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X

H U

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

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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