James Morrison of Marion 
 and Stephen C. Stevens of Switzei»land ;. Sec- 
 retary, James M. Ray ; Executive Committee, 
 B. F. Morris, Isaac Coe, Rev. John R. More- 
 land, John T. Mclvinney, Rev. Thos. S. Hitt. 
 James Blake, Isaac N. Pliipps, Daniel Yandes, 
 Horace Bassett, John Hendricks, Sylvan B. 
 Morris, and David Wallace. 
 
 It is thus evident that at this early date the 
 reform idea had so spread that the best men 
 in the commonwealth stood openly for total 
 abstinence, and most of them were men in 
 active political life. It was a notable change 
 from but a few years earlier. No one could call 
 it "fanaticism" for it was a change of view of 
 men wlio had formerlv used liquor themselves 
 if they felt occasion for so doing. And tbci' 
 had been some sentiment aroused. Jeremiah 
 Johnson, an eccentric local character, having 
 attacked tlic Temperance Society in the Gazette. 
 was answeird bv a correspondent who, among 
 other things averred that "the practise in re- 
 S])ectable stores of kceiiing liquor free on tli(^ 
 heads of barrels has been cheeked, that tav- 
 ern-keepers admit their sales have been sensibly 
 diminished, and that an entire abstinence from 
 the use of it has been observed bv the members 
 almost universally."' The truth is that the 
 things had begun to happen that make people 
 hate liquor, and the change of sentiment was 
 due to an observation of the evils that intem- 
 perance carries in its train. This is plainly 
 visible in the accounts that have been left to 
 later generations, as for examnle, the followinsr 
 comment on the earliest developments of the 
 liquor traffic bv Mrs. Betsey Martin : 
 
 "In the spring of 1S22. Jerry Collins ojiened 
 
 a small shanty built out of poles and clap- 
 boards, and had the first whisky shop in town. 
 He had a barrel of whisky and some tobacco 
 and segars. There was no license, and he made 
 money, and he also, as now, made drunkards. 
 1 well remember two men burnt to death while 
 under the influence of that cursed liquor. One 
 was an old hatter named Shunk.'- He fell 
 with his head against the kettle and his should- 
 ers in the mouth of the furnace: and he was 
 roasting all night. In the morning someone 
 called and found him. .\s 1 have told you, 
 he was not quite dead. They took him ti* 
 his boarding-house — he boarded at old Jolm 
 Van Blaricunvs — and the doctors did all they 
 could for the poor old man, but he died that 
 same night. He was roasted brown half way 
 down. The work of the whisky seller! The 
 other was Big Smith — he was called 'Big' to 
 distinguish him from the rest. He was over 
 six feet, and large and well formed, and would 
 have been a useful man unless for that awful 
 habit. Smitii and some other men of the same 
 stripe went into a iield back of where Mr. 
 Blake now lives,'" and were drinking and play- 
 ing cards. They had set tire to an old stand- 
 ing dry tree, and Smith was too drunk to go 
 when the others left. He went to sleep, and 
 the tree burnt and fell close to his back and 
 shoulders, and he was too drunk to move ; so 
 be had to roast : and he did, for his shoulders 
 iiiid back were a perfect cris]). He only lived 
 a few hours after he was taken home. Well, 
 from that time till now, I can trace nearly 
 all the murder and every other crime to that — 
 the worst thing in the world — whisky! It 
 brings poverty, disease and death!" 
 
 But there is one thing more appalling than 
 the drunkard who meets a sudden and shocking 
 death, and that is the dnmkard who drags out 
 a miserable life. The first "fi'ightful example" 
 in Indianapolis was Dr. Jonathan Cool. He 
 came here in 1831, a talented young fellow, 
 and better educated than the doctors that were 
 here. He had graduated at Princeton, where 
 he was a classmate of Judge Blackford, and 
 had also taken his degree in medicine, and 
 had served for a time as surgeon in the United 
 
 "Jnurual. Deccm!)cr S. 1S20. 
 
 '-John Shunk, see Xoirlnnd's rtemiiiiscenceg, 
 pp. 49-51. 
 
 *'('. e.. the northwest corner nf Capitol ave- 
 nue and Xorth street.
 
 HISTORY OF GRKATKi; INDIAN AIM » LIS. 
 
 449 
 
 States army. Ho was the first physician hew 
 to protest against the heroic doses of medicine 
 — especially of calomel — that were given in the 
 early days. This brought him into a conti'o- 
 versy with Dr. Isaac Coe, who was one of the 
 most heroic in his treatment," and he stated 
 his case in a poem, one verse of which is still 
 preserved — 
 
 "Oh. Dr. (or: Oil. Dr. Coe! 
 Why do 3'ou dose your patients so? 
 Slow to cure, and quick to kill; 
 There is no man alive can tell 
 The awful power of calomel. 
 And dead men tells no tales." 
 
 But Cool took his own poison, and in the 
 (•our.se of a few years became a lio]ieless sot. 
 He retained some of his characteristics, how- 
 ever. He was always very polite, and very fond 
 of quoting poetry, but an evident sense of 
 shame made liim shun the society of ladies, 
 nf which he had been fond ; and there were some 
 ladies who would gladly liave tried to reclaim 
 him if they had had opportunity. Tn the 
 course of his downfall. Cool made an arrange- 
 ment with Jerry Collins by which he was to 
 have three drinks a day in return for medical 
 services — morning, noon and night. One morn- 
 ing Cool came in for his noon drink about 
 11 o'clock, and when Jerry called his atten- 
 tion to the hour was sadly depressed. Then a 
 happy thought struck him, and with true ]iathos 
 he exclaimed : "For the love of God, Jerry, 
 loan me an hour." The loan was made. But 
 there was greater need for eloquence when the 
 doctor was overcome bv "the Great Thirst" 
 and called for an extra drink. On these occa- 
 sions there was usually a profound discussion 
 which resulted in Cool getting the drink, for 
 Collins was not a bad-hearted fellow, in his 
 way. In the accompanying cut Jim D\inlap 
 has presented one of these arguments with 
 Jerry on the defensive behind the bar, and the 
 dilapidated doctor making his plea. His most 
 efFective appeal was on this line: "Jerry Col- 
 lins, you know that whisky costs you only 20 
 cents a gallon, and there are .56 drinks in a 
 gallon. Will you refuse to relieve the suffer- 
 ings of a fellow huMian-being when you can do 
 it for less than two-fifths of a cent?" Poor 
 
 Dr. Cool ! He was not one who owed his repu- 
 tation for mental brilliance to the fact that 
 he was a drunkard ; and when he finally came 
 to his death in 1840 there were many who 
 sighed for his ruined life. 
 
 Another victim of the early period who was 
 often spoken of by the older citizens was Hugh 
 0"Xeal. He came here a boy with his father, 
 Thomas O'Xeal, in ]S"21; and grew up on his 
 father's farm, just north of what is now Morton 
 Place. He was an ambitious boy, who at- 
 tained a fair education chiefly by his own eft'ort, 
 read law, and had an excellent standing. Says 
 Nowland : "No young man in the state bid 
 fairer to rise to eminence and distinction than 
 he did. When the California mania was rag- 
 ing, in 1849, his ambition prompted him to 
 risk his chances for fortune in that golden re- 
 gion, and it was there he fell a victim to that 
 destroying demon (intemperance) that anni- 
 hiliates all that is good and virtuous in our 
 natures, and sends us to an early grave, un- 
 honored and unsung." '= And there were 
 others, so many of them that it were out of 
 question to call them all up. and there is no 
 need for it; for there are few of the living who 
 cannot recall some ease within the circle of 
 their own acquaintance. Yet one I will men- 
 tion, for his memory haunts me, and that is 
 "old Colonel Blake", as he came to he known in 
 his later years. 
 
 As a young man John W. Blake was con- 
 sidered to be of great piomise. He was a 
 lawyer in Clinton County, and represented 
 that coimty in the legislature of 1857. where 
 he is said to have been an important factor in 
 the great senatorial controversy of that year. 
 He entered the Fortieth Indiana as lietiten- 
 ant-colonel, was ])ronioted to colonel in 186"2, 
 and .served through the war. .After the war 
 he located at Indianapolis, living at the north- 
 east comer of ^\'alInlt and Tennessee streets. 
 His boys were my playmates. His wife was 
 an excellent lady, respected by all her neigh- 
 bors ; and they had a sweet little girl who was 
 generally admired. Blake became a hard 
 drinker, and went to pieces. The family wa.s 
 obliged to move to less attractive neighborhood. 
 The two boys became drunkards, and were 
 both killed on the railroad tracks, while drunk. 
 The girl grew up and married a conductor — 
 
 ''InrJ. Tli.'^t. Snr. P«/).«.. Vol. 1. p. 3.31. 
 Vol. 1—29 
 
 "'Enrli/ Rrmlinsrnircs. p. 111.
 
 4 -"id 
 
 ISTOltV ()|- (iKKATKi; IXDlAXArOT.TS. 
 
 C|Q^RS^ 
 
 JERRY COLLINS AND DR. COOL. 
 (From a sketch li.v James B. Dunlap.) 
 
 J
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 451 
 
 a very excellent man. He came home unex- 
 pectedly one night and found her with a man 
 she had picked uj) at a saloon on .Masj^acluuselts 
 avenue. The hu>il)and shot him. A jiublie 
 scandal and separation followed. Things weni 
 from had to worse. Blake became almost a 
 public nuisance, and his family would have 
 suffered but for his pension. 
 
 On April 4, 1904, a notable company left 
 Indianapolis for the dedication of the Indiana 
 n'gimental monuments at Shiloli. Governor 
 Durbin and statf were there in gorgeous uni- 
 forms, and a throng of old soldiers and prom- 
 inent citizens were at the de])i>t to accompany 
 them. Old Colonel Blake appeared at the de- 
 pot. He had served with credit at Shiloh. 
 His portrait is in the monument commissioirs 
 report, and his nanu' on the monument of the 
 Fortieth regiment, '{"here was a wistful look 
 in his bleared eyes as he approached various 
 members of the party, hoping for an invita- 
 tion to join them, lint none came. He watihed 
 the train ])ull out. and turned to resume the 
 downward jjath ihat iiiihd only with the grave, 
 five years later, on Ajiril 'J, 1!)0!). If some 
 Zola could write the story of that life, just 
 as it was, with its baleful effects on his fam- 
 ily, it would make a temperance .-toi-y b\ the 
 side of whicli T/.\ssoniinoir would be insig- 
 nificant. 
 
 In the earliest temperance societies "ardent 
 spirits"' was not understood to include wine, 
 beer, hard eider, and such light drinks, and it 
 is said that not infrequently a "total abstainer"' 
 would become intoxicated from the use of these. 
 It was not until the .second national Temper- 
 ance Convention, at Saratoga, on August A. 
 ]8:5(j, that a general stand was made against 
 these, and even that was not universally ac- 
 cepted. Goodwin says that, "As late as 1811, 
 Hie Christian Advocate and Journal, the obl- 
 r<t and most influential organ of the ^f. !•]. 
 Cliurch. opposed 'tectotalisnv editorially, as 
 contradicting the acts of the Savior and the 
 ndvice of Paul."' It had been adopted by some 
 niendiers of temperaiu-e societies ])rior to 1S."!(I, 
 and the word "teetotal"' is said to have orig- 
 inated from distinguishing such members on 
 the society rolls by tlie letter "T". st-anding 
 for "total", while 0. P. — standing for "nld 
 pledge" — designated the other members: and 
 from the use of T-total grew teetotsil. Ilnw- 
 pver that may be, the idea spread widely, and 
 
 the lU'W "teetotal"" societies supplan/ted 'the 
 earlier ones in many places, but its ett'ects 
 were not much iu evidence here; althougti 
 there was increased activity in temperance 
 work at the time, and a Young Men's Tem- 
 perani-e Society was organized on April "2. 
 183t)."' Our early laws dealt only with "spir- 
 ituous or strong liquors'", and iu 18."i9 the 
 Supreme Court decided that port wine was not 
 within the law, saying: "Spirit is the name of 
 an inflammable liquor produced by distilla- 
 tion. Wine is the fermented juice of the grape 
 (u- a pre[iaration of other vegetables by fer- 
 mentation."' '^ It was not until 1852 that 
 the phrase "intoxicating liquor" appeared in 
 the general law, although it had been used 
 in some laws essentially local ; and it was not 
 until 185!) that it broadened to "spirituous, 
 vinous or malt liquor, or any intoxicating 
 liquor."' And under that, it was required to 
 l>rove that the liquor was "intoxicating"", the 
 Supreme Court holding, in 18T6, that "beer"" 
 was not even presumptively intoxicating,'" and 
 in 1877 the same as to "malt liquors." '"■' 
 
 The controversy over the use of wine un- 
 questionably caused a lull in the temperance 
 movement, but it was soon overcome by the 
 \\'ashingtonian movement, which originated in 
 Baltimore, in 1840, from a sudden resolve of 
 a party of convivial drinkers to reform. The 
 society grew and was so beneficial that in 
 1841 members were sent to New York 'and 
 Boston to hold meetings. These were tremeu- 
 doiis successes, and the movement spread o\cr 
 the country. It reached Indianapolis in l-'eb- 
 i-uarv. 184";;, when "a reformed inebriate, a 
 W'ashingtonian fnim Illinois, on his way to 
 Ohio", gave it a start. The missionary, who 
 is named only as "Mr. .Matthews'", held his 
 first meeting on l-'ebruary 28, when a W'ash- 
 ingtonian Society was formed, and ]0(i signed 
 the pledge of total abstinence from "intoxicat- 
 ing li(piors''. He was persuaded to stay a da.v 
 longer, and on the evening of March 1. lltl 
 moj-e names were added: .-md "Matthews was 
 induced to stav one more day when the mem- 
 bership went tip to .118. The meetings had to 
 adjourn to the Fast Market Ifousc", liecaiise no 
 
 '"Jnvninl, March 10 and April :W. 18:i(;. 
 '■State v.s. ^Inaro. 5 Blackford, ji. IIS. 
 " .Schlosser vs. State, 55 Ind., p. 82. 
 '" Shaw vs. State, 50 Ind.. ji. 188.
 
 453 
 
 HISTUKV OF CKKATER IMJJ A.\ APULIS. 
 
 room in the city would hold the crowds. The 
 secretary announced that "about 15 of those 
 who have signed the pledge have been until 
 very recently, and some up to the present time, 
 considered degraded, confirmed drunkards ; a 
 very large number of them only moderate or 
 gentlemanly drunkards."-" The officers of the 
 society were : Carey H. Boatright, president ; 
 Nathan Davis and John McGinnis, vice-presi- 
 dents : Joshua Soule, Jr., secretary : and James 
 M. Sharpe, assistant secretary : Joshua Stev- 
 ens, treasurer. "Committee of Vigilance" — 
 west of Meridian street, George Durham, Xa- 
 than Lister and Ezekiel C. Boyd — east of 
 Meridian street, James M. Smith, William 
 Campbell, and William Biddle. 
 
 Matthews wa* followed on March 2Ct by 
 "Mr. Patterson, a reformed inebriate from 
 Pittsburgh," who had been "a drunkard for 
 more than 20 yeare"; and on April 19 the so- 
 ciety announced that it had 458 members. 
 They evidently went into the work with a vim, 
 for on April 5 the Journal said: "At a sale 
 held yesterday, the Washingtonians disposed of, 
 at a great sacrifice, the remains of a distillery 
 which they had lecently purchased in the vicin- 
 ity of this place. This was done with the ex- 
 press understanding that the articles sold were 
 not again to be used for the manufacture of 
 intoxicating drinks of any kind whatever." 
 The meetings of the society were frequent, 
 and on the Fourth of July they joined the 
 procession in a body and a special temperance 
 meeting was held. There were no strong drinks 
 at the dinner that day. In the fall a Wash- 
 ingtonian camp-meeting was held near Green- 
 castle, with prominent speakers from all parts 
 of the state. '^ In Indianapolis "the winter 
 campaign against King Alcohol" was opened 
 on Xovember 11, at the Second Presbvterian 
 Church, with "an address by H. W. Beecher, a 
 member of the society." -- 
 
 The decadence of the Washingtonians as ac- 
 tive societies was largely due to the organiza- 
 tion of secret, fraternal, temperance societies. 
 The first of these, the Sons of Temperance, 
 was started September 29, 1842, in New York. 
 It was followed in 1845 by the Templars of 
 Honor and Temperance: and in 1851 by the 
 
 '"Journal. March 9. 1842. 
 "'Journal. October -4, 1842. 
 --Jnvrnnl, Xovenilvr 1. 1842. 
 
 Order of Good Templars. Tlie decade was one 
 of great progress in temperance sentiment. 
 Suib speakers as Dr. Charles Jewett, Rev. 
 Tbo^. P. Hunt and Theodore L. Cuyler canu> 
 into prominence. The Hutchinson family of 
 tfiii])enince singers came into prominence in 
 18-i;i. John B. Gough had joined the Wash- 
 iuiitonians in 1842, but fell from grace, and 
 in 1S44, having again reformed, leaped into 
 fame at the eighth anniversary of the American 
 Tcm))erance Union, in New York City, to 
 icniain in active temperance work till his death 
 in 188(5. Father Theobald Mathew. after start- 
 ing his great work in Ireland and England, 
 came to this countn' in 1849, and was re- 
 ceived with the highest honor evervwhere. He 
 was invited to Indianapolis but could not 
 cnnie. 
 
 The Sons of Temperance were first organ- 
 ized in Indiana in the eastern and southern 
 ])arts of the state, and "Washington Division. 
 Xo. 10" was instituted at Indianapolis on 
 .V|)ril 24, 1846, with John D. Defrees, William 
 Hannaman. W. T. Hatch, R. A. McCluer. H. 
 B. Hibbon, Wm. Campbell, Jolm Evans, James 
 Hall, J. E. Kingsbury and Robert Martin as 
 officers.-^ This organization was the great 
 agency of temperance for the next decade. In 
 less than five years over 400 divisions had been 
 organized in Indiana. At first it kept clear 
 of politics and devoted itself to reform work. 
 The legislation of the state had for more than 
 a decade been a curious hotch-potch of local 
 temperance laws, varying in the different 
 counties, townships and towns, from plain 
 license to practical prohibition. In 1847 a gen- 
 eral law was passed that a majority vote for 
 "no license"" in any township should insure no 
 license for one year. At the annual meet- 
 ing of -the Grand Division of the Sons of Teni- 
 ])erance at South Bend, in July, 1848, a pm- 
 ]>osal to memorialize the legislature to amend 
 the law, so that no vote should be counted for 
 license unless expressly so cast, was voted down 
 !iv a large majoritv. But a change soon came. 
 Xine months later, at Evansville, the Grand 
 Division voted unanimously to take steps for 
 prohibition, and it did not rest till that end 
 was attained. In 1852 tlie Grand Division 
 started a paper at Indianapolis called the 
 Tempei-ance Chart. It was edited by Jonathan 
 
 ■Mnuniiil. Ajn-il 29, 184fi.
 
 iiis'i'ouv OF (;kl:atkr i.\1)1anai'()lis. 
 
 4.- 
 
 W. (iordon, tlii'ii a doctor, and it will not be 
 iicccsfiarv to inrorm anyone who knew Gordon 
 hat it wa? a live paper. It wa.s continued for 
 [uiir or five years. 
 
 'Hie constitution of 18.51 havinji done away 
 u itli the system of local and special legisla- 
 tion, the temperance sentiment was strong 
 i-m.ugh to secure the passage of the stringent 
 local option law of March 4. 1853. It pro- 
 N idcd for submission of the ([uestion of license 
 r no license at the April township elections, 
 lie majority to govern, and no vote to count 
 inr license unless expressly so stating. It was 
 strict in other respects, and contained a pro- 
 visicui that anyone selling liquor who should 
 ■■(iiiisc the intoxication of any person, shall 
 board, keep aiul take care of such person un- 
 til lie shall be able, without assistance, safely 
 111 return to bis home"; and on failure so to 
 do anyone else might perform the service and 
 recover reasonable compensation for it from 
 I he seller, with ."id j)i'r cent damages. The 
 ricction in Center 'rownship was held on April 
 I. rtTid resulted in a majority of 196 for no 
 license out of ■.'.!"(( \iitc>s. At the city elec- 
 tion on ^lay '■). the Democrats put up a party 
 ticket, all of whom were defeated except Ben- 
 jamin rilhean. the candidate for marshal. The 
 law was not enforced. On August (i, an "East- 
 endcr" comjilained to the Locomotive that there 
 were ten establishments retailing liquor in one 
 .<(piare in bis neighborhood. On August 18 a 
 public meeting was held which denounced the 
 non-enforcement of the law, requested the resig- 
 nation of the of the officials responsible, de- 
 clared for prosecution, and apiiointed an inves- 
 tigating committee, comfiosed of Tfobert .\. 
 Taylor, .\ndrew Bnnise, Dr. (J. ('. Becks, .lames 
 Blake, and Daniel Yandes. On September 1, 
 the committee reported "a list of 40 house< 
 they bad visited where liquor was sold wilb 
 the iiamc« ntul jilaces" : and a resolution was 
 )iassed calling for the resignation of the mar- 
 shal and bis deputy or Ibeir removal by the 
 Citv Coiuu-il. No action was taken, however. 
 and on Xovember 20 tlie Supreme Court de- 
 clared tlu' local ojition feature of the law un- 
 constitutional, leavii\g the yv<\ of it to stand 
 as n -iimijle licetise law.-"^ 
 
 The efl'ect of this was to determine the tem- 
 perance |ieo)ile for absohite probibit ion. Meel- 
 
 -* ^Ini/.e vs. the St;ite. I Ii 
 
 |,. :i|-.'. 
 
 ings were held through the >tate, and delegates 
 selected to a state convention which met at 
 Indianapolis on .January 11, 18.54. It issued 
 an address to the people in favor of a prohibi- 
 tory law, and declared "that no prohibitory 
 law will satisfy the temperance sentiment of 
 this state which does not contain the principles 
 of seizure, confiscation and destruction of 
 liquors kept for illegal sale." With this the 
 Democratic State Ccmvention on May 24 took 
 square issue, declaring opposition ''to any law 
 that will authorize the seaching for, or seizure, 
 confiscation and destruction of private prop- 
 erty." As a result many temperance Demo- 
 crats left the party, as also did many who ob- 
 jected to its attitude towards slavery. On 
 .Tuly 13 "the Peonle'-; Convention" met at 
 Indianapolis. It was .i strange mixture of 
 former Whigs, Democrats, Know-nothings and 
 temperance men, but they agreed on two things, 
 opposition to slavery and opposition to intem- 
 perance, and that made up their platform. 
 The convention declared for "the passage of a 
 judicious, constitutional and efficient prohibi- 
 tory law, with such penalties as shall effectually 
 suppress the traffic in intoxicating liquors as 
 a beverage." The camjiaign was fought on 
 fbese issues, and tlie result was a victory for 
 the People's partv by 12,^00 majority. They 
 carried Clarion Countv by fi50, and Center 
 Township by 200. 
 
 Tlie next legislature pas.^ed a strict ])robil)i- 
 tion law, prohibiting the manufacture or sale 
 of intoxicating li(iuors except for medical, 
 scientific and sacramental purposes, and that 
 was to be doTie by agents, on a dispensary ha.sis. 
 The law applied expressly to "Ale, Porter. Malt 
 Beer, Laser Beer, Cider, all Wines, and fer- 
 mented li(|Uors which will ]iroduce intoxica- 
 tion, and all mixed liquors of which part is 
 spirituous or intoxicating liquor." It was a 
 l)rohibition law that lu-obibiled, for the time 
 being. The following statement by Goodwin 
 concerninir it is historicallv accurate: "It was 
 to take effect on the ]2tb of .Tune and it took 
 effect! On the morning of the 13th every 
 saloon in Indiana was closed : and not a single 
 saloon was onened for piil)lic bn<iness from 
 that day till the Sth dav of the following Xo- 
 vember. Speaking of the workings of the law 
 in Indianapolis, the Tndianai)ol's SenllneJ of 
 the 15th of .Tune said: 'The temiierance law. 
 so far, has been iiniversallv and faithfiilh' ob-
 
 454 
 
 HISTORY OF CJKEATER IXDI AXAPOLIS. 
 
 MTvcd. Wr lirar nl' no disposition to violati; 
 it;; provisions.' And the local editor, the same 
 day, said : 'The new liquor law has knocked 
 police items into a cocked hat. Not a single 
 item is to be obtained now on account of John 
 Barleycorn'. Eecurring to the subject again 
 ou the 20th it said : 'That the people of Indiana 
 desire and will have a reasonable and constitu- 
 tional law for the suppression of the evils of 
 intemperance, none are blind enough to deny.' 
 Recurring again to the same subject, on the 
 28th of June it said: 'During the past fifteen 
 days there has not been a single commitment 
 to the county jail for the violation of city 
 ordinances, and in the way of arrests by tlie 
 city police there is little or nothing doing.' 
 
 "The Indianapolis Locomotirc, of the 23d 
 of June, said : 'There has not been a single 
 arrest or commitment to prison since June 
 12th. The ]\Iayor sits quietly in his official 
 chair, and the night watch doze on the store 
 boxes.' Such was the peace and order which 
 followed, that on the 12th of July, just one 
 month after the t;iking effect of the law, the 
 Indianapolis Council reduced the night watch 
 one-luilf. Referring to this fact, the Loco- 
 motive of the 21st of July, said: 'The tem- 
 perance law has nearly abolished rioting, drunk- 
 enness and rowdying, and the tax payers are 
 reducing their expenses". The Journal refer- 
 ring to this reduction in its issue of July 24th, 
 said: 'The reduction of the night watch was on 
 account of the diminution of disturbance and 
 drunkenness from the enforcement of the ])rii- 
 hibitorv law.' The Indianapolis Evcniny h'f- 
 puhlicaii. of the 20th of June, said : 'Runimeys 
 no longer perambulate the streets, making 
 niglit hideous: and the watchmen have little 
 to do.' The Jovnial of August 20th said: 'The 
 law diminished crime, reduced drunkenness, 
 saved money and emptied jails until the Su- 
 preme Court took hold of it.' It was the same 
 everywhere." -^ 
 
 Preparations for fighting the law had begun 
 I Mr! v. and eminent counsel had been retained 
 to make a test case. On Julv 2 Roderick Beebe. 
 an Iiidiana|i()lis saloon-ke(>per openly violated 
 llic law: and was at once arrested and fined 
 $")() i)y the mavor. Ii(>fusing to pay he was 
 committed to jail and immediately sued out a 
 writ of habeas corpus in the Court of Commnii 
 
 Picas. That cinirt sustained the law. and an 
 appeal was taken. The Supreme Court had 
 adjourned for the summer vacation, but it 
 was called together, and on July 9 the argu- 
 ment began on appeal. The state had not had 
 the time for preparation that the appellant's 
 lawyers had, and asked time to file briefs : and 
 the case went over to November. Judge Per- 
 kins tried to call his colleagues in ou August 
 23d to decide the case, but Judges Stiuirt and 
 Gookins refused to attend. On August 25 the 
 Marion County Democratic Convention de- 
 nounced the law and called for a prompt de- 
 cision. On August 27 a convention of leading 
 Democrats was held at Indianapolis, which 
 adopted some resolutions, but did not mention 
 till' liquor law. The Jounml treated each move 
 as significant only of the rivalry between Jesse 
 D. Bright and Governor Wright, who had 
 signed the law; and in a protest against a de- 
 cision of the question in August, which it 
 said would be for political effect, it said: "That 
 the decision will he adverse to the law is well 
 understood." In reality, however, it was in 
 some douijt. About November 1, Judges Stu- 
 art and Gookins asked for reargument on 
 some jioints. 
 
 On November 8 a boy named Herman vio- 
 lated the law. He was arrested, fined by the 
 nuiyor. sent to jail, released on habeas corpus 
 liy Judge Perkins of the Supreme Court, and 
 brought before him, in chambers, for hearing, 
 liy 2 o'clock in the afternoon. But even this 
 did not e(]ual the s])eed with which the case 
 was dis|)ost'd of. Bv agreenu'nt it was sub- 
 mitted on the argument already made in the 
 Beebe case. The judge made an off-hand de- 
 cision, ciuling with. "The law is void: let the 
 ]nisoner be discharged."' This was the decision 
 that ended the enforcement of the prohibition 
 law. and not the decision in the Beebe case, 
 made on December 20. as is commonly su[)- 
 posed. The decision was jirinted in full by tli'' 
 Sciiiiiirl ou November 12. and by the Jonninl 
 — "revised liy the autlior" — on November K^. 
 It was not included in the Supreme Court re- 
 liorts at the time, having properly no ])lace 
 tlicrr: liiit it was insert<'d as an ap])endix twi) 
 \cars later.-'' A most lingular thing al)out this 
 is that the decision is dated October 30. 1855 — 
 ten (lavs before the case was heard, .\fter this 
 
 -■'>V'/v'/////->'/.r Yiars' 'l'ii\sli\ pp. 1 1. !.">. 
 
 S liid.. ]i. 545.
 
 HISTOKY OF GKEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 455 
 
 deci:?ion im attention was paid tn the lii|iiiir 
 law. Druuk.s became conuiioii ajiaiii, and lor 
 some clays the Journal printed its items of tiiis 
 kind under the headline, "Perkins." 
 
 The temjierance agitation of 1853-.5 gave 
 ri.-e to some heat and some disorder, but it was 
 so mixed witli tlie '"Ivnow-nothing" controversy 
 that it is hard to separate tliem. Tlie com- 
 mittee of ISiui, wiiich reported places where 
 liquor was sold in defiance of law, gave the na- 
 tionalitv of the sellers as follows: "German iJ.'i. 
 Irisii ;j' French 2, Hoosier 2, Colored 4, Total 
 44."-'" The meaning of this is that it was "a 
 beer proposition" in the main, and the chief 
 location of trouble was in the eastern part of 
 the city, where the German immigrants had set- 
 ilfd. The nearest approach to any serious 
 trouble was on the night of August 1, 1855, 
 when three night watchmen who had arrested 
 two disturbers of the iieace were set upon by a 
 dozen or more men who undertook to release 
 the prisoners. A light ensued in which pistols 
 were used freely, but no one was killed, and 
 only one man wounded. The watchmen held 
 their men. and the next morning J. P. ^[iehael. 
 .1. JIattlcr, A. Xaltner and Michael Esser were 
 arrested and taken before .Justice Sullivan on 
 iharges of riot. The Join-iial treated it as 
 a liquor insurrection and riot; and the Sriiliiii'l 
 as resistance of citizens to unwarranted af- 
 fronts by Know-nothings.-" TJoth ])apers 
 ch-oppcd the <nliject in a few days, giving no 
 account of the disposition of the cases, and the 
 Locomotive did not mention the subject at all. 
 The f'ity Connril iiidoi-sed tlie walcbnicn. and 
 ■■o did a meeting of eitizens held on .VugusI, 
 s. After the li(|Hor law was bebl unconstitu- 
 tional, the council, on .Fannarv 21, lS.-)(!, created 
 a police force of 10 men. 1 for each ward and 
 3 at large — with a captain. This was grad\i- 
 ally increased from time to lime, and in lS(i3, 
 on request of the eity, the militarv authoi'itics 
 provided a provost gnarrl, which was continued 
 till tlu> elo<e of tlie war. Ill ISd.' the force 
 
 il roll 
 
 2 detectives, and Ki 
 
 included 2"' pairoinieii. 
 s])ecial officers. 
 
 The decision of the Beebe case settled the 
 proliibitorv law. for though the court was di- 
 vided, and the ipicstion of "search and seizure" 
 was not before it. the indires announced orallv 
 
 "Loromotirr. September 10. IS."". 
 -"JourDdl, August 2; Sinliiicl. August 3. 11, 
 
 that they uoiild hold those provisions uncon- 
 stitutional when brought uj). The temperance 
 people were defiant, and jiroposed to change the 
 constitution. The Republican platform of 1856 
 called for jirohibition in about the same; lan- 
 guage as in 1854, but. of course, that was hope- 
 less without an amendmt'iit of the constitution. 
 The subject was hardly mentioned in the cam- 
 paign, ami the Democrats carried the state. 
 From tlieii on interest centered so completely 
 in slavery and the war that temperance was 
 almost lost sight of. In lS(>,s a. State Tem- 
 perance Alliance was organized, and temper- 
 ance sentiment was revived and unified throu<jli- 
 out the state, so much so tliat the legislature 
 of 1810, without any s]X'cial preliminary issue 
 on the subject, jiassed the Baxter law for the 
 restriction of the sale of liquor. This was 
 practically a local option law, requiring one 
 who wanted license to present a petition signed 
 by a majority of the voters of the ward or 
 township. It yirohibited sales on Sundays and 
 holidays, ■ind between the hours of 9 p. m. and 
 <! a. 111. It required the seller to pay the ex- 
 pense of caring for one whom he had made 
 drunk. It gave broad rights of action to rela- 
 tives, guardians and employers for damage re- 
 sulting from drunkenni'ss. and aiitliorized suit 
 by the townshi]) trustee, for the benefit of the 
 poor, if no one else sued. This caused a polit- 
 ical upheaval. The Democrats elected the next 
 legislature, which sulistituted the liberal li- 
 cense law of 18T5. 
 
 It is ]u-oblciiiatical to what c\lcnt llii> re- 
 >iili came from the W'omcnV ('riisadi' — wbellier 
 it strengthened or weakened Icinperance sen- 
 timent among the men. It certainly caused 
 considerable disquiet while it was in progress. 
 Thv movement had begun about Christmas, 
 18';;!, almost simullaiu (iU'-l\ , at liillsboro, Ohio 
 and Shelbyville, Ind.. by two prayer circles, 
 entirely independent of and not knowing of 
 each other. The movement was started here 
 by meetings in fcnir of the churches on Feb- 
 niarv 22, IS" 4, followed by other meetings for 
 consultation. On March '^ the local Womeirs 
 Christian 'T('tu])erance Union was organized, 
 and on ^farch G the movement was indorsed 
 by a meeting of men at Masonic Hall. The 
 first work was canvassing by wards to prevent 
 signatures to petitions tinder the Baxter law. 
 This was followed by visitations to saloons, 
 and by putting watches at the doors of sa-
 
 456 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDJAXAl'OLIS. 
 
 loon?. Tlie inai)i purpose of tlie campiiigii 
 failed. The sensation soon wore off, most of 
 the women got tired of the work, and it was 
 abandoned. But some permanent good had 
 Ijoen accomplished. A number of drunkards 
 had reformed and the community had been well 
 stirred iij) on the matter of law enforcement. 
 The W. C. T. U. had been organized, and re- 
 mains an effective force. On the other hand 
 it was a heav}' cross to many of the women 
 who went into it from a sense of duty ; and it 
 created a prejudice against aggressive tem- 
 perance work in many men. 
 
 Xotwithstanding the reversals of 1874-5, the 
 temperance forces rallied quickly. The In- 
 diana Prohibition l.eague was formed in No- 
 vember, 1876: and its work was immensely 
 forwarded by the Blue Ribbon movement of 
 Francis Murphy, which began in Pittsburgh 
 at about the same time — or at least made its 
 great start there, there being G0,000 pledges 
 signed, and 300 saloons closed. In October, 
 1S79, the Grand Council, composed of tem- 
 perance men and women of all organizations, 
 was organized in Indiana, and was chiefly in- 
 strimiental in bringing iip the proposed con- 
 stitutional amendment of 1881. Petitions for 
 an amendment for prohibition, signed by some 
 4C,0()0 voters, were presented to the Republi- 
 can legislature of 1881, which adopted such an 
 amendment, and also one j)roviding for wora- 
 e7i's suffrage. In the campaign of 1882 the 
 Democrats vigorously opposed the prohibition 
 amendment and the Republicans ran away from 
 it. declaring in their platform that the 
 amendments were nonpartisan, and should not 
 be treated as party measures. As a result, the 
 Reiniblienn plurality of 6, .50.') on the state ticket 
 in 1880 clianged to a Democratic plurality of 
 10,924 in 1882; and the amendments were 
 dropped bv the legislature of 1883. It was in 
 1882 that the Liquor League was organized, 
 and became a force in politics as an organiza- 
 tion. It made the ])olitical mistake of trying 
 to dominate absolutely when it came into 
 power, and bv its course probably contributed 
 more to the development of anti-saloon senti- 
 ment in the next ten or fifteen years than any 
 other influence. 
 
 In 1895 came a surnrise to the liquor power. 
 If anyone had iiredicted in advance that the 
 letrislature of 1895 would pass such a meas- 
 ure as the Xicholson law, he would have been 
 
 lauglied at, even by members of the legisla- 
 ture, for no such issue had been presented, and 
 the party leaders on both sides were against 
 it. But a movement started in Indianapolis 
 that did the work. Colonel Eli P. Ritter 
 wanted a local option law that would ''hold 
 water"', and he had put in months preparing 
 one. It was based on the principle of taking 
 provisions from the laws of other states that 
 liad been upheld and construed, with the view 
 that the courts would hold the "legislative in- 
 tent" to be taking sixch laws with their con- 
 struction. After it was prepared Mr. S. E. 
 Xicholson representing Howard County, came 
 to the city anxious to do something for the 
 temperance cause, and after some consultation 
 it was arranged that he should introduce the 
 liill.-" ^leanwhile Captain Ritter had asso- 
 ciated with two other gentlemen and formed 
 "the Citizens' League", which had arranged 
 for backing by the clergrv of the state, the 
 Epworth League, the Christian Endeavor so- 
 cieties, and some other agencies. As soon as 
 the bill was introduced, 10,000 copies were 
 printed and sent out, with 5 petitions with each 
 copy of the bill asking for its passage, by 
 name and number. Within a few days they 
 liegan to come in to every member of the 
 legislature in such number and strength that 
 they could not be disregarded, and the bill 
 became a law. It lias never been fully en- 
 forced or it would practically have ended the 
 retail liquor business, but the remonstrance fea- 
 tures of section 9 have been acted on until 
 much the greater ]iart of Indiana has no sa- 
 loons. 
 
 The liquor people realized that they had 
 l)een caught napping, hut made a strong effort 
 to overthrow the law in tlie courts. There wi've 
 over two dozen of the best lawyers in the state 
 acting for them at the hearing in the Supreme 
 Court, and their argument was presented by 
 throe ex-judges of the Supreme Court — El- 
 liott. Hammond and Zollars. The state's case 
 was ))resented bv W. A. Ketcham, Attornev- 
 (Jeneral. Charles W. Smith and Eli F. Ritter. 
 Ritter was assigned specially the defense of 
 section 9, which was the most questionable 
 fi'aturc of the law. On June 19, 189fi, the 
 court filed its decision sustaining the law in 
 Into, with two judges dissenting in part as 
 
 -'■'Joiininl. April 21. 190;].
 
 Jll!=^TOi;V OF OKKAIKl! I \'1)I \\ AI'ol.IS. 
 
 to station 2 only."" Under this law, with the 
 su])|)leinentarv J[oore law of 1905, and the 
 county option law of 1909, the process of vot- 
 ing out license lias proceeded until on Novem- 
 ber 1, 1909, there w-ere 70 dry counties out of 
 'J2. and of the remaining 22 thi^re was only 
 line — Vanderburgh — in which there were not 
 one or more drv townships. Out of a total of 
 1.01 r> township's 922 were dry. Out of 89 
 cities G3 were dry. Out of 3fi0 towns 330 were 
 dr>'. 
 
 Much (if this Work has been due to the Anti- 
 Saloon League, which aims to work indepen- 
 dent of party lines, on an "onini-partisan"' 
 basis. It originated at Obcrlin. Ohin. in Sep- 
 
 tember, 1893; and a national organization was 
 etfected at Washington City, December 18, 
 1895. A state organization was made in In- 
 diana in October.' 189S. by Eev. W. C. Helt, 
 who was sent here liy the national organiza- 
 tion for that pur))()se. ""'rhe Citizens" League", 
 which had been enlai'ged after tlie passage of 
 the Nicholson law. was practically merged in 
 this new organization. In fact the Anti-Sa- 
 loon League is practically a combination of 
 the forces that had formerly been working I'or 
 temperance outside of the Prohibition jtarlv. 
 That state-wide prohilntion mu>t eventually 
 come, and that at no distant day. is little 
 doubted by anyone wlio keeps watch of politi- 
 cal movements. 
 
 "'The State vs. Oerhardt. 145 Iiid.. 439.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 
 THE THEATElt AXD THEATEICALS. 
 
 Aftei' the chilly reception of the Smiths in 
 18'J4-5. no theatrical company visited these 
 inhos])ital)le shores until the winter of 1837-!^, 
 when William l>in(lsay's Company came in by 
 wagon from Cincinnati bringing their scen- 
 ery, costumes and properties with them. All 
 that was lacking was a theater, and that was 
 soon provided in the wagon-shop of Mr. Olle- 
 man — father of "Weary" Ezra Ollcman — which 
 was across Washington street from the Court 
 House, just west of the alley. The seats were 
 two-inch planks without backs, and the theater 
 was lighted by tallow candles, which also, placed 
 in tin sconces served as foot-lights. The 
 scenery was in rolls, and adapted itself to any 
 sort of room. The orchestra consisted of two 
 fiddles, Avhich discoursed the popular airs of 
 the dav, such as "Hang On", "Broad Ripple", 
 "Jay Bird", "Devil's Dream", and "Fishers 
 Hornpipe". The troupe included Mr. and ^frs. 
 Lindsay, who did the leading parts; Mr. and 
 Mrs. Bailey, who did juveniles, and also pre- 
 sented living statuary between plays; Jim TJn- 
 ton, a really good comedian and fine singer ; 
 and several of no esjiecial note who filled (Uil 
 the casts. The performance began with some- 
 thing heavy, and during the season the cniii- 
 panv gave "Macbeth", "Douglass", •'Hichanl 
 III". "The Stranger". "Bertram", and Hob- 
 ert Dale Owen"s "Pocahontas'", which had re- 
 cently appeared in ])rint. After this came two 
 or three specialty numbers usually, at least 
 a comic song, and sometimes living statuary 
 or a recitation. The performance closed with a 
 farce, among those given being "Turn Out". 
 "Lottery Ticket". "Jercmv Diddler", and 
 "Swiss Cottage". At this time the National 
 Road and Central Canal had brought enough 
 floating population to the )dace to give fair 
 encouragement to the jilayers. and T^indsav re- 
 
 turned in the winter of ls:)l)-40 with sonic ad- 
 ditional players. 
 
 On this second visit the company played in 
 the dining room of Browning's Hotel, which 
 stood where the Xew York store now is. The 
 performances were of the same character as 
 before, but were made notable by the engage- 
 ment of ]\Irs. Alexander Drake — •'rcengage- 
 ment", the Democrat called it,^ though there 
 is no record of her being here before. "The 
 Honeymoon", "The Golden Farmer"' and sev- 
 eral other plays were added to the list at this 
 time. Mrs. Drake was a star actress, at this 
 time in her prime, and she was certainly "a 
 link among the years"' in Indiana theatricals. 
 .She was a ^liss Denny, and made her first ap- 
 |i(';ii'ance on the stage at Cherry Valley, Xew 
 York, as "Amelia Wildenheim"". Later she 
 married Alexander Drake, and with him went 
 west with a theatrical comjiany in 181.5. In 
 1S21 Drake"s comijany visited Vincennes, where 
 they took on Sol Smith — uncle of Sol Smith 
 Russell, and a piniicer in Indiana theatricals. 
 Her last appearance in Indianapolis was dur- 
 ing the Civil War, when her son-in-law, Harry 
 Chapman, was managing the old ilctropolitan 
 theater. Her first husliand. Alexander Drake, 
 whii was tlio must noted nctor and manager of 
 bis dav in the Ohio A'alley, died on the stage 
 at Cincinnati while singing the celebrated old 
 comic song. "Xear Fly ^larket Lived a Dame". 
 
 The legislature was in session at the time of 
 this engagement, and among its members was 
 Ceorge W. Cutter, of Tigo County, who de- 
 \i'l<i]ied a great ]iassion for ^[rs. Drake, and 
 she apparently reciprocated, althotigh old 
 eno\igh to lie his mother. Cutter was an orator 
 of the high-flying type, which was natural 
 
 Wemocrnt. December •?!. 18.39. 
 
 458
 
 HISTORY OF GIJEATEU IXDIANAroLlS. 
 
 4.")!l 
 
 enough, for he was a ))oet, and a very credit- 
 able one. His "E Pluribus Umuu" was a very 
 pojJiihir pot'iii in liis (hiy. and so was his "Song 
 of the Sleanf" — 
 
 "Fetter liie douu witii ymw iron iiands. 
 Be sure of your curb and rein. 
 For 1 scorn tlie power of your puny hands 
 As the tempest scorns a chain."" 
 
 In t'iu-t the laticr was popular long after 
 his (lay. and rank> with standard jicietry now. 
 ])uring this sessinii ajipeared his "Elskwata- 
 wah". an e|iic on the fortunes of the Shawnee 
 Prophet, whitli was his most lengthy produc- 
 tion. Cutter was ardent in his devotion. He 
 and Mrs. DraJ<e both boarded at Browning's 
 Hotel, and every night he accompanied her 
 to the iheater. and stood in the wings while 
 she performed. One night she fell on the 
 stage, and he rushed to the rescue, embraced 
 her with words of r-ndearment, and kissed her 
 back to lilr. to the intense amusement of the 
 audieiue. That settled it, if there was any 
 douht before. 'I'hey were married. As the 
 first theatrical marriage in Indiana])olis. the 
 record is of ])assing interest. It is as follows: 
 
 "Be it known, that on January -.'-.M. 184(1. 
 a marriage license issued to George W. Cutter 
 and Mrs. Frances A. Drake, he being of Vigo 
 County, and she of Marion County, where she 
 has resided one month immediately preceding 
 this date, proved hv affidavit of E. K. Brown 
 tiled, and both of lawful age. 
 
 -Tl 
 
 le niarnai 
 
 if wh 
 
 is thus cert ilicd. to- 
 
 wit: 
 
 "I hereby ecrtify that on 'i'hursilay. .lain. 
 23, 1840. I joined in marriage, according to 
 hiw. .Mr. (;. '\y. Cutter &: :^[rs. .\. Drake. 
 
 "H. W. Beecher." 
 
 The I-". K. Brown who made the afliilavit 
 was a portrait painter. Tliink of it! 'J"h<' 
 most notable Indiana |iwt of his day, married 
 to the star actress of the Ohio Valley, with an 
 artist for witness, and TTeniT Ward Beecher 
 for minister! What cinild be more charmingly 
 Bohemian? But it diil n<il impress the public 
 tiiat way. and the legislature proeeeded to "have 
 fun"" witli ^fr. Cutter, until, r)n Feiiniary .'?, 
 the Journal reported a passage between ^fr. 
 Cutter and Afr. Eceles. in which it said that 
 
 .Mr. Eceles "alluded very improperly to the 
 former's recent marriage."" Then Cutter made 
 an indignant denial, and Eceles hastened to 
 explain: "It is notorious that .Mr. Cutter has 
 been treated (as I thought) improperly, by 
 knocking, laughing, etc., when speaking"'; and 
 that he had rebuked this levity, stating that, 
 "if we had no respect for Mr. Cutter, we ought 
 to respect the jjeople of the county from which 
 he came".- Tlie Journal also explained that it 
 did not mean that .M^r. Eceles used any im- 
 jjroper expressions, lint that it was improper to 
 refer to the private life of a member. 
 
 The theater itself did not escape the atten- 
 tion of the watch-dogs of morality on this oc- 
 casion. On January 10, 1840, "Old Sub- 
 scriber" carded the Journal, which, by the 
 way, did not advertise the theater, saying: 
 ".\s there mav be much misapprehension among 
 the jieople in other jiarts of the state, as to 
 eitizens of Indianapolis encouraging or su>- 
 taining a Theater, which it is said cannot find 
 even temporary snpjjort in any other town in 
 the state, be so good as to insen the fcdlowing 
 explanation from a late New \ nyV paper of 
 the sources of such su[)port, excn in large cities 
 — which may, in some degree, ndieve our 
 eity from a reputation, on this >ubji'ft. which 
 a large majority of us liy no means covet." 
 The inclosure. whieh the Journal jjrinted, was 
 a lengthy and severe; reflection on the charac- 
 ter of the people, who built theaters, and a dec- 
 laration that their support in New York came 
 chiefly from "visitors from the country'', add- 
 ing that "liut very few respectable families in 
 Xew York visit the theater at all, and these 
 few go too rarely to afford much support''. 
 
 To this 'Sly. Lindsay rejdied in the Dcnio- 
 rrat, charging that the alleged extract from a 
 Xew York pa])er was a pretended one. Then 
 "Old Subscriber" came back in the Journal of 
 January 2S). stating that the Xew York paper 
 in (piestion had been left at the Journal office. 
 He also gave an extract from a Louisville 
 paper commending the authorities of Arobil(> 
 for del hiring a theater a nuisance; and an ex- 
 tract from the Philadelphia Saturday Evcnimj 
 I'oxt, on theaters, wliidi. among other things, 
 said: "We consider them as the most fruit- 
 ful source of crime, profligacy and misery 
 to he found in our great cities, ami we have 
 
 'Jniirnal, Fcliruar\' .">. IS 1(1.
 
 -I(i0 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 resolved that our iutiuenou shall be exerted 
 against them. They shall never be noticed in 
 this paper but for the purpose of censure." 
 
 This season of 1839-40 was also made famous 
 by the presentation of "Pocahontas"', under the 
 ])ersonal supervision of Robert Dale Owen, the 
 author. Tlie late Austin H. Brown gave this 
 account of it : "A company of strolling players, 
 some of them talented and successful actors, 
 under the management of William Lindsay, 
 was then playing in Indianapolis for a brief 
 season. Mr. Owen enlisted the services of these 
 .plavers and in addition those of James G. 
 Jordan and Joseph F. Bro\\'n, two amateurs 
 wlio had appeared on some occasions with the 
 strolling company. In this way the principal 
 parts were filleii. Browning's Hotel dining 
 room was engaged, and a crude stage and scen- 
 ery were placed therein on a raised floor at 
 one end of the room. The footlights and 
 sidelights were supplied with tin sconces, each 
 holding a lighted candle. Mr. Owen gave his 
 personal attention to the preparation and stag- 
 ing of the play in everv detail, and frequent 
 consultations were liad with Jordan and Brown 
 in the State Lil)rary, and I was present at 
 most of them.-' Tlie play was gone over care- 
 fully, and a large portion of it cut. and re- 
 duced into an acting play of about two hours" 
 length. There was in the original an under- 
 plot carrying with it a love story in the wilder- 
 ness, and that was entirely cut out. ^ly 
 mother, as an accommodation to my T'ncle 
 Joe. assisted in the preparation of the ward- 
 robe. Finally it was thought the play, after 
 frequent rehearsals was ready, and a night 
 was fixed for its presentation. The Legisla- 
 ture was then in session and was well repre- 
 sented in the audience, which was considered 
 a large one for tlie times. The character of 
 Capt. John Smith was assumed l)v James G. 
 Jordan and that of Joliii Ratelitfe by Joseph 
 F. Brown, while the otlier parts were played by 
 the members of tlie strolling company, Mrs. 
 Lindsay taking that of Pocahontas. 
 
 "Tlie drama was considered to have been 
 well acted, and the next vear a society of home 
 Thespians iceiiacted it two or three times in a 
 
 rude frame building where the .Medical College 
 of Indiana now stands,* the principal charac- 
 ters in the cast being: 'John Ratcliffe,' Joseph 
 F. Brown : 'Capt. John Smith,' James G. Jor- 
 dan ; 'Powhatan." James McCreadv; 'Pocahon- 
 tas,' William Wallace; 'Xoniony,' her sister, 
 Lewis Wallace. * * * j^ those days 
 women did not take part iu amateur theatricals. 
 Hence it was that the two Wallace boys, then 
 about eighteen and sixteen, respectively, as- 
 sumed the female parts, and, barring their 
 voices, one could not tell from dress or action 
 that they were not young girls. Mr. Jordan 
 died many years ago. It was said of him that, 
 had he taken up the theatrical profession, he 
 would have achieved success and honor as a 
 tragedian." The other members of that memora- 
 ble company were better known, William Wal- 
 lace as law partner of Gen. Benjamin Har- 
 rison, and postmaster of Indianapolis; Gen. 
 Lew Wallace of national fame as soldier and 
 author ; Jose])h F. Brown long a deputy in the 
 County Clerk's office; and James McCready 
 as third mavor of Indianapolis, who outlived 
 all the rest and died October 9, 1909, at the 
 ripe age of 93. 
 
 The Thespian Corps was the first amateur 
 theatrical organization in Indianapolis, and it 
 had a number of other notables in it,s mem- 
 bership. There were no ladies in it. The male 
 characters were taken bv SpofEord Edward 
 (Xed.) Tyler, William Hite, Nat and John 
 Cook. ]\Iontserrat and ^lartin, in addition to 
 those named, while in addition to the Wallace 
 boys. Davis Miller. J. McCord Sharpe, James 
 McVey and William Snt^d did female parts. 
 The organization was inspired by the Lindsay 
 season of 1839-40. and Lindsay rented the 
 amateurs part of his scenery wliile he went off 
 on a tour to other towns of the state. The 
 first announced plav was "Douglass, or the 
 Xolilo Shepherd,"' on :March 28, 1840.= and 
 for this venture they sent to Logansport for 
 Nat Cook, who had taken subordinate parts at 
 "Shire's Garden" theater, at Cincinnati, to 
 
 "Mr. Bro\vn"s lather. Hon. Win. J. Broun. 
 was then Secretarv of State, and ex-officio State 
 Lilirarian. but the duties of tbi' latter office 
 were performed by "I'licle Joe"" Brown. 
 
 * Northwest corner of ^Market and Senate 
 avenue. The old building was built for a 
 foundry and stood east of what was commonly 
 known as "the hay press." having lieen put up 
 for the purpose of baling hay for the flat l">at 
 trade, down the river. 
 
 '•Democrat . .March ■?•"'>. 1S40.
 
 i[TSToi;v OF (;t^k.\'ii;ii ixnTAXAi'oi.is. 
 
 461 
 
 take the charactor of youiii;- "'Xiii'val,'" which 
 lie (lid very well, though his playing was eon- 
 sidered to be surpassed by Jordau's "Glenal- 
 von." Cook's younger brotlier John took a 
 part in the I'aree afterpiece. They were sons 
 of John Cook who became State T^ibrarian the 
 next year, after having that Dtlici' made iiuk'- 
 peiident and tlie duties of custodian of the 
 State Ca])itol and grounds added to it. Tlieik 
 was another of the Cook boys, Aquilla, who 
 ajJjM'ared in some of the plays, and who went 
 to Cincinnati about 1844 and married a danci"'- 
 at Shire's Garden. He shot the treasurer of 
 the theater on a charge of insulting his wife. 
 and escaped and disa])]>eared. Jordan was al 
 the time a law student, later city clerk, and 
 then secretary of the liellefontaine Railroad 
 Company when Oliver H. Smith was ]iresident. 
 The Thespians gave "Pocahontas" oftener 
 than anything else. It is not much of a play, 
 but it was an excellent thing for "breaking in" 
 a moral town, as it was full of philosojihy and 
 moral sentiment, and abounded in good 
 -peeches, such, for example, as this of ('apt. 
 .lohn Srhith: 
 
 "Oil! they an- wondrous wise, the.se merchant 
 rulers. 
 
 Considerate — most considerate, i" faith! 
 
 Merciful — so that mercy tills their |uii-ses; 
 
 Just — and if justice would but turn to gnld. 
 
 With every virtue under the sun 
 
 That will but yield the profit of a vice. 
 
 I'm sick of will — and will not — gentry, I : 
 
 Men who would at once be both black and 
 whitt' ; 
 
 \\'(imIiI jiluck the fruits of Hell, on mad to 
 I f eaven ; 
 
 Wdtild serve two masters, and take hire from 
 l)oth ; 
 
 Men who will scorn a brazen-conscienced cut- 
 throat. 
 
 Then grumble that tliey've not a cut-tbroal"s 
 pay : 
 
 Expect the I'nd, while tbey disclaim the means; 
 
 Covet the rich reward a villain earns, 
 
 .And deprecate the villainy that earns it; 
 . Would buy damnation in the Devil's market, 
 
 Yet higgle at the price the Devil asks." 
 
 In fact when the jilay appeared early in 
 ls:i7 from the New York press of George 
 Dearborn, some of the eastern papers I'xpressed 
 
 astonishment that so truly Shakesperian a pro- 
 duction should emanate from Indiana. It w^as 
 produced at several points in the West for a 
 short time but soon dropped out of use. The 
 Thespians gave several plays that called for 
 greater histrionic ability, such as "Pizarro,'' 
 "Douglass," "The Brigamls"' with Jordan as 
 "Massaroni" and his song "Love's Ritornella," 
 and "The (iolden Farmer." Tlie last was a 
 great favorite. The cast was, "Golden Farmer," 
 .Joseph F. Brown; "Harry Hammer," James G. 
 Jordan; "Old ^lob," James McCready ; "Jem- 
 my Twitcher," Ned Tyler; "Elizabeth," James 
 MeVey. Tyler made a great hit as "Jemmy 
 'I'wi teller." and it was freely predicted that 
 he would make his fortune if he would take 
 to the stage. The bovs made a very good, 
 but rough theater of the old foundry building. 
 The stage, about fifteen by twenty feet, was 
 at the north end, and the scenery was very 
 fair, through the generous aid of Jacob Cox. 
 There was no floor, and the plank seats rose 
 gradually to the south end, on ^larket street. 
 -Vdmission was twenty-tive cents, but mer- 
 chantable articles were frecpiently accepted in 
 lieu of cash. The organization was maintained 
 for three or four years, and was a source of no 
 little entertainment to the community. In re- 
 gard to the make-up of the Corjis it should 
 be added that Jordan was stage manager and 
 Enoch ]\Iay — a printer commonly called "Bos- 
 ton" _May. father of Edwin .Afay the architect — 
 was prompter. 
 
 The season of 1843-4 brought to Indianap- 
 olis .Tohn Powell, with the best troupe In- 
 dianapolis had seen; and Powell was an ad- 
 vertiser of rare genius. On November 21, 
 1S|;!, appeared the announcement in the Demo- 
 iriii that "The New York Company of Come- 
 dians" would give "a Grand Concert" at 7 
 p. ni. ; followed by a statement that those who 
 attend — price twenty-five cents — are "requested 
 to renuiin, free of charge, and witness a Full 
 Dress Rehearsal of the beautiful drama in tliri'c 
 acts entitled The Princess of Nfongrelia," after 
 which there were to be some chaste songs ami 
 "the much admired and fashionable comedv 
 The Irish Heiress." A day or two later Pow- 
 ell almost got up to the ])anorama level bv 
 presenting "The Apostate, or The Horrors of 
 the S|)anish Intpiisition." This company im- 
 provised a theater in the second story of Hi- 
 ram Gaston's wagon sho]). where the Claypool
 
 462 
 
 JllSTUlJi' UF (;i!KATEi: JMJlAXAJ'OlJS. 
 
 Hotel stand;;, with a fair f^tage and scciiL-rv. 
 1'lie proscenium was adorned with the inscri])- 
 tion, in large letters, "Veluti in speeiiliun,"" 
 which was gratifying to the learned, as Jt gave 
 them opportimitv to explain to the masses th;it 
 it meant '"As in a mirror." On the other 
 hand, the stair and platform hv which the 
 theater was entered from Washington street, 
 on the outside of the building, had not been 
 furnished witli a guard-rail, and one night 
 Richard Corbalev fell off to the jiavenient be- 
 low, and received injuries from which he 
 shortly died, thus furnishing a sok'niu waru- 
 ing against theater-going. , 
 
 However, the season was made irresistible 
 bv the additional engagement of "ilrs. A. 
 Drake," who had wearied of domestic happi- 
 ness at Terre Haute and returned to the stage, 
 and A. A. Adams, who had lost an eastern 
 engagement by "getting full"' at an inoppor- 
 tune season, and was starring the provinces 
 from necessity. "Gus"' Adams, as he was fa- 
 nuliarly known, was a really fine tragedian, 
 of the Edwin Forrest type, large physically, 
 with a strong voice, and withal a man of brains 
 and dramntie insight. He and Mrs. Drake 
 made a verv strong team in "Pizarro,"' "Lady 
 of the Lake," "Othello," "Yirginius," "Mac- 
 beth," and other standard plays. It must l)e 
 confessed, however, that the most lasting im- 
 pression on the ])lay-goers of the time was 
 jwadc by the two comedians and comic singers, 
 Sam Lathrop and Tom Townley. The f(n-- 
 mers song "The Tonga Islands," and the lat- 
 tei''s "The Raging Carawl" were talked of for 
 years. 
 
 But the most striking effect of this visit 
 was on the Journal, which actually melted, and 
 on December 13 said, editorially: "We have 
 hitherto forliorne to notice the dramatic com- 
 pany under the manngement of ^[r. Powell 
 now in this city. * * * ^phe arrival of 
 ]Mr. A. A. Adams and ^Mrs. Drake, advertised 
 for 'Rolla' and 'Elvira,' induced us for the 
 first time to witness the perfornumces, and 
 the result is that we not only feel remunerated 
 for the trifle of expense, but feel called upon 
 to give encouraiicment to the enter]irize," and 
 then followed detiiils. "Mrs. Drake, evei- n 
 favorite with us. e\(T in our view unsur- 
 pas.sed, even by tlu' illustrious Kemble — we 
 were delighted nnd tliriiled with her powers. 
 And Adams us •liolh;" luul never t-o our mind 
 
 iieen ceLpscd even by W'allaek, whose especial 
 favorite this part is." It was a really won- 
 derful change of attitude, but it was no doubt 
 largely due to a change of editors, Jlr. Nc vl's 
 liirmer place on the tripod being occupied by 
 Theodore J. Barnett, who was evidently not 
 built for resistance to temptation. There is 
 no express record of the effect on patronage, but 
 it was probably not great, for half a dozen 
 years pas.sed before another thentrical troupe 
 undertook to play Indi.uiajiolis. 
 
 On June 1, 18-50, Austin H. Brown became 
 j)ro))rietor of the Sentinel, and having good 
 facilities for advertising in all lines, there be- 
 ing a good job office connected, he evolved the 
 idea of bringing shows to advertise, and shar- 
 ing profits. His first ventures were with the 
 po])ular line of entertainments, panoramas, lec- 
 tures, concerts and the like. There were others 
 lor which he was not responsible. One of the 
 most interesting was "John Talby, Ventrilo- 
 ipiist," wild advertised a magician show on De- 
 cember ■>(; and -2;, 1850, at ]\Iasonic Hall, to- 
 gether with "the only living specimen of the 
 Monuiter I a fowl with six legs, which will 
 dance Fish.er's Hornpipe." John aited as his 
 own doorkeeper, and, after the audience was 
 ill, retired behind the scenes, from which he 
 never emerged on the same side as the audience, 
 '{'he show consisted of one mysterious disap- 
 pearance. This was followed by a double pano- 
 rama show at Concert Hall — "Adam and Eve. 
 The Temptation and Expulsion fnun Para- 
 dise" ; and a "Panorama of the Hudson River." 
 Tliis was more moral and more lasting — it 
 stayed for three weeks. 
 
 Ill January. 1S.")1. Mr. Shire, the tlieatrical 
 manager, brought here and advertised for Jan- 
 uary 8, 9 and 10 a "Grand Dramatical and 
 Musical Entertainment, by the Celelu-ated To- 
 ledo Company, ten in number," which was to 
 give "the most choice Dramatic Pieces and Vo- 
 cal and Instrumental ^[usic." This was a no- 
 table occasion for two reasons. The first was 
 that the Journal lu-oke the record of twenty-six 
 years and jiublished its advertisement. The 
 second was that the onlv satisfaetorv place f(U' 
 a theatrical show was Masonic Hall, in whicli. 
 the Constitutional Convention was then sitting, 
 and arrangements were made by which the 
 Convention performed in the daytime and the 
 dramatic company at night. This did not 
 ar.uise much criticism, thougii the Loroniotire
 
 HISTORY OF GREATKli I XDIAXAI'ULIS. 
 
 4(53 
 
 ohseived. "Jt is the greatest burk'sque of the 
 ape to know that the Constitution of the State 
 of Indiana is being framed in a Theatre.""" 
 In the same issue, however, it stated tliat the 
 company "liave met with nnu-li better success 
 tlian we anticipated — tlieir lioust's have all been 
 good, sometinies crowded."' Tlu- Joinitnl cmi- 
 firuied this on January 2"!, saying: ■■Tlic\ bad 
 a very large audicm-e on Saturday e\eiiing. and 
 continue to draw good li(m.ses every evening 
 they appear."" This wa.s a regular theatrical 
 troui)e, with IImiiv Perry, Kobert Buxton and 
 Ifrs. Coleman l'o|)e as the leading ]ilayers. 
 It gave a wide range of plays in its three weeks 
 -tay. incluvling "Faint Heart Never Won Fair 
 Lady."" •■The Dundj Belle," "Swiss Cottage,"" 
 "Tlie Serious Fainilv,"' "The Two Gregories," 
 •-.Merchant of \'eniee,"' "The Lady and The 
 Devil,"' "Jenny Lind Has Arrived," "You 
 Can"! Marry Your Grandmother," "Bo.x, Cox 
 ami Knox."' "Othello," "Lady of Lyons,"" etc. : 
 ind it established the fact that the railroad bad 
 made enough change in Lidianajiolis to make a 
 ,-uccessful theatrical engagement possible. 
 
 However, when the troupe was gone, the city 
 M'ttled down to more serious recreation. On 
 February 6 came Barnum's panorama of "Na- 
 [loleon's Funeral Procession."' presenting the 
 rcMioval of that gentleman's remains from St. 
 Ib'lcna to Paris, for six days at Masonic Hall. 
 Then came two weeks of •"The Polyorama"" at 
 I oncert Hall, with "Dissolving Views, the lle- 
 t'raeting Kaleidoscope, gyrations by a represen- 
 tation of a human figure, to show the facility 
 with which light can be managed, and lastly 
 <'ii])id"s .\dvent."" Then the season closed with 
 ibrce days of "Hossiter's magnificent historical 
 paintings,"' which were "The Return of the 
 Dove to tiie Ark,'" and ''iliriam the Prophetess, 
 ixidting over the Destruction of Pharaoh's 
 Host,"' In 1852, during the first State Fair. 
 Austin 11. Brown engaged all the halls and 
 'i-id several specialty performers — magicians, 
 'ineerts. etc. — and also Sam Wells' minstrel 
 troupe, which apjiearcd first ii^ Concert Hall, 
 then for a return engagement at ^fasonic Hall, 
 and then was taken by Afr. Brown for a toui- 
 of the smaller towns. 
 
 During this fair came another theatrical 
 manager, in the person of "Yankee" Robinson, 
 whose ciiiiiing marked an epoch. He opened 
 
 "LocmiKitii 
 
 January 2.'), 1851. 
 
 in a tent on a vacant lot in the rear of the 
 |)rcsenl Park Theater, and gave such plavs as 
 "Hole in the Wall," "The Idiot Witiicss,"' 
 "Loan of a Lover,"' etc. He was induced to 
 o|)en the season in Washington Hall, which 
 had just been finished, and occupied it for 
 two winters, louring in the summer with his 
 lent and playing "Uncle Tom"s Cabin"" to the 
 provinces. In his troupe were .Mr. and Mrs. 
 i{. J. JHller, Charley Wilson, F. A. Tannehill, 
 and, chief of all, "Old" White. F. G. White 
 was familiar to Indianapolis play-goers for 
 many years after, and was one of the best act- 
 ors, especially in comedy, that was ever known 
 liere. By common opinion he was not sur- 
 pas.sed in such characters as ••Toodles"" and 
 •"Solon Shingle"" by any star who ever pre- 
 sented them in Indianapolis. He was thor- 
 oughly educated in his profession. When 
 James Whitcomh Riley was visiting Sir Henry 
 ii-ving in London he told liini about White 
 and mentioned that AVhite liad certain stage 
 mannerisms that he had never noticed in any 
 otiier actor. Irving was interested and asked 
 what they were, and Riley mentioned some, 
 among them his habit of tapping his lips with 
 his finger tips when representing doubt and 
 hesitancy. To his astonishment, Irving pro- 
 duce(l a book of stage directions that had been 
 in use in iMigland for many years, in which 
 this identical direction was given, as well as 
 otiiers that Riley had mentioned. 
 
 In the winter of 1854-5 Eiobinson opened 
 the "Atheneum" in the iipper story of Calvin 
 F]lliott's new hnilding at the corner of Merid- 
 ian and Maryland streets, where the Daniel 
 i^tewart Drug Co. is now located. In his 
 stock company were most of liis former |)lay- 
 ers. with (4eorge and JIary ilcWiHiams, Jimmy 
 Lylton, who was very popular in Irish songs, 
 '"Yankee" Bierce, and young Henry Waugh, 
 wbo was also tlu> scenic artist, and a very good 
 one. This was (piite a popular theater, and 
 Robinson ])layed a iiUMd)cr of stars during his 
 management, among them Susan and Kate 
 |)enin. Peter Kichings and bis daughter Caro- 
 line, the Florences. Maggii' Mitchell. .loscpb 
 Proctor, aiul tiie elder John Drew. It was 
 here that Austin H. Brown made his "first 
 appearance oti anv stage." |)laying "Bomlias- 
 tes F^urioso"" lo Henry W'augh's King, at a 
 benefit given by Ifobinson for ■■the poor."" .\t 
 the close of the performaiu'c Robiii.-ion I'ame
 
 464 
 
 HISTORY OF GKKATKi; IXDlAXArOLlS. 
 
 Metropolitan Hall. 
 
 (The First Theater — from an old cut.)
 
 HISTOKV (IF ci; HATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 405 
 
 iH'I'iin- ihc lurUim iiml iiniKiUiK-i'il tluil as he 
 was the poorest man in town he would keeji 
 iIh! luct'ipts, which so iinpre>,SL'd the aiulicnce 
 that no obJL'ctiou was inadi'. Susan Deuiu was 
 an actress of real talent, though she did not 
 gain tiie national reputation that some of the 
 others did. She was deservedly popular in In- 
 diana tor the next twenty years, and died in 
 JMull'tou, on December 4, 1875, from the effects 
 of a tall on the stage at Indianapolis a short 
 lime before. 
 
 When l{obinson"s season closed in the spring 
 of 18.50, Austin II. Brown and John M. Com- 
 mons took the Atheneiim and undertook to 
 run it through^lhe summer, which was a dis- 
 mal taihuc. Air. Jlrown, in a reminiscent ar- 
 ticle, says: "We played a short season w'ith 
 a very ordinary company, picked np in Chi- 
 cago, Cincinnati and New York, with indif- 
 ferent success. Onr stars were James E. iliir- 
 fioch, Harry and .lidia Chaiiman, Mrs. A. 
 Drake and otiiers. Oui- orchestra had among 
 its musicians Keiuhold A. ililler, well known 
 as a suijcrior leader, the two Sehellschmidts, 
 ihe two Ddhiis and Gottlieb Krug. In order 
 lo keep down uur license tees we complimented 
 all the councilinen ami their wives. One mem- 
 ber of this bodv ne\e'r missed coming, but on 
 one occasion he ap[)cared at the box olfiee and 
 made an apology, saying: '.My wife is sick, 
 -o 1 thought I'd come down and tell you we 
 wcin't be here tonight.' Having been elected 
 eounly auditor in August, 185.5, I withdrew 
 from active theatrical management and left 
 the .\thcneuni in the hands of my partner." 
 In reality the season's experience was more 
 painful than this would indicate. Murdoch was 
 then at the head of the profession in the 
 I'niti'il States, and his engagement came in the 
 hottest part of a very hot July. About (went\ 
 peo])le ventured nut the first night to scr hiiu 
 in "The Stranger." and the next night was 
 worse. Then lie threw up the engagenieiit in 
 disgust, and never eamo liack to Indianapolis 
 until during the war, when he was devoting 
 himself largely to the care of wounded soldie' 
 and giving jilays anil readings for their benclit. 
 
 Commons reopened the Athencnm in Sep- 
 teniber and ran it until December 8. lie had 
 improved the stock company, and hail Mr. ami 
 Mrs. Thomas Dull' for leading parts. Charle- 
 .T. Fyll'e, the acting manaircr. and leading sup- 
 j)ort. was afterwards libi'arian at the Edwin 
 Vol. 1—30 
 
 Forrest Home in Philailelphia. liut it was not 
 a paying enterprise, nor was it under suc- 
 ceeding managements, although most of the 
 stars of the time were brought here by Com- 
 mons and by W. L. Wooils, Wilson, Maddocks, 
 I'ratt, Lytton and C'al. J. Smith, who tried 
 leasing it in the next two years. In August, 
 1858, a German company took it for a short 
 season, and during the State Fair the Chap- 
 mans came back with ilrs. Drake and John K. 
 Mortimer, the comedian. Tliat Avas the last 
 winter of the Athenenm as a theater. In 
 1859 it was taken for a gymnasium by an as- 
 sociation that was formecl, with Simon Yan- 
 des as president, but the novelty of that soon 
 wore off and it failed also. 
 
 Meanwhile a real theater had come — the first 
 building erected in Indianapolis for that pur- 
 pose — the "old Metro))olitan,'" built at the 
 northeast corner of Washington and Capitol 
 avenue by Valentine Butseh. The corner stone 
 was laid in August, 1857, and it was com- 
 pleted and opened in September, 1858, at a 
 cost of $(50,000. The lower story was occu- 
 pied by business rooms, and the theater above 
 .seated about 1,500. It is remembered as one 
 of the best built theaters for the accommoda- 
 tion of the audience that Indianapolis ever 
 had, for every seat gave a view of the stage 
 and of tnost of the house. The scenerv was 
 composed of flats, the first ever used in In- 
 dianapolis. The drop curfaiin was a co])y of 
 one of the series of C!ole's "Voyage of Life," 
 |)ainted by Samuel \V. Gulick, the scene nainter 
 of the theater. The formal opening was on 
 September 27, with E. T. Sherlock of Detroit 
 as lessee and manager. He had, or at least 
 advertised, a stock company of '^2 members, 
 headed by H. JI. Gossin. "tlie talented young 
 tragedian", with AIllc Haydee, a danseuse, 
 as a striking final. The opening play was 
 "Love's Sacrifice," with Gossin as "Matthew 
 l':iinore," Mrs. Van Deering as "Alargai'ct," 
 W. ir. Leake as "Paul Laforte". Mary iVIc- 
 Williams as "Helen," and II. B. Copeland as 
 "Mod\is." Before the play a very good dedica- 
 tnrv ]ioein. written by (iiissin, was recited by 
 Mr-. \'an Doerinsr. 
 
 On the .second night the Keller troupe of 
 living picture artists, "GO in number," appeared 
 as tiie special attraction, the stock comjialiy 
 also giving "the scri]itural drama 'Azael, the 
 I'rodifral Son." " It was here that Sberloek's
 
 4GC> 
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 iroubles begau. Tliat morning "Old Sul)- 
 scriber'" appt-ared \\itli a letter to the Journal 
 Avilh a request to publish au inclosed editorial 
 from the I'infiniiati Guzette, which \he Juunml 
 did. The (Jazctle stated that in Cincinnati 
 the Kellers had "introduced into one of their 
 Tableaus on Saturday night an attempt at the 
 representation of God," which it denounced as 
 "impious and blasphemous." This looked very 
 bad, but it turned out well for the theater, for 
 on the 29th the Journal published a second 
 article from the Gazette explaining that the 
 character referred to was not intended to rep- 
 resent God, but "was meant for Adam"; and 
 the reaction carried the Kellers to favor. That 
 night the audience called for Keller, and he 
 made a speech in which he "invited everybody, 
 and particularly 'Old Subscriber,' to come the 
 next evening and witness his mythological and 
 sacred representations." Ou September 30, 
 the Journal waxed enthusiastic, and declared 
 that "Xothing in Indianapolis ever equaled the 
 'living pictures' exhibited by this troupe'"; and 
 on October 1, after they left, it said, "Xo 
 trou])e has ever contributed more in one brief 
 stay, to the entertainment of the people of In- 
 dianapolis." 
 
 But the triuni])!) was short-lived. Three 
 weeks later came J. H. Hackett, the great 
 "Falstaff," as a star. For an after-piece was 
 put on a new and rather broad farce called 
 "The T^ilywhites," from the name of the lead 
 ing characters in it. This shocked the local 
 editor of the Journal, who gave it a column 
 roast, declaring the farce "immoral, obscene, 
 disgusting," and saying: "A theater will al- 
 ways exist in Indianapolis. It has languished 
 because the gross, and not the refined taste, 
 was catered to by our dramatic managers." 
 At the same time Sherlock managed to get 
 mixed up in a tilt that was going on between 
 the local editors of the Sentinel and the Citi- 
 zen — an afternoon paper — as to the merits of 
 their respective dramatic criticisms, and on 
 October 28 the Sentinel local said : "Mr. E. T. 
 Sherlock, the manager of the Metropolitan, 
 is an accomplished gentleman. He called us 
 a fool yesterday. We would not condescend 
 to return the compliment. Tie evidently meant 
 it for the editor of the Citizen." Several days 
 passed before the relations of the theater and 
 the papers was restored to an amicable basis. 
 
 Some verv srond attractions were lirouaht 
 
 here by Slu-rlock. among them Sallie St. 
 Clair, Dora Shaw, the Florences, J. B. Rob- 
 erts, W. J. Wallack, Mrs. Charles Howard 
 and Harry Watkins, Eliza Logan, the Chap- 
 mans, and the Wallers. In March, 1859, 
 "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was put ou. with little 
 Mary ^IcYicker (afterwards Mrs. Edwin 
 Booth) as Eva. Then the season closed with 
 the Coojier Opera Company, in the first real 
 presentation of opera that Indianajwlis ever 
 had. But it was not a paying season. Sher- 
 lock's offer to give a benefit to the Widows' 
 and Orphans' Society, and its chilly refusal 
 will be found fully recounted in the chapter, 
 "The Social Swirl." He left Indianapolis 
 with well developed symptoms'of disgust, and 
 leaving unpaid a generous portion of the rent 
 for the theater. Harry Chapman then took a 
 lease on the building, but his season was very 
 brief, and even more disastrous than Sherlock's. 
 As a result of the two experiences ^Ir. Butsch 
 l)ecame quiti' diseoui-aged with that system, 
 and declined to make any further leases of 
 the theater. 
 
 Sherlock's offer to give a benefit for the 
 Widows' and Orphans' Society, which was re- 
 fused on moral grounds, and the controversy 
 following it, showed that the feeling against 
 the theater was still -trong, and Butsch tried 
 to avoid it in 1859. He changed the name 
 iif the building to ^letropolitan Hall, and, se- 
 curing Austin H. Brown as treasurer and as- 
 sistant manager, dropi>ed the stock company, 
 rented to such shows as came, political con- 
 ventions, and other gatherings. In the fall 
 of 18(>0 he switched back to the Metropolitan 
 Theater, engaged a stock company and re- 
 sumed business, with John A. Ellsler, father 
 of Eftie Ellsler, as nianager. There was a 
 ]iredominance of spectacular shows that sea- 
 son, such as "The Xaiad Queen," and "Alad- 
 din," the most popular production being "The 
 Sea of Ice." in which little Effie Ellsler ap- 
 peared as the child. Tlie season was not 
 \ery remunerative, and Ellsler retired in 
 April, and was siicceeded by Felix A. Vin- 
 (•(>nt as manager. 
 
 On ilarch 7. 1861, the "Holman Comique 
 i'arlor Opera Troupe'' made its first appear- 
 ance in the NTorth, after a disastrous tour in 
 the Southern states, which they were practi- 
 cally forced to leave on account of the exist- 
 inj)- hostility to "Yankees," althoush thev al- 
 
 i:
 
 HISTOEY OF (iPtEATER INDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 467 
 
 wavs sang "Dixie"' at tlicir concerls. The 
 cliiot' attrac-tioiis ol' the troupo were the four 
 ITdlnian children, wlio were quite talented 
 l.otli as singers and as actors. Austin H. 
 Urown took them out on a tour of Indiana 
 and Ohio, landing at Cincinnati on April 11. 
 They had a good house that night, but on the 
 next da}' came the news of the attack on Fort 
 •Sumter, and that night there were not a dozen 
 people in the house. The engagement was 
 cancelled and the Ilolmans went to their home 
 in Canada. Tliev were in Indianapolis three 
 or four years later as a juvenile opera com- 
 punv. and with them were William It. Crane, 
 later the celebrated comedian, and John Chat- 
 terton. lated noted as a tenor singer under 
 the stage name of Signor Perugini. This com- 
 jiany gave "The Bohemian Girl" and operas of 
 that class. In passing may he noted a ])(>- 
 ruliarity of Oeorge Ilolman, father of the 
 children and liead of the troupe, mentioned 
 by ^[r. Brown. He always carried a sliot- 
 gun, and when within ten miles or so of an 
 objective point on their tours, he would leave 
 the train and walk in, picking up what game 
 lie could on the way. 
 
 -Mthough the war put a damper on theatri- 
 cals for a short time, it was the making of the 
 Metro]iolitaji. The legislature met in special 
 session on April 24, 1861, on call of Governor 
 Morton, and by that time the town was filling 
 with volunteers. The Metropolitan had been 
 closed for the season before the news came on 
 April 12 of the attack on Fort Sumter, and 
 the iirst entertainment in it tlicreafter was 
 a concert on April i; by .Mnie. Ines Fabbri, 
 who took the city by storm by singing "The 
 Star Spangled Banner."' in the costume of the 
 Goddess of Liberl\. and received the most 
 gorgeous press notices that had been given to 
 anyone that year. The slock cf)mpany was 
 hurried back and the theater was reo])ened on 
 April 25 for "a short season.'' which extended 
 to the second week in June. The leading lady 
 was 'Marian Macarthv, a clever actress and a 
 verv LTood vocalist, who was here tor some time 
 aftei'wards. She became insane, and died here. 
 She wa-s on the program every night for ]ia- 
 iriotic songs, "ITail Columbia,"" "Tbe Bed, 
 White and Blue," "The Union Marscllaise," a 
 new soul;-, and imisl nl' all "Tlie Star Sjiangled 
 Banuci-."" The ibcatn- was filled with soldiers, 
 anil enthusiastic townsnuMi who went wild in 
 
 their patriotic demonstrations night after 
 night when she sang. Women waved their 
 handkerchiefs, and men stood up, threw their 
 hats in the air, and shouted ttntil they wei-e 
 hoarse. On April 29 the otReers of the Eighth 
 Regiment gave her a public invitation to visit 
 their camp, and tendered her a benetit, which 
 was given on May 1. After that spring there 
 was never any hostile criticism of the theater, 
 as an institution, in the Indianapolis papers. 
 Vincent was manager of the Metropolitan 
 until 186.'?, when he was succeeded by Wm. 
 H. Ililey, who remained till 1866. and then 
 went to Xew Orleans to take charge of the 
 St. Charles theater. He died shortly after- 
 wards, and his remains were brought here and 
 buried with Masonic honors. He and his wife 
 playeil leading parts in the stock company, 
 and he was very popular in all capacities. In 
 the winter of 1867-8 ^latt V. Lingham was 
 manager. He married Kate Fletcher, who had 
 made her first appearance as a child, on the 
 Metropolitan stage as "The Cricket" with 
 Couldock in "The Cricket on the Hearth." She 
 became a noted actress and ajitieared as lead- 
 ing lady with Joe Jefferson. Barry Sullivan, 
 Frank Mayo, Edwin Booth, Lawrence Barrett, 
 James O'N'eill, E. L. Daven|iort, Dion Bouci- 
 cault and others. The spring season of 1868 
 at tlie Metropolitan was managed by Charles 
 L. Pope, and that was the close of "the old 
 stock company davs," and of the ^[etropoli- 
 tan as a "legitimate," for a long time. It 
 had a great career for a decade. -Ml oi' tbe 
 great stars named above appeared ibcvc, and 
 all others who had any celebrity at that pe- 
 riod — Junius and .T. Wilkes Bootli. Forrest. 
 Hackett, the Chanfrous, the Couldocks, the 
 Wallers, Charlotte Thompson, :\[atilda H(>rou, 
 lAieille Western. John Brougham, and T-otta. 
 It had a first-class stock companx. too. with 
 Kate Fletcher. Old White and wife, Mr. and 
 Mrs. Hodges. 11 hail "-ood scene painters in 
 Samuel Gulick, and later T. I'.. (Jlosiie^. l'".\cn 
 its bill jioster will be rcnu'inbereil liy the thea- 
 ter-goers of tbosi' (lavs, for confronting tbcni 
 on till' drop curtain were the lines: 
 
 "Dishon brothers, 
 .■\nd no others. 
 Go forth in Iia-li' 
 With bills an. I paste. 
 .\nd |ii'oclaiiii 111 all ci'calion.
 
 468 
 
 HISTORY OF (il.'KA'IKIt I XDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 I hat ini-ii are wise 
 Who advertise 
 In the present generation." 
 
 The reason of the close of the iletropolitan 
 as a stock company' was the opening of the 
 Academy of :Mn8ic.' In 1868 :\rr. Butsch be- 
 came convinced that the Metropolitan was not 
 ad(M|uate to the demands of the city. He there- 
 fore bought an incompleted building — stopped 
 at one story — known as Miller's Block, at the 
 southeast comer of Illinois and Ohio streets, 
 and flni.shed it as a theater. It had originally 
 heen intended for a theater when started bv Dr. 
 T. B. Miller in ISr,.'"). but he did not 'have 
 means to complete it. ilr. Butsch bought it 
 for $40,000 and expended $113,000 in finish- 
 ing it as a theater. And a very satisfactory 
 theater it was, seating about 2.500, with a row 
 of dress boxes between the parquet and the 
 dress-circle, and two galleries, the upper one a 
 freedmen's bureau. The stock company was 
 transferred to it, under the management of W. 
 H. Leake, who had been with Sherhxfk's com- 
 pany; and the Academv was fornuillv opened 
 on Septemher 31. 1808, with "The School for 
 Scandal." Iiy the company. Before tlie play 
 Mt. Leake made a little address, and his wife, 
 "Miss Anna Waite,'" read a dcdicatorv poem, 
 hv Miss T,aura Ream.' All of the t)e<t attrac- 
 tions of thf time appeared there until it was 
 destroyed by fire on January 27. 187T. and 
 quite a number of attractions that were very 
 commonplace. ^Fr. Leake leased the 1)u'l(ling 
 in ISGf). and again in 1870. with James Dick- 
 son as a jiartner. In 1874, Col. Nicholas 
 Ruckle bought it for $140,000. and spent $30.- 
 000 in redecorating. Barney Macauley ran it 
 in 1875, with Oen. Dan Macauley as manasrer. 
 Dickson & Losey had the lease in 1877, when 
 the building burned. 
 
 One of the never-to-be-forgotten events of 
 its histoiy was not on the program. The plav 
 was "Fnder the Gaslight," a popular sensa- 
 tional drama, in which the hero, a one-armed 
 .soldier, is w'avlaid bv the villain at a lonelv 
 railroad station, bound hand and foot, and 
 placed on a railroad track to be mn over liv 
 the lightning express. ' Providentially, the 
 heroine has been locked up over night in the 
 tool-house, and, grasping the situation, she 
 
 ''Sentinel. September 22. 1868. 
 
 kuo(4>;> tile door open witli an ax, and drags 
 the hero from danger just as the lightning ex- 
 jiress is whirled past by the active supernu- 
 meraries. There was in the audience, which 
 was not excessive, a country visitor who was 
 so excited over the play that he got to at- 
 tracting more attention than the play itself 
 from those in his vicinity. As the play ap- 
 proached the climax, and the hero came stroll- 
 ing on towards the station, looking in every 
 direction but that of the canvas tree behind 
 which the villain was visibly concealed, tor- 
 tured iiature could endure no more, and rising 
 from his seat the rural philanthropist yelled 
 
 in .stentorian tones, "Hey ! you d d fool I 
 
 Don't you see that feller behind that tree?" 
 
 Participation by the autlience was not so un- 
 usual in those days at the iletropolitan, which 
 had been bought by Dillard Ricketts, and 
 leased to Simon McCarty, who made a variety 
 theater of it. It was a very mildly naughty 
 variety, though there was a win(>-room attach- 
 ment, and it was much frequented by tlu? young 
 bloods of the town, who put in a large amount 
 of their spare time in studying up practical 
 jokes. One of their great successes was tossing a 
 handsome bouquet on the stage to a young wom- 
 an who did operatic songs, with great satisfac- 
 tion to herself. She reached for it, and it moved 
 away. She made a second effort before she 
 realized that there was a string to it: and then 
 .-he retired, overwhelmed by the tumultuous 
 applause of the audience. On another night 
 one of the boys came in alone, and the night 
 being rainy, and the parquet sparsely inhab- 
 ited, he was rather a conspicuous figtire in the 
 lower right hand corner, where "the gang" 
 usually congregated. An artist came on with 
 a song, "I See a Young Man Sitting There," 
 in which she avowed her affection for the per- 
 son indicated, to the great entertainment of the 
 lest of the audience. She took the lone youth 
 For lier victim, and he, with much evidence 
 of alarm, raised his umbrella and held it be- 
 tween them, occasionally peering out to see 
 what was threatening him. She tried to go on, 
 amid the whoops and laughter of the audi- 
 ence, but finally melted into tears and flowed off 
 the stage. 
 
 In 1879 the "Met." was taken by James B. 
 Dickson, who renovated and redecoratetl it and 
 opened it as a high grade theater on Septem- 
 ber 1!). with Joe Jefferson as the attraction.
 
 HiSTOKV ()V (;i;KA'ri;ii ixiuanai'oi.is. 
 
 4(i9 
 
 (IV. II. Ilns.1 l'h<:lii Compiwu.) 
 
 MURAT TEMPLE. 
 (The I^atest Theatre.)
 
 470 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER 1N:D1AXA1'0LIS. 
 
 The name was then chauged to the Xew Park 
 Theater, aud it has been the Park ever since, 
 except for a period after 1880, when George 
 Dickson and Henry Talbott formed their part- 
 nership. ' 'J'liey leased the theater that year, 
 boiiglil it in 1887, and leased it to S. J. JSack- 
 ett, who opened it as "rhe Dime Museum,"" 
 and later called it the Eden Musee, and "Park 
 Theater and Eden .Musee.'" The building 
 burned on March 7, 1897, and the present 
 Park Theater was at once built in its place. 
 It is still owned by Dickson & Talbott — George 
 Dickson, who died July 2",, 1903, being suc- 
 ceeded by his bon, Fred (J. Dickson — and is 
 ojjcrated as a "combination theater," i. e., trav- 
 c Img troupes play there on percentages. 
 
 The Academy of ^lusic was not rebuilt as a 
 theater, because in the hard times then in prog- 
 ress tliere were enough theaters without it. In 
 1875 the Dickson Grand Opera House had been 
 erected at its present location and had become 
 a popular theater from the start. It was opened 
 on September 13, 1875, by a stock company 
 witli \V. H. Leake as manager. Mr. Leake 
 made an opening address in which he recalled 
 that he had also spoken the first words from 
 the stages of the Metropolitan in 1858 aud the 
 Academy of Music in 1868.* The opening play 
 was "Love's Sacrifice," with Annie Waite (Mrs. 
 Leake) as "Margaret Elmore.'" Both the Grand 
 and the Park were run as legitimate combina- 
 tion houses after both came under the Dick- 
 son control in IS' 'J. 
 
 In March, 1880, Wm. H. English announced 
 his intention of building a first-class theater, 
 which struck the community as so ill-advised 
 that the Herald ))rinted a two-column article 
 advising him not to do it." However, Mr. Eng- 
 lish persisted, and on September 27, 1880, 
 p]nglish"s Opera IIou.se was opened, the play 
 being "Hamlet," with Lawrence Barrett in the 
 title role. The theater was managed by Wm. 
 E. English till the close of the season of 
 18S5-C, when it was leased to Dickson & Tal- 
 bott, and tl«>y controlled all of the theaters in 
 the citv. 
 
 The first amateur theatrical society after tlie 
 Thespians that attracted public notice was the 
 one fonned in 1804 as a war measure, in aid 
 of the Sanitarv Fair, which is described in the 
 
 chapter entitled "The Social Swirl."' In 1872 
 there came another, which seems to have had 
 a rather informal formal organization, as aj)- 
 pears from the following, the first part in the 
 handwriting of Austin H. Brown, and the sig- 
 natures original, all on detached leaves of a 
 pocket note-book: 
 
 •■AirriCLES OF ASSOCIATION OF TilK 
 INDIA.VAI'OLIS DRAMATIC SOCIETY. 
 ""ixDiAXAPOLis, Xov. 19, 1812. 
 "The tmdersigned hereby agree to associate 
 iheniselves together for the purpose of read- 
 ing, rehearsing and playing comedies and dra- 
 matic plays for mutual inprovement and en- 
 tertainment, and to be governed by rules and 
 regulations to be hereafter agreed upon. 
 
 1,AD1ES XAJIES 
 
 Marv F. Tousev 
 Ida C. Dodd 
 Kate Tousev 
 ]ilrs. John W. Jones 
 .Airs. Lida Talbott 
 .Mrs. Upton Hammond 
 Mrs. James Broadbelt 
 .Mrs. F. R. Rowley 
 Mrs. L. D. Sherwood 
 Miss Fannie AVilder 
 
 (iKXTI.K.UEN S XAMKS 
 
 AI. H. McKay 
 Austin H. Brown 
 John, W. Jones 
 
 E. W. Pollard 
 Charles H. Talbott 
 James Slattghter 
 l-"raiik L. Bi-xby 
 
 F. R. Rowley 
 Dan Macaulev 
 H. L. Xelson 
 
 ^Tounial. September 14, 1875. 
 •'Herald. Marcli 13. 1880. 
 
 Mrs. Sallie Hildebrand F. P. Wade." 
 
 This association, with a number of other 
 members added later, gave plays for the next 
 five years, usually for some charitable object, 
 and mostly at the .Academy of Music, their first 
 ajipearance there being on Thanksgiving night, 
 Xovember 29, 1873, for the benefit of the poor, 
 when they gave "Married Life" and "Poor Pil- 
 licoddy." Among the additional members who 
 ap])eared at various times may be named Harry 
 I 'aimer. Will S. Otwell, Jacob W. Smith. L. 
 I). AltLain, Mrs. Julia Otis and her daughter, 
 l-",lita Proctor Otis, ^Irs. Augusta Hays and 
 :\lary H. Ivrout. Mrs. Coleman Pope appeared 
 once, in an emergency, playing "Mrs. Dove"' to 
 .Vustin H. Brown"s "Air. Dove"' in "JIarried 
 Life." 
 
 Airs. Coleman Pope was an old-time actress 
 and a very estimable lady, who located in In- 
 dianapolis. She had appeared as a star at 
 the .\theneum. and later with the Stock Com- 
 panv at the Metropolitan. On Jime 32, 1877. 
 slu was given a benefit at the Grand, wliich 
 wa- line of the memorable events in Indianap-
 
 HISTOEY OF (iKHATER INDIANArOLlS. 
 
 in 
 
 ■ ilis theatricals. Tlu' Dramatii- Society jiavc 
 tile old play, "The Keiidezvous" — luasquerad- 
 iiii: undiT the title of '■Love in All Coniers" — 
 with Aiistiii H. Brown as "Simon (^iiake.'" 
 There were several other numbers. M rs. Pope 
 recited; M. H. Spades gave a violin solo: .luil 
 Colgan did "The Whistling Story," at which no 
 one ever excelled him; but what made the 
 evening memorable was a cornet solo by Ath- 
 lick Smith, with entirely unexpected accom- 
 paniments. He was to play "The Carnival of 
 A^enice"' with bass variations, but some dis- 
 order overtook his cornet, and the bass wo\ild 
 not work. He went through a strain of the 
 Carnival smoothly enough, and then came a 
 series of erratic squawks that caused a general 
 titter: then anotiu'r strain, more and wilder 
 squawks, and much laughter: another strain. 
 more squawks, ami howls and shrieks of mirth. 
 Never was an audience so convulsed : and when 
 one got his face straightened and the tears 
 wi[)cd away, a glance at that stout, red-faced 
 (Icrnian, solemnly trying to extract hannony 
 froin that perverse instrument, would set him 
 off in another fit. Finally Mr: Smith gave it 
 up, the avulience hushing to hear him explain: 
 ''Chentlemen and Toadies, I dond know vots de 
 matter, liut I can do it. If you appoint a com- 
 mittee, I do it before dem." Then everybo<ly 
 felt sorry for him, and called him back to give 
 him a chance at something else; but he under- 
 took "Annie Laurie," all in the bass, on the 
 same cornet, and the last end of that man was 
 worse than the first. The audience went off 
 again ; and when he finally suspended it was 
 weak and exhausted, gasping for breath. 
 
 I think Austin H. Brown was the moving 
 spirit of the Dramatic Society, for it suspended 
 about the time he became a Scottish Rite Ma- 
 son, in March, 1878 ; and the Dramatic, Liter- 
 ary and Musical Association of the Scottish 
 Rite was organized in October, 1878, Mr. Brown 
 being one of its most regular and popular per- 
 formers almost to the time of his death, in 
 January 1, 1903. He had three ruling pas- 
 sions, theatricals, politics and public schools, 
 and he was really a public benefactor in all of 
 tliem. He held several offices, but none that 
 was not well administered. His work for the 
 schools was long and self-sacrificing, and it is 
 very justly commemorated by naming one of 
 the liuildings for him. For fifty years ho was 
 in closer touch with professional and amateur 
 
 theatricals than any man in 1 ndianaiiolis. and 
 it may be worth while to give liere one of his 
 brief reflections on the subject. He says: 
 "Very few sensible persons who engage in pri- 
 vate theatricals to entertain their friends at 
 home ever get so carried away as to attempt to 
 enter the regular profession. In conclusion 1 
 wish to say that since 1 first took a fancy to 
 amateur acting, 1 never had a wish to become 
 a professional, or any other thought than to 
 please my audiences. The life of a profes- 
 sional is a hard one. antl in but few cases a 
 jirofitable one pecuniarily, and my advice to 
 the ambitious is to 'avoid it altogethei-." '" 
 
 Old Sol Smith, wlio may be accounted the 
 first Indiana actor, took a rather more pessi- 
 mistic view of amateurs. He said : "I never 
 knew any good to come from Thespian socie- 
 ties: and 1 have known them to be productive 
 of much harm. Performing a character with 
 success (and Thespians are always successful) 
 inevitably begets in a performer a desire for 
 an enlarged sphere of action. If he can please 
 his townsmen and friends, why should he not 
 delight a metropolitan audience? He becomes 
 dissatisfied with his profession or business, 
 whatever it may be, applies to a manager for a 
 first ajipearance in a regular theater — appears — 
 fails — takes to drink, and is ruined"." That 
 is a rather gloomy view ; but there have been 
 a number of Indianapolis amateurs who went 
 on the stage, and none of them madeanv iu>ta- 
 ble success. And then the stage is a i-elcnt- 
 less leveler. I was on the Denver Tribuiw in 
 1881 when Robson & tJrane came there for a 
 week's stay. Eugene Field, the managing edi- 
 tor, detailed me to get a story each day from 
 some member of the troupe, which was not 
 liard, as they had some interesting people. 
 Among them wen- two Indianapolis people — 
 flattie Ferguson, who made her first appear- 
 ance in the exclusive Southern Club, and Al 
 Lipman, for years a stock actor at "The .Met." 
 I was behind the scenes often, and saw the 
 absolute level of their professional lives; and 
 1 could but wonder how long it would have 
 been before they could ever have met at the 
 Southern Club. 
 
 It is a notable fact that no one has gone to 
 thi> professional stage from The Di'amatic Cluli. 
 
 ^"TheatriaiJ MaixKirmrul in llic }Y('st ami 
 South, etc., ti. 22.
 
 4;3 
 
 IIISTOIJY UF GUKATEli 1 XDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 whicli is now in its twentieth yean holding the 
 reeord for longest existence of amateur organ- 
 izations, of whieh there have been more than 
 a score in the past forty years. Tliis is prob- 
 ably due to its social character. It originated 
 with a group of young ladies, who got up a 
 play for their own amusement, no gentlemen 
 taking part and none admitted ; and who had 
 so much fun at it that they organized a club 
 on that basis. Very soon a change came, on ac- 
 count of an accident. The moustache of a 
 player who was taking a masculine part fell 
 off in her tea-cup while doing a difficult eat- 
 ing act, and the club decided that it must have 
 members whose hair would stay on. Men were 
 then admitted, and the new organization opened 
 with a business meeting which was made his- 
 torical by the report of the secretajy-treasurer 
 that "all the money paid in for dues had been 
 expended, but that there was $9 in the treas- 
 ury for which she was unable to account." 
 
 The Dramatic Club opened its first season on 
 the reorganized basis, 1890-1. with the play of 
 "Engaged" at the residence of J. H. Baldwin, 
 with Carrie Farquhar as "Belinda," Margaret 
 Baldwin as "Maggie," Claire Shover as 
 "Parker," Carrie Malott as "Mrs. McFarlane." 
 Belle Baldwin as "Minnie Sympherson,"" Booth 
 Tarkington as "Cheviot Hill," Horace Hood 
 as "Relvawnev." Will J. Brown as "Macalister" 
 and Laz Xoble as ".Major :\rcGillicuddy." It 
 was unanimously voted great fun, and before 
 the winter the club had grown beyond private 
 residence capacity-, and moved into the 
 Propylaeum, where it has since remained ex- 
 cept for occasional sallies. The social features 
 of the organization have predominated, and it 
 has always been a "good-time club." This 
 fact, coupled with its critical abilities, has no 
 doubt repressed the tendency to professional- 
 ism. The club has alwavs been composed of 
 theater-goers wliose critical faculties were high- 
 ly developed ; and the few players who took ' 
 themselves serioush' were lucky to escape open 
 guying — unique if they missed absentee grill- 
 in ST. 
 
 The Grand. English's and the Park continued 
 the onlv theaters of Indianapolis until 1907 — 
 or rather the onlv decent theaters. The citv 
 was not without its temple of dramatic oli- 
 scenity after 1860, when the first one wa^ 
 
 opened on Court street between Delaware and 
 Pennsylvania. This was later removed to "The 
 Exchange" building on Illinois street, known 
 as a gambling house, and remained there till 
 March 7, 1871, when the Y. M. C. A. secured 
 the building and converted the hall into a 
 gymnasium. It has had several successors, the 
 longest-lived being the Empire, which was built 
 in 1892. 
 
 In 1907 Yolney T. Malott decided to build 
 a hotel on his property on South Illinois street, 
 between ilaryland and Georgia streets, and in 
 the development of the plans concluded to 
 construct a theater in connection with it; hence 
 the ifajestic was built, the entire construction 
 costing about $250,000. The Majestic was 
 opened on September 2, 1907. with vaudeville, 
 the Avenue Stock Company coming on October 
 7 for three weeks till the regular Majestic 
 Stock Company was ready. The Majestic Stock 
 Company opened on October 21, with "The 
 Cherry Pickers," and has since held the boards 
 in a very satisfactory way. Both the Majestic 
 and the Grand are now operated by the An- 
 derson, Ziegler Co. as vaudeville theaters. 
 
 In the summer of 1909 the Colonial Thea- 
 ter was built at the corner of Illinois and Ohio 
 streets. There is a hotel in connection which 
 was still in process of construction at the close 
 of the year. The theater is a very neat one, 
 seating about 1,400, and is devoted to vaude- 
 ville. It is operated by the Colonial Theater 
 Company. A very handsome theater was be-' 
 gun in 1909 by the Mystic Shrine in connec- 
 tion with their new temple at Michigan and 
 Xe\v Jersey streets. It was opened on Febru- 
 ary 28, 1910. It is a fireproof building, of 
 concrete and steel construction, with brick and 
 teri-a cotta facing, to cost $3()5.000. It may 
 be noted that the architect of the iletropoli- 
 tan — the first theater in Indianapolis — was D. 
 A. Bohlen, and the architect of The Murat — 
 the latest one — is his son, Oscar D. Bohlen. 
 'J'he seating capacity is 2,000 ; and it is con- 
 trolled by the "Sam and Lee Shubert, incor- 
 ]i(>rated." syndicate, English's being controlled 
 by the "Klaw and Erlanger" syndicate. With 
 the Park coiuUuted by Dickson & Talbott as 
 a ciinibination house, there will be an opening 
 lor aiiv actor or troupe of merit that desires 
 to .iiijicnr in Tn<liana])olis.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVll. 
 
 THE FIXE ARTS. 
 
 All of the known stages of the development 
 of the fine arts were experienced in Indian- 
 apolis. In the primitive stage, art was not 
 exactly devoted to the gods, but- it was spe- 
 cially associated with libations, being confined 
 to the painting of signs for taverns liy Samuel 
 S. liooker, who came here in 1821, from Ten- 
 nessee, and began business as a house and sign 
 painter. Tradition is not flattering to Mr. 
 Booker's art. His orthography was unques- 
 tionably weak, and his pictures lacked definite- 
 ness. It was commonly asserted that the lion 
 which he painted for a tavern-keeper on the 
 national road was in reality a ])rairie wolf; 
 and that the eagle which he painted for Haw- 
 kins" tavern was in fact a turkey-buzzard. But 
 his most notable effort was "General Lafayette 
 in full uniform," which he executed for Major 
 Belles, who had a tavern six miles southeast 
 of the town, on the Michigan road. In this 
 ]X)rtrait "Sammy" omitted the portions of the 
 legs that usually occur between the knees and 
 ilie ankles, and attached the feet at the knee 
 joints. The unlearned pioneers had a theory 
 that he started out to make a full length por- 
 trait, but, after finishing the head and body, 
 found that there was not room enough for the 
 natural expanse of legs, and therefore cut his 
 picture to fit his signboard; l)ut of course could 
 not grasp the artistic tribute of representing 
 Lafayette as a soldier who simply could not 
 run. A later and more enlightened genera- 
 lion will at least concede the bold originality 
 of his work, and may perhaps rank his an- 
 atomical ]u-oduction with the satyrs, centaurs, 
 rhcrubs, mermaids, etc., of ancient art. 
 
