Indianapolis

President Madison signs the Enabling Act of 1816

The act authorizes the people of the Indiana Territory to form a constitution and state government. 

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Treaty of St. Mary’s (Ohio) signed

In St. Mary’s, Ohio, the Miami, Delaware, Wea, and Potawatomi tribes ceded their land in the middle of  Indiana (dubbed the New Purchase) to the U.S. in exchange for cash, salt, sawmills, and other goods. It continued the process of Indian removals begun by the Treaty of Greenville in 1795.  

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Ute Perkins builds the first cabin

Perkins builds the first cabin in the area along a small creek near present-day Michigan Road, now known as Pogue’s Run, but moves to Rush County. George Pogue takes over Perkins’ cabin when he comes to the area in March 1820.

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John McCormick settles on the east bank of White River, near present-day Washington Street

John McCormick and family leave Connersville on February 18th, searching for a new homestead. After eight days, McCormick chooses the west bank of the White River as his new home. 

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George Pogue settles on the bank of a small creek, near present-day Michigan Road

George Pogue and family are the second group to settle in the future city of Indianapolis. Pogue, a blacksmith from Connersville, settles near the creek that now bears his name, Pogue’s Run. 

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Site for new state capital at White River and Fall Creek chosen

The capital selection committee convenes at John McCormick’s cabin and chooses the site at the confluence of White River and Fall Creek for Indiana’s new state capital.

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Wesley Chapel becomes the first church

Reverend William Cravens organizes the first church after a Methodist gathering at Isaac Wilson’s log cabin during the summer of 1821.

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Joseph C. Reed opens the first school

In the spring of 1821, Joseph C. Reed becomes the first teacher after he established a school in the small community cabin at Kentucky and Washington streets.

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Commissioner appoints Alexander Ralston and Elias Pym Fordham as surveyors of the capital city

Christopher Harrison, the commissioner overseeing the layout of Indianapolis, selects Alexander Ralston and Elias Pym Fordham to survey the four-square-mile tract of land that makes up the new capital. 

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Marion County created

The General Assembly passes an act to create Marion County. In addition, it provides $8,000 to build a courthouse. The next day, Governor Jennings appoints Hervey Bates as sheriff. 

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Indiana ratifies the location of the new capital

The Indiana General Assembly approves the location suggested by the selection committee as the state’s permanent capital. The new capital is named Indianapolis, a term coined by Judge Jeremiah Sullivan. It means “City of Indiana.”

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Malaria epidemic strikes

Heavy rainfall creates conditions for the spread of malaria, claiming the lives of 72 residents, or 1 of 8 people living in Indianapolis. 

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First city lots go on sale

Major Thomas Carter serves as auctioneer in Matthias Nowland’s cabin. The sale lasts for seven days and results in the sale of 314 lots for $35,596 total. 

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Population in 1822 is an estimated 500 residents

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Indianapolis’ first newspaper begins publication

Nathaniel Bolton publishes the Gazette, making it the first newspaper in Indianapolis. The newspaper is issued at irregular intervals at first and is politically neutral.

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First postmaster appointed

Samuel Henderson, one of the first settlers in Indianapolis, becomes postmaster of the town’s first post office.

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First Marion County election

The first election in Marion County has 336 voters (224 in Indianapolis). Votes are cast for two associate judges, a county clerk, a county recorder, and three county commissioners.

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First meeting of Marion County commissioners

The newly elected county officers meet for the first time and divide the county into 13 townships for administrative purposes.

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Great Squirrel Migration

Thousands of gray squirrels move across Central Indiana and Indianapolis. These migrations are common at this time and are of concern because they destroy cornfields.

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First Baptist Church organizes

Having first met in a log schoolhouse in August 1822, the First Baptist Church officially organizes.

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First general store opens

Nicholas McCarty opens the first general store in Fall 1823. Located on the southwest comer of Washington and Pennsylvania streets, it become known as “McCarty’s Corner.” 

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Second newspaper begins publication

Harvey Gregg and Douglass Maguire begin the town’s second newspaper, The Western Censor and Emigrant’s Guide, publishing it out of Gregg’s house. 

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First Presbyterian Church founded

The First Presbyterian congregation completes its formal constitution after having gathered in a schoolhouse for multiple months.

