History Indianapolis

1 history

1.1 etymology
1.2 founding
1.3 civil war , gilded age
1.4 modern indianapolis

history

etymology

the name indianapolis derived state s name, indiana (meaning land of indians , or indian land ), , polis, greek word city. jeremiah sullivan, justice of indiana supreme court, credited coining name. other names considered concord, suwarrow, , tecumseh.

founding

a depiction of 1820 indianapolis.



the third indiana statehouse (1835–1877).

in 1816, year indiana gained statehood, u.s. congress donated 4 sections of federal land establish permanent seat of state government. 2 years later, under treaty of st. mary s (1818), delaware relinquished title tribal lands in central indiana, agreeing leave area 1821. tract of land, called new purchase, included site selected new state capital in 1820.

the availability of new federal lands purchase in central indiana attracted settlers, many of them descendants of families northwestern europe. although many of these first european , american setters protestants, large proportion of irish , german immigrants catholics. few african americans lived in central indiana before 1840. first european americans permanently settle in area became indianapolis either mccormick or pogue families. mccormicks considered first permanent settlers; however, historians believe george pogue , family may have arrived first, on march 2, 1819, , settled in log cabin along creek later called pogue s run. other historians have argued 1822 john wesley mccormick, family, , employees became first european american settlers in area, settling near white river in february 1820.

on january 11, 1820, indiana general assembly authorized committee select site in central indiana new state capital. state legislature approved site, adopting name indianapolis on january 6, 1821. in april, alexander ralston , elias pym fordham appointed survey , design town plan new settlement. indianapolis became seat of county government on december 31, 1821, when marion county, established. combined county , town government continued until 1832 when indianapolis incorporated town. indianapolis became incorporated city effective march 30, 1847. samuel henderson, city s first mayor, led new city government, included seven-member city council. in 1853, voters approved new city charter provided elected mayor , fourteen-member city council. city charter continued revised indianapolis expanded. effective january 1, 1825, seat of state government relocated indianapolis corydon, indiana. in addition state government offices, u.s. district court established @ indianapolis in 1825.

growth occurred opening of national road through town in 1827, first major federally funded highway in united states. small segment of failed indiana central canal opened in 1839. first railroad serve indianapolis, jeffersonville, madison , indianapolis railroad, began operation in 1847, , subsequent railroad connections fostered growth. indianapolis union station first of kind in world when opened in 1853.

civil war , gilded age


confederate pows @ camp morton in 1864.



child laborers in indianapolis furniture factory, 1908.

during american civil war, indianapolis loyal union cause. governor oliver p. morton, major supporter of president abraham lincoln, made indianapolis rallying place union army troops. on february 11, 1861, president-elect lincoln arrived in city, en route washington, d.c. presidential inauguration, marking first visit president-elect in city s history. on april 16, 1861, first orders issued form indiana s first regiments , establish indianapolis headquarters state s volunteer soldiers. within week, more 12,000 recruits signed fight union.

indianapolis became major logistics hub during war, establishing city crucial military base. between 1860 , 1870, city s population more doubled. estimated 4,000 men indianapolis served in 39 regiments, , estimated 700 died during war. on may 20, 1863, union soldiers attempted disrupt statewide democratic convention @ indianapolis, forcing proceedings adjourned, sarcastically referred battle of pogue s run. fear turned panic in july 1863, during morgan s raid southern indiana, confederate forces turned east toward ohio, never reaching indianapolis. on april 30, 1865, lincoln s funeral train made stop @ indianapolis, estimated crowd of more 100,000 people passed assassinated president s bier @ indiana statehouse.

following civil war—and in wake of second industrial revolution—indianapolis experienced tremendous growth , prosperity. in 1880, indianapolis world s third largest pork packing city, after chicago , cincinnati, , second largest railroad center in united states 1888. 1890, city s population surpassed 100,000. of city s notable businesses founded during period of growth , innovation, including l. s. ayres (1872), eli lilly , company (1876), madame c.j. walker manufacturing company (1910), , allison transmission (1915). once home 60 automakers, indianapolis rivaled detroit center of automobile manufacturing. city focus of labor organization. indianapolis street car strike of 1913 , subsequent police mutiny , riots led creation of state s earliest labor-protection laws, including minimum wage, regular work weeks, , improved working conditions. international typographical union , united mine workers of america among several influential labor unions based in city.

modern indianapolis

the soldiers , sailors monument in 1970, year unigov enacted.

some of city s prominent architectural features , best known historical events date turn of 20th century. soldiers , sailors monument, dedicated on may 15, 1902, later become city s unofficial symbol. ray harroun won inaugural running of indianapolis 500, held may 30, 1911, @ indianapolis motor speedway. indianapolis 1 of hardest hit cities in great flood of 1913, resulting in 5 known deaths , displacement of 7,000 families.

as stop on underground railroad, indianapolis had higher black population other city in northern states, until great migration. led d. c. stephenson, indiana klan became powerful political , social organization in indianapolis 1921 through 1928, controlling city council , board of school commissioners, among others. @ height, more 40% of native-born white males in indianapolis claimed membership in klan. while campaigning in city in 1968, robert f. kennedy delivered 1 of lauded speeches in 20th century american history, following assassination of civil rights leader martin luther king jr. in u.s. cities during civil rights movement, city experienced strained race relations. 1971 federal court decision forcing indianapolis public schools implement desegregation busing proved controversial.

under mayoral administration of richard lugar, city , county governments restructured, consolidating public services new entity called unigov. plan removed bureaucratic redundancies, captured increasingly suburbanizing tax revenue, , created republican political machine dominated indianapolis politics until 2000s decade. unigov went effect on january 1, 1970, increasing city s land area 308.2 square miles (798 km) , population 268,366 people. first major city-county consolidation occur in united states without referendum since creation of city of greater new york in 1898.

amid changes in government , growth, city invested in aggressive strategy brand indianapolis sports tourism destination. under administration of city s longest-serving mayor, william hudnut (1976–1992), millions of dollars poured sport facilities. throughout 1980s, $122 million in public , private funding built indianapolis tennis center, major taylor velodrome, indiana university natatorium, carroll track , soccer stadium, , hoosier dome. latter project secured 1984 relocation of nfl baltimore colts , 1987 pan american games. economic development strategy succeeded in revitalizing central business district through 1990s, openings of indianapolis zoo, canal walk, circle centre mall, victory field, , conseco fieldhouse.

during 2000s, city continued investing heavily in infrastructure projects, including 2 of largest building projects in city s history: $1.1 billion col. h. weir cook terminal , $720 million lucas oil stadium, both opened in 2008. $275 million expansion of indiana convention center completed in 2011. construction began year on digindy, $1.9 billion project correct city s combined sewer overflows (csos) 2025.