 The next step was the advent of the pcri- 
 jiatetic jiortrait painter. The fact that ]\r. G. 
 I'ogers "olTered his services to the inhabitants 
 of Indianapolis as a porti-ait jiainter"'' in 18;^ I 
 
 ^J oil null. Februarv ".'. 1S:!1. 
 
 was noted by Brown," who says he was ''the 
 first portrait painter here." This was fol- 
 lowed by HoUoway^ and Sulgrove;* but there 
 was an earlier than Rogers. In Marcli, 1828, 
 R. Terrell informed '"the citizens of Indian- 
 apolis that he is prepared to take the portraits 
 of those who are willing to encourage the fine 
 arts;" and invited inspection of his work at 
 the senate chamber. He added: "He will also 
 execute the followings kinds of paintings in a 
 superior style: Signs for Public Houses, 
 Stores, Shops, or Regimental and Company 
 Colours, together with all kinds of oil gild- 
 ing and fancy painting".^ But these early 
 visitors have dropped out of memory with all 
 their works: and so has the man who appeal's 
 to have been the pioneer home artist. On De- 
 cember 2, 1837, the Journal published an 
 anonymous communication complimenting the 
 portrait painting of "Mr. Ephraira Brown, 
 Portrait Painter of this Place": and adding: 
 "He has a particular claim upon the favor of 
 the people of this place and this state. In 
 Inilianapolis he first commenced, and here he 
 has lived, and, by the force of his own in- 
 dustry and genius, advanced until we iiavc 
 high reason to be pi'oud of him. Let not the 
 people of Indiana fail to encourage tlie genius 
 of licr own soil." But ungrateful Indiana was 
 unmiiulfnl of tliis plea, and tradition does not 
 even tell who Ephraim Brown was. He did 
 not belong to any of llir ucli known families 
 of Browns that were here at the time. The 
 only trace I find of his work is this manu- 
 scri))t note by the late Louis Gibson: "Mr. 
 I-^phraini Brown became acquainted with Mr. 
 
 'ffi.slori/. ]). 22. 
 ' II isliiri/. |i. I.'i. 
 ^11 isluri/. ]). 2G(). 
 ^Journal, :March 27, 1828. 
 
 473
 
 474 
 
 HISTUIJY OF GRKATEK IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 Cox in 1838. IIl' doteniiiiKnl lu Iil-i-oiir' an 
 artis^t, studied witli ^Ir. Cox for a time, and 
 afterwards went to Cincinnati, returning to 
 open a studio. He painted portraits of Holi- 
 ert Dale Owen. Thomas Dowling, Hon. A. L. 
 Chamberlain, and other prominent persons of 
 this state." 
 
 But the era of the known was at hand. In 
 1832 Jacob Cox and his brother Charles came 
 to Indianapolis — by boat from Pittsburg to 
 Cincinnati, and thence on foot. Jacob's wife 
 followed a week later by conveyance, and also 
 a stock of tinware and hardware with wdiich 
 the brothers went into business. A younger 
 lirother, David, a coppersmith, located here 
 later. Jacob Cox was born in 1810. When 
 he was eight years old his mother was drowned 
 in the Delaware River by the tipsetting of a 
 feri-y-boat. and two years later his father was 
 drowned in Mobile Bay by the sinking of the 
 vessel on which he was a passenger in a storm. 
 Jacob then went to live with his grandfather 
 and a maiden aunt at Washington, Pennsyl- 
 vania. Here his art proclivities were manifested 
 in various charcoal sketches on fences, boxes, 
 bams and other possible places for which be 
 was at intervals punished by his unappreciali\(' 
 relatives. At 16 he was botmd to a tinner and 
 duly served out his apprenticeship. The Cox 
 brothers" tinshop was on Washington street, 
 where the Bobbs-Merrill establishment now is. 
 and while the boys did a thriving business 
 Jacob still clung to his art tastes. He pro- 
 cured books on painting and practiced it at odd 
 times until 1842, when he went for a short 
 time to Cincinnati and opened a studio with 
 Dr. John G. Dunn, a son of Geo. H. Dunn. 
 Treasurer of St<ate. John Gibson Dunn 
 was an erratic genius who attracted attention 
 by a scheme for lighting the citv by one great 
 liglit placed on an elevation. He was a jihysi- 
 cian by profession, and wrote poetry of a very 
 fair quality." His most noted art work was a 
 temperance picture, preserved in the Kiersted 
 family, representing a man hesitating, with 
 pen in hand and the pledge before him, his 
 wife on one side urging him on, while Satan 
 on the other offers him the glass. Cox re- 
 turned to Indianapolis and resumed the tin- 
 shop, with occasional painting until .January, 
 
 '^Co</t/rxhnirs Purls and Poetn/ of Ihr Wrst. 
 p. 537.' 
 
 1814, when this notice appeared in the Juar- 
 nal, "Jacob Co-X, Portrait Painter; room on 
 Washington street, opposite post otiice, where 
 all are invited to call and examine his speci- 
 mens of art."" This room was in the build- 
 ing just west of the Chas. Mayer establishment, 
 second floor, back, and it was the headquarters 
 for art in Indianapolis for a number of years, 
 as was also his later studio on the third floor 
 of the Talbott & Xew building, just south of 
 the American National Bank. It was the school 
 for the art students of that period, and the 
 i-esort for the children of Bohemia who got 
 into this vicinity. 
 
 On February 19, 1853, the Journal, in an 
 t'xplosively complimentary editorial on Jlr. 
 Henry W. Waugh, "'the artist actor"" who was 
 then performing at Eobinson"s Athenaeum, 
 liives a glimpse of local art conditions in this: 
 "We could and should liave too an Academy of 
 Alts. We have in our old citizen, Mr. Cox, 
 it is generally conceded, one of the very best 
 artists, lioth in portrait and landscape, known 
 in the West. * * * Elliott, the best por- 
 trait painter of Cincinnati, when a ragged boy 
 in our streets, was taken in and received all 
 liis instructions from Cox. Mr. C. has three 
 otlier students at present, one of whom, a 
 yoimg gentleman from Madison, has already 
 got up several landscapes which do credit to 
 him. and if he but persevere, the people of 
 Indiana may ere long be proud of him. An- 
 otlier Indianian, a young ^Ir. H.,' has in jirog- 
 ress in this city a temperance panorama. The 
 artist has chosen a wide field for his genius 
 and we trust he may succeed. * * * But we 
 commenced this article to speak of an accom- 
 plished actor, artist and gentleman who is now 
 |iersonating various characters at Robinson's 
 .\thenaeum, Washington Hall. We refer to 
 llenrv W. Waugh, who is not only a good actor, 
 l)\it (as evidenced by specimens of landscape 
 on exhibition at Jones" ]\[usic Store and by the 
 excellent scenery used at the Athenaeum from 
 his pencil), an artist of no mean talents. He 
 is of a race of artists. It was his uncle who 
 painted Waugh"s Panorama of Italy, a work 
 w Inch we are told by those who have witnessed 
 it is a ]ierfect mirror of the lovely scenes and 
 important views of that classic land." 
 
 Ilarris" panorama was exhibited in Septem- 
 
 J. F. Harris.
 
 jiisToin' OF (;i;i-;atek j.xdi wai'oi.is. 
 
 475 
 
 luT, 18.);i, aud was so great a success thai Cox 
 and Waugh also painted a teinperaiice paiio- 
 lauia that was presented to the public the next 
 3 ear." In the summer of 1853, Harris was 
 comuussioned to paint a banner for Indiana to 
 mark her space at the "Crystal Palace" worlds 
 fair at A'cw York in that year. It was "a silk 
 banner four feet square, with the state seal 
 painted on if." The climax in panoramas was 
 reached at the beginning of June, 18GU, when 
 tlie papers announced at College hall the pano- 
 rama of "Kansas City aud Harpers Ferry" — 
 the life of John Brown — painted by Aurelius 
 Smith, a boy 12 years of age. The papers 
 j)raised it highly, too, and predicted a gTeat 
 future for the artist. It is a remarkable fact 
 that this panorama of 37 views, each (5x9 feet. 
 was not only painted by a boy of 1"2 yeai-s, but 
 by one that had never had any instruction. He 
 was a native of Indianapolis, a son of Isaac 
 Smith, a printer by trade, sometime editor of 
 the Sentinel, and a member of the legislature 
 of 1851. The panorama was exhibited in vari- 
 ous parts of the state to admiring audiences, 
 but art was not for Aurelius. He went out 
 with the Sixth Kegiment when it reorganized 
 after the three-months' service, in the capacity 
 of a fifer, and served for two years and a 
 half, when he was forced to quit on account of 
 ^^•ounds received at Chickamaiiga. He is well 
 known in Indiana])olis as a salesman for the 
 Sentiiu'l Printing Comjjany. 
 
 Tiiat Hen IT Waugli was a sort of universal 
 genius may be inferred from this extract of a 
 notice in the Journal of March 3, 1853 : "Mr. 
 W. will paint a picture on the stage to music, 
 in ten minutes, niis feat has never yet l)een 
 ])erfonned by any other person. A new dro[i 
 curtain jiainted by .Mr. Wauyh will he usetl 
 tonight for the first time." Tradition records 
 that he usually passed his summers as a clown 
 in Dan Rice's circus, under the name of Dilly 
 Fay, but he was a bright fellow, and had a 
 college education. The Harris panorama of 
 "The Mirror of Intemperance" was an impos- 
 ing work, starting out with "The Morning of 
 Life" and following the innocent boy on down 
 to a drunkiird's grave."* That of Oox and 
 
 "Locomo/uT. Sopti'mber 17, 1853; Joiininl, 
 June 1, 3, 18.54. 
 
 "Sentinel. Julv 15, 1853. 
 '"Journal April 3. 1853. 
 
 Waugli was localized to the extent of working 
 in a picture of the ""Governor's Mansion"'. 
 
 But there were other artists worthy of note 
 prior to this call of the Journal for an Acad- 
 emy of Art, the most notable being the first 
 native artist, James Bolivar Dunlap, who was 
 born in Indianapolis May 7, IS'io. He aud Dr. 
 John Dunlap were children of Dr. Livingston 
 Dunlap, by his first wife, and were notably in- 
 telligent aud popular men. '"Jim", as pop;-- 
 larly known to old residents, had all sorts of 
 artistic talent, almost wholly self-developed. He 
 was especially clever in pencil and pen-and-ink 
 work, and would have become famous as a car- 
 toonist in encouraging surroundings. In June, 
 1851, original cartoons, evidently his work, be- 
 gan to appear in the Locomotive, and on Aug- 
 ust 23, 1851, the Locomotive said: "We can 
 recommend any person wanting any wood en- 
 graving, or designing, to James Dunlap, of our 
 city. For a specimen of his work see the cof- 
 fin and bier in the advertisement of Fitler & 
 Co." A little later a regular advertisement ap- 
 peared: "J. B. Dunlaj), designer and engraver 
 on wood. Also drafting of patents and ma- 
 chinery. OHice over Wm. Smith's clothing 
 store, one door east of the Wright House"." 
 This continued for some months, but there 
 was no noticeable increase in advertising cuts 
 in the papers, and this part of the venture was 
 probably not successful. Later, Dunlap did 
 ,-oine very excellent portrait painting, and also 
 undertook sculj)tiire. His best work in this 
 line was a bust of Capt. John A. Sutter, the 
 man on whose land gold was discovered in Cal- 
 ifornia, which is preserved in the State Library. 
 This was made in California, whither Dunlap 
 went in lio])0 of relief from tuberculosis, from 
 which he had suffered for several years. '^ His 
 elfort was in vain, and he returned here to fall 
 a victim to the great white plague on Septem- 
 ber 4, 1864, widely and sincerely lamented. 
 
 The bust of Sutter in the State Library was 
 originally w%ite, but in the progress of civ- 
 ilization its nose got smutted, and a lady li- 
 brarian with an instinct for cleanliness, not 
 iieing able to remove the stain, had it bronzed. 
 There is another bit of sculpture in the State 
 Lil)rary of some interest. It is a medallion bas 
 relief of Lincoln, done by Louis Henri lieed, a 
 
 'Locomotive, March 6, 1852. 
 "Locomotive, April 8, 1854.
 
 MR. CHINN. 
 
 RALPH FULK. 
 
 BILL WARREN. 
 
 BUST OP SUTTER. 
 
 J. B. FITLER & 00., 
 
 [Stci ESSOR TO JOSEPH 1. STRETCHER,] 
 
 Vndei-tsikcis and Coffiu-ITIakers, 
 
 ^nd Manufacturers of every Kind and Qhalittj of 
 HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, 
 
 Indianapolis, Indiaim. 
 
 (Some of .1. B. Diinlap's Work.)
 
 HI8T01!Y OF GREAT KR IXDlANArOLlS. 
 
 son of Enos B. Kecd, publir^lier of tlie Fcopli'. 
 It was made I'rom a duatli mask ot Linculii, 
 taken when he lay in state iu the capitol. in 
 April, 1865. Eeed was a nephew of B. K. 
 Foster, who was State Librarian and custodian 
 iif the building, and obtained the privilege 
 ihrough him. lleprodui-tions of some of Dun- 
 iip's other work are given herewith, including 
 lie advertising wood cut for FitliT & Co. The 
 nthers are pencil skctihes of local notables of 
 an early day. Bill ^\'arren was a ne'er-do- 
 well character who had his arms blown off by 
 a cannon while aiding in firing a salute to the 
 militia company that was about to depart for 
 the Bhukiunvk' war. in 1832. This was the 
 only casualty to the lndianapoli.s forces in that 
 war, and Warren tlid not really belong to thcni. 
 but had temporarily left the prosaic job of 
 digging a cellar to aid in the patriotic dem- 
 onstration. Representative Geo. L. Kinnard 
 succeeded, however, in getting a pension for 
 him, and he lived on as a veteran. Ralph 
 Fulks was a local "'scrapper" of early days, wlm 
 spent most of his spare time fighting and, ac- 
 cording to tradition, was never whipped. Slim 
 and ungainly, resenting anything that could 
 be construed into an afi'ront, he was a terror to 
 the country for miles around. Thomas Chinn 
 was notable as the first man who brought any 
 fine breeds of horses and cattle to the region, 
 and also for the great wedding he gave to his 
 daughter Patsy, in IS'i'i, when the dancing 
 continued for two days and two nights. 
 
 There had also been some transient artists 
 prior to 1853, and among these the one who 
 later attained most distinction was Thomas 
 Worthington Whittredge, tlie celebrated painter 
 of American landscapes. lie was here for a 
 year as a voung man, in the forties, coming 
 from Cincinnati, where lie had ri'ceived his 
 initiation in art. Mr. \Yiliiam Ifenry Fox, dC 
 the Indianapolis Art Institute, kindly furnislie-; 
 the following extract from a letter of Mr. 
 Whittredge to him concerning his recollection 
 of his art experiences in Indianapolis. 
 
 Mr. Whittredge writes, under date of Feb- 
 niary 3, 1009: "I did live in Indianapolis 
 about one year, liut it was before IR.IS. when, 
 as you say. was formed an .\rt .Vssociation in 
 the town. I do not remembei' the .\rt Asso- 
 ciation, and think it must have come after 
 I loft Indianapolis. Still, as I am now a veiv 
 old man (in my 88th year), and my nieniiny 
 
 none of the best, 1 may not be correct as re- 
 gards dates. 1 cannot recall that 1 ever sold 
 any pictures to an Art Association in Indian- 
 apolis or sent any pictures there for exhibi- 
 tion or sale. I went to Indianapolis in the very 
 first davs of the Daguerrotype with a camera 
 and plates to take Daguerrotypes. I had been 
 a portrait painter. 1 took sick in Indianapolis, 
 and this, together with the shinplaster state of 
 our currency, soon brought me and my busi- 
 ness to grief. I had known old Dr. Lyman 
 Beecher of Cincinnati all my life, and all his 
 family, and his son Henry Ward came to In- 
 dianapolis when I was there and began his 
 preaching, and soon converted everybody in the 
 town, myself among the number. I lay sick 
 at Parker's Hotel for some time, when Henry 
 Ward came for me in a carriage and took me 
 home with him, and I lived in his family just 
 one year, and as I had no money, and wanted 
 to offer some reward for Henry's kindness, I 
 painted his portrait, as well as the portraits 
 of the whole Beecher family except Edward, 
 who was away off in Chillicothe. Whatever 
 became of those portraits, I don't know. A 
 drawing by me of ilrs. Stowe belongs to one 
 of her family in SimsbuiT, Connecticut, which 
 is all I know of this work in Indiana. I left 
 the country a few years afterwards (1849) 
 and went to Europe, where I remained ten 
 years, and then came home and established my- 
 self in Xew York, where I have lived ever 
 since." 
 
 .Soon after Wliittredge Iclt there appeared in 
 Indianapolis another artist who later attained 
 distinction, in tlie person of Joseph Orricl 
 Eaton. He was born in Ohio, February 8, 
 1829, and when he came here was noted as 
 one of the worst dressed young men about the 
 ])hi(c. He studied with Jacob Cox, and lived 
 witli Dr. Abner I'ope, of whom he ])ainted a 
 portrait that attracted mucli admiration. lie 
 remaineil here for a year or two and then, in 
 1846, went to Cincinnati, where he remained 
 till about the close of the Civil War. He then 
 went to Xew York and becanu' known as one 
 of the liest portrait and genre jiainters in tlie 
 country. He visited Europe in 18T3, and died 
 at Yonkers, Xew "^'ork, Feliruary 7. 1875. Wiicn 
 I'aton left Imliananolis for Cincinnati there 
 went with him a deformed young fellow named 
 William Miller, who had been here for some 
 miinths, and was Icnnun as a very clever painter
 
 +78 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOELS. 
 
 oi" miniatures. He had Ainerieaiiized his name, 
 heing a son of (ierhardt ilueller, a Munich art 
 student, who came to Cincinnati in IS-tO witli 
 Henry Koempel and opened a studio as his- 
 torical painters. Much of their work is still 
 to he seen in the old Catholic churches of Cin- 
 cinnati. Indianapolis was in rather close touch 
 with Cincinnati in art matters, and Mr. Cox 
 always contributed paintings to the Western 
 Art Union, which was organized in Cincinnati 
 in 1846, and gave sale exhibitions for se\i«ral 
 years after. 
 
 The Journal's call for an Academy of Arts 
 did not bring a readv response, but in 18.")(! the 
 Indianapolis Art Society was organized, and 
 for several years was an encouragement to lo- 
 cal artists. The moving spirit in this was Her- 
 man Lieber, at whose book and art establishment 
 the society's aifairs were transacted. The mem- 
 bers paid fixed dues, not very large, making a 
 fund from which works of art, chiefly by local 
 artists, were purchased ; and these were then 
 •'drawn" by the members on a chaste lottery 
 basis. Jacob Cox, Peter Fishe Reed and J. 
 F. Gookins were among the chief beneficiaries. 
 Reed came here in 18.39 and remained for three 
 or four years, taking quite an active part in 
 art life. He was born at Boston. May 5. 1819. 
 and was an all-round genius. He said he 
 started in life as a farmer, but had been "a 
 shoemaker, house and sign painter, editor, doc- 
 tor, pliotogTaj)her, music teacher, and am now 
 an artist. * * * j Jiope some day to pub- 
 lish a little book of music. I have a work on 
 Decorative Painting ready for the press. T 
 liave written a romance, and I look forward to 
 a volume of poems'".^'' An address of his on 
 ■'The Importance of a More General Educa- 
 tion in Literature and the Fine Arts'" is still 
 preserved." He was an ambitious artist, and 
 one of his notable paintings was from Bunyan's 
 Pilgrim's Progress, presenting the scene just 
 before the passage of the River of Death, witli 
 the glories of the Eternal City in the back- 
 ground. '° And in this connection it may be 
 noted that the common impression that the 
 early painters confined themselves to ])ortrait 
 painting is entirelv erroneous. Thev did a 
 
 ^^■Coggexli all's I'oi'ls din] Portn/ of tlic West. 
 p. 413.' ■ 
 
 ''''Tiifliaiiri Srlifiol JdiinKil. Vol. (;. p. .'U.'i. 
 ^■'■Jovnial. Fcbniarv 1. ISIU. 
 
 great deal of landscajie ].>aintiug and "figure 
 pieces", llieir laudaeapes usually included 
 figttres of animals. 
 
 Gookins at that time was located at Terra 
 Haute. He was a son of Samuel Barnes 
 Gookins, a native of Vermont, who was one 
 of the most prominent of the early newspaper 
 men of Indiana, and later a ."judge of the Su- 
 preme Court. He kept up his literary work 
 after he entered the law, and was one of the 
 most forcible Indiana writers of his day.''' J. 
 F. Gookins was born at Terre Haute in 1840. 
 and took to art naturally. He was encouraged 
 by Bayard Taylor, who saw promise in his 
 early sketches, and advised his parents to edu- 
 cate him in art lines. His literary education 
 was at AYabash College, and he enlisted from 
 Crawfordsville in the Eleventh Indiana, but 
 was forced to abandon military service by ill 
 liealth. Later he studied painting with J. H. 
 and J. C. Beard, the Cincinnati artists : had a 
 studio for some time at Chicago ; and made 
 two trips through the far west with AValter 
 Shirlaw, painting scenery. In 1877 he was as- 
 sociated with John Love in the establishment 
 of the Indiana Art School, and, for two years, 
 in its management. In 1883 he was appointed 
 assistant commissioner to the Vienna Exposi- 
 tion, and wrote the report on art for the com- 
 mission. After several years of study in Eu- 
 rope he returned to Chicago, where he was one 
 of the directors of the Academy of Design. In 
 1887 he was elected Secretary by the Soldiers' 
 and Sailors' ^lonumcnt Commission of Indi- 
 ana, and rendered important service in shaping 
 tiie policv of the commission in the erection of 
 that notable monument. 
 
 Barton S. Hays came to Indianapolis in 
 1858. He was born at Greenville, Ohio, Ajiril 
 5, 1826, and was self-taught, getting numer- 
 ous rebukes from liis parents for wasting his 
 time sketching on fences, buildings and other 
 flat surfaces. 'Whon a voung man he removed 
 to ^fontgomerv County. Indiana, residing for 
 several years at Pleasant Hill (now Wingate). 
 While there he painted two panoramas, one of 
 tlie story of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Panoramas 
 were among the most remunerative forms of 
 work of Western artists of those times, be- 
 cause thev were the "shows" most patronized 
 
 '" Sketch in Reiircsmtntirc Mm <if fiiJiniui. 
 
 A'c 
 
 1
 
 lllSTUi;V OK CHKATEli 1 X DIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 479 
 
 W, M. CHASE'S FIRST "POT-BOILER." 
 
 (Ci-ayon of C:iiil. Wallace Foster — the "Flag Man".)
 
 480 
 
 HISTOKY OF CHEATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 by tin.' moral and religious clemeiil oi iho 
 period. On coming here he formed a partner- 
 ship with William Runnion. and the firm of 
 Hays & Runnion for several years conducted 
 the principal Dag-uerrcan establishment of the 
 city in a building on the site of the present 
 Fletcher National Bank. Hays remained here 
 until 188"^, ■nhen he removed to ^linneajiolis. 
 and still follows his profession there. He was 
 notable for his own work and also as being tlie 
 first art instructor of Wm. M. Chase, of inter- 
 national fame, and of John Love, who played 
 an im])ortant part in the later art development 
 of Indianapolis. 
 
 William ^lerritt Chase was born at Xineveli, 
 Indiana, November 1. 1849. He studied with 
 Hays in 1868-9, and might be called a pupil 
 of Cox also, for he spent much of liis time in 
 Cox"s studio, and Chase had the. faculty of 
 absorliing what was beneficial everywhere. Thev 
 were always warm friends. Chase alway> 
 visited Cox when he came to Indianapolis, and 
 Cox used often to say, "I am proud of William 
 Chase — but he had it in him.'" But Chase's 
 actual work here was done in the studio of 
 Hays. Ho went from here to New York, tak- 
 ing letters of introduction to J. 0. Eaton, who 
 was then established there, and remained for 
 two years, studying with Eaton, and in the 
 school of the Academy of Design. In 1871 he 
 went to St. Louis to practice his profession, 
 hut there, after a few months, he met John 
 Mulvany. recently returned from ^lunich, and 
 became convinced tliat there was more for 
 him to learn. Friends aided him, and in 1872 
 he entered the Academy at ilunich, and spent 
 six years there. The Munich school was then 
 transforming from the spirit of Cornelius, 
 Kaulbaeh, and Piloty. and taking on the ideas 
 of Dietz and Liebl. Chase soon became known 
 as one of the most original of the young grou]). 
 but his alisorbent facultv caused him to get 
 the good out of all schools, without holding 
 to the bad, and he returned to America quali- 
 fied for the achievement which has made him 
 fanio\is." The accompanying cut reproduces 
 his first paid work. He Jiad opened a studio 
 in Talbott & News block, and Captain Foster, 
 
 ''For sketches of Chase, in addition to Cy- 
 clopedias, see TTnrpfr'f! Mmiazine. Vol. 78, p. 
 549 : Godfiys Ladim' Bool-. Vol. 130, p. 291 ; 
 The Studio, Vol. 21, p. 1.51. 
 
 who tlien liad a gentieniairs furnishing store 
 on tbe lirst floor of tiie same building, gave 
 liiui the commission tluit began his artistic 
 career. 
 
 Among those wlio caught the inspiration to 
 ]iaint from Jacob Cox was young Lew Wallace, 
 and he has left a pretty picture of his early 
 vi>it.s to Cox's studio and his Jiiutl emerging 
 Irdiii it with various dabs of paint on a tin 
 plate, with which he sought the recesses of the 
 garret at home and opened a studio of his own. 
 Says Wallace : ''There I found myself in want 
 of everything else needful, yet my ingenuity 
 was eqtial to the trial. For brushes, I plucked 
 hairs from the tail of a dog and tied them 
 to a stick. On the floor of a wooden box I 
 made a panel to receive the picture. Then 
 came a loud demand for oil. The servant-girl 
 was sick, and that morning the doctor had 
 left some castor-oil, part of a prescription for 
 her. I stole it; and, fearing the judgment 
 usually attaching to such- misdeeds, 1 pause to 
 say that the patient recovered in despite. 
 Finally, what should I paint? 1 chose a por- 
 trait of Black Hawk, the old chief with one 
 eye, conspicuous in a hook of Indians."'* But 
 Mrs. Wallace discovered the home of art. and 
 Governor Wallace gave fatherly admonition 
 against wa.sting his time in such pur>uits. 
 (General Wallace says this was not enough to 
 destroy his aspirations uittil it was reinforced 
 by a sound thrashing from his school teacher, 
 whom he had portrayed with chalk on the school 
 blackboard in a spirit of ridicule.'" 
 
 Hut in realitv General Wallace did not give 
 u|i art work altliough he tells nothing more 
 aliout it in his autobiography. He found rec- 
 reation in painting in later years, and pro- 
 duced some very creditable canvases. Two of 
 his paintings — '"Over the Dead Line" and a 
 portrait of Henn- S. Lane — were shown at 
 the Love and Gookins exhibit in May, 1878. 
 which was a reallv remarkable collection of In- 
 diana art. But of all bis paintings the one 
 that attracted greatest public notice was his 
 
 '* He probably means tbe i»rtrait of tlie i 
 Sliawnee Prophet, in ^fcKenney and Hall's 
 /llsliiri/ of the Indian Tribes, which was then \ 
 in tbe State Librarv. He was flic cons]iicuous 1 
 one-eyed man portrayed. Black Hawk bad a ' 
 full set of optics. 
 
 '"Aiitnhioaranhi/. ]i]i. 48-.')2.
 
 HISTOEY OF GREATER IXDIAXAI'ULIS. 
 
 ■)81 
 
 l'ur])le-winyv(l L'upiil,-" whicli \v:is rxliibiteil 
 in Imiiiiiiapolij, anil aroused the wrath of 
 Alois E. Sinks. Sinks was a peculiar genius 
 who came here in 187G from New York as an 
 artist and art critic. He was as genuine a 
 boheniian as ever reached this place, and was 
 a source of perpetual initerbiinnienl to John \\ . 
 Love, who maintained that Sinks was out of 
 liis proper setting anywiiure hut in the Latin 
 (Quarter in I'aris. lie was i)oru near Dayton. 
 Ohio, October 5, 1848; and ran away from 
 the farm to enter the Union army as a drum- 
 mer boy. He rose to a position on General 
 McConnell's staff, but was wounded and dis- 
 charged before the close of the war. lie then 
 went to Xew Yf)rk where ho studied art, and 
 did a good deal of literary work. In fact he 
 wrote much better than he painted. His 
 critiques were rather arrogant in style, and he 
 had the community pretty thoroughly intimi- 
 dated when he fell upon Wallace. The idea 
 of a Cupid with jnirple wings ! It was so pre- 
 posterous, so utterly repugnant to any artistic 
 or classical conce])tion of the God of Love that 
 words could hardly do justice to the incongruity. 
 Wallace replied mildly, regretting that he had 
 not had the advantage of Mr. Sinks' knowledge. 
 and explaining that he had been misled by 
 Milton's lines: 
 
 "Here Love his golden shafts employs, here 
 lights 
 His constant lamp, and waves his purple 
 
 wings, 
 Reigns here, and revels.""' 
 
 Tiiat ended Sinks as an art critic, or rather 
 helped to do so, for he was already a victim 
 of intemperance, and died here July 3, 1881, 
 from injuries sustained in falling from a sec- 
 ond story window. -- 
 
 The years 18^9-70 were epochal in Indianap- 
 olis art. Governor Baker had some excellent 
 ideas about th(^ dignity of a state, and he got 
 the legislature of ISfi'J to authorize him to se- 
 cure "a true and life-like likeness of each of 
 the Governors of the State and Territory, in- 
 cluding the present incumbent," at a cost not 
 
 -° Now owned by ^frs. W. A. Hughes, of In- 
 dianapolis. 
 
 "Paradise Lost, Book 4, 1. 7G4. 
 
 -"For sketch see Herald, July 0. 1S81. 
 Vol. I— .-ii 
 
 e.Yceeding $200 each."'' There had been a Cana- 
 dian painter, James Forbes, who visited Ev- 
 ausville, and painted a portrait of John B. 
 Baker, brother of Governor Baker, and im- 
 pressed the Governor with his ability as an 
 artist. Nothing is known of Eorbes here be- 
 \ond his work, and the fact that he was a 
 typical Englisliman in appearance and dress, 
 (iovernor Baker liad Forbes paint his own por- 
 trait, and also the portraits of Governors Jen- 
 nings, W'hitcomb, Dunning, and xMorlon. The 
 portrait of William Henry Harrison was painted 
 l)y Barton S. Hays. Those of Governors l'ose\ 
 and Hamnioud were by Jolm B. Hill of In- 
 dianapolis. Jacob Cox furnished the portraits 
 of Governors Boone, Ray, _Xoble, Wallaee, Big- 
 ger, Wright and Lane. The portrait of Gov- 
 ernor W'lllard is one that had been painted in 
 185? by George W. Morrison, a A'ew Albany 
 artist. Of the portraits' since Governor Bak- 
 er's time, that of Governor Hendricks was 
 painted by W. R. Freeman, a transient here in 
 1873-4, who stopped at the Bates House and 
 [)ainted several portraits of citizens. That of 
 Governor Williams was painted by a Mr. Col- 
 cord — an unknown transient. Governors Gray, 
 Porter, Hovey, Chase and Matthews are b} 
 T. C. Steele; and Governor Mount by James 
 M. Dennis, formerly of lndiana[Kilis. now of 
 Detroit. 
 
 Mr. Cox continued painting u[i to the time 
 of his death on January 4, mwi. In his later 
 years his family had a little studio built for 
 him adjoining their home on North Pennsyl- 
 vania street."* This was the second building 
 t'rected for a studio in Indianapolis. There 
 were numerous pupils who had instructioti from 
 him at various limes. Notable among them 
 is Miss Margaret Rudisill, a native of Mont- 
 gomery County, Indiana, who later studied 
 seven years in Paris, under Thompson, Bouge- 
 reau, Fleuery and Alfred Stevin. The care 
 of an invalid mother has prevented Miss Rudi- 
 sill from giving her full attention to her art, 
 Init the excellence of her work, which won her 
 a place in the Paris salon, is seen in all her 
 later paintings. Another pui>il of Cox was 
 India Underbill Kirkland — a ilangliter of Ivob- 
 ert Underbill, the wealthy foundryman who 
 
 -•^Acts Special Sess. ISGO, p. II. 
 "Now No. 962 — residence of Dr. iicniy 
 Jameson.
 
 4S2 
 
 HISTORY OF GltEATER IXDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 livril wlicri' Sliortridffe High S(/1iih)I ikuv 
 staii(l>. On f'oxV advice she turned her atten- 
 tion 1(1 modelling, and did some striking work. 
 A bust of Oliver P. ^[orton bv her was in the 
 local art exhibit of 1903. She competed for 
 the JForton monument in 1880, and her model 
 was |iri)noiinced the best portrait of Morton in 
 the lot liy Jacob Cox and others, though the 
 award went to Franklin Simmons. His work, 
 now standing in ilonimient place, does not 
 show the leonine character that was in ilor- 
 ton".s face, and in ^frs. Kirkland's model. How- 
 over, others need not complain, for the Herald 
 at the time declared that ^[orton's spirit ap- 
 peared at a local seance, and stated his perfect 
 satisfaction with the monument, and also with 
 the dedicatory exercises, "excepting Professor 
 Rid path's ])oem and Governor Porter's call for 
 a rising vote.''"^ 
 
 Among Cox's pupils were two Indianapolis 
 voungsters, later well known in local art cir- 
 cles. They were the children of John F. Hill, 
 an old resident, of the early firm of Drum i*i: 
 Hill, and later a nurseryman and florist. ^Fary 
 first took drawing lessons of ^[rs. Talbott, wife 
 of the Episcopalian rector, and, in IST."), at 
 the age of nine, entered on a two years course 
 with Mr. Cox. She then pursued her studies 
 alone, and became an art teacher — ^lietter Icnown 
 by her married name, Mrs. M. H. Culbertson — 
 in which she achieved, and is still achieving 
 success. She went abroad in 1890 and jiur- 
 sued her art and music studies there. Iler 
 younger brother, John B. Hill, also took a 
 brief course with Cox, but was largely self- 
 instructed. He had a studio for some time in 
 the old Talbott & New block, but was handi- 
 capped by ill-health, and died rather early. 
 His work was largelv of portraits. Among 
 those preserved are jiortraits of Doctor Bolibs 
 and Doctor TMears. and two of the governors. 
 Another pupil of (^ox, well known as a local 
 teacher and artist, was Tjotta Guffin. She was 
 a Miss Hilliss, who came here to attend Xorth- 
 western Christian I^niversitv. She married 
 Henry Guffin. a jii'omising young lawyer, but 
 he fell a victim to drink, and she was obliged 
 to obtain a divorce.-'' Her portrait work is 
 ])rized for its fidelitv. 
 
 An artist widelv .-ind ravuralilv known in In- 
 
 ^^IliTiiJ,]. Januarv 19. 18S4. 
 ^"Stitiinlaii nrririr. Dc-cembcr II. 1880. 
 
 dianapolis after the war was J. M. Dennis, 
 now of Detroit, Michigan. In response to a 
 request for some data as to his stay here, and 
 earlier life, ^[v. Dennis writes me: "I was 
 born in Dublin, Indiana, in 1810, and was 
 inclined to make pictures from boyhood. When 
 about eighteen years old, I went to Cincinnati 
 and became acquainted with Alexander Wyant, 
 landscape painter, and studied with him; also 
 studied i)ortrait painting with J. 0. Eaton of 
 the same place. 1 went to Indianapolis in 18ij.) 
 and became acquainted with B. S. Hays and 
 Jacob Cox : thev were prominent at that time. 
 Later I met T.'C. Steele, 'Will M. Chase, also 
 John Love and Gookins. The latter two opened 
 the .\.rt School. In 1873 I went to New York 
 to study, and worked with AVyant and Eaton 
 again, who had both become famous. I again 
 returned to Indianapolis and painted many 
 liortraits and landscapes. Some of the jiortraits 
 that were painted at that time were John C. 
 New, for the Treasury Building, Washington, 
 D. C. : Governor ilount, for the State House, 
 Indianapolis: Jett'erson Davis, President of the 
 Soutiicrn Confederacy, and Joseph E. Johnson. 
 at Savannah, Georgia, all from life." The pro- 
 fessional art life of Mr. Dennis in Indianap- 
 olis covers a period of about twenty years, and 
 a large number of his works are still to be 
 found in Indianapolis homes, where they are 
 highlv prized. Some of them have been shown 
 in exhibits of the Art Association. 
 
 During the Civil War, and for more than a 
 decade afterward, the chief scene-painter in 
 Indianapolis was Thomas B. Glessing, an Eng- 
 lishman, born in 1817, who came here in 1861. 
 His regular occupation was "scenic artist"' for 
 the old Metropolitan theater (now the Park), 
 but he did quite an amount of fairly creditable 
 work in regular artistic lines. He was a lover 
 of the beautiful, and his home was not only 
 picturesque within but surrounded by flowers 
 without. When the first "exposition" was held 
 in Indianapolis, in 1873, Mr. Glessing was en- 
 gaged to paint four large canvases, illustrative 
 of the histon- of the city. His subjects were 
 the State Seal — which presents the advent of 
 civilization idea: the selection of the site of 
 the city: the new settlement in 1821: and the 
 city in war time, with the State Capitol as the 
 central feature. They were not very artistic, 
 and not very accurate historically, but tliev 
 have been reproduced so often as illustrations
 
 lllsrulIV OF CKKATKl! JXlJlAXA I'oMS. 
 
 48;? 
 
 tliiil they hiivi' Ijecoiiii' n part of our local 
 lii.-torv; and in fact tlic originals are still pro- 
 -I'rxi'il by the Indiana Historical Socictv. Glcs- 
 >iM>,'- went from hci-c to take the position of 
 scene painter for the Boston Musemn in 1873. 
 'Pile call was a deserved compliment to his 
 skill, for he was a scene painter of real merit. 
 
 The first "exposition," which opened on Sep- 
 lember 10, 18T;{, had an interesting connec- 
 tion witii art in Tndiana|iolis throngh a col- 
 lection of "iJogers statuary"" that was exhibited 
 there. .Vinong tlie visitors was John H. Ma- 
 lioney, a young marble-cutter, employed at Car- 
 penter's marlde yard, which was then at 36 
 IvT>t Market sti'eet. and later at tlic north- 
 west corner of Ohio and Meriilian. Mahonev 
 was a native of Wales, born in l.s.").j. In IS.")" 
 his parents removed to this country and set- 
 tled in .Jennings Countv. Indiana, from where 
 young Mahoney came to Indianapolis in 1S(3S. 
 He was attracted by the Kogers statuary, and 
 after some ini|uiiy decided to try modeling. 
 He ])rocured xniic clay and began. His work 
 was admireil li\- (■ar))enter and an opportunity 
 ,-cion came for advance. The Franklin l-'ire 
 Insurance t'onipany was erecting its building 
 at the southeast corner of Market and Circle 
 streets and wanted a marble statue of Ben- 
 jamin Franklin for the front. Inquiry of 
 Carpenter brought a recommendation of Ma- 
 honey, and he was employed to do the work. 
 It still stands, facing Moiuunent Place, where 
 some of Mr. ^laboney's later work is located. 
 This was com])leted in 1ST4, and in 1875 !Ma- 
 honey was cmi)lnved to make the marble statue 
 of Gen. Sol. Meredith, at Cambridge City, In- 
 diana. He now became ambitious of further 
 training and by ISTO saved up enough to go 
 to Europe, where be put in eighteen months in 
 desultory study in llir galleries and studios; 
 after which he iituiiicd to this country and at 
 once entered in competit'on for scnlotural work. 
 
 In this lie was successful from the start. In 
 18S() he was selected In make the bronze statue 
 of Morton McMicliarl. in Fairmount Park. 
 Pbiladeli)hia. In ISS'.' be was calli'd to make 
 the statue (d' Picric Menard, at Springfield. 
 Illinois. In ISSI he maile the granite monu- 
 mental statue of Charles West, which stands 
 in Sjiring Grove Cemeterv. Cincinnati. In 
 ISSCi he was commissioned to make tlie colossal 
 granite figures of '•Freedom"' and '"Law" for 
 tlic Pilgrims' mnminicnt at PlyiiKnilli. Massa- 
 
 chusetts. In l.SiHI be made the statue of lleu- 
 ly I-Jergli, for Ilie memorial fountain at .vlil- 
 \>aul<ee. lie spent 18!) 1 at .Vllaiila, making 
 statues of the l_'arpenter family, and tlieii re- 
 turned t(i Indianapolis, where he iiia.li' the 
 bronze r-tatule of W . 11. Knglisli, wliicli stands 
 at EnglLsh, Indiana, with replica at ^cotts- 
 burg. In KS!)-^-3 he was engaged on tlie art 
 detail of the Soldiers" .Monumiait at Cle\eiand, 
 Oluo, and it is often noted that while this 
 nionument does not compare with the Indian- 
 ajiolis monument arcbitectuially. it i> far su- 
 perior 111 its ornamentation. From l.^li.i to 
 18!)8 he was engageil in making the iliree 
 bronze statues of tteorge liogers Clark. W miaiii 
 Henry Harrison and .James Whiteoiiili. wiiieli 
 >tand in Monument Place, and which n\v easi- 
 ly the best sculptural work about Indianapolis, 
 tluuigh competent critics put a very lugh esti- 
 mate on U"Connor"s statue of Lawtoii, on the 
 Court House square.-' After Maciloiinies 
 threw up his contract for the "war"" and 
 "Jieace"" groups of the Soldiers" inoiHimciil . in 
 a fit of pettishness laiised by criticism u!' I be 
 designs he offered, then' was a dispositum tn 
 entrust this work to .Malioney; but lie did not 
 hitch witli Huddenbaum, the supervising archi- 
 tect, and the work went to IJruno Sclimii/.. me 
 designer of the monument. This was unfortu- 
 nate, for while Schmitz is a great architect he 
 is very mediocre as a sculptcu-. Since the com- 
 pletion of the Soldier.-" iiiiiiiument Mr. .Ma- 
 honey has had no large commissions, the most 
 important being the memorial bronze tablet of 
 Col. Eli Lilly for the ( 'omniercial Club build- 
 ing. This is chicHy due to his dropping art 
 for several years in an unsuccessful venture as 
 a railroad jn'omoter; but more recently he has 
 resumed his art work. 
 
 \t the time of this first liidiana|iolis e.\|)o- 
 sition a new artist was develoiiing who was des- 
 tined to leave a deep impress cm Indianapolis. 
 .Inliii Washington Love was a native of In- 
 diana, bnni near .Na|ioleoii. Hi])ley Cniiiity. Au- 
 gu-t 111, 1850. His family reiiKivcd to lii- 
 iliauapolis, and here he attended tbe public 
 schools and Northwestern Christian I'niversity. 
 .Vfter leaving the university he took up the 
 study of jiainting with B. S. Hays for a year, 
 and then went to Cincinnati to continue his 
 training in the studio of llenrv Mosler. who 
 
 'Xcics. Mav 
 
 i!Hi;.
 
 484 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATEE IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 later attained distinction in Paris. In IST^ 
 Love went to Paris for a stay of five years, i i 
 Hiiich he pursued his studies in the Academy 
 of Design and in the stiidio of Gerome. He 
 returned to Indianapolis to become its first 
 exponent of the modern school of painting. He 
 was a natural art teacher, and felt the need 
 of an art school here. In conjunction with 
 J. F. Gookins he started one. They were as- 
 sisted by Ferdinand Mersman, instnictor in 
 sculpture and wood-carving, John il. Warder, 
 instructor in mechanical drawing, and H. C. 
 Chandler, instructor in wood-carving. An "art 
 association" was formed in support of the 
 school, with 80 members, whose fees entitled 
 them to admission to all exhibits, and some 
 other privileges. The upper floor of the 
 Fletcher and Sharpe building (now Sak's build- 
 ing) was leased, eleven large rooms; a large 
 line of easts of anticpies and other appur- 
 tenances of art study were obtained ; and on 
 October 15, 1877, the school was formally 
 opened, a largely-attended public reception fol- 
 lowing on October Ifl. The prospects seemed 
 excellent. About 7.T pupils were promised, and 
 50 attended in the first year. But the seeds 
 of disaster were present. Gookins and Love 
 did not agree in their art ideals. Gookins be- 
 longed to the old school, and most of the In- 
 dianapolis i)eople who cared for art had its 
 ideals. After a year Gookins dropped out, and 
 Love remained as sole director. The patronage 
 decreased, for Indianapolis was getting the 
 full pressure of the panic of 1873, and luxuries 
 were dropped first. In 1879 the school was 
 abandoned. 
 
 But the art spirit had been awakened in a 
 number of the pupils, and a number of thcni 
 continued their work, some at Ixive's studio 
 and some at home, under his guidance, until 
 his death on June ?4. 1880. Xo man ever 
 received warmer tribute than he from his pu- 
 pils and friends.-* These words from one of 
 (hem are so just and so prophetic that thev 
 call for note : "He was the most thorough 
 teacher of art this city has ever had. His 
 methods were correct, and wherever they have 
 been followed by his pupils, theirs has been 
 the reward. In drawing he was a master. He 
 not only knew how to draw, but he had a 
 very happy faculty of imparting his instruc- 
 
 'Movrnol. .June ?8, Herald, Julv 3. 
 
 tions to others. His services to the public in 
 cicnting an art impulse in Indianapolis can- 
 not be overestimated. The fruits of this will 
 be enjoyed in the future. An inherent art 
 appreciation has been properly directed, and 
 Mr. Love is entitled to the credit of its di- 
 rection. His pupils are carrying out his ideas 
 to their full fruition. Though the young ar- 
 tist is dead his work will live." Among the 
 manifestations of its living may be mentioned 
 here that his pall-bearers and pupils Will For- 
 syth, Thos. E. Hibben, Charles Nicoli, Fred 
 Hetherington, Frank Scott and Charles Fiscus 
 organized "the Bohe Club", which was devoted 
 to art study for a number of years, and was 
 the chief factor in the Art Association's ex- 
 hibition of 1885. 
 
 There is a notable coincidence in the fact 
 that the Herald of June 26, 1880, which an- 
 nounced the death of John Love, contained an 
 address by Eev. X. A. Hyde to the Social 
 Science Association of Indiana on "The In- 
 fluence of Art"'", in which he strongly urged 
 rlie place of art in public education. But the 
 time was not quite ripe, and it was left to the 
 women "to take up the flag that the men 
 jnilled down"', a little later. In the winter of 
 1S80-1 ]\[rs. C. D. Adsit, of Milwaukee, came 
 here and gave a series of parlor lectures on 
 ceramics. In 1882-3 she came again, with il- 
 lustrated talks on engraving and etching. Both 
 visits were on invitation of Mrs. May Wright 
 Sewall, to whom Indianapolis is largely in- 
 debted for organized advancement in higher 
 lulture. At the last lecture of the second 
 course Mrs. Sewall invited those interested to 
 meet in her parlors to consider the organiza- 
 tion of an art association. There was a cor- 
 dial response, and at that first meeting a com- 
 mittee of ten was selected to prepare a con- 
 stitution and plan of work. After severtil 
 weeks of deliberation its constitution and plan 
 were adopted at a public meeting lield at tiie 
 Denison Llotel, on I^Iav 7, 1883, and The Art 
 .Vssociation of Indianapolis was duly organized. 
 It was incorporated on October 11 of the same 
 year. But the work was going on from the 
 start. It was determined to begin with an art 
 exhibit, and then ojien an art .«chool. Miss 
 Sue M. Ketcbam. a local artist, of one of the 
 oldest Indianapolis families, who had been for 
 a time a pupil in the Gookins-Love art school, 
 was selected to inaugurate the work; and the
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 485 
 
 -lUcliim \va> a wise one. Mis< Keteham went 
 tirst to ('liicajio, wliore she secured the co- 
 operation of local artists and engaged Charles 
 V. McDonahl of the Chicago Art I^asrue as 
 head teacher for the scliool. She then went to 
 Detroit, where an art exhibit was in progress, 
 and then, in spite of gloomy predictions as to 
 the East, she visited New York. Her suc- 
 cess was phenomenal, and by November she 
 had collected 4.");j ]iaintings, showintr the work 
 r 1.3: artists. 
 , The exhibit was held November ',-2U, in 
 the corner rooms of English's hotel — now occu- 
 pied by the cafe — and was a decided success, 
 the attendance increasing steadily to the last. 
 The art school opened on January 10. 1884. 
 with McDonald and ^liss Kctchain as teach- 
 ers, in the old Plymouth church building on 
 "Meridian street, wliich has since been replaced 
 by an extension of the English Hotel. There 
 was some trouble in financing the school, and 
 after the first year the Association made ibe 
 mistake of dropping Miss Keteham. who turned 
 her attention to art instruction on her own ac- 
 in\nit. For thirteen years she successfully 
 managed summer sketch and travel parties in 
 various parts of America and Europe. The 
 i^sociation school was abandoned after the sec- 
 "iid year, with a residue of debt. The burden 
 of its su))p()rt prevented an exhibit in 1884. 
 and in ISS-") the exhibit took the form of an 
 ■\hibit of the works of ■'the Hoosier Cnlcmy in 
 \l iinrhen,"" under the direction of Thomas K. 
 Ilihben. From that time there have l)een reg- 
 ular annual exhibits, usually in the spring. 
 with numerou.s special exhibits. From 1880 
 to 1890. inclusive, the annual exhibits wct'c 
 lield in Masonic hall except in 1888, when it 
 was at old .3.3 South ^feridian street. From 
 18Jn to 1899. inclusive, thev were at the 
 Pro]ivlaeum. except in 189.5. when it was at 
 8->.', North Pennsylvania street. In 1900 and 
 1901 they were at the H. T.ieber Galleries, 
 l-'rom 190'> to 190.5 thev were in the old Tinker 
 liomestead building of the .l<ibn Hi'iTcin .\ rt 
 Institute. From lOOC on tlie\ were in the 
 •Tiibn Herron Art Institute building. 
 
 "The Hoosier Colony in ^liinchen". whos(> 
 works were exhibited in 188.'), consisted of 
 Theodore C. Steele an. I Willi.nn Forsyth. :\fr. 
 Steele wjis horn in (»uin Cnunty, Indiana. 
 September 22, 1S4T. He \inilertook nortra't 
 liaiiiting without iicrsimal in>tnirtion. and 
 
 worked at it for two years at Battle Creek, 
 Michigan, and for five years at Indianapolis 
 before opportunity came to him to go abroad. 
 In 1880 he went to ^[uuich where he entered 
 the Royal Academy and remained for five 
 years, for two years a pupil of Julius Benczur, 
 and for two years in the studio of Professor 
 Loefl'tz. In 1884 his painting "the Boatman" 
 received a medal at the exhibition, and the 
 government desired to purchase it, but he 
 ])referred to bring it home. On his return he 
 located at ]ndiana])oli.s, where he has advanced 
 steadily in popularity. He was president of 
 the Society of Western .\rtists in 1898-9, and 
 a member of the Internatioiuil Jury of Awards 
 at the St. Ijouis Exposition in 1904. In addi- 
 tion to much other work. ^[r. Steele has ])ainteil 
 the portraits of all the governors of Indiana, 
 from CiO\ernor Gray to (iovernor ilatthi-ws for 
 the state's collection. William Forsyth was 
 born in Hamilton County, Ohio; and began 
 his art training under John W. Love in 1879. 
 He went to Munich in 1882 and remained for 
 seven years, four of them in the Royal Acad- 
 emy, where he stuilied drawing under Benczur 
 and Gysis, and paintiug under LoefFtz. While 
 in tiie academy he won honorable mention in 
 every exhibition in which he took pai"t, and a 
 medal in 1885. He took two medals at the 
 St. Louis Exposition in 1904. He has been 
 instructor in painting at the John Herron .Art 
 Institute since 1905. 
 
 These two, with three others. John Ottis Ad- 
 ams, Otto Stark and Richanl I'uckner Gruelle, 
 are widely known as "The Hoosier Group." 
 Adams is a native and resident of Indiana, 
 born at Chestnut Rid^e, Jackson County. He 
 studied in London under John Parker, and at 
 the Royal .\cademy in Munich. He maintains 
 jiis residence at Brookville. Stark is lx)th a na- 
 tive and resident of Indianapolis, born .lanuary 
 29, 1859. He attended tlie Cincinnati Art 
 Academy and' started in l)usincss as a lithog- 
 rapher, but decided to become an artist. He 
 studied at the Art Students' Ijeague in New 
 "^'ork. at the Academic Julien in Paris, and in 
 the studio of F. Cormon. He exliibited in the 
 Paris salon in 1M8(; and 1887. His work is 
 notalile for its peculiarly .\merican quality. 
 Gruelle is the most ab.sohitely untaught artist 
 who ever did really good work in this vicinity. 
 He was born at Cvntbiana. Kentucky. Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1851, his ])arents removing in 185,s
 
 48G 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDTAXAPOLIS. 
 
 
 tn Areola, Illinois, lie was originally a house 
 and sign painter, ami l)y hard work and study 
 taught himself to paint portraits, and grad- 
 ually to do landseapi's and other works. He 
 took up portrait ]iainting as a profession at 
 Decatur, Illinois, in 1875 and 1876; followed 
 it at Areola from 1877 to 1881; and at In- 
 dianapolis from 1881 to date, excepting two 
 years in Florida and one in New York. For 
 several summers he painted along the coast, 
 al)out Gloucester, ^lassachusetts, and one of his 
 finest marines about that point is in the read- 
 ing room of the City^ Library. 
 
 In 188.3 Gruelle visited the art collection of 
 Wm. T. Walters, at Baltimore, and wrote a 
 description of it to Carl Lieber. At that time 
 Joseph Bowles had just started "Modern Art"', 
 and Lieber gave him the letter for publication. 
 It fell into the hands of Walters who at once 
 sent for Gnielle and desired him to prepare a 
 description of the collection. Gruelle pro- 
 tested a lack of literary education but Walters 
 insisted. He said: "You are the man I have 
 been looking for for twenty-five years. I have 
 had plenty of men who can write, but yoii 
 can ]5aint a word-picture." Gruelle undertook 
 the work, and the result was his "Notes Crit- 
 ical and Biographical'" on the Walters' collec- 
 tion, one of the most unique and highly-|irized 
 art works ever issued in America. 
 
 "Modern Art", which at once took rank as a 
 very high grade art publication — probably the 
 highest ever known in the United States — was 
 continued for two years at Indianapolis, 1893 
 and 4, and then taken to Boston by L. Prang 
 (S: Co.. who continued it for two years longer 
 with ^Ir. Bowles as editor. Joseph Bowles 
 was bnni at Indianapolis Julv 1, 186.T. His 
 father, 'i'lios. H. Bowles, was a lawyer, who 
 came here from Maryland. His mother was a 
 dauffhter of Josenh ^IcChesnev ^foore. an early 
 resident here, who was a cousin of Jnm"s ^F. 
 Rav. and was private secretary of Governor 
 Wallace. In the campaign of 1840 he edited 
 a ^Miig paper called "The Spirit of '76". and 
 in 1844 another known as "Thr Wine/ RifJr". 
 From this grandfather, and his mother, who 
 was a clever writer, Mr. Bowles may have in- 
 herited his faculty for writing. His taste ran 
 natu7-ally to art, and when a child he spent 
 much of liis time in drawing. .\s he grew 
 older lie entered the art establishment of H. 
 Lieber. where he became familiar with art in 
 
 all phases; and he certainly showed a remark- 
 able art appreciation in this ambitious maiden 
 venture. 
 
 Tlie title of "The Hoosier Group"' came 
 from Hamlin Garland. In 1893, Forsyth sent 
 three pictures to the Chicago Exposition and 
 Steele two, and both were exceptional among 
 western artists in being recognized and favor- 
 ably placed. They attracted considerable com- 
 ment in art circles, it being thought notable 
 that good art work was being done in Indiana. 
 In 180o an Indiana exhibit was being given 
 at the Denison Hotel, when a letter was re- 
 ceived from Hamlin Garland asking if it could 
 not be shown at Chicago — that he was presi- 
 dent of the Central Art Association of that 
 city, Mhich would guarantee success. The in- 
 vitation was accepted, and among its results 
 was an unique appreciation of the work. It 
 was prepared by Garland, Lorado Taft, the 
 sculptor, and Charles Francis Brown, the 
 painter: it is also understood that Henry B. 
 Fuller had some hand in it. It was published 
 in painphlet form and received wide notice. 
 The word "group" had been brought into jn-om- 
 inence at the time through the anarchist so- 
 cieties, and it was appropriated, in the easy 
 western way, for these five artistic radicals of 
 the time. 
 
 The art school of the association which was 
 discontinued in 1885 was not resumed for 
 some years, but after the return of Mr. For- 
 syth from irunieh in 1889 he and Mr. Steele 
 undertook a private sehool on a moderate scale 
 which eontinueil until 1891, when it developed 
 into the Indiana School of Art. This was 
 an incorporated institution, the members be- 
 ing mostly members of the Art Association, 
 \\ ho contributed from $5 to $25 annually to the 
 -■ijjport of the school. Charles E. Hallcnbeck 
 took an active interest in it. acting as treas- 
 urer, and managing its financial affairs gen- 
 erally. Its quarters were in the old High 
 School building at Market and Circle streets — 
 formerly Beechers Church. It was very >uc- 
 <(wsfnl, the attendance averaging over 100 until 
 its close in 1897. ^lessrs. Steele and Forsvth 
 were the chief instructors in the regular day 
 and eveninir classes, and there were prepara- 
 tiiry and children's classes taught by Misses 
 Marv Robinson, Temiie Tice and Lyda Becker. 
 It was discontinued becau.se the building was 
 to be torn down fm- the CNtens'on of tln' Eng- 
 
 J
 
 HISTORY OF (;HKATKI{ INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 487 
 
 lisli iriitfl, and was not resuiuod on account 
 of tlu' expectation of the speedy estaljlishmeut 
 of a riernianent institution under tlie TIerron 
 !x'i|uest. 
 
 The Herron bequest chan^»^ed tlie work of the 
 Art Association from a dragging struggle to 
 irratifving achievement. John Ilerron was 
 licirii at Carlton in t'raven, England, March 
 •,;!l, ISIT, but his ])arents removed to Chester 
 County. Pennsylvania, in his infancy. In 
 1S4T the entire family removed to ilt. (^ir- 
 niel, Indiana, where the parents, and all of the 
 diildren but John and one sister died. He was 
 
 SOLDIERS AND SAILORS' MONUMENT. 
 
 left wralthy. uilh no care Inil the iiivestiiiciit 
 of his liuids, whieli was lai-gely intrusted to 
 Ainbiose P. Stanton, of Indianapolis, on whose 
 advice, in 1883, he removed to Indianapolis 
 witji liis wife and sister. In a few years the 
 sister died, niid in 1892 the wife. Herron had 
 several times discussed witli Mr. Stanton the 
 dispositimi of his property, whiili he desired 
 to taki' some foini that would he a monument 
 to himself, and Stanton advised him to divide 
 it hetwi'en the Art Association and the Or- 
 phan .\^vllnn. On his return from his wife's 
 funeral llerpdii had an attack of illness, and 
 when p.'irliallv ri'covered, on Octolier "31 , 1802. 
 
 made liis will, leaving the bulk of liis prop- 
 erty to the .\rt Association on condition that 
 it should be used in establishing and maintain- 
 ing an art institute and art school which 
 should be known by his name. He gave the 
 Orphan Asylum $lliOOO, saying there was not 
 enough for two institutions — in fact not as 
 much as the Art Association needed, ilr. Her- 
 ron recovered temporarily, but lost his life on 
 April ."iO, 185)5, by an explosion of gasoline, 
 at Los .Vngeles. California. The will was con- 
 ic>ted by distant relatives, and a settlement 
 was not finally effected until October 12, 1897. 
 In .March, " 1899. the directors of the Art 
 .Association divided the be(|uest into three 
 funds; the Art Tieasure Fund of $1. ".0,000 ; 
 the Art School Fund of .$10,000; ami the 
 Building aiul Grounds F'und of •${i."),000. This 
 was a theoretical distribution. The amount 
 actually received from the bequest to October 
 1, 1909 is $182.099.0r). and the n'mainder of 
 the estate to come is estimated at $38,000. The 
 directors next took up the (|uestion of a site 
 for the institute, and after a great deal of 
 l)acking and filling finally decided on "the old 
 Tinker Place'' — the sciuare between Penn.syl- 
 vania street and Talbot t avenue, north of Six- 
 teenth (old Tinker) street. The |mrcha.<e ])rice 
 was $.")0,0()0, and the |)urchase was on condition 
 that the neighbors secure the \acation of 
 ■'Coram" or Seventeenth street, immediately 
 north of this square; and |)ui'(hase and donate 
 the two lots adjoining this vacated street on 
 the north. The Tinker house, lU' Talbott 
 house, a large brick building, had been occupied 
 by T. C. Steele since his return fnun Munich, 
 and in the rear he had erected a studio i)uild- 
 
 in 
 
 in 
 
 pu- 
 
 re- 
 
 Uv 
 
 purpi 
 
 ing — the first for that exclusive 
 Indianapolis. The art school was o|)ene( 
 the studio on January 13, 1902, with 10 
 |)ils and 5 teachers; and the house was 
 vamjK'd and occupied as the art iiistituti', 
 formal o])ening being on ]\rarch I, 1902. 
 iliat date the school had (!9 |)upils i"iri>llrd. 
 J. Ottis .\dams was the instructor in drawi";; 
 and painting; Brandt Steele and .Mfred H. 
 I, von gave instruction in aiinlied desiirn ; and 
 ^iisses Viririnia Keep and Helen ^fcKay had 
 rharge of the chihlren's classes. Thi- school 
 irrew steadily, and when it wa-; removed in the 
 fall of 190.5 to the Union Trust Company's 
 l)uilding. while the new institute buildinsr was 
 heiu"" constructed, it hail an cnnillment of 207
 
 488 
 
 HISTORY OK GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 i 
 
 pupils. For tlu' lis<al year oiiding March 31, 
 1909, the enrolliiu'iu was 303, aud the teach- 
 ing staff mimlicred K; in addition to the direc- 
 tor, Mr. Wni. TIenrv Fox. 
 
 The new institute building was a long-drawn- 
 out struggle. The architects were instructed to 
 prepare plans early in 1903, and a campaign 
 was started to raise a building fund of $100,- 
 000. When the ])lans were submitted for bids 
 it was found that llie cost of building on them 
 would reach $1 I (i, 000, and meanwhile the sub- 
 scription fund thd not materialize. On No- 
 vember 8, 1901, the directors decided to aban- 
 don these plans and erect a building costing 
 not over $50,000. After much consideration 
 these plans were modified on May 1, 1905, to 
 provide for a fire-proof building costing not 
 more than $85,000. The building was com- 
 pleted in November, 190G, and dedicated on the 
 20th to the 22nd of that month. The art 
 school was then located in this building until 
 the school building was completed in 190T. 
 Tlie total cost of the institute Iniilding was 
 $113,890.98, and of the school building $12,- 
 364.94. The legislature of 1909 virtually 
 brought the art .school into the general city 
 school system, and gave it a revenue from the 
 school funds equal to one-half cent on $100 
 of ta.xable ]iroj)erty annually — now about 
 $9,000. In return the Art Association is to 
 make and continue as members of its govern- 
 ing board the Superintendent of Schools, Di- 
 rector of Art Instruction, and two other f)er- 
 sons chosen by the School Board and also to 
 "give free admission, at reasonable times, to 
 its museum and art galleries to all teachers 
 and pupils of the public, private and parochi- 
 al schools in said city : and which shall pro- 
 vide free illustrated lectures, on some art or 
 kindred subject, throughout tlie public school 
 year of said city not loss fr(><|uently than one 
 lecture a week for school children, the same 
 to be given at its museum or in a public school : 
 and which shall, at half the rates established in 
 other cities for similar service, provide instruc- 
 tion in the teaching of drawing and design 
 for all teaehers in said city nominated by the 
 superintendent of schools of said city ; and 
 which shall provide throughout' such school 
 year free for not fewer than fifty pupils, to 
 be nominated on competitive examination by 
 said superintendent of schools, advanced in- 
 
 struction in drawing and in sueh a[)plied arts 
 as it teaches."-". 
 
 With this income the Art Association is in 
 comfortable circumstances. Its real estate is 
 valued at $194,255.92 which is less than true 
 vakte, being the actual cost to the Association, 
 excepting an estimate of $18,000 for the two 
 lots donated and the vacation of Coram street. 
 Its art treasures are valued at $34,360.78, and 
 its library at $188.35, both of which are low. 
 It has some $54,000 in cash and securities, and 
 its unsettled interest in the Herron estate. 
 Since 1905 it has had for director Mr. Wm. 
 Henry Fox, who was secretary of the depart- 
 ment of art, and also of the International Jury 
 of Awards, as a member representing Russia, 
 at the St. Louis Exposition of 1904, and is 
 well known as an art critic. The curator of 
 the Art Institute is Miss Anna E. Turrell, a 
 niece of the late Mrs. John Herron. The art 
 school is in flourishing condition with Wm. 
 Forsyth, Clifton A. Wheeler and Otto Stark 
 as principal instructors. In addition to the 
 Herron bequests, the Institute has had be- 
 quests from J. F. Pratt of $2,000, and D. P. 
 Erwin of $5,000 ; also gifts from the heirs of 
 Henry SchnuU of $5,000, and from the heirs 
 of Herman Lieber of $2,000. 
 
 There liave been, and are. numerous ama- 
 teurs and some professionals about Indian- 
 apolis who have done creditable work, but it 
 is not possible even to name them here. Som(^ 
 have attained more or less fame elsewhere. 
 Frank Scott, whose early life was passed here, 
 and who has been mentioned as a pupil of the 
 Love Art School and a member of the Bohe 
 Club, afterwards studied at the Beaux Arts in 
 Paris, and has since resided there. He took a 
 medal at the Antwerp Exposition of 1894. Louis 
 Paul Dessar, who has captured numerous prizes 
 and medals, was born in Indianapolis, Janu- 
 ary 22, 1867. He was the son of Joseph B. 
 Dessar, of the firm of Dessar, Bro. & Co., 
 wholesale clothing merchants. He studied at 
 the National Academy of Design at New York, 
 and later at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris 
 and under Bouguerean and Finery. He is now 
 located in New York.^" Frederick C. Y''ohn, 
 who has attained enviable eelebritv as an illus- 
 
 -" Acts of 1909. p. 89. 
 '" Sketch in Brush am} 
 1899. 
 
 Pencil, December, 
 
 i
 
 nrSTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 489 
 
 iiaior. i.~ of an olil liiiliaiiapolis faiuily. lie 
 i< a ^^II1 of Alln'i't Yoliii, and was bom liere in 
 I.S4."). lie began his art studj' under Steele 
 and Forsyth, and continued it at the iVrt 
 Students' Leajiiic in Now York, where his 
 work attracted the attention of Harper & Bros. 
 He was eni])loycd on "The Bound Table", 
 and has illustrjitcd numerous notable books as 
 well as magazine articles. His ambition is to 
 paint battle pictures, and his war pictures in- 
 dicate that he would achieve great success in 
 that line. William Carey Brazington is an- 
 other pupil of the Indianapolis Art School 
 who has attained note. His ]iastel work is the 
 -ubject of an eulogistic notice in the Craf Ismail 
 uf (ktober. 1908. 
 
 There remain to be mentioned several stat- 
 ues that have been erected in the city. The 
 first of these is that of Oliver P. 'Morton, in 
 Nfonument Place, wliirh was unveiled Januaiy 
 1."), 1884, and is the work of Franklin Simmons. 
 Tlie statue of Schuyler Colfax, in rniversity 
 Square, was unveiled May 18. 188:. and was 
 made by Lorado Tal't. The statue of 'I'homas 
 A. Hendricks, on tin- Capitol grotnuls. was un- 
 veiled on July 1, ]890. and was made by Rich- 
 ard Henry Parks. The statue of General Henry 
 W. l.awttm. on the Court House Square was un- 
 veiled on :May .30. 1907. with imposing cere- 
 monv. President Roosevelt taking part in the 
 
 ceremonies. It was e.xecuted by Andrew O'Con- 
 n(u-, under the supervision of Daniel C. French. 
 The statue of Oliver P. Morton at the east 
 entrance to the State House, was made by 
 Rudolph Schwartz, who has been a resident of 
 Indianapolis since 1888. He is a native of 
 Vienna, and comes of an old .\ustrian family', 
 which objected to his becoming a sculptor: but 
 after a course of four years in art at the Im- 
 perial -Vcademy at ^^ionna, he determined on 
 his life work, and went to Berlin, where he 
 became a pupil of Geiger and Eberlein. He 
 also studied with and worked for Bruno 
 Schmitz. who commissioned him to come here 
 aiul evectite the War and Peace groups on the 
 Soldiers' and Sailors" monument. His ac- 
 (luaintanee with the city decided him to stay 
 here. His statue of Morton was imveiled on 
 July 2.1, 1907. The principal American work 
 of Mr. Schwartz, outside of Indianapolis, is 
 the Pingree monument at Detroit. T]\e statue 
 of Benjamin Harrison, in University Square, 
 was unveiled on October 27, 1008. and is the 
 work of Charles Henry Xeihaus. This was the 
 last addition to the statuary of Indiana])olis. 
 It is to be hoped that before it is too late the 
 citv will secure some specimen of the art work 
 of the notable Indiana artists Janet Scudder. 
 Amalia Kussner Coudert, and George Gray 
 Barnard.
 
 CHAPTER XXXVll 
 
 THE SOCIAL SWIKL. 
 
 The social liomogeiieit}' that existed in the 
 little village of Indianapolis prior to the com- 
 ing of the capital disappeared soon afterward, 
 not because the capital came, but because pop- 
 iilation increased ; and by that time conditions 
 were more settled, and people were not so 
 much dependent on each other that they were 
 ijnpelled to overlook the considerations that 
 create social dividing lines. Cluirch organiza- 
 tions had been formed, and had begun to en- 
 force their disciplines, which were vastly more 
 strict then than now. Dancing was not toler- 
 ated by any of the early sects, Methodists, 
 Presbyterians, Baptists or Newlights. If noth- 
 ing worse, it was frivolous and consequently 
 young people of religious families did not 
 dance or go to dancing parties. Meanwhile 
 the ungodly danced on, and their dancing in 
 the early period was very largely a display of 
 personal agility and vigor. There were no 
 round dances, and none of what are now called 
 square dances, but good old-fashioned reels, 
 and jigs, and contra-dances, in which the man, 
 or woman either, who could cut an artistic 
 pigeon wing, or jump up and crack the heels 
 thrre times before lighting, was a person wlio 
 had just cause for ))ride. A generation passed 
 before there was any break in the old time 
 country dances. There were no dancing mas- 
 ters to make innovations. Every man wa,« the 
 arcliitect of his own terpsichorcan fortunes, 
 and danced according to the dictates of liis 
 own conscience. Then came a change. \\lii(li 
 Lew Wallace records thus: 
 
 "In the winter of "43, a wuiidcTing (lanriiig- 
 niaster opened school in Indianapulis. grcnth 
 to the delight of the young society. Togctbcr 
 witli the usual Terpsichorcan accom|ilishMieiits. 
 he tauirbt a new science — the SciiMK-c (if Man- 
 ners. Tlir worthy profcssoi- was liis (iwn ob- 
 ject-lesson, lie clung to tiic old raslii<iii>. 
 
 wore frilb'd sliirt-bo^oms, silk stocking?, and 
 pumps ablaze with silver buckles. He also 
 made bis nwn music. The Eisher"s Hornpipe 
 witii which be ^pr(l a quadriUe was tearing 
 enough to ha\c ([uicki'ned the bones of the 
 unknown in a catacondt. He enrolled me as a 
 l)upil of his academy ; and, simple as the topic 
 looks, L am bound to say there was never such 
 a tempest of fun as when he called us out one 
 by one to practice Iwwing, hat salutes, and 
 posturing seated and standing. Since the day 
 of his advent. I liave read and heard much of 
 (Jolonial society. Colonial dames, Colonial 
 beaus, and of their stately mannerisms. Xo 
 (me, I yet think, ever reproduced them to the 
 life like our old I)o-ci-do. In a mimtet he al- 
 ways made nie think of France, and the king 
 in a ball-room inqiosing form ujjon his cour- 
 tiers — so solemn and gi-andiose was his depoi't- 
 uient." ' 
 
 Austin 11. Brown also liad vivid memories 
 of tills courtlv dancing niastei-. He mentions 
 I he first attempt at a pulilic ball at the old 
 Mansion, the imitations to which were as fol- 
 lo\\> : 
 
 ■"The managers ot the anniversary ball I'c- 
 quest the pleasure of your attendance on Tnes- 
 (biv evening. Februarv 22. 1S;38, at the Gov- 
 
 In cijnncction with this innovation he says: 
 ■"In those days there was consiileralile opposi- 
 tion on the ]iart of strict church members to 
 
 crnor's Circle, at .■> 
 
 o'clock. 
 
 Isaac Blackford, 
 
 W. W. Wick. 
 
 David Cox, 
 
 \\'. \y. McCoy, 
 
 ■Tolm S. Bobbs. 
 
 11. W. EUswortii. 
 
 .lobn Livingston, 
 
 S. D. 'i'omlinson. 
 
 Thomas A. Mcn-ris, 
 
 V. C. Ilaima, 
 
 E. K. Foster. 
 
 X. West. Jr."' 
 
 Autobiography, p. 01. 
 
 I no
 
 HISTOHYOF GHKAIKi; I \ 1 )|.\ \.\1'( d.lS. 
 
 491 
 
 dancing, and llicir action inHuenced many of il 
 
 the young I'olk.s not to i^ngage in an amiisc- 
 nieul they consitleri'd sinful. The advent, a 
 year or two hiter, of the e\er-to-be remembered 
 Professor Follan.-bee, nicknamed 'Do-se-do', 
 who opened a dancing school in the dining- 
 room of Browning"? Hotel, soon had a ten- 
 dency to lessen the prejudice against tlancing. 
 My.-elf and sister attended this school, with 
 the full encouragement of our parents, who 
 looked upon dancing as an innocent amuse- 
 luent. At the first meeting of the class lots 
 were drawn for piirliK i>. This allotment car- 
 ried with it not only an assignment of a girl 
 jiartner for the fir.-t dance of each evening, but 
 a condition to acconi])any her to and from the 
 dancing hall during the entire season. It 
 fell to my lot to have a beautiful black-eyed 
 girl as my ])arlner whose parents lived near 
 t'ottontown, on what is now Sixteenth street, 
 near the canal, her father being superintendent 
 of the flour mill of Xatlianiel West, owner of 
 the cotton mill in Cotton town. Many a night 
 I had to go out there and escort her to the 
 hotel, and then back again home, both of us 
 walking all the way. Indianapolis was not 
 then blessed with paved streets, and even grav- 
 eled sidewalks were few and far between. Mud 
 was plentiful wherever the pedestrian went, 
 but as the fashion then was to change shoes 
 for dancing pumps or slippers before dancing, 
 it mattered but little if our shoes were muddy, 
 ^[uch of our direct roadway being through 
 woods, I preferred to take the tow-path of the 
 canal for our pathway. We all enjoyed the 
 sdiool, however, as 'Do-se-do' was a good fid- 
 dler and it was a delight to follow in his 
 footsteps. Some of the more expert girls, 
 notably Cornelia Wood, (who afterwards mar- 
 ried Robert L. Browning) and Fannie Brown- 
 ing (afterwards Mrs. Taylor) learned the 
 ■Highland Fling" and 'Fishei-"s llorn])ipe", 
 which s|iecialties they danced to jierfection and 
 wore made the features of the closing danci's."" 
 Mr. Brown's mention of the name of this 
 teacher probablv saves him from a pseudony- 
 mous memory for nobody else remembered him 
 l)y any name imt "•Old Dos-a-dos." Possibly 
 this title became to some extent generic, for 
 some of the earlv dancers sav it belonged to a 
 i[onsieur de Granville, who came a little later. 
 The first mention of anv dancing master that 
 I have found in any of the newspajx'rs is of 
 
 tins one. On April ■>■>. ISIS, the Locomotive 
 announced that, "Monsieur de Granville, late 
 of Cincinnati, will open his dancing-school on 
 next Wednesday evening, in the room immedi- 
 ately over Mr. Davidson's store, entrance on 
 Illinois street.-"' This teacher, who was also 
 a notable, took thought f(U- the modesty and 
 bashfnlness of the uninitiated by having at the 
 start separate chu-ses for ladies and gentle- 
 men. The ladies" class met at :? o'clock in llie 
 afternoon, and the gentlemen"s class at 8 
 o'clock in the evening, ami thus they were al- 
 lowed to work off their primal awkwardness in 
 some privacy. Tradition has it that the climax 
 of the career of Professor Follansbce, the orig- 
 inal "Dos-a-dos"' was reachetl in a grand ball 
 on the night of I'ebruary -^il. 1844, at Brown- 
 ing"s Hotel, at which Mr>. Browning and Mrs. 
 Charles Stephens acted as chaperones. James 
 Dunlap, who was decidedly clever in several 
 lines of art, made a pen and ink sketch of this 
 happy occasion, now in possession of Mrs. Dr. 
 John F. Johnson, which is reproduced in the 
 adjoining cut. The chaperones are repre- 
 .<ented seated in chairs. The couples in the 
 foreground, from left to right, are caricature 
 jjortraits of (1) Isabella Ste|>hens (Jlrs. James 
 liussell) and James Wiley; {'i) Ann Morrison 
 (Mrs. John ilurphy) and Aaron Ohr; (3) 
 ilary Stephens (Mrs. Dr. Johnson) and 
 "Count" Smith; ifavia Peaslee (Mrs. John 
 l-:iliott) and Peter :>[(\'aught. James Wiley 
 was afterwards a captain in the navy; and 
 "Count"" Smith — his name was Lloyd Smith 
 — was the model of fashion of his day. the 
 best dressed man in the place, and a great beau. 
 .\s a ladv of the time informed me. "He was a 
 good beau, too. He always knew just what to 
 do on every occasion." His nickname was uni- 
 versal, and he is often referred to in the 
 Lurotnolirp simply as "tlie Count"". The Ste))h- 
 ens family were acquisitions from New Har- 
 mony, whither Charles Stephens, an Ohio edi- 
 tor, hail giMie in the ])almy days of the Owen 
 socialistic settlement; and left it after social- 
 ism had worked its customary failure. 
 
 It must not be imagined that tlie o]tposition 
 to dancing died out rpiickly as the result of 
 these earlv lessons, but the advocates of ilanc- 
 ing attained a more reputable standing, and 
 became more defiant. In IS.-il, a new dancing 
 school being advertised, "[ncognito"" attacked 
 it in a newspa)" r ennniiiniie.ilion. saving, "there
 
 492 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 is no greater exhibition oi liuniau depravity 
 than for children to l)e edueatcd in dancing." 
 To this "R. J. B." promptly replied: "I would 
 wager a dish of oysters that your correspondent 
 is one of those who would sit by a fire all night, 
 and ridicule his neighbors, or would go to a 
 chimney corner party and play such as dig- 
 ging wells, measuring tape, etc., or, as our 
 Hoosier boys would plainly call it, 'Gum suck- 
 ing', and I suppose would think he was acting 
 jierfectly consistent and prudent." - 
 
 M. de Granville taught the waltz, in its 
 old, slow and stately form — th(! other round 
 dances had not yet come in — but his most im- 
 portant introduction was the plain quadrille, 
 or as it was then called the cotillion — for the 
 cotillion originally danced here had none of 
 the variations, or the round dancing, tjiat mark 
 the cotillion, or German, of the present. For 
 some years "cotillion parties"' were all the 
 rage, though in 1851 a dancing teacher name(l 
 Taylor located here for a time and taught 
 the polka and otlier round dances. And it 
 should be added that M. de Granville was not 
 without rivals, for in 1848, Mr. lloffnuin had 
 a dancing class, and apparently quite a suc- 
 cessful one, for on Saturday, December ;}0, 
 the Locomotive said : "On last Friday evening 
 the pupils of Mr. Hoffman had a jiublic dance 
 at the Ray House, together with a large num- 
 ber of ladies and gents not pupils. There were 
 -■) cotillions on the floor at one time, and, as 
 our corresi)ondent ^lax has lieautifully ex- 
 pressed it, 'The young, the gay, the beautiful 
 were there, engaged right merrily in chasing 
 the glowing hours with flying feet'." 
 
 After these there were casual dancing-mas- 
 ters until 1860, when Ben Gresh and Edward 
 Hines located here at about the same time 
 Hines taught for several Aears, but Gresh — 
 lie was sometimes called Benjamin, but liis 
 real name was Beniville F. Gresh — held liis 
 "academy" here for thirty vear.s and then went 
 out to the Klondvke to seek his fortune. On 
 his rettirn he «ought to reestablish his school, 
 but with little success. Not long after Gresh 
 and Hines, Athlick Smith anneared as a dani- 
 inii niaster. and was quit<' ])opnlar for a num- 
 })er of years. Fi'oni 1S71 to 1879 Julius E. 
 Heywood conducted a Dancing .\cademy, bl- 
 eated at different times on East ilarket street, 
 
 Indiana avenue, Masonic Temple, and East 
 New York street, which received mucli of the 
 best patronage. In 188.3 David B. Brenneke 
 came to Indianapolis, and he has had almost 
 a monopoly of dancing-teaching since then. 
 He had been teaching at Evansville, and came 
 here by request to take a class that met at Dr. 
 Allen's residence. •■ Tliere had l)een stipulation 
 for 33 pupils in tlie class, but there were 52 
 at the first lesson. His popularity was soon 
 established, and, m addition to ordinary teach- 
 ing, he had a class of l(i young ladies at the 
 Kappes Scliool, and later was a regular meml)er 
 of the faculty of Mrs. Sewall's Classical School 
 for Girls. He also had large classes at La- 
 fayette, Terre Haute, and other points, and 
 prospered so greatly that in 1895 he put up his 
 dancing academy at North and Illinois streets, 
 which is one of the best appointed l>uildings of 
 the kind in the country. Aside from his merits 
 as a teacher. Professor Brenneke's popularity 
 has been due largely to the fact that he en- 
 forced reason in dancing. Neither his own 
 classes nor anyone to whom he rented his hall 
 were allowed to dance after midnight. There 
 was some protest at first from renters, but 
 they were simply given tlie choice of going 
 elsewhere, and very few of them went. Nor 
 lias Professor Brenneke ever taught fancy 
 dancing or stage dancing. His attention has 
 been given exclusively to society or "liall-room" 
 dancing. 
 
 During all these years the custom of danc- 
 ing was extending to all circles. It is said 
 that ^lary Bnnigli was the first of the church 
 girls to break away from church restraints in 
 the matter of dancing. She was a daughter 
 of John Brough, later "War Governor" of 
 Ohio, who was here in the fifties as Superin- 
 tendent of tlie old Bellefontaine Railroad. Her 
 levity ap))arentlv called for unusual efforts 
 for reform, for Rev. ilr. Cunningham of the 
 First Presbyterian Church married her.* and 
 she became a verv pro]ier minister's wife. P>nt 
 the churches were verv slow to lose their re- 
 straining influence, and there wa-s no exten- 
 sive departure from the old customs until after 
 tlie war. It was not till then that Mrs. Gen- 
 eral Love convulsed the town — her correspou- 
 
 'I 
 
 "Locomoiicc, Janiuii-v 11. IS.")!. 
 
 ' Now Hugh ^FcGowan's — northeast conuT 
 of Delaware and Tliirteenth street. 
 *Locornoiive. Februarv 'i'l. 1S(1(I.
 
 TIISTOltV or (JKEATER TNOfAXAmLTS. 
 
 493 
 
 dent really could not keep it — l)_v writing from 
 
 Europe, "I understand that the s are 
 
 learning to dance, and that to ease their con- 
 sciences they are using a nielodeon for music.'" 
 In 1867 there was a meeting of the Society 
 for the Promotion of Peace in the Homo at 
 the residence of Gen. Benjamin Harrison. The 
 meeting was composed of ^Irs. Harrison and 
 .Mrs. Fred Baggs. both of whom had young 
 daughters who wanted to learn to dance, and 
 thought their mothers cruel to refuse them, 
 'riiere was nothing at all in the way except the 
 Jlethodist and Presbyterian Churches. The 
 mothers felt that the girls should be allowed to 
 leam. in a |)rivate class : "Imt"', observed ilrs. 
 Harrison, "1 don't know what to do. Ben would 
 never allow an uugodlv fiddle in the house." 
 "Well, I will have it at my house," responded 
 the Methodist delegate; and so the services of 
 Athlick Smith were secured and a private 
 dancing class was inaugurated, very select and 
 very quiet. Xo reports of its meetings ap- 
 peared in the society columns of any of the city 
 jiapers. The members were ilamie Baggs 
 (Mrs. Jos. W. Beck), Mamie Harrison (Mrs. 
 Robert ^fcKee). ^fezzie Harrison. Mary Lord 
 (Mrs. ^fary Lord Harrison), Xancv Newcomer, 
 and Hautie Tarkington (^Irs. Ovid B. Jame- 
 son). The young gentlemen were John Kitchen, 
 IJussell Harrison. Walter Bradsliaw and Oeorge 
 Xcwcomer. The class proceeded liannoniouslv 
 and happily, the only cloud being that s()n\c «( 
 the voung men showed a tendency at tinii's to 
 neglect their partners and seek more robust 
 exercise in sliding down the bannisters. .V 
 year or two later a private class was formed 
 in the nortlicast end for the Jameson and 
 Wallace youngsters, and from that tiriu- forward 
 the movement spread quite rapidly. By the 
 time of the nineties, with their Charity Balls, 
 Assemblies, and the Kirmess. the young per- 
 son who did not dance had attained something 
 of the Napoleonic condition of "a sceptred her- 
 mit, wrapped in the mantle of his o\m orig- 
 inalitv." 
 
 Cards were tabooed in Indianapolis nioi-al cir- 
 cles. In fact in the earliest j)eriod cards were 
 used hv men practically for gambling only, 
 and were not played by respectable women at 
 all. This was not due merelv to religious re- 
 striction, but was a common moral sentiment. 
 As late as 1843 the law of the state provided: 
 "That if any person shall vend, or cause to b- 
 
 vended, any |)laying cards, or any obscene book, 
 pamphlet, or print, he .sliail on conviction 
 thereof, be fined in any sum not less than one 
 nor more than three dollars for every sucli 
 pack of cards, book, pamphlet, or print 
 vended."^ But this grailuailv wore off, and 
 in the latter forties ''the fashionable set", of 
 which the Drakes and the Brownings were lead- 
 ers, used to jilay cards socially ; but it was 
 shocking to a large part of the community, 
 and it was a long time before church people 
 would tolerate social card-playing. But the 
 rising generation chafed under the restraint. 
 During the war some genius invented a deck 
 of cards in which the suits were swords, drums, 
 flags and cannon, and the face cards generals, 
 captains and goddesses of liberty, a combina- 
 tion which it were almost treason to object 
 to. Then came a flood of other card games, 
 notably "authors", which was rc>eeived because 
 it was so instructive. But the ingenious friv- 
 olous soon found that they could play the sim- 
 |)ler card games, like ''muggins"' and "old 
 maid", with these, and another intrenehment 
 was carried. In my own family, which was 
 Methodist, we broke into real card-playing in 
 the later sixties, until some preaclier would 
 come along and tire a sermon at the practice; 
 then father would burn the cards, and we would 
 !iave a dry sjjell for a year or so. In reality it 
 was the association with gambling that made 
 card-plaving obnoxious, and it was only as 
 jieople grew to know that there was no nwes- 
 sarv connection between the two that it wore 
 otf.' 
 
 The theater, and with it almost all shows 
 I'xeept animal shows in the early days, and 
 |)anoramas later, were not approved. In 
 llie territorial period the theater proper caused 
 no concern, because there was none of a pro- 
 fessional character. \ Thespian Club was or- 
 ganized at Vinccnnes in 1814, and was ai>- 
 parentlv received with general favor, though 
 that may be partially due to the fact that the 
 editor of the Sun was a member. It was re- 
 vived in 181!) with still greater success, one of 
 its star performers being the veteran actor, Sol 
 Smith, who was then an ajiprentice at the Sun 
 f.ffiee. There never appeared any such hos- 
 tilitv to amat^Mir theatricals as to professional 
 plays, and tlic occasional stniUiug players of 
 
 Rev. Stats.. 1843. p. !)8r..
 
 ■id4 
 
 iiisioKv OK (,i;ka'1'i:i: ixdiaxai'oi.is. 
 
 lilt' earlier iwriod joined in with a TiiefipiiUi 
 (.'lub whenever tliev had opportunity. From 
 these condition.^ there is no mention of the 
 theater in the early laws, but in 1824 the law 
 provided that, "'Every person who shall ex- 
 hibit any puppet-sliow, wire dancing or tumb- 
 ling, for nK>iiey or reward, shall be fined three 
 iloliai-s fur eaeh offense."" " This prohibition 
 continued in etl'et't until 1831 when the law 
 was changed to read that "any person who shall 
 .<liow or exhibit any animal or animals, or 
 other natural curiosity, or any waxwori< or 
 other figures, or any feats in tumliling, rope 
 or wire dancing, for gain, without being li- 
 censed according to law, so to show or exhiljit, 
 sliall )k> fined in any sum not exceeding twenty 
 dollars.""' There was more attention given to 
 circus in the early discussions than to the the- 
 ater, because circuses were more common, were 
 wholly professional, and were not instructive : 
 wliile some defended the theater on the ground 
 of education, .\mateur iierfonnances were not 
 considered so olmoxious as professional, because 
 one of the weightiest arguments against the 
 latter was the character of the people patron- 
 ized, it being assumed as axiomatic that all 
 actors and actresses were disreputables. 
 
 But another objection that had more weight 
 was that the shows took so much money away. 
 It was not merely the expending of the money, 
 but talving it out of circulation locally that 
 disturlied the entire business element; and in 
 an isolated place like Indianapolis this was a 
 really serious consideration. There was a de- 
 cided sentiment in the forties for absolute re- 
 fusal of license to circuses, whicli. however, did 
 not reach the stage of action. There is a 
 scathing article in the Locoinoiive of May 8. 
 1847, reviling the circus as the extreme of idi- 
 ocy and folly, which closes with these words: 
 "Such are the pleasures for which Christians, 
 or Professors of Eeligion, abandoned a good, 
 sensible and learned lecture, by a clergyman, 
 which would cost nothing, and learn llirni 
 miii-h. to spend $2,000, see fools, and learn 
 nothing."' This appeared over the signature 
 ■'Tiniothv Tugmutton"", which was the nom de 
 plume of Berrv Sulgrove, and yet Berry was 
 always a stalwart champion of the legitimate 
 drama. But all the criticism of the circus 
 
 seemed lo June no effect in diminishing t'ne 
 attendance; on the contrary it appeared to 
 serve as an advertisement. On one occasion 
 .lames ^1. liay went to a circus with his boy, 
 and was so stricken with remorse when he re- 
 Hected on the character of the entertainment 
 !hat on the following Sunday he went to the 
 two Sunday Schools and publicly apologized 
 i'or his folly. The only effect of his self-abase- 
 ment was to cause the perverse lx)ys to charge 
 i hat, having seen it himself, he was now trying 
 to bar others from the privilege. 
 
 One of the most delightful bits of local his- 
 rory that has been handed down to us is Mrs. 
 Betsey ^Fartin's account of her removal from 
 Holiert's Chapel on account of attending a cir- 
 cus. Her parents had been Episcopalians but 
 there was no organized church here in the 
 earlier days, and after her first marriage to 
 Samuel Goldsberry she went with him to the 
 Methodist Church. After his death, two or 
 three years, she fell from grace, and here is 
 her account of it : "Well, I went to a circus. I 
 had never seen one, and when I got there I 
 saw I had plenty of company from Robert"s 
 Cliapel. In a few days after I was waited on 
 by Brother Henry Tutewiler, my confessor,* 
 and told that I had to promise I would not go 
 to a circus again, nor let mv children go that 
 were under my control, and to be .sorry, and 
 [ don't know what all he said: and then he 
 said if I did not comply to peaceably retire. 
 I told him I would do neither. I told him 
 when I called on the Methodist Church to su])- 
 l>ort my children, it would be time enough for 
 them to meddle. The next to come was old 
 Brother Foudray, and T told him if they had 
 treated me right I might have listened to them, 
 but not for 'them, after all that ilr. Golds- 
 lierry and myself had done for the church, to 
 have the assurance to come into my house and 
 dictate what I should do or leave the church. 
 Cillett" came next. They didn't want to turn 
 mc out for such a trifle, and the first offense 
 in 18 years. I asked Brother Gillett if he 
 wanted me to say I was sorry, and I told him 
 1 was not sorry. 1 told him I had belonged t<i 
 the church IS years, and I had never in one 
 instance acted the hypocrite; and he knew I 
 never was much of a ^fethodist, only to serve 
 
 Rev. Stats.. ls-.'t. p 
 Laws of is:il. p. liU 
 
 148. 
 
 *i. e., her class leader. 
 
 "Rev. Samuel T. Gillett, the ]iastoi-.
 
 ]1IST(1|;V OF CKKATKi; I X lUAX APol.ls. 
 
 49.-. 
 
 the t'liun-li. J i^iiid to him again: "Do \un 
 want me to say I am sorry when 1 am not?" 
 He huighi'tl a little and said he was sorry, but 
 he did not want me to lie. I suppose that was 
 it, but he didn't say so. I told them 1 ditl 
 not want a letter, for I was not a Methodist, 
 only lor eonvenienee; and the Episcopalian 
 ehiireh would be glad to get me, and it would 
 not recognize them as a church, and they are 
 not. So they read me out 'witlidrawn". * * * 
 The tithers that were at the circus were all 
 sorry but myscll'. and if I hail tohl them I 
 
 was sorry it wmihl lia\c I n all right, liut 
 
 they found out I didn't care Inr a churcli that 
 i> not a church, and .lohn Wesley would say 
 -d it he were here. He lun'er intended an- 
 other church. * * * The Methodists harped 
 on John \\'eslev being a ^letliodist, and all 
 that kind of trash. Well, to satisfy invsclt 1 
 went to the State Library and examined Wes- 
 ley's Works, and he invariably told them, when 
 they wanted to form another and separate 
 church he would not be their servant, nor leave 
 the old A])0st(dic Church. But they, after Wes- 
 ley's death, set up for themselves, without a 
 i-cgular ordained bisho]), so you see they are 
 not John Wesley's people, but are secessionists; 
 liut if they can do any good let them do it; 
 but thev are no Apostolic church. The niggers 
 are ahead of them, for they have the succes- 
 sion in a regular ordained bishop : but sonu' 
 peo]>le are so bigoted if they were to read in 
 Weslev's life what 1 did thev would not be- 
 lieve.'' 
 
 Fashion has, perhajjs. most to do with the 
 rluinge in such things. It is the great agency 
 I'lr the overthrow of custom, for there is noth- 
 ing that can withstand it. Even the "plain 
 ili-ess"' of the Quaker has finally succumbed to 
 its ])ower. Some thirty years ago I had the 
 )ileasure of several chats with Mrs. Priscilla 
 l>rake about earlv times in Indianapolis, and 
 nothing she told nu' impressed me so mucli as 
 licr account of how the fashionable set used 
 lo play battledore and shuttlecock in the corri- 
 dors of the old Governor's Mansion in tlie Cir- 
 cle. It seemed so foreign. It had been so 
 transient that it left no trace. But it meant 
 simply that from the forties on there was al- 
 ways a yot. or, gradually broadening with the 
 vears, several «ets, thai were ready to take u)) 
 any fashionable fad. Possibly the horse shows 
 that wc had a few vears ago, or anvthing else 
 
 that has not hinged with .American ideas and 
 stuck as a custom, will seem as odd a genera- 
 lion or two hence as the battledore and shut- 
 tlecock visitation does now. But prior to tiie 
 forties the people here were not so sensitive to 
 outside inlluences. Few of them had eitlier the 
 time or the money to be fashionable, and those 
 who had, shrank from the odium of being con- 
 .-idered "stuck up". And then the community 
 was so isolated tliat one who went out into the 
 world and came back with novel ideas was 
 somewhat in the condition of the educated 
 Indian returning to the reservation. Quite re- 
 cently a gentleman who came here from an- 
 other city uiulertook to send his boy to school 
 in a carriage, but he .soon discontinued it, at 
 the boy's request. The other young Indians 
 would not stand for it. The easiest way out, 
 and the most rational, was to conform ito the 
 custom of the country, and be with the crowd. 
 But, to return to the early social divi- 
 sions, the church element soon began to split 
 on the lines of dignity and frivolity, and per- 
 haps the line was best indicated by those who 
 ])layed kissing games and those who did not. 
 The latter class w'as small indeed at first, 
 but it grew, like Mr. Finney's turnip, until 
 we have reached an era when kissing games are 
 frowned on even in children's parties. No 
 doubt the changed views of matrimony liave 
 had much to do with it. In the early jieriod 
 marriage was recognized not only as hoiiora 
 and right in all men, but also as a consumma- 
 lion devoutly to be wished for, and there 
 was not so much shying away from the subject 
 of "sensibility" as there is nowadays. And 
 the games ke])t this object in view. One of the 
 oldest and most popular of these games was 
 "Sister I'hoebe". which had numerous varia- 
 tions, but is best rcmcnib(>red here in this form: 
 
 "0 I dear Sister I'hoebe how happy were we. 
 The night we sat under the juniper tree: 
 We put on nni- night-caps to keep our heads 
 
 warm, 
 And two or three kisses, tliey did us no iiarni. 
 
 Thev did us lu) harm, heigh IkiI 
 
 1 am a poor widow a marching around, 
 .\nd all of mv daughters are married but one: 
 So rise up my daughter and kiss wlmni you 
 please, 
 .\nd kiss whom you please, heigh hoi"
 
 496 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOIJS. 
 
 Scarcely less popular, and perhaps more cir.:- 
 vivial was : 
 
 "Come Philanders, let's be a niarching. 
 Every one his true love a searching." 
 
 These were common in almost every part of 
 the country, and so were almost all of these 
 games, though with some local changes in the 
 words. Thus "Threading the Needle is recalled 
 here thus: 
 
 "Tliis needle's eye 
 
 That you pass by 
 Was made for to go through. 
 
 And many a lass 
 
 Have I let pass. 
 But now 1 have caught you. 
 
 And "Quebec" has its little variation: 
 
 "We are marching onward to Quebec, 
 And the drums are loudly beating; 
 The Americans are gaining the day. 
 And the British are retreating. 
 
 "The wars are o'er and we turn back, 
 To the place from whence we started. 
 We'll open the ring, and choose another in 
 To relieve the broken-hearted." 
 
 A very interesting game given me by ^Irs. 
 Kellogg, daughter of Nathaniel Cox. one of the 
 earliest settlers here, is the following varia- 
 tion of the game of "Marriage", which was 
 played in Puritan New England more than 
 a century ago : 
 
 "Here comes my true love, and how do you do. 
 And how have yoxi fared since last T saw you. 
 Come my dear partner, and give me your hand ; 
 I want me a wife and you want you a man; 
 So married we will be. if we two can agree. 
 And we'll journey on to Scotland, and ever 
 happy be." 
 
 Then comes a sort of anthem for the wedding 
 ceremony : 
 
 "Tf you want a kind companion 
 To insure the cares of life, 
 I'd advise vou for to marry. 
 Therefore rise and choose a wife." 
 
 And finally the triumphal refrain: 
 
 "Now yoiv're married, joined in wedlock, 
 Love her as you do your life. 
 Hug her, kiss her, promise to protect her. 
 Long as she remains your wife.'' 
 
 And then there were' the forfeit games that 
 introduced an element of humor, in which the 
 sorrows of the condemned were alleviated by 
 the pleasures of '"measuring tape'', "digging a 
 well", "building a bridge", and the rest. But 
 there were those who objected to such levity, 
 and it does seem a trifle undignified to the 
 present generation, but we should remember 
 that this generation was shut off from most 
 of the social am.usements to which we resort 
 with no compunctions of conscience. I once 
 asked an old lady of the stricter class what 
 they did for amusement, and she answered: 
 "\\'liy we talked ; and we had a good time, too. 
 -V girl that was bright enough to carry on a 
 conversation always had plenty of attention." 
 No doubt; and this is still true; but conversa- 
 tion as a steady diet is liable to pall on one's 
 taste, and some of it must have been rather 
 solemn. There is a local tradition of a very 
 dignified beau who used to enter a parlor, ad- 
 just himself in a chair; assume the upright 
 position of a member of the order; and begin. 
 "Tjet us converse." And then he would cut 
 loose with edifving discussions. Of course that 
 <ort of thing tends to intellectuality. It calls 
 for some effort to lay in topics of conversa- 
 tion, and to have something rational to say on 
 them when one is making a habit of societv. 
 But it cannot be called restful, and it is ob- 
 viously a more trying thing at a function, where 
 vou must talk to dozens of people, than in a 
 limited company of those with whom you have 
 much in common. There are very naturally 
 manv intelligent people who have a lurking 
 svmpathy with that character of Gelett Bur- 
 gess's, who remarks : 
 
 "There is nothing in Five O'clock Tea. 
 To appeal to a person like me. 
 
 Polite conversation 
 
 Evokes the elation 
 .\ cow might enjoy in a tree." 
 
 And so there was naturallv a tcndencv nwav 
 from this strictest forin of social life. One
 
 HISTORY OF (UiKATKi; IXDIAXArOUS. 
 
 49; 
 
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 4!J8 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEE IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 line of relief was found in music, not indeed 
 of the Jiighest order, but it would not have been 
 amusement if it had been, for that sort of 
 music means work. Tlie singing school was 
 instituted at tlie beginning, in the old log 
 school house at Kentucky avenue and Wash- 
 ington street, and was kept up under various 
 auspices for many years. It was devoted 
 largely to church music, but it was a recog- 
 nized amusement as it has been everywhere in 
 the country. The principal secular music was 
 rounds, or catches, among which "Scotland's 
 burning"", and "Three Blind Mice" were not- 
 able favorites. It is surprising that, with the 
 start they have had on church music, the 
 American people do not sing more than they 
 do. ^lost of them enjoy it, and will join in 
 a song at a religious or political meeting with 
 pleasui-e. if they have any conception of the 
 air or the words, and yet social singing, for 
 entertainment is comparatively rare. When 
 they asst'udile for a musical entertainment it 
 is for tlie purpose of hearing one or more 
 persons sing at a mark. Outside of colleges, 
 jovial chorus singing is a rarity. Possibly 
 the reason of it is that in our intellectual de- 
 veloimient "guying" has been developed to an 
 abnormal extent, and consequently the average 
 American hesitates to undertake anything un- 
 less he thinks lie can escape sarcastic comment ; 
 and tliat is a high standard for we have num- 
 bers of liright .\mericans who, if they ever get 
 to heaven, and hear the angels will assert that 
 they "flatted terribly"', if not something more 
 unkind. 
 
 But there \va>^ quite a litllc music of a so- 
 cial cliaracter in Indianapolis, in the small 
 sets, for music was always taught in tlie schools, 
 and individuals here and there gained amateur 
 acquaintance with various instruments. "Mrs. 
 Tlios. Elliott CMaria Peaslee) informs me tliat 
 at the beginning of tlie fifties music was i|uitt' 
 a social feature. Among others Dr. Rdbert 
 Mcriure played the guitar. John and James 
 l~)iiiilap tlie violin, George Hunt (tlie dentist) 
 the banjo, and Washinirton Pc-aslcr tlie comet. 
 Several of tlie youns; ladies plaved the piano, 
 and iiearlv evervbodv joined in s'liKing such 
 popular songs as "Ben Bolt", "The Pirate's 
 Serenade". ".\ Life on the Ocean Wave". "Lilv 
 Dale"". "Old Dan Tucker"'. "Rocked in the 
 Cradle of the Drop"", and Mv-;, Boltoi,"< "Pad- 
 dle "^'onr Own Canoe'". Ami llicrr were other 
 
 dixersious. The church social and the church 
 supper came into popularity. The ehuTch fair 
 sprang up, and notwithstanding the croaking of 
 the unregenerate at the lottery features of the 
 "grab bag"', and "Rebekah at the Well"" it 
 lias persisted and grown to this day. And then 
 there were a number of games that were con- 
 ceded to be innocuous. All sorts of guessing 
 games were popular, but most of all "charade?"", 
 which in addition to their intrinsic merit liad 
 the attraction of English fashion. 
 
 The most notable blow at the old liarriers 
 came in with Governor Wright's receptions. 
 Governor Whitcomb undertook to entertain 
 with quite elaborate refreshments, which were 
 furnished by Parisette, the popular confec- 
 tioner and caterer of the period, and in conse- 
 quence his guests were invited, and rather 
 limited. This caused criticism among the 
 alisentees : and Governor Wright, who was 
 strong on Democratic principles and agricul- 
 ture, substituted a series of public receptions, 
 to which a general invitation was extended. 
 'Hie Goveraor's House — the one in which all 
 the governors lived for over twenty years — oc- 
 cupied the eastern part of the present south 
 end of the car sheds of the Traction and Ter- 
 minal Station. The main entrance was from 
 ^farket street to a hall on the east side of the 
 house, and on the left were the double parlors, 
 connecting with the hall at side and rear. 
 .\t the back of the hall, behind the stair- 
 case stood a table laden with red apples, to 
 which the guests helped themselves, on the 
 cafeteria basis. Here it was that "the prome- 
 nade"' came into existence. Society grew weary 
 of conversation seated or standing. It sought 
 relief in motion. A couple st.arted on a prog- 
 ress through the rooms, back through the hall, 
 and through the rooms again. Others fell 
 in, and soon a veritable procession would be 
 circling around. It was a great invention. It 
 had all the display capabilities of a refined 
 cake-walk, and was a delightfully wicked a|i- 
 proach to a grand march. The promenade came 
 to stay for a long time, and indeed traces of 
 it may be noted in many gatherings of the 
 present. 
 