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First theatrical production

A traveling theatrical group presents the first theatrical production on New Year’s Eve, “The Doctor’s Courtship” and “Jealous Lover”. The performances take place in the dining room of Thomas Carter’s tavern, the Rosebush Tavern.

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Marion County Courthouse opens

John Baker and James Paxton complete construction on the courthouse in Fall 1824. It serves as both the courthouse and the first State House in Indianapolis.

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Indianapolis becomes state capital

The General Assembly makes Indianapolis the seat of the state government. The law will not become effective until January 1, 1825.

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First cemetery established

Seventy-one Indianapolis citizens sign a charter to designate the area on the west side of Kentucky Avenue near the White River as the town’s official cemetery. It had served as a burial ground from 1821. 

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Indiana General Assembly meets in new state capital

The Indiana General Assembly has its first session in Indianapolis after officially moving from Corydon on January 1, 1825.

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Indiana Journal begins publication

John Douglass and Douglass Maguire publish the first issue of the Indiana Journal with a focus on political issues.

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Indiana State Library opens

The state library opens with the secretary of state acting as librarian. The General Assembly establishes it to provide library service to the legislature, state government officials, and other governmental personnel.

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First volunteer fire company organizes

A volunteer fire department organizes several months after the first recorded fire. The department uses a church bell for alarms and has only ladders and buckets to fight fires. 

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Indianapolis Sabbath School Union established

Three years after the first “union sunday school” takes place, Indiana Sabbath School Union, established at Charlestown, forms three branches, one of which is in Indianapolis. 

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Governor’s residence erected on Governor’s Circle

Although designated as the governor’s house, no governor takes up residence there. It serves several other functions before being demolished in 1857. Governor’s Circle later become known as Monument Circle.

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U.S. Congress donates ground for militia training

First used in 1822 to celebrate the city’s first Independence Day, Congress donates the land that is current day Military Park to Indiana for militia training.

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Temperance Society of Marion County organizes

Indianapolis residents gather at the Methodist meetinghouse and organize the Temperance Society of Marion County. Members of the new society pledge to discontinue alcohol use unless needed medicinally.

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Landmark decision against slaveholder’s right to transport enslaved peoples through a free state

Marion County circuit court judge Bethuel F. Morris rules that an enslaved woman and her three children passing through Indiana with their owner are free because slavery is prohibited by the state constitution. The case is one of the first such decisions in the nation, and it is highly controversial in Indiana.

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Population in 1830 totals 1900 residents

White: 1,836

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Two women’s academies open

On the same day, both the Indianapolis Female School and Miss Hooker’s Female School open, becoming the town’s first schools for young women. Both are short-lived.

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The steamboat Robert Hanna arrives from Cincinnati

The steamboat reputedly is the only one ever to ascend the White River to Indianapolis. The vessel runs aground on its return trip, dashing hopes about the navigability of the waterway.

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Indianapolis incorporates as a town

The Town of Indianapolis incorporates, and the local government is placed under the direction of five trustees to be elected on September 29.

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Central Christian Church organizes

John O’Kane, a Virginia evangelist and “Campbellite,” establishes the Church of Christ (Central Christian Church). Early leaders include Butler Smith, John Sanders, and Zerelda Wallace (wife of Governor David Wallace).

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Whigs form a local political organization

The formation of a local Whig organization comes as the state begins to split along national divisions. Though Indiana leaned Democrat, Whigs become the leading party in Indianapolis. 

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Marion County Seminary opens

The Marion County Seminary building officially opens under the leadership of Ebenezer Dumont. The seminary, a public academy, becomes known as one of the leading schools in central Indiana. 

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Third State House completed

The firm of Ithiel Town and Alexander Jackson Davis finish construction on the new State House. The Greek Revival-style building is completed at a cost of approximately $60,000. 

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First Catholic Mass

Rev. Claude Francis of Logansport offers the first Catholic Mass in Indianapolis at Powers Tavern on West Washington Street.

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First annual fair of the Marion County Agricultural Society

After forming in June, the Marion County Agriculture Society plans the first Marion County fair, which is held on October 30–31 at the Courthouse Square.

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Civic leaders form the Indianapolis Benevolent Society

The organization declares that its mission is “to give temporary aid to meet the needs of individuals and families on a community-wide basis without regard to race or creed.”

