In 1820, the Indiana legislature selected commissioners to locate the state’s new capital as near as possible to the center of the state to take advantage of western migration, and the legislature approved the site as the new capital in early 1821.
In September and October of 1818, U.S. government commissioners and the Potawatomies, Weas, Delawares, and Miamis signed the most significant and far-reaching agreement that shaped the Indiana territory in St. Mary’s, Ohio. In the agreement, the tribes ceded the middle third of Indiana in return for compensations, annuities, and individual plots. The treaties specified land grants for the Miamis and Weas, promised the Delawares western territories, and allowed the tribes to remain on their land until 1821.
In September and October of 1818, U.S. government commissioners and the Potawatomies, Weas, Delawares, and Miamis signed the most significant and far-reaching agreement that shaped the Indiana territory in St. Mary’s, Ohio. In the agreement, the tribes ceded the middle third of Indiana in return for compensations, annuities, and individual plots. The treaties specified land grants for the Miamis and Weas, promised the Delawares western territories, and allowed the tribes to remain on their land until 1821.
Image: Graphic, scene of Indianapolis in 1820, cabin in the woods (Bass #204918) Indiana Historical Society
Before anything was built, the city existed on paper. The Mile Square is the original plat of the town designed by Alexander Ralston in 1821. The state government chose Ralston to design the layout for the new capital city in a four-mile square area of dense forest, however, Ralston only planned one mile because he doubted that the city would ever encompass four. Ralston’s plan is distinguished by diagonal arteries – Massachusetts, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana avenues – that connect the corners of the square mile, and there is a circle at the center that was designated for the governor’s mansion. The plan is largely intact with its grid, and 3 of the 4 diagonal streets still radiate outward from the distinctive Circle Street, which later became Monument Circle.
Picture: Plat of the Town of Indianapolis, 1821 (Indiana Historical Society)
In 1836, construction began on the Central Canal. The Central Canal was intended to connect Indianapolis to the Ohio River and Lake Erie via the Wabash and Erie Canal, however, only 8 miles were finished due to a lack of funding.
Image: Men fishing along the canal, O. James Fox Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
Image of 1870s Women’s Ward, Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
“Hoosier Poet” and Indianapolis resident James Whitcomb Riley was beloved by many across the country, and he was especially popular among children. Riley rose to fame because of his use of humor and the Midwest dialect, and his popular works include his famous “Little Orphant Annie” and “The Raggedy Man.” He grew in popularity during the 1880s through poetry reading tours. His circuit grew from the Midwest to a national tour, and he held shows and making joint appearances on stage with other famous talents. In the 1890s, Riley became a bestselling author. His children’s poems were compiled into a book called The Rhymes of Childhood, and it sold millions of copies. As a poet, Riley achieved an uncommon level of fame during his own lifetime and was regularly called on to perform readings at national civic events.
Indianapolis has a long and rich literary history which includes such notable figures as Booth Tarkington, Kurt Vonnegut, Mari Evans, and many more.
By 1890 Indianapolis’ near south side was densely populated and had the highest percentage of foreign-born residents of any district in the city.
Irish and Germans arrived in Indianapolis in the early 1830s as builders of the Central Canal and workers on the National Road. Many of the early immigrants were of the Roman Catholic and Jewish faiths, so throughout the mid-1850s and the mid-1870s, they erected the first Catholic churches on the city’s south side: St. John’s, St. Mary’s, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
In the 1840s and 1850s, hundreds of African Americans settled on the south side, and by 1875, South Calvary Baptist Church was erected for spiritual encouragement and assistance with social and economic issues.
The influx of Jewish citizens into Indianapolis created a need for organizations designed to help them settle into their new urban homes. In 1856, the first Jewish congregation, the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation, was organized. In 1914, the Jewish Federation built a settlement house on the Southside on Morris Street.
Photo: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society
Indianapolis was the first city in the world to devise a union station. The station building opened on Jackson Place, and it was operated by the Indianapolis Union Railway. A much larger station was designed by Pittsburgh architect Thomas Rodd and constructed at the same location beginning in 1886.