 Tlie Civil War was a great social amalga- 
 mator. Governor ^forton enlisted societv to 
 help care for the soldier, and the Sanitarv 
 Fair became the social feature of tlie iieriod. 
 \'\'lien Oovernor ^forton m-nle lii-: appeal ""T i 
 
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 liisruiiv uF c;i;i:.\ti:r ]XDiAy.\i'OT.T,> 
 
 4!)!) 
 
 ilie Patridtir Women of Indiana", on October 
 10. lS(il, liL' n>kod only for donations of sur- 
 plus blankets, woolen shirts, drawers, gloves 
 and socks, and that the women then undertake 
 'i'.e manufacture of more. He said: "The sew- 
 ing societies of our churches have a wide ticld 
 for exertion, wider and grander than thev 
 will ever find again. Will they not give their 
 associations for a time to this beneficent ob- 
 ject? The niunerons female benevolent so- 
 cieties, by giving their energies and organiza- 
 tions to this work, can speedily provide the 
 necessary supply. 'Let women through the 
 country, who have no opportunity to .join such 
 as-iociations. ennilato each other in their laljors. 
 ai<(l see wlio shall ilo most for their country and 
 its defenders in this hour of trial." Tliere was 
 no need of a second appeal to the women whose 
 sons, brothers and sweethearts had gone to the 
 front. The response was so ])rompt and so 
 liberal that before the winter was over notice 
 was given that tlx' sup])ly was sullicient."' But 
 the demand continued and broadened to cover 
 medicines anil delicacies for the sick and 
 wounded, and to i)rovide for the families of 
 soldiers. The ex])erience of the women with 
 church fairs had taught them that the most 
 etl'ective way to accom])lish results was to pi-o- 
 vide some sort of entertainment for tlie men. 
 and coax the needed funds from them. Ami 
 so the sanitary fair was evolved. Says Ter- 
 rell: "One ])rolific source of the supply of 
 money as well as of goods, was the 'fairs', 
 which, for the last two years of the war, con- 
 stituted a feature of social life that a stranger 
 juight have easily mistaken for a fixed na- 
 tional habit. Xeighborhood fairs, county fairs, 
 state fairs, were constantly soliciting ])ublic 
 attention in one quarter or another of the 
 wlude country, and nowhere more generally or 
 successfully than in Indiana. It is true we 
 had no gigantic displays like those of Chicago 
 or Philadelphia, for we were working only in 
 a humble way, and depending solely upon our- 
 selves : but the aggregate results make as 
 creditable a showing as anv state can boast. 
 * * * The State Sanitary Fair held at In- 
 dianapolis, in the fall of 18(33, at the time of 
 the State .Vgricidtuial Fair, was eminently 
 
 '" Terrell's I'epoi't. Imliiniii in the llv/c, Yol. 
 1. p. 310. 
 
 successful. The ])roceeds amounted to about 
 forty thousand dollars." " 
 
 This first fair at Indianapolis, called at the 
 time the "Ladies' Soldiers' Aid Festival" was 
 held November 18-2.3, 1863. at the Skating 
 ]?ink. and was the great social event of the 
 winter, though no social lines were dra\ni. 
 Women who had never met socially found them- 
 selves shoulder to shoulder in a common cause. 
 They found that when it came to working the 
 men "the Eternal Feminine'" ran through all 
 of them. Staid church matrons found among 
 fri\olous society women some of the most etfi- 
 cient workers, and the society women found 
 that their sisters were not at all slow. There 
 had been numerous donations to the fair, of 
 all sorts of articles, and every one of them was 
 rattled olf, the prize list being almost as long as 
 that of the Louisiana Tjottery. Moreover there 
 Avere charades, and tableaux vivants, and other 
 attractions of a near-theater character. 
 
 Li 18fi4 the mix-up was much more strik- 
 ing, for the opening attraction of the fair 
 was an address by Bishop Ames, and the clos- 
 ing one. on October 7, was a fancy dress ball. 
 In the notice of the ball it is explained at 
 some length that an erroneous impression has 
 got out that it is to be a masque ball, but that 
 in fact nobody in masque will be admitted. 
 Moreover, in the course of the year an ama- 
 teur dramatic association had been formed, 
 with Mr. ?]dwin A. Davis, editor of the /i'<- 
 viM'd Sliilutcs nf 1S70. at its head, and it 
 contributed to the entertainments of the fair 
 during the week, the plays "Money"', "The 
 Serious Family", "Used Tji". "Box and Cox". 
 and "The Limerick Boy", .\iniing the char- 
 acters that attracted special commi'Tidation 
 were ifr. Davis, as "Aniiiiadab". Mrs. Fred 
 Baggs as "Lady Sowerliy Creamly", and ^[r. 
 and Mrs. John S. Tarkington (parents of 
 Booth Tarkington) as "^fr. and Mrs. Torrens" 
 in "The Serious Family"; Professor Wheeler 
 as "Sir Charles Coldstream", and Cai)taiu Hill 
 as "Ironbrace" in "Fsed Up": Oscar Stone 
 as "Stout" in "Money"; and Ezekiel McDon- 
 ald a< "Paddy Afiles' Boy". Later additions 
 to the club were Afajor Thatcher, Coleman P.. 
 ("Tad") Patterson,' W. H. McCurdy. .Tohn 
 Pomeroy, Austin H. Brown, ^frs. .\bby (^a<ly. 
 Mrs. Stephenson and Mrs. Houston. 
 
 'fiKtidi 
 
 Ihr W'lr. Vol. 1. 
 
 326.
 
 n 
 
 500 
 
 HIST()i;V OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOUS. 
 
 In 1865 tlif fsociety came ou again with 
 "Still Waters Run Deep" and some smaller ef- 
 forts, and the fame of the performers spread 
 abroad to such an extent that they were in- 
 vited to Terre Haute, to give a performance 
 there. Of course all this did not go on with- 
 out attracting some notice in church circles, 
 and one incident connected with it is notable 
 as illustrating the changing sentiment of the 
 time. ;Mrs. Fred Baggs, who had attracted at- 
 tention by her histrionic abilitj', was a promi- 
 nent member of Roberts Chapel, and two or 
 three of the older ladies of the church who 
 were not reconciled to such "goings on" thought 
 she ought to be brought before the official 
 board, and persuaded one of the members to 
 bring the matter up. It is probable that no 
 proposal for discipline ever caused more con- 
 sternation in an Indianapolis church board. 
 The members were all ao£;ressive Union men, 
 who felt that it was hardly possible to do too 
 much for the soldiers and their families, and, 
 moreovei-. Sister Baggs ;\-as too earnest and 
 effective a factor in church and Sunday School 
 work to be lightly assailed. There was some 
 discussion of the matter, in a spirit of disap- 
 probation, nnd then Jlr. Baggs, who was a 
 member of the honrd, arose and asked to be 
 heard. He quietly took the full responsibility 
 upon himself, saying that his wife had takeii 
 no step without con.«ulting him, and thiit he 
 had told her, if she could do anything to hdn 
 the soldiers and their families, to go ahead. 
 If the brethren felt that he had done wrong, 
 his resignation as a class leader and m mem- 
 ber of the board was at their command. Then 
 John W. Ray. who had been restraining liim- 
 self with difficulty, arose and stated that he 
 thought such a proposal a disgrace to the 
 church, and moved that all mention of it lie 
 eliminated from the board minutes, which was 
 duly done. .'\nd there the matter ended. 
 
 Tlie dramatical entertainments went on. and 
 in fair week. 1868, "The Drummer Bov of 
 Shiloh" was given, for the benefit of soldiers' 
 widows and orphans, by "two hundred ladies 
 and gentlemen of Indianapolis". And thereby 
 hangs a tale. In the winter of lS.")8-0. the 
 new ^fetropolifan Tlieater was not doing very 
 much business, owing chiefly to the hostile at- 
 titude of the churches towards theaters, al- 
 thousrh it had some high grade attractions — 
 Haekett, the Florenc.es, Adah Isaacs "Nrenken, 
 
 Matilda Heron, and others. At the same time 
 the Widows and Orphans Society got short of 
 funds. Mr. Sherlock, the manager of the thea- 
 ter, was struck with the happy thought of ten- 
 dering a benefit to the society, and did so. 
 The society considered the matter; consulted 
 with its brothers, and its cousins, and its un- 
 cles; and then published a card declining the 
 offer on the ground that it "could not accept 
 money from such sources". The Journal, be- 
 ing on a low moral plane, was reckless enough 
 to criticise this position in an editorial leader. 
 Then Rev. George P. Tindall took up cudgels 
 for the society in a lengthy communication, 
 and the Journal undertook to demonstrate that 
 the Reverend George did not know what he was 
 talking about. But Tindall belonged to the 
 ehurch militant, and was not to be intimi- 
 dated. On January 2T, 1859, he fired a ser- 
 mon at the theater that set the whole town to 
 talking. One of the actors replied to this from 
 the stage, and then the entire church popti- 
 lation mixed in. On February 6, Mr. Tindall 
 repeated his sermon, by invitation, at Wesley 
 Chapel, Methodist church; and on February Vl 
 the Locomotive published it in full, at the re- 
 quest of several citizens, at the same time 
 charitably charging that the Journal and the 
 Sentinel, which had sided with its political 
 foe in this matter, were subsidized by the theat- 
 rical octopus. By this time the situation was 
 getting so warm that the yellow press sub- 
 sided, and left Tindall and the society in pos- 
 session of the field. 
 
 Ten years later, when The Drummer Boy of 
 Shiloh was put on the boards, the night of 
 October 1 was set aside for a special benefit 
 to the Orphan Asylum ; and Widows and Or- 
 phans Society accepted the proceeds without 
 a murmur. On October 7. in its notice of 
 the last performance of the play, the Journal. 
 which had evidently been nursing its wrath all 
 these years, stated that "curiosity has 
 trittmphed over prejudice so far in this city 
 that each night large and brilliant audiences 
 have assembled v.ithin the rink to patronize a 
 noble charity". In fact Berry Sulgrove never 
 got over the affair, and in his history he refers 
 to it twice, with scorn and contempt breathing 
 from his words.'- 
 
 While all iliis was gniuij on at honn". manv 
 
 ^"Jfiyl. / luliiuiiipdlis. ]ip. 01. "^liO.
 
 HISTOKY OF GEEATKi; 1 NIII AXAI'ol.IS. 
 
 501 
 
 nl the church boys were learuiug to phiy car(l> 
 111 the army — happy those who learned noth- 
 ing worse! And tlicy were learning that card- 
 playing did not necessarily involve gambling. 
 'I'herc were, of course, abundant opportunities 
 r gambling if one had any desire for it, and 
 
 icy were not restricted to cards. Comrade 
 Harry Adams relates an instructive legend of 
 
 III' of the boys who started a chuck-a-luck 
 
 imc while his regiment was at New Orleans. 
 I or counters he used a bo.\ of buttons, ]iur- 
 . based of a cheap-clothing man wlio solemnly 
 assured him that there were no other buttons 
 like them in the city. But one day one of 
 the players held out a button, and succeeded 
 111 matching it: whereupon he invested in a 
 I" IX. and at the first opportunity ran them in 
 "11 the unsusjK'cting chuck-a-luck man. The 
 \i>tim noticed nothing imusual until he closed 
 
 IS game and undertook to ])ut away the but- 
 
 'iis in the original box, in which he ke[)t 
 them. With bulging eyes he viewed the pile 
 nf buttons around the overflowing box, and 
 then in astonisliment and despair ejaculated. 
 "Mv Crod I llow that box have shrank!" 
 
 Tuquestionably the candid historian of 1870, 
 lixiking back over the past decade, would have 
 ui admit that Satan had made some very se- 
 ri'>us breaches in the old church barriers. And 
 \rt it is not apparent that the church was at 
 all damaged, for these were theological rather 
 I ban religious barriers, and from the viewpoint 
 I'i this age the church in the last century gave 
 undue attention to theology, notwithstanding 
 its many unquestionable virtues. Every sect 
 "rnt about with a tbeoloffical chip on its shoul- 
 der, and the jneserved sermons and other ]iuli- 
 lications give one tlie impression that a large 
 amount of the satisfaction of religion was 
 found in the theological Donnybrook. And the 
 most singular feature of it all was that no- 
 body seemed to realize that practically all of 
 ibcsc controverted theological positions were 
 • ■ased not on e\i)ress teachings of the scriptures 
 I'ut on human deductions from them, and espe- 
 
 ially on deductions from the writings of Paul. 
 
 in which", as good old St. Peter himself said, 
 "are .some things hard to be understood, which 
 thi'y that are unlearned and unstable wrest, a" 
 tbi-y do also the other Scrii)tures, unto their 
 own destruction", 'i'lie last century ]ireacbi'r. 
 )il<c Hiuliliras, 
 
 "Was iu logic quite a critic. 
 Profoundly skilled in analytic; 
 He could distinguish and divide 
 A hair twixt Xorth and Xorthwest side." 
 
 And yet, trained logicians as they were, no- 
 body grasped the evident fact that'everv dog- 
 matic theological position that is based on de- 
 duction involves the implied absurd premise 
 that the finite mind can fathom the inlinite. 
 A popular old time formula for demonstrating 
 the supremacy of logic was the proposition tliat 
 "(Jod, himself, could not make two hills with- 
 out a valley between them". But in reality the 
 world is full of disproof of this statement, con- 
 clusive as it may seem. There is no valley be- 
 tween Bunker Hill and the Mount of oiives. 
 There is no valley between hills rising from a 
 common plain, like the buttes of the Bad 
 Lands. And we may indulge the presumption 
 that almighty wisdom and power might find 
 other modes of (lecompli.shing this allegetl im- 
 possibility. To illustrate the old church sit- 
 uation the command, "Thou shalt not steal", 
 is express and plain. There was never any sw- 
 tarian controversy about it. nor even any indi- 
 vidual difference of opinion, though it ha.s l)een 
 charged in more recent times that ministers 
 of wealthy congregations have sought to ajiolo- 
 gize for some of the refined modern methoils 
 of larceny. Ivpuilly explicit is the promise. 
 "He that iielieveth and is baptized shall be 
 saved", and all sects admit it; but when you 
 pass to the time and exact mode of baptism 
 you find all shades of creedal position, ba.sed 
 on deduction, from the Quaker doctrine that, 
 water-baptism is not essential at all to the 
 hundred and one specifications of the proper 
 form for the sacrament. It is |)erfcctly .'^afe 
 to say that in the last century there was ten 
 times as much discussion of the mode of bap- 
 tism as there was of the sinfulness of steal- 
 ing. 
 
 For his timi\ 1 presinne there was no evan- 
 gelical preacher who had more of what is 
 Tailed liberalitv than Henry Ward Bi<echer; 
 but it is a far cry from his "t^ectures te> Young 
 :^ren". delivered" in this city in 1844. to the 
 common church sentiment of today as to annisi^ 
 ments. For theater-going his denunciation was 
 as unsparing as of gambling, and dishonesty, 
 thoufrh he maintained that Shakespeare was 
 not so impure as Bulwer. Of dancing he said
 
 502 
 
 lIISTUUr OF GIJEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 nothing except an incidental coiulciiuiation of 
 Ijroniit^cuous pul)lic ballr:^. L'ai'(l-[)laying was 
 rel'erred to only as an introduction to ganiDlmg, 
 and in these words: "It begins thus: I'eepiug 
 into a bookstoi-e, he watches till the sober 
 customers go out ; then slijis in^ and with as- 
 sumed boldness, not concealing his shame, he 
 asks for cards, buys them, and hastens out. 
 'J'he first game is. to jiay for the cards. After 
 the relish of playing for a stake, no game can 
 satisfy tiiem without a stake.'" Just imagine 
 anyone buying a deck of cards in tliat style 
 toda}'. 
 
 There arc two recent expressions of senti- 
 ment that arc noteworthy. In the spring of 
 lilOS the question of teaching dancing in the 
 public schools was brought before the Protest- 
 ant .Ministers .\ssociat'on of Indianapolis. A 
 c(ninnittce was appointed to investigate, and 
 on .lune 1, 1908. it reported that the polka, 
 wait/, and other dancing steps were being taught 
 as a part of the physical training, btit the boys 
 and gii-ls were taught separately, the boys by 
 a nuile instructor and the girls by a female. On 
 these facts tliey reported this conclusion : ''We 
 believe that the object aimed at by the physical 
 culture teaching and training in our schools 
 is the development of otir boys and girls into 
 strong, graceful and healthy young men and 
 women, and with this purpose we are in fullest 
 accord. We are likewise in entire agreement 
 wdth the .school authorities in the belief that 
 Indianapolis deserves and must have the very 
 best system possible to bring about this desired 
 end, but we caution and urge those in charge 
 of the work to see to it that they do not either 
 by direct teaching or by simple suggestion 
 create in the mind of the child a desire that 
 can find satisfaction only in the ballroom." 
 
 This was comjiarativcly easy, and was adopt- 
 ed without serious opposition, btit one brother 
 \vas not satisfied as to the high school gather- 
 ings, at which the boys and girls danced to- 
 gether, and which, by the way, they had been 
 doing for a number of vears without attracting 
 any comment. He offered this resolution: ''Be- 
 lieving that the modern dance is a subtle foe 
 to the highest and best development of our 
 young people during the formative years of 
 adolescence, we hereby express our conviction 
 that dancing should not be permitted at the 
 .social functions of our high schools." This 
 presented a miu-h more ])erplexing ])rohlem, but 
 
 after discussion the resolution was lost by the 
 narrow margin of a vote of '2i to 22. i'mm 
 a purely liistorical point of view, it is hardly 
 i|uesti(inaljle that similar action by a similar 
 body, sixty years ago, would have caused a 
 lunnber of ministers to be requested to listeu 
 f<u- a call to some other locality. The second 
 incident was the presentation of the matter of 
 the introduction of billiard and pool tables in 
 the new Y. M. C. A. building wiiieh came up 
 on February Vv^, liiO'i, at the '.Methodist .Minis- 
 ters Association. After a brief discussion, a 
 resolution was adopted by an almost unani- 
 mous vote, "that it is the sense of this meeting 
 that we as ilethodist ministei-s heartily ap- 
 prove of the action of the Y. il. C. A. in seek- 
 ing to bring to young men healthf\il and sane 
 lecreation"'. 
 
 It is noteworthy that while there have been 
 concessions in social customs from the church 
 side, there have been others of really greater 
 importance from the other side. One of the 
 most striking of these is the social use of in- 
 toxicating li(|Uors. In 1883. llev. Thomas A. 
 (ioodwin wi'ote, and without exaggeration, 
 "Fifty years ago social drinking was common; 
 today there is but little of it. The sideboard 
 of the rich is not decorated with cut-glass de- 
 canters, and the cupboard of the poor does not 
 contain the jug or big-bellied bottle of fifty 
 vears ago ; and the mert'hanfs counting-room 
 has no barrel on tap for the gratuitous use of 
 customers. Fifty years ago members of 
 churches drank as others drank, and preachers 
 drank also : and drunken lawyers, and drunken 
 doctors, and drunken school-teachers abounded, 
 and drunken preachers were not wholly want- 
 ing. Fifty years ago good men engaged in the 
 traffic, lint all this is changed."'^ And it is 
 a fact that athei.sm and other forms of hos- 
 tility to Christianity have last much of the 
 aggressiveness and respectability that they bad 
 fifty years ago. They have been wrecked on 
 American common sense, which says to the free- 
 thinker, "Suppose vou are right. Sujipose 
 Christianity is a mere delusion. What ditl'cr- 
 ence does it make to you? It is doing no harm. 
 and it is causing thousands of people to lie- 
 come better citizens. It is lessening crime and; 
 wrong-doing of every kind. Y'ou profess to 
 
 ^"Srrri/ti/-s;ir Years' Tussle irilh Ike Trnf- 
 jir. p. ;u.
 
 iii.^i"oi;v OF GRKA'iKi; in;di.\\.\1'oi,is. 
 
 .-.(K! 
 
 belk've ill frut' thought. Why then do you coin- 
 bat the belief of others when that belief is not 
 hiu-iiiful?'" And so aggressive free-thought is 
 not popular — it is not considered good form 
 in polite society. Even the brilliant eloquence 
 of Bob Tiigersoll was elfective only to give it a 
 brief teiiipiirary standing. Free thought still 
 exists, in alnuulanee, but it is far more tolerant 
 than it was. Even our free-thinking Uernians 
 have very little of tiie aggressive characteristics 
 of their fathers. 
 
 The evident fact is that we have been amal- 
 gamating socially and morally as we have i-a- 
 cially; and as communities and nations have 
 alwavs done from the beginning. We have 
 been rubbing the rongh corners oft' each other, 
 and bori-owing some characteristics one of an- 
 other. And in the matter of social amusements 
 the tendency has been steadily towards the 
 standard set by St. Paul concerning meat sac- 
 rificed to idols. It is a waste of time to hunt 
 up excuses for amusements. People do not 
 dance or play l)illiards for exercise; they do 
 not play cards or go to the theater for instruc- 
 tion, thev do these things for recreation, and 
 the desire for recreation is just as firmly im- 
 
 planted in mankind by the power that made 
 us as any other passion. It characterizes all 
 the higher animals, and it is not confined to 
 lambs and colts. You may sec an old, spavined, 
 wind-broken hoi-se prance about and kick up 
 his heels in a ])eriod of temporary good-feeling. 
 It is iiseless to attem])t to persuade or compel 
 mankind to abandon what is natural. The ut- 
 most that can be done is to restrict natural 
 propensities to rational and liarmless liounds. 
 .Vnd are the changes that have come in these 
 matters here beneficial or detrimental? As to 
 that von are confronted by these considerations: 
 If you do not believe in Divine guidance in 
 worldly affairs, to say that the change is not 
 beneficial is to say that our civilization is a 
 failure. If you do believe in Divine guidance, 
 to say that the change is not beneficial is to 
 question the success of the Almighty in attain- 
 ing His pur])0.scs. And whatever your belief,- 
 vou may rejoice in the growing realization that 
 "nobody is obliged to solve all the mysteries of 
 the Divine plan, or to lay down with specific 
 exactness the lines on which individual souls 
 will be saved or lost.
 
 CHAPTER XXXIX. 
 
 THE LITERAKY ATMOSPHERE. 
 
 The muses must have lurked in the forest 
 where Indianapolis now stands, for the 
 tendency to poetiy as well as prose composi- 
 tion was manifest from the first. At the first 
 election, in 1822, not only did Morris ]\rorris 
 issue a "pamphlet" or hand bill, but his op- 
 jjonent for County Clerk, James M. Ray, was 
 the ob.ject of a poetic eulog-y including the 
 lines — 
 
 "Full many a Jem of purest Ray serene 
 The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear. "^ 
 
 Prom that time on there were occasional 
 orisinal contributions in the newspapers, and 
 occasionally somethin<i' like Dr. Cool's ode to 
 Dr. Coe, which did not get into the news- 
 papers. These efforts were seldom classic, 
 and in the earlier period reached their high- 
 est point in "The Hoosier's Nest," by John 
 Finley, of Richmond, which appeared as the 
 New Years Address of the JnuDial, in 1833. 
 It has been supposed that this was the fii'st 
 use of the word "Hoosier" in print, but it 
 occui-s in the "carrier's address" of the 
 Democrat .iust one year earlier, where, in ad- 
 vising the legislature as to its attitude towards 
 Congress, it says : 
 
 "In favor much of lai-ge donations 
 Ask for our hoosiei's' good jilantatidus. 
 Urging each scheme of graduation 
 As justice to the cominon nation." - 
 
 But by this time Indianapolis had acquired 
 a resident poetess. Nathaniel Bolton, who 
 had been associated with (ieorge Smith on the 
 
 ^News, May 10. 24, 1879. 
 ^Democrat. January 3, 1832. 
 
 Gazette, the first paper of the new town, haa 
 met at JMadison, Sarah T. Barrett, a young 
 girl who was attracting more than lucal no- 
 tice by her poems. She was of New Jersey 
 and Pennsylvania parents who came west and 
 located on a farm near Vernon, when she was 
 a small child. Later her father moved to 
 Madison, to give his children some education. 
 Sarah was already proficient in the ails of 
 frontier housewifery, and she rapidly mas- 
 tered the learning of the schools. From the 
 age of fourteen she was composing almost 
 continuously. On October 15, 1831, she mar- 
 ried ^Ir. Bolton and they located at Indian- 
 apolis, living first for two years at their Mt. 
 Jackson farm, where the Insane Hospital is 
 now, and then for three years in town, where 
 ]\Ir. Bolton edited the D< mocrat. 
 
 In 1836, having met financial reverses, they 
 returned to the farm and opened a tavern, 
 where for nine years they labored to better 
 their circumstances and save tlieir farm. Mrs. 
 Bolton during this time was usually "her own 
 housekeeper, chambei'-maid and cook, besides 
 superintending a dairy of ten cows, caring 
 for the milk, and making large quantities of 
 butter and cheese for the market." But little 
 things like these did not sour her disposition, 
 or interfei-e -with her social and literary life. 
 Vivacious and aft'ahli\ she was known to her 
 intinmtes as "Tittle." which was her middle 
 name: and she was always a social magnet. 
 The Bolton tavern became the great resort for 
 parties of young people from the town, and 
 there were always parties triven there for the 
 members of the Oeneral Assembly during its 
 sessions. Nor did the Boltons miss any of the 
 town functions. If the weather was bad she 
 would come in to the i-esidence of Nathaniel 
 Cox, and there don her party fin(M'y. Society 
 
 504
 
 HISTORY OF OREA'I'Ki; I N DlA.NAl'ol.ls. 
 
 505 
 
 then was largely on an inti'llrctiial basis, aini 
 she won the respeet and friendship of most of 
 (he jiroiiiinent men of the state. In fact, it 
 was a.s mueh due to her as her husband tliat 
 he was eleeted State Librai'iaii by the legis- 
 lature of ISiil over -lohii H. Dillon— in the 
 election two votes were cast for her. The 
 office was of no material financial value, hav- 
 ing a small salary and no perquisites but 
 work, as the librai-iau wa.s custodian of tli'- 
 '•ai)itol. ^Irs. Bolton helpetl in all depart- 
 ments of the new office; iind it fell to her 1o 
 si'w the cai'jx'ts for the Hou.se and Senate 
 chambei's when they were retitted in 1851 for 
 the assend)ly of tlie governors of the western 
 states, on invitation of Gov. Wright. It was 
 during the week or nioi-e of this sewing that 
 she composed ""rMdille Your Own C'anoe."' 
 which was set to music and was for some 
 years a veiy jiopular song. 
 
 ^Irs. Bolton's intei'csts were not merelx' 
 domestic, social and literary. She took an in- 
 telligent ]iart in polities as well. She was a 
 Democrat, and maintain(>d her faith in both 
 prose and vensc; but she laboi'cd for reforms 
 as well as i)arty victory. Robert Dale Owen 
 gets the credit for Indiana's early legislation 
 for the separate property rights of women, 
 and deserves much of it : but Jli-s. Bolton, 
 while he was making the notable tight in the 
 constitutional convention of 1851, was "writ- 
 ing articles setting forth the grievances re- 
 sulting from woman's status, as under the 
 i-onniion law. and the necessity of reform; and 
 scattering these articles through the newspa- 
 l)ers .over the state to make public o|)inion."' 
 The fight did not win in the convention, but 
 it did latrr in the legislature. The women 
 first showed their spirit in this cause, by pre- 
 senting Ml'. Owen a silver pitcher, on May 28. 
 1851, through an organized movement of 
 which Mrs. Bolton and ^Irs. Briseilla Drake 
 were the movinii spii'its.' It was just at this 
 time that the "Bloomer"' costume was at- 
 tracting the I'idicule of the country, and even 
 rational recognition of women's I'ights fell 
 undei- the Lreneral condemnation, but the fight 
 went on. 1 have before nie a letter of Robert 
 
 Dale Owen to Mrs. Bolton, of July 6. 1851. in 
 which, referring to this matter, he says: "It 
 must be confessed that the whole atVair has 
 been eminen'tly successful, and i)romises to 
 leave behind it important results. To whom 
 the ci-edit is due of effecting these I, at least, 
 know, if the public does not. I think it will 
 always be a pleasant refiection to you that by 
 dint of perseverance through many obstacles, 
 you have so efficiently contributed to the good 
 cause of the pro|)ert.v i-ights of your sex.""' 
 Indianapolis was always fortunate in its 
 women of intellect and high character who 
 wielded an infiuence for its uplift, and nat- 
 urally there were some of especial prominence. 
 Contemporaiy with Mre. Bolton and Mrs. 
 Drake— who was a notably intellectual woman 
 — was Mrs. Zerelda (i. W.dlace. She was one 
 of "the beautifid Sanders girls"— the five 
 daughters of Dr. John H. Sanders, who came 
 here from Kentucky in 1829 and was one of 
 the leading physicians of the place. He built 
 the hou.se at ]\Iarket and Illinois streets that 
 was later purchased by the state and wjis for 
 .vears the residence of the governors. Zerelda, 
 the eldest, at the age of nineteen, became the 
 second wife of Oov. David Wallace, on De- 
 cend)er 26, 18:^(). The othei-s became Mrs. 
 ^IcCrea, of New Oi-leans; Mrs. Kobei-t B. 
 Duncan. Mrs. David S. Beatty. and the 
 youngest the wife of Dr. Richard J. (Jailing, 
 inventor of the (iatling gun. Mi-s. Wallace 
 was a thoroughly domestic wonum. devoted to 
 her family, as testified by her step-son, Oen. 
 Lew Wallace." but her (jomesticity extended 
 to intelli'ctual affairs, and she joined its critic 
 and student in the labors of her husbaiul and 
 the education of the childi'cn.' She took an 
 interest in iiolilics when yotuig. but did not 
 participate publicly until pa.st three-score, 
 when .she became noted as a teniperanc<' 
 .speaker, and still later, on account of 
 woman's lack of infiuence for tempi'rance. a 
 champion of wonuui's sutVraire. My father 
 told me that the strongest temi)erance speech 
 he ever heard was in the nature of a sermon, 
 bv Mrs. Wallace, on the moral responsibility 
 
 ■''Mrs. Bolton's letter, in Woollen's Bio;/. 
 mid irist. W,c/c//rN, p. 2'l(;. 
 
 * The speeches are in f\dl in the Srnlintl. 
 'Sluv -MK Mmv :!1. June 3, 1851. 
 
 ''This letter is owned by .Mrs. Chapin C. 
 Foster. As to ]Mrs. Bolton see Jounuil, Feb- 
 ruary 22, 1880. 
 
 '^ Atiiohiofji-'iiilni. Vol. 1, p. 46. 
 
 'Jouniiil.'yhxy 17. 1884.
 
 "lOi; 
 
 iiis'i'oin' oi-' (;i;ka'1'ki!. ixiuaxai'oi.is. 
 
 i^ 
 
 of the foiiiiiiiiiiity f(ir the lieeiise system, in 
 which she took for a text Exodns 21, 2S and 
 29: "If an ox s'oi'e a man oi' a woman, that 
 they die: then the ox shall be sui-ely stoned, 
 and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owii- 
 ei- of the ox shall be quit. But if the i!.\ 
 were wont to push with his hoi'u in time past, 
 and it hath been testified to his owner, and 
 he hath not kept him in, but that he hath 
 killed a man or a woman : the ox shall be 
 stoned, and his owner also shall be put to 
 death." 
 
 In the period sinee the wai- the intellectual 
 intliienee of woman lias bi*en largelv exercised 
 
 in a memorial volume that liears its own 
 testimony to her ability. Mrs. Sewall was 
 put in various otifiees of honor and trust, 
 reaching' finally the international stage. She 
 was president of the National Council of 
 Women from 1801 to 1S99, and president of 
 the Intei-national Council of AVomen from 
 1899 to 1904, besides representing- the p}Y- 
 ernment at several foreign expositions and 
 i-oneresses. Although not at all similar. Imtli 
 wi'i-e charming socially, and both left a last- 
 ing impress on Indianapolis. It may be added 
 that Mrs. Sewall edit(Ml the "women's page" 
 r{ Till Siiiiilm/ Tinns while that paper ex- 
 
 THE PROPYLAEUM. 
 
 through the numerous literary clubs. The 
 fii-st of these was the Hesperian, which prob- 
 ably attracted public notice most because it 
 made an excursion to Mammoth Cave, and 
 the member delegated as historian of the 
 event wrote that it was "a very remarkable 
 curiosity, but badly out of repair." But the 
 club life g-ot past such crudities, and became 
 an intellectual force of vast importance. Of 
 the hundreds who have borne honorable part 
 in it, none will grud<i-e special mention of two 
 — :Miss Catherine Merrill and ]\Irs. May 
 Wright Sewall. Both were teachers of rare 
 ability. v,-ho have left theii- direct impress on 
 many pupils now living. Both received not- 
 able recognition from their sisters. Miss 
 Merrill's admirers pi-eserved her literary work 
 
 isted, and at the same time Mrs. Florence 
 Atkinson edited that of the Sentinel. 
 
 Although the first two newspaper offices 
 were prepared for book work of plain char- 
 acter, there was little call for their services 
 in that line except for official publications, 
 and none of that till the coming of the gov- 
 ernment in 1825. Eev. J. C. Fletcher states 
 that "the first book of any consequence pub- 
 lished in central Indiana" was printed by 
 John Douglass at the Journal office in 1828. 
 and bore the title: "Polemic Discus-sions on 
 Four General Sub.jects, viz. I. On the unit.v 
 of the church in a lecture from AFatt. xxxvi, 
 18-20. II. Strictures oti the Independent 
 Scheme of Church (iovernment. III. .\ lec- 
 ture on the sub.iect of Covenanting, frmii
 
 ULSTOliY UF CiKEATKlt 1.\D1A.\A1'()1,1S. 
 
 507 
 
 I'salm IDo, ti-lO. 1\'. All ossiiy on Creeds 
 iiiid Confessions of Faith. By James Dun- 
 can."* There were, however, several similar 
 publieations l)efoi<' tliat time. On April ."). 
 1824. the Ccii.sur advertised: '"Just published 
 for the author and for sale at this office, 'The 
 Christian's Duty, Stated. Proved and Ap- 
 plied.' By Isaac Reed. A. .M." On :\rareh 
 1, 1825. the Jounidl advertised: "Just pul>- 
 lished at this office, and for sale at the stores 
 iif Jlr. Givan and .Mr. Ilawldns, A Discourse 
 on Baptism by the Uev. Benjamin Barnes." 
 On Sej)tember 1!). 1826, the Journal adver- 
 tised: "Just published and for .sale at this 
 office. Animadvei-sions on the principles of 
 the Xcw Harmony Societ.v, together with a 
 Dialogue lietweeu an Atheist and a Theist. 
 By James Duncan. Price 25 cents." Isaac 
 Keed was ;i Presbyterian ministei'. at that 
 time preachinu- at Bloomiiiirton and Indian- 
 apolis. JiJenjamin Barnes was a local Bapti.st 
 preacher, who was then serving the newly 
 organized Baptist congregation. For a nimi- 
 ber of years the literaiy product was theolog- 
 , ical, (ifficial anil political, outside of news- 
 paper articles. Xowland sa.vs that in 1832 
 Capt. John Cain "published a book of mis- 
 cellaneous poems, the first book of any kind, 
 with the exception of the laws of the state, 
 published in the place."" I find no contem- 
 porary mention of this, hut in 1832, Cain, who 
 was then postmaster, published "The Officer's 
 Guide and Farmers' ^Manual," a populai- 
 legal treatise on the duties of minor public 
 officers, with \o'j;i\ forms of various kinds, the 
 Declaration of [lulependence, state and na- 
 tional constitutions, etc. '" Books of this kind 
 had been published long before this. One 
 called "The Indiana Justice and Farmers' 
 Scrivener" is advertised in the oldest pre- 
 sei-A'cd copies of the Gazette, a.s published at 
 that office." 
 
 In fact, I find no evidence of the pulilica- 
 tion of anything on a purely literary basis 
 in a very early day. The earliest book of 
 original poeti-j- known to be published at In- 
 dianapolis was a somewhat pretentious effort 
 in the stvle of Lalla Rookh, entitled "Gul/.ar. 
 
 »A>(c,<(, August 1(5. 1879. 
 
 " Rrminiscencex, p. 200. 
 
 '"Democrat, October 13, December 29, 1832. 
 
 ''Gazette. June 8. 1824. 
 
 or the Rose Bower. A Tale of Persia." It 
 was published at the Sentiiul office, and was 
 by John S. Reid, of Fnion County, who used 
 to contribute poems occasionally to the Sen- 
 tinel. He had a "Jlouody on the Death of 
 Gen. Jackson" in its issue of July 9, 1845. 
 "Gulzar" was published that same summer, 
 and ill (piantities that exceeded the demand. 
 Thirty years later A. L. Hunt, the East 
 Washinutou street auctioneer, used to vary 
 the monotony of life by putting up a volume, 
 with "I will now give you an opportunity to 
 secure a copy of that thrilling poem. Guzzler, 
 or the Horse Power. How much, etc." In 
 1846 John I). Defrees published "The Olio," 
 a heterosireneous collection of prose stories, of 
 140 odd pages, "compiled and abridfred bv 
 i:n()ch -May," father of Kdwin May, the 
 architect of the State Iloii.se. In 1850 De- 
 frees also published in i)am])lilet "A Few 
 Poems," which were selections from current 
 verse. So far as I have been able 'to ascer- 
 tain, the Indianapolis original book product 
 ])rior to the Civil War was on a basis strictly 
 utilitarian, or at least intended so to he. 
 
 While hooks were scarce in the early days 
 as compared with the present, they were in 
 reach of the earnest seeker in Indianapolis 
 At the beginning of December, 1821. ^Irs. 
 F^letcher recorded in her diary: "Today I 
 fini.shed the Vicar of Wakefield," and "I com- 
 menced to read the life of Washington." On 
 December 27. 1821, she says: "^Mr. Fletcher 
 was readinir Kobert.son's History of Amer- 
 ica." On F'ebruaiy 12. 1823, she mentions 
 reading "The Honors of Oakendale Abbey, 
 a romance," and in January, 1824, speaks of 
 i-eceiviiig three copies of The Caskit, a popu- 
 lar magazine, which she en.ioyed. ^Ir. Fletch- 
 er also mentions in his diary, in 1821. read- 
 ing "the life of Daomon, who was hung in 
 Xew Albany this year, which I read without 
 much acquisition of knowledge." In Novem- 
 ber he speaks of readini.' "a novel called 
 Kmma. by some person unknown ;" and "on 
 the 20th of Xovember I commence<l Dun- 
 can's logic, which I have read once before." 
 .\nd again. "December 4. 1821. I began read- 
 in" the travels of Mungo Park in the interior 
 of" Africa." In 1879. R.'v. J. C. Fletcher 
 wrote: "Col. Blaki' (.lames) was the first 
 ill Indianapolis to have a non-iirofessional col- 
 lection of miscellaneous works that mii:lil be
 
 oOS 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIAXAPOl.i.s. 
 
 called a library. My father and IMr. Merrill 
 were next in the list cif literary works. ^Ir. 
 Merrill's beint;- the largest. Mrs. James 
 Blake informed me last summer that she still 
 possessed many of the volumes that hei" late 
 husband first brought with him to Indian- 
 apolis. Some of these books, such as a finely 
 illustrated edition of (Joldsmith's; Animated 
 Nature and the Arabian Nights Entertain- 
 ment, were the fii-st, except the Bible, read 
 to nie by my mother, that made an impres- 
 sion upon me. " ' - 
 
 ]\Ir. Fletcher mentions elsewhere, however, 
 that Harvey Gregtr had "2,700 volumes in 
 his library" when he came to Indianapolis in 
 1821, ^-^ and not all of these were law books. 
 And G. J. Johnston, with \vhom ]\Ir. (iregu 
 formed a partnership in lS'2'-i. also had (juite 
 a library, as shown by this advertisement 
 soon after: "Books Lost. Many of my books 
 have been taken out of Mr. Gregg's office 
 without leave or license, and have not been 
 returned; among others are the following: 
 2d and 12th vols. Johnson's Works, od vol. 
 Bingley's U.seful Knowledge, 3d vol. ^lassil- 
 lon Sermons, 1st vol. Gil Bla.s, 1st vol. Uni- 
 vei-sal History. I hope those who have them 
 or any other of my books, will please return 
 them immediately, as the sets are of no value 
 without them. Ga. J. Johnston." " At this 
 time 7nost of the books not bi-ought in by the 
 immigrant settlers were bought at Cincinnati, 
 but soon there began to be book auctions at 
 Indianapolis. The first of these recorded was 
 on January 13, 1825, "at the door of Wa.sh- 
 ington Hall," at which "political, historical 
 and miscellaneous works" were sold, and 
 "gentlemen who wish to become politicians 
 are requested to attend particularly."^'^ A 
 little later some books began to be carried in 
 the stocks of general stores. In July, 1829. 
 McCarty & Williams advertised a special con- 
 signment from Philadelphia, "at very re- 
 duced prices for cash." including "RoUin's 
 Ancient History : Sjiectator, new edition, in 
 2 volumes; Buck's Dictionary, gilt; Shakes- 
 peare's Plays. 8 vols.; History of England; 
 Godman's Natural Historv, in 3 volumes; 
 
 '■-Neu'S. April 4. 1879. 
 
 ".Veu's. June 14. 1879. 
 
 "Westeni Crnttor. November 24. 1823. 
 
 " Gazette. Januarv 11, 1825. 
 
 Wilson's Hymns; Songs in the Night; 
 Coquette; Peter Wilkins; Lady of the Lake; 
 Devil on two Sticks; with a great variety of 
 useful and interesting books too numerous to 
 be inserted in a newspaper advertisement." 
 
 It was not until 1833 that Indianapolis had 
 a regular Ixjokstore of its own. (3n June 1 
 of that year, Hubbard & Edmonds, of Cin- 
 i-innati, annimuced that they, in connection 
 with \V. E. Dunbar, had established a branch 
 store "near the Post Office, two doors west of 
 II. Porter & Co. 's store, where they oft'er for 
 .•^ale a general collection of books, and a good 
 assortment of stationery." This store was 
 known as "the Indianapolis Book Store," and 
 it advertised very freely from the start, 
 showing that practically all the books of the 
 (lay were on hand ; not only school books of 
 all kinds, law books, religious and standard 
 works, but also all the novels available. Miss 
 Austin's were among the first listed."* This 
 firm continued until August 1, 1834, when 
 Dunbar bought out the others and continued 
 the business himself until March 26. 1835. 
 The stock was then bought by M. il. Ilenkle, 
 who made additions to it and opened a store 
 "on Washington street 3 doors east of the 
 bank." It is notable that most of the books 
 sold in the West at this period were reprints 
 of European works and the classics. This 
 was jiartly due to the fact that there was 
 comparatively little American literature, and 
 partly to the fact that there was no copy- 
 right on such books, which were "pirated" 
 freely by American publishers and sold at 
 fairly low rates. On February 1, 1837, Wm. 
 G. Wiley announced a new book store "at the 
 storeroom lately occupied by B. I. Blythe & 
 Co. in Washington street, next door to H. 
 Porter's store." From that time competition 
 was brisk, and the supply of books for sale 
 good. On June 23, 1851, the Journal con- 
 gratulated its readers that. "We have in 
 Indianapolis, among our advantages, four 
 book stores, that will compare favorably with 
 those of any town in the west," and added 
 that "the condition of the book stores in a 
 place is a sure index to the iiitelligence of its 
 people." The booksellei-s at that time were 
 Ross & Ray, John O'Kane. C. B. Davis and 
 Samuel Jlerrill. 
 
 i 
 
 ^^Joiinial. June 15, 1833.
 
 niSToI.'V OF (;i!KATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 r.O!) 
 
 The first library in Indianapolis of a ])iil)- 
 lic character was the State Library, whii-li 
 was established in 1825" from "the books 
 now in the office of the Secretary of State, 
 together with such as may be added to tln' 
 collection in pursuance of this act, ov any 
 other law, or by donation, exchanj,'e or other- 
 wise." An appropriation of $oO was inadi- 
 for the purchase and bindinji: of books, and 
 $30 a year thereafter. This was increased in 
 1831 to .$100 a year, and thei-e were occasional 
 extra provisions, as an ordei- in 1833 for a 
 full set of Xiles Rcjrister. And on the same 
 date the Secretai-y of State was directed to 
 make no "expenditures of the Lilii-ai-y Fund 
 in the purchase of novels or i-ouiauces. "" '^ 
 This policy, which was strictly followed for 
 some yeare, resulted in the accjuisition of 
 some of the more notable publications of the 
 time that otherwi.se would nyt have been in 
 public reach. The library was in chartre of 
 the Secretary of State until 1841. wh(>ii it was 
 made a separate institution, and the iil)rarian 
 was made custodian of the state house and. 
 ijrounds. The pa.'-sage of this law was due 
 to John Cook, who became the firet librarian. 
 At this time the librai-y had about 2,000 vol 
 umcs, but it was a mixed law and ireneral 
 library, and continued to be so tmtil 18(i7. 
 when the law books were put in a separate 
 Jibrai-y under eharije of the Supreme Court. 
 
 Cook lasted three yeai's, and was followed 
 by Samuel P. Daniels for one year, after 
 which John B. Dillon, the historian, was 
 librarian for six years; Nathaniel Bolton for 
 three yeai-s, and Cordon Tanner foi- three 
 years. In this period tiie lilirai-y was reall.v 
 an inHuential factor in tlie inteljeetual life 
 of the eily. It enabled Henry Ward Beecher 
 to edit the Indiana Fiirnur and (hirdcno-. 
 He says: ""In the State Library were Lon- 
 don's works— his Encyclopedia of Horticul- 
 ture, of Agriculture, and of Architectui-e. 
 We fell upon them and for yeai-s almost 
 monopolized them. In our little one-story 
 cottaire, after the day's work was done, we 
 pored over these inonuinents of an almost 
 incrc(lil)le industry, and read, we suppo.se. 
 not only every line but much of it many times 
 over. • • * We have had Ion;.' discu-- 
 
 "Acts of 1825, p. 47. 
 "Acts 1833, p. 232, 240. 
 
 sions in that little bedroom at Indianapolis, 
 with Van ilors about i>eai-s, with Vibert aljoni 
 roses, with Thompson and Knight of fr\iits 
 and theories of vetretabie life, and with Lo\i- 
 ilon about cverythint; undei- the heavens in 
 the liorticultiii-al world. ■'"' .\nd Lew Wal- 
 lace wa.s eiiually benetitcd. I)ut in another 
 way, for he testiries of tliis libraiy: "In the 
 most impressionable pr-riod of my life I was 
 introduced to Washington Irving and Feni- 
 more Cooper, or, more plainly, to their works; 
 and I reveled in them, especially Cooper's, 
 whose subjects were iK^ttei- adai)ted to my 
 opening mind. For months and months after 
 that discoveiy my name figured on the receipt 
 i-egister of tlii> library more fre(|uently than 
 any other." -" 
 
 Wallace gives a good picture of the place— 
 "The library in the state-h(uise was .iust 
 across the rotimda from the executive office. 
 Two west windows, thougli fre(|uently nuid 
 died by the fcstoonery of intrusive spidei-s. 
 lighted the room of afternoons, but not of 
 mornings. In the latter it was jicrvadeil with 
 a gloom which, wliile somewhat troublesome 
 to a visitor anxious to get a volume tpiiekly 
 that he might sooner be gone, was yet in 
 harmony with the delicious silence of the 
 place." This (juality adhered long after, 
 when several rooms had been added, and th.' 
 place had become the depository <if troi)hies 
 of the Mexican and Civil Wars. In faet, it 
 rather inereased, for as the building grew 
 older, and the stucco got knocked off the 
 bricks of the great pillars, and the floors wore 
 in ruts, it was really quite i-iunous, and gave 
 the local mind something to grasp when read- 
 ing Irving's description of the Alhambra. 
 When the legislature was not in session the 
 building was a charmingly dreamy jdacc, ami 
 the library was the climax of it. But the 
 library itself got into a laliier ruinous condi- 
 tion in the war times, and tiie years follow- 
 ing; and the reform efforts of Mrs. Oren, wJio 
 took chai-ge of it in 1873, vigorous as they 
 were, only ]>u1 it in a slate of visible repair. 
 
 The truth is tlie ai)i)ropriations were too 
 small to keep up repairs, never getting above 
 $400 a year for books ami binding until 1889. 
 In 18S8 I determined to try for an improve- 
 
 '" Biography, lieecher t<: Scovil 
 ^''Autobiography, p. 54. 
 
 I' 
 
 IDS.
 
 510 
 
 HLSTOKY OF (IHKATKK IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 iiient. The rci-ently reoryanized Indiana His- 
 tiirical Soc'ioty j'cadily agreed to devote its 
 ett'orts to buildiiii;- up the State Library in- 
 stead of a sepai-ate one of its own, and adopt- 
 ed a memorial to the legislature asking an ap- 
 propriation of il^o.OOO for one year, and $2,000 
 a year thereaftei'. for books and binding. 
 Other state soeieties — the State Board of Ag- 
 I'ieulture, Ilortieultural Soeiety, Horse 
 Breeders, Sheep Breeders, Jersey Breeders, 
 Short Horn Breeders, Hog Breeders, Bee 
 Keepers, etc., were glad to .ioin in the move- 
 ment on condition that the literature of their 
 various lines be put in the library, and when 
 the legislature met there was so strong an in- 
 tluenee for Ihe proposed measure that it was 
 rcadi'y ado|)ted. BTit one other factor in the 
 iutiuence was added. I had to take the posi- 
 tion of librarian and look after the interests 
 of the Democratic party, which I did for four 
 years. The same law transferred the battle 
 flags and curios to the care of the State Geol- 
 (gist. AVith the increased appropriation it 
 was possible to })ut the libraiy in pi-esentable 
 condition and make reasonable additions to 
 it. In 1895 th(^ leuislature put the library 
 under care of the State Board of Education, 
 giving it power to elect the librarian; and in 
 1903 largely increased the appropi-iations. 
 The library ha* now reached a coiulition 
 where it is creditable to the state, and is ham- 
 pered only by lack of I'com. This the present 
 efficient libi-arian, Pi-of. Deman-hus C. Brown, 
 is actively endeavoring to remedy by securing 
 provision for a library building. 
 
 But to return to early Indianapolis, the 
 development of the State Library was neither 
 i-apid enough ncr j-xipular enough to suit the 
 ))ioneer readers of the place, and in 182S they 
 ni-ganized a joint-stock institution called the 
 Indiaiuipolis Library, with shares at $5 each. 
 On July 9, 1828, the directors met to perfect 
 the organization and arrange for opening the 
 library in the "lilirary room at Mr. Cain's, 
 opposite Washington Hall"". The association 
 had at that time collected "between two and 
 three hundred volumes'". Brown says that 
 during most of its existence the library was 
 kept in the "mansion"' on the Circle, and 
 that Obed ?^iotc. Sr.. w;is librarian."^ This 
 was kept up foi- four or livi' years, and went 
 
 to |)ieees probably in part because the mem- 
 bers had read all the books and lacked money 
 for more, and in part because in 1834 Hub- 
 bard Edmands & Co. opened a circulating li- 
 brary in connection with their City Bookstore. 
 
 In February, 1835, Rev. James W. McKen- 
 uan came to minister at the First Presbyte- 
 i-ian Church, and a few weeks later delivered 
 a lecture at the Athenaeum on "Self Im- 
 provement"' in which he laid especial stress 
 on reading. The Journal followed with a 
 long editorial of indorsement, and asked what 
 had become of the Indianapolis Library, and 
 called for its resuscitation. -■ This was not 
 done, but a new organization wa.s formed, 
 called the Young Glen's Literary Society, and 
 for fifteen years it was the popular medium 
 for culture of the younger men of the town. 
 It collected a library of several hundred vol- 
 umes,. and in addition to debates and literary 
 exei'cises of its own it gave a sei-ies of lectures 
 each winter from home and im])orted talent. 
 It was incorjiorated in April, 1847, under the 
 general law, as the Union Literary Society, 
 and continued until 1S51. In 1854 its library 
 was turned over to the Young Men 's Chris- 
 tian .Association, which was organized in that 
 year, and which continued the work of pro- 
 vidiiiii' lectures for the public, and main- 
 tained a considerable library. 
 
 But the farthest reachintr of the library in- 
 fluences of the early times was that of the 
 Sunday Schools. The librai-y was a leading 
 featiiT-e of the T^nion Sabbath School in In- 
 dianapolis, and when the Indiana Sabbath 
 School Union met in this place Autrust 3-6, 
 1827, it adopted the rules of the Indianapolis 
 school as models for the state. They made 
 the issuance of books rewards for memorizing 
 seriptui'e, and thus worked doubly for the 
 culture of the pupils This work of furnish- 
 ing literature — particularly I'uvenile litera- 
 ture—was continued by the Sunday Schools 
 until long after the Civil Wai*. and indeed 
 until after the city had established its free 
 nublic libi'ary. In 1827 the State Sabbath 
 School Union established three "deposito- 
 ries'", from which the Sunday Scho<il books 
 were distributed, at iladison. New Albany 
 and Indianapolis, so there was always a full 
 supply here to select from. And it may be 
 
 "'Tfisf. liiih(iiiiij)tili'<. n. 99. 
 
 --Journal. April 21. 1835.
 
 insTOIfV OF GREATKi; I XDIAXAPOUS. 
 
 Killed tluit wiiil" tliere has been a fi:reat deal 
 of full poked at Sunday School books, they 
 ric'nded the best juveniles in the period, and 
 without the sti-iet elassifieation that ol)tains 
 tiiday. For example, the ■"Oliver Optics"' are 
 \cry generally excluded from public librar- 
 c'S now. but I was privile<j:ed to read all of 
 tliein from a Sunday School library, and the 
 buys were more than plea.sed to jret them. 
 ( )winir to the very general attendance at Sun- 
 day School in the early days, the circulation 
 I if these books was almost univei'sal. 
 
 'i'here has been a ireneral misconception as 
 a.s to the betzinniny of the County Libi'ary. 
 Brown says: "The collection of books for the 
 County Library bepan shortly after the or- 
 ganization of the county, two per cent of the 
 lot fund sales being set apart for that pur- 
 pose. ""-■■ Sulgrove says: "This library was 
 fnunded in 1844 on a public fund, of which 
 .1 share was given tn eacli county foi- library 
 purposes."" In I'eality the fii-sl finids wer<? 
 fi'om the two per cent of the sale of lots, 
 which was a.ssigned to that jiurpose by the act 
 of December :U, 1821, creating Marion 
 County,-' but this fund was not set aside at 
 the time as provided, the money being turned 
 over to the state. Tn 1841 lleiiry 1'. Cobui-n 
 became inti'rested in the mattei', and at the 
 next session of the legislature a law was 
 passed authorizing him to investigate the 
 matter, and, on the Audit(!r and Treasurer of 
 State being satisfied of the amount paid over, 
 they were to pay it to him. with six per cent 
 iuterest. for the Marion County Library.-' 
 M tliat time thci'e had been lots sold, since 
 the passage of tlir two pei- ciMit law. to the 
 amount of $!)1.47.'').sl. and therr was due to 
 the libi-ai-y fund $1.8-20.:")1 with in1(Mv<t. 
 
 Mr. Coburn accei)ted the trust, and ti'ustees 
 foi- tlir librar>- were apDointed by the County 
 Comniissionci-s on SeDtcmbn- 7, 1842, but 
 there was some delay ^d)llut iii-ttiug the money, 
 and Tio action was taken by these ti'ustees. 
 The law was amended l>v acts of Fel)i-u:irv 
 11. 184M. and Jani'ary 1:1. 1844, which called 
 for new truvtees; ;nid finally, on ,\pril 22. 
 1S44. tile tnistei's organized and began to 
 ac-t. there beiu'^ present at the opening meet- 
 
 'IIisl. I iiiliiiini 1)1)1 /.•<. n. 90. 
 -'Arts of 1S:.>1. p. 13r>. 
 -'■Loral Laws of 1i^i:2. p. l:lo. 
 
 ing Demas L. McFarland, George Bruce, H. 
 P. Coburn. James Sulgrove and Dr. Living- 
 ston Dunlaj), trustees. They appropriated 
 *()((() for books, and authorized ^Ir. Sulgrove 
 to sell -litiOO of the scri|) in which the state had 
 !)aid its debt, it being then financially eni- 
 barra.ssetl by the interiud improvement move- 
 ment. They set aside $2,000 as a "resei-ve 
 fund", the intei-e.st on which was to be used 
 for the purchase of books. The firet lot of 
 books were .selected by Mr. Coburn. and well 
 selected. The first announcement of the open- 
 ing of the library was made in the papers 
 of January 8, 184"). It was to be open on 
 Saturdays from 9 to 12 in the inorning, and 
 1 to o in the afternoon. A fee was charged 
 of 75 cents a year for families and 50 cents 
 for individuals. On Januaiy 7, 1854, when 
 the first financial report was entered in the 
 miinites, the trustees had on hand $2,456.00. 
 This library was of irreat benefit to those who 
 iiad access to it, but the fee kept out many 
 who needed it most. It was not put on a 
 fi-cc basis until after Miss Lydia Hlaich be- 
 came librarian in 1892. The library now has 
 5.(i()0 volumes, and has a list of 500 ])atrons. 
 The earlier librarians were Augustus Coburn. 
 1844-5; Napoleon H. Taylor, October-Decem- 
 ber, 1845: Berry Sulgrove. 1846; P. H. Jame- 
 son, 1847; John Caven, 1847-52; John Taft'e, 
 185.5-5; Calvin Tayloi'. 1855-S: John W. Ilam- 
 ilfon. 1858-66; James A. Hamilton, 1866-70; 
 J. W. Hadley, 1870-2: Horace lladley, 187:^ 
 5; Lizzie L. Hadley, 1875-80; .Mrs. Iv \V. 
 Hadlcv, 1880-2; Bertha Witt, 1882-4; Lucy 
 Phipp's. 1884-8; Jessie Allen, 1888-92. 
 
 The next library that came to Indianai^olis 
 was the Township Library of (Vnter Town- 
 ship, formed under the state law of 1852, the 
 first installment of between .■^0(1 and 400 vol- 
 umes being furnished by the stat<'. This was 
 the first absolutely free pid)lic library in In- 
 diaiuipolis. and it was well patronized- in- 
 deed, .so well patronized that the more popu- 
 lar books were worn out. and as thei-e were 
 not fimds to buy new ones the library fell 
 into disuse, and was finally stored with the 
 County Library, where it still n'nuiins. There 
 wove two libraries of a semi-public character 
 foi-med during the war period. The .\nies 
 Institute was a literary and lecture associa- 
 tion organized in 1860. cbi.'fiy by young 
 Methodists. It collected a library of about
 
 512 
 
 HISTOIIY Ol-' CUKATER INDIAXAP0LI8. 
 
 500 vohuBes before it went to pieces. In 
 lS6.i the Yoiingr Men's Library Association 
 was organized. It had a reading room on the 
 third tioor of Hubbard's block, and had a 
 small library, though its chief attention was 
 to periodicals. 
 
 The war left all library movements in In- 
 dianapolis in a discouraging condition, and 
 the new impetus required came in a sermon 
 jireached on November 26, 1868. bv Kev. H. 
 A. Edson-"A Plea for a Public Library". 
 Thi.s resulted in the fonnation of the Indian- 
 apolis Library Association, which was com- 
 posed of 100 citizens, each of whom subscribed 
 •$150, payable in annual installments of .$25. 
 This library was ojiened on the second floor 
 of Martindale's Block — where the Lemckc 
 Building now is— in charge of Mrs. Mc- 
 Cready, wife of the former mayor. It was 
 hailed with joy by many citizens, but it also 
 was on a fee basis, and did not reach the 
 whole communit.v. In the fall of 1870, A. C. 
 Shortridge, City Superintendent of Schools, 
 called a iijcetiiig of a few friends to eonsidei' 
 the school conditions of the city. There wei'i' 
 present E. B. ]\Iartindale, John Caven, Addi- 
 son L. Koache, Austin H. Brown, Simon 
 Yandes, Thos. B. Elliott and H. G. Gary. 
 Among other things Shortridge urged provi- 
 sion for a free city library for the reference 
 work of the schools. He with Judge Koache 
 and Aiistin H. Brown were appointed to pre- 
 pare a bill, which was duly done, ]Mr. Brown 
 doing the actual drafting. This bill became 
 the school law of Indianapolis of March 8. 
 1871. and included provision for a tax of 2 
 cents on .lilOO for a free public library— it 
 was Inter increased to 4 cents. On the or- 
 gan iza lion of the new school board and levy 
 of the library tax, the Indianapolis Library 
 Association donated its collection of Ixioks. 
 amounting to 2,000 volumes, and the city 
 library opened on April 8, 1873, free to the 
 whole city. For the year ending June .30, 
 1909, the numbf>r of volumes in the library 
 Avas 138.852. and the circulation 451,415. 
 
 The city library was a great success from 
 the start. The librarians have been Charles 
 Evans. 1873-8 and 1889-92: Albei't Yohn, 
 1878-9; Arthur W. Tyler, 1879-82: W. DeM. 
 Hooper, 1882-9; and Eliza G. Browning from 
 1892 to date. All of them were excellent 
 librarians. Mi-. Yohn and ^liss Browning hav- 
 
 ing been residents of Indianapolis i)rior to 
 appointment, and the others having been 
 brought from outside. Tlie imported ones did 
 not get along with the school board, which 
 was usually the fault of the school board. 
 .\fter the second departure of Mr. Evans. 
 Miss Browning, who had come into the li- 
 brary in 1881, and had been Assistant Li- 
 bi'ai'ian since 1882. was put in charge luitil 
 the school board could "find just the librarian 
 they wanted", and within a year they decid- 
 ed that they had found her, and have never 
 changed their minds. 
 
 In April, 1907. ]\Iiss Browning opened cor- 
 respondence with 'Sir. Andrew Carnegie for 
 a ilonation to the city for a main librar7»' 
 building and branches; and i-eceived the cu.s- 
 tomary reply from his secretai-y, ^Ir. James 
 Bertram, that these mattei's were taken up 
 with the Mayor and City Council. As the 
 library is under the school board, wliich is 
 independent of the city government, the mat- 
 ter was taken up by the Commercial Club, 
 which requested the school board, to request 
 the ifayor, to request ^Ii'. Carnegie for the 
 donation. This was done and Secretary Ber- 
 tram answered that Mr. Carnegie was no 
 longer interested in main buildings for large 
 cities, but was interested in branch libraries. 
 Request was then made for $120,000 for six 
 bi'anch libraries; and. on Januar.v 19, 1909, 
 Mr. Carnegie tendered this amount, on con- 
 dition that sites be furnish<'(l. an<l animal 
 support of .$2,000 be guaranteed for each, 
 which was aecepted on January 2G. The 
 branches are located, three adjoining .school 
 buildings— No. 3, at Rural and Washington 
 streets; No. 49. at Kappes and ^Forris streets. 
 West Indianapolis; No. 50, at Blount and Ghio 
 streets, Haughville — also at Spades Place; 
 Prospect and ^Madison avenue; and Broad- 
 way and Fall Creek. The first three are ex- 
 pected to be ready for occupancy by the 
 spring of 1910, and the others within a year 
 later. All are to be "neighborhood centers" 
 as well as libraries, furnished with assembly 
 room and club room in the basement, as well 
 as adult and children's reading rooms, worlc 
 room and delivery room on the main floor. 
 
 There were those, even in the tifties. who 
 nur.sed the delusion that .vou caiuiot have a 
 literary atmosphere unless you organize and 
 have someone read a paper. Berry Sulgrove
 
 HISTORY OF (iKKA'J'Ki; 1 N DIAN Ai'OLiS. 
 
 r,^■^ 
 
 was one of them, and he delivered a hot roast 
 on the public for the small attendanee at Rev. 
 Mr. Fisher's leetui-e before the Union Liter- 
 ary Soeiety in 1S41S. elosina: with the words: 
 "We hope ^Ir. Fisher and his younj;- friends 
 of the Union Literary Society will find some 
 solace for their mortification in the peculiari- 
 ties of a state, so low in the scale of intelli- 
 srence, without common schools, and ignorant 
 of the claims of scientific and literai->- insti- 
 tutions."-" Three years later he had an 
 article on "fJtei-ature in Indianapolis", in 
 which he said: "The complacency with which 
 some editors assume for our city the charac- 
 ter of a literary. I'eligions. benevolent city, 
 must look a little ridiculous to anyone ac- 
 quainted with its character and history. 
 * * * As the illusion is the result of oui- 
 vanity, it is a veiy natural illusion. It will 
 require, howevei'. a very sliiiht ac(|uaintance 
 with the varif)us literary enteri)i'ises that have 
 been betrun, and blowed up in this town, to 
 dispel it. Of all the societies and a.ssociatious 
 that havi> been formed here, for the cultiva- 
 tion of literary taste and the furtherance of 
 literary objects, few survived long, and all 
 are dead now. The old Historical Society is 
 dead, the Citizens' Library Association is 
 dead, the nmnerous debating clubs that have 
 been -Pormed have generally died within a year 
 after their creation. 
 
 "The Union Literary Society, that has 
 made more and moi-e determined efforts than 
 all othei-s together, is dead. And none know 
 better than its members that for eight years 
 past its existence has been little moi-e than a 
 fitful breathing spell, after which it relapsed 
 into torpidity again. Its lectures, as long 
 as they were free, were well attended ; and, 
 as the president of it observed when the last 
 one was delivered, it was becau.se they were 
 free. When ]\Tr. Fi.sher of Cincinnati was 
 procured to deliver a couple of lectures be- 
 fore it, there could not be enough money 
 raised from those that lieard them to ])ay liis 
 expenses, and a few men. who felt that the 
 credit of the town was at stake, raised the 
 balance by voluntary contributitm. 
 
 "The reading room project, that nobody 
 o{)poses. only numbers about sixty subserib- 
 er.s, and of that number eight-tenths are 
 
 young men, -who, to say the least, are not 
 rich. A short time ago a list of fifteen or 
 twenty men was piiblished in our pajiers. who 
 each owned more than $20,000 within the 
 corporation, and only two of them have con- 
 tributed a cent to tliis enterprise. Its chief 
 support is derived from citizens who have 
 settled here within a few yeai-s past. • • • 
 Of that real unmixed liberality that can give 
 a dollar without expecting twenty cents back 
 as a dividend, our town is as destitute as any 
 town. AVhile our county ranks second in pop- 
 ulation in the state, it ranks third even in 
 the number of its churches, sixteenth in tli'' 
 number of its common schools, and fifth in 
 the number of its libraries. It stands first 
 in no intellectual or moral enterprise. In- 
 dustry, energy and enterprise it certainly has, 
 but that taste for intellectual ptn-suits. with- 
 out which no community has ever become 
 prominent in the history of the world, it 
 certainly has not, and from present appear- 
 ances is not likely to have."-' 
 
 Among the educational infiuences that 
 probably affected literary style, there are two 
 or three that seem to me to be notably promi- 
 nent. One of these was Professoi- IIoslioui-'s 
 "Altisonant Letters". Samuel K. Hoshour 
 was a native of Pennsylvania — an orphan, 
 who attained an education by his own .stren- 
 uoiLS effort. Well established as a Lutheran 
 minister, he became convinced in 1835 of tlie 
 necessity of baptism by inmiersion. ami 
 adopted the creed of Alexander Cami)bell. 
 Deprived of his position and sujiport by this 
 act of conscience, he migrated to Indiana, lo- 
 cated at Centei-ville. and obtained a su])port 
 by preaching and teaching school. In IS'M 
 he began editing the Wai/iu CoHiitij Chron- 
 icle at Centerville. Here he began writing 
 the "Letters to Squire Pedant, in the Ea.st, 
 by Lorenzo Altisonant, an Emigrant to the 
 West". As the name indicates, they were in 
 high-flown style— or rather an exaggerated 
 bui'lesquc of it— and included nearly all the 
 rare words in the language at that time. 
 Originally intended for amusement, like 
 Franklin's advertisement for his lost hat. IMr. 
 Hoshour saw that they would be useful in 
 education, and began using them for reading 
 and spelling lessons in the seminary at Ceu- 
 
 ""Loc(i)n(il ifi 
 Vol. I—;;:; 
 
 l-'eliriuir\' •"). 1 S48. 
 
 ■^ Locomotive, October IS. 1S.")L
 
 514 
 
 jiisT()i;v OF (;i;i;ai'i:u ixdiaxai'olis. 
 
 « 
 
 tei'\'il!i', c-outiuuiiig tins lati'r m the semiuary 
 at Cambridge. lie next realized thac they 
 served the still more important fimetiou oi' 
 teaching the avoidance of pompous writing, 
 and it was in this res|)ect that tliey had their 
 greatest value. ^Vmong his Wayne I'ount; 
 pupils were Lew Wallace anil tjliver P. ^lor- 
 ton. Wallace makes .special acknowledgment 
 of his dcbi to '"Altisonant"-'' and no doul)t 
 much of Morton's terse and .strong style was 
 due to the same influence. But it went far 
 beyond the circle of ini])ils, for tlie l)ook was 
 widely read through Indiana for years. It 
 went through four editions, the eai-lier ones 
 published at Cincinnati, and the last at In- 
 dianapolis, whither Professor Hoshour came in 
 1858 as jiresident of the Northwestern (Chris- 
 tian University, and where he remained for 
 years as professor of modern languages. The 
 local edition was jirinteil by the Indianapolis 
 Printing and Publishint;- House— the estab- 
 lishment of J. ^1. Tilford at the southeast 
 corner of Jleridian and Circle streets— later 
 the establishment of Carlon & Hollenbeck— 
 in which building a majority of all the books 
 published in Indianapolis prior to 188U were 
 piinted and bound. 
 
 Another intluence which must have been 
 potent was "'rhe Locomotive."' This really 
 remarkable — for the time — weekly paper, was 
 started in August, 1845, by three apprentices 
 in the Joutnud office—Daniel B. Culley, John 
 H. Ohr, and David K. Elder. It ran but a 
 short time and dietl from lack of funds, but 
 there was a call for it, and it came back on 
 April 3, 1847, for another stay of three 
 months. Again it succumbed, but on Jan- 
 uary 1, 1848, it came back to stay for thir- 
 teen years, most of the time under the man- 
 agement of John R. Elder. It filled for that 
 time much the same place that was later 
 occupied by Ceorge Harding's Mirror, Her- 
 ald and Review. It was distinctively a local 
 and literary paper— had all the local gossip 
 and published original stories, poems, conun- 
 drums and other local product. Berry Sul- 
 grove .says, "It was the first paper that the 
 women and girls wanted to read regularly",-" 
 and there were few of the men who 
 did not read it also. Its files reveal a 
 
 wealth of poetic aspiration in Indianapolis 
 that is fairly startling.. There was poetrj' 
 of every class from the most pathetic obit- 
 uary to the most frivolous doggerel; and 
 poetry on all subjects, from "Autumn" to 
 "Pogue's Run", and, by the way, i't may be 
 mentioned that in early times Pogue's Run 
 was a very pretty stream. 
 
 But the chief inspiration to song was love, 
 and it was manifested in all phases, but espe- 
 cially in "Lines to ^fiss J— y S— h," or some 
 equally secret address that was understood 
 by everyone in the place. It would be diffi- 
 cult to mention an Indianapolis girl who did 
 not get a poetic tribute in the Locomotive to 
 her overwhelming charms, and finally some 
 disgusted cynic showed his opinion of all of 
 them by this, which was alleged to have come 
 from "the anonymous box of the Union Liter- 
 ary Society": 
 
 "COMPARISON.^" 
 
 "Diamonds that .shine on kingly brows, 
 Pearls that deck the queenly spouse, 
 Glittering stars that deck the skies 
 Are not so bright as Sally's eyes. 
 
 "The purest rose of ruddy hue 
 
 That e'er w-as filled with morning dew— 
 
 The honeyed drink the fairy sips — 
 
 Is not so red as Sally's lips. 
 
 "The scowling frown o'er Juno's eyes, 
 The stormy, midnight, wintry skies. 
 The deepest stain of foul disgrace. 
 Are not so black as Sally's face." 
 
 Poetry came to be a favorite medium of 
 advertisement, as, for example, in an ode be- 
 ginning: 
 
 "Vain are ballads, odes or sonnets, 
 
 E'en heroic vei-se would fail 
 To describe the splendid bonnets 
 
 Mrs. Bradley has for sale."^* 
 
 This continued in use to some extent for 
 many years. Older citizens will recall espe- 
 cially the advertisement of Moses, the Op- 
 tician, beginning: 
 
 "^Aiilobioeirapli!/, [ip. 56-8. 
 -''Hist. Indianapolis, p. 243. 
 
 ■'■"Locomotive. April 24, 184(. 
 '■'■^Locomotive. November 23, 1850.
 
 IllS'lOUV oi' (;i;i:.\TF.i; IXDl.VXAI'OT.TS. 
 
 .-.i:. 
 
 ■■(>li. sHy can yoii sci'. by tlif dawn's I'ai-lv 
 
 liirh't .' 
 All I iiu, T caiinDt ; I'm di'ticieiit in sijrlit." 
 
 There was dialect poetry, loni; before ilr. 
 Riley made it famous, as witiies.s this exiraet 
 from — 
 
 •'A NODE TO SPRING." 
 By a Endicrnint Fai-mer. 
 
 '"Well, sin-int;'. youv eiim at last, hev yon I 
 The poit sez youv bin a sittin' in Old Win- 
 ter's 
 Lajt — now ain't you ashamed of yourself! 
 I si)ose the old fellei'"s bin a bussin' ,von, 
 I should think he had from your breth 
 A hein' so eold- but that's the way them 
 
 Old fellers hev a doin'. 
 
 * # * 
 
 " Lulc at them shepe a lien in 
 
 The fens kornurs a waitin" for i:rass! 
 
 YisI an' they bin a watin' sum of 
 
 Them for weex I — An ef they wasn't 
 
 I'old they'd a bin 'shakin' thur lox 
 
 At y\\. an sed 'U dun it!' 'That thur 
 
 Iz fi'oin Hamlet, won of Shakspui-'s plais), 
 
 As another poit sez — '(Jras ditfurd maks 
 
 The stumak ake' — so these shepe wil 
 
 Never open thui- iz onto irras auiu Xo ! 
 
 Xni- onto fodui." 
 
 Even the ■"drop line", wiiieb many seem 
 to su|)i)ose a ereation of Mr. Kiley. in his 
 "(l(il)l)leuns will jrit you", is found in 
 
 "Yet I swear by all creation. 
 And this endless Yankee nation. 
 That 
 I 
 
 love 
 
 vou 
 like 
 tar- 
 na- 
 tion. "^'■■' 
 
 Tn fact when one looks over the vast ex- 
 panse of orisrin;d work in the Locomofin . 
 and some additional in other i)apers. he is not 
 sur]irised that when f'oy:treshall issued liis 
 
 r<i(t.s ami I'oitii/ of till l\'(,\7. ill 18()(), he in- 
 eliided the followint: who liad been residents 
 of Indianapolis, in addition to Mrs. Bolton: 
 Granville JI. Ballard, Samuel V. Moiris. Or- 
 Ijheus Everts, Georjre W. Cuttei-. Henry W. 
 Ellsworth, Sidney Dyer, John B. Dillon, 
 Peter Fishe Reed, .Jonathan W. (Hudon. Dr. 
 John Gibson Dunn and Rebeeea S. Nichols. 
 There were othei's who did not show them- 
 selves till latei'. It was ill this atmosphere 
 that Jlrs. Robert Louis Stevenson developed. 
 She went to school at the old Third Ward 
 School— now John Ranch's ciirar factory— on 
 New York street west of Illinois, and later to 
 the old hiiih school when it was on I'liiver- 
 sity S(piare. She is remeinliered as a >rirl 
 who was clever at drawing- and who used to 
 write stories for lii'r "eoin]iositions". Her 
 father. Jacob Vandeirrift. was a partner in 
 KrcHvlo Blake & f'o.. who had a planiiiir 
 mill at the canal and Xew York street. In 
 LS.")!. Vandeirrift and Colestock built tlv 
 brick row at the southwest corner of Illinois 
 and .Michigan streets, shown in the accom- 
 )ianyin!j- cut. and Mr. Vandeirrift lived for 
 .some time at the second door from the corner 
 — later in the doiilile brick back of the row, 
 as shown in the cut. When Fanny Vaii<le- 
 grift married Samuel Osbourne, who had been 
 private secretarv of (Jovernors Wriirht aiiil 
 Willard, and later deputy clerk of the Sn- 
 I)reme Coui't. her father built them a story- 
 and-a-half cottaire at the northwest corner of 
 St. Clair and Tennessee (now Capitol ave- 
 nue) where they livetl till they went to Cali- 
 fornia. The next owner remade the house in 
 two stories. Later it was removed by Thomas 
 Tafr.cart to the southeast corner of St. Clair 
 and Senate avenue to make place for his 
 ])reseiit residence. It still stands there, but 
 has airain been remodeled, and now serves as 
 till' I'nited Tabernacle Ba|)tist (Colored) 
 church. The story of the Osliournes after they 
 left here belonjrs to the world. Tliere were 
 naturally opposiii>r views of the c-ase here.'* 
 but they have no partieidai- eoiiiieetiim with 
 the literary atmosiihen'. 
 
 There is another Indianapolis product of 
 the early period who sliouhi he mentioned. 
 Rev. James Cooley Fletcher. He was a .son 
 of Calvin Fletcher, born heic in 1S-J:<. Hu 
 
 ^-Loro)ii()llvi . Ma.\- '.I 1857. 
 -r.ornmolln . Maivh 27, 18r)2. 
 
 '* Journal. January •_*7. 188!l.
 
 rAG 
 
 HISTOllY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 z 
 
 o 
 
 Oi 
 
 Z 
 
 w 
 
 > 
 
 E- 
 
 O 
 
 J 
 
 o 
 
 o .. 
 
 H o 
 
 O ^ 
 
 X :t3 
 
 u 
 
 O "O 
 
 o S 

 
 mSTOliY OF CiltEATEi; IXDIANArOLIS. 
 
 )ir 
 
 was well educated, at Princeton and abroad, 
 and in 18')() went out as a iiiissiouai'v to 
 llayti. -In 1851 he left this field for Rio de 
 .Janeiro, to heeome chaplain inissionary of 
 I lie American and Foreign ('hristian Union, 
 and remained in Brazil till 18o4, retuniiuf; 
 later for two year.s more. In 1857, in con- 
 .iunction witli Rev. D. P. Kidder, he puli- 
 lished his "Brazil and the Brazilians"", whicli 
 has g-one throuLili ntunerous editions, and is 
 still a standard >m that sub.ject. Mr. Fletcher 
 married a danyhter of the noted divine Dr. 
 Caesar Malan of Switzerland. Their daojih- 
 ter, Jidia Constance Fletcher, ha.s attained 
 note as a novelist, nnder the pen name of 
 "Geornre Fleming", thouo-h hei- earliest and 
 most strikinji' novels, Kisinrt and Mirage 
 oriijinally appeared anonymously in the "Xo 
 Name Series." 
 
 And in this iiei'iod also may be nn'iitioned 
 a book, rather about Indianapolis than of it, 
 ^Frs. Henry Ward Beecher's From Dawn In 
 Daiilight. which was orifjinally published 
 under the title of Tfnnhnxcences of a Mis- 
 sliiiiary's Wif( . It ])ni-ported to give actual 
 experiences of the Beeehers at Lawrencebury: 
 and Indianapolis, the characters beinir very 
 sliulitly disji-nised. but dozens of impartial 
 witnesses at both jilaces ayree that it is essen- 
 tially a work of fiction, and particularly in 
 its most offensive featui'es. Thei-e had been 
 some warmth displayed in Indianapolis over 
 >^tatements made by Mr. Beecher after he 
 went East,"'' but they were nothint;- to tlie 
 chorus of indijinati(m at both Indianapolis 
 and Fjawrencebin-g when jMrs. Beecher "s l)ook 
 appeared. The first edition of his Lectures 
 to Younpr Men wa.s published here, throufrh 
 tlic efforts nf a number of his admirers, and 
 it was a statenicnl in the preface to a revised 
 edition that yavc ofTctise here. It was 
 claimed by bis friends that he re-jretted bis 
 wife's book, but hi' indnlyed in a few rather 
 harsh remarks himself, such as characterizing; 
 Lawreneeburt;- a.s "a town with two distil- 
 leries and twenty devils".^" 
 
 There have been periodical i-evivals of tlie 
 discussion, in which the falsity and in.iustice 
 of the book have brcu sluiwii. thondi not as 
 
 fully as miyht have been done. One of the 
 most notable of these was in the summer of 
 1884, when Simon Vandes foinid a c(i])y of 
 the book on the circulation shelves of the 
 City Library in which some "gifted Alexan- 
 der"' had written a key to the characters, and 
 removed it from the librai->' over the objec- 
 tion of the librarian. The matter was sub- 
 mitted to the sehool board, which sustained 
 the comjilaint of ^Mr. Yandes. and removed 
 the book from circulation. The incident 
 naturally revived the discussion, especially 
 as to the payment of Beecher "s salary, and 
 may be said to have settled that matter very 
 conclusively against ^Irs. Beecher.''" ili-s. 
 Beecher evidentl.v yielded to the temptation 
 to "make a good story". Some of her most 
 pathetic scenes never occurred at all: and 
 she wa.s not jiresent at some where she repre- 
 sents herself as i)rcsent. Notwithstanding all 
 this, however, l^eecher's Indianapolis friends 
 generally stood by him in his later days of 
 trial, and retained faith in his innocence. 
 
 Local literature lariguislicd somewhat diu'- 
 iiig the Civil AVar. possibly because mo,st of 
 the people with proclivities for writing had 
 gone to the front. After the war the city 
 pa.ssed into the age of what ^lereditli Nichol- 
 son calls "the cloak poets", chief of whom 
 was Ben. I). House, who maintained a mili- 
 tary cloak and ;i military air duriiiu: the 
 twenty odd yeais he lived here. lie wrote 
 some very spirited war poetry, and in tln' 
 early eighties was something of a poetical 
 dictator. At that time Nicholson was giving 
 an imitation of a young man reading law, in 
 William Wallace's office, b\it devoting most 
 of his time to writing poetry and woi-shii)- 
 ping House. It imiiressed me because 1 in- 
 dulged in a poem at the time I dai-c to men- 
 tion it because a newspaper syndicate actu- 
 ally paid me for it— an elYusiim on the death 
 of"<!eneral CranC— and Nicholson induced 
 me to submit it to House. The oracle read it 
 thoughtfully -almost painfully and Iheii 
 pointed at these lines : 
 
 "The sword is iniried. but the jilow 
 Hangs in the tangled weeds of hate." 
 
 '"'■Locomdlivr. July lH. 1851. 
 '"Chirinvati ('niiiiiii rcial . December ItJ, 
 1871, p. V2. 
 
 ■■'"City papers, June IM.'S. 1884. 
 ■'^Sentinel, May 23. 188().
 
 I 
 
 518 
 
 HISTORY OF (IKKA'I'KK INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 "1 wish 1 had written those lines," Ik' 
 said. "I would have built a poem around 
 them." There is simply no resisting that 
 sort of criticism. But of all the local writers 
 of the period after the war. Dan L. Paine is 
 ])roliat)ly tlie most notable for the qualit.v of 
 his verso. ]\Iost of it was just soothin.u: music, 
 but occasionally he attained a stirring heig'ht, 
 as in his "At Elberou", written at the death 
 of President Garfield, and widely published 
 at the time, with g-eneral praise.'"' Collec- 
 tions of poems of both House and Paine were 
 made after they died, but for memorials 
 ratli.'M- than for eonnnercial purposes.*" 
 
 When the Journal started its Sunday edi- 
 tion in 1880 and James Whiteomb Eiley came 
 here as official poet, he undoubtedly brought 
 a lighter vein into the local poetical product, 
 though he did not always sign all of his 
 lighter product, and nuich of it is not repi'o- 
 duced in his volumes. He was known here 
 before that time from occasional poems, and 
 had made his first appearance here as a 
 reader on IVIay 9. 1879. at a Light Infantry 
 benefit, carrying the audience by storm. He 
 was the most generous of men, and he re- 
 cited for societies, church socials and all 
 sorts of gnthei-ings until life became a bui'- 
 den. and he had to quit, in self-defense. But 
 with all his popularity there were few who 
 really apjireciatfd his greatness as an actor: 
 and it was that which gave his Doetry its 
 great voaue at the start. When Rilev went 
 to England in 1891, with AY. P. Fishback and 
 ^lyriin b'eed. Sir Henry Irving gave a dinner 
 for him. at which he induced ]Mr. Riley to 
 recite. Among those present was CoqueJin. 
 the great French actor, who stood at the far- 
 ther end of the room, with his hand restin*;' 
 on Trving's shoulder, and listened intentlv. 
 -As Riley concluded he turned and said: 
 "Irviup-. Nature has done for that nuin what 
 you aiul I have been striving all these yeais 
 to attain."' 
 
 Ore of Air. Rilev's mest v(>inai'kable powers 
 is that I'f imitaticn. wliich has perhaps its 
 most notable manifestation in his .storv, "A 
 Renuirkablc Alan"", but which he indulged 
 occasionally in a more frothy way. To illus- 
 trate th(> entertainment he contriluited in 
 
 such lines. I venture to reproduce tlie fol- 
 lowing illustrated poem from the Hcrahl of 
 
 January 12, 1878: 
 
 EZRA HOUSE. 
 
 (After the manner of the Sweet Singer of 
 jMiehigan.) 
 
 Come listen good people, while a storv 1 do 
 tell, 
 
 Of the sad fate of one which I knew so pass- 
 ing well : 
 
 He enlisted in AlcCordsville, to battle in the 
 South, 
 
 And protect his country's union; his name 
 was Ezra House. 
 
 '"'Xnrs. Scntriiiliei- 20. 1881. 
 ■"Wiclidlsiin "s '/'//( Honsicrs. pp. 2().')-7. 
 
 "IT'S OH, I'M GOI.VG TO LKAVE YOV, KIND SCHOL- 
 ARS," UK SAID. 
 
 lie was a x'ounu' school-tearher. and rdui-atrd 
 
 high 
 In regard to Ray's arithmetic, anil alsd .\1- 
 
 gebra. 
 He gave good satisfaction, but at his I'luiii- 
 
 try's call 
 He ilropped bis position, his Algebra and all. 
 
 ■'It"s oil! I "ill goinu' to leave yon. kind 
 
 si'holais ' '. h(^ said — 
 b'oi- he wi'oti* a composition the last day am! 
 
 read ; 
 And it lirought many tears in the eyes of the 
 
 school. 
 To say nothing of his sweetheart he was ud- 
 
 iiiL; to leave so soon.
 
 HISTOKV OF (;i;i:.\li:i; 1 NDIAXAI'ULIS. 
 
 n^9 
 
 "I have many rccdlloftions to taki- willi nn/ 
 
 awa.N-, 
 Of the lueri-y inspiiations in tln' si-hoiilrooni 
 
 so gay : 
 And of all that's i)ast and Liunc 1 will never 
 
 regret 
 I went to serve my eimntry at the liist ii\' 
 
 the outset 1 ■ " 
 
 He was a good penman, and the lines that 
 
 he wrote 
 • )n that sad oeeasion was ton fine for me tn 
 
 i|U0te— 
 For 1 WVIS thiTe ami heai-<l it. and 1 e\-er will 
 
 I'eeall 
 It brought the Imppy teai's In the eyes of 
 
 us all. 
 
 And when lie left, his sweet heai't she fainted 
 
 away 
 And said she eould ne\ei' Forget the sad day 
 When her lover so noble, and gallant and 
 
 gay. 
 Said "Farewell, my true hivel" and went 
 
 nmrehing away. 
 
 He hadn't been L;on(» foi' more than two 
 months 
 
 When the sad news come — '"he was in a 
 skirmish onee. 
 
 And a eiMiel rebel ball had wounded him 
 full sore 
 
 In th(! region of the ehiii, thi'dnuh the can- 
 teen lll> WOl'e". 
 
 ]5ut his health reeruited uj). ;iud his wounds 
 
 they got well : 
 But while he was in battle at Hull Hun or 
 
 .Malv.'rn Hill. 
 The m-ws came again, so sorrowful to heai-— 
 '•A sliver from a bombshell eut off his left 
 
 eai'". 
 
 But he stuek to the boys, and it's often he 
 
 would ivrite. 
 That "he wasn't afraid foi' his country to 
 
 fight". 
 But oh. had he returned (ui a furlough. 1 
 
 believe. 
 Hi' wiinid not. Inday. have sui-h cause to 
 
 iii'ie\('. 
 
 V(n- in anothei- battle tli<' name T never 
 heard 
 
 Tk' was guiirding tlu- waiions when an acci- 
 dent oeeui'red 
 
 A comiade. who was \ii)der the influence of 
 
 drink 
 Shnt him with a musket through the right 
 
 cheek. I think. 
 
 Hut his dear life was s|)are(l. biil il hadn't 
 
 been foi- long 
 Till a eiuel rebel colonel came i-iding along, 
 .\nd struck him with his sword, as many do 
 
 suppo.se. 
 F'or his cap-i'im was cut nil', and also his nose. 
 
 I'>ut I'rovidenee. who watches o'er the noble 
 
 and the brave. 
 Snatched him once more from the .jaws of the 
 
 grave : 
 And .just a little while licfore the dose of 
 
 the war. 
 He sent his pictui'e home to his girl away 
 
 so far. 
 
 "UK SK.\T HIS PintllK HOME.'* 
 
 And she fell into decline, and she wroti' in 
 
 i-ei)l.v. 
 "She had seen his lace again and she was 
 
 ready to die": 
 And she wanted him to promise, when she 
 
 was in hei- tond). 
 >Ie woulil oidy visit thai by the lii;ht of the 
 
 moon. 
 
 liul he ne\-e|- returned at the close of the 
 
 WiW. 
 
 And the lioys that got bai'k said he hadn't 
 
 the lieart ; 
 But he got a |iosition in a puwdcr-mill. and 
 
 sjiid 
 He hoped lo meil the doom that his i-nnntry 
 
 denied.
 
 5?0 
 
 liiSTUiiY Ui' UKEATiai IXDlAXAi'ULlS. 
 
 ^Ir. Riley eonti-ibuted almost as imich to 
 the life of the city in private as in piiblie. 
 for with his friends he would often drop into 
 dialect and say as funny things as he ever 
 put in his published articles. In fact they 
 seemed more so for they were so apparently 
 unstudied, while his published work, though 
 it has the art of seeming unstudied, is in faci 
 the result of the most painstaking labor. I 
 recall serving with him. on November 17. 
 1904, on a committee that was sent to Vin- 
 cenues to meet the Liberty Bell, and escort it 
 to Indianapolis. We were waiting there on 
 the depot platform quite a time, and mean- 
 while a fussy little switch-engine was chasing 
 up and down through the large crowd, in a 
 seeming eft'ort to run over someone. I turned 
 to Riley and said: "Jim, how'd y' like to 
 have a leg cut off by one o' them things?" 
 In an instant he dropped into his hoosier 
 facial expression and drawled out, "Wal, I'd 
 kind o' hate to spile the set." And there 
 was often a broad wisdom in Riley's jokes. 
 Once, conung down Pennsylvania street, I 
 saw him standing on the coping before the 
 Denison hotel, apparently lost in thought. 
 "What y' thinking aboiitr' I asked. He 
 stepped down, took my arm, and, as we 
 moved on, said in most thoughtful air: "I 
 w;*f just thinking what an awful humiliation 
 it must be to an Almighty God to create a 
 universe, and then have to submit it to Am- 
 brose Bierce and Bob IngersoU for criticism." 
 Just think how many sermons are condensed 
 in that observation. 
 
 The chief literary development in Indian- 
 apolis for more than a quarter of a century 
 has been in the clubs. However it may have 
 been before the war. the literary organiza- 
 tions have not proven ephemeral in this 
 later period. The Indianapolis Literary Cluli, 
 an organization for gentlemen only, was 
 started in 1877. and is still flourishing, in- 
 
 cluding in its past and present membership 
 nearly every man of any real prominence in 
 the city in that period. The Women's Club 
 was organized in February, 1875, and has 
 practically the same record among the women. 
 There are numbers of others of later date 
 which coiild only be named here, and that is 
 not worth while. At the present time there 
 are forty regular and recognized literary 
 clubs in the city. Whether they make a 
 stinndating literary atmosphere is hard to 
 say. Our j'ounger novelists, Elizabeth ]\Iiller 
 (Mrs. Orin Hack), Meredith Nicholson and 
 Booth Tarkington are emphatically not club 
 products: and indeed it would be hard to 
 name any literar}^ influence that was common 
 to all of them except access to books and 
 schools. When you come to seek the causes of 
 literary development, you usually fail, and 
 leave it as Albert Biishnell Hart does in his 
 query: "Where did William Cullen Bryant 
 find his model, when, in the year when Syd- 
 ney Smith asked 'Who reads an American 
 book " ' he burst forth with : 
 
 ' Whither midst falling dew, 
 
 While glow the heavens with the last steps 
 of day, 
 Far through their rosy depths dost thou pur- 
 sue 
 Thy solitary way?' 
 
 "And why, in the six years from 1881 to 
 1837, should Whittier, Longfellow and Oliver 
 Wendell Holmes have made their first essays 
 as poets?" ^^ These are questions that will 
 never be answered. About all that can be said 
 is that if the soil be not too unfriendly the 
 literary spirit will develop, but it comes not 
 from planted seed, nor from any known 
 means of cultivation. 
 
 "Slavery and Aholitio)i- 
 >iiries. Vol. 16, p. 30. 
 
 -Ameriran Nation
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 THE SOUL OF JrUSIC. 
 
 There was some music in Indianapolis from 
 the start. We have the records of Sidney 
 ]\Ia.\\veirs leading the singing at the time of 
 the sermon by Rev. L. P. Gaines in 1S"21 ; 
 Mrs. Fletcher's mention of the violin playing 
 of C'ul. A. W. Russell and James Blake in 
 the winter of 1821; ]\Irs. I\Iartin"s reference 
 to the singing school in the old log school 
 house at Kentucky avenue and Washington 
 street; and Nathaniel Bolton's account of tlic 
 • young people taking moonlight rides in a 
 .scow on the river, when "our bark floated 
 over the waters to the sound of sweet music". 
 The first I'ecord of any organized nnisical in- 
 struction, though evidently in progress be- 
 fore that date, appears in the Gazette of 
 August 24. 182-4. in this notice: "To the 
 members of the Society for the Cultivation 
 of Church Music: Those who are leariiers, or 
 .iust eonuniMicing lessons in Church Music, 
 and who are anxious to learn, will attend at 
 the usual place, on Saturday next, at 3 o'clock 
 p. ni. Those whose knowledge of nuisic will 
 render a ])erl'ormance in concert 'interesting' 
 will please to attend at 4 o'clock p. m. Learn- 
 ers will euib'race a ma.jority of those who 
 have hitherto attended. — Precise punctuality 
 is expected. Bring books; — they can be had 
 at Pliipi)s i^- Co.'s store." That is all that is 
 left to us of that first movement for musical 
 culture, but it shows that the settlers were 
 striving for the attainment of the ideal of 
 heavenly .joys in the old Methodist hymn — 
 
 "^Yhel■e a Fletcher unites 
 With the old Israelites 
 In singing God's praise. 
 
 While the ;inufols sing bass." 
 
 l-'ioni hri-e there is a lapse in musical his- 
 tory until the l'"onrth of Jul.v. 1828, when a 
 
 new organization burst full-fledged on the 
 public view. In the announcement of the 
 program it is mentioned as "the band of 
 music", btit the Gozctli's account of tlie cele- 
 bration says it was "inferspei-sed witli suit- 
 able odes and other music from a select choir 
 of singere, accompanied by instrmnental 
 nuisic from the inembers of the Indianapolis 
 llandelian Society". Bej'ond this we have 
 no record of this magnificently titled organi- 
 zation except the airs it played on this occa- 
 sion, which were "Ilail Cohnnbia", "Auld 
 Lang Svne", "Yankee Doodle", "Pula.ski's 
 .March", "President's March", "Jefferson 
 and Liberty", ami "llaste to the Wedding". 
 From this time on to the forties the de- 
 velopment of nnusic was slow and uneventful, 
 but in 1840 an ejioch was marked by the or- 
 tranization of The Indianajjolis Band. It was 
 iiu>ori)orated by special act of February 15, 
 1841, the charter mend)ers being James Mc- 
 Cready, Emanuel Haugh. Tlios. M. Baker, 
 
 '- Allison, E. S. A. Tyler, Wm. 
 
 Karne. Wm. Jones. 1). P. Hunt. John (lilli- 
 laiul. James Vanblaricum. James Hodge, 
 James G. Jordan, James Sharpe, Nicholas N. 
 Norwood, Aaron 1). Ohr, John Ilodgkins, La- 
 layette Yandes. Thos. 1). .Miller, Wm. Ibmld, 
 Wm. Gaby, Abraham Byrd, Jacol) Smith, 
 
 Samuel Delzell, Kniminitzky. 
 
 Bottlis, John D. Morris ami James R. 
 
 Nowland. The leader of the band, not in- 
 cluded ill the incorporation, was .\braham 
 Protzmann, a German, who in addition to 
 leading jilayed the E flat elariiiet. Mc- 
 Cready, who was later mayor of Indianapolis, 
 played the bass trombone. D. P. limit. 
 Jaiiics G. Jordan, and James McCord Sliarpe 
 (commonly known as "Cord" Sharjici played 
 the pieeolo. Kniarniel Iiani,di and Thos. 
 
 i-,'1
 
 HIST()i;V <iK (il.'KAl'KIi IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 Bakei- played B Hat tnnnhoiu's. Win. KariU' 
 and E. S. .\. 'I'yler — the latter sometimes 
 known as ".Sixiffofd "" ))nt more commonly as 
 ■'Xc'd "'—played llie K fiat cornet, then usu- 
 ally called the bujile. Louis Walk, John Gil- 
 liland and James ^'anblaricum played the 
 Frencli hoi-n. Aai'on D. Ohr played the B 
 Hat clarinet, and Nicholas Norwood also 
 playeil tlie clai-inet. Lafayette Yandes and 
 Thcs. D. ]\Iiller (familiarly known as 
 "Dave") played reed instruments, the names 
 of which are now lost. James E. Xowland 
 manipulated the bass drum. John ]\IcDou- 
 trall, who was a member but not an incorpora- 
 tor, i)laycd the ophicleide. He afterwards 
 went to California and became very wealthy 
 there — was at one time Governor of Califor- 
 nia. His brother (jeor^e also went West and 
 drifted down to South America, where he 
 was found some years later, by Admiral 
 Brown, chief of a tribe of Indians. 
 
 The band was ([uite a gorsreous organiza- 
 tion with its ureen coats, tight-fitting white 
 pantaloons, and black velvet caps with gold 
 bands. When it came to getting material for 
 the coats for so large a company it was found 
 that no store in town had enough cloth, and 
 in consetiuence the cloth was bought from 
 three ditt'ei'ent stores, and there was a slight 
 difference in the shades. Howevei'. it was 
 not noticeable in different uniforms, and ilc- 
 Cready. who was the tailor, got along very 
 well till he came to Louis Walk, who was the 
 last man t« come in. Louis was a good-sized 
 man. and it took all Ihe cloth left to fit him 
 out. When he came in to try his coat on, 
 he buttoned it up, and as he surveyed him- 
 self, a rueful expression came over his face, 
 and he exclaimed, "Py chiminy! 'Muc. dots 
 too many differences". He refused to be 
 placated until he was supplied with a uni- 
 form that had more uniformity. Several of 
 the charter members wei'c with the band but 
 a shoi't time, and most of them learned to 
 play their instruments after .ioinint;'. A few 
 were fair musicians to begin with, among 
 them "Xed'" Tyler, who was deputed to go 
 to Cincinnali to buy the instruments. He 
 stayed so Idiil' that some of the members be- 
 came fearful that he had decamix'd with the 
 money, but it was (vnly a ca.se of bad road>:. 
 Tyler played the bass viol in a flute and 
 slrini;' (irchi'strn that wa'< inti'ddnred in the 
 
 First Preslnteriau church in 184t)-7. The in- 
 novation caused some ob.iection in the church 
 at the time, and a few of the members would 
 not come in to services until after the music 
 was over.^ 
 
 The band was nonpartisan politically, play- 
 ing for any party tliat paid. Its first service 
 was a tri)) to the state line cast of Kichmoud 
 to meet Henry Clay, in 18-tO. Although just 
 organized it made the trip in its own band- 
 wagon. It also gave concerts now and then. 
 On one occasion it was scheduled for a con- 
 cei't at Greencastle on the same day that a 
 man was hanged there, and tlie jokers averred 
 that it went ovei' to play for the hanging. 
 It uave a concert at Danville on the way 
 ovei-, but at Greencastle the weather turned 
 very cold and the instruments froze up. so 
 that the concei-t had to be called off. This 
 was unfortunate, for tliere was a tremendous 
 crowd there for the hanging. However, it is 
 an ill wind that blows nobody good, and one 
 man did well at the time. J. W. Smith, an In- 
 dianapolis baker, had foreseen the oppor- 
 tunity, and went to Greencastle and baked 
 ginuerbread for two days steadily before the 
 great event. He sold every bit of it. 
 
 As a general rule, the band's undertakings 
 were very successful, and it was quite a feat- 
 ure of the town life, during its existence of 
 something over five years. But it wore out 
 gradually. If an instrument got broken it 
 was not Tisually replaced, and the player 
 dropped out. Others tired of the occupation, 
 and when it was finally discontinued there 
 were oidy lialf a dozen active niembei'S. who 
 did n':t feel equal to pei-petmiting the former 
 silories of the organization. Its place was 
 filled by a new band— the German ililitary 
 Band, which was incoi-jiorated on January 
 ^■^. 1S4."). with Chas. Yoinigerman. Ferdinand 
 Smith. Otto Schattei-. Coin-ad Youngerman. 
 Frederick Schiltmeier. Jcseph Blickley. An- 
 drew Ci'amer. Chai'les Heyeiliast. Wm. Wish- 
 meier, Andi-ew Pi'otzman and Jacob Wise as 
 chai'ter members. l''oi- some reason this band 
 was not long-lived, and the town had to de- 
 pend on imixirted musie foi- its functions an^l 
 displays. On June 9. 1S41I. tlie Locomotirr 
 
 'As to Tyler, see Xnr.s. June -2. 1!)0l': Sni- 
 1in<]. June 3. 1902; Xoirlaiid's I'rotii. Cill-( us. 
 |). 20.".
 
 HISTORY (IF CKKAIKi; 1 \ 1 )1.\\A1'0US. 
 
 523 
 
 (W. II. liass Phnl,, Company.) 
 
 S. E. TYLER IN UNMrORM OF INDIANAPOLIS UANU.
 
 524 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANA I'OI.TS. 
 
 said: "Wliy is it that Indianapolis c-annot 
 establish and support a Band, to play for the 
 immerous public celebrations that take place 
 in this city ? Is it because we have no per- 
 sons capable of being: instructed, or because 
 we are too indolent to undei-takc it? Country 
 towns, with one quarter the population, can 
 support good bands, and they are brought 
 here at an expense of from $30 to .$60 to 
 play, %vhen if we had a baud in the city it 
 would get this money. Think of this, "and 
 especially let the Germans consider on it, for 
 they are celebrated as musicians, and see if 
 it would not be a profitable business to estab- 
 lish a band here. On the 4th of July alone 
 $50 might be made." 
 
 This mercenary appeal was apparently ef- 
 fective, for the Saxe Horn Band, of tvvelve 
 pieces, was organized, and incurred the criti- 
 cism of the Locomotive by asking $50 for its 
 services on July 4, 1851. The members of 
 tlie band i-eplied by card in the Journal. 
 stating that they had paid $247 for instru- 
 ments, and had played gratuitously on several 
 occasions, but uow were for reform— no pay, 
 no play. The patriotic citizens rebelled, aiid 
 got up "a band of martial music": and John 
 R. Elder, editor of the Locomotive, gave the 
 toast: "Our band of martial nuisic — The 
 same kind oui- forefathers followed to the 
 victories we celebrate ".= The Saxe Horn 
 Band gave place to Henry Hahn's band, 
 which was started as a string band, but added 
 wind instruments. Among its members was 
 John Philips, who came here from Cincin- 
 nati and played a silver bugle that he had 
 won in a contest. The brass band part of the 
 organization became the National Guards 
 Band, and was the lineal predecessor of the 
 present City Band. In the militia revival 
 preceding the Civil AVai'. each of the com- 
 panies had its band, that of tiie City (irays 
 being under the leadership of Jesse Bakei'. 
 until he went west in the Pike's Peak excite- 
 ment. 
 
 The Civil War practically disbanded these 
 organizations, as most of the mu.sicians fol- 
 lowed the companies into the army, and went 
 out as the Eleventh Regiment Band, twenty- 
 five stroHg. under Carl A. Biedenmeister. 
 
 Most of them were mustered out after a 
 year's service, when it had been learned that 
 a band was of little sei-vice in actual war. 
 From the musicians left in the city there 
 arose an informal sort of organization under 
 the business leadership of Reinhold A. Miller 
 (it was Mueller, but he Americanized because 
 everybody called him :Miller). He is a native 
 of Saxony, who came to Indianapolis in 1855. 
 He was a member of the Hahn-Philips band, 
 and played in the orchestra at the Athe- 
 naeum. When the -Metropolitan (present 
 Park) was built, he went there as leader of 
 the orchestra, in 1859. In 1861 he was suc- 
 ceeded by Bernhardt Yogt of Cincinnati, and 
 played under him at the Metropolitan and 
 the Academy of I\Iusie. In 1876, when the 
 Grand was built, he went there as leader, 
 and has since been in charge of the orchestra 
 there as well as most of the time at the Park 
 and English's; his actual leadei-shiji being 
 chiefly at the Grand. From 1861 he has been 
 the business head of the somewhat disjointed 
 organization known as the City Band, calling 
 in what musicians he needed on various occa- 
 sions. In this way most of the music used on 
 public occasions, and many of a private 
 character, has been supplied in the last half 
 centuiy. The City Band played when Lin- 
 coln went through Indianapolis on the way to 
 his first inaugural. It played when his re- 
 mains M'ere brought here on the way to their 
 last resting place. It played in the funeral 
 proce.s.sions of Governor AVillard, General 
 Custei-, and many other notables, and it 
 played for all sorts of celebrations, balls, and 
 jiarades." It bids fair to coTitinue for some 
 time longer. 
 
 There is no room to doubt that a new era 
 in uuisieal culture in Indianapolis began 
 about the middle of the last century, or that 
 the influx of Germans had considerable to do 
 with it. Before that time there had been 
 nothing beyond elementai-y individual in- 
 struction in vocal naisic, except for choir- 
 singing." and in that line the choir of the 
 Second Presbyterian Church was considered 
 the best in the place, at least during Beech- 
 er's pastorate. This developed later into a 
 society for the studv of music— or at least the 
 
 -JonriinJ. July 1, 1851: Locomolivc, June 28 
 and Julv 12. 1851. 
 
 'Press. "Slnv 
 1907. 
 
 '4. 1000: .Y, 
 
 September 21,
 
 IIIS'|(»|;V OF (iliKATKIJ IXDIAXAIMI.IS. 
 
 society was composed l;ir>>fl\- of former 
 mpiiibers of this choir— in which Prof. P. R. 
 I'l'iU-sall was tlie instructdi-. i'earsall was a 
 pi<iiic(M' ill liitrher musical culture, and laid 
 ver\- creditably the fouiidatidus for discriini- 
 uatinjr iiiusieal taste. If we may take the 
 yeai- 1851 as the beginning of the new period, 
 Pearsall had then been teaching for some 
 time, and that summer advertised that he 
 would open a new term of vocal music on 
 July 7 "at the Indianapolis Female Institute, 
 on I'ennsylvania street, west side, north of 
 Market street" (^Miss Axtell's school) and 
 would also give instruction on the piano, 
 organ, iiielodeon, etc. The Jounial coiii- 
 luended this instruction, with this forcible ar- 
 muiient : ' '-Singing is very beneficial to the 
 lungs, and especially so at this time of the 
 year when the rarity of the atmosi)here weak- 
 ens their power. Singing will strengthen the 
 lungs of the young misses and cheer their 
 spirits, great desideratums at this unhealthy 
 season."* At the same time Prof. Wm. 11. 
 Currie announced his location here and his 
 readiness to give similar instruction. He was 
 located at Mrs. Goldsberry's just across the 
 street from his rival. 
 