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Construction on the Central Canal begins

Construction begins on the first few miles of the canal, which promises to improve transportation through Indiana. The canal project is funded through the Mammoth Internal Improvements Bill of 1836.

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African Methodist Episcopal congregation organizes

A group of Black Methodists in Indianapolis forms Bethel AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church. A founder of the denomination, William Paul Quinn serves Indianapolis and other AME stations as pastor. A church building is constructed on Georgia Street, between Senate Avenue and the Central Canal in 1841.

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First Catholic parish organizes

Father Vincent Bacquelin organizes the town’s first Catholic parish, Holy Cross.  In November, the Diocese of Vincennes purchases land south of Military Park to build a church, which is built in 1840.

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Two communities established north of the Central Canal

In April of 1837, Jacob Coil plats Broad Ripple north of the canal. In June, James and Adam Nelson establish a competing community, Wellington, on the south bank. 

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Episcopalian parish of Christ Church forms

Thirty people sign an agreement to organize the parish, which later becomes known as Christ Church Cathedral. The congregation occupies its first building on the Circle on November 18, 1838.

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General Assembly reincorporates Indianapolis

The legislature passes a reincorporation act with a new charter that provides a town council with taxing, licensing, and legislative powers. It also increases the number of wards to six. 

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Second Presbyterian Church organizes

Fifteen members who depart the “Old School” First Presbyterian Church establish the new congregation. Henry Ward Beecher becomes its first pastor.

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Nine miles of Central Canal opens

Because of financial difficulties caused by the Panic of 1837, the state’s creditors take over the Central Canal. Construction stops by the end of the year but not before a completed section opens for traffic.

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Population in 1840 totals 2,692 residents

White: 2,570

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Zion Evangelical Protestant Lutheran and Reformed Zion Church holds first meeting

German immigrants found the church, which does not offer services in English until 1928.

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Jacob and George Chapman purchase precursor to Indiana Sentinel

The newspaper is called the Indiana Democrat (1830) when the Chapmans purchase it. They rename it, and the Sentinel becomes the leading newspaper of the Indiana Democratic Party.

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St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church organizes

Eighteen members meet in the home of Anton Friederich Bade to found the congregation. The first church building, considered the “mother church” by the town’s German Lutherans, is located at Alabama Street.

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Indiana State Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb opens

William Willard leads the opening of the Indiana School for the Deaf in October 1843. The school is the sixth school for deaf students founded in the United States and is the first to provide free tuition.

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Marion County Library forms

The Marion County Library forms as a subscription library under the provisions of the 1816 Indiana constitution. It is housed in the basement of the county courthouse.

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Second Baptist Church established

African American Baptists form a congregation of their own, the Second Baptist Church. Its structure on Missouri Street between New York and Ohio streets becomes a target for arson when racially charged violence erupts during the 1851 Indiana Constitutional Convention. The congregation rebuilds at the same location in 1853.

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Flooding damages property

The city experiences intense flooding at the end of the year, as it had earlier at the beginning of the year. In both instances, the flooding damages landscape and property, sweeping away whole structures.

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Indianapolis incorporates as a city

Voters endorse a new charter by an overwhelming majority of 449 to 19, making Indianapolis an incorporated city.

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Samuel Henderson becomes first mayor

Samuel Henderson, the first postmaster and president of the Town Council, wins election as the first mayor. Residents also vote for a special tax levy to fund free schools.

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Smallpox scare causes City Council to secure land for hospital

With the arrival of smallpox on June 12, the city common council appoints a board of health and a committee to identify land suitable for a hospital. Although property is purchased, the idea of a hospital is abandoned when the disease subsides.

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Madison and Indianapolis Railroad arrives

Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, the first steam railroad completed in Indiana, begins operations in 1847. The railroad arrives at Indianapolis in October.

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Indiana School for the Blind opens

The school for the blind officially opens in a private residence on the southwest corner of Illinois and Maryland streets while its building is constructed. 

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Indiana Volksblatt begins publication

In October 1848, Julius Boetticher begins the Indiana Volksblatt (Indiana Peoples Paper), the first German-language newspaper in the city. The weekly paper is a conservative publication. 