Photograph of Etching of Original Union Station: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society
Indianapolis was the first city in the world to devise a union station. The station building opened on Jackson Place, and it was operated by the Indianapolis Union Railway. A much larger station was designed by Pittsburgh architect Thomas Rodd and constructed at the same location beginning in 1886.
Photograph of Etching of Original Union Station: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society
The Indianapolis City Hospital, later known as Wishard and then Eskenazi, opened in 1866.
Image: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
The Indiana Statehouse was completed in 1888, and it houses the seats of Government for the State of Indiana. The story of the Indiana Statehouse begins in Vincennes, the Indiana territory’s first seat of government. As westward-bound settlers and supplies started to arrive in the territory via the Ohio River, territorial government was moved to Corydon. As more roads were built and settlement moved northward, a centrally located seat of government was needed. In January 1821, a site was selected and the city of Indianapolis was founded. While the Statehouse location has remained fixed since 1835, the original building no longer stands. The Statehouse in use today replaced it in 1888.
Photo: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
The Indiana Statehouse was completed in 1888, and it houses the seats of Government for the State of Indiana. The story of the Indiana Statehouse begins in Vincennes, the Indiana territory’s first seat of government. As westward-bound settlers and supplies started to arrive in the territory via the Ohio River, territorial government was moved to Corydon. As more roads were built and settlement moved northward, a centrally located seat of government was needed. In January 1821, a site was selected and the city of Indianapolis was founded. While the Statehouse location has remained fixed since 1835, the original building no longer stands. The Statehouse in use today replaced it in 1888.
Photo: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
This photo shows the exterior of Das Deutsche Haus in 1905. Das Detusche Haus (“The German House”) was constructed in two phases from 1893 to 1898 with the goal of being able to house many German clubs under a single roof. Over the years it has hosted numerous German organizations. In 1918 it was renamed the Athenaeum because of anti-German sentiment stemming from World War I.
Photo: Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
Located on Monument Circle in the center of downtown, the Soldiers and Sailors monument has come to symbolize the city of Indianapolis. This National Historic Landmark, which was formally dedicated on May 15, 1902, is America’s greatest Civil War monument, and it commemorates the valor of Hoosier veterans who served in all wars prior to WWI, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Frontier Wars and the Spanish-American War.
Located on Monument Circle in the center of downtown, the Soldiers and Sailors monument has come to symbolize the city of Indianapolis. This National Historic Landmark, which was formally dedicated on May 15, 1902, is America’s greatest Civil War monument, and it commemorates the valor of Hoosier veterans who served in all wars prior to WWI, including the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Frontier Wars and the Spanish-American War.
May 30, 1911: 40 cars lined up at the starting line for the first Indianapolis 500, which is now one of the world’s most famous motor racing competitions. At an average speed of 74.59 mph, Ray Harroun drove his single-seater Marmon Wasp to victory. The Wasp was the first car with a rear-view mirror, which Harroun had installed to compensate for not having a mechanic in the seat next to him to warn him of passing cars. The racetrack at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was originally built to be a test track for the many local automobile factories.
Image: Ray Harroun in his Marmon “Wasp,” Bass Photo Co Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
In 1919, Mary Rigg moved to Indianapolis to help juvenile delinquents with the Church Federation, and she simultaneously earned her master’s degree at the Indiana University School of Social Work. Her thesis work revolved around immigrant communities in the city, and as a result, she was hired as the director of the American Settlement in 1924, which was a center of learning and recreation for immigrants who came to Indianapolis to work in industrial and meatpacking plants. As one of the first professionally trained social workers in Indianapolis, she transformed the struggling center into a thriving community center for immigrants and children by implementing modern social and educational programming. Mary Rigg directed the center until 1960, and it is now named in her honor.