 The piano was common enough at that 
 time. The first one was brought here in 
 1831, b.v James I^lake when he mari-ied, and 
 brought his young wife (IMiss Eliza Spronle, 
 of Baltimore) to this isolated frontier town. 
 No doubt it was a solace to her, as well as a 
 source of pleasure to tho.se who heard her 
 play; and it was destined to make music long 
 after it knew her touch, for it inspired Dan 
 Paine's poem "Da Capo"', which ranks 
 among the best of local jiroductions, and 
 which deserves perpetuation here: 
 
 DA CAPO. 
 
 She sat at the old piano. 
 
 Her fingers, thin and pale. 
 Ran over the yellow key-board 
 
 The chords of a minor scale. 
 
 Her hands were withered and slirunken. 
 
 Her fonii with age was lient ; 
 They seemed twin spirits in look and tone. 
 
 Herself and the instrument. 
 
 *Journ(d. Jiilv 1, 1851. 
 
 For the instrunu'iit, <iuaint and olden, 
 With its single tremulant strings, 
 
 Was little more than a spirit, 
 
 And its tone seeiiictl a whirr of wings. 
 
 And she— the keen chisel of sorrow 
 
 And the ci-uel burin of care 
 Had cut in her dear old features 
 
 Deep furrows, here and there. 
 
 Till all that was gross and earthly 
 Had been chipped and smoothed away. 
 
 And disclosed the patient angel 
 Behind the thin mask of clay. 
 
 She paused: and with upturned features 
 
 And reminiscent eyes 
 Was translated in one brief moment 
 
 Back to young life's Paradise. 
 
 « • • 
 
 Xo strain from the old tone-masters, 
 
 No burst of harmony gi-and 
 Sprang from the old ]iiano 
 
 At the touch of that magic band: 
 
 But the simi)le airs of her girlhood 
 
 Ri])I)led in melody sweet 
 As in days when hei- sky was all sunshine, 
 
 And the hours were as hap]i>' as tlcet. 
 
 And s]>arkled the li'jht that vanished 
 From eyes long dried of tears, 
 
 .And twinkled feet to her nnisic 
 That have moldcred in dust for years. 
 
 .\nd as we watched and li.stened. 
 She seemed to our moistened eyes 
 
 Already within the jtortals 
 That open towai-ds the skies. 
 
 \or seemed it longer a maiwel 
 That when in the morning gray 
 
 The disciples came to the tomb of the Lord, 
 To bear the body away. 
 
 They found but his cast-otV gariiiciit 
 With its odor of aloes and myrrh. 
 
 And the stone rolled away from the open iloor 
 Of an emptj' sepulchre 
 
 Other pianos followed this one, and. in 
 1843, Mr, Parinalec undertook tlie manufac- 
 ture of pianos at this jilacc. and proiluced
 
 .•)•?(! 
 
 illSTOHV OF (iUEATER TXDT.WAroTJS. 
 
 some whose tones, according: to the Joiiinnl. 
 were ''equal, if not superior to those of east- 
 ern instruments, such as are •••enerally in- 
 tended for the western mai-ket."'' This enter- 
 prise, however, did not attain any material 
 success; noi- diil another piano factory started 
 some twenty years Uiter at 161 E. Washing- 
 ton street by Traeyser & Robinson, though 
 the pianos of this firm took premiums at the 
 State Fair of 1865, not only for the best 
 piano made in the state, but also for the best 
 square piano made in the United States, and 
 this over twenty-seven competitors. In IS.'il. 
 A. G. Willard. who was conducting a dry 
 goods store, opened a piano ware-room in 
 connection with it. opposite the Palmer 
 House, for the sale of Gilbert & Co.'s pianos." 
 His success invited competition, and. in 
 January. 1852. Albert E. Jones oi)ened a 
 music store under ]\[asonic Hall for the sale 
 of all sorts of musical instruments and su])- 
 plies, and as the special agency of Chieker- 
 ing's pianos. 'j'his firm was comparatively 
 short-lived, as was alsoi the music store of A. 
 G. Crane & Co., which was established in 
 1855. and Willard — or, as the firm became. 
 Willard & Stowell — had a practical monopoly 
 of the business until 1865. when the Ben- 
 hams established their store. They were en- 
 terprising and popular, and gave vigor to 
 local musical sentiment by starting, in 1867, 
 the Western Musical Eevicir. They were 
 succeeded in 1878 by J. B. Cameron, and in 
 the same year the tirm of Theo. Pfafflin & 
 Co. was started. Prior to 1878 there had 
 been several other music stores established — 
 Charles Soehner. in 1869; D. H. Baldwin & 
 Co., in 1872 ; and Emil Wulsehner in 1877. 
 
 There was a notable manifestation of lo- 
 cal musical aspiration in 1851 : for in that 
 year The Handel and Haydn Society was 
 organized, and. on Decendier 2. gave its 
 "fii-st public rehearsal'' at Concert Hall. The 
 Senthiel's announcement of it says: "The 
 jirogranune embraces a great part of Haydn 's 
 sublime Oratorio of The Creation, and songs, 
 overtures, etc., from the most popular operas. 
 .\mong them is Russell's song. 'Man the Life 
 Boat', which, if well executed, as we doubt 
 not it will be. will alone be worth the jirice 
 
 ^Journal. October 4. 18-43. 
 Vournal. November 29, 1851. 
 
 of ad:iii>sl()ii. The Society has a very power- 
 ful chorus, supported by an orchestra com- 
 ])osed of musicians who are among the best 
 in the West. We hope, as this society is 
 composed of our fi'iends and neighbors, that 
 our citizens will give them a liberal sup- 
 l>ort.'"' Cnfortunately the local papers 
 which should have given accounts of the 
 concert, and something about the societj' it- 
 self, were filled with tiresome messages of 
 the Governor and President, which came 
 along .just then, and so this announcement is 
 the chief contemporary record. However, I 
 have found one surviving mend)er. 'Sirs. S. L. 
 Hall, of Terre Haute (^Miss Sarah Mears), 
 who was the youngest mendiei' of the organi- 
 /atiiin. and she wi'itcs mc ( n Januarv 31. 
 1910: 
 
 "As I rcciillcct. Mi'ssrs. Ddwnic and Currie 
 or>;anized the society, and it c( ntinued about 
 two years. They were nuisic teachers in In- 
 dianajxilis. .A[r. Downie married ]\Ielissa 
 (oildsberi'y, :uid .Mr. Currie married ^lary 
 Switzcr. 1 thiid< the members of 'the Beeeh- 
 er choir" were all members of this— Mrs. Ack- 
 ley only a short time because of her leaving 
 Indiana])olis. The ilisses Bassett were most 
 enthusiastic members, and IMiss Julia Bas- 
 sett took Mrs. Ackley's place as our best 
 mezzo-soprano, her sister being one of the 
 leading contraltos. I think that Mr. Love 
 Jameson was one of our most enthusiastic 
 members. .Mr. Albert Willard. son of A. (i. 
 Willard. was also a membei'. .Mr. Edwin 
 Coburn. Dr. Xewcomei-, and a .Mi'. Bowes, of 
 IMichigan City, were mendiers, as I remem- 
 ber. I was the youngest mendier. and left 
 Indianapolis in 1852 to go East to school, 
 and so can tell nothing of its passing away". 
 
 The society gave three more concerts that 
 winter, on January 18. Februai'y 21. and 
 jMarch 2, all of which received tlattei-ing no- 
 tices, but without much infornudion except 
 as to the reiiortei-"s ideas of the nnisic. Occa- 
 sionally these apj)eal to the uneducated of 
 later date. One of the popular numbei"s in 
 the.se concei-ts— it was I'epeated in all of 
 them — was "Man the Life Boat", in which 
 Professor Downie sang the leading part. The 
 Jminitil critic said of it: "I am no .iudge 
 of such pieces as 'Man the Life Boat,' par- 
 
 ~S(iitiiiil. Peeember 
 
 1851.
 
 iiisToK'v OF (;i;i:.\'ii:i; ixdi.wai'oi.is. 
 
 lietihirly wlu-ii the ImimI liiis tn stop and make 
 i-i'C'onnoitcfiiit;- nf iiuiltcrs. whilst the man at 
 tlie helm ii\n<ss tliiri' oi' I'luii- times over — 
 
 ■ Ah. st'i'. one stands 
 
 And wi'inys his iiands 
 
 Amidst the tempest wild. 
 
 For on the heaeli 
 
 lie eannot reach 
 
 He sees his wife and child'." 
 
 '{"here are others wild have wnndeied why. 
 at the most critical inonient. the movement of 
 an operatic trai.'ed.\' is made to stop while 
 somebody sinys ;i soni;. oi- the chorus takes a 
 turn. But the notices usually were alto- 
 gether eom|dimentary, the sinurers who were 
 pa!-tieularly mentioned beinp: ^Ir. and ilrs. 
 Dowide. iliss Clears, the blisses Ba.ssett and 
 Love Jameson. The membership of this so- 
 eiet.v was between forty and fifty, and in- 
 cluded most of the musical taU'nt of the city. 
 The selections yiven wei'e ehietly from the 
 best oi-alorios and ojx'ras, interspersed with 
 popular song's of the better class, especiall.v 
 duets, trios and ((uartets. On one occasion 
 the society sany' thi-ee of the poems of Mrs. 
 Bolton, which 1 ad been set to music by Pro- 
 fessors Downii: and Curi-ie. The Beecher 
 ehoii-. most of whose mendiers were also meni- 
 hei-s of the Handel and Haydn Society, was 
 • piite a notable oriianizatipn itself. A. G. 
 \Villai-(l was the leader. The leadinjj soprano, 
 and briirht, particular star, was iMrs. Dr. 
 Ackley, who was a dauy:hter of Professor 
 Baldwin, the first president of Wabash, 
 Ainong the men w'ho were members were 
 Jolui L. Ket<'ham. Alex. Davidson (sou-indaw 
 of (iovei'nor Xotile) and Lawrence Vance. 
 
 In musical criticism, Berry Snlprrove was, 
 at this time, monarch of all he surveyed, as 
 also in art, architecture and literature. He 
 wrote for both the JokiiiiiI and the Locomo- 
 tive, and was almost certainly the author of 
 the unsif,'ned articles on musical affairs that 
 ajipeared in them. There was a state assem- 
 bly of brass bands on Febi'uary 22, 1853, in 
 which twelve bands gave a .joint concert, and 
 then contested for a prize. It was a great 
 occasion. Lieutenant-CJovernor AVillard made 
 the weleominy- address, and William Wallac<' 
 presented the [)ri/.e banner in a speech 
 "whiidi di'cw the lireathless attention of the 
 
 entire audience", and is published in full in 
 the Locomotive of February 2(i. On this 
 occasion Berry was one of the .judges; and 
 ])robably wrote most of what appeared in the 
 two i)apers concerninir it. He appears tti 
 have been the sole .judge at a sinnlar contest 
 held on November 29, of the same yeai-. ^ 
 A good idea of the local nnisicai advancement 
 may be had from two or three extracts from 
 critical articles, all apparently from his pen. 
 First ;t notice of .leniiy Liiid's concert at 
 .Madison : 
 
 "On last Friday we went to .Madison, in 
 company with about forty from this city, to 
 hear .Jenny Liiid sing. We expected to lieai' 
 singing that surpasseil anything we had ever 
 heard— perhaps we did. but we have been 
 better pleased at concerts bv singers of less 
 note. Jenny lias a powerful, musical voice, 
 with complete conniiand of it. and i)ossesses 
 the powei' of w.irbling, with all manner of 
 variations. She is irood-looking. without be- 
 ing particularly alti-active — a little above the 
 medium height — fair hair, light complexion, 
 bhu' I'yes, and very graceful. When she ap- 
 ])eared. she leoki'd as if it required an effort 
 to sing before so large an audience, but this 
 soon wore off after she commenced. She was 
 dressed richly, without man.v ornaments. 
 
 "The orchestia — fifteen in numbei- — were 
 of the best nnisicians — they piM'foriiied to 
 perfection— but unisic lost its chariri in the 
 'Jenny Lind Hall'— they saw this— they 
 knew it — and their frequent glances at the 
 roof, the sides, the posts and cross-ties, and 
 their laugh whenevei- the eye of one wordd 
 detect the other examining these, plainly 
 showed that they pitied the city and peoi)le 
 that could not atVord a better building for 
 them to exercise their talents in. 
 
 "Of the building we must give a descrip- 
 tion—it was built for a pork house, and was 
 used foi- such. It is a large frame building, 
 composed of the frame, outside weather 
 boards, and shingled roof, uneeiled and with- 
 out plastering. Along the centre is two rows 
 of i-ough |)osts. held together by cross-ties as 
 I'ougli. supporting a i-oof with rafters still 
 rougher. Back and over the stage, and for 
 ten feet fiom it on each side, was papered — 
 
 ' Loeomotive. December ^^. 18"):?: Sittgrnve's 
 liidiniiiijwlis, p. 21)3.
 
 538 
 
 lllSTUlir OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 the balance was white-washed, inside and out. 
 The only building it will compare with in this 
 city is Browning's stable— if the mow and 
 stalls were taken out, they wovUd look vei-y 
 much alike — our readers can form some idea 
 of the effect music would have in such a 
 building".'' 
 
 This includes every word that was said 
 about Jenny Lind's singing. On November 
 24, 185], ]\[adame Anna Bishop and troupe 
 appeared at ^Masonic Hall, on her "farewell 
 tour," and the high grade of the performance 
 was guaranteed by ' ' admission, $1 ; reserved 
 seats, $2." The Journal's critique of the 
 performance said : 
 
 "We were disappointed in Madame 
 Bishop's personal appearance. She is de- 
 cidedly coarse in appearance, and does not 
 produce at tirst a very favorable impression 
 on an audience. There are various opinions 
 in relation to her voice. — Some take excep- 
 tions to certain peculiarities, but we think all 
 will agree that in the whole round of operatic 
 and ballad singing ]\radame Bishop is ex- 
 celled by very few contemporary vocalists — 
 that the defective features in her voice are 
 more than counterbalanced by the sweetness, 
 steadiness and strength of most of her tones, 
 and her musical skill. Many of her pieces 
 were loudly applauded and most of them en- 
 cored.— Her 'Sweet Home' was enthusiastic- 
 ally received, though some say it lacked senti- 
 ment. The artistic execution was very fine. 
 We must confess that we do not like her 
 style of ballad singing as well as that of 
 Madame Ablamowicz. and, perhaps, one or 
 two other vocalists we have heard. We will 
 not attempt to criticize her operatic perform- 
 ances, for the simple reason that we are not 
 entirely capable. They produced as good an 
 effect on the audience as we anticipated, con- 
 sidering that musical taste is not cultivated 
 generally in our new city sufficiently to fully 
 appreciate the highest descriptions of music. 
 We will only say that our best musical ama- 
 teurs were highly delighted with 'Casta Diva.' 
 'Lucia di Lamniermoor'. 'The Mexican Girl', 
 and 'Linda di Chainouni'. 
 
 "Signorina Lavinia Bandini, the young 
 violinist, wielded a magie bow, and brought 
 such music from her 'Cremona' as would 
 
 make a cross-roads fiddler 'back square out'. 
 Mr. Bochsa, director for the troupe, presided 
 at the piano. He ably assisted the other per- 
 formers in their parts with this favorite in- 
 strument, and in his 'Bagatelles Improvisees', 
 or, as near as we can translate it, his Extem- 
 poraneous Trifles, he brought down the house 
 in a torrent of applause, as a medlej' consist- 
 ing of 'Yankee Doodle', 'Hail Columbia', 
 "Star Spangled Banner', etc., etc., with bril- 
 liant variations, leaped from under his facile 
 fingers. Such tunes are 'household words' to 
 most of us Hoosiers, and we can appreciate 
 them either on the fife and drum or highly 
 embellished with variations. Last, though not 
 least, comes Herr Julius Seide, the flutist. 
 He played several i)ie('es in a manner that 
 has never been heard in this 'wooden couii- 
 ti-\'. It is useless to attempt a description. 
 With no apparent effort he called music 
 from the flute which we have never heard 
 equaled".^" 
 
 The Madame Ablamowicz referred to .sang 
 at :\rasonic Hall ^March 16-18, 1852, and thy 
 Journal said: "This lady achieved a com- 
 plete triumph on Tuesday evening, command- 
 ing the enthusiasm of a large, fashionable, 
 and discriminating audience. She labored 
 under the disadvantage of having no other 
 vocalist to assist her. The programme, too, 
 was a ditficult one. Here an Italian piece 
 from an opera, there a Scotch war song— 
 here a favorite piece of Carrie's (local music 
 teacher) and there a merry Scotch or Irish 
 ballad. Success in such a varied field cer- 
 tainly could hardly be anticipated, yet suc- 
 cess Madame A. certainly had. Her Italian 
 pieces elicited, from the best musical critics 
 pi-esent, unqualified eulogy. Of her ballads, 
 our judgment is that her etjual has never ap- 
 peared before our public. In the 'Vale of 
 Avoca', every syllable that she utters gushes, 
 it would seem, from her very heart, and the 
 hearer that thrills not with emotion beneath 
 the spell must be more insensible than marble 
 itself. This ballad, though we never liked it 
 before, was here rapturously encored ; and 
 when, in its stead, she playfully substituted 
 another Irish ballad, 'Rory O 'Moore', it pro- 
 duced an excellent effect. But of all her 
 ballads, the singing of the 'Lass O'Gowrie' 
 
 'Locomotive, April 19, 18.51. 
 
 "Journal, November 26, 1851.
 
 IIlSl(ii;V OF GliKATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 529 
 
 pleased us iiicisl. Madaiin' A. \s voice is re- 
 markable for its power and sweetness, and 
 lias Ix'en cultivated to perfection. To this is 
 added a eoui'teous desire to oblige, as evi- 
 denced ill the i-ei)etiti()n of pieces, and a per- 
 fectly cdiiiposed and refined demeanor".'' 
 
 Tint one eompi-tent laborer had ali'eady ap- 
 peared in this almost virsiu field, and that 
 was T'rof. Peter Roebuck Pearsall, who for 
 over thirty years instructed Indiana])olis in 
 rausie, though he was .57 years of age when 
 he came. lie arrived in Indianapolis Feb- 
 
 PROF. PETER ROEBUCK PEARSALL. 
 
 ruary 9, 1A47: his last concert was on Feb- 
 ruary 9, 187S. On the 18th of the following 
 month he was stricken with paralysis, while 
 in Benhani's music .store, and died on the 
 23d, moiii-ned by Ihc whole community. Not 
 only ■■; competent musician, but a man of 
 high character, and a Chesterfield in nian- 
 nei-s, he had won his way to many hearts 
 during his long i-csidence. lie became the 
 organist at Beechei 's old church in 1848. and 
 in 1854 went tn Christ Church, where he re- 
 
 ''Journal. Man-b 1 s:, 1S.')2. 
 Vol. I— :!4 
 
 maiued while in active work. Wliile he 
 I)layed other instniments. the organ was the 
 one at which he excelled. lie began its study 
 when he entered Xa/.areth Hall, Nazareth, 
 Penn., in 1798, a boy of eight years, and at 
 the age of fourteen was made organist of the 
 school. He went back there to a reunion in 
 1873, being then the oldest hall boy living, 
 and played on the instrument on which he 
 had learned to play. His concerts were the 
 chief local musical events for more than 
 twenty years. Added to his talent, and his 
 charming personality, he was a veteran of 
 the \Var of 18T2: anil altogether it is very 
 natural that "Father Pearsall'" holds a warm 
 place in the memories of the older residents 
 of Indianapolis. 
 
 The development of musical culture from 
 18.j1 on was a thing of slow growth, with 
 several contributing causes. The early work 
 of the (ierman musical societies is mentioned 
 elsewhere, and it no doubt had an inspiring 
 ett'ect in other than (ierman circles. The 
 opening of railroad communication with the 
 outside world gave the town a higher grade 
 of musical entertainments. The first of these 
 that caused .special note was a concert by Ole 
 Hull, on his first western tour, on December 
 (). 1853. With him were ilaurice Strakosch 
 as pianist, and Adelina Patti, his sister-in- 
 law, then only ten years old, who was aston- 
 ishing the country with her singing. Later 
 came numerous musicians, vocal and instru- 
 mental, who were touring the country, and 
 probably none attracted more notice than The 
 Black Swan. She was a very dai-k lirunette, 
 otherwise known as ^liss fireenfield, who had 
 made rpiite a sensation abroad as well as in 
 the Ea.st, and whom Harriet Beechcr Stowe 
 mentioned as liavini;' won hisrh commendation 
 by her singing at the Duchess of Suther- 
 land's. She sang here first on May 2. 18.55, 
 and the critics noticed her remarkable eom- 
 pa.ss "from a deep bass to a high treble"'. A 
 Sandusky paper having (iiiestioncd the pi'o- 
 [iriety of lier title: and having aske<l whether 
 swans ever sing, and whether she was a 
 "neirre.ss of beautiful foiin aii<l uraeeful 
 mien", the Locomolivr i-cjilii'd: 
 
 "There is an Australian swan which is 
 l»lack, and this Miss (Irccnlicld is so lilack 
 that charcoal will make a white mark on her. 
 The mu.sic of a swan, as we understand it, is
 
 530 
 
 HISTOIIV OP GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 ;i cross between the i|uaekjn^ of a duck ;iinl 
 the liissiii.ff of a goose, but this blaek swan 
 can pom- out musical sounds like an ebony 
 nuisical box — and with just as much genius 
 or soul. Her form is of the squat order, and 
 her mien of the waddle style. The editor in 
 the interior, who said that the Blaek Swan 
 rivals Jenny Lind, forms his estimate of 
 music friim quantity, not quality. The Swan, 
 like many other good singers, has any amount 
 of music in her lunus, with but little in her 
 sour'.' = 
 
 A notable evidence of higher musical as- 
 piration came at the beginning of ^May, 1856, 
 when a committee composed of L. H. Jame- 
 son. J. L. Ketcham, A. G. Willard. Chas. N. 
 Todd. 11. F. Smith, J. J. Drum, and G. S. 
 Braun. ainiounced a nuisical convention, with 
 sessions of four days and four nights, begin- 
 ning May 18. Prof. Geo. F. Root, then of 
 New York, was secured as director and in- 
 structor, and music teachers, choir leaders, 
 and friends of music generally were invited: 
 the course charge being $1 for ladies and $2 
 for gentlemen. It was specially noted that 
 "attention will be given to vocal training, 
 time keeping, intonation, style and expres- 
 sion, in connection with choir and congrega- 
 tional singing, and glee and chorus practice". 
 The convention was very successful, and 
 wound up with two concerts, in which the 
 solo singino- of ]\riss Twining, of Crawfords- 
 ville. and iliss Bassett. of Indianapolis, were 
 particularly complimented. But the conven- 
 tion was not repeated, and there is no record 
 of any other attempt at concerted work, 
 beyond choir and cla.ss practice, for more 
 than a decade. In the spring of 1859 In- 
 dianajiolis had its tirst performance of full 
 opera by Coojier's English Opera Troupe, at 
 the ^retropolitan. Annie Milner was the 
 prima donna-, and the company gave Bellini's 
 "La Somnambula" on April 2. Donizetti's 
 "Love Spell" (L'Elisir d'Ainore) <m April 
 4. and his "Daughter of the RegiTuent" on 
 April 5. The performances wei-e kindly no- 
 ticed, but do not appear to have been as well 
 patronized as either Christy's ^Finstrels or 
 The Peake Family of Swiss Bell Ringers, 
 which followed in the same week. 
 
 There were various teachei-s of instrii- 
 
 -l,orn»iiifiri . 'S\nv ."). 1855. 
 
 mental and vocal music, most of them not 
 tarrying long, until I'rof. P. R. Pearsall came 
 in 1847. He contributed materially to musi- 
 cal progress by private lessons for a number 
 of years, and his daughter. ]\Irs. Fleming, 
 who sang in the Episcopalian choir, was one 
 of the best anuiteurs in the city. But, with 
 the exception of the convention of 185(5, the 
 work was almost wholly personal, the choir 
 work being the widest divergence, until Prof. 
 J. S. Tilack came to the city in 1867. Profes- 
 soi- Black is a native of Vermont, and had 
 attained rank as a musical instructor at New- 
 York, Philadelphia and Rochester before 
 coming here. His classes were popular, and 
 concerts given b.y them in 1868, 1869 and the 
 spring of 1870 were hailed as great successes, 
 the prominent feature being the concerted 
 singing. In October, 1870. Prof. R. W. Sea- 
 ger came here and on the 19th, 20th and 21st 
 gave the Oi-atorio of Esther at the Academy 
 of ^Music, with local talent, there being 70 
 adults and 50 children in the company. Pro- 
 fessor Black joined enthu.siastieally in the 
 enterprise, lakinu- the part of "King Ahasue- 
 rus". and nearly all of his pupils partici- 
 pated. ]Mrs. H. C. Hopkins was "Queen 
 Esther"; ^[iss Nellie Ballard, the prophetess; 
 Oscar Stone. "Haman", and E. C. ^layhew. 
 "^lordecai'": while ]\Irs. Alice Porter. ]Mi.ss 
 Hester Cox (S|)ades), IMiss Grace Wilson, 
 ami ^Fi-s. J. J. Lodtre won many compliments. 
 The att'air was so satisfactory to all con- 
 cerned that a month later the Choral Union 
 was organized, with Professor Black as di- 
 rector until 1877. when he went South, and 
 leiiiained ten years before returning to In- 
 dianapolis. After his departure Emil Wulseh- 
 ner was director for a year; Professors Leck- 
 ner and Ernestinoff for a year. Professor 
 Beissenherz for a year. 
 
 The Choral T^nion was the great training 
 school of Indianapolis in concerted nuisic. 
 The first year it studi(>d glees, opera choruses. 
 Hies's cantata "The Moi-ning". and Rom- 
 berg's "Transient and Eternal". The second 
 year was devoted to Haydn's "Creation"; 
 and the third year to Handel's "^lessiah". 
 In 1874 there was a notable activity in local 
 nnisieal life. On May 6 was Professor 
 l^lack's seventh annual concert, in w-hieh not 
 iinly piTsent i)ni>i]s took part, but also his 
 former pn])ils. ^Frs. IT. ("'. H(i]ikins. ^Irs. E.
 
 HISTOJJY OF GKEATKi; JM)IA.\A1'()I.IS. 
 
 .-i:n 
 
 \V. Halford, and Miss Jennie Hull, of New 
 Voi-k. On May 19 came "Father Pearsall's 
 benefit", in which all musieal Indianapolis 
 partieipated. One of its features was a duet 
 ■'Canuval of Veniee"' bv ■('harles Soehner 
 ,ind Fathei- Pearsall. iniisie teaehers in this 
 lily 2o years ago". Strakoseh was here on 
 May 28 and 29 with Pauline Lueea in grand 
 Italian opera. On June 2, 3 and 4 came the 
 iirst ■'. Music Festival" of Indianapolis, given 
 hy the Choral Fnion. with the orchestral 
 music hy the local i'hil harmonic Society, the 
 only outside attraction beinir the Boston 
 Ouartette, :\Irs. H. ^r. Smith. :\rrs. Flora E. 
 liarry. .1. Nelson Varley, and -M. W. Whitney. 
 'I'liose last took the solo parts in "The Crea- 
 tion", which was given the first night, and 
 the ■■ Messiah ■'. on the second night; and on 
 till' third night gave a grand concert. 
 
 'riit' festival was a pronounced success, and 
 the Choral Fnion uave anothei- on May 17, 
 18 and 19, 187.'). at the Academy of Music. 
 The opening niudit was devoted to Haydn's 
 oratoi-io "Till- Seasons": the second to selec- 
 tions t'i-om the "^^essiah": and the third to 
 :i concert b.v the solo artists. ^Frs. If. M. 
 Smith. Miss Emma Cranch. AViri. .1. Winch 
 ;nid M. W. Whitney. While a comph'te suc- 
 rcss fi-om ;i musical point of view, the festi- 
 \al was a failure financially. In consequence 
 the Fnion contented itself in 1S7() with the 
 production of Handel's "Judas ^Maccabeus" 
 at the First Baptist Church, on :\Iay 2fi, with 
 no im|)ortcd singers but ^Mi-. Whitnev and 
 M. L. Wheeler, of Chicago. This ycai' also 
 there was a split in the Ch<irMl Fnion, ;i innii- 
 her of nieurbers withdi'awing and organi/.inir 
 the Hai'Mionic .Society with Prof. W. H. 
 Clarke a.s director. This societ.v produced the 
 oratorio of Naaman at the Grand Opera 
 House, on ^fay 30, assisted by the Indian- 
 apolis Orchestra which had been organized 
 a few 7i)onths earlier by Prof. Ora Pearson. 
 Mrs. BaiMiieicr. ^liss Sallic Binirham. and 
 ^^essI•s. Peters. Vaughan. Williams and Pro- 
 fessor Looniis took the leading parts. Iiiniic- 
 diately aftei- came what were practicall.v two 
 rival concert.s, that of Pearson's Indianapolis 
 Orchestra on May 31, and Professor Black's 
 annual on June (i. The natural tendency of 
 the rupture to in.iui-e the success of all these 
 cITiirts was added to by the presence of .Mice 
 Ojitrs with liiT coiiiii' opera troupe, wliicli "ms 
 
 then at its best, and at its best was e.Ktremelv 
 I)opular here. In fa<-t, this company may be 
 said to have intnxluced ojn-ra boutVe to" In- 
 dianapolis, and many theater-goers of that 
 period maintain that there has never since 
 been one that equaled it. 
 
 In 1877 music was in the air. The local 
 effort opened with a benefit to Professor 
 Clarke by the Harmonic Society, on Jlay 15. 
 The Jouniat said "the audience was pain- 
 fidly small, but e.\cruciatini;ly select"; and 
 that l'rofes,sor Clarke explained that "tlie 
 l)ai-ty on the stage were the pei-fonners, for 
 fear of mi.stake". On the 2;')th the Cecilian 
 (dee Club gave a complinientaiy benefit to its 
 leader. Frank Scott. On June 1 the operetta 
 (if "(ienevieve'' was given by a company of 
 forty local singeis, under Prof. Ora Pearson, 
 at the (irand. This occasion was notable as 
 the debut of Miss Lavonne Kaekley (a sister 
 of .Marirarct Reid Kackle.v. now ^[rs. Stem), 
 who took the leading character, though then 
 a nnss of only sixteen years, and carried it 
 with great success. On June 12 the Choral 
 T'nion gave Mendelssohn's oratorio of "Eli- 
 jah", at the First Baptist Church, with Mr. 
 Whitnev as "Eli.jah" the other outside sing- 
 ers bciiiir W. II Kcssenden and ;\Iiss Laura 
 ^r. Cooke. In 1S7S. Professor Black having 
 gone South, and Profe-ssor Clarke having re- 
 signed, the two societies got together for a 
 .ioint concert at Roberts Park Church on 
 Jtnie 28, They took up Ha.vdn's "First 
 Mass", undi'r the lcMd(>rshiii of Emil Wulsch- 
 nci- of the (Jhoral Fnion. and had rehearsals 
 at llarmiinic Hall -old Trinity Church, cor- 
 ner of .\orlh and .Mabanui street.s. The con- 
 cert was "a great success in everything but 
 attendance". The tnith is that "hard times" 
 was having a very marked elVect in Indian- 
 apolis in the later seventies, and people did 
 not Sfjuander nnich money foi- amusements. 
 .Vi'vcrthelcsis. both societies came to the front 
 in 1879. the Choral T'tdon <_'iving Haydn's 
 "Cr-eation" at the (Irand on June 2. and the 
 Harmonic jjroducing the caidata of "St, Ce- 
 cilia's Day" on June 3. at llai-monic Hall, 
 which p'M-formances nia.v be regarded as tlte 
 "last words" of the two oru'ani/ations. 
 
 In 1880 the chief musienl event was the 
 Maennerchor's festival of Jime 18-20. in 
 celebration of its twcnty-lil'tb anniversary. 
 This was done on an impri'ssive scale, tln' ini-
 
 532 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 ported taleut being Lilliau Stoddard. ^Inie. 
 S. J. Friedenheiiner. Emma Craneh, H. A. 
 Bischoff. J. F. Riidolphsen. aud Echborn's 
 Louisville Orchestra of 48 men. In this year 
 also began a new era in Indianapolis music 
 with the amateur production, on February 13 
 and 14, of "'The Proff Opera", for the benefit 
 of the Oi-phan Asylum. A number of the 
 performers were members of the Light In- 
 fantry, and under the influence of the "Pina- 
 fore" craze, which liad then set in strongly, 
 this military orsanization took on an opera 
 boulTfe existence. On January 13-15, 1881, 
 the Light Infantry gave "Pinafore" at Eng- 
 lish's, the characters all being taken by men. 
 and "Pink" Hall, Jud Colgan, Bert" Eddy 
 and othei-s added to their luster a.s star per- 
 formers. It was a great success, and a re- 
 turn engagement followed, in which, however, 
 there was a slight change. At the la.st mo- 
 ment ^Ir. 0. W. Williams, the "Josephine" 
 of the company, contracted quinzy. and a 
 telegram to Chicago brought jMrs. McWade 
 ("Ada Somers"), who took the part.^= De- 
 cember 8-10, 1881. the Light Infantry gave 
 "The Pirates of Penzance" at English's, but 
 this with ladies in the cast. Mrs. Spades and 
 ^Trs. Bailey singing the leading parts. This 
 was repeated on January 2, at a benefit for 
 Prof. Ora Pearson. 
 
 By this time the light opera furore was al- 
 most universal, and Professor Pearson or- 
 ganized the Indianapolis Opera Company, on 
 a more ambitious basis. April 18-19. 1882, 
 it gave "The Chimes of Nonnandy" at the 
 Grand, with ^Irs. Enrique ^Tiller, ^li's. Leon 
 Bailey, Professor Pearson and O. W. "Will- 
 iams in the leading parts. This organization 
 held together for some time. ]Most of the 
 members took nart in "The Naiad Queen", 
 which was produced through the week begin- 
 ning April 9. 1883. under direction of Ai'thur 
 C. McKnielit of Wasbincton City. But the 
 company had its own enterprises also, and on 
 :May 11 and 12 produced "Fra Diavolo" at 
 the Grand, bringing "\Ym. Ca.stle. of the Ab- 
 bott Company, from Chicago, to do the musi- 
 cal bandit. The other leading characters 
 wei-e as in "The Chimes of Normandy", and 
 the othcT-s would be lost to fame, but that 
 ]\rrs. T;each. the c\istodian of th(> Grand, has 
 
 ''Hrrahl. Jatuiarv 22. 1881. 
 
 preserved the old prograunnes. Among the 
 characters are the well-known Indianapolis 
 names of Dudie I\IcGuire, Julia Elliott, Net- 
 tie Johnson, Blanche Dollens, Jennie Gold- 
 thwaite, ^Irs. Ida Grav Scott, Mamie "\Val- 
 laek. Adele Wallack, Sam Carey. Ferd L. 
 flayer, Chas. B. Foster. W. Deil. Hooper, 
 Sam D. ililler and Thos. Eastman. After 
 this there was a lull in light opera, but it 
 was revived later under Professor Ernesti- 
 noff. On March 5-6, 1886. "The Mikado" 
 was given with Lulu Burt ("Helen Ber- 
 tram"), ]Mrs. Bailey, Fred Loomis and Sam 
 L. Morrison in the leading parts: and Feb- 
 ruary 22-23. 1889, "The Pirates of Pen- 
 zance" was given ■with 'Sirs. Bailey and T.,eo- 
 nore Snyder as leading ladies. 
 
 During all this time there was on organ- 
 ization that clung to higher musical culture, 
 and that was the Matinee .Musicale. which 
 was organized in 1876. and which has l<ept 
 steadily on with its fortnightly meetings, 
 stimulating musical taste, and encouraging 
 young nnisicians to persevere. It also pro- 
 moted acquaintance and friendliness among 
 the musical, and that is important: for 
 though music nuiy have charms to soothe the 
 savage breast, it does not seem to have that 
 effect on its producers, ^lusieians. on the 
 average, are "scrappy" enough to be con- 
 sidered natural Democrats. The clergyinan 
 was both wise and witty who referred to his 
 choir as "the Deiiartment of War". It was 
 this tendency that made every musical or- 
 ganization in Indianapolis comparatively 
 short-lived, except the ^Maennerchor : and it 
 survives, after ^inwv troublous times, most 
 l)robably because it had outside animosities 
 to engage the attention of its membci-s. and 
 di'aw Ihem together. Ne.vt to it, the ^latinee 
 .Musicale is the oldest nuisical organization in 
 the cit.y, and the influence of its early years 
 no doubt contributed largely to the conditions 
 that made suceessful the first .May ilusic Fes- 
 tival. Of eoui-se there were many other ele- 
 ments in the production of that result, and 
 among them may be suggested the constant 
 cultivation of choral singing in churches and 
 Siuiday Schools, and the teaching of singing 
 in private and |)ublic schools. The ]iublic 
 school work, up to that time, had been done 
 chieflv bv Prof. (!eo. B. Loomis. and had tteen
 
 HlSTUllY OF GKKATKi; 1 XDIA.X AI'Ol.lS. 
 
 533 
 
 an iiuporUiiit aid to every cliild who liad any 
 taste or talent for music. 
 
 The first nmsie festival iu 18S() was ehietly 
 an enterprise of the Grand Army of the Re- 
 public, which had undertaken to raise funds 
 for a soliders' monument, and was giving 
 every energy to this enterprise. It held a 
 great soldiers' reunion in Indianapolis the 
 week following .Memorial Day, which fell on 
 Sunday in that year. Tomlin.son Hall had 
 just been completed, and the jtlan was 
 evolved of dedicating it with a music festival 
 for the benefit of the monument fund. The 
 idea was pleasing to everybody, and with 
 veiy little difficulty a chorus of 650 voices 
 was organized, and an orchestra of (iO pieces. 
 The only imported artist, and the only paid 
 one. that season, was Lilli T.chmann. The 
 leader was Carl Harus. who had been identi- 
 fied with the muscial life of the AY est since 
 1852. and who made his first appeai-ance here 
 as director of the German music fest of 18i)8. 
 He came here for residence in 1882. The 
 festival opened on Tuesday, June 2, with 
 Misses Adam and Hes.sling, Mrs. J. P. Fren- 
 zel, ^Irs. H. Schurmann. ]\rrs. F. If. Tjcvci'ing. 
 lyirs. IJ. J. IIanui}ond and ^Messrs. Liiimann. 
 Levi and Loomis. as stars, in addition to Miss 
 Lehmann. On Wednesday night the festival 
 was a "campfire", with addresses by Gen- 
 erals Sherman. Logan. Bennett and Gibson, 
 and [latviotic sonirs with Miss Annie Abromet, 
 ifrs. U. J. Hammond. ^Mrs. W. C. Lynn. Mrs. 
 Sam IMorrison. Andrew Smith. Burgess 
 Brown and John G. Blake as soloists. Mr. 
 and ilrs. Spades. ^Fiss Lulu Burt. .Mr. H. J. 
 Schonaeker and Miss N. P. Johnson also ap- 
 peared as soloists on other evenings, the fes- 
 tival elosinsr on Friday night. Miss Lehmann 
 received $800 for the three evenings she sang, 
 and the profits of the festival were about 
 $5,000. Tlie monument fund also received a 
 lift the week following from the ,\mci-icaii 
 Opera Company, which included the Theo- 
 dore Thomas Orchestra, and irave benefits to 
 the G. A. R. on June 7 and 8. 
 
 On motion of AY. C. Smock, the Grand 
 Army had decided fo I'cpc.-it the festival an 
 nually, bu*^ this was imt done because tin' 
 lesrislature of 18S7 varied the monotony of 
 its ifreat senatorial fiiibt by passing the \)\\\ 
 for the Soldiei-s" and Sailoi's' AbnuMiicnt. and 
 therebA' took the work ofT the (Iraiid .\riiiy's 
 
 hands. Two years ])assed without festivals, 
 but the success had been too pronounced, and 
 the memory of it was too pleasing for the 
 matter to be dropped. In January, 1889, a 
 May Music Festival Association was organ 
 ized. chiefiy through the etforts of Carl liarus 
 and J. H. Stem, and active preparation was 
 begun for a festival that year. Gen. J. R. 
 Carnahan was elected president, A. Kipj) vice 
 I)resident. Henry C. Rogei-s secretary, E. B. 
 Pfirter treasurer, and Carl Barns director. 
 Nearly 700 names were enrolled in the chorus, 
 and the members rehearsed faithfully on 
 ^fonday ni;rhts at High School hall, with 
 Julius Kohl as accompanist. The festival 
 was May 27-29. with Emma Juch. Mme. II.t- 
 bert-Foerster, ^Martraret Reid (Kackleyi. 
 Aliss Von Doenhoef, Miss Piersc, Jules Pcr- 
 otti. Signor Campanari and Emil Fischer 
 were the solo vocal artists: while Max Ben- 
 dix appeared in a violin solo, and Adele Ans 
 der Ohe as a piano soloist. 
 
 The festival was a great success, and every- 
 body favored its continuance as a permanent 
 institution. In 1890 it was held I^Iay l:?-16. 
 The oi'chestra of 50 pieces was from the Met- 
 ropolitan Opera House. New York. The not- 
 able vocal soloists were illle. Clementina De 
 Vere, Mme. Theresa Herbert-Foerster, ^Frs. 
 Zelda Se£ruin-Wallaee. Jules Perotti, Emil 
 Fischer. Chai'les Holman Black and Charles 
 Knorr. The instnnnental soloists were John 
 Cheshire (harp\ Franz \Yilczek (violin), and 
 Victor Herbert (violoncello). In 1891 the 
 chief vocal attractions were Emma Juch. 
 Mary Howe, Clara Poole, AVm. Lavin and 
 Emil Fischer; and the instrumental, AVilczek 
 and Max Bendix. The orchestra was that of 
 Theodore Thomas, conducted by him. In 
 1892 the star singers were Alme. Fursch-^fadi. 
 Lena Little. IMariraret Roid, :\rrs. S. E. Ford. 
 Caiiipanini and Ifeinrich Meyn. acconuianii^d 
 by Damrosch ami his orclnsti-a. The insliMi- 
 mental star was the violinist Brodsky. Tliis 
 was the last year that the chorus was con- 
 rlucted by Professor Barus, he being succeed- 
 ed by F. X. Arens in the followiiiL' year. The 
 festival in 189.S was a fizzle The diri'ctors 
 had made a contract with Charles E. Locke 
 for tlie SeidI orchestra, aiul a complcnicnl of 
 soloi.sts. while a separate conti-act had l)ecn 
 made with Afmc. Noi-dica. .\ few days be- 
 fore the time set for the fcs|i\jil the dirTctnis
 
 5:54 
 
 iiisTOKV OF (;i;i:atkr ixdiaxapolls. 
 
 rceived a demand for about $3,000 increase 
 on their contract ; and also for one day's 
 postponement of the opening. This was re- 
 fused, and the festival was off. The only 
 consolation offered was a concert on May 22, 
 for the benefit of the festival fund, at w'hich 
 ]\Iadame Nordica, ^lai-u'aret Reid, Sadie Wal- 
 ker and Schliewin. the violinist, appeared. 
 
 In 1894 there were enoush attractions in 
 the session, ]\ray lo-lT. to make up for the 
 loss of the preceding year. The notable art- 
 ists were Emma Eames, Emma Juch, An- 
 toinette Trebelli. Clara Poole-King and Ger- 
 trude May Stein, with Ben Davies, Max 
 Heinrich, "Watkin ^Mills and E. C. Towne ; 
 also Henri ]\[orteau (violin). Y. V. Rogers 
 (harp), Felix "Wintei'nitz (violin), and Fritz 
 Giese (cello). There was a change in the 
 business management of the association this 
 year, in which Mr. 0. R. Johnson had become 
 secretary, and Mr. Ferd ifayer was put in 
 charge of local contracts. For the first time 
 receipts of the festival equaled the expenses, 
 since the oi-ganization of 1889. The orches- 
 tral music in 1894, as also in 1895 and 1896, 
 was furnished by the Boston Festival Or- 
 chestra, with Emil Mollenhauer as director. 
 In 1895 the stars were I\Ielba, Nordica. Ger- 
 trude May Stein. Julie L. Wyman, Rose 
 Stewart, Mrs. Jennie Patrick Walker, Max 
 Heinrich, W. H. Rieoer. Ben Davies. Wm. H, 
 Clarke and Watkin :\ri!ls. In 1896 Nordica 
 was here again, with Mme. Lohse-Klafsky. 
 ]\Iiss Stein, Katharine Bloodgood. ^larie 
 Bi'ema, ^Ime, Lillian Blauvelt, Signer Cam- 
 panari, Evan Williams. E. A. ^McDowell. Bar- 
 ren Berthald. D. ^T. Babcock and Van Yech- 
 ten Rogers. In 1895 the festival was on I\Iay 
 13-16, and in 1896 on Mav 25-27. 
 
 In 1897 the festival was held ^May 20-22. 
 with ^fme. Calve as the chief attraction, and 
 also as soloists Ella Russell, jMme. Clemen- 
 tine de Vere Sajiio, Sarah Layton Walker. 
 Ffrangcon-Davies. Barron Berthald, Evan 
 Williams, Oliver "\V. Pierce and Morris ^Meck. 
 Professor Arens conducted the chorus, and 
 Frank Van der Stueken directed the orches- 
 tra—the Cincinnati Syinnhony Orchestra, 
 which was also entraged in 1898. The last 
 year of the festival was 1898, and Van der 
 Stueken conducted both chorus and orchestra. 
 Thei'e was also a children 's chorus of 800 
 voice*, which was ti'ained bv Professor Er- 
 
 nestinort' and ]\Iiss AVilkinson. The festival 
 was held ^lay 4-7, and the chief attractions 
 were Mme. Jaeoby, Mme. Gadski, j\Ime. Juch, 
 Geo. Hamlin, David Bispham, Paul Haase 
 and Ysaye, the pianist. At this festival 
 Benoit's "Lucifer" was given for the first 
 time in America. As it was just after 
 Dewey's great victory, the festival took on a 
 patriotic tinge. As spokesman, on the open- 
 ing night. Bispham reciuested the audience to 
 .join in '"The Star Spangled Banner''', Mmes. 
 Jaeoby and Juch leading the singing. On 
 the last night "America" was sung by the 
 chorus, the audience .joining; and on Thurs- 
 day night Bispham sang "The Battle Hymn 
 of the Republic", the audience joining. The 
 great drawing card proved to be Ysaj'e, on 
 the clo.sing night. 
 
 Notwithstanding its success in other re- 
 spects, the festival of 1898 was a dismal fail- 
 ure financially, leaving a deficit of about 
 $3,000. This was so discouraging that the 
 directors abandoned the festival enterprise. 
 There was an effort in the fall of 1899 to re- 
 vive it for 1900, but in December it was 
 finally given up. There nuiy be some differ- 
 ence of opinion outside, as to why the festival 
 was a financial failure, but there is not much 
 among the directors. One says: "The world 
 did not produce musical celebrities fast 
 enough". Another puts it: "The American 
 public does not care for music; it pays to 
 see celebrities. The star wha draws one sea- 
 son is not a star the next, and conse((uently 
 does not draw". A third says: "You haven't 
 an adequate hall here. You must mak(> your 
 money on stars; and when you have a r(>al 
 •<tar. Tomlinson Hall is not large enough, and 
 has not enough good seats". To the pio- 
 posal to cut out the stars it is answered that, 
 "if you did you could not even get a chorus 
 to serve without compensation". 
 
 Of course, there have been few traveling 
 musical organizations in the United States 
 since the Civil War that have not visited In- 
 dianapolis; but since ll'e last ^lay festival 
 the principal eft'ort to briu'i hi^h-grade mnsi- 
 eal talent here has been by a woman— Ona 
 B. Talbot. She began by bringing Theodnie 
 Thomas with his orchestra, and Frederick A. 
 Stock in ch(u-al work, in 1901-2; and since 
 then has broucht DamrosclTs Xcw York Syiii- 
 phony Orche-tra twice. Emil Paur's Pitts-
 
 lll.ST()|;V OF (;i;i-ATRi; ixdiaxai-olis. 
 
 535 
 
 Ml'. //. B'l.i.-! Photo Conipunij.J 
 
 MME. CAHIER AS "UKl'HKUS.' 
 (Sarah Layton Walker.)
 
 53 G 
 
 HISTOKY OF GltEATEU IXDIAXAPOLLS. 
 
 bnrgr Orphestra three times. Dr. Kaii !Muck"s 
 Boston Symphony Orchestra twice, the Knei- 
 sel Quartet four times, aud the Heermanu 
 Quartet ouce. Under her management the 
 city has had visits from noted singers, Alice 
 Nielsen. Jlelba. Calve. Seluimann-Heink 
 ( thri'e times), Gadski. Bispham and Cam- 
 ]')anari ; and of instrumental artists. ]\Iiclos. 
 Biisoni, Paderewski (twice). Kosenthal. Ca- 
 mero, De Pachmann (twice), Bernthaler. Ar- 
 thur Rubinstein. Kubelik, Ysaye, Elsa Rueg- 
 ser. (ierardy, Bromsen, Arnold Dolmetsch 
 and others. Since 1906 the People's Concert 
 Association has done a good work by provid- 
 ing higli grade concerts at n^asonable prices 
 at Caleb Mills Hall i Shortridge High School) 
 and lias had large audiences. Perhaps its 
 largest undei'taking has been bringing an- 
 nually the Theodore Thomas Orchestra. In 
 1895. Karl Schneider organized the Indian- 
 apolis Symphony Orchestra, which gave con- 
 certs here with noted soloists. 1904-6. Per- 
 haps the most notable musical event since 
 the close of the ^lay festivals was the meeting 
 of the thirty-second National Saengerfest at 
 Indianapolis June 17-20, 1908. They had as 
 soloists ilarie Rappold, Schumann-Heink, 
 Adolf ]\Iuehlmann and David Bispham: with 
 Danirosch's New York Symphony Orchestra. 
 Indianapolis has been blessed by excellent 
 music teachers from an early time, so much 
 so that those pupils who went elsewhere for 
 hisrher study had very rarely to "inilearn" 
 what they had been taught here. The names 
 of Professors Pearsall. Owen, Black, Seholtz. 
 H. J. Sehonacker. Kai-l Schneider, Leckner, 
 Newell, Ernestinofl'. Beissenherz and Bahr, 
 Professor and ^ladanie TTeine. Professor and 
 ^ladame Jaillet. the Schellscbmidts. ]Mr. and 
 Airs. McGibeny. 0. W. Pierce. John Geiger. 
 Edward Nell.Mv. Peek, Mrs. Hunter, and 
 others, are widely remembered for their work 
 of instruction. And they have had pupils 
 who did them credit. There has not been a 
 time in years when the city did not have a 
 dozen talenled amateurs, who could be called 
 on for genuine musical work. And the city 
 has produced some professionals that have at- 
 tained notable success: and others who de- 
 served greater success than has yet come to 
 them. One of the first to attain fame was 
 Albert Ross Parsons. President of the Amer- 
 ican College of ^Musicians of the TTniversitv 
 
 of New York since 1893. He was a pupil of 
 Professor Pearsall here, before the war. and 
 went East as a "boy wonder''. He pursued 
 his studies at Bufilalo. New York City, and, 
 for five years, in Germany, under Carl Tau- 
 sig and Prof. Theodore Kullak. President 
 Parsons is an all-round genius, archanilogist. 
 genealogist, composer, author and lecturer, as 
 well as musician. He has published a num- 
 ber of volumes dealing with the sulijects in 
 which he ranks as an expert authority, some 
 of which are of exceptional interest as dem- 
 onstrating the connection between music and 
 other arts and sciences.'^ 
 
 Another .iuvenile prodigy is Thad Rich, 
 son of W. S. Rich, and present Concert ^leis- 
 ter of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He is of 
 a musical famil.y, and displayed musical tal- 
 ent very early. His father bought him a 
 small violin and gave him his first instruc- 
 tion: his first appearance in public was at a 
 school exhibition, at the age of nine, and 
 within three years after he was astonishing 
 and delighting audiences in various parts of 
 the state and at Chicago and Cincinnati. He 
 became a pupil of Richard Schliewin, Charles 
 Ehricke, and later Professor ^IcGibeny, and 
 afterwards ])ut in six intermittent years in 
 (ierinany. with Arno Hilf. Joseph Joachim. 
 Hans Pfitzner and Artlnir Nikisch. His first 
 appearance in Indianapolis after going 
 abroad was on Octolier r,. 1899, at the age of 
 14. and his last was in a recital at Caleb ]Mills 
 Hall on :\larch 19, 1907. In addition to play- 
 ing the violin. ]\lr. Iiirli is a violin nudcer of 
 marked ability.'" It seems jjroliable. how- 
 ever, that even Rich will be surpassed by Ed- 
 die Brown, now 18 years of age, the son of 
 Jacob Brown, a Washington street saloon- 
 keejier. He was one of ]\Ic(iiheny's pupils, 
 and for the last tln-ee years has been at Buda- 
 Pesth with Jeno llubaye, the Hungarian 
 maestro. He is now under contract with 
 Daniel ^Mayer. wIki managed Kubelik, Elma. 
 and Paderewski. and he holds that Eddie 
 Brown is the greatest violinist of his age in 
 the world. Eddie made his first professional 
 appearance in London. England. October 3, 
 
 ^*W/io's WIkj. and lliniiniiiliind hhwiidn- 
 pcclias. 
 
 ^Wcics. Septembci' 28. 1899: April 3. 1907.
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 337 
 
 VJ07, with great success."' Ellis Levy, an- 
 other Indianapolis boy of e.vtraiirdinary tal- 
 ent, is now studying with Caesar Thomson, in 
 Brussels, and there are others eomiuij; on, 
 anionir whom may be noted two girls, ilarie 
 Dawson, now studying here, and Vera Ver- 
 barg, who goes out next season with a con- 
 cert company. 
 
 One of the most talented violinists Indian- 
 apolis has produced is Jeauiiette Orlopp— or, 
 as the name is sometimes written Orloff, 
 which was probably the original form. She 
 showed early musical talent, and was given 
 her early instruction by Professor Beissen- 
 herz, who recognized her ability and urged 
 her hicher study. She then went to the Cin- 
 cinnati College of ilusic. and studied under 
 Leaudro Campanai'i. In graduating from 
 this institution she won a gold medal and a 
 post-graduate scholarship. Soou after she 
 visited Italy with the Campanaris, and while 
 at Genoa received a remarkable honor. The 
 violin of Pagauini which had been kept 
 sealed, under a glass cover, since the death 
 of his only pupil Sivori, needed restriuging, 
 and the work was delegated to Campanari. 
 The violin was unsealed in the presence of 
 the civil authorities and a concourse of musi- 
 cians. After putting the violin in order, 
 Campanari played two or three selections on 
 it, and then called on ^Miss Orlopp, who 
 played one of Beethoven's romanzes to a de- 
 lighted audience. Prom Italy she went with 
 strong letters to Wilhelmi, at London, and 
 became his |)upil for more than a year. He 
 was negotiating for her appearance under his 
 direction when his untimely death occurred, 
 iliss Orlopp has appeared .several times in 
 Indianapolis, and is recognized bj' all who 
 have heard her as an artiste of very high 
 grade.'" For some months ^fiss Orlopp has 
 been in negotiation with David Bispham for 
 appearance in a novel nuisieal play contem- 
 plated by him. 
 
 The first Indianapolis singer to achieve 
 real fame abroad was Margaret Reid ( Kack- 
 \ey), now :^[rs. Hai'old Swain. She was born 
 at Maysville, Ky.. and her parents moved 
 here in her infancy. She probably learned 
 to sing from the birds, for she made her first 
 
 '"AVifs, October 4, 1909. 
 
 ''Xcws, May 5, 1898; Press, March 23, 1900. 
 
 public ap[)earance at the age of seven, at the 
 Home Avenue, or Third Christian Church, 
 of which she later became the leading soprano. 
 With no special musical instruction but her 
 choir practice and that of the public schools, 
 she went to study at the Boston Conservatory 
 of Music in 1884-5; and in the winter of 
 188G-7 went to Paris, where she studied with 
 ^Ime. Leonard. She became favorably known 
 as an artiste, and, among other engagements, 
 sang at a large reception by Whitelaw Reid, 
 in the presence of the official and diplomatic 
 society of Paris. Returning to this country, 
 she sang at the Indianaiiolis ^lay Festival in 
 1889, and received a great ovation, not only 
 from the audience, but also from the local 
 and foreign singers. She sang at Washing- 
 ton at a memorable recei)tion of the Brices, 
 at which ]Mme. Sealchi and Edward Lloyd, 
 the noted English tenor, also sang. ]\Irs. Har- 
 rison invited her to 5 o'clock tea at the \Yhite 
 House, and President Harrison escorted her 
 to the Green Room, where she sang at his re- 
 quest. Her debut in opera did not occur un- 
 til 1892, when the managers of the Metro- 
 politan Opera Company, of New York, were 
 thrown into eonstei-nation by their prima 
 donna Marie Van Zandt, who avowed she 
 was sick, and refused to sing. ^lanagers Ab- 
 bey & Grau determined to try Miss Reid. It 
 was a solemn proposition to take a young girl 
 who had no expci'ience in opei-a. and put her 
 before the footlights as "Ophelia", in ibn- 
 broise Thomas' "Hamlet": but they risked 
 it, and the result on Febnuuy 10, 1892, was 
 more than a success. The audience, always 
 ready for offense at a substitution, was skep- 
 tical and critical at first, but it surrendered; 
 and it closed the evening by calling her be- 
 fore the curtain half a dozen times, amid 
 tiunultuous enthusiasm. The following mouth 
 she sang at the ^fay Festival h(>re, with great 
 favor; and later in the year ti-aveled as solo- 
 ist with the Seidl Orchestra and with Cam- 
 panini. She was engaged for the May Fes- 
 tival of 1893, and apjieared at the concert 
 which took the place of it. In the season of 
 1893-4 she was with the Bostonians, and in 
 the fall of 1894 went abroad, where she re- 
 mained foi- .'ight years. Two .seasons were 
 spent in London in an engagement at Covent 
 Garden, ami Ihc remainder in opera on the 
 continent. In l:i(i2-:! sh.- had an engagement
 
 o38 
 
 IIISTOHV OK (ilJKA'lHR INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 witli the New Orleans Opera Company, but 
 became dissatisfied with their methods and 
 withdrew from the company and from the 
 stat;e. On Septemlier 9, 1893, she had mar- 
 ried Harold Swain, a childliood lover, and 
 since 19U3 they ha\e been living- quietly in 
 New York City, where ]\Ir. Swain is a suc- 
 cessful attorney.'** 
 
 Another Indianapolis singer who has at- 
 tained international fame is Marguerite 
 Lemon. She is a native of the city, and of 
 old Indianapolis stock; descended on her 
 father's side from Jonah F. Lemon, who 
 located northeast of Millersville in 1837, and 
 on her mother's side from Thomas Wyatt, of 
 English descent, who came to Indianapolis in 
 1835. She brought her musical talent into 
 the world Avith her. for she made her first 
 appearance at three years of age in a song at 
 a Christmas entertainment at St. Paul's 
 Church. She was educated in the loca' 
 schools, finishing at !Mrs. Sewall's Classical. 
 She had no special vocal training here, but 
 became an expert pianiste under the instruc- 
 tion of Professor Rahr. and sang for some 
 time in the choir of the First Presbyterian 
 Church. She went to New York to study, 
 and was engaged for the First Presbyterian 
 Church choir there, and also appeared in 
 concert. Her voice attracted the attention of 
 Conried. who made a three years' contract 
 with her for soprano parts at the ^Metropoli- 
 tan Opera House. But I\Iiss Lemon, after 
 winning laurels in New York, decided to go 
 abroad to perfect her foreign accents, and 
 first went to Germany. An appearance in 
 one of Henry Hadley's recitals brought sev- 
 eral ofifers for opera, and she soon appeared 
 as ^larguerite in "Faust", Eva in "Der 
 ^Feistersinger", Elsa in "Lohengrin '". and 
 Elizabeth in "Tannhauser". 
 
 Her principal engagement was in Ma.v 
 ence. but she has sung in.gastspiele in all the 
 principal German, French and Italian cities. 
 In the spring of 1908 she created a furore 
 by her "]\Iadame Butterfly'", of which the 
 Mainz Journal said: "Jliss Lemon impei'- 
 sonated Ihe deceived and abandoned Butter- 
 flv Avith delicafo feeiinu' in bdth singing and 
 
 acting. The artist, indeed, seemed in atti- 
 tude and gesture a real Japanese, and gave 
 intense delight with her well schooled voice, 
 which is capable of every modulation, and is 
 now at the climax of its expressiveness. The 
 sinuer acted with a conception of such clear- 
 ness and iniity that one could not but feel 
 the full agony and despair of the innocent 
 victim. With no straining for supei-ficial 
 effects she shows the two qiudities of effective 
 art". Later ]\liss Lemon scored other suc- 
 cesses in [Marta, in d'Allierfi's opera of "'Tief- 
 lands", and as Nedda in "Pagliacci". In 
 the spring of 1909 she was selected to create 
 rhe title role in Henry Hadley's opera 
 ■'Safic". Iler career has been one of steady 
 advance, according to the musical critics of 
 Kuro]>e. wlio. as is well known, are not inclined 
 10 view American ;irtists with friendl.v eye.'° 
 Cora LaA'ina Isham ( Eastburn ) was an In- 
 dianapolis singer whose future seemed a.s- 
 sured. She is the niece and foster-daughter 
 of D. J. Eastburn. She had her earl.v musical 
 training here, and went on the stage in 189fi. 
 >vith the Jeft'erson De Angelis company. 
 Later she was with Alice Nielsen, and in 
 1900 was her understud.v. AVhile everything 
 looked bi-ight, she found evidences of in- 
 cipient lung trouble, and left the stage, and 
 devoted herself to saving her health. About 
 n year ago she was so much improved that 
 she went to Pai-is and took up advanced 
 inusieal stud.v, in which she is still engaged."'^ 
 Charles Holman-Black. son of Prof. J. S. 
 Black, grew up in Indianapolis. His early 
 instruction was from his father. As he grew 
 older, and his voice changed from a soprano 
 to a baritone, he became a pupil of Signor 
 Severini, who became nuich interested in him, 
 and traveled with him in Germany, Den- 
 mark and Norway. On his return he went 
 into opei-a for two i^easons, after which, his 
 friend and teacher Severini having died, he 
 went to Paris. Here he became acquainted 
 with the distinguished maestro Faure. who 
 took him for a pupil for four years, dnrinir 
 which he also followed the course of ~S\. Dn- 
 
 "Prrs.s. May 2. 1900 ■. J„iirna1. :\ray ir>. 
 1892; Xrirft. February 11. 1S92: and Festival 
 dates. 
 
 ^"Mi'sictil Anioicd. January 2.'i, 1908: April 
 17, 1909; .l/»»sf»/'-v MagaziiK. December, 
 1908; Star. Julv o, 1908: Ausiust 9, 1908; 
 Mav 2, 1909; .Y, ,rv, :\rMv 9. 1909. 
 
 -"Press. March 3 and .\pril 24, 1900. 

 
 IllSTOKV OF GKF.ATKi; IXDIAXAl'OI.IS. 
 
 539 
 
 (\V. //. Bass Photo Compantj.) 
 
 MARGUERITE LEMON 
 (as "Eva" in "Die Meislersingei".)
 
 540 
 
 HISTORY OF OEEATER INDIAXAl'Ol.ls. 
 
 vernoi at the conservatory. He was the first 
 Auieriean invitetl to sing in the eoncei'ts of 
 "La Trompette", and soon was singing in 
 the most exclusive salons of Paris, in which 
 congenial occupation he still continues. He 
 has also appeared in concert elsewhere, not- 
 alily in London, at the Promenade concerts. 
 Crystal Palace, St. James Hall, the People's 
 Palace, etc. 
 
 Perhaps the highest rank attained by an 
 Lidianapolis singer is that of Mme. Cahier, 
 who grew up here as Sarah Layton Walker. 
 Thoush born at Nashville, Tennessee, she is of 
 iikl Indiana families on both sides, and her 
 parents returned here when she was a child 
 of six years. Her family had natural musi- 
 cal tastes, and her mother, Mrs. I. N. Walker, 
 and aimt, Mrs. Emswiler, of Los Angeles, 
 California, were exceptionally good amateurs. 
 ^Irs. Emswiler had a knack of getting music 
 from children, and her imitations of chil- 
 dren's singing were vastly entertaining to her 
 friends. Before Sarah was three years old 
 she was sinsiiin- .self-composed alto to two 
 dozen airs, while Mrs. Emswiler sang soprano. 
 Her music teacher here was Ernestinoff, and 
 to him she owes her method and the broaden- 
 ino- of her compass from one octave to three, 
 without afl'ectinjT the quality of her voice. 
 From here she went to Cleveland to take a 
 position in the leading quartet choir; and 
 while there she made two trips to Europe to 
 perfect her musical education, studying on 
 the first with Amelie Joachim, in Berlin, and 
 on the second with Fidele Koenig. in Paris. 
 After the second trip she was married tt) 
 Morris Black, of Cleveland, law partner of 
 James Garfield, who died of appendicitis 
 about three months after the marriage. 
 Thrown on her own resources, the young 
 widow went to New York City to sinsr at All 
 Souls Unitarian Church (Dr. Slicer's), and 
 was soon singins;- in salon for the leadintr 
 families. She made another trip to Paris, 
 and coached in singing with Koenig, and in 
 acting with Victor Capoul, the famous tenor 
 and actor of the Paris opera. Her fourtli 
 trip to Europe was to study with Jean de 
 Retzke, for some fifteen months, after which 
 she made her debut at Nice, on February 12. 
 1904, as Orjiheus in Orpheus and Eurydice. 
 Her success was overwhelming with both the 
 
 audience and the critics, who jiraised her act- 
 ing as highly as her singing.-' One of them, 
 speaking of the air "I have lost my Eury- 
 dice", in which the pathos of the opera 
 I'eaches its climax, said: "The tragedienne 
 was the equal of the singer. * « * The 
 three verses of the theme were sung splen- 
 didly by her— the first at half voice, with a 
 constrained sorrow, the second with a voice 
 strangled and broken with sobs, and finally 
 the third with a violent and tumultuous ex- 
 [iression, and a veritable explosion of despair. 
 I'his was art, and grand art, and I have no 
 words to express the admiration that the 
 Mudience felt for this eminent artiste." After 
 this she sang thi-ough France in soirees, and 
 through the German provinces in ''gastspiel" 
 (i. e. as star for local companies), as also at 
 Paris and Berlin. At Berlin she M'as called 
 to the royal box and complimented, and in- 
 vited to sing at the queen's church. This 
 high honor being accepted, the queen attend- 
 ed and received her afterwards. While at 
 Frankfort on the ilain, Gustave Mahler — 
 now of the Metropolitan Opera, New York; 
 then Director of the Royal Opera at Vienna 
 — came to hear her. and engaged her for 
 three gastspiels at Vienna. On her appear- 
 ance there .she was oft'ei-ed a contract for six 
 years as the leading contralto, which she ac- 
 cepted. 
 
 When she made her debut at Nice, ilrs. 
 Black met Dr. Carl Cahier, a native of Stock- 
 liolm, who was conducting a sanitarium at 
 -Xice, and about a year later they were mar- 
 ried. In 1907 and 1!)08 she visited Norway 
 and Sweden with her husband, and there re- 
 ceived notable ovations. Being in Christiana 
 on "children's day"'. 1908, when everybody 
 does something for the aid of poor children. 
 Dr. and Mme. Cahier took a piano in a 
 wagon, dressed as gypsies, and went out in 
 the streets sinuiui;- for the children's fund. 
 After this her every jnililic appearance was 
 the occasion for an outburst of applause. At 
 Christiana the students unhitched the horses 
 from her carriage and drew it through the 
 streets— the first time such a demonstration 
 has been made for any artist since Jenny 
 Lind except Christine Nielsen. 
 
 -''Nrus. :\Iarcli :i. HUM.
 
 CHAPTER XLl. 
 
 Till-; .MEDICAL PROFESSJOX. 
 
 The first practitioner of mcdiciue in this 
 vicinity was the old French half-breed. Jean 
 l^aptisto 15nictt (possibly Brouillette) who was 
 located on White Hiver at the llaniiiton County 
 line. Like other Indian doctors his system was 
 quiti' uniform. He first dosed the patient 
 with \egetal)lc emetics and cathartics, and then 
 put him in a sweat-house until pei-spiring 
 freely: after which he had him jump in the 
 river for a bath. As most of his ]iatients were 
 malarial the treatment was usually beneficial 
 — his patients ordinarily looked a trifle emaci- 
 ated when he got through with them, but ob- 
 viously if there was a microbe left in them it 
 was concealed in their bones. There was quite 
 an extensive adoption of Indian root and 
 herb remedies by the early settlers, and they 
 were held in quite as high esteem as some of 
 the remedies of the white doctors. Robert B. 
 Duncan, who was a very observant and reflec- 
 tive man, says of the early practice: 
 
 "As might have been expected, there was 
 some sickness in those early times, which, as 
 I have always believed, was greatly aggravated 
 by the ignorance of some of the earlier doctors. 
 The ])hysicians who first came amongst us 
 seemed to be whollv ignorant of the malarial 
 diseases peculiar to the country. They gener- 
 ally ]irovided themselves with a goodly su])- 
 ply of the largest and most approved lancets 
 and unmeasured quantities of English calo- 
 mel. With these evidences of medical skill, 
 a flaming sign, painted on a clapboard, wa-^ 
 hung out. and as opportunity offered these men 
 of science and great medical skill went forth 
 first to take from the unfortunate patient all 
 the blood that could be extracted from his 
 veins without killing on the spot, then was 
 dosed out calomel enough to kill the largest 
 sized gorilla, which the patient was required 
 to take in doses indicated. He was to b' 
 
 kept confined in a close room so tiiat not a 
 breath of pure, cool air could fan his cheeks 
 or kiss his lips, and was to have neither meat 
 nor drink, warm water alone excepted. This 
 practice, while it lasted, greatly aggravated 
 disease. It killed quick but cured slow. It 
 was far less skillful than that practiced by the 
 Indian doctors. Happily this ignorance was 
 not winked at and soon gave way to a more in- 
 telligent and health restoring system; not 
 however, tmtil some of those practicing it had 
 justlv subjected themselves to the soubriquet 
 of 'Death on the Pale Horse.' " ^ 
 
 In reality it -was not for years that reform 
 came. The first physician here who made nnich 
 protest against the extensive use of calomel 
 was Dr. JouatJian Cool, but he fell a victim 
 to intemperance and lost weight as a medical 
 man. In 1849 Dr. David Funkhouser raised 
 one of the greatest rows ever known in In- 
 dianapolis medical circles by a paper read be- 
 fore the Marion County iledical Society, at- 
 tacking the use of mercury and bleeding in 
 continued fevers, and reconinieinling instead 
 the moderate use of quinine, opium, mild laxa- 
 tives and alcoholic stimulants, with tlie use 
 of turpentine or nitrate of silver in case of 
 ulcerations. This assault on the prevailing 
 practice of the time, sanctioned by Watson atul 
 Wood, the latest and most approved authorities 
 on practice, called for rebuke. In his ac- 
 count of it. Dr. P. H. Jameson says: "Of 
 course it met with a storm of disapproval. It 
 was deprecated, ridiculed, apiu'oveil, denounced, 
 according to tlie humor of the assailant. It 
 was hrandeil as Thompsonianism. a low form of 
 (piackery then prevailing, althouifh capsicum 
 and lobelia had not been mentioned." - 
 
 'Tnd. ITlol. Soc. Pubs.. Vol 2. p. 401. 
 
 'lull. Mril. .IniiiiKil. Vol r.'. ]>. I3:i. 
 
 541
 
 543 
 
 HISTORY OF gi:i:atki; i.xniAXAroLis. 
 
 There were no wliite doctors here until 1831, 
 and then the}" came in abundance. The first 
 was J)r. Samuel G. Mitchell, in April. He 
 first built a log house at the southwest corner 
 of Washington and Tennessee street, aud later 
 a frame honse at the northwest corner of 
 Wasliington and ^leridian, where lie Hm-iI and 
 liad his office. He was a native of Kniliuky. 
 and came here from Paris, in that state. He 
 was a very corpulent man, and never rode be- 
 yond a walk. At the time of the Biackiiawk 
 War. in is;i3, he was made surgeon i\\' the 
 battalion that was raised here: and be tbeii 
 had made a heavy leather belt, reacliing from 
 breast bone to tiie hips, to facilitate rapid 
 transit. Hi^ wife died in 18'29 and his daughter 
 in 1832. In IS.'id he had a paralytic stroke. 
 and was poor and helpless: but he had be- 
 friended an orphan boy, named Palmer, who 
 had become a successful physician in Oliio. 
 and he took the old doctor and cared for him 
 till his death in 1S37. The second physician 
 was Dr. Isaac Coe. who arrived in May, from 
 Xew Jersey. He located on Fall Creek, near 
 where the City Hospital stands, and gardened 
 extensively as well a.- practising medicine. Ih' 
 was active in the religious and benevolent life 
 of the village, and i- also rememhered for his 
 free use of calomel and the lancet. Mrs. Ket- 
 cham, who was one of his patients in childhood, 
 says: "It is no exaggeration to say that his 
 pills were as large as cherries; twenty grains 
 of calomel was a common dose, and antimony 
 till one was sure he was poisoned. He bled 
 equal to any Italian, till his patient fainted 
 awa\'". ^frs. Ketchani still carries the mark 
 on her arm where lie bled her. But he changed. 
 In 1S.3T he was one of the Ftmd Commis- 
 sioners of the -tate. and spent much time in 
 Xew York, where he became a convert to honie- 
 ojiathy. He tried to practice it here, but it 
 was not popular at that time. Peojile did not 
 think they were getting enouijh for tlieir 
 money. Dr. Coe spent mo^t of liis later years 
 in the Northwest with his sons, Init on his 
 death his remains wei-e brought here tor bnriil 
 in the Crown Hill Cemetery. His tnemory is 
 cherished as the founder — or chief one — of the 
 first Sunday school. 
 
 In July came Dr. l.i\ inus' 'i jlunlap. Ironi 
 Cherry Yallev. New '\'nrlv. lie fomieil a part- 
 Tiorship with Dr. Alitchell. and li\eil at bis 
 house. He was the onlv ^urgoo i in Imlian- 
 
 a polls until 1830, when Dr. Sanders came. Dr. 
 Dunlap was a student, and kept at it after he 
 entered the practice, taking his degree from 
 Transylvania Medical College, at Paris, Ken- 
 tucky, in 1830. He was ajjpointed Adjutant- 
 (icneral in 183-") :■' was elected town trustee in 
 1831: was physician of the Deaf and Dumb 
 Institute for several years; was postmaster from 
 1845 to 1849. He served in the city 
 council from 1853 to 1859. In all these posi- 
 tions he served eHiciently, and at the same time 
 attended to a large practice, and was a close 
 student. A.t the organization of Central Medi- 
 cal College, in the summer of 1849, as the 
 metlical department of Asbury University, he 
 was made professor of the theory and practice 
 of medicine, and was very successful as a 
 teacher. He died in lS(i3, at a ripe old age, 
 widely lamented. 
 
 At about the same time as Dr. Dunlap came 
 Dr. Kenneth A. Scudder, a young man of 22. 
 Hi- was a native of Xew Jersey, and was very 
 popular socially, and gave promise of a bril- 
 liant professional career. In the winter of 
 1838-9 he had an attack of measles, and was 
 convalescent when he ventured out to call on 
 some patients, and suffered a relapse, from the 
 effects of which he died on March «, 1829. 
 The general sympathy was accentuated by the 
 fact that he had married only three months 
 before his death. The physicians of the city 
 and "the Indianapolis legislature" adopted 
 resolutions of regret, and wore crape on their 
 left arms for thirty days, and the papers pub- 
 lished eulogistic articles on the deceased. 
 
 In August, 1831, Dr. Jonathan Cool ar- 
 rived. He was also a native of New Jersey, 
 and the best educated of the earliest physi- 
 cians. He was a classmate of Judge Black- 
 ford, at Princeton, "raduating with the highe.-t 
 honors of his class: and then attended medi- 
 cal college and took his degree. He received 
 an appointment as army surgeon, and was sta- 
 tioned for xHiie time at .Newport Barracks. 
 Kentucky. 11" wa^ the lirst physician to pro- 
 test ag'ainsi tlie e\ce<>i\"e use of calomel, and 
 his conlroxersv with I)r. Coe on that suliject. 
 together with b- downfall li\ inteni]ierance. 
 are detailed in the chanter entitled "The De- 
 mon Rnm". Although he became a hopeless 
 drunkard, the tcstinionv to his intelliirence and 
 
 ■Jdiirniil . AuL:"\ist ;'.0. l,sv'5
 
 Jiisi'ouv ()|- (;i;i;.\ TKi; iNhi.WAroi.is. 
 
 543 
 
 Hiiil'onii gontlcin.inlv character is unaiiuiious. 
 He lived with lii.s inotlicr, in the iiortlicasl 
 part of the town till his death in 18-iO, and 
 he was huricd by the side of that devoted and 
 heart-brnkcii iimthci- in Greenlawii Cemetery. 
 
 These were the only doctors resident in In- 
 dianapolis for the four years following 1821. 
 On July 4, 1835, Dr. Mitchell announced that 
 he had "associated himself in the practice of 
 Medicine and Sur>iery with Dr. \V. K. lloss, 
 who has lately come to this place well recom- 
 mended".^ -V year later l)i-. Koss announced 
 that he had "settled himselt i)crmanently at 
 Indianapolis'"' and gone into business for him- 
 self — "His shop is two doors west of Mr. J. 
 Hawkins' Inn"."' He was a young man of prom- 
 ise, but he had an aversion for wild animals 
 and snakes, and some six months later re- 
 turnetl to the more civilized region of Ohio, 
 whence he came." In Decemi)er, 1825, the 
 city received a visit I'lum "Dr. L. P>. Bartle. 
 Surgeon-Dentist" who pulled teeth witiiout 
 pain, made false teeth, and also gave an en- 
 tertainment "consisting of a variety of new 
 and incomprehensil)le experiments".' There 
 Were also several other doctors who located here 
 in 1834-C, probably temporarily, as no special 
 account of them is preserved, .\mong tluMn 
 were Doctors I.aughlin, Saxton, and Morris. 
 
 William H. iJlly, who was Auditor of State 
 from 1816 to 1838 was a practicing physician, 
 and devoted more time to that than to audit- 
 ing, the latter being done by a competent dep- 
 uty. Dr. W. H. Wishard says that he came 
 here in the fall of 1824, and formed a part- 
 nership with Dr. Jones, who came here from 
 Kentucky about the same time. This date 
 is too early. On May 9, 1826, an article ap- 
 ])eared in the Gazette inquiring whether the 
 state had an auditor, and suggesting that as 
 5fr. T.illy had "his family, property, etc.. in 
 Kentucky alwavs, and is only absent one-third 
 of the year in the sister state of Indiana" he 
 could hardly be considei'ed as coming within 
 the constitutional requirement of residence. 
 This pointed criticism seems to have had some 
 effect, for six weeks later Dr. Galen Jones 
 offered his services to the people of Indian- 
 
 *Gazetie. Julv 5. 1825. 
 "Journal, Julv 11, 1826. 
 "fnd. Med. Journal, Vol. 11, p. 202. 
 'Gn-elie. December 27, 1825. 
 
 apolis," and the next week was announced the 
 l)artnership of doctors Jones and Lilly, whose 
 ollice was "in the small frame building on 
 Washington street, near Mr. Henderson's Tav- 
 ern"." This finn was wrecked by intemper- 
 ance of both members. Lilly died in 182!), 
 and Jones was at that time a dilapidated sot. 
 He was saved, however, by the efforts of his 
 wife, who got him back to Kentucky and 
 straightened him up. He afterwards" main- 
 tained an excellent practice there. He was a 
 large, fine-looking man, and both he and Dr. 
 Lilly were creditable practitioners. 
 
 In 1828 Dr. Chas. McDougall came to In- 
 dianapolis from Ohio, for a stay of four years. 
 He formed a partnership with his brother-in- 
 law, Dr. nuiihii), and they made a strong firm. 
 Dr. ^IcDoiigall was ajipointed a suurgeon iu 
 the T'nited States armv in 18.i2. He served 
 in the HIackhawk and Seminole wars; was 
 made a major in 1838: and served at West 
 Point in 1846-8. At the beginning of the 
 Civil War he was made medical director of 
 the Army of the Tennessee, and in Septemiier, 
 1862. was put in charge of the ifedical Direc- 
 tor's ollice at Xew York City. He was brevetted 
 Brigadier-General, for meritorious service, in 
 1865; retired in 186H; and died on July 25, 
 1885. The next doctors after him were Dr. 
 John 11. Sanders, who came in the winter of 
 1829-30, and Dr. John L. Mothershead. who 
 came in 1830. They were both from Ken- 
 tucky, and both graduates of Transylvania 
 .Medical College. Dr. Mothershead formed a 
 partnership with Dr. ^ritchell for about a year, 
 and then with Dr. Sanders. They remained to- 
 gether till 1839. a very popular and competent 
 firm, w-hen Dr. Sanders went to Missouri for two 
 years. On his return he formed a partnership 
 with Dr. Charles Parrv, and later one with Dr. 
 P. H. Jameson. He died April I. 185(i. Dr. 
 ^lothershead practiced alone for sonu> time, 
 but for a jieriod before his death, in Xovem- 
 li( r, 1854. was associated with Dr. Rullard. 
 
 Th(>se were the medical pioneers of Indian- 
 apolis and though we ridicule their system of 
 treatment, they were quite as fearful that 
 someone who was ignorant of correct prin- 
 ciples mighl practice medicine as the physi- 
 cians of todav. P>v the act of Decendier 24. 
 
 'Jovrnnl. June 20. ISii;. 
 "Jonrnal. June T,. 182(1.
 
 544 
 
 HISTOEY OF GREATER INDIAIS'APOLIS. 
 
 ^■'St^' 
 
 OLD IXniANA MEDICAL COLLEGE.
 
 HISTOJtV or (iUKATEit l.NDlA.NAruLl.S. 
 
 r^-j 
 
 ISIO, each judicial district of the state was 
 made a medical district, and live censors for 
 cacli dii^ti'ict were named by tlie act. These 
 were given power to examine applicants, and 
 to grant license to practice on satisfaetorv 
 ^ilowing of ability and moral character. They 
 vvere also empowered to exclude from practice 
 for immorality or intemperance. A curious 
 provision of this law w-as the restriction of 
 mileage charges to Viy^ cents a mile, going to 
 and coming from a patient in day time, and 
 double tiiat sum at night. On .lanuarv 1. 1819 
 ail act was passed creating a state medical so- 
 ciety, com])osed of delegates from the district 
 >ocietics. which were to meet at Corydon on 
 Aijril !(•, following, and elect officers, and 
 .idoi)t a constitution and by-laws, "not ineon- 
 >ist('nt with the laws and constitution of this 
 >tate nor of the United States". The state 
 -ociety was emjjowered to fi.x the boundaries of 
 the di^;tri(•ts, and "to settle linally all ditl'er- 
 I'lices between the district medical societies, 
 and also between individuals and the respec- 
 tive societies in case of appeal"." By act of 
 January 18, 1820, the state society was au- 
 thorized to create as many local societies as it 
 deemed expedient. 
 
 Question arose as to the regularity of tho^sc 
 associations, and on petition of a immber of 
 'physicians, a law was passed on February 12, 
 18v'.5, for the incorporation of state and dis- 
 trict societies — each judicial district consti- 
 tuting a medical district. To organize the 
 state so(-iety "not less than five" were neces- 
 sary, and in the districts not less than six 
 physicians were to meet and elect officers, in- 
 cluding three censors. The state society was 
 composed of delegates, from one to five from 
 each district, and was empowered "to estab- 
 lish a uniform system of tlie course and time 
 of medical study, and the qualifications neces- 
 sary for license" : also to levy a tax of $3 per 
 vear on each mendx-r of the society. Candi- 
 dates for license were examined by the cen- 
 sors, who granted diplomas or refused. In 
 the latter case there was a right of appeal to 
 the district and state societies, the decision 
 of the latter being final. The censors were 
 enjoined not to give license to anyone of im- 
 moral character. This was was slightly 
 amended bv the act of .Tanuarv .30, 1S30, and 
 
 all actions of the societies in the past were 
 legalized. It was continued in force till re- 
 pealed by the revision of 1843. 
 
 In the spring of 1833 the Central Medical 
 Society was organized at Indianapolis, with 
 Dr. Mitchell as president and Dr. Livingston 
 Dunlap as secretary. On December 10, 1833, at 
 the meeting of the State Medical Society at 
 Corydon, Dr. Livingston Dunlap was elected 
 secretary. The first meeting of the state so- 
 ciety at Indianapolis was on January ly, 1835. 
 But the most notable meeting was that of the 
 Central Medical Society on November G, 1834. 
 The county government was then in the hands 
 of a board of justices, and the board had cut 
 doctor's bills, offering amoiuits "which can 
 be considered in no other light than as in- 
 tended not to compensate but to insult"". Dr. 
 Scudder had attended a pauper, at the request 
 of the overseers of the poor, from August 5 
 to September 23. "His bill was $34. .JO, and 
 the justices allowed $5 in county orders, worth 
 not more than -$3,121/^". Dr. .Coe had been 
 called in consultation in this case, and his 
 bill of $3 was refused entirely. Dr. Dunlap 
 was employed by the overseers of the poor to 
 attend an old soldier. He called on him five 
 times, "a distance of 5 or 6 miles, and fur- 
 nished medicine for the whole time of his 
 sickness. His bill was $13.75, for which the 
 board allowed $3. in county (U'ders, e<iual to 
 $1.8714". On this showing the society adopted 
 stirring resolutions that until these l)ills were 
 allowed as presented, witli no deductions, no 
 member of the society would attend any paujjer 
 siipjMrted by the county, without a written 
 assurance of reasonable compensation, "ex- 
 cept in sudden and dangerous emergencies"'." 
 
 No account is preserved of the results of this 
 defiant stand. The county board did not al- 
 low the bills, however, and there is no men- 
 tion of a doctor's bill in its proceedings for 
 the next five years. On July 6, 1829, it al- 
 lowed $G.50 to Dunlap and McDougall "for 
 four days attendance and medicine on Abijah 
 Smith, a paui)er"'. There may be some con- 
 nection in the fact than on the same day they 
 fixed a price for pauper collins of 50 cents a 
 lineal foot. The |)robability is that the em- 
 ployment of doctors for paiijiers was turned 
 over to the overseers of llie poor, 1. <■.. made 
 
 '"Ads of JSm. p. 3C. 
 
 Vol. I— as 
 
 ''Gnzetlc, November Hi, 1834.
 
 54{i 
 
 UISTOUV OF (;i 
 
 ATKi; 1M)1AXA1>()L18. 
 
 a township exjjL'use instead of a rnuntv r.x- 
 pense. That appears to liave bei-onie a cus- 
 tom, for in 1849, the Supreme Court deciilcd 
 that tile count)' was liable for attendance on a 
 pauper, by a physician, on order of the over- 
 seers of the poor, although the primary lia- 
 bility was on the overseers.'- The laws at the 
 time were not very clear. Paupers were 
 '•'farmed out" or ".sold" to the person who dl- 
 fered to care for them cheapest, and who was 
 required by law to furnish them the "coiiiiiidii 
 necessaries of life"". At the same time tlic 
 overseers were autlmrized to look after tran- 
 sient sick poor, and "grant such temporary re- 
 lief as the nature of the case may require"". '•■ 
 
 The earliest provision for medical treatment 
 for resident paupers was by the act of Febru- 
 ary 17, 1838, which authorized the overseers, 
 in case of sick paupers to get "such physicians 
 to attend to them as the sick shall prefer, and 
 in case no preference is signified, the said over- 
 seers shall employ such best physician in thr 
 county as caji be procured". There was im 
 provision for cm])loymeut of a physician i)\ 
 the countv to attend to all the poor, until the 
 act of May 27, 18.=i'?. 
 
 A new State Jledical Society was I'oiinnl 
 under the law of IS'i.T, and pursuant to a 
 resolution l)y it. the ])hysicians of the fifth 
 judicial circuit met at Indianapolis on May 
 1, 18'2fi. and organized a district society, whose 
 annual meetings were to be on the first ^Fiin- 
 day in ^lay, and semi-annual meetings on thr 
 day preceding the meeting of the State society. 
 Dr. Isaac Coe was made president; Livingston 
 Dunlap. secretary; Kenneth A. Scudder. treas- 
 urer; Drs. Laughlin. Saxton and Morris, cen- 
 sors, and Drs. Mitchell, t'oe and Saxton. dele- 
 gates to the State society.'* This system oT 
 vohmtary organization of societies by physi- 
 cians, with absolute power over granting id' 
 licenses to practice medicine appears to haxc 
 continued until the law authorizing it wa- 
 drojiped in the revision of lS-1.3. lender it all 
 practitioners who were not "regular" seem In 
 have been .«hut out — at least none advertis<Ml 
 — until 1836. when "botanic" and "Indian"" 
 doctors began to .ippcar. Tlie first of these 
 
 '= Board vs. Wil~(in. 1 
 ''Act of .Tanuarv :i(i. 1; 
 1831. 
 
 ^*Gazettr. Mn\ ■>. ls-.>( 
 
 Ind.. p. 478. 
 ;■.'!; ib.. February 111. 
 
 was .S. 1[. .SeUnan, au Indian doetor, wlm was 
 located at Columbus, but toured the state, and 
 advertised widely.^^ In fact there was an un- 
 usual amount of medical advertising in the 
 sjiring and stmmicr of 1836. Among the In- 
 dianajiolis regulars who had cards in the pa- 
 ])crs were Drs. Luke Munsell. J. S. Bobbs. F. 
 Hidl'enstein. J. L. Richmond and George W. 
 Clears. ilcCluer & Jordan, and Sanders (.\: 
 .Mothershead. 
 
 On June 19. Dr. Abner Pope — he had a di- 
 ]tlonia from the Botanic ^ledical Society of 
 Maryland — announced that he had a full stock 
 of "Thompsonian Botanic Medicine, at his 
 new store on Washington street, two doors east 
 nf the post office"'. It may be added that there 
 was a notably large proportion of "vegetable 
 remedies" among the patent medicines adver- 
 tised at this time, and on July 9, Morrison & 
 Tinnlinson. the regular druggists, advertised 
 a stock of botanic medicines. The term 
 "Thompsonian"' refers to Dr. Samuel Tliomp- 
 son. iif ^[assachusetts. the leader of the new 
 rnlt. who was a jihilosopher as well as a doc- 
 tor, lie maintained that man was composed 
 (d" four "elements, earth, air, fire and water""; 
 that the taking of mineral drugs carried hini 
 downward to the grave, while the use of plants, 
 whose tendency is upwards, carried him in the 
 o|)posite direction. Possibly not all who used 
 thc> medicines adopted the philosophy, but they 
 were (|uite po])ular. Pope maintained his 
 store for fifteen years or more, and was a 
 well-known resident of the city after that. Two 
 years after Pope came William Kelly Frow- 
 hawk Fryer, an Indian doctor, who was at 
 least "great in that strange spell, a name"". 
 He showed bis I'aith by offering to buy. or 
 exchange medical treatment, for roots of "co- 
 hunbo. rattleroot. white snakeroot. sarsaparilla, 
 angelica, ginseng, black snakeroot. elecampane, 
 and ]ioplar root bark"".'" 
 
 There was not a little conflict between the 
 regulars and the botanies, the latter urging 
 that the regulars were inur<lering people with 
 in'neral drugs, and the former denouncing the 
 liotanics as absurd ignoramuses. Many sto- 
 ries wcri' |)ut in circulation on both sides, some 
 ]i()-sib|y with no foundation, and some very 
 Will founded. Oliver II. Smith records a 
 
 ■■hniniiil. April 9. 1836. 
 ■■luuriKtl. ^lav 10, 1838.
 
 I1IST0]{V (JF GKEATEH I M)|.\NAr(i|.|s. 
 
 547 
 
 story 111' ii root iloctor who could not euro oiio 
 of his patient? with his reguhir stock of roots, 
 aiul. confusing cahmius with calomel, thought 
 to try the system of the regulars by giving her 
 ii ilec-oction of calnuiiis root. He stated the 
 result thus: "She drank it with some ditli- 
 culty, turned cimt in the bed and died. Still, 
 1 don't think it was the calamus that killed 
 )ier, as all tiie caiani\is doctors are giving it 
 ill heavier doses than 1 did." '' There was 
 enough id' truth on hoth sides to make the 
 j)utilic 
 
 •'Hesitate to draw the line 
 Between the l\Mi. wlicre (!od has not,"' 
 
 as .loa(|uiii Milln- puts it. and the controversv 
 no doiiht had a heneticial cll'ect in producing 
 the jireseiu situation in which the use of reme- 
 flies usually is dictated by their effects, and not 
 by their sources, .\fter IS^.T. liuliana was a 
 free-for-all medical state until 1 ss."). In tliat 
 year the h'gislature ])assed a hiw proliibiting the 
 ])ractice of medicine without a license from the 
 County Clerk, to whom, as a preliminary, proof 
 had to he made of graduation from "some rc])- 
 utalile nuMlical college", or that the apjjli- 
 cant liad "resided and ])racticed medicine, .sur- 
 gery and nhsti tries in this state, continuously, 
 for ten \cars immediately preceding the date 
 of thi' taking ell'ect of'th's act"^.Tuly IS, 
 IS.s;."'). The [iitlliniii Mctlicnl Jniininl for .\pril 
 irave the law a rather feeble indorsenuMit. but 
 said. "It will probably make a few of the liun- 
 •dreds cd' (piacks who now infest Indiana seek 
 more congenial climes, and if enforced will 
 prevent (piacks from other states from set- 
 tling within our borders". 
 
 The serious ipiestion was what was a "re|)- 
 utal)le medical college", which was left to the 
 .■judgment of the clerk: and as his fee came 
 only on admission of the ii|iplicant, he was 
 usuallv lilicral in his vii'\v>. The law was 
 amended in l.siil b\- making the license good 
 for the entire state instead of for the eounty 
 <inly. a< originally. There was a great deal of 
 di-((inlrnt among the profession over the sit- 
 uation, bnl not nntil 1807 could a basis for a 
 law be reached bv the several "scho(ds". .\fter 
 much iiegotiati(m, th(^ societies of tiie four 
 leading schoids a|)|iointed committees to act 
 
 'Kiirhj Iii(7!(i}ifi Tridh. p. 1".' 
 
 .jointly, ami on December 10. 189G, tlie.se met 
 at the office of Dr. W. X. Wishard, 18 East 
 Ohio street, and agreed on a law. 'J'he "old 
 school" were rei)ri'sented by Drs. W. N. Wis- 
 hard and (ieorge F. Edeiiharler of Indian- 
 apolis, (i. W. II. KeiniHT of Muncie. T. C. 
 Kennedy of Shelbyville. ami A. M. Owens of 
 I'^vansville; the homeopaths bv Di-s. 0. S. Run- 
 nels and F. C. and \V. D, Stewart; the eclec- 
 tics by Drs. W. F. Curreyer, Henry Long and 
 C. G. Winter; and the physio-medicals bv Drs. 
 v.. M. Haggard and A. W. Fi.sher. The biusis 
 agreed on, which was formulated and jiassed 
 liy the legislature, was for a State Board id' 
 Aledical Registration and Examination, to con- 
 trol all future licenses. The board was to be 
 comjioscd of live members. Each school was 
 to nominate two. and the Governor was to 
 select one from each school, and the fifth at dis- 
 cretion. The wording of this provision was 
 changed in the law as passed, by dropping 
 the uomiiuiting ft'alnre and i^rovidiiig that the 
 (i'ovei-iu)r should a])point five from the four 
 schools having tb.e largest numerical re|ire- 
 sentation in the state — which were the fr)ur 
 nameil — but no school should have a majority 
 of the meiid)ers. Apjdicants must be graduates 
 id' a medical silmol tb;it complies with the 
 M]inimnni reipiirements fixed by the board, or 
 ]iass an examination by it. 'Chere was a good 
 deal of opposition to the bill i)ut it |)as.<ed, on 
 March .">, ISOT. and is still in force, except 
 that in 1i)().') the membershi]) was increa.sed to 
 six, and the osteopaths were taken in on the 
 same basis as the other schools. 
 
 liulianapolis had no niedical college until 
 IStS. On Xoveniber 1 of that year the trus- 
 tees of .Vsburv I'niversily established one here 
 — The Indiana Central Medical College — as 
 The medical department of that school. For 
 the first year it occu]iied the third lloor of 
 the Johnson building, and the ne\t year it was 
 moved to ilatthew Little's building al the 
 southeast corner of Washington and East 
 streets, a two-story brick. The facnlly the 
 first year was announced as comimsed of .loliii 
 S. Robbs. M. D.. Trofes.sor of (iet)ernl ami 
 S))ecial .\nalomy: L. Dindap. M. D.. Professor 
 of Surgery and Surgiial .\naloMi\ ; T. W. Cow- 
 gil, ^L D., Professor of Theory and Practice 
 of Jledicine; C. G. Downey. A. M.. Professor 
 of Chemistry and Pharmacy: V,. W. Mears. M. 
 
 D., Pi-ofi— or of Ohsi.trli- and Disea-es of
 
 548 
 
 
 IllSTOKY OF CHKATEK INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 Women ami Chiklit'n ;, J. S. Harriswi, M. D., 
 Professor of Materia Medica, Therapeutics and 
 Medical Jurisprudence ; R. Currau, M. D., Pro- 
 fessor of Pathology and Physiology.^* This 
 program, however, was not fully carried out. 
 Dr. Bobbs Avas made Dean of tlie medical 
 faculty, and held the above chair till 1850, 
 when he took the chair of Principles and Prac- 
 tice of Surgery which was originally held by 
 Dr. A. H. Baker, instead of Dr. Duulap, whose 
 chair was Theory and Practice of Medicine. 
 Dr. Dunlap served till 1851, and was then suc- 
 ceeded by Dr. E. Deming. At the same time 
 Dr. Clears, was succeeded by Dr. S. E. Leonard, 
 Dr. Harrison by Dr. C. G. Comegys, and Dr. 
 Bobbs by Dr. Daniel Meeker. Dr. Cowgil did 
 not serve at all ; and Dr. David Funkhouser 
 was Demonstrator of Anatomy for the first 
 year. Dr. f'urran had been Professor of An- 
 atomy and Physiology, and Professor Downey 
 had held the chair of Xatural Science at As- 
 bury before the medical college was established. 
 
 The college was continuel for four years, the 
 first class graduating in 1850 and the last in 
 1852. There were ten graduates in 1850, 
 eighteen in 1851, and twelve in 1852. Most 
 of these were from outside points. Among 
 those knoAATi in Indiannjjolis as practitioners 
 afterwards were J. W. Hervev and Delanev 
 Wilev of the class of 1850, J."M. Tomlinson, 
 E. N. Todd, J. W. Gordon and I. A. Butter- 
 field of- the class of 1851, and T. M. Stevens 
 of the class of 1852. 
 
 There was some opposition to the school 
 on the ground that it was a ^fethodist insti- 
 tution — so much so that a friend of the insti- 
 tution explained that several of the faculty did 
 not belong to any church." In fact the only 
 intolerance shown in the school was strictly 
 professional, and the only special case was 
 that of David J. Lee. David had been study- 
 ing with Dr. L. Abbett. who was a botanic, but 
 decided to acquire the learning of the Egyp- 
 tians, and procured a regular ticket for the 
 college lectures. His fellow students, however, 
 disturbed his peace by yelling "steam", "yarbs" 
 i?nd other derisive epithets when he appeared. 
 Dr. Meeker rebuked the class, and tried to 
 give Lee a fair showing, but in vain. On 
 January 34. the faculty adopted a resolution 
 
 ''^Locomotive. December 9, 1848. 
 ^^Senfhicl. March 14, 1850. 
 
 that Lee had not matriculated properly, and 
 therefore was not a member of the class. On 
 the same day Dean Bobbs notified him to re- 
 turn his ticket and his money would be re- 
 funded, adding, "It is hoped Mr. Lee will 
 understand that the harmony of the class ren- 
 ders this step necessar}'." Lee closed the in- 
 cident with a warm card to the public, in 
 \vl\ieh he said that all the botanies asked of the 
 allopaths was that "we may be placed on an 
 (■(]iuil footing witli them, and our 'School' 
 will leave theirs as far behind as the canter- 
 ing horse, with blacksmith bellows for pill- 
 liags, freighted with lobelia, cayenne pepper, 
 and other coarse fodder (according to Profes- 
 sor Curran), can leave a go-cart laden with 
 calomel, o]>ium. antimony, and other death- 
 dealing articles used by the Scientific Murder- 
 mis (^'uaeks." -° 
 
 Indianapolis has seen the birth of many 
 medical colleges, which "like snow iipon the 
 ilusty desert space, have lingered a little 'hour 
 or two and gone". Among those that fol- 
 lowed the Indiana Central Medical College, 
 were Indiana Eclectic Medical College, organ- 
 ized in 1880, lasted ten years; Beach Medical 
 College, organized in 1884 and merged with 
 the preceding Eclectic Medical College in '86 ; 
 Indiana College of Medicine and Midwifery, 
 chartered in 1878 and discontinued; Eclectic 
 College of Physicians and Surgeons, organized 
 in 1800, extinct in '95; American Medical Col- 
 lege organized in 1894, graduated one class;' 
 University of Medicine, organized 1887. grad- 
 uated one class; College of Liberal Medicine 
 died a-bornin'. These, it will be noted, with 
 all other like institutions, were organized pre- 
 sumablv to fill a long felt want, that was sub- 
 sequently discovered to be not a vacancy, but 
 a satiety. 
 
 The first medical college in the state was 
 the University of iledicine of Xew Albany, 
 which was organized in 1833, and was a fail- 
 ure. The institution next in order of nriority 
 was the Indiana Medical College of Laporto, 
 Indiana, which was organized in 1844 and con- 
 tinued until 1848, at which time it beffan a 
 migratory career, going to St. Charles. Illinois, 
 thence to Rock Island. Illinois, in 1849. and 
 finallv to Keokuk, Iowa, where it remains as 
 the College of Physicians and Surgeons. 
 
 -'" Locornotirr. Fcbruarv 8, 1851.
 
 HISTOIJV OF PxREATKR I XDIAXAPnT.l- 
 
 .-)40 
 
 'I'lie princi])al collejii's of the state, liowever, 
 have been what were familiarly known as the 
 Modieal College ol' Jmliaua and the Central 
 College of Ph\sieians and Surgeons, which 
 .irter in eifeet reappeared as the State College 
 .1 Physicians and Surgeons. The Medical 
 t'ollege of Indiana was organized in 1878, when 
 the Indiana Medical College, organized in 1868, 
 and the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 
 I'l-ganized in 18^:?, were united to form this 
 '•illege. It was formerly the iledieal Depart- 
 ment of P.utler University, but severed its 
 iipimeetion with that institution in 1883. In 
 1110.5 it consolidated with Purdue University. 
 the Central (^"ollege of Physicians and Sur- 
 L^rons. and the Ft. Wayne College of Medicine, 
 iiii-iiiing the Indiana >[edical ('oUege, the 
 School of Medicine of Piirdnc University. 
 
 Dissatisfaction amongst the medical profes- 
 -ii>n in Indianapolis through the outcome of 
 his consolidation, coupled with the desire of 
 ilie State University at Blooniington to have 
 ■ ■ Medical College of its own. as a conii)lement 
 .Mid fulfillment of the premedical course, which 
 iwis a part of the curriculum of the State 
 I iiiversity, lead to the estalilishment in 1907 
 "< the State College of Physicians and Sur- 
 Livons, which was organized and r\in as a branch 
 if the State I'niversity. The rivalry exist- 
 iiir in this particular, between the State Uni- 
 MTsity at Blooniington on one hand and Pur- 
 'liie University 071 the other, led to one of the 
 inn>t spectacular fights, in the legislature of 
 IIM17. that the medical profession of the state 
 had ever seen, iioth of these large iinivcrsi- 
 tirs, endowed liy the -^tate, went before the 
 Ngislature asking for enactments legalizing the 
 ^ilan^: that tliev had already started to carry 
 out. 
 
 Kach side had good grounds for its claims, 
 
 I. lit the legislature felt that it would be a 
 
 mistake to divide the medical education of its 
 
 -tiideiits lictween two universities. The eon- 
 
 ■^■.|iien(i' was, that neither university got the 
 
 ^"vctrd plum. Sul)se(pient!y the matter was 
 
 ;Hljii>trd by cMiiipromise and mutual agreo- 
 
 M-iit, and at ])resent tlie medical education of 
 
 !'■ state is centered in the University of In- 
 
 ■ ina, ].)asses througli its jurisdiction, and is 
 
 • nducted liy one of the largest and best 
 
 '(|ulpped ])lants of the country at Indianapolis. 
 
 With true catholicity and breadth of view, the 
 
 li -isbitiirc in ])assing the enabling act for tb' 
 
 above mentioned eoiisolidation. provided that 
 other recognized schools of medicine should be 
 provided for in the curriculum of the univer- 
 sity as occasion might arise. 
 
 The requirements of medical education, in 
 the present day and age. are so exceedingly 
 rigid and based on such high standards, that 
 it is exceedingly unlikely that in the future 
 any so called private or independent colleges 
 can be established and successfullv main- 
 tained. Indiana, through her Board of Medi- 
 cal Registration and the laws behind it, is in 
 the forefront as to educational requirements 
 on medical subjects. 
 
 The hospitals of Indianapolis did not come 
 early, and have been due chietly to the urging 
 of the medical profession. The founders of 
 the Indianapolis City Ilo.spilal were leaders 
 in the profession of medicine during the dec- 
 ade preceding the war. Dr. John S. Bobbs, 
 the "father of cholecystotomy". and Dr. Liv- 
 ingston Dunlap, with a number of citizens, 
 memorialized the citv council, presenting the 
 city's needs in ]8.')4. wdien the po]nilatioii was 
 less than "20,000. 'I'he proposal did not arouse 
 enthusiasm, but in January and Februarv of 
 IS.").") there was considerable small-pox, wJiich 
 cau.sed a panic, anil on March 10 the council 
 ordered the erection of a hospital. Grounds 
 were bought northwest of the town — the jires- 
 ent site— plans were prejiared, ami a building 
 was begun. But the small-pox disappeareil 
 and the panic with it, ami the erection of ilu' 
 building was suspended repeatedly. It would 
 |irobablv not have been finished at all imt for 
 th<^ eft'orts of Dr. Livingston Dunla|), who was 
 councilman from the Fifth Ward, and who lin- 
 allv succeeded in getting it eom|)leted in the 
 si)riiig of ISoO, at a co.st of .some .$:10.000. 
 Then came a hall on account of the e.\|H'nsi' 
 of furnishing and conducting it. 'Hie eoinuil 
 had an elephant on its bands. I'roposals to 
 sell it, and to turn it over to the Sisters of 
 Charity were defeated, but, on July -.'1. 1S(;(>, 
 it was granted to a society of lailies for a home 
 for friendless women, and would prolmblv have 
 licfu devoted to tliat \\<o but for the e(niiing on 
 of the Civil War. 
 