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Indianapolis Hospital for the Insane opens

The hospital admits its first five patients. It expands to admit 300 patients within ten years. It becomes Central Indiana Hospital in 1889, then  Central State Hospital in 1929.

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First Jewish residents arrive

Polish-born merchant Alexander Franco and English-born clerk Moses Woolf are the first Jewish people to arrive and settle in Indianapolis.

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Indiana Central Medical College opens

Indiana Central Medical College, the first proprietary medical school, opens in November 1849 and is located on East Washington Street. It closes in 1852, and another medical school does not appear in Indiana until 1869.

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Horatio Cooley Newcomb becomes mayor

Newcomb wins the election of 1849. At the age of 27, he is the youngest mayor in the city’s history.

Population in 1850 totals 8,091 residents

White: 7686

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Mechanics Mutual Protection organizes

Local, skilled artisans form the Mechanics Mutual Protection, a union precursor, and call for increased wages, improved educational opportunities, and better health care.

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State constitutional convention drafts proposal to prevent migration of African Americans into state

Voters statewide overwhelmingly approve the measure. Marion County votes 2,509 to 308 in favor. The measure subsequently becomes Article 13 of the 1851 state constitution.

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Indianapolis Turngemeinde opens

Located on West Washington Street, the Indianapolis Turngemeinde promotes physical fitness, freethought, liberal politics, and German language and culture.

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First Indiana State Fair opens at Military Park

Created as a venue for exchanging ideas to improve agricultural productivity, the state’s first fair runs October 20-22. Around 30,000 people pay admission to see exhibits featuring agricultural products.

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Indianapolis Board of Trade created

Thirty-six of the city’s leading businessmen and boosters form the first Indianapolis Board of Trade, the forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce.

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First free schools open

Funded by tax revenues, 2 men and 12 women serve as teachers at the first free schools. Average attendance increases from 340 students in April to 700 in May.

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Voters approve a new city charter

The new charter establishes a common council of 14 members elected from 7 wards and a mayor elected citywide.

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Trial of John Freeman

Reverend Pleasant Ellington wrongfully accuses John Freeman of being his runaway enslaved person. Leading citizens come to Freeman’s defense, but he spends nine weeks in jail before the suit is dismissed when Ellington’s evidence proves false. 

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First public high school opens

Indianapolis High School, the city’s first public high school, is only open for five years. It closes in 1858 when the Indiana Supreme Court declares local taxation for schools unconstitutional.

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Union Station opens

Designed by architect Joseph Curzon, the country’s first union station–a central station that accommodates many independent rail lines–commences operation with five tracks. 

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Paid police department established

The common council passes an ordinance establishing a new police department. The department consists of 14 officers, two from each of the city’s wards.

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Maennerchor singing society organizes

Seven young German American men who enjoy singing organize the Maennerchor. The group develops into an amateur music society of distinction, influencing the musical culture of Indianapolis. 

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Indianapolis branch of YMCA formed

A small group of evangelical Protestants organizes the Indianapolis Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), a branch of the international organization. Early programming includes public lectures on Christian themes, interdenominational services, and charity work.  It opens its own building at 33-37 North Illinois Street in 1871. 

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Indianapolis Widows’ and Orphans’ Asylum incorporates

The Indianapolis Widows and Orphans Friends’ Society, (later the Children’s Bureau of Indianapolis) incorporates and erects a children’s orphanage, which is later renamed the Indianapolis Orphans’ Asylum.

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Public schools hire the first superintendent

Silas Bowen, who is also head of the booksellers-publishers Bowen, Stewart & Co., becomes the first Indianapolis public school superintendent. He receives an annual salary of $400 for one-third time.

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North Western Christian University opens

Chartered five years prior, the university finally opens its doors, becoming one of the first universities in the country to admit students regardless of race or gender.

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Republican Party holds first state convention

The newly formed Republican Party holds its first state convention in Indianapolis. The event begins with a parade down Washington Street.

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Prince Grand Hall of Indiana organizes

Prince Grand Hall of Indiana, an African American fraternal group, organizes in Indianapolis. Membership doubles between 1857 and 1865.

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Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation established

Fourteen German Jewish immigrants organize the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation (IHC) which adheres to Reform Judaism, the most liberal of American Jewish religious movements. IHC’s first home, the Market Temple, is built at 435 East Market Street between 1865 and 1868.