In 1919, Mary Rigg moved to Indianapolis to help juvenile delinquents with the Church Federation, and she simultaneously earned her master’s degree at the Indiana University School of Social Work. Her thesis work revolved around immigrant communities in the city, and as a result, she was hired as the director of the American Settlement in 1924, which was a center of learning and recreation for immigrants who came to Indianapolis to work in industrial and meatpacking plants. As one of the first professionally trained social workers in Indianapolis, she transformed the struggling center into a thriving community center for immigrants and children by implementing modern social and educational programming. Mary Rigg directed the center until 1960, and it is now named in her honor.
In 1919, the Indiana War Memorial Plaza was dedicated as a location for the national headquarters of the American Legion and a memorial to honor Hoosier veterans. The American Legion was chartered by Congress in 1919, and it is an organization of veterans that sponsors youth programs, promotes patriotism and national security, and provides commitment to Americans who have served in the armed forces. Indianapolis was an attractive location for the organization’s headquarters because of the city’s central location and patriotic spirit. In addition to the headquarters, the Indiana War Memorial Plaza Historic District includes a 30,000 square foot museum that houses military equipment and artifacts and 25 acres of monuments, statues, and sculptures in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. The IWM Commission operates these facilities in pursuit of its primary mission: to commemorate the valor and sacrifice of the United States Armed Forces and to honor Hoosier veterans and Indiana’s role in the nation’s conflicts.
In 1927, the Indianapolis School Board opened Crispus Attucks High School as the first and only public high school for African Americans in the city. The school was named “Crispus Attucks High School” in honor of the former slave killed in the 1770 Boston Massacre, who is generally considered the first to die in the American Revolution. Crispus Attucks High School became a strong source of pride in Indy’s black community, from hiring the best faculty available from traditionally black colleges in the south to having a special course in black history. School segregation was outlawed in Indiana in 1949, but the student body remained almost exclusively African American until the 1970s when busing for racial integration began.
In 1927, the Indianapolis School Board opened Crispus Attucks High School as the first and only public high school for African Americans in the city. The school was named “Crispus Attucks High School” in honor of the former slave killed in the 1770 Boston Massacre, who is generally considered the first to die in the American Revolution. Crispus Attucks High School became a strong source of pride in Indy’s black community, from hiring the best faculty available from traditionally black colleges in the south to having a special course in black history. School segregation was outlawed in Indiana in 1949, but the student body remained almost exclusively African American until the 1970s when busing for racial integration began.
For decades, Indiana Ave served as an African American cultural center, with a vibrant social, commercial, residential, spiritual, educational and economic community. Indiana Avenue was a hub for the local jazz scene and at the height of the jazz era in the 1920s and ‘30s, “The Avenue” featured over 33 jazz clubs with performances from Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and more. Indiana Avenue is still one of Indy’s cultural districts that stretches between the Central Canal and White River, encompassing many neighborhoods and IUPUI, as well as the Madame CJ Walker Theatre. The community keeps their traditions and history alive by hosting festivals and performances and showcasing jazz-themed outdoor art.
The Essex House was the youngest mid-rise apartment & hotel building in the city to be demolished. Built in 1952, the 14-story structure sat on Pennsylvania Street overlooking the Indiana World War Memorial. Used as the decoy hotel during The Beatles’ 1964 performance, the Essex House was also the site of the first Pride Brunch in 1981. Event guests entered the building wearing masks as to not be identified by onlookers. Demolished in the 1990s, the site is still used as a parking lot. From the W.H. Bass Photo Company Collection, Indiana Historical Society.
4/4/1968: United States Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York delivered an improvised speech in Indianapolis several hours after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Kennedy offered brief, impassioned remarks for peace in the heart of Indianapolis’ African-American neighborhood. His speech is considered to be one of the great public addresses of the modern era. Video via Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights YouTube channel
In 1984, the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indy. Since their move, the Indianapolis Colts have made 17 playoff appearances, and they won the 44th Super Bowl.
Image: Visit Indy
In 1984, the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indy. Since their move, the Indianapolis Colts have made 17 playoff appearances, and they won the 44th Super Bowl.
Image: Visit Indy