 When the volunteers liegaii assembling ben' 
 at the new State Fair (I rounds (Morton Place) 
 the first hospital in Indianapolis was o|)ene(l 
 in a barracks. 1i»\'.'(» feet, under charge of 
 Dr. W. B. Flilrlicr until he went "IT with his
 
 550 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAT'Of JS. 
 
 regiiiu'iit. It \\;i> soim outgi'own, and it is 
 nverml tliat the <i(k were in some cases housed 
 in the cattle ^tali^. On ilay 18, 1861, the 
 <-ity turned its h<)s]iital liuilding over to the 
 I'nited States froveriinient, wliich used it as 
 a iniiitarv hos))ital until July J, 1861, and then 
 I'onr months longer as a soldiers' home, sur- 
 lendering it to the city in Xovember, 18(51. 
 'J'he national government, during its occupancy, 
 added two 3-story ells to the btiilding, am! 
 also put up fences, out-buildings and wooden 
 liarracks for wards. After an effort to sell 
 these, it turned tliem over to the city in lieu 
 of rent. 
 
 In the spring of 18GG preparations were made 
 for occupancv. bv partiallv furnishing it, and 
 on June 29, 1866, the Hospital Board of the 
 Council, of which Dr. John il. Kitchen was 
 president, elected Dr. Green Y. Woolen, the 
 first superintendent. It was opened for pa- 
 tients on July ]. The old buildings were 
 used until the present south wing was con- 
 structed under Dr. W. X. Wishard's superin- 
 tendency, from July 1. 1879, to January 1, 
 1887. Dr. Woolen's surgical staff comprised 
 Dr. John S. Bobbs. Dr. J. S. Athon, Dr. I,. 
 D. Waterman and Dr. John A. Comingor, the 
 latter resigning after a continuous service of a 
 quartei- of a century. The medical consult- 
 ants were Dr. James H. Woodburn and Dr. 
 J. .M. Gaston, and Dr. Robert N. Todd and Dr. 
 T. B. Harvey, who served the hospital up to 
 Ihcir respective deaths. Dr. Woolen's house 
 ])hvsicians were Drs. W. W. Fulev and E. 
 lliidlev. 
 
 The first civic patient treated in the City 
 Hospital was a man who fell from a hotel win- 
 dow in Indianapolis, and was taken to the hos- 
 ]iital when it was used as a United States mil- 
 itary hosjiital, with Dr. J. Kitchen, of Indian- 
 i']wlis, as military surgeon of the post, and 
 Dr. ^[ilton 'SI. Wishard medical officer in 
 cliariie. The man died, and rtimor has it that 
 the $60 found on his person was expended (as 
 he had no heir) in ]ilanting the sixty soft 
 maples wliich now embellish the hosjiital 
 grounds. 
 
 Dr. Wishard's services as superintendent were 
 marked by the rebuilding of the hospital and 
 tlic establi-^hment of the Training School for 
 Xurses. under the auspices of the Flower ^lis- 
 sion. It was during his service, also, that the 
 r.ntiscptic methods were introduced, mainly 
 
 tlii-niigh the instrumentality of Dr. .lolm 
 Chandlers. Of Dr. Chandjcrs's relation to this 
 innovation. Dr. Wishard has furnished the fol- 
 lowing note: 
 
 "'I'o Dr. John Cliandjcrs belongs the credit 
 111' lirst introducing antiseptic methods in treat- 
 ment of wounds in the city of Indianapolis and ^. 
 in the City Hospital. In the spring of 1881:, || 
 111'. Chandx'rs made an aminitation at the hos- 
 pital. u>ing antiseptic methods, and sidise- 
 (|Uenlly did a number of other operations in 
 whicli antiseptic dressings were used. In the 
 beginning Dr. Cliambers used carbolized gauze 
 and applied 'jjrotective' as an outer dressing, 
 and also used a carbolic acid spray during the 
 time of tile operation, following the general 
 methods then in vogue with the advocates of 
 antiseptic .<nrgery. Dr. Chambers soon modi- 
 tied his technique, but continued from that 
 time to follow antise])tic methods, and tliey 
 were adopted in the hospital. About this time 
 Dr. \V. X. Wishard, who was then superinten- 
 dent of the hospital, was influenced by the re- 
 ports of the Emergency Lying-in-Hospital of 
 Xew York to ado])t antiseptic methods in the 
 obstetric ward, with the result that deaths from 
 puerperal sepsis were practically done away 
 with. Dr. W. X. \\'ishard subsequently re- 
 ported the results in the Iving-in wards to the 
 Clarion County Aleilical Soeiety. and great skep- 
 ticism was sliown by some of the meinbei-s; 
 it was claimed that the new building, ami 
 clearing away of the old building accounted 
 for the disappearance of ])uer]ieral peritonitis. 
 
 In the summer of 1886, Dr. Wishard and Dr. 
 ]\Iar.see visited the hospitals id' the ^[issouri 
 Pacific Railroad system, where the aiitise]itie 
 treatment was in full ttse. 'i'he results in the 
 dilferent hospitals visited were highly gratifv- 
 ini;', and from this resulted Dr. ^larsee's eon- 
 M'tsiiin to antise])tic surgery, referri-d in by 
 liiin in bis remarks liefore the ilarion CniintN' 
 ^ledical Society. With great seriousness nf 
 manner he said: "Brethren, I would not know 
 a microbe if I were to meet one coming down 
 the street: but I do know that whereas I w;\- 
 once blind, thank God I now see." And then 
 he detailed how his eyes had been opened by 
 seeing the results in other hospitals of the 
 new method of treating wminds. l-'rom tliat 
 meeting, now historical, microbial derision 
 ceased in the Marion County Society, and the 
 opponents of the germ theory of wouml in- 
 
 Jl
 
 TTTSTOKY OF GTJKATF.n IXDIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 .-.51 
 

 
 1 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 fection and contagious diseases liocamc a silent 
 and rapidly decreasing minority. 
 
 During the Civil War there were four Sisters 
 of Charity who devoted themselves, free of 
 charge, to nursing the sick at the Indianapolis 
 hospital. When Sisters Athanasius, Hen- 
 rietta, Frances Ann and Helena had finished 
 their work for the soldiers, they established 
 tliemselvcs in a little frame house near the 
 rolling-mill on South Tennessee street, but 
 shortly moved to a larger house on Georgia 
 near Tennessee, where Sister Henrietta had 
 charge; then as quarters became too narrow 
 they procured a double frame house where the 
 South Tennessee street car stables are now lo- 
 cated. Thus it remained until St. Vincent's 
 Hospital, at ^'ermont street and Liberty, was 
 erected for them, in 1880-1. They remained 
 here until the jn-esent hospital was opened in 
 1889. The Sisters of Charity have never lim- 
 ited their ministrations to the professors of a 
 particular creed, or to the members of any 
 ^jjecial occupation. The walls of creed and of 
 jii-ejudice have, therefore, fallen at the ap- 
 l)roach of a tenderness so gentle and univer- 
 sal. 
 
 The present hospital building is at the south- 
 east corner of South and Delaware streets, ad- 
 jacent to the Union Station, and accessible by 
 "the street cars. The location is central to the 
 railroad and manufacturing interests of the 
 citv. After twenty years of occupancy at this 
 location the Sisters purchased a large tract be- 
 tween Illinois street and Capitol avenue, on the 
 north bank of Fall Creek, and are even now 
 breaking ground for what promises to be one 
 of the finest and best equipped hospitals in 
 the country. In the latter part of May. 1910, 
 the Sister Superior. Bishop Chatard and Dr. 
 Pfaff, head of the surgical staff, collectively 
 drove the first pick into the ground and threw 
 the first sjiadeful of earth, which marked the 
 beginning of tliis mighty and noble enterprise 
 for "sweet charitv's sake". 
 
 The Protestant Deaconess Society of In- 
 dianapolis was organized on January 2. 1895. 
 with 14T members. It began its work by ac- 
 quiring the northwest corner of North Senate 
 avenue and West Oliio street, then occupied in 
 part bv two two-story frame residence build- 
 ings, one on T^orth Senate avenue, the other 
 fronting on Ohio street. The former, con- 
 taining eighteen rooms, was immediately ren- 
 
 ovated, anil with the aid of various societies 
 of the Protestant churches and the German 
 Ladies" Aid Society, was furnished for the 
 temporary use as a hospital and Deaconess's 
 Home. The latter building served to accom- 
 modate infectious cases and house the sisters 
 isolated to nurse the same. The hospital prop- 
 er was opened on October 1, 1895, with a 
 capacity of fifteen beds. Repeatedly was this 
 capacity increased through voluntary surrender 
 of their private rooms on part of the sis- 
 ters, until finally lack of room demanded re- 
 fusal of admittance to many. 
 
 As applications for treatment became more 
 frequent, the management found itself forced 
 seriously to consider the erection of a perman- 
 ent building, possessing all modem conven- 
 iences for the treatment of the sick and the 
 care of the aged. Ground was broken in May 
 and the corner-stone laid with proper cere- 
 monies on Sunday. July the 3d. The build- 
 ing is 195 feet on Ohio street by 135 feet on 
 Senate avenue and constitutes a hollow square 
 open to the north. It is four stories high in- 
 iluding an eleven-foot basement. This hos- 
 pital, like St. Vincent's, is crowded to the 
 doors ; another evidence that the increasing de- 
 mand for hospital facilities in Indianapolis 
 surpasses the accommodations. 
 
 At the close of the Epworth League Inter- 
 national Conference held in Indianapolis, in 
 1889, the Committee on Entertainment found 
 in its hands a surplus of about four thousand 
 dollars. After careful consideration it was 
 decided to appropriate this money toward 
 founding a hospital and nurses' training school. 
 A legal corporation was formed in which the 
 three Annual Conferences and the Women's 
 Home ]\Iissionary Societies of the State wore 
 represented, and. later all these several l)odies 
 elected trustees and pledged themselves to the 
 support of the organization. In this way the 
 enterprise of the Methodist Hospital was 
 launched and the entire ilethodism of the 
 state fully committed to it. 
 
 On February 10. 1902, a "hospital service" 
 was held in all the Methodist Churches in In- 
 dianapolis, and offerings of thirty-two thou- 
 sand dollars were made, which sum was after- 
 ward increased to nearly fifty thousand dol- 
 lars. Other subscriptions taken throngli the 
 >tate since then brought the aggregate aniMuiit
 
 HiSToiiv OF (;i!K.\'i'i:i; ixdi.wai-oi.is. 
 
 553 
 
 of pledges up to alwut one hundred tlu)ii:rand 
 dollars. 
 
 At the ])re>('nt time the efforts of the Meth- 
 odifts have crvstalli/.ed in the shape of a large 
 hospital building, thoroughly modern and up- 
 to-date in every respeet, with provision for 
 charity patients and also those of means. The 
 success of the institution has been such that 
 
 ))lans have been drawn and funds raised for 
 the erection of an additional building to ac- 
 commodate the overllow, and it is no idle pre- 
 diction that their present spacious location on 
 the corner of Capitol avenue and ICth street, 
 will at no very distant date be covered with 
 nianv buildings all devoted to the care of the 
 sick.'
 
 CHAPTER XLII. 
 
 COUETS. BENCH AXD BAR. 
 
 I 
 
 .lu(Ji;c W'iek toiik Ills Diitli of office before 
 Judge -Mile^ Eggleston. of tlie Tliird Circuit, 
 on FeliruMi V ^^i. M<'i'>. liut as the associate 
 judges Wry mil ck'ctt'il in time for tlie spring 
 term, no session of court was held in Marion 
 County until Thursday, September 2(i, lis-i'^. 
 On that (lay the court assembled at John Carr"s 
 house, but it was too small for court sessioils, 
 and all that was done there was to organize for- 
 mally, in compliance with the law, which called 
 for sessions there ''until a more convenient 
 room can Ijc had'". (_'ourt was duly opened in 
 the presence of Judge Wick and associate 
 judges James ^lellvain and Eliakim Harding. 
 The judges. Clerk James JI. Ray, and Shcrirt' 
 Ilervey Bates, presented their commissions and 
 took the oaths of office, including the oath 
 against duelling, wliich was very stringent. 
 Fourteen rules of practice were adopted, and 
 the following attorneys were admittecl to jirac- 
 tice: Calvin Fletchei-, Hiram M. Curry. Obed 
 Foots, Daniel B. W'ick (a l^-other of the judgt-). 
 Oliver H. Smith, James Xoble. James Rari- 
 den, James \\'hiteomb. Lot Bloomfield and Har- 
 vey Gregg. All of these except the first three 
 and the last were non-residents. It has often 
 been stated that Calvin Fletcher was "the only 
 lawyer" in the early settlement, but in a let- 
 ter written by him on January 17, 18".i'i. lir 
 says: "We have two attorneys here besides my- 
 self — one was here when 1 came, and one lias 
 come since". Eev. J. C. Fletcher conjectures 
 that the one who came first must have been 
 ( 'nrr\ . as ]\r understood that Foote came shortly 
 after his father. This is probably coiTc.-t. 
 ^[r. P'letcher came here first in August, 1S21, 
 and went back to Oliio for his wife, returning 
 for settlement 071 September "iS of that year. 
 The e.vact date of Foote's arrival is not known, 
 but he was here at the sale of lots in Octibn-. 
 
 l^'.M. Curry did not :iiip<'ar much in iiraclicc. 
 as he t:iok the ]ios;tion ot dejnity clerk uiidci' 
 James M. I'ay. and went farther wc?t at an 
 early ibi\. .Mr. l-'letrlu'i- mentions meeting 
 Hai'vey (iregg here on l)ecend)cr 31, 18"?1. on 
 an in\estigating visit, and says that he returned 
 the next spring for settlement. But Xowlaml 
 says that Gregg was here at the sale of lots in 
 Octolier, and gives a family traditi(m of his 
 hiding some money under tlie carpet at Xow- 
 land's Tavern, where he lodged, and forgetting 
 about it.' In the afternoon of the first day. 
 John A. Breekenridge of Kentucky was ad- 
 niitted to practice "ex gratia". He loi-ated licre 
 soon after, and was for a time a ])artiiiT of 
 :\Ir. Fletcher. 
 
 After the admission of tlic lawyers, the Court 
 adjourned to meet in the afternonn at the 
 hoTise of Jacob R. Cruniba\igh. tlie second ju>- 
 tice of the peace at Indiauaoolis. which was at 
 the southwest corner of ^farket and Missouri 
 sti-eets, and the remainder of the session was 
 held there. The first business of the after- 
 noon was the presentation by the shei-ilV of 
 "good ami lawful men and discreet honse- 
 liolders to serve of grand jurors", in the per- 
 sons of Josejih C. Reed, who was nuide fore- 
 man. Jeremiah Johnson, Isaac Wilson, (ieoriio 
 .Smith. Asahel Dunning. Daniel Pattingalo, 
 Wm. D. Rooki'i-. .\lexis Jackson. Peter Har- 
 monson. Aaiou Lamlieth. James Givan, Thos. 
 O'Xeal, Archibald C. Reid, Daniel Yandes 
 and Jolm Packer. The macliinerv for criminal 
 business was completed liy ii|i|ioinl ing ('al\in 
 Fletcher prosecuting attorney. 
 
 The court next gave its attention to the I's- 
 tablishment of "jirison bounds" for insolvent 
 delitors. an important matter at that time, for 
 
 ^Jirmiiii^rrncrs. p. 1 K!.
 
 iiisT()i;v OK (;i;i;ati:i;, ixdiaxai'oi.i 
 
 tln' state liad a systi-iii of iiii]iiis(iniiu'iit t'lir 
 (Iclit. tlimigli it was not a vury oppiv^siVL' one. 
 ll \va< eliii'lly desijriu'd to prevent debtors from 
 leaving tlic state with their ]iro|)erty, to the 
 eonfusion of their eicditors; anil tlie debtor 
 eonld be releasi'ii by giving np his propei'tv 
 subjeet to execution. If lie were not able to 
 sui)port himself in prison the county took care 
 (if liini and cliarged the cost to the complain- 
 :int. If the complainant refused to pay the 
 debtor was at once released. Tiie debtor was 
 allowed to roam outside of jail, within prison 
 bounds, which were not more than (iOO vards 
 from the jail. (Ml giving bond that he would 
 i-cmain "a inic prisoner", and not. try to es- 
 cape. The bounds estalilishcd for Marion 
 County began at the northwest corner of Nc« 
 York and East streets; thenc-e west on the 
 niirtli I. lie of Xew York street to the west line 
 of ilcridian street: thence south to the north 
 line of Ohio street: tlu-nce west to the west 
 line of Illinois street : thence south to the .soutli 
 line of Washington street : thence east to the 
 center of .Meridian street: thence south to the 
 center of Georgia street : thence east to the 
 south line of Xorlh Carolina street: thence 
 northeast to the west line of East street : thence 
 north to the point of beginning. 
 
 Following this came the naturalization of 
 Itichard Good, "lately from Cork, in the 
 Kingdom nf li-eland"". which description would 
 indicate that he repudiated the "I'nion", and 
 renounced allegiance to George IV. with all liis 
 heart. Next the court granted a tavern li- 
 cense to .Tohn Hawkins — the first liquor license 
 granted in Marion Count v — for hi« hotel on the 
 north side of Washington street, midway be- 
 tween ^leridian and Pennsylvania. It was 
 also one of the comparatively few licenses 
 granted hy a court. Originally licenses were 
 granted bv the county commissioners, but the 
 act of January .5, ]821, transferred this power 
 to the Circuit Court, and this system was in 
 force until the power was restored to the Com- 
 missioners hy the act of .Tannary 20. 1S2-I. The 
 same act re(|uired the grand jury to investigate 
 tlie tavern business and they indicted John 
 Wyant. Samuel ^[cGeorsfe, Peter Moasc, James 
 Paige, ^foses Cox. Jeremiah Johnson. Jacob 
 B. Peid. Jacob Landis. Pobert Siddell, Jere- 
 miah Collins, and TIenrv Ogden for .selling 
 without license. The indictments against the 
 last six were nolled on the ground that they 
 
 hail ])aid their tax and rec(;ived permits from 
 the Clerk, which was the lawful mode beiwien 
 sessions of the County Commissioners mider 
 the old system. The others" cases were con- 
 tinued to the next term when Wyanfs imlict- 
 ment was quashed: Closes Cox stood trial and 
 was acquitted; and the remaining imlictments 
 were nolled. 
 
 'Hie process of obtaining a license from the 
 ctnirt was the same as obtaining it from the 
 commissioners. The ajjplicant liad to file tiie 
 certificate of twelve reputable citizens that he 
 possessed the statutory qualifications, and that 
 it was desirable to license him for tlie conven- 
 ience of travelers. He then gave bond to obey 
 the law and paid his licen.=e fee of .$10. In 
 addition to John Hawkins, the court licensed 
 Thomas Carter, Pobert Siddell and Asahel 
 Dunning at this term. At the next session the 
 grand jury reported that John Hawkins. 
 Thomas Carter and .\sahel Dunning had coni- 
 l)lied with their bonds as tavern-keepers, but 
 that Pobert Siddell "has not since he openeil a 
 tavern kept two spare beds nor a sutticient 
 stable, and has suffered and ]iermitted gam- 
 bling and other disorders in his house kept as a 
 tavern". Pobert was indicted for his short- 
 comings, but apparently the lesson was not 
 heeded, for he kept on being indicted and fined, 
 until his croditrrs also fell upon him, and it 
 was but until Octoljer 11, 1824. when the shcr- 
 ifT made the tell-tale return: '"Nothing found in 
 my bailiwick of which to make the am.ount re- 
 quired herein"", and thereafter Pobert had an- 
 other vocation. 
 
 At the first session, Daniel Yandes, who had 
 been returned on the grand jury was excused 
 for "indisposition"", and at the same t<^rm he. 
 with Andrew Wilson, John MeCormick and 
 Wm. Foster, all millers, were indicted for "ob- 
 structing White Piver"', which was then unques- 
 tioned as a navigable :-tream. There was a 
 warm fight made on these cases, for none r)f 
 the defendants had dammed White river en- 
 tirely, but had only erected "wing dams", or 
 had dammed one channel, leaving another open. 
 Public sentiment was with the defendants, for 
 mills were essential to (he existence nf (he 
 connnunity. Foster's ease cauu' to trial first, 
 at the 'SUy Term. 182.3. and he was fountl 
 guilty and fined 1 cent, whereupon his attor- 
 neys filed a motion in arrest of judL'ment. .\t 
 the Xovemher term .lohn MeCormick was like-
 
 r,o(j 
 
 JIISTUKY UF UliEATEU l.\ D1A,\ Al'UJ J,S. 
 
 wise tried, found guilty and fined one cent. At 
 the same term Yafides and Wilson were tried 
 and found not guilty. The court then sus- 
 ])ended judgment in the Foster and McCormick 
 cases, and tliat was the last of the obstruction 
 of White Kivcr at this point. 
 
 At the close of the first term the court al- 
 lowed Crumljangh $7.50 for the iise of his 
 house, and adjourned to the next session, which 
 ended the distinction of Crunibaugh's house as 
 court house. 'J'iie second session began May 5, 
 1823 at Carr's and adjourned to Henderson's 
 Tavern, where the New York Store stands. The 
 third session opened at Carr's, November 3, 
 liS'23, and adjoui'ned to Harvey Gregg's house, 
 where the City TJbrary now stands. The fourth 
 went from Carr's to John Johnson's house — 
 about 114 ]-:ast Market street, on April 12, 
 1824. The fifth, on October 11, 1824, went 
 from Carr's to the new court house, which was 
 sufficiently advanced for use. At the May ses- 
 sion, 1823, Ciiarles Test, Philip Sweetzer and 
 Rethuel F. Slorris were admitted to practice, and 
 at the Novcml)cr term Martin il. Ray, Amos 
 Lane, James Dulancy. Craven P. Hester, Ga- 
 briel J. Johnston and James Forsee. ^Ir. 
 Johnston settled here and formed a partner- 
 ship with Harvey Gregg. At the spring term of 
 1 824, Moses Cox and Josiali Polk were added 
 to the list, and these were all tlie attorneys of 
 record until the court was settled in the new 
 <-ourt house. 
 
 The business of the court was chiefly civil, 
 and not involving large amounts. The criminal 
 business was chiefly in the line of affrays, as- 
 saults and batterv, and violation of the liquor 
 laws. On November :!. 1823. the Western 
 Censor proudly called attention to the fact 
 that "there lias not been a single trial ior 
 felony before tlie court in three terms''. There 
 was, however, an indictment and conviction of 
 one Robert Jfassey. at the spring term of 1823. 
 for a challenge to fight a duel, which was close 
 lip to the felony grade under the rigid laws 
 that had been enacted to stop duelling. Robert 
 was evidently not emisidereil a grievous of- 
 fender, for lie was fined one ct'iit and costs and 
 imprisoneil I'oi' sixtv davs. The absence of 
 crime was verv notable : .=o much so that Now- 
 land says: "For the first fifteen years after 
 the settlement of Indianapolis, we had neither 
 fire engines nor ])olice officers, and during that 
 entire time there was but one fire, mie burglarv 
 
 and one homicide. * * * 'p[jg ijui-^rlary 
 was that of Jacob Landis's grocery, by an old 
 man named Redman and his son-in-law War- 
 ner. Suspicion pointed to them, and a search 
 warrant issued to Sheriff Russell to search their 
 house. The missing articles were all found 
 there with the exception of a bolt of brown 
 sheeting. The sheriff had noticed that Mrs. 
 Warner was much larger in front and more 
 rotund in person than she was but a few days 
 before, and suspicioned that there was 'some- 
 thing more than meal' concealed there, and 
 asked for an examination. She was very in- 
 dignant that a gentleman should wish to ex- 
 amine a lady in her condition ; but the sheriff 
 could not he put ofl' ; he had seen too many 
 women in that situation, and never knew one to 
 assume so large projiortions in so short a time. 
 The search disclosed the missing goods. "^ At 
 the April term, 1826, Timothy N. Warner was 
 indicted for larceny, and Samuel Redman, 
 Peggy Redman and Sally Warner for receiving 
 stolen goods. Peggy was found not guilty, and 
 a nolle was entered in Sally's case. Samuel 
 was tried, convicted and sentenced to a year 
 and a day in the penitentiary and a dollar 
 fine. On April 29 Warner entered a plea of 
 guilty and was given fifty dollars fine and two 
 years in the penitentiary. 
 
 But this was not the only offense of this 
 class. A year earlier, at a special session in 
 June. 182.5, David Ross was convicted of lar- 
 ccnv, and sentenced to one dollar fine and one 
 year in the penitentiary. On November 26, 
 1826, Archibald Crawford was convicted of lar- 
 cenv, and sentenced to one dollar fine and one 
 year in the penitentiary. At the September 
 term, 1833. "William Johnson, a person of 
 colour"', was convicted of larceny and sen- 
 tenced to five dollars tine and four years in 
 the penitentiary. The addition of these, how- 
 I'vcT-, leaves the record a remarkably clean one, 
 and there was but the one homicide, as Mr. 
 Nowland says. This was almost phenomenal 
 in an American frontier town, at a time when 
 drinking was almost universal, and when fight- 
 ing was verv common. But in the frontier 
 fighting of that period the use of weapons was 
 the exce|)tiiin Miid not the rule. It was almost 
 a )ioiiit of bdnnr to rrl\ on the means of com- 
 bat tliat nature suiiplicd, and though the eon- 
 
 -Reminisceiircs. p. 2T3.
 
 HisT()i;v ui' (;jii:aii;i; indiaxapolis. 
 
 fine, and costs,, like 
 to occurred on Jlay 
 
 tests were sometimes brutal it was rare in- 
 deed that one was fatal. And there was no 
 pressing obligation to fight. In this coimnu- 
 nity, at least, it was no disgrace to have a 
 tlireatening enemy put under bond to keej) 
 the peace. There are several traditional cases 
 of gentlemen who reached tlie point whore 
 thev "had to have it out"', and went off into the 
 woods by themselves and pummeled each other 
 to mutual satisfaction.' This may have been 
 due to unusual sensitiveness, or possibly to re- 
 gard for the law, for fighting was usually 
 ])unished promptly, and no favoritism was 
 sliown. When Calvin Fletcher was prosecutor 
 he became exasperated one day with Squire 
 Foote. and undertook to chastise him, in which 
 be did not succeed as fully as he probably an- 
 ticipated. But he performed his official duty 
 by having himself indicted, and on May 8, 
 1823, pleaded guilty to assault and battery 
 and paid his two dollars 
 any other freeman. 
 
 The homicide referred 
 8, 1833, while the National Road bridge was 
 being constructed. Williani McPherson, who 
 was clwking for Wernwag. the contractor for 
 the bridge, asked Michael Tanblaricum to take 
 him across the river in his boat. Vanblaricum 
 consented, but when ont in the river, where it 
 was eight or ten feet deep, intentionally upset 
 the boat. The traditional accounts of the af- 
 fair are somewhat varied, and none agrees 
 exactly with the statement in the local paper 
 at the" time, which was as follows : "The names 
 of the j)ersons who were in the boat were a Mr. 
 Lewis, Michael Vanblaricum and William Mc- 
 Plierson. The two first named succeeded in 
 gaining the shore, and the latter in climbing 
 on the canoe, which lay bottom u]nvards. After 
 this some conversation of an unkind character 
 passed between Vanblaricum, who had over- 
 turned the boat, and IMcPherson, who was sit- 
 ting on it in the water when Vanblaricum 
 again swam towards ^IcPherson in a seemingly 
 angrv manner, and McPherson in attempting 
 to reach the oi>posite side was drowned." There 
 was no doubt more in the case than this, for 
 the account adds. "We forbear further com- 
 ment and publication of circumstances and evi- 
 dence as detailed, for the reason that great ex- 
 
 citement prevails at present."' Xowland says 
 that Vanblaricum grabbed McPherson and 
 went down with him, and that finger marks 
 were found on iIcPherson"s throat; also that 
 lie had manifested a dislike to McPherson for- 
 merly, and said he would drown him when he 
 got into the boat. 
 
 The afiair was a tremendous shock to the 
 town. McPher.son had been here for about 
 three years and was very popular with the 
 young people. In fact his social standing is 
 said to have been the cause of Vanblaricum's 
 ill-natured animosity. The young men of the 
 town held a meeting, at which J. L. Mothers- 
 liead was made diairman and J. 'SI. Moore sec- 
 retary, and passed resolutions of regret and 
 sympathy for his relatives. They also resolved 
 tiiat "we will wear crape on the left arm for 
 thirty days, and unite in forming the funeral 
 procession". Tlie funeral was very large, and 
 the services impressive. The coroner's jury re- 
 turned a verdict of murder, and Justices Brad- 
 k'V and Wingatc bound Vanlilaricum over to 
 the Circuit Court. IIo was indicted for mur- 
 der and tried at tlie fall term; and on October 
 2 was convicted of manslaughter, and sen- 
 tenced to twenty dollars fine and five years' 
 imprisonment in the penitentiary. This ver- 
 dict can be understood on the theory of Now- 
 land. who says: "Although he had said he 
 would drown him, and did. there were none 
 who believed that he intended to do so, but only 
 to scare him, and went farther than he in- 
 tended ; indeed he told the writer so himself 
 after he had paid the penalty of his crime, and 
 could have no inducement to lie." The defend- 
 ant could not testify in his own behalf at that 
 time, but it was an age when "horse play" and 
 rough ])ractical jokes were common, and there 
 was'^probablv something in the surroundings of 
 the case that gave it that color. There was- 
 no manifestation of public disapproval of the 
 vcr<lict. Tradition has somewhat conllieting 
 explanations, including one to the effect that 
 McPherson was not a Joseph, and that Van- 
 blaricum liad occasion to resent his attentions 
 to liis wife.'' On February 0. 1835, Governor 
 Xoble issued a full jiardon to Vanblaricum, ti> 
 take etfect April 1. following. 
 
 The Circuit Court was tin- only state court 
 
 \'^uJ!irnir. lILsl., p. 77. 
 
 ^Indiana Dnnorrttt. Mav 11. 1S33. 
 '•[[ollowny's ludianapnlig. p. V<.
 
 5,58 
 
 IIIS'I'OKV OF CIJKATKU IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 ill Marion (.'(uiiity. t'.xcL'pting dI' cinu'M' tli(_' Su- 
 ]>rfiiie Court iind the Justioes' cDurt.^, n;it,l 
 lS"^i). when bv act of Jamiarv '^o, |iro\ ision \\ii> 
 inade for probate court? in all the eounties. 
 The object of this law wa< to have some eoii- 
 viniious mo(U' of trau?aetiii>; jiroliate Imsines.s, 
 which was much internipteil by the iiiterniit- 
 tciit sessitnis of the Circuit Coui't. The law 
 jirovidcil for a probate judge in each county, 
 elected by the people, for a term of .-jveii 
 years. TTiese court.s were given exclusive juris- 
 diction of all probate business, with direct ap- 
 ]ieal to the Supreme Court, but in 1S:58 this 
 was changed by ju'ovision for ajipeal to the Cir- 
 cuit Courts. The law also jjrovided that "Xo 
 person shall be elected such judge, or receive 
 a commission therefor, irntil he shall first ob- 
 tain a certificate from either one of the presi- 
 di'iit judges of the Circuit Courts, or from one 
 of the judges of the Supreme Court, that he is 
 qualified to discharge the duties of such office, 
 but that this condition shall not he so con- 
 >trued as to require any such applicant to be a 
 ])rofessio!ial charac ter." In consequence of this 
 ])rovision, and of the very small salaries al- 
 lowed, very few (d' the judges were men of any 
 legal training, except what they may have ob- 
 tained as justici's of the peace, or iit some other 
 indirect wav. This svstem was continued until 
 
 Tn the Con<titutinnal Convention of 1S.")()-.">1 
 tlii're was a notable sentiment against lawyers 
 and high-salaried couits am(mg the mendiers 
 who were not of the legal profession. It re- 
 sulted in some absurd ])rovisions, among which 
 the mo«t stujiid was Article 7, Section 21. that 
 ■■K\ery ])erson of good moral character, being 
 a voter, shall he entitled to admission to ])rac- 
 tice law in all courts of justice". Tn realit\ 
 this has Ijcen much mcu'c injurious to the pub- 
 lic than to the law\(M>. though the lawyers ha\c 
 made nearly all the complaint about it. and 
 ])ro|)erly so, bccairse it brings reproach on th" 
 ])rofession. l!ut at the same time there has 
 not been the syin])athy with the profession in 
 this matter that there might have been if flu- 
 profession had shown more zeal in enforcing 
 the provision for '"good moral character". 
 There is not nnich encouragement to respect 
 for a profession when the peojjle .see. as they 
 have .seen in Clarion Conntv. a man adnrtted 
 to ])ractice who had been disbarred in a neigh- 
 boring (-(ui'ifv. ai:d aeothei' who had just re- 
 
 luin._d fii.ni a term in the penitentiarv for 
 comjjlicity iu a burglary; and lioth on tlie mo- 
 tion of reputable attorneys, who had allowed 
 their generosity to outrun their sensi' of pub- 
 lic duty. But in the Constitutional Conven- 
 tion, with all its diversity of sentiment, there 
 was imiversal agreement that the probate court 
 svstem was very bad, and ought to be changed.'' 
 There had developed a state in which it was 
 .-aid that "in a majority of cases where an- es- 
 tate has passed through the probate court, it is 
 found to be insolvent"' : and this although it 
 had been supposed that the decedent was leav- 
 ing something for his wife and children. This 
 was partly due to an oppressive fee system, and 
 partly to the incompetency of the judges, who 
 were necessarily called upon to decide all sorts 
 of questions in chancery and real estate law 
 that might well puzzle a learned judge. It was 
 claimed that the system had resulted in de- 
 l\'ctive land titles all through the state. After 
 considerable discussion the Convention eon- 
 ( liuled to leave the matter to the legislature, 
 which, by the act of ^[ay l-t, lS."i'2, transferred 
 all probate jtiri-diction to the Court (d' Com- 
 mon i'leas. 
 
 In 1S4S there had been a special Cmirt of 
 Comnuin IMeas crrated for Tip|)ecauoe County, 
 and ^Farion Countv decided that it wanted one 
 also, and one wa< created by the act of Jan- 
 nary 1, 1S4!I. Tlie object of these courts was 
 to relieve the |ire>>ure of business in the Cir- 
 cuit Courts: and thev were given concurrent 
 jurisdiction with the Circuit Courts in all civil 
 cases, but no jurisdiction of criminal or pro- 
 bate business. This law was reiiealed by act 
 of .Tanuarv 12. 1852. and the i)usini'ss trans- 
 ferred to the Circuit Court; but liy the act of 
 May If. 1S.')2. a geiu'ral system of Courts of 
 Comon rieas uas ottblished. Under this law 
 the Court of Common Pleas had exclusive 
 jurisdiction of probate business, except that the 
 Circuit Court had concurrent jurisdicti(ui id' 
 actions against lieirs, devisees, and sureties of 
 ailniinistrator-. executors and iruardians. and 
 also in suits for the ))artition of real estate and 
 a.ssignmeut of dower. It also had concurrent 
 jurisdiction with the Circuit Court in civil 
 cases, in criminal cases for les< than felonic>. 
 and in cases of felonies not punishable with 
 death, if the accused vohintarilv snbniitted t" 
 
 ''('iiiixliliit iiiiiil Dchiitrs. |)ii. 1 lU'i.V'O. 
 
 !l
 
 HISTORY OF GRKATKll l.\l)J.\.\Al-(»|.ls. 
 
 :>:}[) 
 
 the JHi'i^dictiou ol the court prior to iiulicl- 
 iiu'iit. These courts continued until abolished 
 by the act of ^[arch (i, 1S73. 
 
 Before that time the pressure of legal liiisi- 
 iies~ liad been relieved by the oroauization of 
 two other courts. By the act of December "^ii. 
 l!S»!."), .Marion County was made the Sixteenth 
 Jutlicial Circuit, and the Criniiual Circuit 
 Court was created. The Governor was author- 
 ized to appoint a .jud;re and prosecuting attor- 
 ney to .serve until I he next general election, 
 anil (iovernor .Moi'tnn appointed George II. 
 Chapman judge, and William W. Leathers jtros- 
 ceuting attorney on Deceudjer 21. Tlie consti- 
 tutionality of this act was vigorously attackeil. 
 I'll! it was sustained bv the Supreme Court, and 
 the Criminal Court has since been a fixture. 
 By the act of February 15, 1871, the Superior 
 Court was created, with concitrrent jurisdiction 
 with the Circuit Court and Court of Connnon 
 Tl''a< in all civil cases except slander and the 
 probate business, of which the Court of Com- 
 mon Pleas had exclusive jurisdiction. It eon 
 sisted cu-iginally of three judges, each with a 
 ■■room"", who were to be appointed by the Gov- 
 ernor until the next general election. Gover- 
 nor Baker a])pointed I-'rederiek liaml. ."Solomon 
 I'dair. and TToratio C. Xewcomb, and the coui-t 
 (jpened with a general ternt session on March 
 i;. ls;i. .\ fourth judge was added in 18T7, 
 l.ni the law for this was rejiealcd in 18T9. 
 
 Tile State Suiu-enii' Court and the V. S, 
 DiMriet Court were removed to Indianapoli- 
 im mediately after the completion of the court 
 house and the removal of the capital. The 
 first session of the Supreme Court at this place 
 began (in Ma\ :l. lS->."i, witli James Scott. 
 .le->e I,. llohiKin. and Isaac lUackford as 
 judges, and Henry 1'. Coburn as clerk. The 
 fir.-it session of the C. S. District Court be- 
 gan on ^[ay 2. 182."). with Benjamin T'arke 
 as judge. Henry Hurst as clerk, and John 
 Vawter as imnsjial. '{'here was no session of 
 \]\i- r. S. Circuit Couft at Indianapolis, or, 
 for thai matter, in Indiana, until 1837, the first 
 session being opened on December 4 of that 
 year with Justice John :\rci,ean of the Supreme 
 Court sitting with .IndL^e Je.«se L. Holman of 
 the District Court. This nuinner of holding 
 r. S. Cireuit Court continued until 18()9, 
 there being no Circuit Court judges till Mav 
 1(1 ol' that vear. On the ])assage of the law 
 of ISfi'.t. Thomas II. I Iruiiuiiniid w-ii" a)ipointeil 
 
 Circuit Judge for this cireuit. Trior lo thai 
 time, the Justices of the Supreme Court, fol- 
 lowing Judge John iIcJx>an, who were as- 
 signed to Circuit Court duty on this circuit, 
 were Xoah llavnes Swavne, David Davis, John 
 Marshall Harlan, iNfeilville Weston Fuller. 
 John iLarshall Harlan, and David Josiah 
 Brewer, in the order named. 
 
 'I'he first U. S. District Judge was Benja- 
 min Tarkc, who was ap])ointed to the oflice 
 .March lU, 18U, and served till his death on 
 July 1."), 18;5.'), He was a native of New Jer- 
 sey, who located at A'incennes in 1801, ami 
 soon took high rank as a lawyer. He scu'ved as 
 a captain at the battle of Tip|iecanoe, was the 
 loading member of the first constitutional con- 
 vention of the state, and in disinterested pub- 
 lic service was one of the most useful citizens 
 the state ever had.' The first case heard by 
 him at Indianapolis was on January .">. 1825. 
 entitled "Cniteil States vs. Sundry Goods, Wares 
 and Merchandizes"'. It was a libel for the con- 
 fiscation of liquors and other goods of Wm. II. 
 Wallace, charged with illegal trading with the 
 Indians on I'ippecanoo River, which was filed 
 by Charles Dcwcy, then District Attorney, and 
 later one of the ablest judges of the state su- 
 jjrenu' court. It resulted in judgnu'nt of for- 
 feiture of the goods seized, oni'-half to the 
 United States, and one-half to the informer. 
 Eilward ilcCartney. 
 
 Tlie -ei ond Hislricl Judge was Jesse Lynch 
 Holman, a native of Kentucky, who was com- 
 mi.'^sioned Se])teml)er Ki, 18;i.">, and served till 
 his death. March -28. 184-2. He read law in the 
 oflice of llenrv Clay, and removed to Indiana 
 in 1808, where he was a terrilm-ial circuit 
 judge, and from 181(i to 18;i() oiu> of the judjres 
 of the Supreme Court of Indiana. Following 
 him came Klisha MilU Hunt ingloii. coiinnis- 
 sioned Afay 2. 1842, and servimr till his death 
 on October 2(i, 1Sfi2. in his term was heard 
 the notable fugitive slave case of.Vaughan vs. 
 Williams. Yaughan, a citizen of ^tissonri. 
 sued Williams, in 18-I.-.. fnr reseiiiiii; 
 A'aughairs fugitive slaves, which he had found 
 and arrested in a cal)in near N'oblesville, in 
 Hamilton Countv. Williams demurred on the 
 ground that the Ordiiuince of 1787 rwpiired 
 the reliirn of fuu:iliM' -Lives only to one of the 
 
 'Iflxl. of liididiiii. .\iii. ('i)iiiiiiiiiiiriiillli Sr- 
 ri<:<. p. :;2!).
 
 ofiO 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAl'OLIS. 
 

 
 IIIST()|;v OF GREATER INDIAXAl'OLIS. 
 
 .-.(ll 
 
 tliirtt'Cii original states; but tiic coiiil ruli-il 
 tliat thu constitution superseded this, and that 
 |ihiintiir was entitled to recover if he proved 
 title to the negroes. On trial it appeared that 
 \'aughan had bouglit thcni of one Tipton, who 
 previously had taken them into Illinois, and 
 kept them till he gained residence, and voteil 
 as a citizen of Illinois, which made them free 
 under the law of that state. The jury, as in- 
 structed by the court, returned a verdict for the 
 defendant.' 
 
 Judge Huntington's successor was Caleb 
 Jilood Smith, a native of Boston, who studied 
 law at Cincinnati and Connersville before lo- 
 cating at Indianapolis. He was a noted orator; 
 and was intluential in securing the nomination 
 for the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, in 
 whose cabinet he served as Secretary of the In- 
 terior. He resigned this position to acce]:)t the 
 position of District Judge on December 22, 
 lSf)2. His service was terminated by death 
 a little over a year later; and he was succeeded 
 by Albert Smith White, of Lafayette, who also 
 bad a short term, dying on September 4, 1864. 
 President Lincoln then appointed David ^fc- 
 Donald, (iiic iif the ablest of our federal judges, 
 who took ollice on Decend)er 13, 1864. He was 
 a professor of biw at Indiana Universitv. wliicb 
 conferred on bint the degree of LL. D. His 
 monument, however, was his "Treatise" on 
 powers, duties and procedure of Justices of 
 the Peace, wbicl) is the best known and most 
 widely useil law te.\t book ever produced in 
 Indiana. Since its publication, in 1856, it 
 has goiu' throngb six revisions by various au- 
 thors, the last in IHHi. Tt was during Judge 
 .McDonald's term that certain members of the 
 Knights of the Golden Circle were tried for 
 treason by a military commission, which met 
 in the TL S. Court room. After the convic- 
 tion and sentence to death of Lamhdin V. 'MU- 
 ligan. ,i|)|)lication for a writ of habeas coi-pus 
 was made to I'. S. Circuit Court. Judge Mc- 
 Donald and Supreme Justice David Davis, who 
 sat with him on the Circuit bench, being un- 
 able to agree on the three main questions in- 
 volved, certified them to the Supreme Court, 
 which decided them in favor of Milligan, hold- 
 inir the militarv conimission unauthorized." 
 
 Jud-e MrDonald dic.l on Auyust 2.5, 186!). 
 
 "A'auiiban vs. \\"illiams, ?, McLean. |>. ''-W. 
 ■'In re :\rilligan. I Wallace, p. 2. 
 Vol. I— :!6 
 
 and was succeeded by Walter t). tlreshani, who 
 was commissicmed on .Sejitcndper 1, 1869. He 
 was not considered a profound lawyer at the 
 time of his appointment, but ho was a man of 
 ability, and President Grant, who appointed 
 him, had known him as a good soldier, and as 
 such had made hira a brigadier-general. He 
 developed as a judge, bis chief failing being 
 an imi)etuous nature, which caused iiim to ad- 
 mjnisti'r wliat be considered justice like a road- 
 roller when he once got his bead set. The 
 business of the court increased largely during 
 bis administration, due largely to the hard 
 times of the seventies with their crop of bank- 
 ruptcies, receiverships and foreclosures; added 
 to which were the Whiskey Ring cases, the 
 first election cases, and others. The most not- 
 ai)le decision of this period, however, was by 
 Judge Drumniond of the Circuit Court in the 
 receivershi]) of the I. 11 & W. Railway. It 
 had become a fashion of railroad companies 
 controlled by bondholders to pile up floating 
 • lebt preparatory to receivership and foreclos- 
 ure. This caused great hardship to employees 
 and material men, and John M. Butler, of the 
 lirni of McDonald iV" Hutler, made a deter- 
 mined fight in this ease for a modification of 
 the old e(|uity rule which gave tiie mortgagee 
 absolute priority in such cases. Judge Drum- 
 niond recognized the justice of tiie plea, and 
 announced the now celebrated "six months 
 rule", which gave precedence to claims for la- 
 lior and nuiterial, for six months prior to the 
 receiversjiip. The decision was warmly con- 
 tested but the rule was sustained by the Su- 
 preme Court,'" and has since been established 
 law. It is doubtful if any decision in tiiis 
 country ever brought larger and more just re- 
 lief to a large class of men. 
 
 In April, 1883, Judge Greshain resigned to 
 ;i(ce|)t the position of Postmaster General in 
 I'residcnt .Vrthur's cabinet. He was s\icceoded 
 by Wm. .\llen Woods, a native of Tennessee, 
 who lutd been elected to tb(> Suprenu' liencii of 
 the state in 1880, and resi<rned to lake this 
 position. He was commissioiu'd on Afay 2, 
 188.1. The most notable events of his term 
 were the election ca.ses wiiich are iiresentt'd in 
 the chapter entitled "A Political Epoch". 
 Judge Gre.sham managed the Poslonice Depart- 
 ment will) vigor. Tliere were no Star Route 
 
 '"Fosdick vs. Schall. iif) V. S.. p. 2:i.">.
 
 .)(,■.' 
 
 IlISTOlfV OF (IHKATKU I XDIAXAI'OLIS. 
 
 or othei' scandals in his term ; nml lir also ex- 
 cluded the I.ouisir.na t,«ttciv Irom the iiiaiU 
 iu spite of strong o]i])osit ion. (In I he ileatli 
 of Secretary Folger in 1884, lie was nuuie fSee- 
 I'etarv of the Treasury, hut served hut a sliort 
 time. He resigned from the eahinet in Oetoher 
 of that year, and on Deeeniher U was apiiointed 
 U. S. CircTiit Judge. This position he held 
 until ^larch 5. lS9.i. when he was made Sec- 
 retary of State hy President Cleveland. As 
 Secretary of Slate he was kept busy by the 
 Samoan and Hawaiian complications, the re- 
 j)eal of the reciprocity treaties by the Wilson 
 l)iil, and the smaller affairs of San Domingo 
 and Bluefields, but he handled them all witli 
 i-onspicnons ability till his deatii. on Mav "JS, 
 189.5. 
 
 From the District bench. Judge Woods was 
 nominated V. S. Circuit Judge by President 
 Harrison, and commissioned on ^lareh K. 
 1892. He served in this capacity uiiiil hi- 
 death on June 29. 1901. He was siicceedi'd a- 
 District Judge by John H. Baker on March 
 39, 1892. He served for ten years, and. hav- 
 ing attained the age of 70 years, resigned undei- 
 the ]n-ovisions of the law providing fin- retire- 
 ment on full pay. under those e(unlitioiis. 
 Judge Baker was a general favorite, and on 
 his retirement he was given a banqni't hy the 
 bar. on December 30. 1902. the first ociunenee 
 id' the kind in the history of the court since 
 its organization in 1817. His successor. .Al- 
 bert B. Anderson, was nominated by President 
 lioosevelt. and was jiromptly confinn.ed b\- the 
 Si nate on December 8, 1902. He did not take 
 otlice for 10 days, however, as Judge Baker was 
 engaged in trying the case of one Jennings 
 against a number of whitecappers who liad a--' 
 saulted him. and the expense and tronliie to th'' 
 parties of a new trial was cons'dered all ai-onml 
 as sufficient rea-^mi for delaying the change of 
 judges. Judge .Vnderson took tlie oath of of- 
 fice and began his duties on December 18: and 
 in his service has impressed ttie ])ublic as a 
 judge both competent and upright. 
 
 TJie character of the leu'al ]n-()fession divides 
 its history naturally into three pei'iods. The 
 first was when tlie lawyers "traveled the cir- 
 cuit", riding horseback from county-seat to 
 eoiinty-scat as the court held its sessimis in the 
 various counties of the circuit. M times they 
 woTilil he ab-cnt tVom home f ii- weeks; ami 
 occasionally when on the move, stopping at 
 
 laiiii houses, or e\en lamping out. I'suallv, 
 lio\ve\ef. the evenings were passed in company 
 aronnil the tireplaee of some tavern, and this 
 developed a capac-ity for self-entertainment iu 
 story-telling and jiraetical jokes. There were 
 few law libi-aries, and but few books could be 
 carried. In consequence there was a greater 
 reliance on the application of commonly recog- 
 nized principles of law iu argument; and there 
 were no\y and then instances of cases won h\ 
 sharp-witted lawyers before the unU'arned jus- 
 tices of the peace of those days, by adroit twist- 
 ing of the law. This feature of [jioneer his- 
 toiy has perliaps been more fully recorded than 
 any other, and for this vicinity, it is preserved 
 so well in Oliver H. Smith's "Pearly Indiana 
 Trials and Sketches" that it would be unnec- 
 essary repetition to say much of it here. 
 
 It may be noted, however, that reailine>s and 
 wit counted for a great deal under those con- 
 ditions, and that the sharpest-witted of our 
 early lawxeis was Hiram Brown, a Pennsyl- 
 \anian, wiio took up the study of the law at 
 the age of 28, in the office of and by the ad- 
 vice of the noted "Tom" Corwin, after failing 
 financially in mercantile business. Of the many 
 stin'ii^s ]uvserved concerning him. ime by I{ev. 
 J. C. Fletcher is wortliy of note, as it prob- 
 ahlv fufiiishes an explanation, in part at least, 
 of why Simon Yandes did not attain a bril- 
 liant legal career. He had graduated \vith high 
 honor at Harvard and began tlie juactice here. 
 in connection with Calvin Fletdiei-. with e\ei-\ 
 promise of success. But he was quite eccentric. 
 anil especially so in the matter of forming 
 theories for action under various contingencies. 
 One of these was that th.e best way for a young 
 lawyer to attract public notice, and win sue- 
 ii's~. was to attack ohli^r and established attoi-- 
 ne\s personally, in trials, when opportunity was 
 presented. I'nfortunately fiU' liim lie tirst |nit 
 ids theory to the test with Hiram Brown, and 
 Ml-. l-"lercher gives the story thus: 
 
 "'Mr. Yaniles, though still young, was c\- 
 rremelv tall, loosely jointed, and somewhat >lo\\ 
 in movement. His audience eotn.prised all h'- 
 Mumg compeers, who closelv watched the le- 
 sults of liis eastern training, and gauged the 
 caliber of their future op|}onent. The knowl- 
 edge tliat they were so watching him spun-ed 
 him to the utmost, and he became very bitter 
 towai'd ^Ir. r>rown. His tall I'oi-m swaved back 
 and forth, while his voice i-ose to a roar in
 
 lllSToK'V OF GlIEATKH. I N 1 >1 A N A IMil.l >. 
 
 .JG3 
 
 i-ariit-'sl (lemmciation ol! lii,< o])i)i>iiem, wlio, 
 .-c'ciningly cowed, hid liis facr in his hamls on 
 ihc T.ihlf. Apparently contented with hini.^eif 
 anil hi^^ elfort. Mr. Yaiides pansud a moment to 
 take a di'ink of water and note the elTeet on 
 the jury, when, to his horror, .Mr. Brown slow- 
 ly i-ai<ed liis head, a wicked twinkle shiniiifr in 
 ills eyes as he jrlanced sidewise at the jury, and 
 in .1 ilcar, sharp whisper said: "If that younj; 
 man should ever live to get his growth he will 
 make a very severe man." The head dropped 
 into the hands once more, ^[r. Yandes, utterly 
 i-on founded by the suddenness of the retort, 
 and. the roar of laui;hter from jnd<;e. har and 
 jury, dropjied the further prosemtion of his 
 speech." 
 
 In eonneclion with this .Mr. Kletelier adils: 
 ■•.lanie-i Iiussell Lowell, the poet and diploma- 
 list, once told me while visiting me at Naples, 
 Italy, that Simon Yandes was in his class at 
 Harvard, and that he (Yandes) was the first 
 man in the class. "While we', said Mr. Lowell, 
 'were ])laying at law, Yandes studied law and 
 inipioved evi'i'y advantage all'orded by Harvard. 
 The recollection of him at the Dane law school 
 give mc the highest res])ect for the man". Simi- 
 lar views coiu-erning Mi', ^'ande- wi're ex- 
 pressed to me in Paris, France, l)y (Jcorgr 
 liemis, Esq., of Boston, who is in some respects 
 our first authority on international law. Be- 
 mis was also a classmate of Jlr. Yandes.'"" 
 It may also he mniiioned that the tendency of 
 .Mr. Yanih-^ lo ""play theories'" stood him in 
 good slead. for he develo]ied a theory of the 
 rei iirreiice of panics and financial depressions 
 that made hiiii a handsome fortune. It was 
 based on the pro|iosition that "good tinu'S make 
 bad times, and bad times make good times"' — 
 ;'. '■,, when times are Hush ])eople become e-\- 
 Iravagant, go into debt, and create the condi- 
 ticms that pi-od'.n-e panics: and in hard time~ 
 thev cccnomi/.c and produce the conditions tlial 
 cause pros|iciit\ . It worked like clock-work, at 
 li'Msl until after the demonetization of silver 
 upset the ordinary economic movement : and b\ 
 buying real estate in what be had decided would 
 be vears of lowest pri(es, ami selling in yeai- 
 .d' highest prices, he amassed his wealth. 
 
 Ill' put his fortune to good use, too: not onlv 
 ill liand-nmr limrfactinns at his death, but in 
 lii,- life. He was extremclv secretive in his 
 
 Auirust ".'.■•.. 18;9. 
 
 .L'ood work.-, but It IS .pule eerlaiii llial he was 
 the chief su|)port of John B. Dillon in his old 
 age: and when "Fncle Jimmy" Blake died prac- 
 tically baukruiit, and his home |)roperty passed 
 to ;Mr. Yandes, he managed to bt Mrs. Blake 
 live ill it the rest of her life without even sus- 
 pecting that «lie did not own it. There is an- 
 other fact about Simon Yandes known, to but 
 few, and that is that he drafted, and, although 
 not a member of the legislature, secured the 
 jiassage of the '"year of redemption" law.'- Be- 
 fore ISIil holders of junior incumbrances, who 
 had not been made ])arties to foreclosure, or in 
 general on slierilf"s sales of real estate, were 
 not aflected by a sale, and could redeem while 
 their liens existed, hut the o\nier had no right 
 of redemption at all. The attention of Mr. 
 Yandes was drawn to the matter by a hard 
 case, where a morts.'ao'or was unable tempiu'arily 
 to protect his ])ro|)erty, and he at once ])re- 
 ])ai"ed the bill. There are few laws, indeed, that 
 have given so great, mi ecpiitable, and so ra- 
 tional relief to end)arrassed debtors. 
 
 But. to resume: the tendency of the early 
 ])erio(l was to make ready lawyers, and "all- 
 round"" lawyers. There were no specialists. .\s 
 the country settled, and railroads were built, 
 the necessity for riding the circuit disapneared. 
 Libraries increased: decided cases multiplied. 
 Xo matter what his logical abiliti-s, a lawyer 
 had to keep in touch with the rulings of the 
 courts. T'nder the.se conditions the (dd tinu' 
 circuit lawyer canu; to his best, and it may 
 fairly be said that the tridden age of the In- 
 dianaiiolis bar was the twentv years following 
 the Civil War. I,i'gal business was abundant 
 and profitable. The line was beginning to Im" 
 prettv clcarlv drawn betwe<Mi civil and criminal 
 practice: but there were few lawyers who aimed 
 at civil ])i"actice who were not (pialilieil to trv a 
 criminal case if thev I'ked. .\bout the lii"st 
 specialization bevond that was bv .lolni .V. 
 Finch, who took up insurance law as a sjie- 
 ciallv, and nnide •! notable success of it. 
 
 Tbi'ie were three firm< in this pi-riod that 
 were preeininenl in the volume of their luisi- 
 ness and the staudimr of their mi-nibers — Ueii- 
 dricks. llord I'it Uendrieks: M. Donald X" Biil- 
 ler: and TTai"rison. Ilinc'^ iV Mill-r. flie mem- 
 bership changing somewhat from I in- (o time, 
 r.overnor— later Viee-Pr.'-.'. -i II.- '■ ' ''"" 
 
 ulr;,K 
 
 tb 
 
 "Arts of /.sv;/. p.
 
 » 
 
 564 
 
 HISTORY OF GKKATEi; IXDIAXAPOLTS. 
 
 senior memher of the first, retired aud was 
 sucteeckHl l)y Go\-. C^oiirad Baker, a lawyer of 
 tlie t^aiiie class. Senator Joseph E. McDonald 
 and Jolin M. Butler were the leading members 
 of the second firm, but a large part of the work 
 was done In' George Bntler, a younger brother 
 of John M. — in fact he worked himself to 
 death, and was cut off from the promise of a 
 brilliant professional career at a comparatively 
 early age. Benjamin Harrison and W. H. H. 
 Miller — later Attorney General of the United 
 States — are known to the whole country. Judge 
 C. C Hines, their partner, was a fine lawyer 
 who retired from the practice largely to give 
 his attention to his invalid \rife He was suc- 
 ceeded in the firm bv John B. Elam, still one 
 of the ranking lawyers of the city. Close up 
 to these firms were a number of others, largely 
 of younger men, Dye & Harris, Claypool, New- 
 comb & Ivetcham, Taylor, Rand & Taylor, 
 Smith & Duncan — later joined by John R. 
 Wilson, Byfield & Howland, Byron K. Elliott, 
 James R. ilitchell, Gordon, Lamb & Sheppard, 
 Judah & Jameson, Finch & Finch, Hanna & 
 Kuetler. Herod & Winter. Avres & Jones. Mc- 
 Lain & Baker, A. G. & G. T. Porter. Ritter, 
 Walker & Ritter, Young & Pritchard, John E. 
 Scott, Thomas L. Sullivan. Caleb Denny, David 
 Turpie, Charles W. Fairbanks, Vinson Carter, 
 McMaster & Boice, Buskirk & Nichol, Wm! 
 Wallace, T. S. Rollins, and othei-s, who made up 
 a bar of high quality. 
 
 The first law school in Indianapolis was that 
 of Xorthwestern Christian University, opened 
 in 1856. It was not much of a school, the in- 
 struction being given by John Young, then 
 president of the institution, and there being 
 four graduates to the time of his resignation 
 in 1858. He was succeeded by Judge Saml. E. 
 Perkins as "Professor of Law", and the school 
 grew under his administration — it being made 
 a department with a faculty, of which Judge 
 Perkins was a dean. There were 18 graduates 
 in the three years ending in 1861. The shock 
 of civil war did not leave much of the law de- 
 partment, thouirh it was continued in a small 
 way witli ,7udge Perkins and Judge David Mc- 
 Donald as instructors. At the beginning of 
 the seventies it was revived and reorganized, 
 opening January 16, 1871, with Byron K. El- 
 liott. Cliarles H. Test and Chas. P. Jacobs on 
 the faculty. Later Judge H. C. Xewcomb 
 succeeded Judge Test, but the school was dis- 
 
 continued after a few years. The next school, 
 organized through the efforts of Judge Elliott, 
 was known as the Central Indiana Law School, 
 and was a wholly private undertaking. It was 
 incorporated July 1, 1879. Judge Elliott was 
 a great student, with Ijoth the desire and the 
 ability of imparting information. He had an 
 indomitable will that carried a frail body 
 through a life of hard work, and gave him an 
 enduring monument as a jurist aud a legal 
 writer. Associated with him in this school 
 were Judge James B. Black and Charles P. 
 Jacobs, with some special lectures by John R. 
 Wilson and F. J. Van Vorhis. The school was 
 quite successful, but went to pieces after the 
 election of Judge Elliott to the Supreme bench 
 in 1881. and the appointment of Judge Black 
 to the Supreme Court Commission in 188"^^. 
 
 John R. AVilson was a large factor in local 
 legal instruction. Coming here from Virginia. 
 a young man of limited means aud almost un- 
 known, he made his way by application and 
 ability to the front ranks of the profession, 
 and at the same time to the affectionate respect 
 of all who knew him.''' He was one of the 
 men that God made ; aud there was never a 
 person in Indianaapolis to whom so many 
 yoimg men were indebted for friendly aid and 
 counsel as to him. Abotit 1877 the law stu- 
 dents of the city organized a moot court — it 
 was probably the first successful effort of A. F. 
 Potts at promotion. At fir.sf, one of their 
 nundjcr was chosen to act as judge, but Jolni 
 L. Griffiths was then reading law with ilr. 
 Wilson, and ^fr. Wilson was persuaded to join 
 the organization and serve as judge. He gave 
 as much care to the preparation of his de- 
 cisions as a Supreme Justice — sometimes more. 
 After the moot court disbanded he had law 
 classes for .several winters, iisually going over 
 some new law book. These were entirely free 
 to any of the law students of the city, and 
 were well attended. It may be mentioned here 
 that ^Fr. Thaddeus Rollins also gave this same 
 kind of gratuitous instruction for a year or 
 two. 
 
 In 189-1 the desire for a law-school again 
 became imiierntivc, and the Indiana Law School 
 was organized. The chief factors in the move- 
 ment were Byron K. Elliott, John R. Wilson. 
 Addison C. Harris, Charles W. Fairbanks, and 
 
 iWrc-.s'. Julv 16 and 18. 1907.
 
 IIISTUUV OF G HEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 .,(;.-i 
 
 W. P. Fisliback. It was opeued on Ottober '2, 
 1894. (Ill the basis of a two-years course, and a 
 senior class was foriiud the first year from ad- 
 vanced students, cliietiy from Indianapolis of- 
 fices, so that the first class graduated in the 
 spring of ISOo. Jn addition to the five gentle- 
 men named, who formed the faculty, the first 
 resrular lecturers were James B. Black, Charles 
 \y. Smith, Will. 11. 11. Miller. Wm. P. Kappes, 
 Wni. F. Elliott, .lohn A. Finch. Charles F. 
 Collin. .John L. (.rilliths, Charles \V. Moores, 
 Thaddeus S. IJollins, Evans Woollen, and Miss 
 Laura Donnan. Special lectures were given 
 by the .judges of the Supreme and Federal 
 Courts, and also by Charles A. Korbly, Daniel 
 P. Baldwin and Ons O'Bryan — the last-named 
 on prnbate practice. Instruction in elocution 
 and oratory was given by Prof. T. J. McAvoy. 
 
 The school was successful from the start, 
 and in 18!)G an alliance was made bv it with 
 The Indiana Dental College, The Medical Col- 
 lege of Indiana, and Butler College, by which 
 The I'niversity of Indianapolis was formed. 
 Thus far, however, the L'niversity has been lit- 
 tle more than a name, each member preserving 
 its individuality very completely. In 18!)!1 the 
 need of an executive otHcer who could give full 
 attention to the law school was felt to be ur- 
 gent, and the ])lan was amended, Mr. James A. 
 Rollback being made Secretary and Professor 
 of Law. with the active management of the 
 school. In 1901 he was made dean, on the 
 death of Mr. Fishback, who had served in that 
 cajiacity from the beginning of the school. The 
 institution is now in a flourishing condition, 
 and ajiparently on a permanent basis. The 
 average attendance is about 75, the graduating 
 classes usually consisting of from 30 to .50 
 members. 
 
 Tn the last quarter of a century there is 
 .senerally conceded to have been a lowering of 
 the dignity and standing of the legal profes- 
 sion, not due so much to its members, as to 
 changed business conditions. In the process 
 of systemizing many corporations have their 
 stall' attorneys, who are in a sense simply of- 
 ficials having in charge a department of the 
 business. In fact there seems to have grown 
 up a need of atlenfion fo business details that 
 tends to a universal making of barristers with 
 no counselors. The change is hard to define, 
 but there is a feeling among the older prac- 
 titioners that the profession is not as inde- 
 
 ])eudeut as it formerly was. Possibly the large 
 increase of lav\Ters, and the competition for 
 business that has arisen to some e.\tent may 
 be factors in it. If this idea of a change iii 
 the relative position of the legal fraternity is 
 true, it of course applies to the whole coun- 
 try, and is not peculiar to Indianapolis. 
 
 There was a "Law Library and Bar Asso- 
 ciation" organized at Indianapolis in the early 
 seventies, but it did not prosper, and it was 
 decided to begin anew. On November 30, 
 1878, forty of the leading lawyers of the city 
 met at the office of Dye & Harris and organ- 
 ized The Indianapolis Bar Association. Na- 
 jioleon B. Taylor was made president : John 
 T. Dye and Livingston Ilowlaiul. vice-presi- 
 dents; John A. Henry, secretary; .John M. 
 .hidah, treasurer. The executive committee was 
 composed of Solomon Claypool. W. H. H. 
 Miller, John M. Butler and .John S. Duncan; 
 and the committee on ''admission", or mem- 
 bership, of Oscar B. Hord, Lewis C. Walker, 
 Wm. Wallace, 11. C. Newcomb, C. C. Hines, 
 Ferd Winter, and Samuel II. Buskirk. The 
 dues were made .$•") a year, and the membership 
 increased very rapidly. The old association 
 met and donated its property — consisting of .58 
 volumes of ilaine report* and .$."i4.95 — to the 
 new association, after which it disbanded. 
 
 Special attention was given to the accuniu- 
 latioTi of a library. On February 11, 1879, it 
 was ordered that .$000 be invested in books; 
 and on .\pril S it was reported that the re- 
 ports of Iowa, Michigan, California and Ohio 
 had been iiurchased. On June 10 the dues 
 were raised to .$20, and a coininiltee was ap- 
 ])ointed to solicit donation to the library fund. 
 On September 13 it reported $950 subscribed, 
 which was duly invested in books. The library 
 gi'cw steadily until 1899. when a special im- 
 petus was given. Mrs. Susan W. Butler, widow 
 of .Tohn M. Butler, died in the spring of that 
 year, and bv her will left a large interest in 
 real estate, estimated at .$(10,000, in remainder 
 on the death of her daughter Margaret llui- 
 ler Snow, to the association, for the erection .if 
 a building, to be known bv her husband's 
 name. Immediately .after this, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Snow donati'd to the association the entire law 
 librarv of Hutler, Snow & Butler. On March 
 5, 1900, the law library of Lucian Barbour 
 was donated to the association bv his daugh- 
 ter.s, ^Ir~. M;ir\ H. .Tackson and Miss Sallie W.
 
 566 
 
 HISTOEY OP GREATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 Barlxnii'. On May 28, 11)02, Win. Watson 
 Woiilli'ii pri'seiitt'd to the ai^sociatioii liis eol- 
 It'ctioii of Indiana legal publii-ations, iiielud- 
 iiig annotated reports, statutes, etc., tlie gift to 
 beeonie etfecti\e at his death. Exclusive ol' 
 this, the library now has over T.OOO volumes. 
 It is much used by students of tiie Indiana 
 Law School, to whom this privilege was ex- 
 tended on J line 4, lilUd. 
 
 The association lias h.ad cpiite an active ex- 
 istence, and has been instrumental in securinx 
 numerous reforms connected \\'ith court proced- 
 ure. Its most notalde back-set came in 1897. 
 The street railroad com])any was then coii- 
 troll(>d by Yerner and Melvee. and had made a 
 large increase in cajiitalization. E. Dwiglit 
 Church and others, who had been induced to 
 buy some of the new stock on advertisements 
 of it that were made, lirought suit in the Fed- 
 eral Court for the appointment of a receiver, 
 the cancellation of TO per cent of the stock, 
 and the winding up of the company. Their 
 right to any remedy being questioned on the 
 hearing. Judge Baker was reported to have 
 said : "]f the law does not give any relief, and 
 I do not know that it does, there ought to he 
 by po]iular subscription a lot of lamp-posts 
 provided for hanging up the fellows who go 
 into such business."'"'* The next day the ar- 
 gument was continued, and Judge Baker again 
 warmed up sufficiently to observe, as reported. 
 "So far as McKee is concerned, if the truth 
 is set up here in this bill it would be no in- 
 justice to him to hang him"". Mr. Perd Win- 
 ter, counsel for the defense replied: "It has 
 been a long time since men have been hanged 
 for such things ;"' to which Judge Baker re- 
 joined: "I confess tliat with these Napoleonic 
 systems of highway robbery I have no sym- 
 pathy. These fellows will go on until finally 
 they will induce the ]ieo]de of tliis country 
 to lyiuli them."" Mr. Winter, wdth some 
 warmth, then said: "1 think it hardly legiti- 
 mate for the court to make such comments as 
 these, which are caught up and nublished in 
 the newspapers. The Scnliiirl this morning 
 had a great deal of this. The remarks tlic 
 court is niakinn- here are being u-^ed in the 
 
 legislature for the purpose of wiping out this 
 street-car company;"" and the interchange of 
 observations continued until the court in- 
 structed Mr. Winter to sit down.'"' The reports 
 [uiKlislicd by the nioi-iiing iiajiers were substan- 
 tially the same. 
 
 Xaturally the episode created some excite- 
 ment outside of the court, and on March 1 
 the Bar Association, by a vote of 10 to •.'. 
 a(lo|itcil a motion dllVred bv W. A. Ketchani 
 Icir a lommittee to investigate the matter ami 
 repoi-t whether the language was used a- rc- 
 jiorted. Judge Baker declined to receive this 
 committee, on the ground that he was not a 
 mi>mber of the association; and the committee 
 reported that there was some question as to 
 the language used: and recommended tliat no 
 further action be taken, and that it be dis- 
 charged. Instead of this, the matter was re- 
 ferred back to the committee with instructions 
 to ascertain whether the language was used, and 
 report. On ^tay 3, the committee finally re- 
 ])orted that the language "was used by him 
 substantially as reporti'd", but "was not in- 
 tended to advise or counsel lawlessness in any 
 manner'", and was used "for the sole ]Hir|)()se 
 of ex])ressing his condemnation of the deal- 
 ings which were described in the bill"". The 
 committee again recommended no further ac- 
 tion, and asked for discharge. Tlie members 
 wfU' out in some force that evening, and the 
 rcjiort was adopted by a vote of 25 to IG. And 
 so the incident closed, leaving the layman tn 
 wonder whether judges sliould say what thev 
 leallv think, or whether Indianapolis la\vy( r- 
 are unduly sensitive. It was only two years 
 rarlier that W. P. Pishback in his account of 
 bis visit to Lord Coleridge mentioned that in 
 discussing the ilafia riots at New Orleans his 
 lordship said that "there were times when the 
 swift methods of Judge Lvnch became neces- 
 sary ill a comniuiiily where criiiK^ is influential 
 ■and powerful enough to deliauch or intimidate 
 courts or juries". .Vnd ^Ir. Pishback adds: 
 ■''Iliis language from the Lord Chief-Justice 
 of England, while he was assuming the wig 
 and gown, surprised me.""'" 
 
 < 
 
 ^'Xcirs. Pebruarv 11. 1S9r. 
 
 '•■Yc»'.v, Pebruarv 12, ISO:. 
 ^''•Ri'rnJlcillons of Lard ('(jliTiili/i\ yi. 0.
 
 CHAPTER XLlll. 
 
 TIIK ClirK'CIIES. 
 
 The question wliii-li was the Hrst clmieli in i-oiikt of .Meridian and .Maryland, and put 
 
 Indiana])olis is one whose answer depends on up a one-story brick ehureh. which was used 
 
 the definition given to the word "ehureh". for ii.ariy twenty years. 
 
 Perhaps the prioiity sliould be given to the From July. IHM)'. to Kebruary. l.s:{4. there 
 
 Baptist organization, whieh was offieially was no regulai' pastor, but sei-vi<-es were lieid 
 
 pronounced "a reiiular liaptist ch)U-ch"' on (piite regnhirly with lirethren Hyron I.aw- 
 
 October 10, ISi'i': altliough the .Methodisl renee, Janieson Hawkins and K/ra Fislier 
 
 "ela.'<s" luid l)ecu established as a "station"' otifieiating. In 1S.'!4 K/ra l-'isher aeeepted tlie 
 
 on a "circuit" in \^^2\ -. and the I'resbyte- [)astorate, and held it for a year. when, in 
 
 rians had engagec! a pieacher for intermit- July, 1835, he was succeeded by Dr. John L. 
 
 tent service foi' the year beginning October Kieinnond, who officiated regularly until 
 
 1, 1822. An account of thi'se early move- 188!). Di'. Kichniond w;is highly esteemed, 
 
 ments has been uivrn in the chapter on "The i)oth as a clergyman and as a physician, lie 
 
 ^Vforal Foundation". John Ilobai-t, who is was not oidy a man of ability but also one 
 
 known to fame as "the first native poet of with a sense of humor, autl a readiness of 
 
 Indianapolis", commemorated the establish- c.xpre.ssion that are almost essentials for a 
 
 meiit of th(> Baptist Church in some lines, be- po|)uliir s|)eaker. Among the anecdotes pi-c- 
 
 giiniing: seived relating to him is one of his over- 
 whelming a boaster who was enlarging on the 
 
 "In tw<'nty-two a liniiililr few. Fertility of his farm by telling of a farm 
 
 Who di(i the Script\ires search. whei'c. "the pumpkins gi-ew so tliick aM over 
 
 In Jesus" luimi'. toiietlici' came. one of the fields that if a man would kick 
 
 And fnriiiiMl a Haptist cluncli " one on one side of the field it would shake 
 
 those against the fence on the other side"'. 
 
 John was not very inspiring as a poet, but In November. 1S:^!I, Rev. (Icorgc K. Chandler 
 
 he was always strong in his i)rcsentalion of was called to the pastoi-itc and served ini- 
 
 facts. The Bapti.st church was handicapitcd til May, 184:-); when he resigned 1.. ac<-ept the 
 
 by lack of funds for a number of years, and pi'csidency of Franklin College, and was an 
 
 niiuht not have liveil throueli but for aid eflicient agent in the upbuilding of thai in- 
 
 frnm the Home .Mission Society. .\s it was. stitution. 
 
 its pastorate was much bi'okiii. Heii.jamin F(n- the ne.\t three years the situation was 
 
 Barnes served in 18-_':5 and 1824; and then not eneouraL'iug. C. B. Phillips preached ocea- 
 
 there was an inferinission of 18 months with sionally, ami in October |)roposed (o preach 
 
 ?io rcL'ulai- pastor, and occasional services and regularly for a salary of ^'■i^tO and board, 
 
 Iireachiui: hv bretliren Fa.ssett. Harncs, This the congregation was obliired to .i.'cline 
 
 Smock and Fisher. In December. 182fi. Abra- for lack of resources. It is interesting to 
 
 liam Smock was called to preach, and served note that at this time Henry Ward Ueeeher 
 
 until 18:?(), with the exce|)tion of six months was getting the salary of $1)00 at the Second 
 
 in the winter of 1827-8. In 1820 the c"n>.'re- Presbyterian Church, of which his wife eom- 
 
 gatioii purchased the lot at the southwest plained later. 'I hen .Mr. I'liillips iniderlook 
 
 ocr
 
 5G8 
 
 HISTOT!Y OF GKEATER IXDIAXAPOLlS. 
 
 I 
 
 to establish a new Baptist Church, aud dis- 
 organization was becoming serious, until a 
 council of the churches of the Indianapolis 
 Association was called, which condemned the 
 Phillips movement, and the danger was 
 averted. In September, 184-4. James Johnson 
 was called as pastor for a year, but resigned 
 after six months, and the church had no regu- 
 lar pa.stor till 1846. ileanwhile Ur. Rich- 
 mond preached occasionally and administered 
 the offices of the church. 
 
 In 1846 the Bajitist Church in Indianapolis 
 was started in a more stable epoch by the 
 coming of Timothy K. Cressy. He was one 
 of those men in whom the union of l)usiness 
 sense with religions fervor makes the com- 
 posite essential for the effective aid of strug- 
 gling congregations in all sects. Born in 
 Connecticut, a graduate of Aauherst and New- 
 ton Theolouicai. he pledged himself to mis- 
 sionaiy work in the West, and for tliirty-five 
 'years pi'oseeutecl that work in Ohio, Indiana. 
 ^Minnesota. Illinois and Iowa, until called to 
 his reward in 1870, at Des Moines. Before 
 coming here he had been agent of the Ameri- 
 can and Foreign Bible Society, for nearly 
 two years, in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. 
 In that ('a])acity he first visited Indianajiolis. 
 and found hcvc in the Baptist Church ^Irs. 
 Burkitt, wlio. as iMiss Ellick. had been in his 
 bible class in Boston. She took an active 
 interest in securing his location here, and so 
 did Nicholas ]\[cCarty. Si'., who got up a 
 subscri]>tion for the ]iurpose. and thereby se- 
 cured an ecpial conti'ibution from the Iloiiii' 
 I\Iission Society. 
 
 l\Ir. Cressy wrote of his service here: "July 
 3. 1846, I arrived in Indianapolis to take 
 pastoral charge of the church. They had a 
 little old cracked and dilapidated meeting- 
 house, about as large as a Yankee school- 
 house, which it was dangerous to occupy in a 
 storm : also a bell hung on a frame in back of 
 the nieetinsi' house. As there was a divided 
 church to be i-eunited, a ineeting-house to be 
 built, and a reputation to be earned fen- the 
 church, I bad previously told the brethren 
 that I eonid not undertake so desperate a 
 case unless they would settle me foi' five 
 years and the Home ^fission Society conunis- 
 sion me for Ihe same length of time. This 
 was done, and T I'cmained the five yeai's and 
 one more. While at Indianajiolis. I baptized 
 
 seventy into the fellowship of the church, ami 
 received a large number by letter; also the 
 church M'as enabled to build on the site of 
 their old structure a brick house of worship, 
 seating some four hundred, with basement 
 rooms for prayer meeting and other pur- 
 poses."' At this time there was little inter- 
 est in mission work in Indiana among the 
 Baptists, and in 1845 the State Convention 
 had raised only $150 for Home Mission work. 
 Says Cressey: "With such a field before me, 
 both in Indianapolis and throughout the state 
 at large, every religious enterprise moving 
 tardily, I determined, by the help of Cod, to 
 make some things move. And some things 
 did move. Within three years the Conven- 
 tion raised over $3,500 for state missions, 
 and had over thirty missionaries in the field; 
 I, meantime, writing many articles for the 
 local, state and national press, and dealing 
 my best blows in favor of missions, Sunday- 
 schools, ministerial education, and ministerial 
 support. Meantime I endeavored not to neg- 
 lect my pulpit and pa.storal work. "^ By 
 1852, the church at Indianapolis had ad- 
 vanced so far that it lost interest to Cressey, 
 and on ilay 2, he preached his farewell ser- 
 mon, and two days latei' started to St. Paul, 
 to take chai-ge of an invalid congregation 
 there. 
 
 Great as the progress was that had l)eeM 
 made, his successor Sidney ]\r. Dyer did not 
 feel that the position was a "flowery bed of 
 ease". This was largely due. no doubt, to a 
 pathetic misfortune which befell him at the 
 start. He preached his introductory sermon 
 here on October 18, 1853. and on ilonday re- 
 turned to Louisville, whence he came, to set- 
 tle his affairs there and forward his goods. 
 On Tuesday afternoon he received a disjiatch 
 to retui'n, as his wife was dangerously ill. 
 On Wednesday he arrived and found her 
 dead, of cholera. He was left with three 
 young children, the youngest but a few 
 months old. and the oldest in feeble health. 
 His first inclination was to seek some other 
 field, but he overcame it, and labored on for 
 over Four years. But it is easy to understand 
 how he wrote forty years later: "In trying 
 to jjet a clear coneejition of the work before 
 
 'Seventy-Fifth Anniversary. First Baptist 
 Church, p]i. 84-5.
 
 II1ST(»|;V (IF CliHATER INDIAN Al'ol. IS. 
 
 :)69 
 
 me I found matters in a vory unsatisfactory 
 condition. Tlic ufw house was occupied, but 
 with some heavy hills to meet, witli surround- 
 ings, unsightly and appalling. The stumps 
 from the foundation were piled against the 
 building, and were the refuge of a number 
 of vagrant swine. The memliership was re- 
 ported as above a hundred, but a cai-eful can- 
 vas of the- roll fcjund only seventy odd in 
 active connection witli the church, being 
 about equally divided between the Xortli and 
 the South; many of them holding the ex- 
 treme views of the sections from which they 
 came. This was the occasion of constant 
 heated faction, and led to two or thi'ce ef- 
 forts for a division, only [)revented by the 
 firm yet i)ru<leiit action of the jiastor and 
 more thouizhtfiil brethren. The salarv was 
 $600 from the church and -fiOO from the 
 Baptist Home ^lissionary Society, to be paid 
 quarterly; but at no time did the pastor re- 
 ceive more than $25 (i. e., in ca.sh) during 
 an.v (juarter. the pa.v being orders on stores 
 or pi-oduce. and his wood mostly of refuse 
 from a factory. Disheartened and sad. I cer- 
 tainly should have I'csigned. but the Lord was 
 blessing my work, and nearly every month 
 from one to six were baptized. This state of 
 things continued, more or less marked, for the 
 near five years of my pastorate. That j)rog- 
 rcss was made is shown fi-om the fact that 
 in tliis time the actual menibershi]) had 
 doubled, ovei' sixty by bapfisni, and the 
 church was able to pay iri.v successor $1,500 
 a year — each (|u:irter's rate deposited in bank 
 to be drawn at the pastor's option. ]My hard- 
 e.st and most trying experiences of life were 
 met during my niinistrv in Indianapolis: but 
 now, as I look back, some of the recolhictions 
 are i-edolent and precious."' 
 
 Sidney Dyer was one of the besi known 
 Baptists ever called 1o Indianapolis. Born 
 at Canibridge, N. Y., in 181-t, he was largely 
 self-taught. He entered the arm.v as a druni- 
 mei' boy, and served for ten years, the Blacl<- 
 hawk War falling among his experiences. He 
 began stud.x-intr theolotry in 18-30. and was 
 ordaini>d in 1842. He fiist went as a mission- 
 ary to the riioetaws. but was soon called to 
 Tiouis'.'ille as seci-elary of the Indian Mission 
 Board, whence he was called to Indianapolis. 
 He fillcfl a lar<;e si)aee hei-e. It was a time 
 when sei'ious poetry was appn'ciated. and in 
 
 his grief he found a solace in song. His 
 contributions to the local press were very 
 frequent, especially to the Journal. :Nrany of 
 them were songs; and one, "The Grave of 
 Lily Dale", which was set to nuisie by W. AV. 
 Currie, a local nuisic teacher, became one of 
 the most popular songs of the day. He wrote 
 while here seveial hynnis and songs for spe- 
 cial services in his chui-ch and Sunday school. 
 In 1851 he had published the "Southwestern 
 Psalmist", at Louisville, for the use of Bap- 
 tist churches, wiiich contains 16 of his hynnis ; 
 and in 1850 a small volume of poems, entitled 
 "Voices of Xature". He resigned liis charge 
 here in 1857, and in 1850 was made secre- 
 tary of the American Baptist Publication So- 
 ciety, which position he held for a inntiber 
 of years, and was then made critic of tlie 
 society. His work was at Philadelidiia. but 
 he resided fir.st at "Woodbury. X. J. ; then for 
 6 or 7 years in Florida : then in Germantown, 
 where he died Decendier 22, 1898. After 
 leaving here he published numerous volumes, 
 pro.se, poetrv, and musical compositions— a 
 cantata of "Ruth" being tin- best known of 
 the last. His daughter Matlii'Mrs. J. H. 
 Britts. of Ladoga. Ind. — is widely known as 
 an author of juvenile books, and a writer for 
 periodicals and newspapers. She was edu- 
 cated at the Baptist Seminary in Indian- 
 apolis. 
 
 After some correspondence, in whieh lie 
 stipulated for ;i larger church building ".so 
 soon as directed b.v the Pi-ovideiice of (iod", 
 Bev. James J. Siinnioiis. of Providence, R. 
 I., accepted the pastorate, and entered on his 
 duties in Xovember, 1857. After consider- 
 ing several sites, the congregation decided on 
 the northeast corner of Pennsylvania and 
 Xew York streets, and it was purchased in 
 June. 1858. for $6,750. The payment of this, 
 and the erection of the niission at South and 
 Xoble streets were heavy burdens; and an- 
 other was ad<led. .\boiil 5 o'clock on the 
 morning of January 27. 1861. the old church 
 at ^Feridian and Maryland streets was dia- 
 covei'cd to be on fire, and in a short time was 
 in a.shes. Mr. SiimiKPiis. who bad taken a 
 I'adical stand on slavery, wrote, in 18!t7: 
 "Oiw meeting-house was burned because tlu' 
 doctrine of cmanci|jation was preached with- 
 in its walls." The ti'ilslees at once rented 
 Masonic Hall for public meetini:s and Sun-
 
 570 
 
 1ST(»I;V Ol" (iltKATKIl IXDIAXAI'OMS. 
 
 (lay school purposes; and i)rayei- and cove- 
 nant meetings were held at private rcsidcnees 
 and the seminary. In Oetolier. lS(il. ^Ir. 
 Sinnnous felt called to another field, and his 
 resignation was accepted with expressions of 
 rcErret, and eonnriendation to his new charge. 
 
 About this time IJev. lleni'v Day came to 
 the city to rest and recruit his health. He 
 was called to the pastorate and accepted, 
 preaching his first sermon on January 5. 
 1862. He remained for fifteen years, longest 
 in service and most loved of the Baptist pas- 
 tors here. He was devoted in his pa.storal 
 labors, and was brought in closer sympathy 
 with the peojile through his wife— =-Suzanna 
 ^IcCarty, a daughter of Nicholas ilct'arty— 
 who had been an active worker in the elmrcli 
 and Sunday school almost from childhood, 
 and who wa.s married to Dr. Day, December 
 7, 1857. His first laboi-s were largely for 
 the ei-eetion of the church — to wliicli hi' cun- 
 tributed genei-ously from his salary — but this 
 was imi)eded liy the calls for special service 
 brought l)v the war. and it was not until ^[ay 
 4, 1864, that it was dedicated. The cost for 
 lot. building and furnishing was about $'^5,- 
 000. When the church's own affairs were 
 cared for its energies were reddubled in mis- 
 sion work both at home and abroad. The 
 church was builded up under Dr. Day. and in 
 the words of Dr. ^Nfaitin: ""When he re- 
 signed the pastorate on December S, 1875, the 
 church was prosperons, nnited and happy". 
 Dr. Day resided in Iiidiana])olis iintil his 
 death, mi August 1. 18i)7. and freqnenth 
 j)reached and performed ])astoral work in 
 vacancies of the pastorate. He was a man of 
 fine education, and befoi-e coming here had. 
 in addition to pastorates at Providence, Phila- 
 delphia and Ashland, Mass., held the profes- 
 sorships of ]\Iathematics and later Physica' 
 Sciences at (Jeorgetown, Ky.. and of Natural 
 Philosophy. Asti'onomy and Civil Engineei-- 
 ing at Brown rniversity. 
 
 After considerable search, the congregation 
 extended a call to Rev. Wai-ivn Randolph. 
 D.D., wild accept(>d, and began his .service 
 on January- 1, 1877. He was a man of na- 
 tional prominence. A native of New Jersey, 
 he ui'aduated at Brown T'liivei-sity in 1851 ; 
 and had filled pulpits nt I'awtucket. Provi- 
 dence, (rermantown, Boston ajid Phihidi]|)hia. 
 Pie was secretarv of the Iiiternatidiial Sim- 
 
 ilay School Lesson Committee from its start 
 ill 1872; and was secretary of the American 
 Baptist Publication Society from 1871 
 to 1877, resigning it to come here. < >ii 
 account of his connection with it. tin- 
 International Lesson Connnittee met here 
 in ]\Iarch. 1877, and on ^larch 28 a 
 public meeting was held, with addresses 
 liy Dr. John H. Vincent. H. F. Jacobs, 
 and Dr. John Hall. Dr. Randolph wji.s 
 especially energetic in Sunday school 
 work, and in organiziuii' church work of all 
 kinds. On January 3. 1879, he tendered his 
 lesignation, to take effect on April 1. He 
 went from here to New|)()it. \\'here he served 
 lill his death, in 1899. 
 
 (^u June 5, 1879. the church extended a 
 call to Rev. Henry C. liable, who had just 
 closed a successful pastorate at Brookline. 
 ^[ass. He accepted, and began his work in 
 September. He was an energetic pastor, and 
 a notable effect was the organization of the 
 Yoke-Fellows Society by the young men of 
 the church in 'Slay. 1880. It reached a mem- 
 bership of over 100, and was active not only 
 locally but also in oi-ganizing societies 
 thi-oughout the state. A state convention was 
 held at Lafayette in 1882. The organization 
 was kejit up for about five years, and then 
 dropped out of active existence. In June. 
 1882, 'Slv. ?ilabie received the degree ef Do-- 
 tor of Divinity from the T'niversity of Chi- 
 cago. Sir. Mabie had at the time gone to 
 Kiirope for his health, which was much im- 
 proved; Init he did nvt wholly recc vei-, and 
 on May 8. 1884, resigned on account of fail- 
 ing health. Afterward he was with the IMis- 
 ''iionary ITnicn for a uuniber of years; and 
 he is now a lecturei- to Bajjtist seminaries on 
 Foreigii Missions. 
 
 The church was without a remilar nastor 
 for the rest of the year, but at the beuinnine- 
 of 1885 Dr. Reuben Jefitery accepted a call 
 He is generally conceded to have been the 
 ablest, intellectually, of the Baptist pastors 
 here. Born in Lancastei-. England, February 
 15. 1827, he came to this country at the age 
 of 10. and at 20 began his clerical work at 
 Nantucket. He had filled impm-tant (lulpits 
 at Brooklyn. Albany and Denver, his iiios! 
 notable work beins at ?ilarcy Avenue Church, 
 lirroklyn. which he built un from a strug- 
 gliuEr eongi-egation < f 40 to l.OOO members.
 
 llisr(»i;v OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 571 
 
 I'lulcr his si'i'vice tlu't'c wrn' notable revivals 
 in the sprinj^s oi' 1885 and ISSfi; ami the 
 rliiirch was usually filled wlirii he preached. 
 He teudered his resiunation Se|)1enii)eV 1:5, 
 1888. hut at the re(|uest of the ehureh eou- 
 tinued his service to the end of the yeai-. lie 
 enji-aged in no active work after leavinij here, 
 but lived with his son at Brooklyn, wliei-e he 
 died on December 1-1. 1889. 
 
 After four rncniths' vacancy, the piili>it was 
 filled by AV. V. Taylor, who was called from 
 East ()rani;e. N. .1. In addition to excellent 
 jiastoi'al work, Mi'. Taylor secui'cd an e.xten- 
 
 went fi'om here to I'edtlie ^Memorial Church. 
 Newark, when he left here in 1906. Follow- 
 ing- 'Sly. Villei-s came Frederick E. Tayloi'. 
 wlio is still in charge. He is a j^'radnate of 
 Coluate Seminary, ordained in 1888. He 
 served as assistant pastoi- at Peddie ]\Iemorial 
 and the Second I}ai)tist Church of St. Louis, 
 and was jjastor of Central Church, Brooklvn. 
 from 1899 to 190:?. He was with Dr. Chap- 
 man in evangel i.stic woi-k from 190:! to 19(l(). 
 All of these later pastors have? been com- 
 l)atatively youn<;' and eneriictic men, and un- 
 dci- them ihe prosperity of the church has 
 
 FIRST B.APTIST CHURCH. 
 
 sive remodeling of the church, addinii hand- 
 .some stone porticos at the front and si<le, 
 now seatinLT and new windows, all at a cost 
 of over $22,000. He .served until the middle 
 of ITay, 1894, when he i'esit;ncd, and the pul- 
 ])it was vacant until the close of the yeai-. 
 l)r. I). -J. Ellison, who had been called fi'om 
 .leise>- City then beyan his service of three 
 .years, which was a period of prosperity and 
 blessinjr to the church. He was followed in 
 1898 by Thomas .Teliferson Villers. who served 
 for ei»ht yeai's. He is a Viruinian. born ]\lay 
 23. 18(il. and ordained in 1888. He bad suc- 
 cessful pastorates at (iloucester. IMass.. and 
 Syracuse, N. Y., before comintr here: and 
 
 been contiiuious. ( )n -lanuary :!. 11104. the 
 church at Peini.sylvaiiia and XCw 'I'ork streets 
 was desti'oyed by fire. su|)])osed to result from 
 a defective furnace. The coni;'re<iation de- 
 ciiled to rebuild elseuhere, and secured the 
 present site at .Meridian and X'ei'mont streets. 
 The handsome stone edifice llierc is a model 
 of convenience in modern church archilec- 
 ture. The corner-stone was laid on Tlianks- 
 "'i\ iny day, 190.'5. and the church di'dieated in 
 Xovember. 190(;. The cost was $7.").00(l foi- 
 the lot and .$150,000 for the buildinii'. The 
 membership of the church is now 1.120, and 
 the Sunday school enrollment 1.200. And 
 scattered over the (;itv ;ire other cbni'ches. its
 
 HISTOEY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 
 mission children, some of them in almost as 
 flourishing condition as the mother church 
 itself. 
 
 In the year 18.56. there was some considera- 
 tion of organiziiio- a second Baptist society in 
 Indianajiolis, hut after the resignation of ilr. 
 Dyer in 1857 the proji'ct was abandoned. The 
 chui'ch, however, pledged its support and 
 cooperation to a mission Sunday school which 
 had been conducted for over a year, opposite 
 Little's Hotel, on East Washiugton street, 
 by brethren Joseph Sutton, Louis IMoss and 
 A. G. AYallace. In September. 1859, an offer 
 was made of a Icit 80x126 feet at the corner 
 of South and Noble streets, for church and 
 Sunday school purposes, by Messrs. Calvin 
 Fletcher, Stone. Witt, Hoyt and Taylor. 
 This was accepted, and though the parent 
 church was then in the struggle of building -i 
 new house for itself, a little chapel was 
 erected there, and the East "Washington street 
 school was removed to it. This was continued 
 as a mission until August 31, 1869, when a 
 church was oraanized with a membership of 
 76 ; and received the property as a gift from 
 the parent church. This, the South Street 
 Baptist Church, worshipped in the chapel un- 
 til 1882, when, having attained a member- 
 ship of over ;^00. the corner-stone of a new 
 edifice was laid. The new church was dedi- 
 cated and occupied in 1883. The pastors 
 in charge have been, William Elgin. 1869-71 : 
 H. Smith, 1871-3: G. W. Rilev. 1873-4; J. S. 
 Gillespie, 187-t-7: I. N. Clark." 1878-85: C. H. 
 l\rcDowell. 1885-S: A. B. Whitnev, 1889-94: 
 C. E. AV. Dobbs. 189.5^7 : F. G. Parrish, 1898- 
 9; J. A. Kuowlton. 1899-1904; L. D. Bass. 
 1904-7; Cromwell P. Kirby, 1907 to date. 
 The chvirch has at present a membership of 
 380, and 262 enrolled in its Sunday school. 
 
 The second swarm fi'om the hive went to 
 the North, where an inviting field was pre- 
 sented. It began hy a nunibei' of Baptists 
 i-enting a hall over a grocery at the south- 
 east corner of Broadway and Cherry, on 
 January 1. 1870. On March 22 the North 
 Baptist Mission Sunday school was organized ; 
 and officers elected ; and on ]\rarch 27 its first 
 school was held, with 13 teachers and 29 
 scholars, in addition to the 6 officers. Within 
 two weeks the hit at the northeast corner of 
 Cherry and Bro;idway was bought for $1,000. 
 and a conti-act made for a building 32x45 
 
 feet. It was completed at a cost of $2,600, 
 and occupied by the school on July 3. On 
 September 19, 1871, the North Baptist Church 
 was organized, 32 of the membere coming 
 from the First Baptist, and on October 16 
 the church building was dedicated. It was 
 occupied for 20 years, and then the society 
 decided to move still farther north. A lot 
 was purchased at Fifteenth and College ave- 
 nue: the corner stone was laid in 1892; and 
 the church dedicated in November, 1893. The 
 name was then changed to College Avenue 
 Baptist Church. The new building was par- 
 tially destroyed by fire in February, 1906; 
 but was speedily rebuilt and rededicated in 
 September of the same vear. The pastors 
 have been E. K. Chandler, 1871-3; J. B. 
 Shoff. 1873-5; I. N. Carman, 1875-8; G. H. 
 Eliiin, 1879-82: D. D. Reed,, 1882-3; R. E. 
 Xeiuhbnr, 1884-9; J. F. Williams, 1890-5; C. 
 
 A. Hare, 1895-8; W. C. Taylor, 1899-1903; 
 H. N. Queisenberry. 1903-7; W. G. Eversou, 
 1908 to date. 
 
 Prior to this northward movement, in 1864. 
 another mission school had been .started in the 
 old Apollo Garden at Kentucky avenue and 
 Tennessee street. The home of beer and the- 
 atricals was transformed by ]Mi-. and ^Mrs. 
 Uriah (iregory, Air. and Airs. Alilton Huey. 
 Aliss .\inui Jones into a place for instriiction 
 and worship, and others quickly rallied to 
 their aid. Afr. Henry Knippenberg being made 
 the superintendent of the school. It re- 
 mained a mission of the First Baptist until 
 1872, when the Ciarden Baptist Church was 
 organized. The mission Sunday school, in the 
 meantime had removed, first to the corner of 
 AVashington and Alissouri streets, and then 
 to Bright street above New York, where the 
 church still preserves its name. The pastors 
 in charge have been, successively, Samuel 
 Cornelius, Philander Shedd, Cvrus B. Allen. 
 
 B. F. Patt, John Sheppard, A. B. Charpie. 
 G. AY. Tcrrv, Ohas. L. Berrv. John L. Bevl, 
 Halle P. Fudge, E. AL Ryan, Jos. E. Sherrill, 
 and AA'^m. H. Harris. Twenty-three member.s 
 of the First Baptist Church were dismissed 
 to join this church at its organization. 
 
 The Fii-st German Ba]itist Church, coruei' 
 of Singleton and Iowa streets, developed front 
 a mission started by the First Baptist Church 
 in 1872 at North and Davidson streets. In 
 1883 th(> cliui-ch was organized, and in 1901
 
 HISTOTIV OF GHKATi:!! JM )1 AXArOLTS. 
 
 573 
 
 it sold tlu' (j1(1 inTiiiertv. In i;)02 the present 
 ehurcli was liuill aud dedicated. The pastors 
 in charge have been G. Koopmaun, 1873-6 ; E. 
 Tsehirch, 1877-80; A. Boelter, 1881-3; F. A. 
 Lieht, 1883-7; A. JI. Petersen, 1887-91; A. 
 Heinz. 1892-6; A. Freitasr, 1896-1900; E. 
 Schueller. 1900-1: R. M. von .Millei', 1901-5; 
 H. Sellhorn. 1906 to date. It had in 1909 a 
 iiieiiibersliip of 62, with 110 in the Sunday 
 school. On :May 1, 1888, the First Baptist 
 Church organized a mission school on Twenty- 
 second (now Thirtieth) street, and it grew so 
 rapidly that on July 11, 1889, eleven mem- 
 hcrs of the First Baptist were dismissed to 
 join in organizing Fniversity Place Church, 
 which is now located at Meridian and Thirty- 
 third streets. 
 
 In September, 1888, a few Baptists living 
 on the East side determined to start a Sun- 
 day school, and on September 16 it was be- 
 gun in a part of the large house south of the 
 arsenal grounds which had been built and 
 occupieil by Herman Sturm. This school 
 prospered sreatly. and on ^larch 3, 1902, was 
 made a station of the First Baptist Church. 
 On March 15, 1904. an independent church 
 was organized under the name of "Woodruff 
 Place Baptist Church, which is now located 
 at ^Michigan and Walcott streets. In the 
 preliminary period C. A. McDowell, A. B. 
 Charpie. and A. D. Beriy served as pastors. 
 After oraranization the pastors wei-e A. D. 
 Bei-ry. 1894-1904: Fredei'ick Donovan, 1904-5; 
 Fred Glendower Kenney, 1905-9. The church 
 was badly daraased by fire in June, 1909, but 
 was at once rebuilt and enlarged. The society 
 is in flourishing condition with 348 membci's 
 and 323 in the Sunday .school. When or- 
 ganized in 1894. there were 120 members of 
 the ?"'irst Baptist dismissed to join it. 
 
 West of White River, the first mission of 
 the First Baptist Church was in 1878, in West 
 Indianapolis. The ground was donated by 
 Julius F. Pratt, and a sum of money by 
 Nicholas ^FcCarty. This developed into the 
 River Avenue Baptist Clnu'ch. The Tlaugh- 
 ville mission was established in 1890, with 
 J. G. Holmes as superinlmdent. It devel- 
 oped into the Germania Avenue Church. In 
 October, 1892, twenty scholars and teachers 
 organized in Greenleaf hall. North Indian- 
 apolis, with Henry Fitch as superintendent. 
 In June, 1901, the corner stone of a clnu'ch 
 
 Iniilding was laid, and it was completed in 
 .\ovember. In June, 1907, the Thirty-first 
 Street Baptist Church was organized on this 
 Foundation. Its pastors have been H. A. Bel- 
 Ion. 1897-8; Chas. West, 1898-9; R. E. Neigh- 
 bor, 1S99-1903; S. A. Sherman, 1903-6; R. D. 
 Licl<lidci- 1906 to date. This is a |)rosperous 
 church, M-ith 22.") meiiibers, and 140 in the 
 Sunday school. 
 
 Emmanuel Baptist Church is a swarm from 
 South Street Baptist Church, in March, 1899, 
 rhi' new church organizing on April 9, 1899. 
 The society bought a double store building at 
 Woodlawn avenue aud Laurel street, and re- 
 iiiodel"d it for its piuposes. The pastors 
 have ])een C. H. :\rcDowell : P. H. ^McDowell, 
 and, since February 1, 1900, John R. Henry. 
 This is known as a live church. It not only 
 has 225 members, and 175 in its Sunday 
 school, but it has organized five missions. 
 One of these is on Bluff avenue, half a mile 
 beyond the city limits; and one at Whiteland. 
 Ind. Another is at Beech Grove, an Indian- 
 aj)olis suburb, the building there being dedi- 
 cated on October 18, 1908. Churchman Ave- 
 nue Baptist Church is a mission from Em- 
 manuel in 1904. Its pastors have been 
 Charles W. Swift and I. W. Stark. It has 
 70 members, aud 80 in the Sunday school. 
 The latest is the Southern avenue Sunday 
 school, which is located east of Shelby street. 
 It was first held in the school house on Shelby 
 street, but on June 13. 1909, it moved into 
 its new building, from which the plasterers' 
 scaffolds had not yet been taken, and opened 
 business with 126 present. 
 
 Tuxedo Parle Bai)tist Chnirh. on Garfield 
 avenue, north of Washington street, grew out 
 of a union Sunday school which was organ- 
 ized and ccmducted in(le|)endcntly for several 
 years, but on Di'cembcr 14, 1S99, ai)i)lied to 
 be recognized as a mission of Woodruff" Place 
 l-Japtist Church. This was granted, ami the 
 relation continued till it was organized as an 
 independent chui'ch on Jiuie 15, 1902. It is 
 prosperous, having 155 meiiibers. and a total 
 Sunday school enrolluuMit of 'M-i. The pas- 
 tors have been L. 0. Stierin-;-. 1902-7: Allen 
 O. Hess, 1908—3 monllis: V. O. Clutton, 
 1908 to date. 
 
 The pioneer church of the cohu-ed Baptists 
 in Indianapolis is known as the Second Bap- 
 tist Church, located on ^Michigan street, be-
 
 574 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 twei'U ludiaiia avenue uikI West street. .Must 
 "f its early history was uathered up \>y l»ev. 
 .Mose.s Broyles, its most noted pastor, and told 
 by him with L;reat frankness. The he>;iiinin!^ 
 of the chnreli was in 1846. when I'J(h'r 
 Charles Sliaehel eanie here from Cincinnati. 
 and uatheri'd tiie seattei'ed Baptists into a 
 church, wliich worshipped usually at th^ 
 lioii.se of Deacon John Brown. In 1848 Eldei- 
 Joshua Thurman was called from ^Madison 
 as pa.stor, and the next year a little chui'ch. 
 2()x:50 feet, was built on ^lissouri street, be- 
 tween New Yoi-k and Ohio. Troubles arose in 
 the church, pi'obably on account of the jias- 
 tor. Hroyles says that "he was an excellent 
 preacher, but that he did not act prudently 
 as a pastor". In the winter of 1851, the 
 chui'ch burned, uninsured, and the conofrega- 
 tion moved back to Deacon Brown's. In 
 1852 Elder Jesse Young- was called to the 
 pastorate for a year, and in 1853 Elder Jo- 
 sei>h J. Fitzuerald. The latter was a youni;' 
 ]ii'eacher from ^Fadison, who also taui;lit 
 school here. Some slanderous reports about 
 him appeared in the ^Madison pai)ers, which 
 were brought here and caused him to leave 
 the pastorate. He afterw-ards acted as a 
 missionary iji the West, and for five or six 
 years in Liberia, where he was said to be 
 very sncccssfid. lie was succeeded by Elder 
 (ieorao Butlei', fi'om Vincennes, for a year; 
 and then, in 185fi, Elder Pleasant Bowles was 
 called from Kalamazoo. He was a good- 
 lookinu' youiiii' man, with wiunino' ways, and 
 a good preachei'. But the men found that 
 not only "his conduct towards the female 
 ■^ex was unbecomini;- in a minister, lint that 
 he would not do to trust with the money". 
 Added to these weaknesses, Bowles joined the 
 ^lethodists and tiied to hreak up the ehnicli. 
 Then they rose in wrath and tired bim. 
 