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First history of Indianapolis published

Local attorney Ignatius Brown publishes a history of the city, which appears in the 1857 city directory. It was the first historical sketch of Indianapolis.

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First school for African American children opens

Indianapolis’s public schools do not allow African American children to attend. Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church founds the city’s first formal school for Black children.

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First theater opens

The Metropolitan opens as Indianapolis’ first purpose-built theater complete with gallery, vaulted ceilings, and frescoes. It is later renamed the Park.

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Public schools close

Indiana Supreme Court overturns tax-supported free public education, deeming it unconstitutional. Indianapolis public schools struggle for funding and suspend operations.

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First Catholic school opens

The Sisters of Providence establish St. John Academy, the first Catholic school in Indianapolis, with 80 students. The school, located on the corner of W. Georgia Street and S. Capitol Avenue, remains in operation until 1959. 

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First paid fire department authorized

The Common Council votes to establish the city’s first paid fire department. The city’s volunteer fire companies are disbanded. 

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State Fair finds new location

Having outgrown Military Park, the State Fair opens on approximately 30 acres purchased by the state in what is called Otis Grove (later Herron-Morton Place). The new facilities offer “increased attractions for all visitors.” 

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Population in 1860 totals 18,611

White: 18,113

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Street lights added to city streets

The city purchases and installs lamps along 8.5 miles of street—the first public street lighting. Property owners had paid to illuminate two city blocks seven years prior.  

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Van Camp Packing Company secures its first major contract

Gilbert Van Camp opens a canning business in the Fruit House Grocery Building. The company obtains its first major contract when it sells pork and beans to the Union army.

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Abraham Lincoln visits Indianapolis

Abraham Lincoln visits Indianapolis during his trip to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration. Speaking at the Bates House, he states that his primary duty is the preservation of the Union.

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First soldiers arrive at Camp Morton

The State Fairgrounds become Camp Morton, a military rendezvous camp to manage volunteers. Two months later, Private John Hollenbeck becomes the city’s first casualty of the Civil War.

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Kingan and Company opens

Irishman Samuel Kingan opens Kingan and Company at Maryland and Blackford streets along White River. The meatpacking plant, owned by a Belfast, Ireland company, employs many Irish workers, some of which are recruited from Ireland.  

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Camp Morton converts to a prison for Confederate soldiers

Gov. Morton responds to the need for prisoner of war accommodations by converting Camp Morton into a prison camp. Within a month, some 3,700 prisoners-of-war arrive.

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Dr. Richard J. Gatling receives a patent for his Gatling Gun

An Indianapolis physician and real estate broker, Gatling becomes famous for his early rapid-firing weapon or machine gun  (U.S. Patent No. 36,836).

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John Caven becomes mayor

Elected to office a record five times, the first three unopposed, Caven serves longer than any other mayor until William H. Hudnut III (1976-1991).

Abraham C. Shortridge becomes school superintendent

Shortridge reopens the city’s schools and urges the school board to hire female teachers to avoid paying as much for salaries.

Battle of Pogue’s Run

As Democrats leave their state convention by train, armed soldiers overtake them and confiscate their weapons. The soldiers discard them into Pogue’s Run.

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Twenty-eighth Regiment U.S. Colored Troops musters into the U.S. Army

Indiana’s only Black Civil War regiment organizes and trains at Camp Frémont, near Fountain Square in December 1863, before official mustering. In 1864-1865, its troops engage in the Siege of Petersburg, necessary to take the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia.

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Dedication of Crown Hill Cemetery

Crown Hill Cemetery takes over as the new principal burial ground for the city, the previous being Greenlawn Cemetery. Lucy Ann Seaton becomes the first interment on June 2.

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Mule-drawn streetcars begin service

The 12-seat mule-drawn streetcars run along a one-mile line between Union Station and Military Park. Other lines open along Virginia, Massachusetts, and Fort Wayne avenues.

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Military commission finds Lambdin P. Milligan and others guilty in landmark Civil War treason trial

A partisan military commission sentences Milligan and four other Democrats to be hanged. The U.S. Supreme Court overturns this verdict in a decision known as Ex parte Milligan.

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Lincoln’s funeral train arrives at 7 a.m.