 In 1857 ]\Ioses Broyles. who had been of tb' 
 conuresation, was oi'dained anil made pastor. 
 He was quite a notable cbiii-actei-. P>cirii a 
 slave, and sei)arated from his nai'cnts at the 
 aae of four, he had the goixl fcirliuic tn fall 
 into the hands of a kiiidh- mastei-, and an'nn<.i 
 wbite boys who Ir-e.-itcd bim well. Fi-nni tbciii 
 he learned to read, and by hard woi'k [lusbi'd 
 through the elementary bi-aneties; after' wbicb 
 he had nearly thi'ce years of seliooliug at Col- 
 lege Hill, ten mil(>s below ^Fadison. In the 
 spring of 1857 he cainc t<i Indianapelis to 
 
 teach school, and he contiiuieil to teach for 
 twelve years after he entered the ministry, 
 at a little house on ^Finerva street, between 
 -Michigan and North, which still stands. He 
 had to do so at first because the church could 
 only pay his board for his services, for three 
 >eai'S. But he worked ahead, and soon the 
 church began to grow. In 18(54, the church 
 had to be enlarged, and it was doubled in size. 
 In 1867 it was aaain outgrown, and the con- 
 gregation decided on the substantial buildini;- 
 wliieh it now occupies. It was built 63 feet 
 square, with basement and auditorium above, 
 the latter having galleries on three sides. The 
 cost of the building aiul lot was about .'ii'iS.OOO. 
 Here he preached till the time of his death. 
 August 31, 1882. And he labored nuieh out- 
 side. He was tlie chief factor in organizing 
 the State Association of Colored Baptists, 
 and was the life of their church in this city. 
 Since his day the pastors liave been J. ^I. 
 Harris, J. AV. Carr, Charles Johnson and 
 B. J. Prince, the present incundient. Tic 
 ehureli is in flourishing condition, with 400 
 nu^mbers, and 200 Sunday school pupils. 
 
 Early in 1867 came a development that was 
 a sore thorn in the fiesh to F^rother Broyles. 
 The Central Christian Chui-ch purchased a lot 
 at Second (Eleventh > and Lafayette streets, 
 on which was a soldiers" barracks— a relic of 
 Camj) Carrington — and started a colored mis- 
 sion church. Elder Daniel Orr. who had 
 come Fiere from Kentucky during the war. 
 ami. after some service as a soldier, had been 
 oi'diiined in 1866 as a Baptist minister, joined 
 till' Christian i Camjihellite'i Church and took 
 I'harge of this mission -. and some white breth- 
 ren assisted in the Sunday s-hool. F^i-oyles 
 says they tried to pro,selyte the Baptists of 
 the vicinity, but "I took great jiains in ex- 
 plaining the difference between the doctrines 
 held forth by that church and that of the JFis- 
 sionary Baptist Church. There were oidy 
 thi'ee mendiers of this church that joined 
 that one. Two of them returned and thaid<ed 
 the FiOi'd that they had once more irturned 
 home". The mission did not succeed, and in 
 1873 it was sold to !\Fount Zion Baptist 
 Church, whicli was oi'ganized in tlie previous 
 year. It occunied the church nearly fert>- 
 years, remodeling it twice. In 1!)08 the con- 
 gi'CLration beuan work on a new bi'iek chui'ch. 
 which will ciist almut ^Id.llOO wh.'U com-
 
 HISTOID OF ui; HATER INDIANA I '( tl 
 
 plctcil. 'I'hc pMsttirs i)f .Mount Zioii Churcli 
 iiavt.' lieeu Win. Siiijili'toii. 1). Slauulitcr, II. 
 Bloodwoith. Jaiiics Moi'ton, B. F. FonvU, ami 
 (i. Will. Ward, wlio is now SLTvini;-. Tlii' 
 clniirli lias ;-!.")(l iiiciiilicrs. and ITti Sunday 
 scliool seliolars. 
 
 Early in 1874. Elder Jacob K. Kaynor be- 
 •jan hoidint; prayer nieetiugs and preaching 
 in the northeastern part of the city near 
 the old sewing-niachine factory. As a result 
 nf his work New Hethel Bajitist Church was 
 iiruranized on July -1-. 1874. Mr. Rayiior was 
 i-allcd a.s pastor, and a church was erected 
 the next year, and dedicated in November, 
 ls7r). Raynor served for ten years, and has 
 iieen followed li.\' J. Franklin and Nathaniel 
 .\. Seymour, tln' present incumbent. The 
 , church has a iiirinbci-ship of 422, and the Sun- 
 day schd'il an average attendance of 60. This 
 iliurch ])ut up a new building in 1901 at lolo 
 -Martintlale avenue, at a cost of $.").00(). and 
 has been much liami)ered by debt ever since. 
 Another of the oldei- churches is Olivet, which 
 was originally oruani/'.ed south of the city as 
 Lick Creek Church in September, 1867. Later 
 it sold its pi-opcrty and moved into the city, 
 locating on Hosbrook street, whei'c Elder An- 
 d<'rs(in Simmons preached in the seventies. It 
 MOW has a ciiurcb building at Leonard and 
 t'r.pspect streets, with Rev. KimbMll Warren 
 as pastor. 
 
 Barnes Chapel. !)-_'7 West Twenty-fifth 
 sti'cet. was or-ianized as a ciiuicii in 1887. 
 antl named in honor of A. A. Barnes, wlm 
 ilonatrd the lot. and contributed to the build 
 iii'j^. It was the oiitiirowth of a mis,sioM. Tln' 
 pastors have been C. T. Lewis, C. II. Taylor. 
 I). W. Ilestoii. C. Jones. '!'. T. Cariienter. P. 
 J. Siiiitb. 11. Diipce, J. C. Jones. C. C. Alex- 
 ander, and Tlios. I\. I'rinliss. now servinu'. 
 Tliere are 72 members. Trinity Baptist 
 Church, located at .\llier1 and Ilalbone streets, 
 was oruani/.ed .Noxmiber l(i. l'.l()2. and com- 
 ]ileted its (•liurcli biiildinii in Sei)temt)er. 1907. 
 It has o2 members, and 20 in the Sunday 
 scIkoI. B. F. Ferrill, C. C. Wilson and J. 
 Averet have officiateil as pastors, and A. 11. 
 ^larlowc i^ now in charge. There are about 
 a dozen small coiiLireu-ations of coloi'cd Bap- 
 tist-: of coni))aratively later oriraiiization. bii^ 
 tlieii- pastors ai'c not sntTiciently iiiteres* ■ I to 
 answer !-e(|ne«ts fer inroriiiMtioii. 
 
 The l''i'ee\\ill B.'iptists are a sepai'ate i r;.;an- 
 
 izatio'i, I'.avinu three churches in Indianapolis. 
 As the name indicates, they incline to Armin- 
 ianism, which means that they are "not quite 
 so predestinated as the others'". The First 
 Freewill Baptist Cliiireh. now located at Col- 
 ton anil ilinervji streets, was organized in 
 1882, and has had a rather strenuous exist- 
 ence. Its church building was completed and 
 dedicated in 1908. It has at pi-esent 97 mem- 
 bers and 35 in the Sunday school. Its pastor 
 is Rev. Ben.i. ^Iclnlosh. The other two Free- 
 will Baptist churches are St. Johns, at Briiiht- 
 wood, of which Rev. E. ^I. Turner is pastor, 
 and Freinenl. of wliicli Rev. A. Johnson is 
 pastor. 
 
 The Presbyterians were not long after the 
 !5a[)tists in their formal chnrch organization. 
 As has been mentioned in the cliapter entitled, 
 "The iloral Foundation", this was made on 
 July ."). 182:^, at Caleb Scnddei-'s cabinet shop, 
 and H meeting-house was completed and oc- 
 cupied in the same year. .\t that time Rev. 
 David Proctor was devoting three-fmirths of 
 his time to the Indianapolis l^ri'sliyterians. 
 and the remaining fourth to tiiose at Bloom- 
 ington. His year ended October 1. 182:1 and 
 be was not recalled. lie was regarded as toi' 
 i-old and formal for a frontier jireacher, and 
 was never settled as a past(H- after leaviii'.;' 
 iiere. thouuli he preached (|nite often. 1 b- 
 mairid a woman of consider:ible wealth, and 
 settled at Frankfort, Kentucky, wberc be died 
 on January 18, ISfi'i. 
 
 The First Presbyterian iiiceiiiiL; house was 
 on Pennsylvania street, on lironnd now occu- 
 pied liy the Talbott block. The subscription 
 for it was $1,200. but the cost was ^l.fiOO, and 
 the bnihlinu committee. Dr. Isaac Coe, James 
 Blake, and Daniel Vandes, arranged to coni- 
 iilete it by yiviii^ the carpenters orders on 
 Nicholas McCai-ty for goods, for their work. 
 and paying ^Ir. ^IcCarty when they i-euld 
 Most of the liiiiibi'r was rnrnisbrd by lliraii: 
 Bacon. It was a combination cliur"li and 
 school, and Mrs. Ketcluim de<cribes it tliii--: 
 "The first r'resb\-1erian Clinrch was on Penn- 
 sylvjinia street, about half way between !\Iar- 
 ket and l Uiin. It w.is so far back that tli- 
 rear enil. the school room, wiis on the ,-dlc\ 
 l-'niii tbe L'ates it was very pretty rising' 
 '.zronnd. •.n-assy to the I'roni doors. One 
 smallish wiiulow was biuli up o\ir the pulpit 
 wbicb was between tile two front di'ois. tbe
 
 576 
 
 HISTORY OF (;i;HA'1'KR ixdiaxapolis. 
 
 gable end toward tlie street. Two aisles ran 
 down from the doors. Two rows of seats in the 
 niiddli\ and one on the north and one on 
 the south side. The back part or school room 
 was shut oft' by a kind of water-gates. When 
 the ehureh was finished these were raised and 
 the aisles ran through little gates. Pews were 
 in the church, but here the seats were with- 
 out any backs. A row of desks all around the 
 west and north sides dignified it into a school 
 room. The ceiling of the church went to the 
 roof, but this was low, and the space above 
 was open to the clrarch, with seats, but so 
 daik no choir ever sat there. The whole was 
 an original specimen of architecture, espe- 
 cially the bell tower. Surely there never had 
 been so funny a little thing. The steps ran up 
 out of the school room, and it was the delight 
 of the boys to ring the bell, and the girls to 
 hear. The stove in this room was a long high 
 one with the door and hearth in one end. I 
 have seen, for punishment, two standing on 
 the top of this stove and one on the hearth." 
 
 After ^Ir. Proctor's departure, B. F. Mor- 
 ris, James Blake and Dr. Coe were appointed 
 a committee to procure a preacher. They 
 wrote to Rev. Samuel D. lloge. of Ohio, but 
 he had just accepted a professor.ship in the 
 college at Athens. They M-rote to Rev. Wm. 
 I\rartin, who liad aided in organizing the 
 church, but the letter miscarried, and. not 
 hearing frmn him, they wrote in IMarch, 1824, 
 to Rev. (ieiirge Bu.sh, a licentiate of the pres- 
 bytery of New York. He came out on July 9, 
 bearing a commission as missionary from the 
 General Assembly, and having ministered 
 until September 6, was unanimously called to 
 the pa.storate. On IMarch 5, 1825, the pres- 
 b\'tery— the church had been tran.sferred to 
 Salem Pi'esbytery— was called to Indianapo- 
 lis to ordain him. The ceremony was held in 
 the new court house. Rev. ^Tr. Crow preach- 
 ing the sermon. 'Sir. Dickey giving the charge 
 to the pastor-elect, and ^Ir. Reed to the peo- 
 ple. On IMarch 9, Mr. Bu.sh left for Phila- 
 delphia, to attend the (ieneral Assembly, and 
 when he returned on July 27 he brought 
 with him ^Frs. Bush, whom he had married 
 in 1823. She was a daughtei' of Hon. Lewis 
 Condit, of ]\rorristown. Xew Jer.sey, and was 
 much esteemed by the people of Indianapolis. 
 
 (ieorge Bush was one of the most accom- 
 plished scholars tliat ever located here, al- 
 
 though he was a young man. He had gradu- 
 ated with high honor at Dartmouth and 
 Pi-inceton Theological School, and served as 
 tutor for a year in Princeton College. He 
 had several oft'ers of professorships, but pre- 
 ferred ministerial work. His moral charac- 
 ter was beyond reproach, and he was a man 
 of progressive character generally. It is re- 
 corded that he bi'ought the tirst wood-saw 
 and the first pair of India rubber shoes to 
 Indianapolis, and these novelties were natur- 
 ally objects of general curiosity to the com- 
 munity. But he was clearly out of place in 
 the Presbyterian Church, and his ordination 
 as a Presbyterian clergyman can be under- 
 stood only on the supposition that his views 
 of church government changed materially 
 thereafter. His service was very acceptable 
 to the church until December, 1826. when he 
 stated in a sermon that "there was not a 
 shadow of authority in the sci-ipture for any 
 government beyond the bounds of a single 
 church, from whose decisions there was no 
 appeal but to the court of Heaven".- The 
 elders remonstrated with him, and tried to 
 secure at least a promise that he would re- 
 frain from preaching such doctrine, but he 
 i-egarded it as a conscientious duty. After 
 extensive correspondence and discussion, he 
 submitted his view's to the session, on March 
 3, 1828, in a counnunication. stating, in sub- 
 stance, " (1) That he believes there is but one 
 Catholic Church, and that all distinct organi- 
 zations, as E|)iscopal, Baptist, Presbyterian, 
 &c., are a sinful rending of Christ's one body. 
 (2) That Christ Jesus is not only spiritually 
 but also ecclesiastically the only head of His 
 church, to the exclusion of an.v visible head, 
 in any shape Avhatever, and that all appeals 
 from the presbytery of a single church re- 
 (|uiring an authnritative decision are to be 
 made directly and immediatel.v to Him. i'-U 
 That evei-y individual church, properly con- 
 stituted, is entirel.v competent to the final de- 
 cision of whatever cases of discipline ma.v 
 occur anions' them". This communication 
 was in ex)ilanation of another, a mouth 
 earlier, in which 'Sir. Bush stated to the ses- 
 sion "the terms on which he is willing to 
 continue to Iqiior with us". These terms were 
 in three pi'opositions : ''1'' ""That the male 
 
 -Miiini( 
 
 n.
 
 HLSTOHY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 or? 
 
 members of the clmrch be privileged to at- 
 tend the nicetingrs of tlie session, but without 
 the rifrht to vote or speak unless permitted." 
 (2) "That the session give their full consent 
 and hearty eoneurrence in what he conceives 
 his permission from a higher source to talk, 
 write, piiblish and preach, relative to the con- 
 stitution, laws, and order of church, what- 
 ever, whenever, wheresoever & in what waj' 
 soever he might deem proper." (3) "That 
 the session should guarantee him $300 for % 
 of his time for one year." 
 
 To these terms the session, which was then 
 composed of Elders Isaac Coe, Ebenezer 
 Shai-pe. Caleb Scudder, John G. Bro\vn and 
 John Johnson, declined to accede, and on 
 March 4 adopted resolutions, of which the 
 first three are as follows: "Resolved, (1) 
 That so far as we understand the views of 
 our pastor, the Rev. George Bush, relative to 
 church government, we cannot approve them 
 as a whole as being scriptural or expedient. 
 (2) That believing the Presbyterian form of 
 church govei-nment to be most conformable 
 in its institutions to the word of God of any 
 in existence, and best calculated in its effects 
 to promote the peace, purity and edification 
 of the Church of Christ, we cannot consent 
 to abandon, it for any other, much less for 
 one which we believe not warranted by scrip- 
 ture and untried in practice. (3) That how- 
 ever serious the consideration of dissolving 
 the endearing connection between jiastoi' and 
 people, we feel it to be a solemn duty to 
 God & his church not to use our influence 
 to continue the relations now subsisting be- 
 tween our pastor and this people, if it can be 
 done only on the terms he has proposed." 
 The other resolutions included a ileterniina- 
 tion to bring the matter befoi'c the church and 
 the presbytery "for advice and direction", 
 and a letter to the pastor stating his views as 
 they understood them, and refusing to accept 
 them. On ^NFarch 10 the church members held 
 a meeting in the school room to discuss the 
 matter. ]\Tr. Bush was present, and opened 
 the meeting with prayer. Aftei- considei-ilile 
 discussion Robert Gowdy. Alexandei' Fra/.ier 
 and Xoah Tjcvei-ton "expi-es.sed tlieii- unwill- 
 ingness to part with l\Tr. Bush. & were de- 
 sirous as they were not well acquainted with 
 the principles of church govt, that ^Iiv Bush 
 be invited to preach thei-eon. to which effect 
 Vol. 1—37 
 
 ^Ir. Gowdy made a motion". To this Eben- 
 ezer Bharpe and Doctor Coe objected, saying 
 they were "unwilling to countenance and sup- 
 port the preaching of error with no one to 
 contradict it. which they conceived to be run- 
 ning into temptation, but expre.s.sed their 
 willingness if desired to meet a public discus- 
 sion of the subject". "Without further action 
 the meeting adjoui'iied to ^larch 18. "to allow 
 time for further consideration". 
 
 On ]\rareh 18 the church members again 
 met in the school room, and there was an- 
 other reading of Mr. Bush's fomier letters, 
 and also of one of that date in which he said 
 he co!isidered himself "as standing in the 
 attitude of a candidate for permanent settle- 
 ment, the term of his previous engagement 
 having expii-ed and that the true question is 
 not whether the chui'ch shall forthwith cea.se 
 to be a Presbyterian society, but whether it 
 will agree to the three propositions he has 
 made to the session. That he had hardly any 
 hope we should asree to his terms and did not 
 think on the whole there was sufficient ground 
 for a break in the church and therefoi-e 
 wished to withdraw quietly a!ul that the 
 elders and brethren would confirm their love 
 to each other". It was explained verbally 
 that he did not intend "to decline continuing 
 as the pastor of this church", but "wished 
 his proposals to be taken up and acted upon 
 by the memb(>rs". There were then submit- 
 ted to vote five questions, prepared by the 
 session, as follows: (1) Are you willimr to 
 make the alterations proposed by Jlr. Bush 
 in the form of the government of this church? 
 (2) Are you willinsr Mr. Bush while he con- 
 tinues our pastor should preach on the s\ib- 
 ject of church goveriuuent those views which 
 in his cori-esponilence with the ses,sion he has 
 stated he holds and shall endeavor to prove? 
 (^) Will you and sihIi as may unite with 
 you guarantee to ^Fr. Bush three hundred 
 dollars for three-fourths of his time for the 
 present year? (4") Are you willing to con- 
 tinue Mr. Bush as your pastoi- if liy so doing 
 you must break off connection with the Pres- 
 byterian Church? (5") Do you approve of 
 the three first resolutions adopted by the ses- 
 sion on the 4tli instant and which have now 
 been read relative to the proposals of the Rev. 
 I^Ir. Bush and our referring them to the de- 
 cision of the pi'esbytei-y ?
 
 
 IIIS'I'OKV OF GKKATEl! I M )|.\ \ AIM H.IS. 
 
 On tlie first two questions KobiTt (iowtly 
 alone voted "aye"' and twenty-one voted 
 "no". Noah Leverton and Ensley T. Gowily 
 declined to vote on any of the questions. On 
 the last three questions there was no atifinna- 
 tive vote, Robert (iowdy voting- with the ma- 
 jority on the ;h'd and 5th and declining to 
 vote on the 4th. In addition to the vote, word 
 was received from Phanuel Orahain. ]\Iary 
 Carothers, Jlrs. Elizabeth .Morris and Daniel 
 Yandes that, "We do not w-ish to continue 
 the services of our pastor on the above named 
 terms (as specified), nor to withdi'aw from 
 the Presbyterian Church, nor to encourage 
 him or anyone to ])reacli against the Presby- 
 terian form of church government". These 
 members, for various T-easons. were unable to 
 attend. 
 
 This action would seem to dispose of the 
 case, but on March 20 the session decided to 
 call a meeting of "the congregation" for iho 
 next evening, and notice was duly j)ublished 
 in the Joiinial: "The members of the Pres- 
 byterian C'lnirch in Indianapolis rtniue.st a 
 meeting of the couuregatinn « « * ^^ 
 take into consideration certain pi'ojjositions of 
 the Rev. George Bush, relative to his contin- 
 iiance as pa.stor of the congregation". At the 
 same time a notice ap])eai*('d in the Journal 
 calling for a meeting of "the congregation" 
 on the 22nd to elect trustees, etc.. which ex- 
 pi-es.sly stated that "a general attendance of 
 pewholders and those w'ho conti-ibute to the 
 temporal support of the Gospel therein is re- 
 qnested". The audiences of ^Ir. Bush aver- 
 aged about twice the number of church mem- 
 bei-s, and this meeting was eaptui-ed by the 
 Bush adherents, who did as they liked. The 
 church minutes recite that it was "a meeting 
 composed of the members of the congrega- 
 tion and of persons of other denominations", 
 and that it "passed certain resolutions ap- 
 pi-obatory of Mr. Bush as a preacher, & of 
 his deportment as a man. evidently intended 
 to compel the church to continue him as pas- 
 tor. But not considering the doings of the 
 meeting as matter of record which should be 
 entered on the sessional book no copy of the 
 resolutions i)assed at the meeting is insei'ted 
 here". 
 
 On the 31st the .sr«ssion ajmointed Dr. Coe 
 a delegate to the Wabash rresbytery, wnth 
 ]>owei' to act. 'i'lii situation was submitted 
 
 to the i)iesijytery, which advised that the ses- 
 sion a.sk to liave the pastoral relation of Jlr. 
 Bush to the church dissolved, and on this re- 
 quest being submitted, appointed a meeting 
 at Indianapolis on June 20 to consider the 
 application. On June 22 the relation was 
 dissolved. Jlr. Bush then began preaching 
 at the court house to a congregation composed 
 of a few members of the chui-ch and other 
 .sympathizers, and apjieaied to the synod from 
 the decision of the presbytery. The synod 
 sustained the presbytery but made some com- 
 ments on "heated feelings" and the like, ap- 
 parently intended as oil f<ii' the troubled wa- 
 ters, and thereuiton both the session and Dr. 
 Bush appealed to the (ieneral Asembly, where, 
 "after considerable discussion and mature 
 deliberation, it was resolved that this busi- 
 ness be dismissed on account of informality, 
 and that the papers be returned to the re- 
 spective parties". And so this matter came 
 around to j.fr. Bush's point of view, that the 
 congregation was caimble of dis]>osing of its 
 own troubles, and would have to do .so. 
 
 ^Ir. Bush resolved to stay. There was a 
 great deal of sympathy for him, especially 
 outside of the church, and this was increased 
 by the death of his young wife on Xovendier 
 !•, liS27. leaving an infant child. She was 
 a most amiable and attractive woman, and 
 had won the heaits of all. IMrs. ilerrill 
 weaned her own baby ;ind took little Lewis 
 Bush to nurse. The fiuii'i-al was large and 
 impressive, the school chihli'cn joining in the 
 procession and marching two and two to the 
 old cemetery on Kentucky avenue. The ser- 
 mon w'as pi-eacbed by AVm. Ijowry, a young 
 licentiate who had come that spring to supply 
 the ])ul]iit in the (|uarter wiien ^Ir. Bush was 
 away, and who was drowned the next Febru- 
 ary while attempting to ferry Driftwood." 
 The prayer was made by Ebenezer Sharpe: 
 and both sermon and prayer were long re- 
 membered by the hearers. Mr. Bush's serv- 
 ices were held in the coui-f house, and were 
 well attended, especially wbile the legislature 
 was in session, but he found that synqiatby 
 was a \^vy unstable foundation for a chui'ch, 
 and in the spring of 1820 he went back to the 
 East. He there left the ministry and engaged 
 in literary ])ursuits. I'l-ectini;' a lasting;- monu- 
 
 ■Joiiniiil. Februai-v 2S. 1S28.
 
 HISTOKY OF GKEATHH IxVDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 579 
 
 ■■'^.. 
 
 REV, GKORGE P. BUSH. 
 
 LtR. ISAAC COE.
 
 580 
 
 HISTOEY OF GRKATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 meut to himself iu his Notes ou the Pentateuch 
 — a work so successful from the start that 
 the first volume had reached the sixth edition 
 before the series was completed. In 1831 he 
 was elected Professor of Hebrew and Oriental 
 Literature in the University of the City of 
 New York, and later Superintendent of the 
 Press of the American Bible Society. In 
 1845 he publicly avowed his support of the 
 :^ystem of Emanuel Swedenborg. This was 
 not prinuirily due to any study of Sweden- 
 borg but to his own developing views on the 
 nature of the spiritual bod.y, the interpre- 
 tation of prophecy, and other abstruse sub- 
 jects. After one of his addresses a lady 
 spoke to him of the similarity of his views to 
 those of Swedenborg, and on examination he 
 found this so true that he allied himself with 
 the "New Church". 
 
 The final separation was probably the best 
 thing that could have happened, both for Mr. 
 Rush and for the Indianapolis church, for it 
 would be an absurdity to expect to build up 
 a church of any denomination under a pastor 
 who persisted in preaching against the funda- 
 mental principles of the church. It is stated 
 in the life of Prof. Bush, published under 
 Swendenborgian auspices, that in the troubles 
 at Indianapolis "his congregation was sev- 
 ered in twain"."* This was not true of the 
 church membership, which was 50 at the 
 time the actual separation began in iFarch, 
 1828. The church had begun with 15 mem- 
 bers in 182.3, and 51 had joined since that 
 time, 39 of them diiring the three and one- 
 half years of Mr. Bush's ministry, from 
 October 1, 1824: and 16 had gone out by 
 death and dismission. In the year to April 
 1, 1829, there were 3fi accessions and 9 dis- 
 missions, etc., leaving the membership 77. 
 To April 1, 1830. the accessions were 44 and 
 the deaths and dismissions 22, making the 
 membership 99. This growth was principally 
 due to the efforts of Rev. John R. Moreland, 
 who was called to the pastorate in October, 
 1828. He was a genuine frontier product, 
 with several years' experience as a flatboat- 
 man, who did not learn to read till he was 
 eighteen, and entered the ministry compara- 
 tively late in life. Rev. James Green says: 
 "PTis preaching, naturally, was not charac- 
 
 *Neic Chnrcli Tracts, No. 10, p. iv. 
 
 tei-ized by polish of diction or the graces 
 of oratory, but did abound in a rugged and 
 pointed eloquence that was not destitute of 
 impressiveness and effect". Mrs. Keteham 
 says he was "a real i-evival preacher, who 
 meant good and was good. He wept with his 
 congregation". 
 
 Mr. Moreland died in the pastorate, Octo- 
 ber 13, 1832, and was followed by Rev. Wm. 
 A. HoUiday, who served as stated supply 
 from February, 1833 to 1835 ; Rev. James W. 
 McKennan, installed June 16, 1835, i-esigned 
 April, 1839 ; Rev. Samuel Fulton, stated sup- 
 ply, January to April, 1840; Rev. Phineas 
 Gurley, installed December 15, 1840, resigned 
 November 28, 1849; Rev. Charles S, Mills- 
 principal of a local female seminary— stated 
 supply, November, 1849, to September, 1850, 
 Rev. John A. McClung, installed December 
 31, 1851, resigned September 29, 1855; Rev. 
 Thos. M. Cunningham, installed May 7, 1857, 
 resigned l\Iay, I860: Rev. J. Ploward Nixon, 
 installed April 17, 1861, resigned April 14, 
 1869; Rev. J. F. Dripps, temporary supply, 
 May to October, 1868, during the pastor's 
 absence in Europe; Rev. Robert D. Harper, 
 D.D., installed October 19, 1869, resigned 
 February 23, 1871 ; Rev. Jeremiah P. E. Kum- 
 ler, installed October 1, 1871, resigned Sep- 
 tember 14, 1875; Rev. Myron W. Reed, in- 
 stalled October 4, 1877, resigned April 1. 
 1884; Rev. Matthias L. Haines, installed April 
 12, 1885, and still officiating. 
 
 Several of these pastors were of more than 
 local celebrity. Dr .Gurley was called from 
 here to the First Church of Dayton, Ohio; 
 and from there to F Street Church in Wa.sh- 
 ington City, later known as "Lincoln's 
 Church". In 1859 Dr. Gurley was made 
 chaplain of the Senate, and during Lincoln's 
 administration he was his honored friend. He 
 was pi-esi^nt at his death-bed, and preached 
 his funeral sennon. Dr. Gurley was always 
 popular as a preacher and as a man, and 
 during his pastorate the old church on Penn- 
 sylvania street became too small for the con- 
 gregation. A new location was found at the 
 northeast corner of the Circle and Market 
 sti-eets— where the American Central Life's 
 building now stands. The cornerstone was 
 'aid on October 7, 1841, and the new church 
 dedicated on May 6, 1843. The life of Dr, 
 McClung— like Dr. Gurley, he received his 
 
 I
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATICR TM)l.\XAi'()I.IS. 
 
 581 
 
 D.D. after Icaviiisj here — reads like a I'O- 
 niauce. Converted at sixteen, and entering 
 the ministry with the highest promise, he 
 found himself unable to answer some of the 
 infidel arguments of Gihljon and, in 1831, 
 a.sked leave of his presbytery to surrender his 
 license. He took to tlie law, and followed it 
 for fifteen years, attaining high standing in 
 it and in political life. In 1S:5"J, soon after 
 leaving the ministry, he wrote and published 
 the pioneer stories that were printed under 
 the title, "Sketches of Western Adventure", 
 which has been more widely read than any 
 othei' book of American frontier adventure, 
 and which is the basis of everything since 
 written covering the same i)eiMod. In 1848 
 his mind was turned again to tlie evidences of 
 Christianity by a sermon lie heard, and on 
 reading Sir David Dalrymple's reply to Gib- 
 bon, he found the oli.jeetions that had trou- 
 bled him veiy fully answered. Tie then made 
 a careful and exhaustive examination of the 
 whole ground of the cvidencrs, with the result 
 of convincing hiuiself, and I'cturning to the 
 faith and to the nunistry. 
 
 Soon afterward he was called here. AVhile 
 here he showed an especial interest in proph- 
 ecy that caused some of the conservative 
 afterwards to doulit his sanity, but he com- 
 manded the interest of all. In the winter of 
 ]8r)4-5 he di'livered a series of Sunday even- 
 ing lectures on the i)ro[)hecy of Daniel that 
 attracted general attention and crowded the 
 church. He left here on account of ill health, 
 first trying residence in the South, then in 
 Minnesota, then again in the South, but with 
 littli' imi)rovement. On August ii, 18r)rt, while 
 traveling for his health, he came to Tona- 
 wanda. on the Xiagai'a Hiver, nine nnles above 
 the falls. On the tJth he started to walk to 
 Niagara. On the next day his clothing was 
 found on the jiier at Sehlosser, six miles 
 above the f^dls. and thi-(>e days later his 
 bruisi'd body was found in the rivei' fai' below 
 the falls. He was an expert swimmer, and 
 fond of the i-ecreation, but unacquainted with 
 the dangei'ous chai-aeter of the stream. Tlis 
 death catised many surmises, and it was surely 
 a strange climax that a life which had been 
 so Inrtrely passed in mi<_dity mental and spir- 
 ituid maelstroms slmuld end liv this terrible 
 physical powei'. 
 
 Dr. Cunningham wms nciled as a preacher 
 
 at Chicago, Philadelphia and San Francisco. 
 During hi.s pastorate here plans were made 
 for a new church at the southwest corner of 
 New York and Pennsylvania streets, which 
 were carried out in the pastorate of ]\Ir. 
 Xixon, who followed him. The cornerstone 
 was laid on April 2l', 18ti6, and the church 
 was occui)ied on December 29, 1867, the cost 
 beino- $104,117.74. It was not dedicated until 
 after the debt was fully paid, on April 24, 
 1873. Myron W. lieed was one of the most 
 widely popular preachers Indianapolis ever 
 had. If he did not call siruiers to i-e])entance 
 lie at least called them to church. His record 
 as a soldier, his non-clerical ai)i)earance and 
 maimer, and his cordial good fellowship at- 
 tracted many, while his keen intellect, out- 
 spoken courage and pungent wit reconciled 
 all to his lack of conventionality. He went 
 from here to the First Congregational Church 
 of Denver, where he preached for eleven 
 years, and then took charge of an independent 
 congregation at the Broadway Tem|>le until 
 his death on January 30, 1899. A .series of 
 his sermons at the latter place was published 
 here in 1898, under the title "Temple Talks". 
 ^Ir. Reed was as popular in Denver as he 
 was here, and became more widely known 
 throiieh i)olitical prominence. Ijcaving here 
 a Republican, he was nominated for Con- 
 gress by the Democrats of the Denver dis- 
 trict in 1886, and, though the district was 
 normally from 6,000 to 10,000 Heiuiblican, 
 lost it liy only 803 votes. Later he affiliated 
 with the People's party, and declined the 
 nomination for Congress in 1892, which Lafc 
 Pence, another Indiana man, accepted, and 
 was triumphantly elected. 
 
 And .Matthias L. Haines— longest in serv- 
 ice, and destined to stay for life if his con- 
 gregation decide the matter— if he were work- 
 ing among the Miami Indians they have a 
 personal name that they would pi-ohably give 
 to him — Al-wa-non-dah. It is translated, 
 " Hverybody loves him". He is a native of 
 IndiaiKi. born at .\urora, in 18.^50. His ances- 
 toi's for three generations were physicians. 
 He graduated at Wabash in 1871, and at 
 Union Theological, of .\'(nv York, in 1874. 
 He was called to the Dutch Reformed Church 
 of Astoria, New York, and served there for 
 eleven years, being called to Indianapolis in 
 1885. In addition to liis church work he
 
 583 
 
 HlSTUliY UF ur.EATEE IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 has taken an active and useful interest in the 
 charitable, literary and civic att'airs of the 
 city. Under his pastorate came the last move 
 of the church. In 1900 the United States 
 goverjunent wanted to buy the church, with 
 other property on the block, to make room. for 
 its new federal building. A consideration of 
 the residence location of the congregation 
 showed that its geographical center was far 
 to the north. It was therefore decided to' 
 locate at Delaware and Sixteenth streets. The 
 old church property was sold to the govern- 
 ment for .$65,000, and the congregation moved 
 to a temporary frame structure on the east 
 side of Delaware street between Fourteenth 
 and Fifteenth while l)uilding at Delaware 
 and Sixteenth. The chapel of the present 
 stone building at that point was completed 
 and dedicated on June 7. 1903. Tlie main 
 Iniilding was occupied and dedicated October 
 4, 1903. Its cost, including the ground and 
 the furnishing of the church, was $114,000. 
 The church has at present 836 members and 
 740 on the Sunday school rolls. 
 
 Few jieople evei- raised more disturbance 
 in this world, unintentionally, than Rev. Sam- 
 uel Hojjkins. of Waterbury, Connecticut. He 
 made some unkind remarks about the doc- 
 trines of original sin and the atonement, as 
 to which of necessity no one can speak with 
 authority who has not fathomed the infinite : 
 and also put altruism on a pedestal by de- 
 claring +hat selfishness, of whatever nature, 
 was inherently and essentially sinful. These 
 doctrines spread, and in 1836 Dr. Albert 
 Barnes, who .s\^npathized with them, wa.s tried 
 for heresy by the General Assembly and ac- 
 quitted. In 1837 the General Assembly ruled 
 out the Geneva Synod, and several others ; 
 and also repealed the "Plan of Union" under 
 which the Presbyterians and Congregational- 
 ists had been working harmoniously on the 
 frontier for 3.5 years. In 1838 the commis- 
 sioners from the excluded synods a.sked ad- 
 mission and were refused, whereupon they 
 and theii' friends organized an assembly of 
 their own. There were 140 commissioner.s 
 who remained in the first assembly, and 136 
 who went to the new one. both parties claim- 
 ing to be the genuine assembly. The former 
 became known as "the old school", and the 
 latter as "the new school", and for 32 years 
 the church was thus divided. Presbvterians 
 
 all over the country began discovering that 
 they could not be saved under the .same roof, 
 and new cluirehes were started in all direc- 
 tions. 
 
 In Indianapolis there were fifteen members 
 of the First Presbyterian Cliurch who with- 
 drew, and, on November 19, 1838, organized 
 the Second Church. They were Bethuel F. 
 ^Morris. Daniel Yandes, Luke Munsell. Law- 
 rence M. Vance, Jlary J. Vance, Sidney Bates, 
 William Eckert. Alex H. Davidson. Robert 
 Mitchell. AVilliam S. Hubbard, J. F. Holt, 
 ;\f. R. Holt. John L. Ketcham, Jane Keteham. 
 and Catharine ^lerrill — a goodly company. 
 They made three calls for ministers, fortu- 
 nately for them all unsuccessful, and then 
 called young Henry Ward Beecher from Law- 
 rencehurg. He accepted, and began work on 
 July 31. 1839, by which time the member- 
 ship had increased to 32, without any pastor. 
 The new church held its services for a year in 
 the county seminary, on University Scpiare, 
 and then moved into the lecture room of its 
 new building at the northwest corner of Cir- 
 cle and ^larket streets. The church was fully 
 completed and occupied October 4, 1840. 
 
 It would be superfiuous to attempt a gen- 
 eral sketch of Henry Ward Beecher. He 
 came here in the flush of his youth, and with 
 much more liberal ideas than his distin- 
 guished father, who had been tried for heresy 
 tm account of his "moderate Calvinism" in 
 1835. The whole Beecher family were of the 
 New School : ;\[rs. Stowe nuide Sanniel Hop- 
 kins the central character in her novel. ""The 
 ]\Iini.ster's Wooing". Henry had all of his 
 father's warm antagonism to slavery and in- 
 temperance, and was utterly fearless in speech 
 and action. He whacked sinners as lustily as 
 he rebuki^d sin. His elo(|uence and wit won 
 liiiii faviu' with people who did not auree with 
 his ideas. Outside of his puljiit life he \\as 
 one of the people, not in any affectation but 
 because he was genuinely interested. He 
 talked agriculture with farmers, helped at 
 fires, and lab(uvd fni- im]irovements. He 
 chatted, .iokcd and romiied until he convinced 
 the ]iublic that a man could be a Presby- 
 terian )ireacher and still really enjoy him- 
 self. He would alai'iu the carpenters who 
 were working on his hoase by "skinning the 
 cat" on the exposed joists: and when ex- 
 hausted would lie down in the arass and
 
 TIISTOKV or (;i!K.\TKK 1 XHI W APOIJ^. 
 
 583 
 
 THE HOUSE BEECHER BUILT— "PAINTED WITH MY OWN HANDS" 
 (South Side of Ohio. Ijetwocii Alabama and New Jersey Streets.)
 
 581 
 
 HISTORY OF GKEATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 work on a sermon. "When he left, in 1847, 
 his departure was regretted by the general 
 public as well as liy his eongregation. There 
 were notable revivals during his ministry, es- 
 pecially in the spring- of 18-12, 1843 and 
 1845. and when he left, the membership of the 
 church had reached 275. 
 
 For six montlis after Beecher left, the 
 ehnreh was supplied by Rev. Shubert Granby 
 Specs, and then for sixteen months was va- 
 cant. In October, 1848, Clement E. Babb, 
 a yonng: licentiate of the Presbytery of Day- 
 ton, was installed. He was at the time a 
 student at Lane Seminary. Beecher 's was a 
 hard place to fill. Init Babb did very well. 
 It is recorded that. "In the spring of 1851. 
 because of the blessing of God upon the labors 
 of C. E. Babb. pastor of the Second Church 
 of Indianapolis, the church edifice became 
 too small for the congregation, and it became 
 a question with the church whether to en- 
 large their building or to colonize and form 
 another church '".■■ The latter course was 
 taken and the Fourth Chui-ch was formed. 
 Mr. Babb resigned, on account of failing 
 health, Januarj- 31, 1853, and the piilpit was 
 vacant for eleven months. On January 1, 
 1854. he was succeeded by Dr. Thornton A. 
 trills, who remained till February 9. 1857. 
 when he was released to take the position of 
 Secretary of the Committee on Ediication of 
 the General Assembly. On August 6, 1857, 
 Rev. George P. Tindall was called and re- 
 mained with the church till September 27. 
 1863. On January 17, 1864, Rev. Hanford 
 A. Edson. who had been preaching at Niagara 
 Falls, entered this jiulpit and remained until 
 ]\rarcli 10. 1873. Following him. Dr. John L. 
 "Withrow served from October 19. 1873. to 
 July 1. 1876: Rev. Wm. Alvin Bartlett from 
 October. 1876. to June. 1882: Rev. Arthur T. 
 Pierson from September, 1882, to May. 1883 : 
 Dr. James ^IcLeod from December. 1883. to 
 October. 1889: Rev. Joseph A. .Milburn from 
 June, 1890, to ^larch, 1901 : Rev. Owen Davies 
 Odell from April, 1902, to date. 
 
 The history of the church has been one of 
 quite steady progress. In 1864 it was decided 
 to remove from the old church on the Circle, 
 and work was bfo-nn at the noi-thwest corner 
 
 '^Moorr's Historji of IJir I'n ttjnjh rij <if Fii- 
 dia)ia)ioUs. p. 83. 
 
 of Vermont and Pennsylvania streets. The 
 cornerstone of the present handsome stone 
 church was laid on ilay 14, 1866. The chapel 
 was occupied December 22, 1867, and the com- 
 pleted building was dedicated January 9, 
 1870. The entire cost of the property was 
 ^105,000. The mission at Michigan and Black- 
 ford streets (Fifth Presbyterian) was begun 
 in 1864: that at Union and ]\IcCarty streets 
 (Sixth Presbyterian! in 1867; that at Chris- 
 tian avenue and Belief ontaine (Memorial) in 
 1869: that on West :Maryland (Twelfth Pres- 
 byterian) in 1874: that on West and Norwood 
 .streets (Mayer Chapel) in 1894. The mem- 
 bership of the church at the close of 1909 
 was 700, and of the Sunday school 250, 
 
 flayer Chape!, a tlourisliing mission of this 
 church, is named for Ferdinand L. flayer, 
 who furnished most of the means for purchas- 
 ing the lot and erecting the chapel in 1894. 
 The building was enlarged in 1897, and addi- 
 tional ground was donated by William S. 
 Hubbard in 1895. Regular services, of an 
 evangelistic character, are held every Wednes- 
 day and Sunday evening. The chapel has 86 
 members, and 450 are enrolled in the Sunday 
 school. The primary and class rooms are oc- 
 cupied through the week by the Free Kinder- 
 garten : and the trustees of the chapel also 
 give free quarters to the Children's Aid Asso- 
 ciation for a Pure ^lilk Station. Rev. A. R. 
 ]\Iiles is the pastor in charge of the work, 
 which has largely the character of a ''neigh- 
 borhood house", as well as of a mission. 
 ^Mothers' meetings and boys and girls' clubs; 
 are among the regular institutions of the mis- 
 sion. 
 
 In 1851 both of the schools in Indianapo- 
 lis showed a disposition to spread, and the 
 old got a few days the start. On September 
 23. eighteen members of the First Church as- 
 .sembled at the house of Caleb Scudder and 
 oruanized the Third Presbyterian Church, 
 now known as the Tabernacle. Notable among 
 them were James Blake. Jolni W. Hamilton. 
 Caleb Scudder. H. C. Newconib. Nathaniel 
 Bolton. Dr. W. C. Thompson, and C. B. Davis. 
 The new congregation worshipped for some 
 time at Temperance Hall, on Washington 
 street, but bought property at the northeast 
 corner of Ohio and Illinois streets, and finall.v 
 completed and dedicated its church there in 
 1859. The first pastor was David Stevenson,
 
 IIISTOKV OF GKKATKii l.N J)l AN Al'OLIS. 
 
 585 
 
 wliii i-aiiie from tlii' presbytery of Elizabeth- 
 Inwii, and was iiistalle(l in July, 1852. He 
 left in October, 18(JU, on account of failing 
 health. The pastors following- him were 
 George Heckman, 1861-67; Robert Sloss, 
 1868-72 : and 11. ^M. ilorey. In Seiitember, 
 1869, came the reunion of the old and new 
 school Presbyterians in Indiana, and on July 
 ."). 1870, the united Presbytery of Indian- 
 apolis bejian its session at the Third ('hureh. 
 All of the seven Presbyterian Churches then 
 in Indianapolis were represented and the oc- 
 casion was one of rejoicing'. 
 
 In 1883, the Third Church being without a 
 |)astor. and a church l)eing desirable in the 
 rapidly iirowing' northern district, a number 
 (if menibei's of the Second Church transferred 
 to the Third, and on July 12. 1883, its name 
 was changed to the Tabernacle. It occupied 
 the old building until December. 1885, when 
 it removed to a temporary frame structure 
 at [Meridian and Second streets, while its new 
 church was building. The chapel part of the 
 structure was completed and first occupied on 
 February 24, 1889. It is a whispered tradi- 
 tion that Dr. Arthur T. Pierson, of the Sec- 
 ond Presbyterian, had agreed to go to the 
 new flock when the delegation from his church 
 went to it, but he had a loud call from 
 Wanamaker's Church at Philadelphia, and 
 resiuiied on May 25, 1883, to accept it. The 
 reoi-ganizcd church was without a pastor until 
 Xiivembcr 9. 1884. when Rev. J. A. Rond- 
 thaler was installed, and remained with the 
 church until Jfay. 1896. He was very popu- 
 lar in the chui'ch and out, and had advanced 
 Iiractieal ideas. In 1892 the church began 
 publishinu- a little monthly paper, called The 
 Hicoi'l. which continued for two yeai'S, and 
 then became intermittent, foi- special occa- 
 sions. In 1892 the ebui-ch also opened a read- 
 ing room and social ])ar]ors foi' the use of the 
 l)ublic as well as the church members. Dr. 
 Rondthaler was the object of some criticism 
 by the pedestrians for his devotion to the 
 bicycle, but he was an effective jiastor. Ife 
 was followed by Dr. J. Cumiiiin-iS Smith, on 
 Jauuai'v 1. 1897, who remained until his 
 death in July, 1904. In December, 1904, Rev. 
 Neil .McPher.son came to the church from Can- 
 ada. He was an honor graduate of Queen '.s 
 University, Kingston, takinu- the mast(n-'s de- 
 gree in arts and the bachelor's <legT-ee in thc- 
 
 ologj'. For eight years he served at St. 
 Paul's in Hamilton, and was called from 
 there to the Tabernacle, where he still re- 
 mains. The church is in flourishing condi- 
 tion. Its membershii) is 948, and there are 
 751 on the Sunday school roll. 
 
 It wa.s on September 4, 1851, that Rev. 
 Clement Habb i-ejtorted to the new school 
 presbytery the desirabilitj- of another church 
 and the presbytery i-econnnended its fornui- 
 tion to the Second Church. On September 
 23 the Third Church was organized in the old 
 school presbytery, and on November 30 the 
 Fourth Church was organized in the new 
 school, twenty-four members of the Second 
 Church being tlismisst>d to organize it. The 
 new church secured the service of Rev. George 
 ]\I. Maxwell as stated sui)ply, and he re- 
 mained until December, 1858, when he was 
 relea.scd on account of failing health. His 
 pastorate was a time of struagle. The church 
 first held its services in a hall at Pennsylvania 
 and Washington streets, and later in one at 
 Delaware and Virginia avenue. The new 
 church building at the southwest corner of 
 Delaware and AFarket was finally completed 
 and dedicated on September 13, 1857. It was 
 occupied for sixteen years, when property was 
 purchased at the northwest corner of Penn- 
 sylvania and Pratt streets, and the new 
 church erected thei'e was dedicated on April 
 19. 1874. In January, 1892, the session de- 
 cided to move farther north. The church 
 property was .sold, and the Peck Mission prop- 
 erty, on Delaware above Seventeenth, was 
 bought of the Second Church. It was occu- 
 pied until 1895. when the present building at 
 Alabama and Nineteenth was completed and 
 occupied. The P(>ck Mission building was re- 
 moved to the rear of the same lot and is used 
 for a chapel. The succession of jiastors, since 
 I\Ir. Maxwell, has been A. L. Brooks, Septem- 
 ber, 1859, to March 9, 1862 : Charles \V. Mar- 
 shall, Julv 20, 1862, to October 4. 1870: John 
 H. :\rorron. December 27, 1870. to 1872: Ed- 
 ward Beecher Mas(m, March 17, 1873. to 
 March, 1^70; .\ui;iistns Ilarl Caiwier, Novem- 
 ber 1, 1S7'I. t(i July 9. 1SS5; George Lorain 
 IMcNutt, Jannarv 1, 1886, to Ai)ril 1, 1889; 
 Edwai'd P. Whallon, :\Iay 1, 1889, to :\lay 1, 
 1891 ; George Lewes ^Mackintosh, November 
 5. 1891, to June 30. 1907: Robert Ncwcomb 
 Fultnn, September 15. 1!I07. bi dale. Mr.
 
 oSfi 
 
 HISTORY OF (ii;HATi:R IXDIAI^APOLIS. 
 
 ^Mackintosh was released to accept the presi- 
 deuey of Wabash Collese. His successoi- \v;is 
 called from the Contiresational Chiii'ch ;it 
 Littleton, a suburl) of Boston. He is a arail- 
 uate of Boston rnivei'sity and the Hartford 
 School of Theoloiiy. The present memher- 
 ship of the church is :{()() and the mnnliei- en- 
 rolled in the Sunday school is 1200. 
 
 The Fifth Presbyterian Church originated 
 in a mission school started in 1864 by mem- 
 bers of the Second Church on the east side of 
 Blackford street, below ^lichi^an. The build- 
 inu was dedicated on Jfav 1."). In the fall of 
 
 The Si.xth I'rcsbyter'ian Church, or Olivet 
 Church, as it was oi'iiiinally named, was a 
 colony from the Second Church. On June 
 ■J2, 1867. a committee was instructed to se- 
 cure a site in the southwestern part of the 
 city, and the corner of I'nion and ]\IcCarty 
 streets was selected. A frame chapel was 
 ci'ected and dedicated on October 20. On 
 .Vovembei- 20 a church orofauization was 
 formed with twenty-one members, and Rev. 
 •T. B. Brandt was called as jiastor. The prop- 
 erty, which had cost about ^;5.000. was do- 
 nated bv the Second Chui-cli. and its incni- 
 
 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 
 
 1866 it \'as purcliased by the Third Church, 
 which took cliariic of the school. In October. 
 1867. the clnii'ch was organized and Rev. 
 "William B. Cliamberlain was called from 
 ^fadison as jiastoi-. and served until 1873. In 
 1873 a new buildins: was erected at the south- 
 west corner of Michigan and Blackford 
 streets. In 1890 the conirreaation decided to 
 change this to a Congregation.d Church, and 
 it has since been known as the People's Con- 
 gi'egational Chui'cli. The Presbytery of In- 
 dianapolis relinquished the property on con- 
 dition of the new organization a.ssuming the 
 debt wliii-h i'i'maiii<'(l nii the church buildiiiir. 
 
 bees also contributed largely to the brick 
 church which was erected six years later at 
 a cost of about $7,000. and dedicated on Jan- 
 uary 25. 1874. In 19()!t this church had 175 
 mendiers, and 214 in the Sunday school. The 
 pastors have been John B. Brandt. 1867-8; L. 
 A. Aldrich. 1868-70; J. K. Scott, 1870-2; 
 J. B. Brandt. 1872. after whom the i)astorate 
 was vacant several years; J. ^I. Crawford, 
 1879-80: C. :\I. Living'stone. 1881 ; AV. A. Pat- 
 ton, 1882-3; (ieo. Booth, 1884-7: Chas. E. 
 Evans. 1887-8: J. E. Brown. 1888-93: E. A. 
 Allen. 1893-8; A. R. Wood.son, 1898-1901: 
 L. W. A. Luckv. 1901-3: R. F. Soutre. 1903-
 
 IIISTOIJV OF CKKATKIJ 1 X DIAN AIM il.IS. 
 
 587 
 
 (J: AVin. :Me:\raxton, 1907-8; Thos. C. :\rcXary. 
 1!»(I8 io date. 
 
 The Seventli Preshyteriaii Clnircli. a mis- 
 sion of the First Church, originated with Wm. 
 R. Crajfr, a staid old Scotehiiiau whose Sab- 
 bath quiet was disturbed by the reprobate 
 youth of the soutlieast part of the city. A 
 eonsideratiori of i-emedies, from poliee to di- 
 vine s'raee, led to choiee of the last, and as 
 an elder of the First Chureh lie submitted the 
 ease there. The chureh was favoi-able. ^Ir. 
 t'raig: and X. ]\r. Wood were appointed a com- 
 mittee to establish the school, and $130 was 
 appropriated for the work. Peter Routier's 
 carpenter shop on Cedar street was rented 
 and the Sunday school was opened with seven 
 pupils the fii'st day. Thomas ^lelntire aided 
 in the oruanization, and ^M. il. Wood was 
 superintendent. The (|uarters proved insutR- 
 cient. and a jiei-manent home was determined 
 I'll. James ^I. Ray seeui-ed the donation of 
 a lot on Elm street, noi-th of Cedar, from 
 Calvin Fletcher. A. Stone. AV. S. Witt, Elisha 
 Taylor and James .M. Ilonyli. wlio owned the 
 addition. The Board of Church Extension 
 l>ledu'ed ;|'oOO foi' the in'w buildiim. and 
 Thomas ^Iclnlire tind James W. Hnnvn were 
 made a committee from the First Church to 
 superintend the construction. Subsci'iiitions 
 of over $3,200 were obtained, and the new 
 buildinff was dedicated on D(H'ember '14. 1865. 
 The First Church maintained, as missionai'ies 
 in this Reld. successively. \V. \V. Sickles, 
 Thomas (Jalt aiul C. JI. TTnward. ( )n Xovem- 
 l)er '27. 18(17. the Seventh Church was orjran- 
 ized, with 23 members. C. M. FTowai-d served 
 as pastor till October, ISCi). and left the 
 ehnrcli with over 12o members, .\fter him 
 J. B. Brandt served for one year, and then 
 re.sisrned to become Secretary of the Y. ^I. C. 
 A. of the city. In 1909 tliis church repoi-ted 
 4(i9 m(>nii)ers. and 341 in the Sunday school. 
 
 The Eiiilith Church, now West Washinji- 
 ton Street Presbyterian Chureh. srew from 
 Indianola Mis>iii)n. which was started Julv 
 15, 1870, by IT. IT. Fulton. E. C. Williams 
 and John 0. Blake, thnc youn<'' meiiil)ers 
 of the Thii-il Church. Tin' property had been 
 occupied by the Methodists for several years, 
 but they yot discouraszed and quit, and the 
 buildinir was rented for the mis.si(iii. This 
 building'' was at Lansin'jr and WashinL;ton, buf 
 a I'emoval was made to "Walnut and Drake 
 
 streets".'' where a frame scliool house was 
 bouirht and made intd a church. Hei'c, on 
 October 1. 1871. the Eiiihth Church was or- 
 L'anizcd. with 7 members, and Kev. J. i{. 
 Sntiierland as the first pastoi-. This church 
 was iuirned, and a l)rick chureh was erected 
 on tile same site. The mw church was badly 
 damasred by a cyclone, and the di.seourayfed 
 members sold the property, disbandeil. and 
 transferred to Tabernacle Church. In 1892 
 Dr. Kondthaler trot them braced uj) for an- 
 other effort. A lot was secured at Washiui;- 
 ton and Aliley avenue, and a chapel erecteil, 
 which was dedicated September 25, 1892. It 
 was badly damasred by fire on February 12. 
 1897, but was promptly repaired. Rev. W. B. 
 Dunham serveti as pastor of the mission from 
 1892 to 1S99. On :\lareli 12. 1901. duriiijr the 
 ministry of C. L. Luc:is, tiie [iresent West 
 Washington Street Church was orjranized. 
 Mr. Lueas served till 1903; J. C. Christie. 
 1903 to 1907; F. W. Kirkpatrick, 1908 to 
 date. The church has 140 members and the 
 Sunday school 200. 
 
 The Xinth Presbyterian Chureh orieinated 
 in a mission at Xorth and Railroad sti'eets. 
 started by the First Church in July, 1870. 
 Railroad .street was then the third street east 
 of East street. The ^Methodists had had a 
 mis.sion there, known as "the Saw-mill ]Mis- 
 sion'', but abandoned it. The property was 
 |)urchased and donated liy James W^. Brown, 
 and the leaders in the mission work were 
 Cen. Beni. TIarri«on, Dr. C. C. Bui^ess, Capl. 
 E. !'. Tlowe and others. On February 18, 
 1872, the .Xinth Presbyterian Church was or- 
 jranized with 14 members. L. Faye Walker 
 was the first iiastor. Tlie eliurch dissolved in 
 18S1 and was reor<;aiiized as a coloi'ed Pres- 
 byterian eliurch — the only one in the city. 
 The ne\\- oriianization ])urchased the old ITni- 
 versalist Chui-ch on the north, side of ]\Iichi- 
 iran east of 'iV'nnessee, and moved there in 
 1881. In the winter of 1907 the buildinir was 
 condemned by the city autiiorities as unsafe, 
 and in January, 1908, it was sold, and later 
 torn down. The cony'reyation tlien purelinsed 
 
 "i. e.. Ohio and Ilanlini;' streets. The 
 streets west of the river at that time were 
 named without regard to those ea.st of the 
 river, though the names were in several cases 
 
 tb<' same.
 
 588 
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATER IXDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 property at Senate avenue and Fourteenth 
 street, which was remodeled and occupied in 
 December. 1909. 
 
 In the winter of 1869-70 the session of 
 Second Church decided to eomiiieniorate the 
 reunion of the two .schools by a new mission. 
 On itarch 17, 1870, a committee was ap- 
 pointed which purchased a lot at the south- 
 west corner of Bellefoutaine and Christian 
 Avenue. A chapel was built there and dedi- 
 cated on ]\Iay 8. The mission was rather un- 
 successful, and there was talk of abandoniutr 
 it, but on October 13, 1870, tlie session of 
 Second Church decided to oo on, and the 
 woi'k was put in charge of the Young ^Men's 
 Association of the church. The work was 
 pushed with vigor, and, in the spring of 1878, 
 forty members having expressed a desire to 
 unite in a nev.- church, tlie Tenth Presby- 
 terian, or ^Memorial Churcli was constituted 
 on March 12. Rev. 11. A. Edson was released 
 as pastor of the Second Church and began 
 service with ^Memorial in April. Property for 
 a permanent church was bought soon after, 
 at Christian and Ash (Eleventh and Ash- 
 lancFi, and the corner-stone was laid on April 
 7, 1874. The chapel was opened for services 
 on March 7, 1875. 'Mr. Edson remained witli 
 the church for twenty years and retired 
 chiefly on account of illness in his family. 
 He is a man of broad culture, educated at 
 Williams College and the University of Halle. 
 He held but three charges— at Niagara Falls 
 and the Second and ^Memorial Churches here. 
 The last is a memorial to him as well as to 
 Presbyterian I'eunion, for his long devotion 
 made it a success. He has another memorial 
 in our public library which was largely a re- 
 sult of Thanksgiving sennon preached by 
 him on November 26, 1868. His successor at 
 ^femorial Chui-cli was Rev. Frank O. Ballard. 
 D.D., the present incumbent. The church 
 had a narrow escape from destructicm by fire 
 on November 22. 1908, but the damage was 
 fully covered by insurance. The church now 
 has 652 members, and the Sunday school 600. 
 
 The Eleventh Presbyterian Church, now 
 kmnvn as Ti'oub ^lemorial. was organized 
 April 18. 1875. under the Home ^lissions 
 Connnittee of the Presbytery of Indianapolis, 
 with 37 members. The pastors, from the or- 
 ganization, have been C. A. Quir(>ll 9 months, 
 B. F. Woods 1 year. W. B. Chamberlain 4 
 
 years, C. H. Raymond 2 years, N. S. Dickey 
 1 year, Samuel Sawyer 1 year 6 months, John 
 IMcComb 1 year 6 months, J. T. Orton 3 
 years, M. ]M. Xawson 7 years 3 months, Vic- 
 tor Demaree 2 months. Geo. B. Troub 2 years, 
 3 months, \Vm. C. Logan since November 17, 
 
 1907. The name of the churcli was changed 
 to Olive Street Presbyterian Churcli on April 
 15, 1887, the church then being on Olive 
 Street north of Willow. The present build- 
 ing is at Cottage and Edgewood. The name 
 was changed to Troul) ^Memorial on ^larch 11, 
 
 1908, in memory of Rev. Geo. B. Troub, who 
 was killed by a Shelby street car on August 
 29, 1907, while riding on his bicycle from the 
 new site to the old one. 
 
 The Twelfth Presbyterian Church was the 
 outgrowth of a mission established July 25, 
 1869. by several young men from the Pres- 
 byterian churches, who rented for the pur- 
 pose an old building on West Street near 
 Georgia that liad been originally a soldiers' 
 barracks. The young men in charge of the 
 Sunday school — Henry D. Carlisle, P. L. 
 Mayhew, R. D. Craighead, Leroy W. Braden, 
 and Charles ^Meigs— also conducted religious 
 services and did some preaching. In 1874. 
 largely throu>;h the assistance of Thos. D. 
 Ki)igan. funds were raised to buy a lot : and 
 in 1875 a chapel was erected on Maryland 
 street, west of West street. On June 14, 
 1876, the Twelfth Presbyterian Church was 
 organized with 14 members. Rev. E. L. 
 Williams was the first pastor. In 1909 the 
 church had 90 members and 50 in the Sun- 
 day school. The present pastor is Rev. Wm. 
 A. Hendriekson. 
 
 In 1877 the Second Church started a mis- 
 sion in the Exposition Building on the old 
 State Fair grounds. It grew and in 1881 a 
 new home was needed. A lot was purchased 
 on Delaware north of Seventeenth, and a 
 chapel was erected and occupied on December 
 25, 1881. The expense, about $3,300, was met 
 by contributions from members of the Sec- 
 ond Church and the Peck fund. This organi- 
 zation has been erroneously called the Thir- 
 teenth Presbyterian Church, but it was only 
 a mission Sunday school. The property was 
 sold in 1892 to the Fourth Church, which oc- 
 cupied it until 1895: and also occupied the 
 field of the school. 
 
 East Wasliiu'jton Street Presln-terian
 
 HISTORY OF CxREATEE INDIAXAPOIJS. 
 
 589 
 
 Church was organized February 22, 1888. It 
 was a development from a Presbyterian mis- 
 sion which liad erected a ehapel on Washing- 
 ton street, between State street and Arsenal 
 avenue, which was dedicated on September 4, 
 1887. The pastors in charge liave been K. 
 P. Whallon. December 1. 1887. to :\Iarch. 
 1889 ; T. N. Todd, July, 1889, to July, 1891 ; 
 F. C. Hood, September 15, 1891, to October, 
 1896; A. L. Hossler. March 3, 1897. to :\rarch. 
 1898; Alexander T^rquhart, August. 1898, to 
 November. 1900: F. C. Hood. :March, 1901, 
 to Julj-, 1907; H. C. Calhoun, January 1, 
 1908, to date. The church has a membershii) 
 of 225, and the Sunday school of 300. 
 
 Home Presbyterian Church, at Thirty-fii-st 
 and Rader streets. North Indianapolis, was 
 organized February 7, 1897; and the church 
 building was dedicated on September 16. 
 1900. The pastors in charge have been David 
 Van Dvke, 1897-8 : E. C. Trimble. 1898-9 : J. 
 E. Brown. 1899-190.3: A. L. Duncan. 1903-6; 
 Frank B. Stearns. 1906-7; Geo. D. Adamson, 
 August 1, 1907, to date. It is a prosperous 
 organization, with 221 members in the church 
 and 250 in the Sunday school. 
 
 Grace Presbyterian Church, at Capitol ave- 
 nue and Thirty-Second street, was organized 
 September 26. 1897. Th(> corner-stone of the 
 building was laid on September 26, 1898, and 
 it was dedicated on December 10, 1899. The 
 pastors have been Walter ^I. Elliott, October 
 9, 1898, to September 12. 1900; R. C. Hunt, 
 December 10, 1900, to December, 1901 ; C. A. 
 Foreman, Januam- 11. 1902. to September 3, 
 1908; E. S. :\rarshall. January 1, 1909, to 
 date. The church now has 150 members and 
 the Sunday school 200. This church has al- 
 ready developed a mission. The prospective 
 fa.shionable suburb of Meridian Heights had 
 a union Sunday school for several years, 
 which wa.s discontinued early in 1906. In 
 response to a call from the neighborhood it 
 was revived in August. 1906. under the care 
 of Grace Church.- In the fall of 1908. the 
 school house at Central avenue and Forty- 
 Sixth street, where it had been held, was 
 found inadequate and a movement was 
 started for a church building. Silas Johnson 
 donated a lot at Park avenue and Forty- 
 Seventh street, and a committee from First 
 Church raised funds for a building. A for- 
 mal church organization was made on ^farch 
 
 15, 1909, and the new building was dedicated 
 on November 14, 1909. 
 
 Sutlierland Presbyterian Church, at Twen- 
 ty-eighth and Bellefontaine streets, was or- 
 ganized in July. 1908. It is a growth from 
 a mission Sunday school and Christian En- 
 deavor Society that were established bj' 
 Memorial Church five years earlier. The First 
 Church has contributed largeh' to the sup- 
 poi't of this organization, it.s donations includ- 
 ing the lot and building, which was erected in 
 1905. The chui-ch has 64 membej-s, and there 
 are 150 in the Sunday school. Rev. William 
 Carson, the present pastor, has been the only 
 one in charge. 
 
 Irvington Presbytei-ian Church was organ- 
 ized in June, 1906. The corner-stone of the 
 building, at John.son and Julian avenues, 
 was laid in April. 1908, and the church was 
 dedicated in December of the same year. 
 Jonathan C. Day has been the only pastor. 
 The church has 240 members, and 150 in the 
 Sunday school. 
 
 The United Presbyterians have been repre- 
 sented in Indianapolis for three score years, 
 their first church having been built in 1849. 
 The earlv ]instors were J. C. Steele, 1849-53; 
 Samuel Wallace. 1854-8; Gilbert Small, 1860- 
 7; A. W. Clokey. 1868-9. In 1869 the church 
 went to pieces, and remained so until 1872, 
 when it was reoi-ganized and still continues as 
 the First I'nited Presbyterian Church. The 
 present building of this church is at Park 
 avenue and Twenty-second street, and before 
 locating there it was at Massachusetts ave- 
 nue and I]ast street. The pastors since the 
 reorganization have been J. h. Clark, 1872-5; 
 H. G. McVev, 1875-6; J. P. Cowan, 1880-92; 
 J. A. Litteil, 1893-1900: C. M. Lawrence, 
 1900-5; D. G. :\rcKay. 1906-8; G. L. Brown, 
 1909 to date. The church is in a prosperous 
 condition, as are also the other two churches 
 (if this denomination in the citj'. 
 
 Woodruff Avenue T'nited Presbyterian 
 Church is located at Arsenal avenue and 
 Twelfth street. It was organized November 
 21, 1892, and Rev. J. P. Cowan. D.D., has 
 been its pastor from the start. Dr. Cowan is 
 the "oldest inhabitant" among the protest- 
 ant ministei-s of the city, having come here 
 in 1880 as pastor of First Church, and re- 
 mained ever since. He is a native Iloosier, 
 born in Rush county in 1847. He was edu-
 
 .j!tO 
 
 ILISTUKV Ui'' liKEATElt 1M)L\XAP0L1S. 
 
 (•;it('(l at ]\Iiaiiii riiiversity and Xenia Theolog- 
 ical Seminary. His lirst pastorate was at Des 
 Moines, Iowa, after which he came here. Dr. 
 Cowan was moderator of the General Assem- 
 bly of the United Presbyterian Chiircli in 
 ] 908 : and has served as a member of the 
 l-Joard of Managers of Xenia Seminary since 
 ISS:?. For twentv-two years he has been 
 
 Seci'etary-Treasurer of the Indianapolis ]Min- 
 isters' Association. The other church of this 
 denomination — AYitherspoon United Presby- 
 terian Church— has a coloi'ed congregation. 
 It was organized April 30, 1907, and is lo- 
 cated at 712 N. West street. C. W. McColl 
 was pastor in 1907-8. and D. F. AVhite, the 
 |)resent pastor, followed him in 1909.
 
 CHAPTER XLIV. 
 
 THE CIirifCllES (Continued) 
 
 'I'lir Methodists uu(|uesti()iial)ly luiil ihr 
 first I't'licrious orjranizatiou in Indianapolis. 
 whicli was a "elass"' that met at Isa;ic Wil- 
 son's cabin in 1821. The okl ^NFethodist Disci- 
 pline defines a eluirch, or "society", as it was 
 formerly called, as "a •company of men hav- 
 ing- the form and seeking- the power of godli- 
 ness, united in in-der to pray together, to re- 
 ceive the word of exhortation, and to watch 
 over one another in love, that they may help 
 eacli otlii'r to work out their salvation". Tliis 
 would seem to apply to a "class'", but a class 
 is by the same Discipline a subdivision of a 
 church or society, for special purposes. Of 
 course there might be only one class in a 
 church, but the two are distinct. In the fall 
 of 1821 William Ci-avens was delegated In- 
 tlie ]\Iissouri Conference, to which Indiaii.-i 
 belonged, to oi'ganize a circuit, with Indian- 
 apolis as a station, and did so. It is quilr 
 probable that stewards were elected soon 
 after, but the records are not preserved, and 
 there is no definite information as to this. 
 The first chui'ch buildim;-— they were always 
 called "chapels" initil some years after tin- 
 Civil War- was built in 1823. In 1824 tli.- 
 Missouri Conference was divided; and Illi- 
 nois Conference was formed, comjjosed of 
 Illinois and Indiana Districts. Indianapolis 
 remained a circuit station imtil 1828, when il 
 became a separate charue with a "stationed 
 preacher". 
 
 In this earliest |)eriod. the pastors, or cii-- 
 enit preachers, were William (^ravens, 1821 ; 
 James Scott. 1822: Jesse Ilaile and Georgi' 
 Horn, 1823: John ^Miller. 1824: Thomas Ilew- 
 son. 1825: Edwin Ray. 182() : Xehemiah B. 
 (Iriffith. 1827. The pi-e.siding elders (now 
 called district siipei'intendents) were Samuel 
 Hamilton, 1822: William Beauchamp, 1823: 
 
 .59: 
 
 •loliii Strange, 1824-11. These were mostly 
 strong frontier preachers — men who were en- 
 grossed in their work, enduring its extreme 
 hardshi])s gladly, and usually sacrificing their 
 lives, for though they were comparatively 
 voung men, William Beauchamp died in 
 1824; Edwin Rav in 1831; John Strange in 
 1833 ; N. B. (iriffith in 1834. Beauchamp was 
 a notable oratcn- — sometimes called "the 
 Demosthenes of the West", — and of literary 
 ability. He was for some time editor of the 
 Western Christian Monitor, published at 
 Chillicothe, the only Methodist paper at the 
 time; and published a volume. "Essays on the 
 Truth of Christianity". But of all of them 
 John Sti-anue was easily first in oratorical 
 powei'. and his utter devotion to his ^Master's 
 cause made him almost an ob.ject of adora- 
 tion. He refused to acce])t as a present from 
 a friend a house and lot. because if he did he 
 could no longer sing : 
 
 "Xo foot of land do 1 possess. 
 No eottasre in the wilderness." 
 
 Hi' swayed audiences alunist at will. Says 
 Smith: "B.v his sudden exclamations he 
 would thrill a whole congregation as by a 
 shock of electricity. Sometimes when speak- 
 ing of (iod's love to man in the redemption 
 of the world, the .ioys of Chri.st's great salva- 
 tion, the glory of heaven, his sold would bo 
 filled with such heavenly rajdure that he 
 would exclaim in his pecidiar voice, 'Alleluia! 
 Alh'luia I Alhluial' when the people would 
 catch the spirit, and from i'V(>ry part of the 
 congiv'gation shouts of praise would ascend 
 to heaven. Sometimes, when portraying the 
 torments of those shut \\]i in the prison-house 
 of hell, and describinu: tin- wicked as in
 
 ,■592 
 
 HISTOIJY OF GKEATEE INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 crowds they urgt'd their way down to black- 
 ness and darkness, the sinners in the congre- 
 gation wonld scream out, crying for mercy. 
 Seizing upon the occasion, ilr. Strange would 
 exclaim, in his inimitable way, "A center shot, 
 my Lord; load and tire again!" The back- 
 woods hunters knew well how to apply such 
 expressions. * * * 
 
 "His powers' of description wei-e of the 
 finest order. He could so describe a scene 
 that you would seem to behold, in undimmed 
 light, that which he was portraying. When 
 he was preaching the funeral sermon of Rev. 
 Edwin Kay, in Indianapolis, toward the close 
 of the discourse, while describing the second 
 coming of Christ, his bringing with him 'them 
 that sleep in Jesus', descending 'in the 
 clouds of heaven', he stood erect for a mo- 
 ment, then, looking upward, cried out. 'AVhere 
 is Edwin Ray?' Still looking ujiward, he 
 said, 'I see him; I see him!" and then with 
 both hands raised as if welcoming him, he ex- 
 claimed, in a voice that seemed to go up to 
 the clouds, 'Hail, Edwin! Hail, Edwin! Hail, 
 Edwin ! ' The effect upon the congregation 
 will never be forgotten by those who heart! 
 that sermon and felt the power.'"' 
 
 The obvious fact is that John Strange w-as 
 a great natural actor, nnconseious of it per- 
 haps, but nevertheless an artist of the high- 
 est type. And he loved Edwin Ray. They 
 had had their little clash not long before. The 
 village belle, the tavern-keeper's daughter, 
 had been converted at a revival in the little 
 log church. She was active in her church 
 duties, but she retained her worldly dress, 
 with ruffles, flounces, ribbons and rings, in 
 .spite of remonstrances from her class leader 
 and sisters in the church. Then the young 
 preacher was instruct'Cd to visit and rebuke 
 her. He went and in a few weeks called on 
 John Sti'ange, the presiding elder, to consult 
 him about his marriage. "To whom?" asked 
 Strange. "To Sallie Nowland, " meekly re- 
 plied Ray. "Sallie Xowland! Sallie Now- 
 land ! It will never do in the world. "NAThj', 
 she is not even entitled to a ticket to love 
 feast: and if you had done your duty yon 
 would have turned her out of meeting long 
 ago. She wears a high-head bonnet, ruffles. 
 
 ^W. C. Smith's Indiana Miscellany, pp. 
 154-6. 
 
 rings, flounces and furbelows— no, you can 
 never have my consent. Brother Ray." "But 
 I did not come to ask your consent. Brother 
 Strange ; only to consult you, as the discipline 
 requires. I intend to marry Sallie Nowland, 
 luffles, rings, flounces and all, and I now ask 
 you to marry us next Wednesday," answered 
 the young pastor. And John Strange mar- 
 i-ied them ; but he did not live to know that 
 the ornate convert lived to an old age of good 
 works despite her dress; and that her son 
 John W. Ray, maintained the standard of 
 .Methodism long after she was gone. 
 
 The first of the stationed preachers was 
 James Armstrong, in 1828; and following 
 him, until the division of the charge in 1842, 
 came T. S. Hitt, 1829-30; Benj. C. Stevenson 
 1831 (died); James Havens, 1831; C. W. 
 Ruter, 1832-3: Edwa^-d R. Ames. 1834; J. C. 
 Smith, 1835; Anunistus Eddv, 1836; J. C. 
 Smith. 1837; Allen Wiley, 1838-9; W. H. 
 (ioode, 1840-1. The presiding elders, after 
 John Strange, were Allen Wilev, 1829-31; 
 John Strange, 1832; Allen Wiley, 1833; 
 James Havens, 1833-6 ; Augustus Eddy, 1837- 
 9 ; James Havens, 1840-2. These were all 
 strong men— men whose names are treasured 
 in the annals of Indiana Methodism. Father 
 Havens, Allen Wiley and John Strange are 
 hei'oes of an hundred stories. Allen Wile.y 
 was one of the most learned of them all. He 
 was self-taught but he was one of the most 
 proficient Latin, Greek and Hebrew scholars 
 in the West. W. H. Goode was a man of 
 culture, and served later as principal of the 
 New Albany Seminary and of the government 
 academy for the Choctaws, at Fort Coft'ee. 
 .\ngustus Eddy was called to Indianapolis as 
 post chaplain during the civil war. Benj. C. 
 Stevenson, a -young man of much promise, 
 died before actually entering on his work in 
 this charge. Edward R. Ames is better 
 known to the country as Bishop Ames. John 
 C. Smith was a forcible preacher, and the 
 author of a volume "Reminiscences of Early 
 ^lethodism in Indiana". He passed his later 
 years in Indianapolis. It was during his 
 pastorate, in the spring of 1838, that "the 
 great revival" occurred in old Wesley Chapel, 
 which resulted in 265 additions to the church. 
 Among the converts were IMorris Morris, 
 Austin AV. ^Morris, Jesse Jones, James Yohn, 
 Samuel Beck, Henry Tutewiler, Judge Wick,
 
 IIISTOKV OK (JltEATF.n 1 XDIAXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 593 
 
 Win. Jhinnaiiian. and otliurs that it is hai-dly 
 ]>()ssiljle to think of as ever univjrent'i-atc — 
 they v.-civ fatliers in Israel so lonj;. 
 
 The Methodists worshipiied in a hewed log 
 liuilding on the south side of Maryland street, 
 at the alley between ^feridian and Illinois 
 streets, from l.S"J5 to 1829. Then they ereetetl 
 ii bi'iek ehui'eh at the southwest eorner of 
 ('irele and ^Meridian sti'eets. whieh they oeeu- 
 ]iied until 1846, when the walls cracked, and 
 it was torn down and rephieed by a more 
 substantial building, which still stands, re- 
 modeled as a business block. The first brick 
 
 J. P. Lindernum, 1853; J. II. Noble, 1854-5; 
 James Hill. 1856-7: E. T. Fletcher, 1858-9; 
 C. D. Battelle. 1860-1: S. T. Gillett, 1862-3; 
 Wm. McK. Hester, 1864-6; Chas. X. Sims, 
 1867-9; R. Andrus. 1870. The presiding 
 elders were James Havens, 1842-3: Lucien "W. 
 Berry. 1844-5: Edward R. Ames, 1846-9: C. 
 \V. Kuter. 18.50: James Havens. 1851: B. F. 
 Crarv. 1852-5: AVm. C. Smith. 1856-9: James 
 II. Noble, 1860-1: James Hill, 1862-5: S. T. 
 (iillett, 1866-7: B. F. Rawlins. 1868-70. A 
 part of the.se have been mentioned. Lucien 
 W. Berry was a notable man. both as a 
 
 THK THIRD WESLKY CH.XPKL. HUll.T 1S4G. 
 (Fi-om an old cut.) 
 
 church cost $3,000; the second $10.1)00. In 
 1842 the conference divided Indianapolis sta- 
 tion into two charges, making Mei'idian street 
 the dividing line: and the .Methodists east of 
 it formed Koberts chapel. In 1S45 the west- 
 ei'ii cliai-ge was again divided. Wesley chaiiel 
 remaining as the central charge. whil(> 
 Strange chapel was built for the Mcthnilists 
 vvesl of the canal. 
 
 The pastoi's of Weslev f'ha|>('l lo 1870 were 
 Lucien W. Berry, 1842-3: AV. W. Hibhen, 
 1844: Wm. V. Daniels, 1845-6: F. ('. Holli- 
 dav. 1847-8: J. S. Bavless. 1849: B. F. ("rary. 
 1850; AV. C. Smith. 1851: John Keariis. 1852; 
 Vol. 1—38 
 
 preacher and an educatoi'. He was made 
 pi-esident of Asbury I'niversity in 1849, to 
 succeed Dr. Simpson. He remained there five 
 years and then resisrned. AVithin a year he 
 was elected president of Iowa Wesleyan Uni- 
 versity. From tliei'e he was calle(l to the 
 presidency of the .Methodist college at Jetfei-- 
 son City, whei-e he died the next year. July 
 23. 18.58. S. T. (iillett, "the sailor preacher", 
 was always a great favorite in Indiainipolis, 
 whei'c he resided many years. Fnrthiir no- 
 tice of him will be found in the chaiitc^i- 
 "Some Old Time Religion". 
 
 ])i'. Sims was in the Ihish nl' inanhodd when
 
 594 
 
 IllSTOKV OK GHKATKU l.\ DIAXAl'Ol.lS. 
 
 he came to Indianapolis in 1867. He M'as 
 born in I'nion County. Indiana, and had not 
 sei'ved outside of Indiana at that time. Gradu- 
 ating- at Asbnry (now De Pauw) in 1859, he 
 served as principal of the Thorntown Acad- 
 emy for some months, and, in 1860. accepted 
 the presidency of Valparaiso College. In 
 1862 he went to Richmond. Indiana, as a pas- 
 tor — then to AVahash. I^vansville. Indianapo- 
 lis. On leaviuL'' here in 18611 hr went to ^ladi- 
 son Avenue ('hnrcli, Broi)klyn; then to St. 
 Paul's, Newark: and Brooklyn and Summer- 
 field chni-ches. Brooklyn. On November 17, 
 1880. he became Chancellor of Syracuse Uni- 
 versity and I'cmained there for thirteen yeai-s. 
 resigniuii' in 189.'> to return to his old church 
 at Indiana|)olis for five years longer. He 
 built U|) Syi'acuse T^niversity to a great insti- 
 tution, inci-easinu its assets from $350,000 in 
 1880 to .•^1.800.()()0 in 189.S: and the number 
 of its students fi-om 3(10 to 900 in th(> same 
 time. 
 
 lie urged on the p(>(ii)le of AYcsley Chapel 
 tlu' need of a new chui-ch building, and in 
 18(i9 a lot was |iurch;ised at the southwest 
 corner of ^Feridian and New York streets and 
 the corner stone of the new building was laid. 
 With the parsonage, it cost +100.000. It was 
 dedicated on Decemljer 10. 1871. ^leainvhile 
 the congregation worshi|)]>cd in the old Uni- 
 vei'salist Church, on tln' noith side of ]\Iiehi- 
 gan street, between Illinois and Capitol ave- 
 nue. Here ^Mr. Sims diil some of his most 
 effective preaching. People did not think of 
 him as an orator— he was so natural in his 
 speech— but he had an exquisite gift of 
 pathos. One series of four evening sermons 
 at this place, on the crucifixion and the scenes 
 lea<ling to if. will never be fortiotteu by those 
 \vho heard them. He was called ba'-lc to In- 
 dianapolis in 1893 an<l remained till 1898. 
 when he w,ent to the First Jlethodist Church 
 at Syracu.se and remained thei-e luitil 1906. 
 On account of failins; health he tiien rcsi<jncd 
 and retired to his farm near Liberty, in rnion 
 County: from which he came for .some months 
 to ;u>t as H(>ld seci-etary for the ^lethodist 
 Hospital at Indianapolis. He died at his 
 farm home on March 27. 1908: and impres- 
 sive memorial services were held for him at 
 .Alei'idian Street Church on :\Iaivh 29. 
 
 'I'he name of the church had been cliauL'cd 
 from Weslev Chaiiel to ]\[eridian Street 
 
 Church in 1869; and the new building was oc- 
 cupied until November 17. 1904. wlu'u it was 
 desti'oyed by fire. It was then decided to 
 move farther north, and the present property 
 at the northwest corner of ;Meridian and St. 
 Clair streets was ])urchased for $40,000, anil 
 the corner-stone of the new church was laid 
 on November 30, 1905. The Sunday school 
 room was completed and occupied on August 
 19. 1906. Like its predecessor it is of stone. 
 While it was building the church services 
 were held first in the Propylaeum, and later 
 in Caleb ilills Hall. In addition to the main 
 iiudience room and Sunday school room the 
 building has a ladies' parlor, six class rooms, 
 pastor's study, with boy's club room, kitchen 
 and dining room in the basement. Its cost, 
 aside from the ground, was .$125,000. 
 
 Since the change of name to Meridian 
 Street, the pastors, in addition to ]\Ir. Sims. 
 have been Bishop Thomas Bowman (supplv^, 
 1870: Reuben Andrus, 1870-1; H. R. Nayfor. 
 1872-4: G. D. Watson. 1875-6; Stephen Bow- 
 ers (supplvi. 1877; W. C. Webb, 1877-9: H. 
 J. Talbott, 1880-2: John Alaba.ster, 1883-4; 
 J. E. (iilbert, 1885-8: H. A. Cleaveland, 1888- 
 93: Charles N. Sims, 1893-8; Wm. A. Quavle. 
 1898-1901 ; Jo.shua Stansfield, 1901 to date. 
 These were all able jtreaehei's. ^Ir. Quayle is 
 also quite widely known as a lecturer and 
 essayist. Br. Stansfield was called here from 
 Bay City. ^Michigan. He is an Englishman l)y 
 birth, and it is a notable coincidence that two 
 other of the older Indianapolis pulpits— Rob- 
 erts Park and the Second Presbyterian — are 
 also occupied by men of English birth. At 
 jiresent the chui'ch has 753 members and 609 
 in the Sunday school. In jiassing, it may be 
 noted that, on July 12. 1909. the north spire 
 of the church was struck by lightning, during 
 a remarkable electrical stoi'm. but no damage 
 was done beyond knocking off a numbei' of 
 the tiles. 
 
 When IndiaJiapolis station was divided by 
 the conference, on October 19. 1842, it had 
 about 600 members; and some 60 members at 
 the northwest of the city were added to the 
 castei-n charge, to eiiualize the two. John S. 
 Bayless was assigned to the new charge, and 
 Mhen he came he announced that he was go- 
 in<; to pi'eaeh if he had to do it in the market- 
 house. He was spared this, for the eourt- 
 house was secured for Sundavs, and the so-
 
 iiisTouN' OK (;i;i'..\Ti;i: imhanai'oi.is. 
 
 595 
 
 ciiil iiieetiiiirs (if the cliuieli wcro lu'ld at pri- 
 vate resideiioi's. At tlic first (iiiartcrly con- 
 fiMviicf. on Di'cfiiilici- "^4. \SV2. Saiimcl Beck, 
 Andrew Hi-oiisc. ilenry Brown. Samuel (iolds- 
 lieiiy and .(olm !•'. Ilill were cleeted trustees 
 and action was tai^eii tin- a clnircli building. 
 A lot was purchased at the northeast corner 
 of I'ennsylvania and ^Market streets for 
 ;!!l.:iUO. and in the s|)i-in!i- of lcS4:? tlie corner- 
 stone was laid hy Dr. Matthew Sinipson. 
 President of Ashui-y I'niversity. who also 
 dedicated it in Au<,nist. 184(). 'i'iie basement 
 was finished and occupied in the spi-iu'': of 
 iS43. The buildina: cost $7,000. and the main 
 audience room seated about 500. The church 
 had a bell-tower and steeple: and l\e\'. T. .\. 
 (Jiiodwin says: ""It was only In- the sti'ata,y:em 
 iif desirini.'' a place for a town clock, and l>y 
 ut'ttinji' subscriptions for that s|)ecific pur- 
 pose, mostly fi'om non-members, that the pas- 
 tor could overcome the .scruples of the trus- 
 tees enouirh to allow a cupola u|)on it. There 
 were probably not ten churches with cupolas 
 in the state at that time.'"- Tn fact, however. 
 tlir town clock was not added until ten years 
 later, and was i)aid for by a s|)eci<d city tax. 
 But a bell was put in the towei' in 184<S. and 
 is still amontr the treasures of the chur<'h. 
 
 In 1843 the church was named IJoberts 
 Chapel, in honor of Bishop Robert Riehfoi-d 
 Koberts. who presided at the conference of 
 1S42. which established this charee. and who 
 died on March 2(>. 1843. It was always "a 
 workine- church"', punctilious in its class 
 services, and strong: in revivals and missions. 
 In 1848 .some of its members started a mis- 
 sion Sunday .school in the Madison Railroad 
 depot, which developed into, and was organ- 
 ized as tlie "Depot Mission" on November 
 17. 1849 — later becominj: Asbury Chapel — 
 now Fletcher Place Ciuirch. In 18"):? a Sun- 
 <lay .school was organized at J. \V. D(Hsey"s 
 tnidei' direction of the Roberts Cha])el (|uar- 
 tPi-ly conference. which devel(i|>ed into 
 "North .Street", later "Trinity", now "Cen- 
 tral Avenue" church. In 18G0 the x\nies In- 
 stitute was oi'iranized by younir men of the 
 Nb'thodist Church in Indianajtolis. and did 
 cNteiisive mission woi'k in the city. Two ol 
 its schools were followed li\- Presbyterian 
 
 churciies. "Inilianola" and "Ninth": and 
 two developed into .Methodist churches, 
 "Third Street"— now "Hall Place", and 
 "Ames". In 18()7 John A. Wilkins was ap- 
 liointed to take charue of a mission school 
 which the Y. 'SI. C. .\. had stai'ted in Spief^el 
 i^ Thoms" chair factory. The school was re- 
 moved to Wriuhts Hall, and in the fall of 
 18fi8 was organized as (irace Church by mem- 
 bers of Roberts Chapel. 
 
 In 18(i8 the <ild church was sold to E. B. 
 Martindale for .$40,000. reserving the bell. 
 l)ulpit and seats. The trustees purchased .1 
 lot at the iiortheasl corner of Vermont and 
 Delaware streets and. within 30 days from 
 surrenderinir the old buililin.ir. erected a 
 "Tabernacle", at a cost of $1.78.'). whii-h was 
 dedicated Ausrust P. 18()8. by Bishop Thonuis 
 Bowman, 'hen pi'csident of .\sliiir,\" Iniver- 
 sity. .Meanwhile the couiireeat ion had held 
 theii- Sunday .services in Morrison's Opera 
 Hall, and their weekly services in Wesley 
 Chap<'l. On May 14. 1870. the cornerstone 
 of the new church was laid, and in that 
 month the name of the church was changed 
 to Roberts Park. The Sniida>' school I'ooni 
 was completed and dedicated on Deceiubci' 2"). 
 1S7(I. The main buildine was finished an<l 
 dedicated on -Vueust 27. I87(i. The <-ost of 
 the huilding and gi-ounds was in round num- 
 bers $140,000: and it left thi' congri'iration 
 with .-1 debt which was not finally dis|)osed of 
 until 1!I01. when a jubili'e was held in com- 
 memoi'atioTi of the event. Fm- the dedication 
 Sarah T. Bolton wrote one of the most charm- 
 inir of her poems, "The Old Bell", begin- 
 ning : 
 
 "The|-e lives in each hell — 
 
 As old Icirends tell 
 
 A beautiful Spirit, that lauehs and sings. 
 
 When the good b(>ll rings 
 
 Merrily. 
 But sobs and si<jhs. 
 
 .Vnd troubles the air. with its nmurnful ericas 
 When the bell i-ings drearily. 
 If so. the Sprite in the ancient bell. 
 Whos" voice I'ose and fell 
 To-day. in the paths of azure air. 
 Calling oui' feet to the Mouse iif P|-ayer. 
 Has a stoi'\- to tell," 
 
 -Tin !•! rill ii' iini nf Ann riiini Milliinh 
 
 k;. 
 
 The |)astors of Ihi'^ 
 Bavless. 1842-4: -b hn 
 
 ehni'ch were -lolm S, 
 .. Smith, 1844-(): Sam-
 
 596 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 iiel T. Gillett, 1840-8; Geors-e M. Beswick, 
 1848-9: John H. Hall, 18-19-51; William Wil- 
 son. 1851-3: Samuel T. Cooper. 1853-4; H. N. 
 Barnes, 1854-6 : John W. T. :Mc:\Iiillin, 1856- 
 8; Charles W. Miller. 1858-9; William Wil- 
 son, 1859-61; Jacob Colclazer, 1861-3: John 
 V. R. Miller, 1863-5; A. S. Kinnan, 1865-8; 
 M. H. :\Iendenhall, April-September. 1868; 
 Fernando C. Holliday, 1868-71: Gilbert De 
 La Matyr, 1874-6 : Jeremiah H. Bavliss. 1876- 
 8 ; S. il. Vernon. 1879-81 ; Ross C. Houghton, 
 1882-3: I. H. McConnell. 1884-6: S. A. Keen, 
 1887-8 : C. A. Van Anda. 1889-92 : T. I. Coul- 
 tas, 1893-7: C. E. Bacon. 1897-1903: Albert 
 Hurlstone, 1903 to date. Dr. Hurlstone is of 
 English birth. He was called here from New 
 Albany, and is a popular and efficient minis- 
 ter. Van Anda and Coultas were polished 
 speakers, who drew from the general public. 
 Ross C. Houghton made a tour of the world 
 with Bishop Harris, and was suspected of 
 writing "The Bread Winners", but proved 
 an alibi. Jeremiah H. Bayliss was later edi- 
 tor of the Western CJirisfian Advocate. Gil- 
 bert De La ]\Iatyr was a man of great force 
 and intense feeling, whose warm heart carried 
 him o\it of church work twice. He was so im- 
 pres,sed with the right of the Union cause 
 that he helped enlist the Eighth New York 
 Hea^'y' Artillery and went out with it as 
 chaplain in 1862. serving for three years. He 
 was so convinced that the severe hard times 
 of the seventies were caused by the resump- 
 tion of specie payments and the demonetiza- 
 tion of silver that he accepted a nomination 
 of the National party for Congress in 1878. 
 and, being indorsed by the Democrats, was 
 elected from this district, defeatinsr John 
 Hanna by 18.720 to 17.881. After his term 
 iu Congress he went to a charge in Denver. 
 Colorado, and has since died. Dr. Holliday 
 was a popular pi-eacliei- and the author of the 
 standard history of Indiana ^lethodism. A. 
 8. Kinnan was a notable revival preacher; 
 there wei-e 1.000 accessions to the church in 
 his three years of service. Mc^Mullin was a 
 notable orator of his day. Charles AV. ililler 
 became involved in a scandal while here, and 
 was expelled from the conference." The first 
 three pa.stors have been mentioned heretofore. 
 Roberts Park is one of the strong churches 
 
 "Joiinial. April 12, 1860. 
 
 of the city, having a membership of 1.350. 
 and the Sunday school 722. 
 
 In 1845 a second charge was cut otf from 
 Wesley Chapel to accommodate members in 
 the northwest part of the city. The society 
 was organized as the Western Charge, but a 
 frame buildintr was soon erected on ^Michigan 
 street, west of the canal, and it was ehri.stened 
 Strange Chapel, in honor of John Strange. 
 The location proved unsatisfactory and in a 
 short time the building was removed to the 
 east side of Tennessee street below Vermont. 
 The membership leaned to "old fashioned 
 ^Methodism", and on January 12, 1869. the 
 quarterly conference adoptecl a resolution 
 that "the prosperity of the charge, spirit- 
 ually and financially, will be promoted by 
 its adherence to the old usages of the chui'ch. 
 especially in the seating of the congregation 
 and singing, and that the conference hereby 
 pledge the charge to stand by these usages"'. 
 In other wortls the women were to sit on one 
 side of the church, and the men on the other : 
 and there was to be no choir nor instrumental 
 music. This was especially in accord with 
 the views of Alfred Harrison, the wealthiest 
 member of the church, who believed in stabil- 
 ity in all departments of religion. Goodwin 
 says that when Daniel De ^lotte— the first 
 ^Methodist preacher in Indiana who ventured 
 to wear a beard — came once to preach at 
 Wesley Chapel, his beard so offended ilr. 
 Harrison that he walked out of the church 
 and -would not listen to the sermon. This was 
 not unprecedented, for Goodwin says that the 
 cause of the ostracism of Lorenzo Dow by the 
 iVIethodist Church was his wearing a beiud : 
 and also that when Daniel De AFott appeared 
 at conference unshaven. Rev. John A. Brouse 
 offered a r':>solution of censure. But Brouse 
 wore a wig; and when De Alott in I'eply. ob- 
 served that he wore no hair which the Lord 
 had not t;i\'en him, Brouse saw trouble ahead, 
 and withdrew the motion. 
 
 In 18t)9 the lot on West ^lichigan street 
 was sold, and a new brick church was built 
 at the southeast corner of Michigan and Ten- 
 nessee streets. Pi-ovision was made in the 
 deed that old time usages should continue. 
 Th(> church cost $13,000 and was dedicated 
 Jaiuiaiy 9. 1870. Later in the same year the 
 chui-eh split on the question of receiving L. 
 M. Walters, who had been assigned to the
 
 TTTSTORV OF (; IM'.ATF.Il IXDI.WA I'OI.IS. 
 
 59: 
 
 chiU'yc by tlic coiifpiTiK'e. ami tlir wi'jiltliiiT 
 pai't (if till' ('()ii<;re^a1i(in withdrew aiul lifuaii 
 woi'shippiiisr in the old Univei-salist Cliiircli. 
 just across Michifiau street, which had re- 
 cently been vacated by the Wesley Chapel 
 coiiirreiratioii. 'I'lie reiiiaindei- continued as 
 they were, witli Mr. Walters as ])asti>r until 
 Smulay, January S. 1871. when the church 
 was destroyed by tire. The eon^n-c^^ation then 
 removed to Kuhn's hall. On March (i. 1871. 
 the quai'terly cont'crencc appointed <i commit- 
 tee with full power to buy a lot and build a 
 church. At the same time the name of the 
 church was chan.ized to St. -Tohn's .Methodist 
 
 as California Street Church, ilr. Walters 
 ended his service in 1871, and wa.s succeeded 
 by J. E. Brant. 1871-0; J. II. Ketcham. 187(i- 
 8; Thos. G. Beharrell, 1878-80; W. H. Ilal- 
 sted. 1880-1; W. B. Collins, 1881-4; J. A. 
 Ward. 1884-5; F. D. Anderson, 188r,.S ; Wm. 
 Tclfer. 1888-9: :^rorris Woods, 1889-i)l : \l. \l. 
 Bryan. 1891-:{; Homer .\sheroft. 1893-(; ; W. 
 S. Kiddle. lSi)ti-<): .J. W. J. Collin.s. 18!)'.)- 
 I!t(t2: John JctVrics. 19()L>-r) ; L. S. Knntts. 
 U)().'»-7; James Ili.xon. 1907-8; J. L. Stout, 
 1908 to date. The present membership is 205. 
 and there are 1()2 in tln> Sunday school. 
 The First (icrman Methodist Episcopal 
 
 KOI?ERTS I'ARK CHURCH. 
 
 P-piscopal Church. The pastors of Strange 
 Chapel precedin-; .Mr. Walters, were, in order 
 of service, Wesley Dorsey, I). Crawford. Win. 
 Jlorrow. T. G. Beharrell. Frank Tavloi'. Iv I). 
 LonfT. T. S. Webb, G. M. Boyd, (friffith .Mor- 
 jran. William Graliam, X. ]j. Bi'akeman. J. 
 C. Keed, Janu's Havens. J. W. (irecii. C. S. 
 Bur-ner. G. W. Telle, J. W. T. .McMiillin. T. 
 G. Hehari'cll is known as the anthoi- of a 
 Biblical Biography, which was piinlccl at In- 
 dianapolis in 18()7. 
 
 The new St. John's Church was located at 
 California and North streets, but the name 
 did not adhere, and it ha.s alwavs been known 
 
 Church, at New Jersey atul New York strcH'ts, 
 was organized in 184(). with 1-") memlx'rs. The 
 pastor in 1840-7 was Louis Xippert. tlie lirsl 
 (ierman Methodist ])reachci' in the city, Tlh 
 lirst church buildin<r was erected in IS.'iO be- 
 tween New Jei'sey and East, ami in this new 
 bnildinir there was a yreat revival luidrr the 
 fourth pastor. J. II. Barth. who served in 
 18.")()-2. The second ami third pastors were 
 Charles Baur. 1847-8. and Konrad Miith, 
 1849-.")(). Succcediui!; Barth the jiastors have 
 been J. II. Barenburir. 1852-4: G. A. Breuni^', 
 1854-5; J. liier. 185.5-(): H. T,n<-l<emeyer, 185(i- 
 7; :\Iax Ilohans. 1857-8: G. F. .Mueller. 1858-
 
 •jiJS 
 
 JIlSTOliY OF CI.'KATKU IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 60; J. Hoppen, 1860-1— died durinir pastor- 
 ate ; J. Schneider. 1861-2 : W. Ahreiis. 1862-3 ; 
 G. A. Brexinig', 1863-4; A. Loebenstein, 1864- 
 6; H. G. Lieh. 1866-8; G. Trefz. 1868-71; G. 
 Nachtrieh, 1S71-4; H. (;. Lieli. 1874-6; K. Bo- 
 zenhardt, 1876-7: J. Rothweiler. 1877-81; 
 (^tto Wilke, 1881-4; J. G. Sehaal, 1884-5; J. 
 S. Sehneider. 1885-90 ; J. C. IMarting, 1890-5 ; 
 P. W. Griewe, 1895-7; F. A. Hamp. 1897- 
 1904: Hermann Rogratzky. 1904 to date. 
 
 Tlir. society prospered, and in 1868 a more 
 eapaeions chnreli was needed. The site of 
 the present building was purchased Decem- 
 ber 19, 1868, but the erection of the building 
 was soiniMvhat delayed by lack of funds. The 
 basement was finished and occupied on 
 Christmas, 1869 ; and by the persistent enei-gy 
 of ;Mi-. Tivf/. the liuilding was com})leted, and 
 dedicated < n A])i'il 17. 1871. Its cost, in- 
 cluding the site was $27,500. This is the 
 parent (ieriiian ^Methodist of the city. It has 
 at present 200 members, and 160 in the Sun- 
 day si'hool. 
 
 Blaine Avenue Church, though recent in 
 Indianapolis, had its origin in the fifties, in 
 a class, with David Johnson as leader, of 
 llethodists living between Eagle Creek and 
 \Yhite River. It met for some time in the old 
 schoolhouse on what is now Belmont avenue, 
 and then disbanded: but a Sunday school 
 that had been organized in 1858. by Fred- 
 erick Reisner continued: and when the school 
 house was built at Howard and Reisner 
 streets it was moved there. Prayer meetings 
 and occasional preachings were also held at 
 this place, and in 1882 the class was reor- 
 ganized. Four years later a church was 
 erected on what was then Wjlliams street. It 
 cost about $2,500. and was dedicated on Feb- 
 ruary 6. 1886. by Presiding Elder TTalstead. 
 It was remodeled and enlarged dui-ing Key. 
 Zaring's jiastoi'ate. and rededieated on July 
 1, 1894, the first sermon being preached by 
 Rev. Chas. N. Sims. At this time the name 
 was chanired to First Church, but during the 
 pastorate of Rey. S. L. Welker the name was 
 changed again to Blaine Avenue Church. ^Ir. 
 AVe]l\ei' was succeeded in September. 1907. by 
 Rey. Josej)!! K. Ake. the present pastoi-. The 
 present membership of the church is 287, and 
 of the Sunday school 241. 
 
 Another old snburbnn chni'ch is ^lapleton 
 ^lethodist. It 'jyvw fi-oni a class formed in 
 
 1843. which was composed of half a dozen 
 women, ami met at the house of Delanson 
 Slawson; later at the old log school house. 
 The I'arly ])reaehers who visited them and 
 held seivices were John L. Smith, Lucien 
 Berry, Frank Hardiu and H. J. Aleck. In 
 the summer of 1855 Rev. H. J. Meek, a.ssisted 
 by George Havens, a local preacher, held a 
 proti'acted meeting at Sugai- (irove; and 
 there, with hoards laid on logs for seats, 
 Suuar Grove Jlethodist Church was organized 
 with 33 charter members. On August 23 the 
 society met and elected trustees, and also ap- 
 pointed a building committee. Thomas 
 Ruark donated half an acre of ground in 
 Sugai- Grove for the church; and Noah 
 Wright yave an acre for church purposes, on 
 which a ]iarsonage was built later. A frame 
 building was at once erected, at a cost of 
 $800; and served the congregation for near 
 half a century, being repaired and refitted 
 in 1884 at about the original cost of the 
 church. The corner-stone of the present 
 building was laid in 1899. and the church was 
 dedicated in June, 1900. The present mem- 
 bei'ship is 205. with 274 in the Sunday school. 
 The present pastor, F. A. Lester, has served 
 for two years. 
 
 In 1849, a mission church was formed by 
 members of Roberts Chapel living in the 
 southern part of the city. It was called the 
 ■'Depot ]\Iis.sion" because at first it met in an 
 upper room of the old Aladison depot ; and 
 officially it was the Depot Charge, with Rev. 
 Samuel T. Cooper as pastor. In 1850 a lot 
 was piirchased on New Jersey street, near 
 South, and a building was begun which was 
 completed and occupied in 1852. It was then 
 named Asbury Chapel. After more than 
 twenty yeai's at this point a lot was pur- 
 eha.sed at Virginia avenue and East street, 
 and a brick church was finished sufiiciently 
 for occupancy in 1874, when the name was 
 changed to Fletcher Place Church. It was 
 dedicated on December 13, 1874. The pastors 
 following Mr. Cooper, in chronological order, 
 have been J. B. De Alotte. 1851-2; Sanniel 
 T. Gillett, 1852-3: Samuel P. Crawford, 
 1853-4; Jas. T. McMullen. 1854-6; Joseph 
 Cotton, 1856-7: F. A. Hester, 1857-9; E. D. 
 Long, 1859-60: John G. Chaffee, 1860-1; R. 
 ^\. Barnes, 1861-2; J. W. Mellender, 1862-4; 
 F. C. Hollidav, 1864-6; John H. Lozier, 1866- 
 
 I 
 
 I
 
 HISTORY OF CKKATKIJ. I X DIA NAI'ol.lS. 
 
 599 
 
 ■-; Samuel T. (iillrtt. ISOS-TO; Charles Tins- 
 lev, 1870-3; G. L. Curtiss, 1873-6; John S. 
 Tevis. 1876-9: G. L. Curtiss, 1879-82; John 
 11. Doddridtre, 1882-5; J. A. Sargent, 1885-6: 
 •Fiplin S. Tevis. 1886-9; C. C. Edwards, 1889- 
 'Xi: li. Roberts, 1893-8; C. W. Tinslev, 1898- 
 1900; V. W. Tevis. 1900-2; JL B. Ilvdc, 1902- 
 .'); Geo. David AVolfe, 1905 to date. The 
 iliureh ^vas twice damaged by fire, ouee from 
 lightning, but not seriously. In 1894 a swarm 
 I if bees took possession of the upper part of 
 the spire, and their flight caused an investi- 
 iration by firemen, who mistook them for 
 smoke. The church is in good condition, with 
 .")()6 members, and 331 on the Sundav school 
 nills. 
 
 On -May 17, 1^.')4, (uie of the Koliei'ts Chapel 
 classes led by .1. \V. Dorsey, a school teacher, 
 organized as the Seventh Church. They met 
 in Doi'sey's school house, near the corner of 
 New Jersey and Walnut till the end of the 
 \'ear. ^FeanwhiU' they i)urchased a lot at the 
 mii'thwest corner of Xcn-fh anil Alabama, and 
 i-rected a small church on the west side of it. 
 They niiived into this, with Rev. Griffin as 
 I>astor, and adopted the name of North Street 
 Nfcthodist Episcopal Church. It was more 
 ecinunonly called the North Street ^lission. 
 however, as it did not become .self-sui)porting 
 till 1867. In Jainiary of that year, under 
 the pastorate of W. J. Vigiis, who had come 
 t(i the church in 1864, a new church was com- 
 |)leted and dedicated by Dr. T. :\I. Eddy, on 
 the east side of the lot. The society now took 
 the name of Trinity Methodist Episcopal 
 Church. In the summer of 1870, a ^lethodist 
 church was oriratiized by Rev. B. F. Morgan 
 which built a church at Ma.s.sachusetts avenue 
 and Oak street. Tliere were about 80 charter 
 mcmbeis, iiKist of them ''lil)eral I'liited 
 lirethren". who had left their church on ac- 
 count of a schism in 1869. Rev. Amos Han- 
 wa.v, one of these, succeeded to the pastor- 
 ate in September, 1870. In 1877 this church 
 and Trinity con.solidateil. Tlicy leased a lot 
 at Butler and Colleire avenues and moved the 
 ^Massachusetts avenue church to it : and en- 
 larged it sutTiciently for the new society. The 
 name was then changed 1o Central Aveiuie ]\I. 
 E. Church. This building was damaged by 
 a tornado on :\Iarch 4. IMSO; but was rejiaired 
 and occuiiied until June. 1.S93. when the pres- 
 ent building was (lcdicatc(|. Its cdi^ncr-slnne 
 
 !iad biH'u laiil in May, 1892. The pastors nf 
 Central Avenue have been B. F. ]Morgan, 
 Reuben Andrus, J. N. Beard. Abi.iah Mai-ine, 
 A. W. Lamport, J. H. Ford, A. Gobin. W. V. 
 Wheeler, II. A. Buchtel, J. R. La.sby, A. W. 
 Kellogg, and \Vm. Wirt King, present incmn- 
 bent. It is a strong church, with 1.082 mem- 
 bers, and 1,350 in the Sunday school. 
 
 In 1864 a class of 36 members was formed 
 in the northern part of the city with Jesse 
 Jones of Strange Chapel as leader. In the 
 spring of 1866 a site was purchased on the 
 north side of Third street, between Tennessee 
 and Illinois, under the direction of Ames In- 
 stitute, but the Institute was unable to finish 
 it, and turned the property over to Jesse 
 Jones, who completed it at his own expense. 
 The location was considered disadvantageous, 
 and in December, 1885, on proposal of Rev. 
 J. W. Duncan, then pastor, it was decided to 
 move. A site was purchased at Sixteenth 
 street and Hall Place and the ccn-ner-stone of 
 the new church was laid on July 26, 1886. 
 The chiu'ch was dedicated on .Vovendier 28, 
 1886, by Dr. C. N. Sims. The name was 
 changed from Third Street to Hall Place 
 Church. The pastors since ]\Ir. Duncan have 
 been JIarshall B. Hyde. George Cochran, J. 
 A. Sargent. George M. Smith. R. E. Vest. 
 (ieorge S. Henninger, Festus A. Steele, and 
 John Ratrle, the jiresent incund)ent. Of these 
 George M. Smith was noted for charitable 
 and social work. He went from here to the 
 Methodist Church at Shelby ville, which be 
 made known throughout the country for 
 work in these lines. The church has 360 
 
 ■mbers and 27 
 
 in the Siuidav school. 
 
 In Jidy. 1866. Hev. Joseph Tarkington or- 
 ganized a mission in an unfinished building at 
 .Vorwood and Illinois streets, and services 
 were held there till cold weather cau.sed re- 
 moval to an unoccupied grocery room on 
 .Madison avenue. Meanwhile a lot was pur- 
 chased by members of AVesley Chapel on 
 South Illinois street, and a small frame build- 
 ing erected. Rev. L. iM. Walters was sent 
 1o the charge as missioiuiry |)astor in Septem- 
 ber. 1867. A revival meeting the following 
 winter added about 100 to the miMnbeishii). 
 and the building was too small. The prop- 
 ei-ty of th(> Tndianajxilis .Mission Sunday 
 School, at Madison avenue and Tnion street 
 was then bontrht, for ;f'5.000. and occujiied in
 
 (i()(l 
 
 HISTORY OF (ilJKA'I'KI! I XDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 fl 
 
 \'. Presb. Church. 
 
 'i'iPre.b Church. 
 
 S'. Johns Cath, Church 
 
 JME^ 
 
 n_rtj '"hn. 
 
 Episc. Church. 
 
 Wes ley Chapel . 
 
 Baptist Church. 
 
 Ch ristia II Ch a p e I . 
 
 i'- Krebb. Oil ti I ch. 
 
 Robert s Chapel 
 
 (\V. 11. lia.-i.-i Phfitn Cinnpany.) 
 
 INDIANAPOLIS CHURCHES, 1854.
 
 iiisioi;^' OF (;i;kati:i;, indianai'oi.is. 
 
 GUI 
 
 JiiiK'. liSfi!), It \v;is a siil).staiitial brick Iniild- 
 iui;-. 4Ux7l' IV'ct. 'I'lic L'liuri'li, wliicli had Ix'cu 
 Ames' Chapel, was now ealled .Madison Ave- 
 nue Chureh. After a lonjr stay here the so- 
 eiety boiiuht a new site on .Moi'ris street near 
 ^ladison avenue, and the corner-stone of the 
 l)resent church was laid in 1905, the church 
 being- completed and oeeupietl in 1906. The 
 present jiastoi' is Fianklin F. Lewis; and the 
 church has .SBli members ami :]()4 in the Sun- 
 dav school. Ft is now called .Morris Street 
 M.' E. Church. 
 
 (Ji'ace Churcii was practically organized on 
 Septendjer 10, 18()8. by a number of members 
 of Roberts Cha])el, in the eastern part of the 
 cit.v; who jietitioiied the confei'ence for n 
 preacher, pleduiuL;- $5,000 for a chureh build- 
 ing. In comidiance with the re(|uest Kev. 
 \V. H. ^Mendeidiall was appointed. By Sep- 
 tendjer 22 about 100 members of Roberts 
 Chapel had .joined the new church, and it 
 was formally organized on that date. A site 
 for a church was obtained at ^Farket and 
 East streets. ;ind a building was erected at 
 once. It was dedicated on {'"cbruary 21. 
 1869. by Bishop Clark. The church at the 
 present time lias 281 meiid)e)-s aniF 198 in the 
 Sunday school. The pastors of the church 
 have been :\I. 11. Mcndenhall, J. W. Lock. T. 
 11. Lynch, J. P.. Lathrop. G. P. Jenkins, S. 
 Tincher, Gilbert De La .Matyr. S. ,T. (iillett, 
 .1. \V. Duncan. T. IT. Lynch, S. A. Bright, 
 T. H. McClain. C. W. Tinsley, L. D. Moore, 
 L. K. Kennedv. 1). A. Robertson, M. L. Wells, 
 11. J. Black. 11. X. King, L. (i. Ivnotts. J. L. 
 P'unkhouser, J. ilachlan, and W. M. Zaring, 
 the present pastor. The cliurch has had two 
 small fires, and was once .struck by lightning, 
 witli small damage. 
 
 Blackf(U-d Sti-eet Chui'ch. at the <'oi'ni'r of 
 lilackford and .Market sti'cets. was organized 
 in 1869. by Rev. Wni. II. l\endrick. with 30 
 miMnbers. It grew out of a mission of Wes- 
 ley Chapel, and was for some j'cars later 
 aided by that church. 'F'Fie present site was 
 secured atid a smalF building was erected in 
 1873-4, under the pastorate of H. N. King. 
 The pastors succeeding Mv. F\inL'. witFi the 
 dates of tFieir accession. ,irc -1. Wharton. 
 ,1875; Amos FFaTiwav. 1SS1 . T. M. (luild. 
 1884: W. F. Sheridan. 18<.-,; T. 11, F)evall, 
 1>>S9; T. P. Walter, 1890: W. S. Hiddle. 
 1892; C. W. Crook. 1896: J. T. .Fones. 1898; 
 
 E. 1'. .Icwctt, 1903; IF. S. JleaiFen, 1905; 
 Samuel L. Welkt'r, the present iueumbeut, 
 1908. The chureh was enlarged under the 
 pa,storate of W. F. Sheridan at a cost of 
 $2,500. It was badly damaged by tire in 
 1896, but was repaired ; and was again re- 
 modeled and repaired in 1900. Ft Fias always 
 l)een known as a revival church: and has now 
 235 mend)ers, and 181 in the Suiulay school. 
 Firoadway ]\F. E. Churcli was organized in 
 1874, and built a small chapel at Yandes and 
 Seventeenth streets. In 1881 the congrega- 
 tion removed to Si.xteenth and liellefoutaine; 
 and in 1894 to their present location at 
 Broadway and Twenty-second. The churcli 
 then erected was i-eplacetl by the i)resent one 
 in 1908. The jiastors in succession have been 
 Revs. Reager, Black, .M. L. Wells, Wydnuin, 
 Frank Tincher. .Fohn W. Tevis, T. W. Xoi-th- 
 cott, Geo. II. iFurphv, L. F. Dimmitt. V. W. 
 Tevis, C. W. Tinsley, Worth ^M. Tipjiy, and 
 Layton C. Bentley, the present incumbent. 
 This is a strong church, with a membership 
 of 740 and 722 in the Sunday school. 
 
 The Second (ierman JFethodist, at I'ros- 
 liect and Spruce streets was organized in 
 1874. and the first chureh, a frame structure 
 was built the same year. 'I'he pastors in 
 charge have been G. Nachtrieb, 1874-5 ; T. 
 ScFiumberg, 1875-6: J. C. ]\Iartin<i-, 1876-9; 
 Theo. TFiorward, 1879-82; J. Bier, 1882-3; 
 W. Meier, 1883-4; II. E. Wulzen, 1884-7; :\r. 
 (icorg. 1887-92; J. T. Barth, 1892-5; A. Har- 
 well. 1895-8; C. E. Ploch. 1898 to date. The 
 first building was jiartially desti'oyed by tii'e 
 in 1882. but was rebuilt and cnlai'ged the 
 same year. In 19t)2, the present brick church 
 was erected at a cost of $10,000. The church 
 is free from debt; and has 140 members and 
 150 in the Sunday school. 
 
 F'^dwin Ray Af. E. Church was organized 
 August 13. 1879, and built its church at 
 Woodlawn avenue and Laurel street the same 
 vear. The pastors in chari;e have liecn Wm. 
 B. Clancy, ('. W. Lcc. K. K. K'awls. .1. K. T. 
 Lathrop, C. C. Edwar<ls. (I. W. Smith, and 
 II. C. Clippinger, now in charge. This is a 
 live congregation with 735 ineudjci's and 565 
 in the Sunday school. Ft staite<l Barth Place 
 Church, at Shelby and ^Martin streets, which 
 now has 132 mi'iiibers and 216 in its Sunday 
 school, as a mission: and also Woodside M. E. 
 Church, at Southeastern and Temple, wliicii
 
 602 
 
 HISTOTJY OF (iKKATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 has 142 members aiul 2"2() in tin- Sunday 
 school. 
 
 Kiiiu' Avenue ]\I. E. Church, at Kin^- ave- 
 nue and Walnut street, was a eolony fioin 
 Meridian Street Church organized on Janu- 
 ary 1, 1884. The corner-stone of the church 
 buildiiiff was laid on ]\Iarch 1, 1884, and it 
 was dedicated November 1, 1884. The pas- 
 tors in charg-e have been J. E. tJilbert. S. J. 
 Wilson, E. R. Johnson, W. 11. Wooley, J. (!. 
 Campbell, H. C. Weston, C. U. iStockbargei-, 
 O. B. Rippetoe. A. AV. Wood, N. A. Cham- 
 berlain, H. H, Dunla\y, J. C. Kemp, and J. 
 F. Rainier, who is now serving. The church 
 has 300 membei-s, and there are 200 in the 
 Sunday school. P^ast Tenth street ^I. E. 
 Church was organized and the church occu- 
 pied, without any special ceremonies, in 1888. 
 The pastors have been Rev. Bailey, 1888; 
 Samson Trieeher, 1889-93; B. W. Cooper. 
 1893-5; J. T. O'xNeal, 1895-7; Charles Tiuslev. 
 1897-1901: W. E. Edgin. 1901-4; C. W. 
 Crooke, 1904-5; E. A. Campbell, 1905-7; 
 W. J. Collins, 1907 to date. The Sunday 
 school division of a new church building was 
 dedicated en October 11, 1908; and the main 
 part is now in process of construction. 
 
 Brightwood M. E. Church was organized in 
 1886. Its building, at 2402 Station street, 
 was dedicated in 1904. The pastors have been 
 A. A. Jones, 1887-9; T. W. Northcott. 1890-2; 
 W. W. Revnolds, 1893; D. A. Robertson. 
 1894-5 ; W. W. Revnolds, 1896-9 ; 11. J. Black, 
 1900-2; W. J. Collins. 1903-7; E. M. Cham- 
 bers, 1908 to date. It has 428 members and 
 473 in the Sunday school. East Park M. E. 
 Church, at New York street and Beville ave- 
 nue, is a development from a mission school 
 that was started in a store-room at East 
 Washington street, bv Mrs. S. C. Heath, of 
 Roberts Park church. The pastors have been 
 W. F. Walker, E. F. Albertsou, :\Iiss :Marv 
 M. Dennis, E. L. Winnner, T. K. Willis, D. 
 A. Robertson, H. W. Baldridge, F. A. Lester, 
 and C. C. Bonnell. the present incumbent. .\ 
 woman pastor was a rare exception in In- 
 dianapolis, but iliss Dennis served acceptably 
 for a year and a half. The church was or- 
 ganized on ]\Iarch 14, 1893. and its bviilding 
 was erected in 1894— dedicated June 22. It 
 was rebuilt in 1909. The church has 222 
 members and 273 in the Sunday school. 
 
 Cajntol Avenue M. K. Cliui-ch is the suc- 
 
 cessor of Hyde Park Church, which was or- 
 ganized in 1894, and built a ehurcli that year 
 on Thirtieth street near Illinois, which was 
 dedicated on December 16, 1894. On July 
 6, 1905, the corner-stone was laid of the pres- 
 ent building, at Capitol avenue and Thirtieth 
 street. The new church was dedicated Octo- 
 ber 5, 1905, President E. H. Hughes of De 
 Pau\\- ofiliciating; and the name was changed 
 to Capitol Avenue. The pastors have been 
 R. Scott Hvde, 1894-5; J. W. :\[axwell, 
 1895-6; Robert Zaring, 1896-8; W. :\I. Whit- 
 sett, 1898-1900; J. W. Baker, 1900-3; J. T. 
 O'Neal, 1903-4;' E. H. Wood, 1904-7; W. II. 
 W.vlie, 1907 to date. The church has 535 
 mendiers and there are 397 in the Sunday 
 school. 
 
 Nippei-t ^Memorial Church — formm-iy 
 Fourth German il. E. Church — is an offshoot 
 of the First German Church. A Sunda.x 
 school was organized February 19, 1893, and 
 the church society on April 9, 1894. The cor- 
 ner-stone of the church building, at Tenth 
 and Keystone streets, was laid on June 17. 
 1894; and the church was dedicated on Sep- 
 tember 23, 1894. The pastors have been 
 Heniy R. Bornemann, John Claus. Herman 
 C. Beyer. August J. Weigle, and A. C. Bauei'. 
 who is now serving. The church has 83 mem- 
 bers, and there are 99 in the Sunday school. 
 
 Wesley Chapel— th(> second, and present of 
 that name — was a mission of Blackfoi-d 
 Sti'eet Church. The soeiet.v was organized 
 March 22. 1895, and the building at Ehler 
 and New York streets was dedicated the saitu' 
 (lav. The pastors have been Revs. Biddlc 
 l^odkins. Stout. W. AY. Reynolds, AY. B. Far- 
 inei- and J. AY. Culmer. There are 280 mem- 
 bers and 244 in the Sunda.v school. River- 
 side Park ,M. E. Church was organized Ajiril 
 23, 1905. Its buildintr, at Chicago and Hard- 
 ing streets, was dedicated on Alarch 18, 190(i. 
 G. F. Hubbarth, the first pastor, served till 
 1908; and Dr. Alfred Kunnner since then. 
 The mendier.ship is 100 and the Sunda.v selioul 
 enrollment 200. 
 
 Tuxedo AI. E. Churcli was the result of ;i 
 local denumd from Methodists residing in 
 that suburb, who called on Rev. Robert Zar- 
 ing, of Irvington M. E. Church, for assisN 
 ance. He appointed Thomas E. Smiley, a 
 local preacher, to assist them, and in Jann- 
 ai'v. 1904. a mission was oi'ganized. A hall
 
 llis'rol;^' OF CU'KA'I'HU 1 N DIA XAI'ol.ls. 
 
 (io;? 
 
 was rent 'd for services, ami a Sunday school 
 was started on February 28. The church so- 
 ciety was organized on(>ct(il)cr 1. 1905, and 
 the cornei'-stniie of tlie buihlin}? was hiid on 
 Ocfohei- It). It was dedicated on February 
 20, 1!H)(1. .Mr. Smiley sei'ved for two years, 
 and has been followed by S. L. Welker and 
 James Hisson, the present pastor. The 
 church has 283 members, and 301 in the Sun- 
 day school. Thomas E. Smiley was known 
 for a number of years in Indianai)olis as a 
 contributor of verse to the local press. 
 
 The oriraiiization of tlie ^letlKidist Church 
 amonur the colored people has lontr been dis- 
 tinct from that of the whitcsj and is in three 
 branches: The African ]\r. E. Church, which 
 was oriranized in 1816, by followers of Rich- 
 ard Allen, for which reason they wei'e form- 
 erly called "Allenites"; the African M. E. 
 Zion (Jhurch. which was oriranized in 1820; 
 and the Colored .M. E. Church, which was set 
 apart after the Civil War by the },\. E. 
 Church, South. The first branch is i'ei>re- 
 sented in Lndianapoiis by ei^ht churches, and 
 the second by four. The oldest of the A. ^1. 
 E. churches is now known as Bethel A. M. 
 E. Church. It was originally oi'ganized in 
 1836, and foi' thirty years was the only A. 
 ]\I. E. church in the city. The society was 
 small and poor, and its meetings were held 
 in private houses luitil l.s41, when a small 
 frame building wa.s erected on the north side 
 of (jleorgia street between .Mi.ssis.sippi street 
 and the canal. In l.s.")7. when the original 
 Episcopal Church was i-emoved to make way 
 for the present Christ Ciiurch. it was bought 
 by Bethel Church and lemoved to their (Jeor- 
 gia street site. It was used by them until it 
 was destroyed by fire on July fl. 1862. The 
 mcst notable church events before the war 
 w^ere occasional visits of Kev. Paul C^uiiui, nf 
 Baltimore, later a bishop of the Colored Meth- 
 odist Church, who was a man of ability,, ami 
 much esteemed by everybody. These visits 
 were always occasions of revival and building 
 up of the church. Dur-ing four years of the 
 war, 1861-5, llie pastor was W. R. Revels, 
 brother of the Mississippi i-ceonstruction sen- 
 ator, who was also a man of .some ability. 
 
 Another wooden structure was erected on 
 Ceorgia street after the fire, and the congre- 
 gation occupied it till after the war. At this 
 time it was Iciiown as "•the .African M. E. 
 
 Church ■■ or "the Colored .M. H. Clnu'ch'", 
 there being no other. In 18()6 the Allen Mis- 
 sion was stai-ted on Broadway between Cheri'y 
 and Christi.m, by Rev. Wliittou S. Lankford 
 and it shortly developed into Allen Chapel, 
 or Allen A. M. E. Chun-h. At the same 
 time the other church tletermined to move. 
 They secured a lot on Vermont street west 
 of Mi.ssouri, and began the erection of a sub- 
 stantial brick building, which they occupied 
 in 1869, when it was only partially finished. 
 The name of Bethel A. .M. E. Church was 
 then adopted. For some time before movin.ir 
 into this chui'ch the congregation worshi])ped 
 in old Strange Chajjcl, on Teiniessee street. 
 These were the only A. ]\I. E. churches un- 
 til 1875, when Simpson Chapel was organized. 
 
 Simpson t^liapcl is the earliest of the A. 
 M. E. churches that has |)resei-ved its rec- 
 ords. It was organized by Daniel Ellison. 
 B. J. Wood and C. 11. Taylor, local preachers, 
 and an unpretentious fiame building was 
 erecteil at .Misso\iri aii<l Eleventh streets. The 
 pastors have been, in succession. Rev. Dr. 
 Marshell, W. Taylor. Daniel Jones, Simon G. 
 Turner, Charles Jones. A. A. Price, (!. A. 
 Si.ssle, E. D. ililler. T. L. Ferguson, L. JI. 
 ITagood, (j1. a. Sissle. E. L. (iillian. AV. IT." 
 Riley, N. 11. Talbott. \V. 11. Sinmious and 
 J. S. Bailey, the pr<'sent |)astor. The church 
 in time iiutgrew its (|uartei-s, and on August 
 20, 1899, the corner-stone of the present brick 
 veneei- building was laid. The church now 
 has 350 members, and 125 in the Siuidax' 
 school. 
 
 In 1879 the West Mission was organized, 
 occupying a room on Blaekfoi'd sti'cet, south 
 of North, which soon developed into Zion's 
 \. M. E. Chui'cli. Othei's were organizerl 
 later, there now being eight A. M. E. 
 churches in the city. The A. M. E. Zion 
 Church was not represente(l in Tndianaiiolis 
 initil 1886, when Lovely Lane Church was 
 established at 568 Virginia aven\ie. There 
 ai-e now four churches of this <lenomination 
 in the I'ity. It ditl'ers from the .\. M. E. 
 ( 'luireli aliout as the ^lethodist Protestant 
 lilies from the Methodist Lpiscopal. the chief 
 point being that it does not recognize a sep- 
 arate order of Ijishops— at least not one oi-- 
 ilained by "laying on of hands". The Col- 
 ored 'M. E. Church had its fiist congregation 
 (il'L'.anized in Indiananiilis in l-'eln-uarv. The
 
 (;()4 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 corner-stone of its chureh on Drake street. 
 near We.st, kivown as I'hillips Chapel, was 
 laid on June 14, 1908, by Bishop C. H. Phil- 
 lips, A.M., M.D.. D.D. This denomination is 
 essentially Southern and this chureh belongs 
 to the Tennessee Conferenee. It has had two 
 pastors, J. F. Taylor and Thomas A. AVilson. 
 It now has 47 iiieinbers, and 30 in the Sun- 
 day school. , 
 
 Of the se\-eral otfshoot sects of the Metho- 
 dist Church four are represented in Indian- 
 apolis. The oldest of these is the Methodist 
 I'rotestant Chureh, whose first congregation 
 here was organized in 1880. and esta])lished 
 at Hoyt avenu(> and Dillon (later Shelby), 
 with John P. Williams as pastor. Another 
 I'hureh of this denomination was organized in 
 November, 1901, by the Jlethodist Pi-otestant 
 Chi'istian Endeavor of Indiana. The corner- 
 stone of ils building' at Villa avenue and 
 Prospect street was laid on January 8, 1902. 
 and it was dedicated in June of the same 
 vear. Its pastors have been A. B. Williams. 
 1901-3; S. S. Stanton. 1903-4 -. W. C. Reeder. 
 1904 to date. It has 200 members and 275 
 in the Sunday school. The Free [Methodists 
 have a chureh at 1114 East Tenth street, 
 which was organized in November, 1907, by 
 Rev. U. E. Harding, and was formally incoi'- 
 porated as the First Free ^Nfethodist Church 
 of Indianapolis on January 25. 1909, by Jos. 
 B. Lutz. the present pastor. It has 47 mem- 
 bers, and 50 in the Sunday school ; and, in 
 addition to the usual church functions, car- 
 ries on the work of the East Tenth Street 
 Mission, which was established in 1903. It 
 has no chureh building as yet. but is planning 
 for one. The Original ^Methodists have a 
 small congivgation at 2201 Nortli Arsenal 
 avenue; and the Reformed Methodists have 
 one at 90'2y-, North Behnont avenue, with 
 Rev. Martha A. Swigert as pastor. 
 
 The Congregatioiudists were among the 
 7)ioneers in Indianapolis, although they had 
 no church oi'ganization in the first qiutrter of 
 a century of the town's existence. David C. 
 Proctor, who visited the cit.v for a week in 
 May, 1822, and later served as the first pas- 
 tor of the fii'st Presbyterian Chureh, was a 
 Congregationalist. scut out by the Connecti- 
 cut Missionary Society. So was Isaac Reed, 
 who on July 5. 1823. "preached as moderator 
 in the fonii;itioii ut' the church of Indian- 
 
 apolis". The Coiniccticut ^lissionary Socie- 
 ty was the first home mi.ssion organization of 
 the country, and it was very rea.sonably said 
 in 1827 that "half the Presbyterian churches 
 in Indiana had been planted by its mission- 
 aries." The First Presbyterian Chureh of 
 Indianapolis recognized the obligation on 
 September 20, 1823, by a formal resolution 
 of thanks to the society for sending Mr. 
 Proctor, and expressing appreciation that 
 they, "in addition to their exertions to pro- 
 mote the interests of religion in their own 
 country, and also to spread its light among 
 the nations of Asia and the Indians of Amer- 
 ica, are doing so much to sujtply with preach- 
 ing and the orilinances of the Gospel the new 
 settlements in our Western country". The 
 two churches wei'e acting together in the 
 early period, under what was called "the 
 plan of union", by which the missionaries of 
 either church "settled" churches of the 
 other, and served them. The Presbyterians 
 seemed to get the best of it in Indiana, but 
 when it is considered that this work was 
 merely gathering together persons already 
 church membei's. it means only that there 
 were more Presbyterians who desired church 
 organization than there were Congregation- 
 alists. 
 
 There were several unsuccessful efforts to 
 organize a Congregational Church in Indian- 
 apolis, but they were usually thwarted by 
 some new missionary enterprise of one of the' 
 other churches. Not tnitil 1S57 did success 
 come. On August 9 of that year, in the 
 senate chamber of the old state eapitol, Ply- 
 mouth Congregational Church was b(n'n. It 
 was an occasion of general interest, and the 
 council that assisted in the organization was 
 composed of Rev. ]M. A. Jewett, pastor of 
 First Church. Teire Haute; Dr. T. M. Post, 
 pastor of First Church. St. Louis; Dr. 11. M. 
 Sfoi-rs, pastor of Seventh Street Church, Cin- 
 cinnati ; Rev. S. P. Fay. jiastor of the church 
 at Dayton, and Dr. Sturtevant. president of 
 Illinois College. The church was organized 
 with 31 member^, of whom 5 came in on 
 profession of faith, ^^ld the rest by letter 
 from other churches. For several months 
 pi'ior to the organization these members had 
 maintained reliaious services and a Sunday 
 school iu the senate chamber, and they ctm- 
 • inued to woi-ship there, with fiu^ exception
 
 HISTORY OF (MtKATKi;. 1 XDI AXAl'OLl.s. 
 
 60.= 
 
 (if a short period when services were held at 
 Kamsey's Hall, on Illinois street, until their 
 cliiireh building was ready for oecupaucy. 
 
 This first ehureh buijtliuir was on ileridiau 
 street, opposite C'hi'ist Chureh— now eovered 
 liy the Eufilish Hotel. The front part, con- 
 taiiiinu: the leeture room, study and social 
 nionis, was completed and occupied in Sep- 
 tember, 18.59. The renuiinder was finished 
 and dedicated on April W. 1871. The con- 
 'jre<.'ation occupied this building' until 1884, 
 under the pastorate of Oscar C. IMcCidloch, 
 when it built a handsome chur<'h at the south- 
 east corner of New York and .Meridian. This 
 liuilding: was occupied until September 15. 
 lltOl. when it was delivered to the United 
 States as a part of the site for the federal 
 building. The sellin<r price was .$48,000, and 
 the sale was eonsunuuated in Autrust, 1000, 
 the cougrefjation reserving the right of occu- 
 pancy for a yeai-. Th(> church then pur- 
 ehasiMl tiie buildiiie- erected by the Seventh 
 Day Adventists at Oenti-al aveniu' and Four- 
 teenth streets, and occupied it, after some re- 
 modeling, until September, 1908. While the 
 ehanges were being made in the Central 
 .\veuiie Church, the congregation was given 
 the coiiiplinieutaiy use of the Jewish Syiia- 
 L'ogue. on Delaware street. On May 1^5. 1906. 
 I lie .\(>rth Couijreeatioual Church united with 
 i'lyinnuth Church, the united congregations 
 retailing the latter name. On July 10. 1908. 
 I'lymoiith and Mayflower Churches united. 
 lakiiiiT the name. The Fii'st Congregational 
 • 'hureli. They occup.v the former ^TayHower 
 liuildiuL'. at th(> southwest corner of Deleware 
 and Sixteenth sti-eets. and Rev. Harry 15lunt. 
 nf Plymouth, is the present pastor. This 
 chureh now has :189 members, and 121 in the 
 Sunday school. 
 
 Plymouth Church had nine pastors, in the 
 following order: W. C. Bartlett, :Mav to 
 Antrust, 18,58: \. A. Ilvde, 1858-67: E. P. 
 Ineersoll, 18H8-71 : J. L. Bennett. 1871-3: O. 
 S. Dean. 1873-7: Oscar C. :\rcCulloch. 1877- 
 !n: F. E. Dewhtn-.st. 1892-9: IT. C. :\Ieserve. 
 1900-4: Harry Blunt. 1904-8. Of these. Na- 
 thaniel Alden H.vde was longest indentified 
 
 \ ith Indianapolis. He was born Mny 10, 
 1827. at Stafford. Coiui.. of Pilgrim stock, 
 the "Alden" in his name being for John 
 Alden. of "Ma.vflower" fame, of whom he 
 
 vas a descendant on his mother's side. He 
 
 graduated from Yale in 1847. and Andover 
 Theological in 1851; preached at Central 
 \'illage and Rockville, Conn., in 1851-3; was 
 assistant secretary of the Children's Aid So- 
 ciety of New York Cit.v in 1854-1): preached 
 at Dayton and ('incinnati in parts of 1857-8; 
 aiul was then called to I'lymoiith Church. 
 During his service there, on August 28, 1866, 
 he married Laura K.. daughter of Stoughtou 
 A. Fletcher, Sr. In 1867 the State Associa- 
 tion of Congregatioiud (Churches asked for a 
 superintendent of missions in Indiana. The 
 .American Home Missionary Society told the 
 brethren to name their man. They promjjtly 
 united on Mr. Hyde, who reluctantly con- 
 sented to serve. He tilled this position most 
 acceptably until 1873, when he resigned and 
 soon after accepted the pastorate of May- 
 tiower Church. He served as pastor there till 
 April n. 1888. and as pastor emeritus, which 
 he was formally made on resigning; he su|)- 
 plied the pulpit between succeeding pastor- 
 ates until his death, on July 19, 1901. After 
 his, resignation inucli of his time was devoted 
 to the charity work of the city, the Art As- 
 .sociation. and other interests of a pul)lic 
 character, as well as the general interests of 
 the Congregational Chureh. 
 
 .Mayflower Chureh had its inception in a 
 Sunday school that was started by the Y. M. 
 C. A. at a private residence on the corner of 
 Jack.son and Cherr.v streets. On ;\Iay 23, 
 1869, ^layflower Church was organized with 
 13 members, 5 from Plymouth, 2 from Third 
 Street ."\I. E.. 1 from Roberts Park :\I. E., and 
 '■i from the Fourth Presbyterian. C. M. San- 
 ders was called as pastor, and served until 
 November, 1S70. He was followed by 0. W. 
 Barinnii in 1871-2. and he by Dr. Hyde. A 
 church building was erected at St. Clair and 
 East streets, which was dedicated in Janu- 
 ary, 1870. This was occupied until 1894, 
 when the chapel of the chureh building at the 
 southwest corner of si.xteenth and Delaware 
 was completed and occupied. The main 
 church building was com|)lete(l seven years 
 later and was dedicated on Oclober 20, 1901. 
 After the resignation of Dr. Hyde. Rev. Fred- 
 erick S. Huntington was called to the pas- 
 torate, but died of typhoid fever before ar- 
 riving here. The pastors succeeding were 
 Kinion D. Evans. 1888-90: John W. Wilson. 
 1S91-7; Henrv \. Kinnev. Januarv to Feb-
 
 (illli 
 
 IIISToKV ol' 
 
 K.\'l'i:i; IXDlAXAl'ohls. 
 
 niiirv, 1898; S, A. llovt. 1898-9; H. S. Os- 
 -o(m1, 1900-4: Arthur J. Franc-is. 19()4-fK 11. 
 J. Van Aukon. 190() to the rMinsDliiUitinn with 
 I'lymouth. 
 
 The most widi-ly laiowii of tlii> Conprefra- 
 tional pastoi-s was Oscar C. 'SI. .^^f'Cullol'll. 
 who occupied a hirue place in the life of th'' 
 city. Indeed his was a I'eliyioii of life. lie 
 loved to call '.he church "the house of life": 
 and he preached eloquently from the text. 
 "T am come that they misiht have life, and 
 that they might have it nun-e abundantly". 
 He was a native of Fremont, Ohio, boin Jul.v 
 2. 1843. His father was a druggist and he 
 learned the liusin(>ss. puttiu'.;- in his spaiv 
 time readini;' good literature. On arrival at 
 manhood he went to Chicago .-ind liecaiin' 
 salesman for a wholesale drup house. While 
 in the city he srave much attention to mission 
 and charitable woi-k. In 1867 he gave uj) 
 his employment and entered Chicago Theo- 
 loo'ical Seminai-y to fit himself for the niin- 
 istry. His fii-st ])astorate was at r'heboyuan. 
 Mich., where he remained seven years; and 
 from where he was called to Plymouth 
 Church in July 1877. He found it a pooi' 
 and weak conirreuation. with an inconvenient 
 buildinff. heavily mortgaoed. His preachiuu' 
 and work built up the eonsregation. and his 
 original genius financed a new church ju'o.iecl 
 by an issue of .4!2r>.000 of fifteen-year bonds. 
 The new church was occupied in 1884. and 
 was a new ehiu-eh in its devotion to instruc- 
 tion, charity, helpful recreation, and the gen- 
 eral uplift of hiniianity. 
 
 But his woi-k was not confined to the 
 church. On 'JMianlcsgivini!' eveniui;'. 1878. he 
 attended the atuinal meeting of the Indian- 
 ai>olis Benevolent Society — an institution that 
 had existed continuously for fortv-lhi'ei' 
 years, and had bi>en a thiim' of pride and t:en- 
 ei'al interest in the eai'liei- \('ai-'^ nf the i>lace 
 There were OTily seven persons nresent, and 
 they were somewhat discouraged. A motion 
 wa>» made tn disband. ]\T"Culloch opnosed it. 
 He spoke of the worlc tlia* wms being dour 
 elsewhere and (if the need .f ;ind opp(U'- 
 tunity for woi'k here, 'i'hi' iiiDtion to disband 
 was withdrawn. an<l one to "n on was sub- 
 stituted. He was elected president, and he 
 was re-elected to that position annually 
 throughout his life. The work at once liegan 
 to l)e svsteiiiatic and etifeelive. The recoi-d 
 
 of visits and investigations was opened Jan- 
 uary 20, 1879. and in April an employment 
 agency was started. In December the work 
 was reoi'ganized as The Charity Organization 
 Society. ^In the fall of 1880, the Friendly Inn 
 and woodyard was opened, which became a 
 nightmare to the professional tramp and a 
 i-elief to the neetly man. In 1881 a success- 
 ful campaign was made to i-efoi-m abuses in 
 the county jioorhouse. and in the same year 
 was organized the Children's Aid Society, 
 from which developed the free kindergartens. 
 In December, 1882, preliminary steps were 
 taken for the Flower Mission Training School 
 foi- Nurses, the active work beginning in the 
 following September. In 1883 the establish- 
 ment of the county workhouse was secured. 
 Ill 1885 the Dime Savings and Loan Associa- 
 tion was formed. 
 
 In 1888-9 the work reached out to the 
 state. Mr. MeCulloch formulated bills for the 
 State Board of Charities and Corrections and 
 the Board of Children's (iuardian.s. They 
 fortunately came before the gi'cat Democratic 
 lefoi'm legislature of that winter, and Mr. 
 MeCulloch found an able and vigorous co- 
 ad.iutor in Samuel E. INIorss, of the Sentinel, 
 by whose aid they became laws ; and they 
 have i-evolutionized charity and correctional 
 work in Tn<liana. By this time the Associated 
 Charities of Indianajiolis had become an or- 
 ganization of national repute, and at the Na- 
 tional Conference of Charities and Correc- 
 tions at Baltimore, in 1890, Mr. MeCulloch 
 was nuide its president, and the annual meet- 
 ing for 1891 was fixed at Indianapolis. It 
 convened in ]\Iay. and was a great siu'cess 
 in evei-y way. especially as an iiis()iration to 
 organized charity throughout the state. It 
 was the climax of his public w(U'k. In June. 
 1891. he went to Europe, hoping by rest and 
 change to regain the health he had broken 
 by overwork. On his return, without physi- 
 cal bi'nefit. he i)reached one Sunday, and 
 then in patience waited the call to lasting 
 Ix'alth and rest, which came on December 10. 
 1891. In 1892 a volume of his most striking 
 and characteristic sermons was jjrinteil in this 
 city under the title, "The Open Door". 
 
 Although the first preacher who delivei'ed 
 a sr'rmon at Indianapolis was a ".Newlight ". 
 who might be r-laimed as a "Campbellite". 
 or "Christian", the sect had no formal or- 
 
 I
 
 IIIS'l'()i;V OF CK'KATEK IXDIAXATOMS. 
 
 607 
 
 i:aniz;iti()ii lu'ii' for iiioiv than a decade later; 
 llioutrh sev<'ral of its ijieinhers united and 
 rented a lojr liouse on .Market street, where 
 they held ])r:iy(>r meetings and oeeasionai 
 services. In January. 18oS, .John O'Kane. a 
 \'iri.nnian. who had heeii doiny: evantrelistie 
 wnik in Oliio and eastei-n Indiana, as well as 
 teaching school, made a trip as Tar west as 
 linlianapolis. Xo chureh was oixn to him, 
 anil preaehinji for three successive evenings 
 in the log house showed that it was in- 
 adi-(juate foi' those who wished to hear; but 
 the lesiislature. which was in session in the 
 old court house, ottered him that building on 
 Saturday evcniiiLis and Sundays, and a season 
 iif I'cvival folhiwed. He was one of the most 
 noted debaters of his church, locally, aggres- 
 sive, ready and with a keen wit that often 
 took the form of ingenious invective oi- eut- 
 ting sairasiii. A lather ]iom[)ous "orthodox"' 
 minister havinu declined to debate with him. 
 Init intimatinu his readiness to meet AJex- 
 .indei- Campbell. (_)"l\ane leveled his long thin 
 liuLier and answered: '•'\'(iu! Vou debate 
 with Alexander ('ami)bell I Why. if one of 
 his ideas should get into your head it would 
 explode like a bond)shell." He made one or 
 two visits to Indianapolis in the spring, and 
 on June 12. 1KV.I. "the Church of Christ" 
 at this point was organized at the hous(> of 
 Benjamin Koberts; and Peter II. Roberts and 
 • lohn II. Sanders wei-c chosen the first ovci'- 
 seers. The church had no regular pastor for 
 nine yeais. hut O'Kane wa.s among those who 
 \ isited it and i)reached at interv;ils. In 18411 
 he located at Indi;in;ii)olis and engaged in the 
 book and stationery business, preachinu- when 
 occasion ott'ered. lie took an active intci'cst 
 in organizing Xoi'thwestern Christian Cniver- 
 sity, and in IS")! was appointed general agent 
 and solieitor foi- 't. to its material advan- 
 laire. In 1S.")() he removed to Independence. 
 Missoni-i. and died in that state in 1881. 
 
 .\mong othei's who visited the cinirch were 
 ■ leliii L. Jones and Thomas Lockhart. who 
 ;ra\'eled together ;is evangelists in central In- 
 diana; Lo\-e 11. .lameson. .Miehacl Combs. ,\n- 
 Irew I'rathei' ;ind T. J. .Matlock. Chauiicey 
 Hutler. father <if (>\id Bidler. .served as ])as- 
 loi' for idiout a year in 18:50-40. Butler I\. 
 Siiiitli. a blaeksmitli. who came here in ISL'M 
 and was one of the lonnders of the ehureh. 
 preached oecasii nall\'. He devoteil liimsell' 
 
 wholly to the ministry later. The fir.st regu- 
 lar pastor was Love 11. Jameson, who took 
 eharge October 1, 1842, and served till 1853". 
 He was :i notable exami)le of jtersonal effort. 
 Horn in Jeffer.son County, Indiana. .May 17, 
 1811. with only fhi> in.struction of his parents 
 and the country s"hools of the territory, he 
 became " eonvertetl " and was induced to en- 
 ter the ministry. He preached for the first 
 time on December "25, 1829 : and feeling a 
 need for more education he took up the study 
 of (Jreek. using as a text-book Ironside's 
 Ci-anuTUir. which was written in Latin. From 
 that time on he was self-instiaicted. with the' 
 exception of attenilance at D. I). Bi'att"s sem- 
 inary at Rising Sun, in the sunuuer and fall 
 of 1833. He became a good Greek scholar, 
 and proficient in the natural sciences and 
 Miusic. In 18r)il the directors of Xorthwest- 
 ern Christian University, on reconnMcndation 
 of the faculty, gave him an honoi-ary degree 
 of A..M. He taught school both before and 
 after connng hei'c. He resided in Indiaiuip- 
 olis after I'csigning his pastorate, and was 
 for numy years a trustee of the Deaf and 
 Dumb .Vsyluin, and one of the active pro- 
 ;iiotei-s of Xorthwestern Christian University. 
 In the Civil AVar he went out as chaplain of 
 the Seventy-ninth Tiuliaiui, hut was obliged to 
 resign after two \cars of service on acci>unt 
 id' ill health. He wa,s noted as a singei-. and 
 com])()sed a ninidier of hymns, of which 
 "(iathering Home" was perha|)s the most 
 jiopular. His death occiu'red ;it Indianapolis, 
 en .\pril (i. 18(12. 
 
 During the ministry of ^Ir. Jameson, in 
 IS.")], it was decided to make a change of lo- 
 cation, and a substantial brick church was 
 built on the southwest corner of Delaware 
 and Ohio streets, where Butler K. Smith's 
 house had stood. In the spring o\' 1SS2, a 
 conuiiittee was appoiided to build an addi- 
 tion at the west end of this, fronting on Ohio 
 street. This was comi)li'ted in tinu' for the 
 semi-centeiuiial of the church, which was 
 celebrated oTi June 12. l.^S:5. with memoi'ablc 
 enthusiasm. Here the conurcgation i-<'mained 
 ten years longer. In 1S!I() it was dccidetl to 
 move farther nei-lh. and a lot at th<' corner 
 of Ft. \V;ivne aviTiue anil Walnut street was 
 secured. The w.irk was bceun in ]\Iay, 1892, 
 the coiMierstone beiui; laid on July 26; and 
 the church was dedicated en .\piil Ki. 1893.
 
 DOS 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 the dedication sermon being preached by J. II. 
 Garrison, of St. Louis, editor of the Christian 
 Evangelist. The cost of this handsome build- 
 ine:, with the furnishings and the lot, was 
 $•47,500. 
 
 The pastors of the church, now known as 
 Central Christian Church, since Love It 
 Jameson, have been Eli.jah Goodwin, 1856-9; 
 Perry Hall. 1856-62 : Otis A. Buraess, 1862-!) ; 
 Wm. F. Black, 1869-77: Joseph'^B. Cleaver, 
 1877-8; Urban C. Brewer, 1878-81; David 
 AValk, 18S1-5; Edwin J. Gantz, 1885-8; David 
 R. Lucas, 1888-95; John E. Pounds. 1896-8; 
 Allen B. Philputt. 1898 to date. Of these 
 Elders Burgess, AYalk and Lucas were espe- 
 cially ]»oiiular i)reachers. Elder Black became 
 involvcil in a scandal and was dismissed from 
 the pastorate. Rev. Allen B. Philputt. the 
 present pastor, is popular both in and out- 
 side of his church. He is a native of Ten- 
 nessee, born in 1856. He graduated at In- 
 diana T^niversity. and later studied at Har- 
 vard ; and then studied theology at the Epis- 
 copalian Divinity School at Philadelphia. His 
 first call was to Bloomington. lud.. wher^' 
 he remained for six years, during two of 
 which he also served as instructor in the uni- 
 versity. He was then called to Philadelphia, 
 where he served for ten years, and from 
 there was called to Indianapolis. 
 
 The Second Christian Church is the only 
 colored congregation of the denomination in 
 Indianapolis. It M-as establi.shed as a mis- 
 sion of the First or Central Church in the 
 spring of 1867. The white brethren aided 
 largely in the early -work, and especially W. 
 W. Dowling and J. M. Tilford. A modest 
 frame building was soon erected on First 
 'Tenth) street west of ^Mississippi. Later it 
 occupied a building at old Fifth and Illinois 
 streets foi- a time, and then went to its pi-es- 
 cnt building at Missouri and Thirteenth. It 
 was organized as a church in 1868. with Ru- 
 fus Conrad as pastor. The present pa.stoi- is 
 H. L. Herod, who appears to make no reports 
 to anybody of mendiership or church work. 
 
 The Third Christian Church grew out of a 
 Sunday school that was organized in the 
 spring of 1867 at the Northwestern Christian 
 T^niversity. by Prof. A. C. Shortridge and 
 others. The church was organized in the 
 University Chapel on December 10. 1868. It 
 was without a i-cgular jiastor for the first 
 
 year, and since then the pastoral .succession 
 has been, Austin Council, Elijah Goodwin, 
 John C. IMiller, Dr. Ryland T. Brown, J. L. 
 Parsons, AVm. Holt. Robert C. ]\Iatthews, S. 
 H. :\Ioore, D. R. Van Buskirk, Burris A. 
 Jenkins, Carlos C. Rawlinson, Charles B. 
 Xcwnan, and Harry G. Hill. The last re- 
 port of the church showed 1,740 members and 
 1,250 in the Sunday school. The first build- 
 ing, a frame, on Home avenue near Ash, was 
 tknlicated on October 23, 1870. The second 
 was dedicated on January 1, 1888. The con- 
 gregation is now contem]i]ating a thii'd. to 
 be located at Seventeenth and Broadway. 
 
 The Fourth Christian Church began as a 
 mission school in a dwelling on Blake street 
 on June 28. 1868, and in November of that 
 year moved to a room at the corner of New 
 York and Blake. That winter the church 
 was organized, with Elder J. B. New as pas- 
 tor. In the summer of 1869 the congregation 
 removed to a hall on Indiana avenue, and re- 
 mained there for a year and a half. On 
 January 1, 1871, a frame church at Fayette 
 and Walnut was dedicated. Its next move 
 was to Pratt and West streets. The present 
 ]iastor is Wm. H. Smith, and the member- 
 ship is reported 250. The Fifth Christian 
 Church, otherwise known as Olive Branch, 
 was organized in 1868. Its church building 
 at old Fifth and Illinois was dedicated on 
 December 25, 1870. It lost its building and 
 went to pieces in 1880, most of the members 
 going to the First and Sixth Churches. Later 
 it wa.s revived and established at 1120 S. 
 Meridian street. Fi'cd H. Jacobs is the pres- 
 ent pastor and the reported mendiei'shiii is 
 150. 
 
 The Sixth Christian Church, at Elm and 
 Pine streets, wa.s organized February 14. 
 1875. The corner-stone of its church was laid 
 in 1888 ; it was dedicated in 1897 ; the mort- 
 gage was burned on October 10. 1909. The 
 pastors have been J. M. Caniield. A. L. Or- 
 cutt and C. W. Cauble. The membership is 
 600. and the Sundaj' school has 250 enrolled. 
 The Seventh Christian Church is a Noi-th In- 
 dianapolis congregation, with building at 
 Udell and Annette streets. The present pas- 
 tor is Clay Trusty. The membershi]) is 432. 
 and the Sunday school has 300 enrolled. Bis- 
 marck avenue, or Haughville Church, was or- 
 ganized in the .spring of 1889. and its build-
 
 HTS^T0T7Y.()F nUKATKlJ IXDIANArOT.IS. 
 
 609 
 
 (]V. JI. liass Photo Company.) 
 
 CHRIST CHURCH.
 
 GIG 
 
 jiisToi.'V OK (;i;i:a'iki; inihanai'oi.is. 
 
 ing was erected iu the same year. Its pastor 
 is S. F. Powers. There are 364 members, aud 
 150 in the Sunday school. 
 
 Hillside Avenue Cliureh, at the corner of 
 Hillside and Nineteenth streets, was organ- 
 ized August 2G, 1892, and the church was 
 built the following winter. The succession 
 of pastors has been 11. L. Hendei-son, \V. C. 
 Payne. Om.'r IlutlVrd, M. L. Pierce, E. W. 
 Hammond. S. J. Tomlinson, R. A. Smith, 
 O. E. Tomes, R. A. Smith, and Charles M. 
 Fillmore. The church has 260 members and 
 275 in the Sunday school. North Park Church, 
 at the corner of Kenwood and Twenty-ninth 
 streets, was organized June 20, 1897. The 
 pastors have been J. ^l. Cantield, 1897-9; C. 
 M. AVatson, 1890-1900; J. P. Meyers, 1900-2; 
 Austin Hunter, 1902 to date. Under Mr, 
 Hunter a new church has been begun, and is 
 a]>]M'oaching completion. The church has 561 
 members and 300 in the Sunday school. 
 
 In 1896 the Christian Church Union was 
 organized — incorporated December 4 — "to 
 preach the gospel, organize and maintain 
 Christian churches and Christian Sunday 
 schools'". It has 66 members, from the va- 
 rious Christian churches, and has been th(> 
 active missionary ortranization of the denom- 
 ination since its oruanization. Other Chris- 
 tion churches that have been organized are 
 apparently flourishini;'. Englewood Church, 
 at 35 N. Rural, has 500 members aud 460 in 
 the Sunday school. O. E. Tomes is pastor. 
 Irvington, or Downey Avenue Church, has 
 490 members and 475 in the Sunday school. 
 Chas. H. Winders is pastor. Morris Street 
 Church, corner of Blaine avenue, west In- 
 dianapolis, has 500 membeis and 200 in the 
 Sunday school. 
 
 West Park Chujch is the outgi-owth of :i 
 tent meeting held by the Union in 1904. It 
 was organized with 60 members and now re- 
 ports 240. F. P. Smith is the pastor, and the 
 church is located on Addison street, north of 
 Washington. Columbia Place is a new church 
 oruanizcd in 1909, and its building on Foi'ty- 
 seeond street was di'dicated in 1909. Cen- 
 itenary is a new church that has no building 
 yet, and is holding services in Odd Fellows 
 liall at Tenth and Rui-al streets. It was or- 
 ganized in 1909. South Side Church is an- 
 other new church with no building, but using 
 a hall at Hai-|ic>r and ('(ittage. It has had two 
 
 pastois, M, V. Reckhoft' and B. J. McKane, 
 and reports 20 members and 50 in the Sun- 
 day school. ]\Iost of the members are from 
 Si.xth Church. 
 
 The Church of Christ is an independent 
 society, located at 916 W. Twenty-ninth 
 street, whose charter members were "Dis- 
 ciples" who withdrew from the Seventh 
 Christian Church iu 1893. The church has no 
 pastor in the ordinary sense, but is served 
 by its two elders, Daniel Sonnner and A. W. 
 Harvey. It has no Sunday school. The 
 First Christian Church, at Seventeenth and 
 Columbia, is not a congregation of the "Dis- 
 ciples" or "Campbellites", but of tlie 
 "Stoneites" or "Xewlights" faction that did 
 not luiite with the "Campbellites" in 1832. 
 This coniiregation was organized on June 29, 
 1898, and built a Sunday school at ;\Iartin- 
 dale aud Seventeenth streets in 1907. They 
 were preparing to build a church when the 
 German Evangelical oft'ered to sell the build- 
 inu- now occupied, and the offer was accepted. 
 J. F. :\Iorris was pastor, 1898-1906: Rev. 
 WUes, 1906-8; C. O. Brown, 1908 to date. 
 The church has 61 members, and 102 in the 
 Sunday school. John McClung, the lirst 
 clergyman that preached in Indianapolis, was 
 a membei- of this denomination. They are 
 sometimes called "Old Christians" by the 
 Disciples. 
 
 Thei-e is sometliinff attractive about Christ 
 Church to most people, and it is the only old 
 building of any size in Indianapolis that is 
 attractive. An ideal of church architecture, 
 nestled down between the big Columbia Club 
 and the big Board of Trade, it strikes one as 
 a step out of the present into the pa.st ; and 
 the imjiression is strengthened if you accept 
 the kindly invitation at the side of the ever- 
 open door — "Come in: rest and pray". It 
 is old— built in 1860- and it stands where its 
 predecessor was built twenty-two yeai-s ear- 
 iiei-— more than three score years and ten of 
 church, occuiiancy of that site, which is more 
 than can be counted f(U' any other church in 
 the city. In its prime it had abundant com- 
 jiany, for the cii'cle was the church center— 
 the First Presbyterian on the east, the Sec- 
 ond Presbyterian on the west, AVesley Chapel 
 on the south and Christ Church on the north : 
 and later in that period came Plymouth Con- 
 gi'egational .iust across Meridian street from 
 
 ;
 
 iiisToiiv OK (;i;i:ati:i; i.ndi.wai-oi.is. 
 
 (iU 
 
 Christ C'luirch. Now they are all gone; auit 
 in fact Christ Chiireli is tlie "oldest iiiliabi- 
 taiit" of the cirele. for every one of the old 
 l)iiildiiij,'s there has been removed, except that 
 the old walls of Wesley Chapel still remain 
 in part in the building at the southwest cor- 
 ner of Jleridian street and iloniunent place. 
 Gone, too, are the Governor's ^fansion that 
 stood in the center of the cii-cle, and the 
 Marion Engine House that stood on the north 
 side of it — these ltoui- so lontr that tiiey are 
 not even memories except to a cdiripai-ative 
 few of the oldest residents. 
 
 As an organization the Episcopalian eongi-e- 
 sration was not among the earliest, but thei-e 
 were some Episcoi)alians among the e.irliest 
 settlers, notably (ieortre Smith, tlu' firsi news- 
 paj)er publisher, but they usually attended 
 the churches of other sects, except on occa- 
 sional visits of an Episcopalian minister. 
 There were several of these. A Rev. Mr. 
 Pfeiffer preached here about 1823-4 and htiyt- 
 tized an infant. Rev. Jlelancthon Hoyt was 
 here for a time as a missionarv; and Rev. 
 Jehu C. Clay, later Dr. Clay, of Piiiiadelphia. 
 came afterwai'ds and was i'e(|uested to settle, 
 but did not. Rev. Henry M. Shaw also vis- 
 ited the place. In Apiil. 1837, a movement 
 for organization was inaugurated. On .July 
 4, 1837. Rev. James B. Britton located here. 
 and on July 9, the Sunday following, held 
 .sei-vices. On July 13 thirty resident Episco- 
 palians associated themselves as "the Parish 
 of Chi'ist Church", and on August 21, for- 
 nudly organized by i-lccting Aithur St. Clair 
 senior warden: Thos. Mc()uat. junior wai'den ; 
 and James Morri.son, Joseph ]\r. ^foore and 
 AVm. Ilannanian, vestrymen. 
 
 On :May 7, 1838, the corner-.stone of the 
 first cburch was laid: and it was occupied on 
 Xovend)er 18: aiul <ledicated <in December 
 It; of the .same year by Kt. Rev. Jackson 
 Kempei-. D.D.. ]\Ii.s.sionary Bishop of Indiana 
 and Mis-souri. It was a fi'ame buildiui;-. con- 
 sidered at the time the handsomest church 
 structure in Indiana ; though there was noth- 
 ing especially handsome alxnit it. except thai 
 it had a spire when spires were nut very 
 connnon. In 18.")7 it was moved away to 
 serve as a meetiuL' place foi- the ])eople of 
 Bethel A. M. E. Church, until it was de- 
 stroyed by fire a few years later. The pres- 
 ent church was cdmpleled ;ind dcciipird in 
 
 18()(). except that the spii'c was not added till 
 186!l. The chimes wei-e addeil in the spring 
 of IStil. Many I'cmember how (iei>rge Hard- 
 ing used to revile them on the ground that 
 they interfered w-ith innocent Sunday slum- 
 ber, but he had little sympathy in his on- 
 slaughts, for til all Indianai)olis people who 
 had any sentiment those chimes serve the 
 essential purposes of the bells of Shandon. 
 Taking it altogether, it is not strange that in 
 19(H), when there was a movoneut on foot to 
 abancliin the "Id ehiireh. and the Colundiia 
 Club had an option on the property, there 
 arose a general remonstrance airainst the pro- 
 posal. The removal pi-o.ject was therefore 
 abandoned, and the chui'ch was repaired and 
 a Sunday school room added. It now has 'I'Ai 
 conununicants, and 9.') in the Sunday .school. 
 The reetoi-s of Christ Chui'ch have been 
 James B. Britton, 1837-40: .Moses H. Hunter. 
 1842-3; Samuel Lee Jnhnson. 1844-8: Nor- 
 man W. Camp. D.I)., 1849-52; Joseph C. Tal- 
 bott. 18.')2-60; Horace Stringfellow. Jr., 
 18(i()-3: Theodore J. Holcomb. 18ti.3-4: J. P. 
 T. Iimraham. 18(i4-8; Benjamin I'Vanklin. 
 18(58-72; E. A. Bradley, D.D., 1872-88; J. II. 
 Ranger, 1888-96; A. J. (Jrahani, 1896-1901; 
 James D. Stanley, 1901 to date. Of these 
 Mr. Johnson and Mr. Hanger died in office. 
 Mr, Talbott's service was ended by his con- 
 secration as Bishop of the Xorthwest. .Mr. 
 Stringfellow resiiined nn account of criticism 
 from outside of the church. lie was a 
 Southerner, and in the time of the Civil War 
 partisan feeling ran high. Moreover, there 
 were a numbei' of pi'ominent Democrats in 
 his congregation, and no elVort was spared by 
 their yiolitical enemies to cast odium on them. 
 I'he Jonruiil's mildest term foi- a Democrat 
 was "copperhead", and. as is usual, there 
 wei'e many who swallowed all their party or- 
 igan ;-iaitl. and enlarged on it. Under these 
 eonditions Mr. Stringfellow and his wife 
 fui'nished some food to i-ebel pi'isoners in tie- 
 city who complained of a hick of it; ami this 
 action called forth bitter criticism. .Mr. 
 Sti'intrfellow felt that his usefulness here was 
 ended and handed in his resignation. His 
 congregation unanimously re((ucsted him not 
 to go, and his vestry puiilicly (>xpressed their 
 confidence in him and condemned the injus 
 tice of the eritieisni: but lir insisted mi his
 
 613 
 
 HISTORY OF (i HEATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 resignation, and probably under the circum- 
 stances he was right. 
 
 But he was brought back later. In the 
 spring of 1866 Christ Church had grown 
 overcrowded, and there was consideration of 
 a new parish. Some of Mr. Stringf allow 's 
 old friends invited him to visit the city, and 
 he came in the latter part of June, and 
 preached on July 1 at Christ Church in the 
 morning and at Grace in the evening. The 
 new parish movement then took form. Con- 
 sent was obtained from Bishops Upfold and 
 Talbott on July 7, and on August 9 the name 
 of St. Paul's was chosen, and Mr. Stringf el- 
 low was called as rector. The preliminary 
 organization meeting was held at the office 
 of Alford, Talbott & Co., under Morrison's 
 Opera Hall on South Meridian street, and 
 W. B. Thurston, R. L. McOuat, Jos. A. 
 Moore, H. J. Horn, Wm. Edmunds, J. 0. D. 
 Lilly and D. E. Snyder were chosen for ves- 
 ti-jnnen till the Easter election. The old Mili- 
 taiy Hall, where the Lombard Building now 
 stands, was secured for services temporarily, 
 and Mr. Stringfellow preached his first ser- 
 mon there on September 2. There was some 
 consideration of the site taken later by Rob- 
 erts Park Church, bait the present site of St. 
 Paul's at New York and Illinois was chosen, 
 and the corner-stone was laid on June 6, 1867, 
 by Bishop Talbott. The chapel had been 
 completed and occupied on December 25, 
 1866. The cojupleted church was dedicated 
 on May 31, 1868. The original chapel was a 
 frame structure which was destroyed by fire 
 January 9, 1889: and its place is covered by 
 the present parish house, which was built in 
 1895-6. The parish reports 552 comiinnii- 
 cants, and 128 in the Sunday school. 
 
 The petty political prejudices of the war 
 times were transferred from Christ Church 
 to St. Paul's for several years; and though 
 there was not the open reviling, facetious 
 Republicans used to call it "the Church of 
 the Holy Rebellion", notwithstanding a ma- 
 .jority of its original vestry were Republicans. 
 But that wore off in time, as the general war 
 prejudice did, and people who had regarded 
 each other as red-handed monsters came to 
 find each other fairly decent folk. The truth 
 is that in the war time Christ Church was 
 one of the few where a Democrat could wor- 
 ship without being hit periodically with a 
 
 religio-political brick, and that was the 
 height of its offending. Rev. Stringfellow 
 remained with St. Paul's till July 1, 1869, 
 and then left his established and prosperous 
 parish to take charge of St. John's Church, 
 at Montgomery, Ala., impelled by the call of 
 conscience that his services were more needed 
 in the struggle of the church in the Soutli. 
 He was in fact a simple, kindly, manly man, 
 and one incident has caused him to be re- 
 membered with affection by those who were 
 young when he was here— he was the first 
 pastor who had a Christmas tree in his 
 church in Indianapolis. 
 
 The succeeding rectors were Treadwell 
 AValden, 1869-72; F. M. Bird, 1874; John 
 Fulton. D.D., 1875-6 ; J. Sanders Reed, 1877- 
 81; F. M. S. Taylor, 1881-2; J. S. Jenckes, 
 1883-92; G. A. Carstensen, 1892-1900; Lewis 
 Brown, 1900 to date. When the main church 
 building was dedicated. Bishop Talbott an- 
 nounced that by agreement the church had 
 been made the Diocesan Cathedral, which re- 
 lation continued imtil 1885, wlien St. Paul's 
 became an independent parish. During the 
 cathedral period the i-ectors were officially 
 deans, though the cathedral was not conse- 
 crated till June 4, 1875, and the first public 
 installation was on June 6. Among the nota- 
 ble events in the church's history were the 
 funeral of Bishop Talbott on January 19, 
 1 883 ; the funeral services of Vice-President 
 Hendricks, who was Senior "Warden at the 
 time of his death, on December 1, 1885; the 
 funeral of Bishop Knickerbacker in January, 
 1895; and the consecration of Bishop John 
 Hazen White on ilay 1, 1895. On June 25. 
 1882, the church building was badly wrecked 
 by a tornado— onn of the few that ever 
 reached Indianapolis. The tower was blown 
 over and fell thi-ough the roof on the north 
 side, and the belfry arch was hurled through 
 the roof of the chancel and vestry-room in the 
 rear. With genuine religion the Hebrew 
 congregation tendered the use of the syna- 
 gogue on Market street while repairs were be- 
 ing made : and so did Cbi'ist Church : but the 
 chapel was not injuT'cd and so the invitations 
 were declined with hearty thanks. 
 
 In 1865 the parish of Grace Church was 
 organized by a small colony from Christ 
 Church, composed chiefly of Deloss Root. J. 
 (). D. Lillv and Nelson Kingman, with their 
 
 t
 
 JlISTUliY OF GREATEli IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 613 
 
 families. M. V. Averill was called as rector 
 and remained until 1867, wlien he was suc- 
 ceeded by Dr. C. B. Davidsciu. He retired 
 in (Jetober, 1870, and James Kuncie followed 
 liim in 187]. The con-jretration built a mod- 
 est frame church at the southeast corner of 
 Pennsylvania and St. Joe streets, and in- 
 curred a debt that became a heavy burden 
 after the panic of 1873. After unsuccessful 
 efforts to settle it the ])ropei'ty was taken by 
 the diocese, and P-islioj) Talbott runted the 
 church and the little buildin^ back of it, 
 where a J^irls' school had been carried on, to 
 Mrs. Sewall, for her classical school. When 
 Bishop Knickerbacker succeeded he was 
 shocked to find that a orymna.sium had been 
 installed in the church buildinij: so he got 
 possession as soon as possible, and in 1884 re- 
 stoi'ed it to chiu'ch uses. The i-evived parish 
 did very well, and in ISSfi Bishop Knicker- 
 backer announced that he had taken it as the 
 bishop's church. It was never formally made 
 a cathedral, but it went by that name until 
 1904, when Bishop Francis cut off part of its 
 dignity and added it to its name, making it 
 the Oi-ace Pro-cathedral. In 1888 the build- 
 ing was removed to its present location on 
 Sixteenth street, east of Central avenue, 
 where it was enlarged, and is still in use. 
 The parish has quite a fund for a ijew build- 
 ing, composed in part of a handsome beq>iest 
 from Bishop Knickerbacker. and one of 1,200 
 acres of western land, which has much in- 
 creased in value, from Delo.ss Root: and tlnj 
 erection of a new building is contemplated 
 in iniO. If has now 278 communicants, and 
 there are 10.3 in the Sunday school. 
 
 The Church of the Holy Innocents was 
 developed from a Sunday school mission of 
 Christ Church that was organized in July, 
 1866, at the residence of James ^feade, No. 50 
 Forest avenue, by Rev. C. C. Tate, assistant 
 rector of Chri.st Church. The school grew 
 rapidly, and a chapel was built on a lot at 
 Fletcher avenue and Cedar .street, which was 
 donated for tluit purixise by S. A. Fletcher, 
 Jr. It cost $1,800, and was opened for sei-v- 
 ice on January 6, 1867. Afternoon Sunday 
 services were regularly held by Mr. Tate un- 
 til the following July, when he accepted .-i 
 call to Dayton. On Jainuiry 1, 1868, he was 
 succeeded by Ceo. B. Engle. as assistant rec- 
 tor of Christ Cliun-b. who sei-ved the mission 
 
 in that capacity until January 4, 1869, when 
 the parish of the Holy Iiniocents was organ- 
 ized, and Mr. Engle was called as rector. It 
 reports 75 communicants ajid 6S in the Sun- 
 day school, and E. C. Bradley is the present 
 rector. 
 
 St. George's Church was organized in 1872,. 
 as a mission of Christ Church, and the cor- 
 ner-stone of a building was laid at Church 
 and Morris streets in 1875. The rectors have 
 been E. A. Bradlev. 1872-88; W. 11. Bam- 
 ford. 1888-9; John Brann. 1889-94; J. H. 
 Ranger, 1894-5; A. J. Graham, 1897-1900; J. 
 D. Stanley, 1901-4; Geo. G. Burbanck, 1904 
 to date. This flouri.shing little church was 
 transferred to the diocese by Christ Church 
 in 1904. A new church was built in 1906-7 
 and was dedicated on April 28. 1907. It re- 
 ports 98 communicants, and 171 in the Sun- 
 day school. 
 
 St. David's Church, at Talbott avenue and 
 Twenty-first street, was organized in 1898, 
 and still wor.ships in a chapel. C. S. Sar- 
 gent has been rector from the start. It re- 
 ports 125 communicants, and 105 in the Sun- 
 day school. In addition to these parishes, 
 there are two unorganized missions in the 
 city. St. Albans, for deaf unites, has 35 
 commiuiicants, who meet at Christ Church. 
 St. Philip's is a mission of St. Paul's Church 
 to colored people, and has 120 conununicants. 
 It should be added that the Diocese of In- 
 diana was divided in 1899, thirty-one north- 
 ern counties being constituted the Diocese of 
 Michisran City, and the remainder of tfie 
 state the Diocese of Iiuliana. Bishop John 
 Hazen White, Foui'th Bishoj) of Indiana, was 
 made bishop of the formei-, aiul Joseph ]\I. 
 Fi-ancis, who had been rector of St. Paul's 
 Church at Evansville, was elected bishop of 
 the latter, and consecrated on September 21, 
 1899. 
 
 The Lutheran Church has found more 
 grounds for internal dissension than any 
 othei- protestant church- which is saying a 
 great deal- and thei-e are now in the United 
 States 25 separate Lutheran associations with 
 separate governments, besides about 150 in- 
 dependent or free churches which flock by 
 themselves. Three of these as-sociations are 
 represented in Tndiana))olis. known connnon- 
 ly as the "General Synod", the "'Synodii'al 
 Conference" or ''^fission Svuod". and the
 
 (>U 
 
 IIISTOKY OF (.iKKATKU JXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 "Joint Synod of Ohio and other states". The 
 first is represented by the oldest Lutheran 
 ehureh in the eity. l\Uo\vn eonniionly as tlie 
 First Enirlish Lutheran Chureh. hut oftieially 
 as ilt. Pisirah Lutheran Chureh. It was or- 
 ganized in Jamiai-y. IS-il, by Kev. Abraham 
 Reck, with 20 members. A building was 
 erected in 1838 at the southeast corner oi' 
 ^leridian and Ohio streets, where the Board 
 of Trade building now stands. 'Sir. Reek 
 was made consi)ieuons by the drowning of 
 his son Luthei-— the tiist fatality to those who 
 went out from Indianapolis as soldiei-s in the 
 ^lexican War. Jlr. Reek had resigned the 
 pastorate in 1840, and his earlier sueces.sors 
 were A. A. Timper, 184:0-3 : Jacob Shearer, 
 1843-5; A. TI. :\Iyers, 184.1-50; E. R. Ouiney, 
 1851-3. Mr. (iuiney died in office, ami after 
 an interim was succeeded by J. A. Kunkle- 
 man. who served until ISGtJ. Under his pas- 
 torate, in 1861. a new church was built and 
 dedicated at Alabama and New York streets. 
 Pastors followintr him were J. W. Stucken-^ 
 berg, H. L. Baughei-, AV. W. Criley. J. AY. 
 Rumple, M. II. Richanis. :Mr. Richards re- 
 signed on January 1. r877, to accept a pro- 
 fessorship at .Muhlenberg College, Pennsyl- 
 vania, and was succeeded by 6. F. Behringer, 
 and he in 1879 by John B. Baltzley. Jlr. 
 Baltzley resigned on September 1, 1883, and 
 was succeeded by his son John, who had been 
 assistant pastor since Alarch, 1881. He served 
 until 1890. In 187(1 the chapel of a new 
 building at Walnut and Pennsylvania streets 
 was completed and oceuiiied. For ten years 
 no active effort was made to complete the 
 main building, and then a .strong effort wa.s 
 made which succeeded. The pastoi"s follow- 
 ing :\Ir. Baltzlev have been A. R. Steck, 
 1891-4: D. L. :McKenzie, 1894-7; AY. AY. 
 Criley. 189S-1905; R. Foster Stone, 1905-6; 
 C. Roll in Sherck. 1907 to date. Air. Sherck 
 is a native of Alichigan, educated at Olivet 
 College, Alichigan, and AYittenberg College, 
 Springfield, 111.: and at Chicago Theological. 
 He filled pulpits at Nokomis, 111., Harris- 
 burg, Penn., Sioux City. Iowa, and Lincoln. 
 Xebr.. before cominu- here. The church has 
 250 members, and 80 in the Sunday school. 
 There is one other church of the General 
 Syno(' in the city, known as the SccoikI Evan- 
 
 gelical Lutheran Church, on Hosbrook street, 
 near Woodlawn avenue. John W. Neuhauser 
 is the pastor. 
 
 The oldest representative of the Synodical 
 Confereni-e in Indianapolis is St. Paul's 
 Evjingelicai Lutheran Church at Xew Jersey 
 and AlcCarty streets. This congregation was 
 organized on Jiine 5, 1844, at a meeting held 
 in the old seminary building. A site was ob- 
 tained on Alabama sti-eet below Washington, 
 and a church was erected and dedicated on 
 Alay 11, 1845. The succession in the pastor- 
 ate has been Theodore J. G. Kunz, 1842-50; 
 Charles PVinckc, 1850-68; Chr. Hochstetter, 
 1868-77; C. C. Schmidt, 1877-87; Fr. AVam- 
 beganss, 1887-1903; Richard D, Biedermanii, 
 1903 to date. In 1860 the congregation out- 
 grew its (|uarters, and a new church was 
 built at East and Georgia streets; dedicated 
 Xovember 3, 1860, by Dr. Wyneken. Presi- 
 dent of the synod. This church was de- 
 stroyed by fire in 1882, and the present 
 chureh was built, and dedicated on July 22, 
 1883. It has 1,100 conununieant members, 
 and is the "mother ehuich" of the other (Jer- 
 man Luthei'an chui'ches of the city. The 
 Sunttay school has an enrollment of 220, 
 which is the same as the enrollment of the 
 parochial day .school. Thei'c have been three 
 school buildings, practically adjoining the 
 three churches, and built respectively in 1847, 
 1859 and 1872. The present school teachers 
 are D. Fechtnuuui, II. Hahn, Theo. Wallis 
 and II. Alerz. Both ehureh and school work 
 are conducted in Gernuin and English, and 
 the school course is equivalent to the first 
 eight grades of the eity schools, but witli 
 special attention to religions instruction. The 
 other Lutheran churches of the Synodical 
 Conference are the Trinity Danish Church, 
 at AlcCarty and Xoble, Hans P. Bei-thelsen 
 pastor; Ennnaus (German and P^nglish) 
 Church, at Orange and Laurel, Theodore F. 
 Schurdel, pastor; St. Peter's (German > 
 Church, at Brookside and Jefjerson avenues. 
 Carl P. Schultz jiastor: and Trinity (d'er- 
 man) Church at East and Ohio, Peter Send 
 pa.stor. The only reju-esentative of the Joint 
 Synod of Ohio is a small church on East 
 Washington street, organized two years ago, 
 with Rev, Hahn as i>astor. 
 
 M
 
 CHAPTER XLV. 
 
 THE ClirKcilKS (Conlitmed). 
 
 There are seventeen Citthulic (■liurclics with 
 resilient pastors in the City of Indianapolis.' 
 In thirteen of these churches the English 
 hiiiLTiiasre is used in the public service; in 
 two (iernian is spoken, and there is one 
 ehiu'eh for the Italians and one for the Slo- 
 venians In the larp:er chnrches sei'viee is 
 held at ditl'erent hours in the forenoon in 
 order to acconunodate tlie inend)ers who 
 otherwise could not find room: the afternoon 
 or vesper service is not obligatory except for 
 the childi-en who attend the instruction in 
 Christian <loctrine. Each church is under 
 the direction of a pastor, aided whei-c neces- 
 sai-y by assistant ])riests, niaUinu the number 
 
 'This sketi'h of the Catholic Cliuieh in In- 
 dianapolis was kindly i)repared for this vol- 
 lune by the Rt. Rev. Denis O'Donaghuc, 
 whose official service here for more than a 
 third of a century makes him pre-eminently 
 an authority. lie is a native of Indiana, 
 horn Xovember :50. 1S48, in Daviess County, 
 mar thi' |)i-('sent town of Conuelton. After 
 till- ordinary education of the conniion 
 schools, he passed three years at St. ]Mein- 
 rad's College in Spencer County, entering at 
 the a^fc of ifi: then four years at St, Thomas' 
 Sciiiinai\-. at l'.ardstowu, Ky. : then thi'ce 
 years at the (Irande Seminaire, at .Montreal. 
 He was oi'daineil at Indiana|)()lis September 
 (i, 1S74. and was stationed at St. John's. 
 \\liere he remained for eleven years, filling 
 various offices, lb- was then made rector of 
 St. Patrick's, where he continued in service 
 nnlil made Mishcp of Louisville, in 1910. 
 
 iVishop O'Douae-hue is widely known as a 
 loi;ician. a liniiiiist. and a clergyman who 
 takes an intelligent interest in public alTairs. 
 For a number of years he has been one of 
 the vice-i)residents of the Imliana Historical 
 
 of clergNinen engaged in chui'cli wi)i-k at this 
 time thirty-two. The Catholic population of 
 the city as nearly as can be determined by 
 the best statistics available is not less than 
 1wenty-si.\ thousand. This niunbei' includes 
 all who have been baptized in the church and 
 ha\e not abandoned the practice of their 
 i-eligious duties. Attached to all the churches 
 are paro<-hial schools attended by more than 
 four thousand children, and conducted by re- 
 ligious connnunities among whom arc the Sis- 
 t(>rs of Providence, the Sisters of St. Francis, 
 Sistei-s of St. •Iose|)li and the Sisters of St. 
 Benedict. .\l)out ninety teachers are cm- 
 ployed in the primary and high schools. 
 
 Societ.v. In 1899 he was mailc X'ii'ar (len- 
 eral, and in IftOO titiilar Bisho]) of Pomario. 
 This 1itlc comes from the old Roman town 
 of I'diiiaiiii. which was on the north coast of 
 .\frica. where the Alg<'rian city of Tlemcen, 
 IV Tilimsan, now stands. It was a cathedral 
 town till the Arabs captured it in 1080. and 
 Ihe see became nominal. In the Koman 
 church, an episcojjal see oiice created never 
 eoes out of existence, but continues in title: 
 and the church sometimes has need of two 
 bishops in one diocese, but can have only one 
 bishop of any diocese. lIiMice this title caimi 
 to Iiidian;i when an auxiliary bishoi) was 
 needed here. In February, 191(1. liishop 
 O'llonairhue was made Bishop of Louisville 
 {Shu: Febrmiry 10, 1910); ami after .i fe\v 
 weeks, during which he \\;is the recipient of 
 many testimonials of the liieli esteem ui 
 which lie is held, bnlli ill and mil of llie 
 church, he departetl on March iJS for his 
 new Held, escorted liy a larye body of the 
 i-lerev of Indiana and Kciit iicUn'. iSlnr, 
 March IM), liilO.^
 
 616 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATEK IXDIAXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 The principal Catholic church in Indian- 
 apolis is SS. Peter and Paul's Cathedral at 
 the corner of Meridian and Fourteenth 
 streets, adjoining the residence of Bishop 
 Chatard. The former bishops of this diocese 
 resided at Vincennes. liut on his arrival her'c. 
 the present bishop took up his residence in 
 this city; and subsequently the name of the 
 see was changed from Vincennes to Indian- 
 apolis. Bishop Chatard is a native of Balti- 
 more, -where he pursued his early studies; 
 later he entered the Urban College of the 
 Propaganda in Rome, where he was gratin- 
 ated with the title of Doctor in theology, and 
 was ordained to the priesthood in 1862. After 
 serving sevei-al years as Rector of the Ameri- 
 can College in Rome, he was, at the death of 
 Bishop de St. Palais in 1877, appointed to 
 the bishopric of Vincennes. He arrived iu 
 Indianapolis August 17, 1878, where he has 
 sincje resided. 
 
 SS. Peter and Paul's congregation was or- 
 ganized in 1891. holding services for the first 
 time on Easter Sunday, 1892. The begin- 
 nings of this parish were very modest, not 
 more than fifty families being registered as 
 members. The small chapel used at first as 
 a place of worship was thought sufficiently 
 large to accommodate the people for a num- 
 ber of years, the Cathedral being only a thing 
 thought of in the distant future. But the 
 rapid growth of the parish soon made a 
 larger house of worship imperative, accord- 
 ingly steps were taken in 190.5 for the erec- 
 tion of a Cathedral. "Within a year the edi- 
 fice was completed except the facade, and was 
 dedicated and opened for service on Christ- 
 mas day, 1006. The church has three marble 
 altars of excellent design and is artistically 
 decorated. The growth of the parish has 
 been remarkable. Whereas in the beginning 
 one mass in the small chapel was sufficient for 
 all the members to comply with their obliga- 
 tions on Sunday, now five masses on every 
 Sunday are well attended. The Rev. Joseph 
 Chartrand. pastor of SS. Peter and Paul's, 
 has been associated with the congregation 
 since his ordination 17 years ago. The parish 
 has schools for boys and girls, and within the 
 last year the Sisters of Providence have re- 
 placed the original school building by a brick 
 and stone academy which is considered as one 
 
 of the finest educational institutions iu the 
 city. 
 
 The first Catholic church in Indianapolis, 
 a frame structure known as the Holy Cross 
 Church, situated at the northeast comer of 
 Washington and California streets, was built 
 in 1840 under the direction of Rev. Vincent 
 Bacquelin, who resided in Shelby County. 
 The pastor, who visited his fiock once or twice 
 each month, met his death in 18-46 by a fall 
 from his horse while returning from a visit 
 to a sick man near Shelbyville. The Catholic 
 population increased, so that in 1850 a new 
 church to replace the Holy Cross was built 
 on Georgia street near Capitol avenue under 
 thp direction of Rev. John Gueguen, and was 
 named by him St. John's. The present St. 
 John's church, fronting on Capitol avenue, 
 was erected in 1867 under the administra- 
 tion of the late IMonsignor Bessonies, who 
 continued as pastor of the congregation until 
 his retirement from active service in 1890. 
 He died February 22, 1901, in his 84th year, 
 and his remains were interred in a vault 
 erected in one of the side chapels of the 
 church of which he had been pastor for 
 thirty-three years. St. John's Church is a 
 spacious and imposing structure, being one 
 of the largest church edifices in the city. The 
 present pastor, Rev. F. H. Gavisk, chancellor 
 of the Diocese of Indianapolis, has been in 
 charge -since 1892, and during his administra- 
 tion extensive improvements have been made. 
 He has three assistant priests to aid him in 
 the parish work. The congregation, although 
 several times divided by the formation of new 
 parishes, numbers more than four thousand 
 souls. Connected with the church are several 
 religious and benevolent societies. The con- 
 gregation maintains a parochial school for 
 boys conducted by the Brothers of the Sacred 
 Heart, also a parochial and high school for 
 girls under the management of the Sisters of 
 Providence in St. John's Academy, erected 
 in 1S73. About six hundred pupils attend 
 these schools. 
 
 St. ]\[ary's Church on east ^Maryland street 
 was begun in 1856. and was opened for serv- 
 ice on the 15th of August, 1858. The first 
 pastor iu charge was Re\'. L. Brandt, who 
 visited the German Catholics once a month 
 from Vincennes. but he wa.s sent to ^Madison 
 to organize a congregation there befoi'e the
 
 IIIS'I'OIJV OF CUKATEIJ l.XDlAXAi'Ol.lS. 
 
 617 
 
 ehnrch bnildin;:- wjis cDiiiiik'tL'd. He was suc- 
 ceeded by Ki'v. Simon Sicurist, who continued 
 as pastor of the eonyi-egatiou for lo years 
 until liis deatli in 1873. He is still well re- 
 membered by the older members of the parish 
 as au enerii'etic worker as well as a zealous 
 pastor of souls. Under his administration 
 the congregation gvew in numbers and met 
 with success in all its undertakings. St. 
 Mai'v's was the first church built in Indian- 
 apolis for the use of the German Catholics, 
 and the same edifice is still in use. The pres- 
 ent pastor of the congregation, Very Rev. A. 
 Sclieideler, V. G., has been in charge since 
 1874. and under his judiciou-s management 
 many costly improvements have been made. 
 Notwithstanding the division of the parish 
 some years ago. also tlie formation of new 
 pai'ishes near liy and the encroaeliment of 
 business houses in close proximity. Saint 
 Mary's Church continues pro.sperous and is 
 held a.s a favorite place of worship by its 
 devoted members. The parish has' flourishing 
 schools for boys and girls, and a fine hall for 
 the use of religious and benevolent societies 
 connected with the church. The erection of a 
 new and more elaboi-ate church to replace St. 
 Mary's is contemplated by the management, 
 and a site for this jiurpose has been pur- 
 chased in a suitable location. 
 
 The formation of St. Patrick's parish 
 dates from the year 18(i4. The ground, half 
 a square on the southwest corner of Dough- 
 erty fnow Woodlawn avenue") and Hunter 
 streets was donated by ]\Ii's. Phoebe Dough- 
 erty, for whom the street was named. ,-\ 
 small brick church was built under the nuui- 
 agement of Pev. Joseph Petit, ami was 
 opened for service June 29, 1865. It bm-e 
 the name of St. Peter's Church, and served 
 the congregation as a house of worship for 
 six years. In 1870 Pcv. P. H. Fitzpatrick. 
 who was then pastor, couuncni'ed thi' ere(>tion 
 of the present church, which was na.med St. 
 Patrick's. The buildin? was coMU^h'ted and 
 opened foi- service with appropriate cere- 
 monies in August, 1871. A school for boys 
 was built opposite the '-hurch in 1878. and 
 the Brothers of thi> Sacred Heart were ])laced 
 in charge. The Pev. Patrick McDermott be- 
 came pastor in 1870. and was succeeded by 
 Pev. TTuLdi O'Xeill. who had charge of the 
 li.iri-li foi- two yeai's. On the retirement of 
 
 the latter in 1885, Rev. Denis 0"Donaghue, 
 then chancellor of the Diocese of Indianapo- 
 lis, was appointed pastor and the following 
 year was named permanent rector. Under 
 his administration the pi-esent academy and 
 residence of the Sisters of Providence was 
 ei-ected, the boys' .school enlarged and a com- 
 modious parish i-esidence built on Prospect 
 street. The church, too, has been entirely 
 refurnished and decorated. The Rev. D. 
 O'Donaghue, who in the meantime had been 
 named Vicar Genei'al. was in 1900 appointed 
 by Pope Leo XIII to be Auxiliary Bishop, 
 and on April 25 of the same year was con- 
 secrated titular Bishop of Pomario. He con- 
 tinued the pastor of Saint Patrick's Church 
 till made Bishop of Louisville, in 1910; being 
 as,si.sted in the pai-ochial work by Rev. Ray- 
 mond Noll and Rev. William Keefe. The con- 
 gregation niunbers 2.700 souls. Twelve Sis- 
 ters of Providence teach the children of the 
 parish, about 450 in number. 
 
 St. Joseph's congregation was organized in 
 1873 under the direction of Rev. Joseph Petit, 
 who built a small church on Vermont, near 
 Liberty street, close to where the Home of the 
 [.little Sisters of the Poor now stands. The 
 site proving imsuitable, the location was 
 changed in 1879 to the corner of North and 
 Noble streets, where the present St. Jo.seph's 
 church was built under the administration of 
 Rev. Herman J. .Vlerding, who continued as 
 pastor of the congregation luitil the year 
 1900, when he was ajipointed Bishop of Fort 
 Wavno. This church was opened for service 
 July 4th, 1880. The building is of gothic 
 design, spacious in size and arlisticall.v fur- 
 nished. Shortly aftei' the completion of the 
 church the Sisters of Providence erected a 
 lai'iie academy and school for the children of 
 the congregation. In 1881 the parish built a 
 school for boys, with a large and attractive 
 hall on the second floor for the use of societies 
 connected with the congregation. The i)res- 
 ent pastor of St. Joseph's is Rev. F. B. Dowd, 
 who took charge in 1900. Under his adminis- 
 tration a parish residence, costly and elegant, 
 has been built, and other substantial improve- 
 ments made. Although two churches have 
 been built in recent years within the original 
 territory of St. Jo.seph's, the c(mgregation 
 is still larw and flourishing, the attenilance 
 lui Sunday laxiuL"- the capacity of its bouse
 
 (ilS 
 
 JllsToi.'V OK (;i;i:a' 
 
 1 \l)l WAl'ol.lS. 
 
 of worship, '['hr py.stor requires tlie help ol' 
 an assistant priest, the position beinjr now- 
 held by Kov. Vineent Dwyer, whose etfieien; 
 serviee is niueh uppreciatetl. 
 
 'I'he formation of a new eonsrresation for 
 the German Catholics in the southern part 
 of the city was commenced in 1875 under the 
 direction of the Franciscan fathers. Ground 
 was boujiht on the corner of Union and 
 Palmer streets, and a combination buildintr 
 to serye as eliui-ch. school and residence of 
 the cleriry was tii-st built, under tln' manasc- 
 ment of Rev. Ahirdus .\ii<lri'srlti'k. tlic tii-st 
 
 under tlir pastorate of Kev. Ki-aneis Ilaase, 
 wlio had riuirge of the parish for several 
 yeais. The church is of spacious size, ele- 
 ijautly furnished and artistically decorated. 
 The coni;reuation numbei-s 4.500 souls. The 
 Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet, ilissouri, 
 conduct the parish schools, attended by 750 
 children. The priests attendinp: this church 
 are from the Saint Louis province of the 
 Franciscan c<immunity. The pastor and his 
 assistants arc appointed by the provincial, 
 the parish work lieiny: cai-ried on under the 
 direction of the liishop of tlie diocese. Many 
 
 INTERIOR OF ST. JOHNS CHURCH. 
 
 pastor. Thr corner-stone was laid Septeinl)c!- 
 19. by the Rev. Bede O'Connor, chancelloi- (d' 
 the diocese, who on this occasion pi-eached his 
 last sermon. lie died the next day in Terrc 
 Haute on the way to his home in Vincennes. 
 The cong-regation of the Sacred Heart num- 
 bered at first but few faunlies. but the erec- 
 tion of the chui'ch gave an imjndse to settle- 
 ment in that ])art of the city, so that in a fe\v 
 yeai's the number of Catholics had so in- 
 creased that a new church became necessary. 
 The present building, a splendid gothic ecli- 
 fici\ was conniienced in ISs:-!. nnder the man- 
 agement of Rev. Ferdinand Bergmeyer. It 
 was enlarged and completed two years latei- 
 
 <;f til" members of this eoiiiiiHiiiity are en- 
 gaged in teaching, others aic em])l(iyed in 
 parocliial work. They wear the habit and 
 follow the rule of the order founded by St. 
 Francis of A.ssisi. formally ai)pi'(iv(>d by Pope 
 Innocent III. in 1216. 
 
 Ry a division of St. John"s pai'ish in 1S7I1, 
 a new congregal i(]n was organized fur the 
 aceonniiodation of the Catholics in the noi-th- 
 western part of the city. (Ji'ound was |)ur- 
 I'hased in what was then known as Rlake's 
 Woods, on the coi'ner of AVest and St. Clair 
 streets, and the church of St. Pi-igid was com- 
 pleted and ojiened for s(>rviee in .Tannai'y. 
 18S0. Tlie F{m-er(>nd Daniel Currau was the
 
 HISTOKY OF GKFA'IKi; J XDlANAI'Ol.IS. 
 
 (;]9 
 
 founder and first pastor of this eon»rctration. 
 and it was throuoli his en('r<i(>tie hilxirs that 
 the work was prosecuted with success. He 
 still holds the position as pastor, and is as- 
 sisted by the Rev. John V. ^IcSliane. The 
 conurre^ation at first was not large, but it has 
 irradually grown in size until it is now num- 
 bei-ed among the important pai-i.shes of the 
 city. A pastoral residence was bnilt in 1881, 
 and later a parish school was established, con- 
 ducted l)y the Sisters of St. Francis from 
 (tidenburg. Indiana, attended at this time by 
 L'dii children. .Xttached to the church are 
 several religious and benevolent societies that 
 do effective work in the cause in which they 
 are engaged. .\ few years atro this congre- 
 iratioii was divided by the formation of a new 
 parisli farther north, yet it has on its rostei- 
 of mrirdw rship not less than l.fiOO soids. 
 
 St. Francis de Sales eongi'egatidn in Bright- 
 wood was orgainzed as a mission in 1881, 
 and was for several years attended from St. 
 John's liy the Rev. Charles Curran. The 
 ground and church on Depot street was 
 bou'jht from a reliaioas denomination who 
 wished to change their place of worship. 
 .\ftei' the retirement of Rev. Charles Cnrran. 
 who did most effective' woi'k while in charge. 
 Ihe mission was attended from the Sacred 
 Heart Church for several years, 'ilie firs; 
 resident pastoi- was the Rev. Victoi' J. Bi'uck- 
 er, who assumed charge in Januai'v. IftOO. 
 T'ndei' his administration the parish was re 
 organized and inqtortaid im|)i'ovements made. 
 A brick Dastoral residence was imilt the first 
 year, and latei- a connnodious school huildin'.:' 
 with a ball on the upper floor was erected. 
 The i)arisb school is in cliarge of the Sistei-s 
 of St. Francis, and it has proved very ac- 
 ceptable to tile people who previous to its 
 establislunent had no school of their own. 
 Father Biaicker. who is both an artist and a 
 musician. di'Vot(>s much of his sjiare time to 
 the dramatic- and musical c\dtiire of tin- 
 young people of his congregation. 
 
 St. Anthony's Church is situated on War- 
 man avenue near Vermont street in the west^ 
 side of the city. Tt was decided to build :i 
 chundi in that part of the city as eai-ly as 
 188(i, but the work was not undertaken until 
 three years lat(i'. 'I'Ik' lirst pastor was i]v 
 •Rev. Francis B. Dowil. undrr whose adminis- 
 tration a cond)ination clnifch and sciiool was 
 
 built, also a pastoral residi'in-r. The church 
 was dedicated on F\>l)ruary the first, 18'J1. 
 'i'he congregation, fi'w in lunnber at first, 
 grew rapidly so that soon the chui-ch edifice 
 liad to l)e eidarged and a parish school built. 
 l"'ather Dowd had chai-ge of the congregation 
 for nine years until his transfer to St. Jo- 
 seph's Church in 1 !)(!(). The present pastor, 
 Kev. Jose|di V. B.\ inc. recognizing the ne^d 
 of a larger house of worship, soon conunenced 
 the erection of a new church, which was coni- 
 [)leted and opened for service Xovend)er lo, 
 1904. The conirregation continues to increase, 
 so that the prese^it membership is counted at 
 1,7(10 soids. with 800 children attending the 
 pai'ish school condu<'tcd by the Sisters of 
 I'l'ovidenee. 
 
 The Church of the .\ssumption, situated on 
 Blaim- avenue in west Indianapolis, was 
 commenced early in the year 1894, and was 
 completed and dedicated August the l'2th the 
 same year. The first pastor. Rev. Joseph 
 Webei-, under whose management the congre- 
 gation was oruanized, is still in charge. Soon 
 aftei- till' church was completed a suitable 
 pastoral residence was built. The pai'ish had 
 at the beginning but few families, but its 
 L;i-owth has been uninterrupted, and at i)res- 
 ent the number of souls is counted at 950. In 
 189") the Sisters of St. Benedict erected a 
 parish school building, which has been en- 
 larjicd within the last year. The school, hav- 
 ing -50 children in attendance, is conducted 
 by the Benedictine Sisters from Ferdinand, 
 Indiana. Attached to the church are several 
 societies of religious, benevolent and social 
 charactei'. 
 
 The Holy Cross congregation was organized 
 in 1896, inider the management of Rev. Will- 
 i.'ini F. (Juigley, who for many years had been 
 the associate pastor of St. Patrick's Church, 
 lie purchased uround on Oriental street ni'ar 
 Market and commeiK-ed the erection of the 
 cliiircl:, bill the work undertaken was cut 
 short iiy his unexpected death a few weeks 
 after the corner-stone was laid. He was suc- 
 iN'pded by the Rev. Denis McCabe, who con- 
 tinued llic work to completion, and later built 
 ,1 pastoral I'esidence. \\<' had charge of th.- 
 pai'ish for seven years until his death on 
 .\pril n, 191):!. The presi'iit pastor. Rev. 
 .lames .1, Wade, was then iilaced in charge, 
 ;iii(l iiiidi'i' Ilis ;idiiiinist rat ion the pai'ish has
 
 620 
 
 HISTORY OF GEEATEIJ INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 prospered, luakiiig additional improvemeuts 
 and paying off a heavy encumbrance. The 
 increase in the meiiil)ership of the congrega- 
 tion, now niTnibering over 2,000 souls, will 
 soon require the erection of a larger church 
 wliich will be undertaken at no distant day. 
 'I'he parish .schools conducted by the Sistei-s 
 of Providence are attended by 400 pupils. 
 The several societies attached to the church 
 have always been active in lending aid to the 
 pastor in his work. The Rev. John Costello. 
 a native of Indianapolis, is the a.ssistant pa.s- 
 tor of Holy Cross Church. 
 
 The Holy Angels' Chureli is situated at the 
 corner of Northwestern avenue and 28th 
 street. The site was purchased in 1899. but 
 the eongreafation was not orcranized until four 
 years later. The building of the church, un- 
 der the direction of Rev. James L. Carrico. 
 was commenced in 1903, and on October the 
 first of the same year was completed and 
 opened for service. The building is of ro- 
 manesque style, beautifully situated and 
 finely furnished. The congregation when or- 
 ganized had but thirty families, but at pres- 
 ent has over one hundred and fifty, and con- 
 tinues to enjoy a healthy growth. In 1907 
 the parish built a modern school building, the 
 upper story of which is u.sed as a hall for the 
 societies connected with the congregation. 
 The school, attended by about one hundred 
 children, is under the management of the 
 Sisters of St. Joseph. 
 
 In 1906 the Church of the Holy Trinits'. 
 situated at the corner of Calvelase and 
 Holmes avenue, in the district formerly 
 known as Hfiughville. was built by the Slo- 
 venian Catholics, under the direction of Rev. 
 Joseph Lavric as pastor. The church, a hand- 
 .sonie and spacious edifice, was dedicated by 
 Bishop O'Donachue on Anril 28. 1907. The 
 congregation. n\unberintr five hundred mem- 
 bers, is now under the eharse of Rev. John 
 ~\\. Smoley. The preaching in this church is 
 in the Slovenian language. All the members 
 of the congregation are from a part of the 
 .Austrian pmpire where this lansxuage is 
 spoken, and they prefer to hear the gospel 
 preached in their mother toncrue. 
 
 A Congregation of the Italian residents of 
 Indianapolis was organized in July. 1908. un- 
 der the management of Rev. ]\[arino Priori, 
 who came to America as a missionarv and 
 
 was appointed to take charge of his country- 
 men living here. A large house was pur- 
 chased on Stevens street near East, the first 
 floor of which was converted into a chapel 
 for use until a church will be built on Stevens 
 street. This congregation is made up of 
 Italian.s who are not members of other par- 
 ishes in the city, and numbers about one hun- 
 dred and fifty families. Service is held in 
 the chapel regularly, the pastor residing 
 there, and the congregation .soon expects to 
 build a church of proper size for the accom- 
 modation of the Italian people of the city. 
 
 The congregation of St. Philip Neri's was 
 organized in the beginning of the year 1900, 
 under the direction of Rev. George Smith as 
 pastor. The church, located at the corner 
 of North and Rural streets, romanesque in 
 style and beautiful in appearance, was dedi- 
 cated on June 27th, five months after the 
 work of construction began. Adjoining the 
 church is a pretty parochial residence erected 
 at a cost of six thousand dollai-s. Later thi- 
 Sisters of Providence commenced the erection 
 of a large school building which is nearing 
 completion. The congregation numbers one 
 hundred and fifty families, and starts out, 
 under the direction of its energetic pastor, 
 with briaht prospects of success. 
 
 St. Catherine's Parish was organized in 
 the southern part of the city in January, 
 1909, under the management of Rev. Otto C. 
 Bosler. The corner-stone of the church was 
 laid July 2.5th, and the work immediately 
 pushed forward to completion. Besides the 
 auditoriinn for public services, the building 
 as designed also includes four school rooms 
 connected with the main edifice so arranged 
 as to add much to the fine architectural ap- 
 pearance. The people composing this con- 
 gregation were taken from St. Patrick's and 
 the Sacred Heai't jiarishes, a])out one hundred 
 and twenty-five families. The older parishes, 
 particularly the former, extended substantial 
 aid to this new foundation. The pastor, a 
 native of Roekjiort. Indiana, ordained in 
 1904, had his first charge as assistant priest 
 in Ilauffhville, and foi' the last four years was 
 one of the associate pa.stors of St. T'atrick's 
 Church. 
 
 '{'he Chui'ch of Our Lady of Tjourdes is a 
 mission i-ecently established in Irvins-ton for. 
 the convenience of the Catholics in the east-
 
 HISTOJ.'Y OF (iJtKATEi; 1 X I HAXAPOLIS. 
 
 621 
 
 cm section of the city. The Kev. Josepii 
 i'oelhuis, formerly assistant priest at the 
 Holy Cross Church, is the resident pastor in 
 charge. A large plat of ground near the 
 corner of Washington sti'eet and Audubon 
 Koad, with a fine residence, was purchased in 
 190it. and a suitable chapel arranged for 
 regular sei'vices. This new congregation ex- 
 pects soon to build a church of suitable size 
 tor the convenience of the increasing Catholic 
 |)opulation in that part of the city. 
 
 The Connnunity known as the Little Sis- 
 ters of the Pool- came to Indianapolis in 1873, 
 introduc'd by the late Bishop de St. Palais. 
 'i'hey inuiicdiatcly built a house on Vermont 
 sti'cct near East, where they commenced their 
 work of charity. PVoiu the beginning they 
 met with much encouragement, and their 
 benevolent work was soon recognized by the 
 f)eople of the city. The original building has 
 since been enlarged and now furnishes a com- 
 fortable home for the aged jioor. who seek 
 shelter and comfort undt'r its i-oof. The only 
 requirement for admission is that the appli- 
 cant be without means and has i)as.sed the 
 age when the chances of self suppoi-t are 
 troiic. There is no religious test. The poor 
 of any creed or of no religious profession are 
 received without question, provided they be 
 well behaved. The community has no income 
 from investments of any kind, and depends 
 entirely for the support of the inmates on 
 the alms solicited fnmi charitably disposed 
 people. Individually the Sisters own no 
 property, and receive no salaiy or recom- 
 pense for their work e.Keej)! their maintenance 
 in the house they serve. The Community 
 originated in a sea coast town of Brittany in 
 France in 1840. Its inception appears rather 
 an accident than design. A few pious women, 
 led by motives of charity, began the work of 
 providing for the helpless poor by asking 
 alms from door to door. Those engaged in 
 this work were soon formed into a conununitj' 
 under the name of the Little Sisters of the 
 Poor. The irrowth of the little society was 
 rapid, and houses were soon established in 
 many of the countries of Europe and in other 
 lands. The first Home of the Little Sisters 
 in America was founded in Brooklyn, New 
 York, in 18fi8. They have now fifty Houses 
 in the United States, two beiui: in Indiana. 
 The Indianapolis Home is eared for by fifteen 
 
 Sisters, and supports on a yearly average one 
 hundred and twenty-five aged poor, men and 
 \vomen. 
 
 The House of the Sisters of the Good Shep- 
 herd, situated in the southern part of the 
 city, on Kaymond street, west of Meridian, 
 was founded in 1873. The pui-po.se of the in- 
 stitution is to furnish a home for females of 
 waj^vard character who need reformation, 
 guidance and protection, and to reclaim such 
 as have fallen from the pathway of virtue. 
 The Home is not a prison but rather a house 
 of reform and perseverance where sub.jects, 
 regardless of their religious persuasion, conu^ 
 voluntarily or are sent by i)arents or guard- 
 ians. Employment is furnished for those 
 fitted for it, while those of a tender age are 
 taught the common branches of education, 
 and are kept until able to care for themselves. 
 The Home is maintained by charitable offer- 
 ings, and by the work done by the inmates 
 at some employment suited to their capacity. 
 The professed sisters wear a white habit, and 
 never leave the convent except on urgent busi- 
 ness calling them to another city. The out- 
 door work is done by lay sisters who dress 
 in black, and practically follow the same rule 
 of life as the professed members. The Com- 
 munity of the (lood Shepherd was founded 
 in France about the close of the seventeenth 
 century. It numbers a large membership, 
 and has many houses in Eurojie and America. 
 
 The institution known as St. Vincent's In- 
 firmary, was established in Indianapolis in 
 the year 1881, and was located on Vermont 
 street near Liberty. The building there was 
 .soon found inadequate, and the location be- 
 ing also ob.iected to by resident property 
 owners, the site a few years later was re- 
 moved to the corner of l)elaware and south 
 streets, where the present St. Vincent's In- 
 firmary was built on the gi-ound formerly oc- 
 cupied by the Ray House. This institution 
 proved a great success. After the City Hos- 
 pital, it was the first venture of the kind as 
 a pi-ivate enterprise, tried in the city, and 
 it was then thought generally that it would 
 prove to be of (loubtful ntilit\-, l)ut experi- 
 ment soon showed the contrary to be the case. 
 The Infirmary is owned and eondticted by 
 the Sisters of Charity from the Baltimore 
 division of that numerous community, w-hose 
 miitlici' house is in France. These Sisters
 
 6'22 
 
 HISTORY OF GHEATEK I XDIAXAl'Ol.IS. 
 
 I'ouduet hosijitals in nearly every country ol' 
 the civilized world, two being in Indiana. 
 
 The Diocese of Indianapolis maintains 
 three asylnnis for the care of orphans or de- 
 j)endent childi-eii, one at Yincennes, one in 
 Terre Haute, aud the third. St. Vincent's 
 Training School, at T^.") South Alabama street 
 in Indianapolis. This school receives the or- 
 jihans from St. Ann's asylum who have at- 
 tained their l'2th year and ai'e not called for 
 by relatives or guardians. The pupils are 
 instructed in the lines of manual training 
 at such occupation as suits their capacity, and 
 when of suilicient age. they may obtain out- 
 side occupation, still making the school their 
 home. This institution was established by 
 Bishop Chatard in 18!)0 for the purpose 
 above mentioned, and is in charge of the Sis- 
 ters of Providence, seven in number, who 
 gratuitously give their service to the work. 
 
 The first I^nitarian society in Indianapolis 
 was formed on February 13. 1868. at a meet- 
 ing called by George K. Perrin, J. B. Follett. 
 and others. It was decided to secui-e the 
 services of a pastor, and ilorrison's Opera 
 Hall n-as secured for holding the services. On 
 April 12 the tii-st services were held, con- 
 ducted by Dr. (i. W. Ilosmer, of Antioch Col- 
 lege. On Jlay 14 the society organized for- 
 mally, electing officers, and services were held 
 finite regularly for several weeks in ]\Iorri- 
 son's hall, after which the society met for a 
 time at the oftice of Judge David ^IcDonald. 
 of the federal court, who had l)een a member 
 from the start. In October. ISfiS. Rev. Henry 
 Blanchard delivered a sermon before the so- 
 ciety at the Academy of ^lusic. and was at 
 once called to the pastorate. lie accepted. 
 and began his service in January, 1869. He 
 was a popular pulpit orator, and his audi- 
 ences averaged about -lOO— the largest being 
 estimated at 1,200. A Sunday school was 
 organized which reached an enrollment of 
 120. Mr. Blanchard remained foi' about two 
 years, and after he resigned no other pastor 
 was called, and the congregation dissolved. 
 