A procession led by Governor Oliver P. Morton and Major General Joseph Hooker accompanies the president’s body to the State House where public viewing lasts from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. 

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Täglicher Telegraph begins publication

The Democratic newspaper begins publication as a weekly but becomes the city’s first daily German-language newspaper in 1866. It merges with the Tribüne to become the independent Telegraph and Tribüne in 1907. 

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Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) holds its first national encampment

With Gov. Morton’s encouragement, Indiana serves as the unofficial national headquarters of the GAR for several months. The organization holds its first annual meeting, called an “encampment,” in the city.

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African American Christian Church established

The congregation receives its first full-time minister in 1867 and later becomes known as Second Christian Church, the city’s first African American Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregation. It changes its name to Light of the World Christian Church in 1984.

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Indianapolis City Hospital opens as a 75-bed charity hospital

The City Hospital officially opens in 1859 as a Civil War military hospital. At the war’s end, the federal government gives the hospital to Indianapolis.

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The Governor Morton steamboat sinks

The Indianapolis and White River Steamboat Company launched the Governor Morton on July first. The steamboat made several trial trips up the White River but eventually sank at its moorings.

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Governors Circle renamed Circle Park

The City Common Council orders the Circle to be regraded, benches and sidewalks added, and renamed Circle Park.

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Indianapolis Home for Friendless Women organizes

Jane Chambers McKinney Graydon and Catharine Merrill incorporate the organization in February 1867 as a place to care for orphans, homeless women, and widows. 

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General German Protestant Orphan Home opens

The German General Protestant Orphan Association (later Pleasant Run Children’s Home) is founded by the Germania Lodge Number 3 after visiting a similar home in Cincinnati, Ohio. The home cares for children orphaned by the Civil War.

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Two amateur baseball clubs from Indianapolis play the first baseball game in the city

Two amateur clubs from Indianapolis share a doubleheader on the Camp Burnside grounds with a team from Lafayette, as well as with the Washington Nationals.

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The Maennerchor hosts the National Saengerfest

The North American Saengerbund’s 15th National Saengerfest begins in Indianapolis. It lasts for four days and includes three concerts, a parade, a grand ball, and a picnic. 

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Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church is established

Forty-two Danish immigrants begin what may be the nation’s first Danish Lutheran congregation on the city’s south side, at 701 East McCarty Street. The congregation, later known as First Trinity Lutheran Church, moves to 5321 E. 42nd Street in 1952. The original building is now home to the Church of Christ Apostolic Faith. 

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Rev. Hanford A. Edson preaches a sermon on the need for a public library

Edson, the pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, argues that a public library will provide culture and values for residents and commercial growth for the city. His sermon triggers a public library campaign.

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Leon Kahn is first Jewish resident on the Indianapolis Common Council

Kahn becomes the first Jewish resident to take a seat on the Common Council and serves for eight years, until 1881.

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Earliest appearance of the bicycle

Demonstrations of the high-wheel “Ordinary” take place on the Circle. The intent is to popularize cycling as a sport among men, despite the risks of flying headfirst over the handlebars.

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North Western Christian University appoints the second female professor in the U.S.

Ovid Butler endows the chair in the English Department in memory of his daughter Demia, dictating the chair be given to a woman. The position is filled by Catharine Merrill. North Western Christian University is renamed Butler University in 1877.

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Indiana adopts separate but equal public schools for African American children

Indiana adopts separate but equal public schools for African American children.

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Reporter John Hampden Holliday establishes the Indianapolis News

Reporter John Hampden Holliday establishes the Indianapolis News

Number of paved streets and sidewalks increases

Indianapolis has nine miles of paved streets, 18 miles of paved sidewalks, three miles of streets illuminated by gas lights, and a sewage system.

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Population in 1870 totals 48,244

White: 45,309

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Quakers establish Indianapolis Asylum for Friendless Colored Children

The local Orthodox Friends Meeting, the main branch of the Society of Friends (Quakers), founds the institution which is the only orphanage in the state and one of only a handful in the country to care for African American children. 

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Enos B. Reed starts publication of The People

People is a Sunday weekly dedicated to politics, literature, and society. It is the first Indianapolis newspaper to use woodcut illustrations and becomes known for sensationalized crime and scandal stories.