 After this there was no I'nitarian Chui'ch 
 in the city until 1903. when All Souls Uni- 
 tarian Church was oi-i;anized. Elmer E. 
 Xewbert was secui-ed as jiastor, and served 
 for three years. His sucees,si)r was Frank 
 Scott Corey AVicks. the |ii-esent pastor. The 
 society purchased the frame cliurch buildini; 
 
 <iu Delaware, .south of Fifteenth, which had 
 Ijeen used by the P'irst Presbyterian Churcli 
 while it was erecting its present building, 
 and has since occupied it. The present mem- 
 bership is 160, and the Sunday school has 
 60 on its rolls. 
 
 The first Univei'salist society in Indianapo- 
 lis was organized in 1844, but it was not a 
 strong organization and soon went to pieces. 
 In 1853 another church was organized under 
 the name of '"First Universalist Church of 
 Indianapolis''. Rev. B. F. Foster, Grand 
 Secretary i)f the order of Odd Fellows, and 
 ihe most eminent clergyman of the denomi- 
 nation in Indiana, was the first pastor. He 
 .served until 1860, when he resigned and was 
 followed by W. C. Brooks for one year. ^Ir. 
 Foster then resumed the pastorate until 1866. 
 when J. 'SI. Austin, of New York, served 
 about six months. .Mr. Foster, who was at 
 that time State Librarian, i-esumed charge 
 until 1869, after which time there was no 
 regular pastor, though occasional services 
 were held for some time. The .society never 
 had a building of its own, but worshipped at 
 dift'ei-ent periods in the court house, in the 
 old seminary buildint;-. in College Hall. Teni- 
 ]ierance Hall, ^lasonie Hall, and the hall at 
 Delaware and ^Maryland streets. 
 
 In 1860 the members of the society found 
 that they could not harmonize in this world, 
 and a number of them withdrew. The seced- 
 ers raised $3,000 hy subscription, of which 
 .i=1.000 wa.s from John Thomas, the wealthy 
 manufacturer who led the movement, and 
 liui-chased a lot on the north side of ]\Iichi- 
 gan street, half way between Illinois and 
 Cai)itol avenue. Here they erected a substan- 
 tial brick church, of which C. E. Woodbury 
 and ^V. W. Curry (later Secretary of State i 
 were pastors for a year. The congregation 
 then went to pieces, and ]\Ir. Thomas took thi- 
 building for what the congregation owed him. 
 paying also some $5,000 of othei- indebtedness. 
 It was occupied l)y Wesley Chapel congrega- 
 tion while they were building at New York 
 and ileridian streets: later by a division of 
 Strange Chapel, when it split in 1870. This 
 wa.s called the Couflrreirational ilethodist 
 Church and had for pastor J. W. T. Mc:\Iul- 
 len. noted for eloquence, and as the first 
 iMilonel of the Kifty-first Indiana Regiment. 
 Still latei- till' liuildinu- was occupied by the 
 
 I
 
 iiist(ii;n- ()1 
 
 CI 
 
 i;.\ii;i; ixdi.wai'oi.is. 
 
 G23 
 
 Xinth Presl)yti'ri?iri (culoriMl i Cliiii-ch, until 
 it was coiulciiiiii'd as iiiisat'i' l)y tlie city au- 
 thorities, and torn down. l*"or a long time 
 there was no I'niversnlist Chiu-ch in the eity, 
 l)iit. tliere is now a small eongreiratiou with a 
 'huieli at Fil'teeiith and New Jersey streets. 
 
 Tlie advanee ir'uard of tlie Salvation Army 
 iMuded in New "^'ork in the spring of 1880, 
 .ind there were two or three etYort.s to estab- 
 lish a station here in the uext decade, but 
 none succeeded until 1S9"2. I'ossihiy the rea- 
 son was tliat thiMv were no slums in Indian- 
 ;i|)olis. l)ut the ai'm>' has found plenty of 
 iiiatei'ial to work on since that lime. It now 
 maintains tliree institutions here, its liead- 
 i|uarters, in the lialdwin block, which .serves 
 the purpose of an intellisreiice ofifiee as well 
 IS directing the affairs of the army; an in- 
 dnstrial school .it 111'.") Kast Tenth street, 
 w hei-c transient men ai'c cared for and pay 
 I'nv tiieir hoard and lodL'ing in work; and a 
 mission hall on South ('ai)itol avenue, where 
 irligicnis services are held every night. The 
 iitHcers. fi-oin lii'utenant uj). correspond in a 
 way to clei-gymen. None of them are "com- 
 mi-ssioned" until after a satisfactory course 
 ill a "Training Home", or school, of which 
 there is one at Chicago and one at New York. 
 The sergeants and ti-easnrei's and secretaries 
 ;ii-c usually local membei's who follow their 
 iiistomary vocatiorLs, and give what time they 
 can to the ariny work. 
 
 The religious work is independent of all 
 clnuchi's but friendly to all. .\ Salvation 
 .\rmy convert, if he does not feel ccpial to 
 iindiM-faking army work, is I'ecommended to 
 .join some church, making his own selection. 
 None of the officers or wor-kers have any guar- 
 anteed salary. Each station is self-snpjiort- 
 ing. and if receipts are small, expenditures 
 nnist correspond. There are about fiO active 
 workers at Indianapolis, and about 120 who 
 ai'e counted as regular subscribers to the 
 work. 'I'he work hei'c is in ehai'ge of Ma.joi- 
 Wm. E.scott, and consists of religions work 
 iiid practical chai'ity to "the ])ooi-est". 
 Special features are made of the Thaid<sgiv- 
 iig and Christmas dinnei-s, but the really 
 'jr(>at work is the steady, never-ending relief 
 I if the sick, and helpless, and destitute. One 
 of the interesting characters among the work- 
 ers, who has been hei'e several times in the 
 last ten years, is .Vdjntant tjiinia Wcstlirook. 
 
 who was one of the original seven who came 
 to this country with Connnis-sioner Kailton, 
 in 1880, and "planl"d the cdlurs on Ami'i-ican 
 soil". 
 
 The Volunteers of America were organized 
 in 18;)(j— incorp(n-ated November tj, 189G — 
 after the ruj)ture between Ballington Booth 
 and his father. There wei'e also attempts to 
 locate a station of this here, before the one in 
 ]!)()"2 succeeded. It was in charge of Lieuten- 
 ant JIa.jor V. J. I'reston, who has been iu 
 charge ever since, except abotit eighteen 
 months in li)()4--'5, when Captain Beisner and 
 Ad.jutant A. •>. llaie were in charge. Its 
 woi'k is similar to that of the Salvation Ai-my, 
 except that all its work is done at the Mis- 
 sion Hall, and no lodging house is maintained. 
 The ^lission Hall was established at fj:n \V. 
 Wa.shington street on November 1, 1902, and 
 was removed to its present location at 44 S. 
 ('apitol avenue. The Voliuiteers give a 
 Christmas dinner, and an annual outing for 
 poor ehildi-en on the last Thur.sday in Jtnie, 
 at Riverside I'ark. The Volunteers have 38 
 in their active work here, and about 90 who 
 are counted as sustaining members. The pro- 
 motions are all on merit, and to reach the 
 rank of major one must pass examinations 
 about equivalent to thos(> of the ordinary can- 
 didate foi' oi'dination. 
 
 Christian Science was introilnccd in In- 
 dianapolis in 1889 when a few persons who 
 had heard of it elsewhere organized a cla.ss 
 to study it, and called a teacher for the usual 
 course of lectures. One membei' of this class, 
 Mrs. Aiuiie B. Dorland. stiulied later under 
 ;\Iis. Mary Baker Eddy, and then took uj) 
 the woi-k of a teachi>r and piactitioncr in this 
 eity. On ^lay 28, 18ft7, a permanent (U-gaiii- 
 zation of church workers was effected, and 
 incorporated under the state law as "First 
 Church of Christ, Scientist, of Indianapolis. 
 This church holds regular .services in the east 
 ]iarlor of the Proi\vlaeinn, and maintains a 
 public Christian Science reading room at 15 
 and 1() Lombard Building;-. The ])r<'sent mem- 
 bership of this church is l-IO. In August. 
 19fl.'3, anothi'i' society seemed desirable, and 
 the Second Church was organized. It began 
 liolding services in Shortridge High School 
 buildinn-. but grew so rapidly that a lot was 
 |)urchasi'd at ^leridian and Walnid streets, 
 and ,'1 liuililin'j ^ealiu'j- ."lOO was erected. This
 
 C24 
 
 HISTORY OF GIJEATEK INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 -J 
 
 < 
 
 z 
 
 « 
 
 ffl 
 
 H 
 CO 
 
 O 
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 Z 
 H
 
 HISTORY OF Cltr.ATEH INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 6'?5 
 
 was used for lliree yeai's. wlu'U it bucaiue too 
 small, and meetings are now held in the 
 (irand Lodge auditoiiuiii of the Masonic 
 Temple. It also maintains a reading room 
 at till Odd Fellows Hiiilding. The meuiber- 
 shii) <kt' this elnii-<-li is ahniit 4(10, but the aver- 
 age attendance is twiee that number. These 
 ehurehes have "" readers'' instead of [)astors. 
 There are two readers for each meeting, the 
 first of whom reads from the Bible, and the 
 second from "Science and Health, with Key 
 to the Scri|iture.s"'. They have their own hym- 
 nal for sung service. Prayer is silent, fol- 
 lowed by the Lord's Prayer repeated audibly. 
 \vith "spiritual interpretation" by the pastor 
 in i-esponsive reading. In addition to these 
 two churches there are :5.') accredited practi- 
 tioners of healing on the Christian Science 
 system who maintain pul)lic offices. 
 
 The Pentecost Rands of the World is one 
 (if the babes and sucklings among religious 
 deiKiminations, having been in existence oidy 
 ,1 quarter of a century. It originated in the 
 missionary preaching, in Michigan, of Vivian 
 A. Dake, an Independent ^lethodist, and in 
 LSSr> he and six others inc(n-i)orated under the 
 laws (if Illinois as a religious society under 
 the above name. Their theology is very simi- 
 lar to that of the ^Methodists, but with the 
 understanding that the effects of faith and 
 jirayer are just as great as in New Testament 
 times. They believe in direct answer to 
 l)rayer not only for healing the sick but also 
 for financial aid when needed. The work of 
 this sect was begun in Indianapolis in 1890 
 by Thomas II. .Xelson, one of the seven origi- 
 nal incor])orators and directors, and present 
 l)resident of the society. The work here has 
 been remarkable. The large stone church 
 and headquarters, at 'I'l-i North New Jersey 
 street, includes a church room, a residence of 
 eighteen rooms back of it. and a printing 
 office in the basement, in which are printed 
 tracts, books, and a weekly pai)er. The Ifintld 
 of L'mhI. whicli is the organ of the sect. The 
 j)rititing oftice has three ])re.sses, riui by elec- 
 tricity, and there is a fully e(|ui|)ped bind- 
 ery included in it. The work is done with- 
 out charge by twenty-live • ■ inissionaries" who 
 live at the residence witli Mr. Nelson and 
 family. Back of this laigc building is the 
 Free Shelter House, maintained on a charity 
 
 basis for the relief of the destilllte. wbiell 
 Vol. 1—40 
 
 was built in 19()S, and gave shelter to 4,000 
 persons in 1900. 
 
 The remarkable fact is that this church 
 building was erected "without money and 
 without price". The labor was donated; the 
 Bedford limestone of whicli it is constructed 
 was donated at the quarries; the money for 
 the freight was "prayed for", and was do- 
 nated with such regidarity that the work was 
 never impeded for want of material, althongh 
 there are 'SO carloads of stone in the building. 
 There is no eifort to secure members to the 
 church, the work being on a missionary basis, 
 but the Sunday congregations average 250, 
 and the Siuiday school abotit W) in attend- 
 ance. Although holdiuir to faith healing, this 
 sect denounces Christian Science teaching, 
 and believes th(u-onghly in "matter" and 
 "l)ain". ]\Irs. Eddy is held up as the 
 prophetic Antichrist. 
 
 The church was nine months in buildinir. 
 and was dedicated on January 1. 1902. In 
 Jaiuiary. 1910, the society completed the 
 purchase of 20 acres on AVest Washington 
 street, between Big and Little P^agle Creeks, 
 to be used as a "camp ground", including 
 the notorious resort known as "Eagle's 
 Nest". All orthodox churches are to be al- 
 lowed to use these grounds for camp-meetings 
 or other religious meetings. The society also 
 has 210 acres about 10 miles west of the city, 
 near Bridgeport, on which are maintained an 
 Orphanage and an Old Folks' Home. The 
 Ori)haimge is for children who have lost both 
 parents, and fotmdlings. the charges being 
 taken with the purixise of rearing them. It 
 is supplied with almost everything needed for 
 tht^ work, and everything is donated. In- 
 dianapolis is now tiie hea<lquarters of this 
 sect, which has branched out extensively, 
 having missions in Egypt, India, Sweden and 
 other foreign countries. The orphanage is 
 a feature of the work, and there are three 
 maintained in the United States in addition 
 to the one in Indiana. The II i raid of Luiht 
 publishes no secular advertisements of any 
 
 kind. 
 
 The Society of Friends was not largely 
 repi-esented in the early settlement of In- 
 (lianai)olis, the only one recorded being "Un- 
 cle Billy" Townsend, who came here and 
 built a cabin in 1S20, prei)aratory to bringing 
 his familv in the rollowiipe sprini;-. He was
 
 62G 
 
 iiis-1'iinv OF (;i;i:atki; ixdiaxai'hi.is. 
 
 from (luilfdnl lOiiiity. North Carolina, and 
 would probably l)e accounted a "Progi-es- 
 sivc" in the latter day classification of 
 Fi'iends, as he was no stickler for mere forms. 
 It happened that he had put his cabin in 
 what was later laid out for Kentucky avenue, 
 and when General Can-, the Agent of State, 
 told him he woidd have to move it, Billy 
 remonstrated on the onmnd that the avenue 
 was "'all woods'' on both sides of it, and 
 when his protest fell on deaf ears he put oft' 
 his shad-bellied coat, observing: "Lie there, 
 Quaker, until I administer to the gineral a 
 trentle chastisement"". But the general was a 
 man (>f peace, and declined to quiet title in 
 that way. so the matter was compromised on 
 a basis of temporary toleration. About 1825 
 Billy removed to Hendricks County, which he 
 represented in the legislature in the wild-eat 
 currency days : and he then gained wide note 
 by introducing a bill requiring the State 
 Treasurer to issue to each citizen enough 
 paper moin^v to |)ay his debts. This was set 
 for discussion on a legal holiday, and after 
 a vehement debate was passed hy an over- 
 whelming vote, but not until it had been 
 amended by a provision of a heavy penalty 
 for anyone who should call for more money 
 than he Tieeded. 
 
 The next accession of Friends was in 1834, 
 when Jacob S. "Willets and Robert R. I'nder- 
 hill. with their families, located here. Robert 
 rndei-hill was accounted the wealthiest man 
 in Indiana in his day — rated at half a million. 
 He brought his family here from New Yoi-k 
 in a carriage, and after arriving traded the 
 cai'i-iat'c for the entire scpiare on which Short- 
 ridge High School now stands. Here he 
 erected a laru'c brick residence on the east 
 half of the southwest quarter of the square. 
 Across Pennsylvania street, on the square be- 
 low, where the Second Presbyterian Church 
 now stiinds, he built an iron foundry and 
 operated it for a number of years. Soon 
 after these two came H\igh Smith, a shoe- 
 makei'. 'from Cincinnati, and his wife Sai'ah, 
 who for many years had a school at the south- 
 east corner of Alabama and ^Market streets. 
 Then came Mary White and Sarah Weaver, 
 with theii' families, and John Reeve from 
 New Jei"sey, with his family. A jietition was 
 now sent to Fail-field Monthly ^Meeting, the 
 nearest to this place, for an '"indidged meet- 
 
 ing"" at Indianapolis, which was granted on 
 Sejitember 1-^. 1836. The sessions of this 
 meeting were held at a small frame house 
 just north of CnderhilFs foundry, under care 
 of a committee from Fairfield ilonthly ]\Ieet- 
 ing. It was continued for about two and 
 one-half years, and then discontinued on ac- 
 count of the removal of part of the members 
 and olher discouragements. 
 
 The half dozen Friends who were left con- 
 tinued to hold meetings at Robert Uiulei'- 
 hilTs. As there were no ministers among 
 them they were usually silent meetings, ex- 
 cept that about the middle of the hour Robert 
 Underbill would read a chapter from the 
 Bible. In 1834 he went for a long visit to 
 New York, and the meetings were then held 
 at the house of William and Hannah Hadley. 
 on North Pennsylvania street. The tide of 
 immigration now brought several accessions, 
 among them Alfred Johns(m and John and 
 yiavy Carter. The meeting grew too largi' 
 for the Hadley home, so they rented a build- 
 ing at 426 North Pennsylvania, tised as a 
 church by the English Lutherans. About 
 this time Thomas and Hannah Peai"Son came 
 into the meeting, and were especially wel- 
 come, for Hannah Pearson was a minister, 
 and the first resident one, in their meetintr. 
 In ^fay. 1855, a reqiiest was made to Fair- 
 field .Monthly Meeting foi' an established 
 meeting at Indianapolis, which was granted 
 in Seiitember, 1855; and from that time dates 
 the organization of the First Friends Church 
 of Indianapolis. 
 
 The first step was to provide a church 
 building, and it was decided to go farthei- out 
 from the center of the city than the other 
 denominations had done. The plan ado|>teil 
 was to buy the triangle boundi'd by Fort 
 Wavne avenue, St. Clair and Delaware 
 streets, for $2,800. reserving a lot 100 feet 
 s(iuare at the corner of St. Clair and Dela- 
 ware foi- the church, and selling the remain- 
 der, primarily to Friends who might desire to 
 locate there. It was agreed to erect a two- 
 storv building, the lower one to be used for 
 a school. As they lacked about $3,000 of the 
 money needed they had to seek aid from 
 i>ther ineetings, and the two-story proposition 
 was found a serious obstacle in getting dona- 
 tions; as was also the proposal to have seats 
 with h:\rk^ and ends S\ii-l! scats were noth- 
 
 fclli
 
 iiis'ioiiv oi' (;!;k.\- 
 
 XDIAXAI'OI.IS. 
 
 G2r 
 
 in^' less than "pews", iiiui the usual Kiieiuls' 
 iiieetinu'-hduse of the time was a low one-storj' 
 liuiltlin;/, twiee as louji as wide, with a mova- 
 ble pai'titioii to separate tlie business lueet- 
 inus of the men and the women. However, 
 the members jjersisted. and the ehureli was 
 <-(implete(l au(l occupied in December, 1856, 
 til'' tir.st service beinsr conducted by Eleazer 
 liales, a noted Plaintield minister, who dedi- 
 cated it to the Lord, free ficim incumbi-anee. 
 
 Tlie churcli ui-ew slowly but steadily. In 
 l>s.")!t the Tndiana|)olis meetin«;' was made part 
 <it' Hi'idneport Monthly Meeting', and its mem- 
 l)ership was then 57. In LSGo the member- 
 ship had reached 150, and Indianapolis was 
 granted its own Jlonthly Jleeting:. The 
 .Monthly, (Quarterly and Yearly iMeetings of 
 the Friends are governmental and disciplin- 
 ai-y organizations, cori-esponding in general to 
 the presbyteries, synods and conferences of 
 otlier Protestant sects. Their ministry, under 
 the old system, wa.s not paid ; and called for uo 
 special training or education, as all preach- 
 ing, prayer and other worship was on motion 
 of the Spirit : but ministers were recorded or 
 designated by the meetings as their gifts ap- 
 [)eared. In ^><21 the Friends divided, part 
 Following the teaehings of Hlias Hicks, which 
 inclined to Initarianisiii. The.se are com- 
 monly Iniown as "Ilicksites" and the others 
 as "'Orthodox"'. Although the Ilicksito 
 movement was quite strong in the East it had 
 few adherents in Ijidiana, and the church 
 here was Orthodo.x. Another division began 
 in the foi'ties on the teachings of Joseph 
 <iurney, against adherence to mei-e tem]>oral 
 forms; the o|)position being led by -lohn Wil- 
 bur. The foi-nier ai-e sometimes called "Gur- 
 ney''. or "Progrcsvsive" Friends, and the 
 latter "Wilbur" or "Conservative" Friends. 
 The foi'mer, to which the Indianai)olis church 
 belongs, diseai'ded distinctive dress, and have 
 usually adopted paid ministers, singing, ])i'e- 
 seribed services, insti'umental music, and I'e- 
 vival methods. They have also oi'ganized the 
 "Five Years' ^Meetings", with advisoi-y 
 rather than governnn'iital powers, and most 
 of them have ado|)ted a ■"Fniform Disci- 
 jiline". Their national oriian is '/7m .l//irri- 
 cim Frii 11(1. a Philadelphia weekly publica- 
 tion. 
 
 The first resident ministers followini;- Han- 
 nah Pear'son were l)a\id and Hannah Tatum. 
 
 who were here from is.'Ss to l»(j(j. In 1862 
 came James Trueblood. who.se wife, Jane 
 Trueblood, an Englishwoman, was an efKcient 
 minister for :!0 years in the Indianapolis 
 church, and also a prominent worker in the 
 city's charities. ]n 1864 came James Smith, 
 whose wife Sarah Smith, also an English- 
 woman, and an efficient mini.ster, became even 
 more ])rominent in charitable work. She 
 made her name Sarah J. Smith, to distinguish 
 herself from Sarah Smith the Friend school 
 • eacher. She and her hnsban<l began the 
 work among homeless and destitute women 
 which developed into the Home for Fi'iend- 
 less Women on North Capitol avenue; and 
 when the Women's Prison and Girls' Re- 
 f(n-matoi'y was (>stablished she was made its 
 sujK'rintendent, and served until the infirmi- 
 ties of age caused her to resign. Other min- 
 isters of the early period wei'c Barnabas C. 
 Hobbs. Enos G. i'ray. Calvin W. Pritchard. 
 Drusilla Wilson, William S. Wooten, Anna 
 iMills, John Stanton, James Adams, and Jo- 
 seph John Mills. The jegularly employed 
 ])astorate began in 1888. w'hen Levi Rees was 
 called, and .served until 18<)8. Following 
 him camp Thomas C. Brown, 1893-7; Albert 
 J. Brown. 1897-1902; and Moiton C. Pearson, 
 1902 to date. 
 
 The religious work of the Friends in In- 
 dianapolis can hardly be separated from their 
 charitable work. During and after the Civil 
 War, Jacob Willitts and his son Penn had 
 charge of the Frecnlman's Aid Society in a 
 one-story building on Pennsylvania street 
 north of Washington — an enter])rise of West- 
 ern Yearly Meeting that was of vast service 
 to the colored refugees. The ()|-phan .Asylum 
 was an ob.iect of their special interest. Dru- 
 silla Wilson was president of the board of 
 maruigers from the early si.xties till she went 
 to Columbus, ^Mississippi, to take charge, with 
 her husband, of a colored school there for the 
 Freedman's Aid l^oeietw She was succeeded 
 as president by Hannah llailley. who served 
 for some 20 years. In 1868. as colored or- 
 phans were not admitted to the asyhim, she 
 initiated the movement for a colored ori)haii 
 asylum. Some of the largest donoi's, who 
 were not Friends, made it a condition of 
 Iheii- gifts that the institution should always 
 be eonti-olled by Friemls. and it has always 
 lii'cn controlh'il b\- boards of manauers anil
 
 628 
 
 HISTORY OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS. 
 
 directors who were members of the Friends' 
 Church. In 1887 the women of Western 
 Yearly fleeting organized to establish a 
 boarding home for girls, and opened it in 
 Augn-st, 1890. It was an up-hill work to 
 maintain it until William Hadley Ballard, 
 seeing the importance of the work, deter- 
 mined to give it a permanent home as a 
 memorial to his little daughter. He accord- 
 ingly erected the tine bxiilding, with all con- 
 veniences, known a.s the Bertha Ballard 
 Home, with accdniiiiodation for 60 girls. 
 This was put in the hands of the association, 
 which had been incorporated, and is now 
 self-supporting. 
 
 An early mission Sunday school of Friends, 
 in 1866, at East and St. Clair streets, devel- 
 oped into Allen A. M. E. Church. A mission 
 established in 1890 in West Indianapolis grew 
 beyond tutelage, and in 1904 was set off as a 
 new meeting, with 17.3 members. David Com- 
 mons is the present pastor. A later mission 
 was established in Haughville. where it has a 
 church on Holmes avenue with 100 members. 
 Josiah Pennington is the pastor. The 
 Friends' Church had no regidar Sunday 
 school of its own until 1863, when one was 
 organized with Nathaniel Carpenter as super- 
 intendent. A Young People's Christian En- 
 deavor Society was organized in 1889. A 
 small organ was introduced for the Sunday 
 school and Christian Endeavor work; then a 
 piano for the Sunday school ; and finally an 
 organ for the church. 
 
 The project of a new church building was 
 talked of for a do^en years before it finally 
 ripened into action. Then the site was se- 
 cured at Alabama and Thirteenth streets, 
 and the present modern and handsome build- 
 ing was erected, at a cost of .$30,000. It was 
 dedicated in the fall of 1895, the dedication 
 sermon being preached by Benjamin F. True- 
 blood, the distinguished secretary of the 
 .A.mer'ican Peace Society, who is a native of 
 Indiana and a graduate of Earlham College. 
 In this church, on June 4, 1905, was cele- 
 brated the fiftieth anniversary of the church, 
 with appropriate s(>rvices. including a his- 
 torical review by Elizabeth Harvey Cox, 
 which is more than a history of the church; 
 it is a history of the Friends in Indianapolis. 
 The church at the pi'esent time has 962 mem- 
 bers, and 300 on the Sunday school roll ; and 
 
 is recognized as one of the live churches of 
 the city. 
 
 There may have been Jewish visitors to 
 Indianapolis prior to the coming of the rail- 
 road, but none settled here until 1849. when 
 Closes Woolf and Alexander and Daniel 
 Franco, of Plymouth. England, came to the 
 city. In 1850 the Knetier family came from 
 Hungary. In 1853 Adolpli De.ssar, ]\[ax and 
 Julius Glaser, and ^lax Dernham joined the 
 colony. In 1855 Herman Bamberger and 
 Jacob Goldman settled here. Oi'-ganized con- 
 gregational life dates from November 2. 1856, 
 when fourteen Jews met at the house of 
 Julius Glaser and organized the Indianapolis 
 Hebrew Congregation. The officers elected 
 were Moses Woolf, president ; Dr. J. 'SI. Ro- 
 senthal, vice president ; Max Glaser. treas- 
 urer; Adolph Dessar, secretary: and ilax 
 Dei-nhain, Adolph Rosenthal and Julius 
 Glaser, trustees. At the same meeting enough 
 money was subscribed to buy three and a 
 half acres of laud south of the city for a 
 Jewish burial ground. In 1857 a room on the 
 third flooi- of Blake's block, opposite the 
 Bates House (now Claypool Hotel) on Wa.sh- 
 ington street, was rented by President AVoolf 
 for divine worship. In the fall of that year 
 Rev. ^I. Berman was engaged for the holi- 
 days, and remained with the congregation for 
 a year, holding services on Saturday morn- 
 ing's. 
 
 But othei-s of the faith were coming to In- 
 dianapolis, anil the congregation found their 
 quarters too small, so, in 1858, they estab- 
 lished themselves in a hall on Washinutou 
 street, across fi'om the eoui't house, and the 
 noted Dr. Isaac il. AVise came to dedicate the 
 hall to its new use. The dedication was on 
 October 24, and on the night of the 25th a 
 dinner was given at Parisette'.s. the leading 
 caterer of the time, with prominent people as 
 guests, toasts, and all the accompaniments of 
 a gala occasion.- In a short time Rev. .Tndah 
 Wechsler was engaged as Rabbi, and re- 
 mained in that capacity till 1861. ^lean- 
 while there had been a considerable influx of 
 Jews from various European eoiuitries. and 
 with somewhat conflieting ideas of church 
 usage, so that there was a difference of opin- 
 
 1 
 
 -Best account is in TIk ('i(i:rn. October 26. 
 1858.
 
 IIISIDin- (IF (iKKA'I'RR IXDIANAI'OLIS. 
 
 629 
 
 iiiu ;is to a siKx-fsstii- to Uabbi Wuchsk-r; but 
 finally Rabbi Max Closes was secured. He 
 was of the prosrressive type, and first intro- 
 duced sinuiug by a choir in the congreiration. 
 In 18t)l}-4 J{al)bi Kallish was in charji'e; and 
 after him Jiulali Weclisler came afrain. and 
 i-emained until 18()7. Uuriim- his I'abliinatc tlie 
 coniireuation decided on permanent <|uarters. 
 On 'J'hanksirivino- day. 1S64, a committee with 
 -Morris Solomon at the head was appointed 
 to hokl a fair and raise funds, and the woi'i< 
 was jirosecuted thereafter with sucii success 
 that in 186.5 the corner-stone of the Temple 
 on Mai-ket street was laid by Ral)l)i Lillien- 
 thnl and (iovernoi- Conrad Baker. 
 
 Followiii';' Rabbi Weclislei-. came l\abl)i 
 Mayer blessing, on October 21. 18ti7, for a 
 stay of forty years. He is a native of Ger- 
 many, born in (iostyn, Posen. December 10, 
 1S4:5. His father was a Ral)l)i, and so are 
 his bi'others, Henry J. Messiny of St. Louis, 
 ;md A. J. iMes.sin»; of Chicaiio. His father 
 was also a wi-jter on reljufious topics, and the 
 j>ret'ace of one of his books was written l)y 
 Sir .Moses ]\Iontefiore. Afayer INressin'r was 
 carefully educated, and after I'cceivins" his 
 deirree. in 1860, he was chosen Hal)bi of Meek- 
 lenbui'ir-Schwrrin. Four years later he snc- 
 ceeiled his tatliei' ;is Kabl)i at (iostyii. He 
 serv<'d in the (ierman army iluriiiLr the Aus- 
 tro-l'iMissian wai-. b\it secured his I'clease aftei' 
 its close, and cami> to New York in 1867. He 
 was called from New York hei-e, and bejran 
 his work at once on arrival, officiating at the 
 services for the Holy Days, which I)e<ran the 
 day after his arrival. He was an enthusiastic 
 woi-ker and educator, and made his eonyreua- 
 tion the foremost i-eformed eonjire^ation of 
 the state. On his arrival he instituted Friday 
 eveniiii: services, and started a (hiily Hebrew 
 class and a Sabbath school fni' tin' children 
 on Saturday mni'innjrs, after the services. 
 l.Mti-i' 111' tiiiii< lip (Irpartmeiital woi'k on Sun- 
 day iiiorniniis, in which the younii- people 
 took part <_dadly. and the Temi)le has lonu' 
 had the unique feature of a Sunday school. 
 
 His work has not bei-n limited to his church, 
 but has reached nut in all rharitable and hu- 
 mane lines. .Mtcnlion lias often been at- 
 tiacted by his work, hand in baud witli l-"a- 
 thei' Ressonies and Oscar McCullouiih in the 
 ehaiities of the city. He is on the boards of 
 thr Industrial lloinr foi- the Hlinil. tlu' Fresh 
 
 Air Mission and tlie Indiana Red Cross. He 
 was the first president of the local Humane 
 Society. At the same time he has always 
 taken an active and stimulating- part in the 
 special charities of the Jewish church: and 
 in his service he has gone out to all jiarts of 
 the state. He came here in time to join with 
 Dr. Wise, of Cincinnati, in dedicating the 
 ]\rarket Street Temple, and had the satisfac- 
 tion of aiding in the dedication of its succes- 
 sor. There had been some advocates of a 
 change of site, and in 1897 when the Ohev 
 Zedek Hinigai-ian congregation offered $10,- 
 000 for the old Temple it was decided to ac- 
 cept it. .\ new site was pui'cha.sed at St. Joe 
 and Dehnvare streets, where the corner-stone 
 of the new Temple was laid on June 5, 1899, 
 and the handsome building was dedicated on 
 November 8, 1899. In 1907, at the close of his 
 forty yeai-s of labor. Rabbi Messing retired as 
 active head of the congregation and was made 
 Rabbi Emeritus. In 1909 he left foi- an eight- 
 nmiitlis toui' of Europe anil to the Holy Land. 
 Habbi blessing was succeeded by Rabbi 
 Morris M. Feuerlicht, who had been his as- 
 sociate Rabbi since 1904. Morris M. Feuer- 
 licht is a son of Rev. Jacob Feuerlicht, an 
 able scholar and teacher, who has served sev- 
 eral promiiii'nt congregations, and since 1904 
 has been superintendent of the Jewish Home 
 for the Aged, at Chicago. .Morris M. Feuer- 
 licht was born January 17. 1879. He was 
 educated at the Brinnner School, Ho.ston, and 
 the University of Cincinnati and Hebrew 
 T^nion College, receiving his degree of Rjdjbi 
 in 1901. He afterw:irds did post-graduate 
 work at the Chicago Fniversity. He served 
 ■■IS Rabbi at Lafayette before coming here. 
 Since coming he has taken an active part in 
 the literary and charitable life of the city, as 
 well as actively pursuing his chiiicli work. 
 He is president of the (Children's Aid So- 
 ciety, which has been an important coadjutor 
 of th" Juvenile Court. The membership of 
 the Temple at present is "J-J.') heads of fann- 
 lies and there arc loO children in the Sab- 
 bath school. It is worthy of note that the 
 Indiauai)olis Hebrew congregation has shown 
 the greatest libei-alitv by tenderiiiL' the use of 
 the temple to ^leridian Street Church, St. 
 Paul's Church and to Plymouth Church con- 
 gregations when their ehui-ches were de- 
 stroved. The Jewish sei'vices beinir on Fi'i-
 
 630 
 
 iriSTUliY OF (iKEATKi; 1 XDIANAI'OLIS. 
 
 day and Saturday, leave the Temple free on 
 Sunday. The example in toleration is well 
 worth consideration by Christian sects; and 
 a number of Christian ministers have ex- 
 ehanp-ed jjulpits with Kabbis JMessing and 
 Feuerlicht. 
 
 The Hungarian Ohev Zedek (Love the 
 Truth) congregation was organized in 1885, 
 by Israel Click, who was not a rabbi, but a 
 teacher and "cantor''. He served until 1889, 
 and was followed bv K<ibbi Fedennan, 1889- 
 94; Kabbi Klein, 1894-7; Rabbi Jacob Hart- 
 man, 1897 to date. The congregation first 
 
 Hebrew congregation which worships at ]Mad- 
 ison avenue and Union street was organized 
 in June, 1904, by Rabbi Charles Hoffman, 
 now of Newark, N. J. He was succeeded by 
 Rabbi Samuel B. Kaufman, who established 
 a Hebrew school and Sabbath school in con- 
 nection with the temple M'ork. He resigned 
 in 1908. and was succeeded in 1909 by Rabbi 
 Hirsh Coldberg. The Polish congregation 
 holding services at Eddy and IMerrill streets, 
 known as Kenasses Israel, was organized in 
 1892. The Rabbi in charge is I. Y,. Neustadt. 
 a thorough Talmudic and Hebi'aic scholar. 
 
 THE JEWISH TEMPLE. 
 
 \\iirsliipi)ed in a hall at the southeast corner 
 of Ohio and ]\[ai'ket streets. It then went to 
 a hall at Virginia avenue and Louisiana 
 street vintil 1897, when it purchased the Mar- 
 ket street Temple. This is an orthodox con- 
 gregation, following all the old usages, such 
 as the men wearing their hats during the 
 .services, etc. It formerly maintained a daily 
 school (except on Saturdays) which was con- 
 ducted in Hebrew. (lerman and English, but 
 this has been discontinued for several years. 
 The congregation includes 57 heads of fami- 
 lies. Most of the services are in Hebrew. 
 
 There are three other orthodox Hebrew 
 congregations in Indianaiiolis. The United 
 
 and an active worker in the Jewish Federa- 
 tion. He is also Rabbi of the Shaare Tefila 
 congregation, which holds services on Meri- 
 dian street near Nerwood. The services of 
 both these congregations are held in Hebrew. 
 The Adventi.sts are in a general wa.v the 
 successors of the "Millerites", who began 
 looking for the second coming of Christ in 
 1843. Xotwithstrinding disajipointments there 
 were over 50,000 of them who still adhered 
 to the faith at the time of William Miller's 
 death in 1849; and there are over 90.000 of 
 them now in the six sects into which the mil- 
 lennial churches have divided. Of these much 
 the strongest is the Seventh Day Adventists;,
 
 HISTOKV OF (IKKA'I'Ki: 1 M M A N A rol.l; 
 
 (i31 
 
 wild have ;il)out ]S>W cliurehi's and over 57.- 
 (KM) iiieiiihi'i's. Four (if the seels are eoiiitrre- 
 Lratioiial in lidvernnient. hut tile Seventh Day 
 Adveiitists and the Chui'eli of (lod each have 
 eonferene(>.s that are supreme. The Seventh 
 Day Adventi.sts, the onl.y one of the sects 
 represented in Indianapolis, hold that the mil- 
 lennial pnipheey was fidfilled in 1848 : that 
 the Day of .Iudj;iiient is in pro^-i'ess : that the 
 ■'eh'ansina' of the sanctuary " has occurred; 
 that total abstinence, vegetarianism and hy- 
 triene are essential features of reliiriou: thai 
 the gift of |)ropliecy still exists, and was ac- 
 corded to Mrs. Ellen G. White: that the 
 Tnited States is "the two-horned beast"; that 
 the dead arc unconscious; that the wicked are 
 punished by annihilation- and that salvation 
 is free to all who accept its conditions before 
 death. Their baptism is by immersion. Their 
 liea(l(|uarters arc at Hattle ('reek, ^lieh.. and 
 they have seven publishing- houses in various 
 parts of the world, with sanitariums and sem- 
 inaries in several states and missionaries all 
 over the earth. 
 
 The first known organized work of the Sev- 
 enth Day Advenlists here, was a nii.ssion es- 
 tablislu'd on ("hei-ry street (Tenth) in 1884. 
 A l)uilding was erected at Fourteenth and 
 Central avenue in 1888: and the First Church 
 was organized there on August 25, 1888. In 
 W(Y.] this was .sold, aiid in 1904-5 the present 
 building Avas ei-eeted at 515 East Twenty- 
 third street. It was dedicated on (^ctobei- 8, 
 1905. This chui'ch has 92 members, and 86 
 in the Sunday school, though two other 
 churches Inive been set olf fi'om it. The Sec- 
 ond Seventh l)a\ .\ilventist Church is at 
 Thirteenth and j-fural strect.s, and has 54 
 members. The Thii-d. or West Side Church, 
 is at 212fi W. :Michigan street, and has 38 
 members. The church <u-gani/.ation is es,sen- 
 tially missionary and evangelistic, and there 
 is seldom a i-cgidar |)astoi-a1e in a church, 
 thiiuijli lliere are elders who have charge of 
 them and ai'e for the time being their min- 
 isters. The ministei-s iti charge for 1909-10 
 are E!dei-s ^Fori-is Lukeiis. .\. li. Miller and 
 
 W. A. Young. There is much moi- udrol 
 
 of the members by the cidei's than is com- 
 mon in other cIuii-cIk's. and their membiTship 
 is notably exemplary. 
 
 The ^loraviiin Chui-eli claims In be the nld- 
 "st of the jirotestanl eliiin-lies, and with snirie 
 
 reason, for it was originally organized by 
 the followers of John Muss, and IkkI over 
 2(iO,(K)0 members at the time of Luther's 
 Keformation. Its episcopal or apostolic suc- 
 cession came from the Austrian Waldes.ses, 
 through liishop Stephens in 1467. It was 
 badly cripjiled by i)ersecutions in the Seven- 
 teenth centuiy, but was reorganized uiuler 
 Count Zinzendoi'tT in the Eighteenth, and be- 
 came notetl in America for its )iiissi(jn work 
 amoiiL'- the Indians. In fact it may almost 
 chnni iirecedenee at Indianapolis, for, al- 
 though there is a tradition of an eai-lier Cath- 
 olic mission, the only certainly known mis- 
 sion to the Indians on White Hivcr was that 
 of the .Moravians, 1801-6. The first church 
 organization was made at Indianapolis on 
 Decern bei- 8. 1894. The corruM'-stonc of the 
 i-hurch building at College avenue and Twen- 
 ty-si.\th street was laid in 1901, anil the build- 
 ing was formally opened on October 26 of 
 that year, but was not dedicated until 1909. 
 The pastors have been AVm. Vogler, 1894- 
 190.?: AF. E. Kem|)er. 1903-5; (ieorge J. 
 Crist, 1905 to date. The church has 107 mem- 
 bers, and 210 in the Sunday school. The IMo- 
 ravian Chui-ch has no fixed creed, but its 
 teachings are those of the pi'otestant church- 
 es in general, except that it leaves to the in- 
 dividual his choice of belief as to the "mys- 
 teries'', such as the Trinity, predestination, 
 the sacraments, the method of regeneration, 
 etc. They believe in the con.scious existence 
 iif the soul after death, and the resuri'cetion 
 of the body. The offici,-d name of the church 
 is I'nitas Frali-um. oi- I'uity of Bretlu-en. 
 but they arc sometimes called I'nited Kn-tli- 
 r-en or I'nited Brethren in Christ. 
 
 What are moi-e conniKiuly known as the 
 I'nited Hrcthi-en, howevei', oi- moi-e pr(i]>ei-ly, 
 "rniled Hrethren in Chi-ist ", are thi- mem- 
 bers of a denominalion foi-mally organizcil in 
 1800. as the result of a i-cvival moveiiK'nt bc- 
 •jnn among the (iei-iiians of Pennsylvania ami 
 .Mai-yland in 1765 by I'hilip William Ottcr- 
 bein. a miinstei- of the (Jei-irian Heformeil 
 ('hui-i-h. and .Mai-tin Koelnii. a Meiuionite min- 
 ister. The theolog\- of the chun-li is .\niiin- 
 lan. anil it has no oflicial cennection with 
 either the .Moravians or the .Melhodisls. 
 tlioui;h its orijanizalinn is vi'vy similar to the 
 l;ittei-. Origiiudh- its ser\-iccs were conducti'd 
 in (ienrian. lint they ai-e now almost wholly
 
 632 
 
 HISTOKY OF GKKATEK IXDIAICAPOLIS. 
 
 in Enulisli. Womeu have been aihiiittcd to 
 the ministry on equal terms with men since 
 1889. Tlie first society of this denomination 
 in Indianapolis was organized in 1830, and 
 in 185] it built a luiek church at the south- 
 east corner of Ohio and Xew Jersey streets 
 which was occupied for a quarter of a cen- 
 tury. In 18(ii) there was a split in the socie- 
 ty, and the majority reorganized under the 
 name of the Liberal United Brethren, and 
 closed the dooi-s of the church to the minor- 
 ity. The .minority brought suit, and recovered 
 po.ssession of the property on August 31, 
 1870. The Lilierals then disbanded, most of 
 the members going into the Jlethodist Church. 
 The pastors up to 1870 were J. D. Vardaman, 
 A. Long, A. Davis. :\r. Wright, D. Stover, C. 
 W. Witt, P. S. Cook, William Nichols, L. S. 
 Chittenden. J. S. Wall, Amos Hanway, B. F. 
 ]\Ioi'gan and W. J. Pruner. Amos Hanway, 
 the liest known of these, went off with the 
 Liberals and became a ^Methodist. The 
 United Brethren afterwards removed to Oak 
 street, between Vine and Cherry; and later 
 built their present church at Park avenue 
 and St. Clair, of which Rev. Elmer E. Swords 
 is pastor. The Second United Brethren 
 Church was oi-ganized in 1889, and at one.' 
 built its chui'ch at Dearborn and Eleventh 
 streets. The i)astor is M. K. Richardson, and 
 it has 125 members, and 100 in the Sxinday 
 school. 
 
 The Rcfdriiied Church in the United States, 
 formerly known as the German Reformeil 
 Church, is an offshoot of the Reformed 
 Church of Germany, one of the great sects 
 resulting from the Reformation. It is rep- 
 resented in Indianapolis by six churches. The 
 First Reformed Church, at Ohio and Noble 
 streets, the oldest of the,se, dates hack to 
 1852. In the fall of 1851 the Board of Do- 
 mestic IMissious sent Rev. George Lang here 
 as a mis.sionary. and lie began pi'i>acliing 
 every Sunday in the court house. He soon 
 gathered a permanent congregation, and on 
 June 24, 1852, tlie corner-stone of a church 
 building was laid on a site on Alamalia sti-eet. 
 half a scpiare north of Washingtmi. Tlic 
 church was comjilcted and dedicated on l)e- 
 cembei- 5. 1852. Mr. Lang served until l!*5t), 
 and his successors have been, M. G. J. Stern, 
 1857-65; Henrv Echmeier, 1865-8; J. S. 
 Barth (supply). 1868-9; H. Helming. 1871- 
 
 M); Jolui Kettiu, 1881-:3; C. F. Keller, 1883-6; 
 C. AVisner, 1880-8; J. G. Steinib, 1888-9; W. 
 Wittenberg, 1899-1901; C. Wisner, 1901-5; 
 H. Helming (supply), 1905-7; Frederick W. 
 Engelnumn, 1907 to date. During tlie pas- 
 torate of ]\Ir. Echmeier the church was en- 
 larged; but the congregation outgrew it, and 
 in 1889 moved to a new building at Noble and 
 Ohio streets, which was dedicated on Sep- 
 tember 1, 1889. This church now has 108 
 members, and 50 in the Sunday school. 
 
 The Second (St. John's) Reformed Church 
 was organized as a free church in 1859, with 
 C. E. Kuester as pastor till 1866. Then C.J. 
 E. Steinbaeh, a Lutheran missionary worker, 
 ministered to it for two years'. On January 
 1, 1868, the congreaation called M. G. J. 
 Stern in his place ; and in 1871 the second 
 Reformed Church was organized, ~Slr. Stern 
 serving as its pastor for over thirty yearsT^ 
 Connected with this church is a German- 
 English parochial school. The first church 
 building was on East street, south of ^lerrill. 
 The present one is at the corner of ilerrill 
 II nd Alabama, and Henry AV. Vitz has been 
 the pastor since January, 1898. The church 
 has 467 members, and 387 in the Siuiday 
 school. In 1S80, sixty of the members of 
 tht> First Church left it and organized the 
 Third (Immanuel) Reformed Church. Its 
 buildins at New Jersey and Prospect street 
 was dedicated Alay 29, 1881. The pastors 
 have been Herman Helming, A. G. Gekeler, 
 E. Yornholt and William Knierim, the pres- 
 ent incumbent. It is a strong church, out 
 of debt, with 450 members, and 310 in the 
 Sunday school. 
 
 St. Paul's German Reformed Church, at 
 709 N. Belmont avenue, was organized May 
 26. 1884, and the building was dedicated in 
 .Xovember, 1885. The pastors have been N. 
 Rene, 1S84-7 ; W. Diehiii. 1889-92; F. Kalb- 
 tleisch, 1893-1901 ; L. D. Bans. 1902-5; L. W. 
 Stolte, 1906 to date. This church has 164 
 members, and 175 on the Sunday school lull. 
 There are two other, later and smaller 
 churches of this denomination. Butler Ale- 
 iiioiial Church, twenty years old, is at Tenth 
 and Oakland avenue, and J. F. Grand is 
 the pastor. Central avenue is at the corner 
 of Twenty-first aiul Central avenue, and 
 Henry F." Gekeler luis been the pa.stor since 
 its or','anization. June 9, 1905. The buildim:-
 
 JiisT(ii;v (IF (;i;i;.\'i'Ki; india.xai'uus. 
 
 033 
 
 was purchased from tlie T'nited lirethren, 
 who erected it in isns. This church has 7() 
 nieuibers and So in the Snnday school. It is 
 the only Enuiish church of this denomina- 
 tion in the city, the other five beiut;- Ger- 
 man. The denomination has had a mission 
 Sunday school at Ra.vmond and Chestnut 
 streets since litOT, but no conj;resatiou is yet 
 oriranized there. 
 
 Tlie German Evaugelical Church is the 
 .\nii>rieiui ivpi'csentative of the national Prot- 
 istant Church of Prussia, wiiieh was formed 
 in 1S17 l)y a union of IjUtheran and Cal- 
 vinistic ehui'ch(>s. Its oldest congregation in 
 Indianaj)olis is Zion's Church at 32 W. Ohio 
 street. It was organized in April. 1841, and 
 the corner-stone of its fii-st bvulding (frame) 
 was laid in lf^43. on the present site. The 
 building was completed and dedicated on ilay 
 IS. 184"). T'ntil then the church had no reg- 
 ular i)astoi'. but was sei'ved by Eev. J. G. 
 Kuuz. In 1844 Rev. J. S. Isensee was called 
 and served from 184a to 1850. Following 
 iiini were Adolph Rahn, 1850-1: Carl Riele, 
 1851-3: C. E. Zobel. 1853-4; C. E. Kuester. 
 1854-D; Hermann Queuius, 1859-83: J. C. 
 I'.'ters, 1883 to date. The pastorate of Mr. 
 ((luenius was closed by his death on -Taiuiaj-y 
 (i. ISS.!. 'I'he membership is I'oiujted by fam- 
 ilies, of which there are 308: and the mem- 
 bcrsbi]) of the Sunday school is 488. 
 
 '!"he corner-stone of the present briclv 
 riiurcji wa.s laid on July 1, 1866: and it was 
 dedicated on February 5, 1867. 'i'he paro- 
 chial school was established in 1841. and in 
 18(10 a two-slory brick building was erected 
 for it in the reai- of the church. It was con- 
 tinued until 1880. aiul then stopped until 
 ISS.j. when it was revived for one year, and 
 tlien finally discontinued. The Ladies' Aux- 
 iliary Societ.y of this church does charitable 
 work over the city, iiulependent of the Char- 
 ity Organization. It was organized in 1883 
 and has 550 mendiers. This is the parent 
 church of this den(miiiuition. There are now 
 three othei's: St. John's Chiurh, at Sanders 
 aiul Leonard streets, Theodore Schory, i)astor: 
 St. Lucas Church, at Temple avenue and 
 New York. John A. Reller. pastor: St. Paul's 
 (iiuich. Cohunbia avenue and Seventeenth, 
 Ciuistian Hansen, pastor. St. John's was or- 
 canized Julv l:*>, 18!)(;. bv the mi.ssion board. 
 
 and became self-supporting in three years. 
 Its church was built in the sununer of 1897, 
 and dedicated on August 8, 18;)7. Mr. Schory 
 has been the pastor from the organization. 
 The church has 457 members, and 3"25 in the 
 Sumlay school. St. Lucas is still a mi.ssion, 
 organized in April, 1904. Its building was 
 erected in the spring of 1906, and dedicated 
 in July. It has 56 members, and 70 iu the 
 Sunday school. ISh: Reller has been the pas- 
 tor since the organization. 
 
 The Evangelical Association is a sect that 
 was organized by Jacob Albright, a .Metho- 
 dist evangelist among the Germans of West- 
 ern Pennsylvania, iu 1807. It is very simi- 
 lar to the ]\Iethodist (Tuircli in organization 
 and doctrine. It grew rapidly, and in 1901 
 had 27 annual conferences— one in Japan, 
 one in Switzerland, two in Germany. Its 
 first society in Indiana])olis was organized 
 June 19, 1855, as Inuuiinvul Church, and its 
 first building was on Xew Jer.sey street, be- 
 tween ]\Iarket and Ohio. On August 23, 1870, 
 the name of the society was changed to Sa- 
 lem Church, but it it now known as First 
 Chui'ch. Evangelical As.sociation. It was 
 originally a Geiinan church, but all services 
 ai-e now in Enulish. The pastors, with years 
 of accession, have been ]M. \V. Steffy. 1855: 
 H. Kramer, 1857; M. Hoehn, 1858: M. 
 Krueger, I860; A. B. Schafer, 1862; G. G. 
 Platz, 1863: J. .M. Corner, 1864; J. Fuchs, 
 1865; F. Witthaup, 1867; I, Kaufmaiui, 
 1868; Conrad Tramer, 1870; M. Hoehn, 1871: 
 H. L. Fischer. 1874; Conrad Tramer. 1875; 
 ('. F. Hausing, 1878; I. Fischer, 1880; M. 
 Hoehn, 1883; :\I. AV. Steffy, 1885; C. F. 
 Hausing. 1888: J. M. Hang, 1891: 1 T. 
 Schleucher. 1893; F. Schweitzer. 1894: W. G. 
 Hraeckly, 1897: Frederick Rausch, 1899; J. 
 H. Brei'sh. 1903; S. H. Baumgartner, 1907; 
 (J. B. Kimmcl, 1909. The corner-stone of the 
 present church, at New York ami East street, 
 was laid in 1882. and the church was dedi- 
 cated Xoveudier 4. 1882. The dnu-ch has 240 
 members and there are 400 enrolled in the 
 Sunday school. Tiiere are two later churches 
 of this sect: Second Church, at Wilkins ami 
 Church streets, of which ('has. F. Hausing is 
 pastor: and Grace IVIi.ssion. on Beville ave- 
 iHie near ^Fichiiran. of wbieli Daniel E. 
 Zeehiel is i)aslor.
 
 CHAPTER XLVl. 
 
 ■R08TE]! OF crrv OFFICIALS, 184T-1909. 
 
 MA^()l!. — Saimiel Henderson, 1847-9; Ho- 
 ratio ('. Newcomb (resigned Xovember 7, 
 is:)l ). 1849-01 : Caleb Scudder. 1851-4; James 
 .McCreadv. 18o4-6; Henrv F. Wi^t (died Xo- 
 vuniliiT S. 18r)(;). 1856: Charles Coiilon (filled 
 \aoaiu-v to Xovember 22). 1856; William John 
 Wallace (resif;ned Mav 3, 1858), 1856-8; Sam- 
 uel D. Alaxwell. 1858-63; John Caven. 1863-7, 
 1875-81: Daniel Macaiilev. 1867-73; James L. 
 Mitchell. 1873-5; Daniel' W. Grubbs, 1881-3; 
 John L. McMaster. 1883-5; Caleb S. Dennv, 
 1885-9, 1893-5; Thomas J.. Sullivan, 1889-93; 
 Thomas Tagjr;ii-t. 1895-19(11 ; Charles A. Book- 
 waiter, 1901-3. 1906-9: John W. Holtzman,^ 
 1903-5; Samuel L. Shank, 1910. 
 
 City Clehk.— Daniel B. Culley, 1853-4; 
 James X. Swectser. 1854-5; Alfred Stephens 
 (died October 14, 1856), 1855-6; Frederick 
 Stein (to fill vacancy), 1856-7: Geo. H. West, 
 1857-8: John G. Waters, 1858-63; Cvrus S. 
 Butterfield, 1863-7 : Daniel M. Ransdell 1867- 
 71; John K. Clinton. 1871-5; Benj. C. Wright, 
 1875-9; Jos. T. Alagner, 1879-83; Geo. T. 
 Breunig. 1883-5; :\Iichael F. Shields, 1885-7; 
 John W. Bowlus, 1S87-9: Elias B. Swift. 
 1889-91 : Kandall .F. Abrams. 1891-3; Lee Xix- 
 on, 1893-5 : ('has. H. Stuckmever, 1895-9 ; John 
 F. Geckler. 1899-1901; Chas. X. Elliott, 
 1901-3: Win. M. Fogartv, 1903-5: James Mc- 
 Xultv, 1906-9: Edward A. Ramsav. 1910. 
 
 City CoMPriioi.i.KU. — Wm. W. Woollen. 
 1891-3: Preston C. Trusler. 1893-5; Eudorus 
 ^r. Johnson (resigned .lune 30. 1901), 1895- 
 
 Breunig, 
 
 Julv-Oetober. 1901. 
 1901-3. 1906-9; 
 
 'By act of Manli 6. 19()5. the Mayors term. 
 formerly endina' in October, was extended to 
 the .succeeding January, making the years fol- 
 lowing calendar xcars. The term was made 
 four years, and the incumbent not eligible to 
 a consecutive second term. 
 
 1901; .Jacob P. Dunn, 
 1903-5: Geo. T. 
 Howard Kindiall, 1910. 
 
 City Civil Exgixeer. — James Wood, Sr. 
 (died Xovember 15. 1862). 1845-55, 1858-62; 
 .\ni7.i B. Condit. 1855-6: Daniel B. Hosbrook'. 
 1.S56-8: James Wood, Jr. (died July, 1866). 
 1S62-6; Joshua Staples, Jr., 1866-7; E,. M. 
 Patterson (resigned June 1, 1881), 1867-73. 
 1878-9. 1S79-81; James W. Brown, 1873-5; 
 P.ernhard H. Dietz (resigned June 10, 1878), 
 1S75-8: Thaddeus Keed (removed July 14, 
 1879), 1879; Samuel H. Shearer, 1881-90; A. 
 1'. Shauver, 1890; Henrv A. Mansfield, 1891-3 ; 
 Charles C. Brown, 1893-5; Bernard J. T. 
 Jcup. 1895-1901, 1903-5; James B. Xelson, 
 1901-3: Blaine H. Miller, 1906-9; Henry W. 
 Klaussman. 1910. 
 
 City JtiKiE.— John X. Scott, 1867-8. 
 
 Police Jldge.— E. C. Buskirk. 1891-3 
 (;eo. W. Stubbs, 1893-5. 1901-3: Chas. E. Cox. 
 1895-9: Wm. C. Dalv. 1899-1901; Thos. C. 
 Whallon. 1903-9; Janies A. Collins, 1910. 
 
 City Solicitor. — Bvron K. Elliott, Xovem- 
 ber 11. 1872-:\[ay 12, 1873. 
 
 City .Vttouxey". — Andrew 
 (resigned April 3. 1848). 1847- 
 Tavlor, 1848, 1853-6: Wm. B. 
 Edwin Coburn, 1849-50: William Wallace (re- 
 signed October 28, 1850), 1850; Abram A. 
 Ili^mmond, 1850-1; Albert G. Porter, 1851-3: 
 •John T. ^Forrison. 1856-7; Benjamin Harri- 
 son. 1857-8; Samuel V. Morris, 1858-9; Bvmn 
 K. Elliott (resigned October 31, 1870), 1859- 
 r,l, l,S(;5-70. 1873-5: James X. Sweetser, 
 1861-3: Richard J. Ryan, 1863-5: Jonathan S. 
 Harvey, 1870-3; Casabianca Bvfield (depo.sed 
 May 8, 1876). 1375-6; Roscoe 0. Hawkins, 
 1876-9: John A. Henry. 1879-82: Caleb S. 
 Dennv. 1882-5: Wm. L.' Taylor, 1885-9; Leon 
 
 if. Carnahan 
 
 -8 ; Xapoleon B. 
 
 Greer, 1848-9; 
 
 634
 
 IS'lOin- OF (lUEATElt IMJlANArolJS. 
 
 635 
 
 O. Baik'V, ]M.S!i-!n ; A<iiiilla (}. .)oih>.<, 1803-3; 
 .Idhii E.'Scott, IS!):]-."); ,7iuiifs B. Curtis. 18!).".- 
 :: John W. Kern. Is!i7-l!t()l ; Frederick A. 
 .Io>^. 1901-:!: Ilcnrv Wiirruiii. l!l03-5: Fred- 
 . IK k I-:. MniM.ii. 1;hi(;-<(: Cniir \). i^dwen. 
 lIHlIt; Mrrle X. A. Waliver, liMH. 
 
 Coiii'oiiATiON Counsel. — Frederick K. Mat- 
 ron, lilOi); Joseph H. Kealing, 1910. 
 
 BoAHU OK Trm.ic Works. — .\. W. Gondii, 
 1891-:!: :\I. M. Defrees. 1891-:); Adolpli 
 Schcrrcr. 1891-:i: James .V. Wihliiian, ls93-.J: 
 Andrew Kramer. 1 8!):i-."') ; Frederick J. .Mever. 
 1893-.) : W. B. Jlolton. Fehruary to October. 
 1 89.5 ; John Osternian, February to October. 
 189.5; E. L. .\tkinson. F'ebruarv to October, 
 1895; M. A. Downiiijr. 1895-9, "l903-5 ; E. A. 
 Austin (resigned December 8. 189(V). 1895-G : 
 \V. Scott .Moore. 1 89.5-9 ; .Martin ('. .\udersoii 
 (died October 13. 1897), 1897: Tlios. .1. Moni- 
 iromerv (died December 20, 1899), 1897-9; 
 .loseph T. F\ninin<j (resigned Mav 25, 1900), 
 1899-1900; Albert Sahni, 1899-1901; Jos. W. 
 Smith, 1899-1901 : Charles .Maguire (filled 
 Fanning"? vacancy). 190(1-3: Tiarojd C. ^le- 
 grew, 1901-3; Edwin D. Eogsdon. 1901-3; 
 Jacob Woe.s.sner. 1903-5; David Wallace, 
 1903-5; Joseph T. Elliott, 190G-9; Preston C. 
 Trusler, 190(i-9: Fred J. ilack. 1906-9; Chris- 
 tian A. Sciirader, 1910; Charles L. Hutchinson, 
 1910; Edward J. O'Keiliy, 1010. 
 
 SlX-IiKTARV BOAUO OF PUBLIC WoHKS. — 
 
 Bart Parker. 1891-8; (^has. H. Spencer, 1898- 
 1901; iMerle Sidener. 1901-2; E. F. Harris, 
 1902-3: W. K. Williams. 1903-5: Frank .1. 
 Xoil. 190r> to date. 
 
 BoAHn oi- PuHLic SaI'Hty. — Kdward ifaw- 
 kins, 1801-3; W. A. Sullivan, 1891-3: Bobert 
 Catterson, 1891-3; Nicholas R. Buckle, 1893-5; 
 John B. Conner, 1893-5; John F. White, 
 1893-5; Charles Maguire, 1895-8; Fred J. 
 Mack, 1805-0: Thos. J. Morse, 1895-9; Chas. 
 C. Both. 1898-1900; Nelson J. Hyde, 1899- 
 1901; W. S. McMillen. 1899-1901; John H. 
 Mahonev, 1900-1; Wm. Iv English, 1001-2; 
 Conrad "Keller, 1001-3: Wm. H. Schoppen- 
 hor.st, 1901-3; Robert A. Bryson, 1902-3; Thos. 
 Madden. 1903-5; Frank Straub, 1903-5; John 
 Q. Hicks. 1903-5: Lew \V. Cooper, 1906-9; 
 Charles W. Tutewiler. 1006-9; Wm. Schopjien- 
 horst. 1006-9; William K. Davis. 1010; Elmer 
 F. Gay, 1910; Jesse S. Sisslof. lOlo. 
 
 Skcretary Board of Public Safety. — 
 John L. F. Steeg, 1891-3; Richard C. Herrick, 
 
 1803-8; Edward II. Davis. 1899-1901; John B. 
 Wood. 1901-3, 190(;-0. 1910; Edward Mc- 
 Laughlin, 1903-5. 
 
 Chief F'ire FLngixeer (known as Super- 
 intendent of Fire Department after 1891). — 
 Thomas M. Smith, 1843-7 ; Joseph Little, 
 1853-4; Jacob B. Fitler, 1854-5; Charles W. 
 Purcell, 1855-6; Andrew Wallace, 1856-8; 
 Joseph W. Davis, 1858-6;i; John E. Foudray 
 (resigned November, 1859), 1859; Charles 
 Hicbmann, 1863-7, 1868-70, 1872-4; George W. 
 Buchanan. 1867-8; Daniel Glazier (killed 
 March 11, 1873), 1870-3; Michael G. Fitchey, 
 1873-6; W. 0. Sherwood, 1876-8; John G. 
 Pendergast, 1878-82; Joseph H. Webster, 
 1882-9. 1891-5; Frank L. Doughertv. 1880-01; 
 Thos. F. Barrett, 1805-1901 ; Chas". E. Coots. 
 1901 to date. 
 
 iiuu.DiXG Inspector. — M. G. Fitchey, 
 1803; John G. Pendergast, 1893-5; Geo. W. 
 Bunting, 189.5-7; John C. Robi.son, 1807-9: 
 Jacob H. Hilkene. 1899-1900; Geo. V. Bedell, 
 1900-1: Samuel G. Bartel, 1901-3; Geo. W. 
 Stanley. 1903-5; Thos. A. Winteriwvd, 1906 
 to date. 
 
 City Marshal.— William Campbell, 1847-8; 
 John L. Bishop. 1818-9; Sims A. Col- 
 lev. 1849-50. 1851-2; Benjamin Pilbean. 
 1850-1, 1853-5; Elisha McNee'ly, 1852-3; Geo. 
 W. Pitts, 1855-6; Jefferson Springsteen. 
 1856-8, 1859-61; Augnstine D. Rose, 1858-9; 
 David W. Loucks (died Ajiril 24, 1862), 
 1861-2: John Unversaw. 1862-9; George TafFe. 
 1869-71: Thomas I). Amos. 1871-3; W. Clin- 
 lon West. 1873-5: Eli Thompson, 1875-7: 
 Alonzo D. Harycy. 187 7-9: Richard S. Colter 
 ( legislated out of office April 16. 1883), 
 187-0-83. 
 
 Captain of the Watch. — Jefferson Spring- 
 steen, 1854-5; Jesse M. Yani)laricum, 1855-(;. 
 1862: Chas. G. Warner, 185(5-7 ; Augustine D. 
 Rose (resigned September 14. 1861), 1857-8: 
 1850-61: Samuel Lcfever, 1858-0; Thomas A. 
 Ifamsey, 1861-2: John R. Cotton, 1862. 
 
 Chief of Police (Superintendent of Po- 
 lice after 1891).— David Powell, 1864-5; Sam- 
 uel A. Cramer. 1865; Jesse M. Vanblaricum. 
 1865-6; Thomas S. Wilson, 1866-9; Henry 
 Paul, 1870-1: Eli Thompson. 1871-4; Frank 
 Wilson. 1874-6; .\ustin C. Dewev. 1876-7: 
 Albert Travis. 1877-80. 1887-01; Robert C. 
 Williamson (legislated out of office April 1(!, 
 1883), 1880-3; John A. Lang, 1883-7; Thoui-
 
 ()3f> 
 
 HISTOKY OF GREATER INDIANAPOI.LS. 
 
 a^ F. Colbert, 1887, 1S91-3, 1895-T ; V,vo. W. 
 Powell, 1893-5; James F. Quigley, 1897-1901; 
 George A. Taffe, 1901-3; C. "L. Krueger, 
 1903-5; Robert Metzger, 1906-9: Martin J. 
 Hyland, 1910. 
 
 Street CoioiissioxEU (corresponding of- 
 iice known as Foreman of Street Repairs after 
 181U, and Superintendent of Street Repairs af- 
 ter 1897).— Jacob R. Fitler. 1847-8, 1855-7; 
 John Bishop, 1848-9 ; Geo. W. Pitts, 1849-50 ; 
 Geo. Youngernian, 1850-1 : Joseph Butsch, 
 1851-2; Hugh Slaven. 1853-3: William Hugh- 
 ey, 1853-5; Henry Colestock, 1857-61; John A. 
 Colestock, ]861-;5: John M. Kemper, 1863-5; 
 August Richter, 1865-9; August Bruner, 1869- 
 73; Tlios. Wiles, 1873-5; Stephen Mattler 
 (deposed Mav 8, 1876), 1875-6; Lcander A. 
 Fulmer, 1876-85; Chas. S. Rouev, 1885-9; 
 Derk De Ruiter. 1889-91: Patrick Harrold. 
 1891-3; J. L. Fisher, 1893-5; Geo. H. Herpiek, 
 1895-1901, 1903-5; Wm. H. Evans, 1901-3; 
 Joseph L. Hogue, 1906. 
 
 City Gas Ixspectok. — George H. Fleming 
 (left city in March, 1871), 1868-71; William 
 S. Cone (resigned Xovember 6, 1871), 1871 ; 
 E. T. Cox, 1871-3; Ryland T. Brown, 1873-4: 
 Alexander Robertson (defaulted — office abol- 
 ished), 1874-5. 
 
 ]\rAi!KET PIASTER (East Market). — Jacob 
 Miller (resigned August 2, 1852), 1847-52, 
 1854-5; Sampson Barbee, Sr. (resigned March 
 20, 1848), 1847-8; Geo. W. Harlan, 1852-3, 
 1856-7; Henrv Ohr, 1853-4; Richard Weeks, 
 185.5-6, 1857-8; Charles John, 1858-61, 1862-3, 
 1864-7 : Thos. J. Foos, 1861-2 ; John J. Wen- 
 ner, 1863-4: Sampson Barbee. Jr., 1867-8; 
 Gideon B. Thompson, 1868-9: Theodore W. 
 Pease, 1869-70; John G. Mardick, 1870-1; 
 John Unversaw, 1871-4; John F. Gulick. 
 1874-6; William Shaw, 1876-7; Jehiel B. 
 Hampton, 1877-8 ; Joseph M. Sutton, 1878-9 ; 
 Albert Izor. 1879-80; James A. Gregg (to De- 
 cember 31. 1881),- 1880-1; Orville B. Rankin, 
 1882-4; Wra. H. Pritchard, 188.5-6: Benj. 
 Alldridge, 1887-8 ; J. E. Isgrigg, 1889-90; Jno. 
 P. Schiltges, 1891-2: Armin Koehne. 1893-5; 
 E. M. Goebel, 1895-1901: Thomas Shufelton. 
 1901-3; James A. McCrossan, 1903-5; Joseph 
 Foppiano. 1906-9; Carlin H. Shank. 1910. 
 
 1884-6, 1891-2 ; 
 Richard Wells, 
 
 - The act of ^larch 8, 1881, required election 
 of officers bv council for terms running two 
 rears from following January. 
 
 Market Master (West Market). — Roger 
 R. Shiel, 1877-8; Charles X. Lee (resigned 
 February 15, 1879), 1878-9; Levi H. Rowell 
 (tilled r>ee's vacancy), 1879; Ix'rov C. Mor- 
 ris, 1879-80; Ed. A. Guthrie (resigned Octo- 
 ber 4, 1880), 1880; Abraham L. Stoner (re- 
 signed Jlay 14, 18S3), 1880-3; James R. Shel- 
 ton, 1883-4; Thomas Kearnev. 
 James B. McCaffrey, 1887-8: 
 1889-90. 
 
 Market Master (South Side Market). — 
 Joseph Wagner, 1899-1901 : Eliot T. Oburn, 
 1901-3: James T. Smith, 1903-4. 
 
 City Weigh ^Iaster. — ■ John Patton, 
 184:-S; Adam Hauffh, 1848-56; Willard Nich- 
 ols. 187 6-8: John W. Smither, 1878-9; Will- 
 iam P. Ballard, 1879-80; Jesse De Haven, 
 1880-4; Edward J. Conwav, 1885-8; Harrv 
 Phillips, 1889-91: Jos. C. "Cabalzer, 1891-3: 
 Charles 0. Britton, 1893-5. 
 
 Sealer of Weights and ^Measi'res. — 
 Joseph W. Davis, 1853-4; Jacob T. Williams. 
 1854-6: Hugh J. Kellv, 1856-7: James M. 
 Jameson. 1857-8; John' G. Hanning, 1858-9; 
 Cyrus S. Butterfield, 1859-61 ; James Loucks, 
 1861-6; John L. Bishop, 1866-7; Augustus 
 Bruner. 1867-8; Samuel B. Morris, 1868-71, 
 1873-4: William H. Phillips. 1871-3: Ignatz 
 Cook (office abolished), 1874-5. 
 
 LvsPECTOR OF Scales, Weights axd 
 Measures.— J. M. Bartlev. 1902-3; Patrick .1. 
 Ryan, 1903-5 ; Isidor Wulfson, 1906 to date. 
 
 City Coyi^iissioxERS. — Edmund Browning, 
 185.5-61; Xathan B. Palmer, 1855-8: J. M. 
 Talbott, 1855-8; W. Clinton Thompson, 1855- 
 61: G. K. West. 1855-8; David S. Beatv, 
 1858-61, 1863-6: Adam Gold. 1858-61: 
 Adam Knodle, 1858-61; James Blake, 1861-4; 
 Wm. Boaz, 1861-4; Andrew Brouse, 1861-4: 
 .lames Sulgrove, 1861-6 ; Lemuel Yanlaningham 
 (resigned November 27, 1865), 1861-5: 
 Aegidius Naltner, 1863-6; David V, Cullev 
 (resigned November 27, 1865). 1863-5; Will- 
 iam Coughlen. 1866-7: J. W. Davis, 1865-6; 
 T. L. Roberts. 1865-6; William Braden (re- 
 signed Mav 21. 1870). 1866-70; James N. 
 Rus.^ell (died November, 1869), 1866-9: 
 Thomas Schoolev, 18(i6-9; Samuel M. Seibert. 
 1866-73; James C. Yohn. 1866-9, 1879-85; 
 .Tohn F. Ramsev. 1869-73; Joseph M. Sutton 
 (resigned June' 27, 1873). 1869-73; Ignatius 
 Brown (filled Russell's vacancy). 1869-73; 
 WilliMiii S. Ilubliaid, 1871t5; George W. Alex-
 
 HISTORY OF (;i;i:.\Ti;i; ixdi.wapolis. 
 
 637 
 
 midur, ]Sr3-."): William .1. l-'JlioU, 1873-5; 
 .). (Icorgc Stilz, 18:3-."); Peter Weis, 1873-5; 
 John L. Avorv, 187:,-!): J. S. Hildebrand, 
 1875-9; (ion. W. Hill. 18:5-84: Wm. Mansur, 
 1875-9: KolxTt II. Pattor.<on. 1875-9; William 
 ifadlev. 1S79-89; .Michael Steinhauer, 1879-84; 
 Xewtoii Ivellog-e. 1879-84; F. \V. Hamilton, 
 1884-5, 1889-90: Augu.-^t Kuhii. 1884-5: John 
 L. F. Steeg, 1884-8, "l 891 ; Joseph T. :Ma<jner, 
 1885-8; Wm. Johnson. 1885-8: James Renihan, 
 1885-90: John K. Klder. lsSii-90; Ivan N". 
 Walker, 1889-9(1: Horace llailley, 1890-1; 
 Jame.s Smith, 1891; ('has. K. Balke, 1891; 
 Wm. M. ("oval, 1891. 
 
 CiiiKK or Assessment Biheau. — ^f. L. 
 Jeffer.son, 1893-5; Wm. A. Hughes, 1895-7; 
 Mvron D. King. 1897-1901; Samuel P. Stod- 
 dard, 1901-3: .M. F. Lahey, 1903-5; W. 0. Mc- 
 Kinuev, 1905-.S: Eugene F. Harris, 1909; 
 Henry M. Cochrane, 1910. 
 
 BoAui) OF Health. — W. Clinton Thompson, 
 1849-50. 18()9-';0: James S. Harrison, 1849-50; 
 David Funkhouser (resigned March 4, 1850), 
 1849-50, 1857; (ioorge W. Mears (resigned 
 September 14, ]8(;i)', 18.50-3; 1854-5, 18G1, 
 1863-9; Livingston Duiilap, 1850-3; John L. 
 Mothershead, 1850-5 ; Patrick H. Jameson, 
 1853-4, 1855-7; Charles Parrv. 1853-4, 1857-9; 
 John S. Dobbs, 1854-7; Talbot Bullanl. 
 1855-7; James H. Woodburn. 1857-01, 1889- 
 90; John :M. Kitchen, 1858-(il; Clay Brown, 
 1861-2; Mansur H. Wright. 1861-5; John M. 
 Gaston, 18(i-M. is:i--i: Will R. Bullaid, 
 1864-6; Emil Kline, l,s(;5-i;: Thos. B. Harvey, 
 1866-7, 1869-:i : Robert X. Todd, 1866-9; John 
 P. Averv, 186: -S; John A. Comingor. 18(;9-:3; 
 Guido Bell. ls:o-4: Wm. Wards, 1872-4, 
 1877-80, 1881-8; Samuel A. Elbert, 1873-1, 
 1876-7; James S. Athon, 1874-6; A. Stratford, 
 1874-6; Charles E. Wright. 1874-6; Francis 
 ^r. Hook, 1876-7; Joseph W. :\Iarsee, 1876-7; 
 Thomas \. Hrvnn. 1877-8: Henry Jameson, 
 1877-80; William E. JefTries. 1879-S1; Elijah 
 S. Elder (resi<:ncd November 10, 1883), 
 1880-3; Wm. J. Elston, 1880-1 ; Moses T. Run- 
 nels. 1881-3: John A. Sutcliffc, 1881-8; Ed- 
 ward J. Brennan (filled Elder's vacancy), 
 1SS3-8: John X. Hurtv. 1889-90; S. E. Earp 
 (resigned :\rarch 15, 'l889), 1889: Otto B. 
 Pettijobn, 1889-90; Frank A. :\Iorrison, 1891; 
 H. S. Cunningham. 1891: W. J. r.rowning, 
 1891. 
 
 BoAiii) OF PriiLic Health and Charities. 
 —Frank A. Morrison, 1891-3, 1895-1901, 
 1906-9; Allison Maxwell, 1891-3, 1895; Geo. 
 J. Cook, 1891-3; Franklin W. Hays, 1893-5; 
 Francis J. Hammond (resigned May 18, 1894), 
 1893-4; Joseph 0. Sfillson (resigned May 13, 
 1894), 1893-4; Patrick H. Jameson, 1894-5; 
 S. E. Earp (resigned March 22, 1895), 1894-5; 
 Martin H. Field, 1895-7; Lewis C. Cline, 
 1895-7; John E. Lockridge, 1897-9; Charles B. 
 Durham, 1897-9: E. D. ^rofl■ett, 1899-1901 ; 
 J. F. Bcnham, 1899-1900; E. C. Rever, 1900-1, 
 1903-5; Geo. H. F. House, 1901-3; Geo. D. 
 Kahlo, 1901-3: Frederick C. Heath, 1901-2; 
 H. M. Lash, 1902-3; Thos. E. Courtnev, 
 1903-5; .\lbert C. Kimherlin, 1903-5; Edmund 
 
 D. Clark. 1906; Thos. B. Xoble. 1906; Mavitv 
 J. Spencer. 1907; Paul F. Martin. 1909. 
 
 CiTV Saxitakian. — Frank B. Wvnn (from 
 April 1), 1895; Chas. E. Ferguson, 1895-7; 
 Edmund D. Clark, 1897-1901 ; Eugene Buch- 
 Icr. 1901-3. 1906-9; M. J. Spencer, 1903-4; 
 T. A'ictor Keene, 1904-5; Chas. S. Woods. 
 1910. 
 
 f;iri'ERi.\"TE\i)EXT City Hosimtal. — Grcen- 
 Iv V. Woollen. lS(i6-70; Evan Hadlev, 1870-1; 
 Jo.seph W. :\Iarsec. 1871-3; A. W. Davis, 
 1873-4; W. B. .McDonald, 1874-6; Flavins J. 
 Van Vorhis, 1876-7; W'm. H. Davis, 1878-9; 
 Wm. M. Wlshard, 1879-87; John H. Oliver, 
 1887-91: Geo. F. Edenharter. 1891-3; Charles 
 
 E. Ferguson, 1893-4. 1895-7; Wm. M. Wright, 
 1894-5; Charles H. C. Poucher, 1897-9; M. J. 
 Si)encer. 1899-1900; N'onnan E. Jobes, 1901-3; 
 Paul F. Martin. 1903-5; .Xornum E. Jobes (re- 
 signed Julv 15. 1907), 1905-7; J. L. Free- 
 land, 190:.' 
 
 SuFEiiiXTENDENT Cffy Dispexsaky. — Will- 
 iam B. Fletcher. 1875-9; Caleb A. Ritter. 
 1879-82; John J. Garver, 1882-7; G. W. 
 Combs, 1887-9; F C. Woodburn. 1889-01; 
 Chas. X. :\rctcalf, 1891-3; E.lward I). MolVcil. 
 1893-4; John A. Lambert. 1891-5; Leonard 
 Bell. 1895-7: M. J. Spencer. 1897-9; John F. 
 Benham. 1899-1901; Chas. O. Lowry, 1901-3; 
 Henrv Lohrmann. 1903-5; Edgar F. Riser. 
 1906-9; Harry Dunn. 1910. 
 
 BoAi.'i) (IF Park Commissioxehs. — E. F. 
 Clavpool. 1S95-6: W. II. Leedy (resigned May 
 9, 189(;). 1895-(;: Oran I'errv. 1895-6; Henry 
 Clav .\llen (resigned Xovember 2, 1896). 
 1895-6; Frank A. M:\\\^ (deposed September I. 
 1S9.-). 1895: Albrrt Libber, 1S95-6: SlrrliiiL'
 
 638 
 
 llISTOltV OK (MM'.ATKi; 1 X I )| A \ A l'( H.IS. 
 
 Holt (resigned October 
 
 1897), 1895-7; 
 
 K. 
 
 \V. E. Engli.-^h (resigned August 24, 1900), 
 1.S97-1900; Clias. K. Coffin, 1897: Isaac King, 
 1897-1902: George Merritt, 1897-1906; M. A. 
 Downing, 1901-3, 190C-8: Fred Mack, 1903; 
 lliram Brown (resigned Jamiarv, 1906), 
 1904-6; A. J. Lauck, 1904-6; John" J. Appel, 
 1907; Dr. Henrv Jameson, 1907; Ferdinand 
 L. :Maver, 1907. ' 
 
 ('i.KUK OF Park Board. — Wni. K. HoUowav 
 (resigned April 1, 1897), 1895-7; Charles H. 
 Sjx'ncer, 1897; Otis Hann, 1898; Bert Feible- 
 man, 1899-1903; Blvthe Q. Hendricks, 1904-8; 
 Leroy E. Snyder, 1909. 
 
 City Commox Council. — Charles W. Cadv, 
 1847-8; Uriah Gates, 1847-8; Abram W. Har- 
 rison (resigned June 7, 1847), 1847; Morris 
 ]\rorris (filled Harrison's vacancy), 1847-8; 
 Cornelius King. 1847-8, 1849-50; Samuel s! 
 Kookcr, 1847-8, 1849-51, 1856-7; Henrv Tute- 
 wiler, 1847-9: William L. Wingate, 1847-8; 
 Matthew Alford (resigned March 12, 1849), 
 1848-9: Frederick H. Brandt, 1848-9; George 
 A. Chapman, 1848-9; Thomas Eaglesfield, 
 1848-9: Eoval :\[avhew, 1848-9; Hiram Seibert, 
 1848-9, ] 8.54-5: Hervey Bates, 1849-50: Will- 
 iam Eckert, 1849-51; James Gillespie (died 
 Xovember 2, 1849). 1849; David Y. CuUev 
 (filled Gillespie's vacancv), 1849-53; William 
 Montague, 1849-50; James Sulgrove, 1849-50, 
 1855-6; Samuel Hetzelgesser, 1850-1; Joseph 
 ^r. Landis, 1850-1 ; Andrew A. T/>uden, 1850-3 ; 
 George McOuat, 1850-1; Thomas Buchanan. 
 1851-3; George Durham, 1851-4, 1856-9; Xa- 
 tlian Edwards. 1851-4; Geo. W. Pitts, 1851-6; 
 Charles Woodward, 1851-2; Samuel Delzell, 
 1852-4, 1855-7: Jacob B. Filler, 1852-3; John 
 Greer, 1852-3; Wm. A. Bradshaw. 1853-4; 
 Carlisle. 1853-4; Livingston Dunlaji. 
 : Wm. H. Karns. 1853-5; Xicliolas :\Ic- 
 1853-4: Douglass Maguire, 1853-6; 
 H. Xelson, 1853-5; Horatio C. Xew- 
 1853-4: David Strickland, 1853-4: Ed- 
 win H. Wingate, 1853-4; John L. Avery, 
 18.54-5; Wm. Boaz. 1854-6 (resigned Mav 31. 
 1866). 1863-6: Sims .V. Collev. 1854-5. 1862-9: 
 Canada Gowan. 1854-5; Alexander Graydon. 
 Jr.. 1854-6; Wm. H. Jones, 1854-6; Daniel 
 Keelev, 1854-6 : John Trucksess, 1854-5 ; Sam- 
 uel Beck, 1855-6 ; Samuel M. Douglass. 1855-6 ; 
 .Vndrew W. Fuf|ua. 1855-6; Berl S. Goode. 
 1855-6; Ileinv .1. Horn, 1855-6: Win. Man- 
 sur. 1855-:: J. B. K. Reed, 1855-(;: Henrv 
 
 Daniel 
 1853-9 
 Carty, 
 Henry 
 comb. 
 
 Huscher, 1856-7; Adam Gold, 1856-7; Xixon 
 Hughes, 1856-7 : William McKee, 1856-7 ; 
 Frisby S. Xewcomer, 1856-7 ; Xathan B. Pal- 
 mer, "l856-7; Robert M. Patterson, 1856-7; 
 Thomas Cottrell, 1857-60, 1867-73; Joseph K. 
 English (resigned Xovember 12, 1859), 1857-9; 
 Stoughton A. Fletcher, Jr., 1857-9, 1862-5; 
 Geo. W. Geisendortt' (resigned February 2, 
 1862), 1857-62; Robert Greenfield, 1857-9; 
 William Hadley, 1857-9; Jonathan S. Harvev, 
 1857-8; Erie Locke, 1857-61, 1869-72; Stephen 
 McXabb, 1857-65, 1866-7; Myron Xorth, 
 1857-9; Albert G. Porter (resigned April 30, 
 1859), 1857-9: Jacob Vandeijrift (resigned Oc- 
 tober 12, 1861), 1857-61; Jacob S. Pratt (re- 
 signed March 24. 1860), 1858-60; Theodore 
 P. Haughey, 1859-60: Ernest H. L. Kuhlman, 
 1859-63; Alexander Metzger. 1859-63; Charles 
 Richmann. 1859-63: Samuel M. Seibert. 
 1859-63 : Herman Tilly. 1859-61 ; Andrew Wal- 
 lace. 1859-63: John Blake (resigned April 4. 
 1864), 1861-4; James G. Douglass (filled 
 Blake's vacancy). 1864; Austin H. Brown, 
 1861-75; W. Clinton Thompson (resigned ilav 
 1, 1867), 1861-7; Wm. Allen, 1863-6; Henrv 
 Coburn, 1863-9; William Cook, 1863-5; Ros- 
 well B. Flmerson, 18()2-7; Horace A. Fletcher, 
 1862-7: Charles Glazier, 1863-9; Patrick H. 
 Jameson, 1863-9: Samuel Lefever (resigned 
 March 12, 1866), 1863-6: Joseph Staub, 
 1863-T ; Wm. Jolni Wallace (resigned Febru- 
 ary 15. 1864). 1863-4; Adolph Seidensticker 
 (tilled Wallace's vacancy). 1864-9; Julius A. 
 Grosvenor (left city: seat declared vacant). 
 1865-7; G. A. Foster (filled Grosvenor's va- 
 cancv). 1867-9; J. Henrv Kappes, 1865-9; 
 Wm.' H. Loomis. 186.5-9 ;" John B. McArthur, 
 1865-9: Christian F. Schmidt, 186.5-9; Charles 
 Kempker (filled Boaz vacancv). 1866-7; James 
 Burgess, 1867-9; Joseph W. Davis, 1867-9; 
 Henry Geisel, 1867-9: Samuel Goddard, 
 1867-9; Wni. H. Herscher, 1867-9; Ambrose 
 P. Stanton, 1867-9; James H. Woodburn. 
 1867-75; Henrv Gimber, 1869-70, 1871-6: 
 Temple C. Harrison, 1869-71 : Christoiiher 
 Heckman. 1869-72: Leon Kahn, 1869-71, 
 1872-6, 1879-81: Hobert Kennington, 1869-75; 
 John L Marsee, 1869-:2, 1877-79; John S. 
 Xewnian. 18(;9-72: John Pvle, 1869-71; James 
 McB. Shepherd. lS(!9-:i. 1873-5; Isaac Thai- 
 man. 1869-77, 1880-9; Frederick 'Ilioms, 
 lSf!9-72: Wm. W. Weaver. 1869-72; C. E. 
 Whit^it. lS(;!i-:3: Wm. D. Wiles, 1869-73: Ed- 
 
 4 
 
 r 
 
 1
 
 IS'I'OKV OF CKKATKK 1 N'l )| A \ A l'( U 
 
 039 
 
 ward Reagan, 1870-4; John H. Batty, 1871-4; 
 Win. II. Craft, 187 1-7; Hoydon s". Bifrhani, 
 lsn-.3: Frederick C. Bollinaii. 187i-(i: David- 
 (lihson, 187-.i-4; E. J. Hardestv, 187-^-4: Joliu 
 '1'. I'ressley, 1872-4 ; Frederick P. Rush. 1872-4 ; 
 l.ynian Q. Sherwood, 1872-4; Justus ('. Adams, 
 1873-7; 'S[. C. Anderson, 1873-5: Calvin F. 
 Darnell, 1873-7, 1888-9; Wm. .AIcLau<;hlin, 
 1 873-5: Thos. H. S. Peck, 1873-4; Ralph C. 
 J. Pendleton, 1873-4: Isaac W. Stratford, 
 1873-7: James E. Twiname. 1873-5; Boswell 
 Ward, 1873-(;. 1881-4; Heurv F. Albershardt, 
 1874-r); Patrick II. Curran, ' 1874-6 ; Geo. W. 
 (Jeigcr, 187l-(i: Marshall E. Hall, 1874-6; 
 F'rancis il. Hook, 1874-6 ; Thomas Gladden, 
 1874-6; Robert C. Magill, 1874-7; Enos B. 
 i^ecd, 1874-8; John Stuckmeyer, 1874-6; Will- 
 iam Buehrig, 1875-7: John J. Diffley, 1875-7; 
 (ieorge Kenzel, 1875-7; James C. Langhlin, 
 187.5-7; Daniel M. Ransdell, 1875-7; Wm. F. 
 IJeasner, 1875-7, 1878-9; Frederick Schmidt, 
 1875-7; Geo. C. Webster, 1875-7; Joseph W. 
 Bugbee (expelled April 15, 1878), 1876-8; 
 N'orman S. Bvram, 1876-8; John L. Case, 
 1876-8: Albert Izor, 1876-8; Martin McGintv. 
 1876-80; Thomas J. Morse, 1876-9; Milton 
 Ponder. 1876-8; :\[ichael Steinhauer, 1876-8; 
 Jolin Thomas. 187(i-8; Arthur L. Wright, 
 1.S76-9: Wm. G. Wright, 1876-8; Robert B. 
 I'.airbv, 1877-9; Marcus L. Brown. 1877-80; 
 William M. Cochran, 1877-8; Josiah B. Dill. 
 1877-9; .Tames T. Lavman, 1877-9; Thomas C. 
 Heading. 1877-9; Abraham L. Stoner, 1877-8; 
 Wm. II. Tucker, 1877-80; Isaac C. Walker, 
 1877-9; James E. Watts, 1877-8; Geo. P. 
 Wood. 1877-80; George Anders(m. 1878-9; 
 Henrv Bermann. 1878-80; Jacob ^I. Bruner, 
 1878-9; Matthew M. Cummings, 1878-9.1886- 
 9; M. Horace M( Kav, 1878-81 ; Frank A. Maus. 
 1878-9; Sheldon Morris. 1878-9; Chris 11. 
 O'Brien, 1878-9; Christian Off. 1878-9; Omer 
 Rddibaugh, 1878-9; Samuel Showalter. 1878-9; 
 Gottlieb Sindlinger. 187«-9; John L. F. Stecg. 
 1878-9: Christian F. Wiese. 187 8-80; Jacob 
 Bichr. 1879-80; Peter F. Bryce, 1879-80; 
 Harviv (i. Carev. 1879-80; James T. Dowling. 
 1879-86: John T. Downev. 1879-81. 1884-6; 
 Francis W. Hamilton, 1879-80; Chris II. llar- 
 iiioning. 1879-80; George King. 1879-80; Win. 
 C. I.anib. IS7ri-,sl : Wm. If. Morrison. 1S7'.I- 
 ^1: .I<ilin »)"Ciinncir. 187!i-.sl, IS8,><-9; John 1.'. 
 i'.ar.-^on. 1879-84. 1886-91; llrnrv J. I'ricr. 
 is;!i-81: Calvin F. l?ool<cr. ls7'.t-S0. 1S.S(;.7; 
 
 Josejih 11. Sheppard, 1879-80; William E. 
 Shilling, 1879-81 ; Flavins J. Van Vorhi.s. 
 1879-81; Collins '1\ Bedford, 1880-4; Wm. l-\ 
 \. licrnhamer. 1880-1; Allen Caylor, 1880-4; 
 Fdward 11. Dean, 1880-4; John W. Fultz, 
 1880-4; Patrick Harrold, 1880-4; Ernest H. 
 Koller, 1880-4; John A. Lang, 1880-1; Henry 
 J. ^[auer, 1880-4; James A. Pritchard, 1880-4; 
 Wm. G. White, 1880-1; Nelson Yoke, 1880-4; 
 Fdgar Brundage, 1881-4; Barton W. Cole, 
 1881-4: John R. Cowie, 1881-4: Simeon Coy, 
 1881-91; John Egger, 1881-4; Frederick Hart- 
 man. 1881-4; Ernest F. Knodel, 1881-4: 
 Philip Reichwein, 1881-4; Han^ev B. Stout, 
 1881-4; George Weaver, 1881-4; Frank Benja- 
 tnin. 1884-7; John R. Cowie, 1884-6; William 
 Currv. 1884-6; Philip J. Doyle. 1884-6; G. F. 
 Fdenharter, 1884-7: P. M. Gallahue. 1884-6; 
 Charles E. llaugh, 1884-7; Fred Mack. 1884-7; 
 John ^ioran. 1884-6; Robert C. McClelland. 
 1884-9; W. C. Xewcomh, 1884-6; J. F. Kein- 
 ecke, 1884-7; R. II. Rces, 1884-6; M. M. Rey- 
 nolds. 1884-7; J. L. Sheppard, 1884-6; Theo- 
 dore F. Smither. 1884-7: (leo. W. Spahr, 
 1884-6: Preston C. Trusler, 1884-6, 1888-91; 
 J. W. Wharton, 1884-6: P. H. Wolf, 1884-(;; 
 David F. Swain. 1886-9: Henrv L. Smith. 
 1886-9; Chris F. II. Waterman. '1886-7 ; Ed- 
 ward Dunn. 1886-91; Jos. H. Howes. 1886-7; 
 Michael J. Burns. 188(i-91; Cornelius Me- 
 Groarty, 1886-7; Frank if. Dell, 1886-7; Chas. 
 H. Stuckmever. 1886-9; Abner I,. Xowland. 
 1886-7: Thos. Jfarkev. 1886-91; .lolm II. II.- 
 rig. 188(i-7; Elton B." Elliott. 1888-9; Wm. II. 
 Wils(m. 1888-9; John C. Finch, 1888-9; Wm. 
 T. Long, 1888-9: Jos. L. (iasper. 1888-91; 
 Win. E. Davis. 1888-91 ; Wm. J. Parkinson, 
 1888-9; Wm. :M. Hicklin, 1888-91; Patrick J. 
 Kellev, 1888-9: James Johnston. 1888-9; 
 Frederick W. Gaul. 1888-9; .John A. Weber. 
 1890-1; David A. Meyers, 1890-1: Henry 
 Sweeiland. 1,S90-1 ; Edward J. Slu'rcr. 1S!I0-1 ; 
 Otto Stechhan. 1890-1; M. I). Yontz. 1890-1; 
 Emil C. Kassnian. 1890-1; Wm. W. Wodlleii. 
 1890-1; Robert Martindalc. 1890-1: W. 11. 
 Cooper. 18110-1; Kobert C. Mctiill. 1890-1; 
 Fdward .\. .\ustiii. 18!)0-i: Ohif R. Olsen, 
 1890-1; .Martin .1. Murphv. 1890-1; Charles 
 A. Gauss. 18i)0-l : 1.'. .1. N'olan, 1890-1. 
 
 I'miiK \i:\\ ClIAItTKl! — CorN't'ILMKX AT 
 
 I.M.ci:. — llriiiN W. I.aut. 1892-3; John B. Mc- 
 Gullin. 1SI»2-:!: K.lward J. Shcrer. 1892-3. 
 1895-7: Martin J. Murpbv. 1892-3; Fred.'riek
 
 (i40 
 
 HISTORY or GREATER IXDIAXAPOLIS. 
 
 Srhra.ler, 1892-3; Robert C. McGill (died 
 .^fay ;, 1893), 1892-3; Henrv C. Habeny 
 (filled A[cGiir.s vacaucv), 1893; Lucius W. 
 Drew, 1893-5: Charles " Krauss, 1893-5; Geo. 
 Merritt, 1893-5; Henry Rauli, 1893-5; Theo- 
 dore Stein, 1893-5; Edward G. Stott, 1893-5; 
 Geo. J. Dudley, 1895-7; Robert :M. Gladden, 
 1895-9; Thos. J. jMontgomerv (resigned Oct. 
 2(:, 1897), 1895-7; Albert E." Rauch, 1895-9; 
 John O'Connor, 1895-7 ; John ]\Iahonev, 1897- 
 9; James H. Costello, 1897-9: Albert Harston, 
 1897-9; Edward W. Little (elected Xov. 22, 
 1897 — ^Montgomery's vacancy), 1897-9; Albert 
 Daller, 1899-1901"; Chas. M. Dickson, 1899- 
 1901 ; Geo. H. Evans, 1899-1901 ; Wm. Kaiser, 
 1899-1901: Conrad Keller. 1899-1901; Wm. 
 H. Wheeler, 1899-1901 : Lew. W. Cooper. 1901- 
 5; Jacquelin S. Holliday, 1901-3: Harold C. 
 Megrew (resigned Oct. I'l, 1901). 1901; Wm. 
 P. Sprav (elected Xov. -1, 1901 — ^legrew's va- 
 caucv), "l901-3 : Edward G. Sourbier. 1901-3; 
 John L. McFariand, 1901-3; Harrv M. Halde- 
 man (resigned Xov. 17, 1902), 1901-2; James 
 H. Billingsley (elected Dec. 11, 1902— Halde- 
 man's vacancv), 1902-3; Charles G. Davis, 
 1903-9; Frank S. Fishback, 1903-5; Otto Hoff- 
 man, 1903-9; J. Edward Krause, 1903-5; Al- 
 bert E. Uhl, 1903-9; Benj. A. Brown, 1906-9; 
 Chas. L. Hartniann, 190(5-9; Henry C. Smith- 
 er, 190fi-9. 
 
 TTndkh Xi:w Chartei! — Ward Councilmen. 
 —Thos. B. Linn, 1892-3: John K. Allen, 1892- 
 9 ; A. A. Young, 1892-5 ; Jolin Purvear, 1892-7 ; 
 James H. Costello. 1892-7; Wm.' H. Cooper, 
 1892-7; Jos. L. Gasper, 1892-5; Emil C. Rass- 
 man, 1892-3: John F White. 1892-3: Geo. E. 
 Colter, 1892-9: P. J. Rvan, 1892-5: Chas. A. 
 Gauss, 1892-3: Olaf R. Olsen (resigned). 
 1892; Chas. P. Froschauer (elected XoV. 10. 
 1892— Olsen's vacancv), 1893-3; Anton 
 Schmidt. 1892-3: Henrv Holloran. 1892-3: 0. 
 M. :Murphv. 1893-7; G. W. Shaffer. 1893-9; 
 Henry Magel. 1893-5; J. H. Schmid. 1893-5; 
 Wm. Hcnnessv, 1893-5: Chas. Koehring, 1893- 
 5; Wm. Kaiser. 1893-5; Daniel W. O'Brien, 
 1893-5: Gavin L. Pavnc 1895-7; :\rahlon P. 
 Woodv. 1895-7: Frank K. Wolcott, 1895-7; 
 Duncan Dewar. 1895-7: Frank S. Clark, 1895- 
 9 : J. H. Kirkhoff, 1895-1 : ,Tas. T. Smith, 1895- 
 7: John G. Oidever, 1895-7: Willis F. Smith, 
 1897-9: John R.' Crall. 1897-1905: Thos. A. 
 Bowser, 1897-9: Riehanl :\icrrick, 1897-9; 
 Edward D. MotVctt. isn:-!); J„lin A. V(in 
 
 Spreckelson, 1897-9; John H. Scanlon, 1897-9; 
 James W. McGrew, 1897-1901: Edward G. 
 Bernaucr, 1897-1901: Wm. W. Knight, 1897- 
 1901; John :M. Hisjijins (resigned 1901), 
 1897-1901; John WoL^ifter (elected Julv 18, 
 1901— Higgins's vacancy), 1901-5; Harry E. 
 .Veglcy, 1899-1903; James H. Billingslev. 
 1Si)9-i905: James R. Munro, 1899-19oi : 
 -Micbnel Horan, 1899-1901; H. C. Megrew, 
 US!)9-1901: Henrv L. Spiegel. 1899-1901; 
 Saml. Y. Perrott; 1899-1901; James Reilly, 
 1899-1901; James D. Moriaritv, 1899-190.5; 
 .Michael C. Kellv, 1899-1903; Frederick W. Ep- 
 jiert, 1901-9; Andrew H. Wahl, 1901-5: Wm. 
 A. Rhodes, 1901-9; Thos. A. Wynne, 1901-3; 
 Christ. H. Warweg. 1901-3: .Michael J. Shea, 
 1901-5; BenJ. F. Wvsons, 1901-3; James E. 
 Herrv. 1901-3 : Gustav J. T. ilever. 1901-3 : Al- 
 Ijert E. Cottev. 1903-9; James B. Murrav, 1903- 
 5 ; Daniel Linus, 1903-5 : John W. Storm, 1903- 
 5 : Jas. F. Sullivan, 1903-9 ; Fav Wright, 1903- 
 9 : John H. Hamlet, 190G-9 ; John F. Wood, 
 190(!-9: Wm. J. Xeukom. 190G-9; Wendel 0. 
 Bangs. 1906-9; Ed. J. Stickelman, 1906-9; 
 Theodore Portteus. 1906-9; Harry E. Rovse, 
 l!tO(;-!); .lolm L. Donavon, 1906-9; Jacob H. 
 Hilkene, 190G-9; Louis F. Henry, 1906-9. 
 
 Board of Aldeumex. — Thos E. Chandler, 
 1877-80: Henrv Coburn, 1877-81; Robert S. 
 Foster. 1877-9 :"Gottlieb C. Krug, 1877-8: Rob- 
 ert C. McGill, 18:7-8; Horatio C. Xewcomb, 
 1877-8: William IL Snider, 1877-9; Isaac W. 
 Stratford, 1877-9: William Wallace. 1877-8; 
 William D. Wiles, 1877-9: Daniel W. Grulibs 
 (resigned Mav 1, 1881), 1878-81; Diedrich 
 Mussman, 18:8-84: William F. Piel, 1878-80; 
 Jonathan :M. Ridenour, 1878-80: Harrv E. 
 Drew, 1879-84: James T. Lavman, 1879-84; 
 .lobn Xewman, 1879-84: Hiram Seibert. 1878- 
 S4: Fram-is W. Hamilton. 1880-4: Wm. H. 
 Tucker. 1880-4: George P. Wood, 1880-4; Derk 
 Do Ruiter, 1881-4: Brainard Rorison, 1881-6; 
 W. F. A. Bernhamer, 1884-(; ; S. H. Cobb, 1884- 
 6; W. A. Cox, 1884-6; Thos. E. Endlev, 1884- 
 7; Isaac King, 1884-7: James McHugh. 1884- 
 6: H. J. Prier, 1884-7: James A. Pritchard, 
 1884-7: Thiimas Talentire, 1880-6: John S. 
 Croslev, 1886-7 ; Granville S. Wright, 1886-9 ; 
 :\Iarcus L. Brown, 1886-7; Henry W. Laut, 
 1886-91: John Rail. 1886-9; Lorenz Schmidt, 
 1886-9: i\richael W. Toomev. 1888-9; Miles M. 
 Revnolds, 1888-91: James H. Tavlor, 1888-9: 
 Will. E. I'ousev. 1888-9: :\nilard F. Cnnnett, 
 
 "I 
 
 *
 
 IIIS'I'OIJV (IF CI.'KA'I'KR IXDI.WAl'oi.I^;. 
 
 r.41 
 
 isss-ii: llarrv W. Siiiitli, 1888-91; Timothy J. 
 Clnik. l^SS-!i: Isaac 'Jlialiiian, 1890-1; Saimicl 
 \'. IVnott. 1.S!)0-1: Geo. T. Brounig, 1890-1; 
 M. II. Fanvll. 1890-1 ; Thuo. T. Smithcr. 1890- 
 I: -Fames ]{i>illv, 1890-1; John ,1. BlackwcU, 
 1890-1; John V. Keinecke, 1890-1. 
 
 PitKsiDKXT.s Ro.Miu OF An)EinrEN. — Horatio 
 C. Newcomh, 1877-8; William D. Wilos, 1878- 
 9 : Jonathan M. Kidenour, 1879-80 : Henrv Co- 
 l)urn, 1880-1: ;Tainos T. Layman, 1881-:i; 
 Biainard I{(.ri.<on, 1884-5; Tlios. J. Endley, 
 188(1-7; (Iranviile S. Wright, 1888-9; Isaac 
 Tlialman. 18l)(i-l. 
 
 Ci-KUK Bo.VRD 01' Aldkumen. — Geo. T. Breu- 
 nig, 1877-8.'?; Frank W. Ripley, 1884-5 ; Jos. T. 
 Fanning, 1886-7; Samuel V. Pcrrott (from Oct. 
 a, 188: ), 1887, 1890-1 ; Mi.liael Toomey, 1888- 
 9. 
 
 DisTiiicT CouNCiLiriON (Ihider Law of 
 1909).— Wm. H. Johnson, 1910— ; John Blum- 
 lierg, 1910—; Charles F. Copeland, 1910—; 
 Geoige L. Denny, 1910-; Frank E. McCarthy, 
 1910—; Fred C. Owen, 1910—; George B. Ru- 
 hcns. 1910—; Charles B. Stilz, 1910—; James 
 E. Trov. 1910—.
 
 614^^1
 
 'i- 
 
 r 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Santa Barbara 
 
 THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE 
 STAMPED BELOW. 
 
 Series 9482 
 
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 UC SOLITHFRN RFfilONAI LIBR6RV F«ni ITY 
 
 
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