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Town of Nora established

Swedish immigrant Peter Lawson founds the town of Nora, originally centered near current Westfield Boulevard and 86th Street.

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Samuel A. Elbert becomes the first African American in Indiana to receive a medical degree

Admitted to Indiana Medical College in 1869, Elbert receives his degree in 1871 and joins the Indianapolis Board of Health the following year.

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Collection of climate data begins

The city installs the first weather instruments used to collect climate data at Blackford’s Block at the southeast corner of Washington and Meridian streets.

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Water Works Company begins supplying consumers

Chartered the previous year by the city council and predecessor of Indianapolis Water Company. Drawing from two large wells, the company reports 439 customers within a year.

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Lyman S. Ayres purchases controlling interest in the N. R. Smith & Company dry goods store

The Indianapolis News announces that the name of the firm will change to N. R. Smith & Ayres and that its store, the Trade Palace, will resume business the next day. Ayres gains full control in 1874.

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Liederkranz forms

The merger of the male singing sections of two German secret fraternal organizations, the Druiden Lodge and the Rothmaenner (“Red Men”) creates the Indianapolis Liederkranz.

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Indiana Reformatory Institution for Women and Girls opens

Founded in 1869,  the institution finally opens with the transfer of 17 women who are incarcerated at the Indiana State Prison in Jeffersonville. The facility is the first of its kind in the U.S.

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House of the Good Shepherd opens

The Sisters of the Good Shepherd opens the House of the Good Shepherd on Raymond Street west of Meridian Street. The organization is a home for “erring” women and girls.

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Indianapolis Library opens

Located in one room of the high school building at the northeast corner of Pennsylvania and Michigan streets, the library begins with 12,790 volumes ready for 500 registered borrowers.

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Wooton & Company receives U.S. patent for elaborate desk

Known as the “King of Desks” following the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, such influential figures as Ulysses S. Grant, Joseph Pulitzer, and John D. Rockefeller own Wooton desks. It remains in production until 1898.

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North Western Christian University moves to Irvington

North Western Christian University moves to the newly incorporated town of Irvington. Two years later its name changes to Butler University in honor of its longtime leader and benefactor Ovid Butler.

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Woodruff Place incorporates as a town

James O. Woodruff leads a successful petition to make Woodruff Place a town. Eventually, residents contract with Indianapolis for police and fire services.

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Indianapolis fields its own professional baseball team

The Indianapolis Blues forms in summer 1876. The team joins the organized International League the next season.

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Col. Eli Lilly begins a pharmaceutical manufactory on Pearl Street

Lilly opens a pharmaceutical laboratory in a small two-story building just off Washington Street. His pills, elixirs, and syrups soon begin to sell well in the city and surrounding towns.

Indianapolis celebrates the nation’s centennial

The community celebrates the occasion with a large parade, elaborate floats, staged tableaux, commemorative speeches, and balloon lifts.

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Indianapolis Literary Club organizes to advance social, literary, and aesthetic culture

Six men establish the Indianapolis Literary Club . They model the club after the Chicago and Cincinnati men’s literary clubs and the Indianapolis Woman’s Club.

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First telephones installed

The state’s first telephone company, Indiana District Telephone Company, organizes in Indianapolis. Wales & Company, a coal supply firm, becomes the first location to have telephones installed. 

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American United Life Insurance established

The Knights of Pythias lodge creates an insurance program, which becomes American United Life Insurance, to serve its current members and to attract new members. 

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Stockyards open

The stockyards, located along Kentucky Avenue and the Belt Line Railroad just west of the White River, include 12 acres. Before its establishment, meatpackers and retail butchers traded livestock through private yards.

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Indianapolis Matinee Musicale founded

Nine young women gather in a parlor to spend a musical afternoon together. They establish the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale, an organization for the study and performance of music.

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Indianapolis Equal Suffrage Society established

Local women May Wright Sewall, Laura Donnan, and Zerelda Wallace form their own suffrage association. The society would later be extended into a statewide organization. 

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Belt Line Railroad construction completed

Begun in 1873, the 14-mile track completely encircles the city to prevent congestion at Union Station and promote local industrial development.

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Indiana Tribüne begins publication

Louis D. Hild establishes a Republican, German-language newspaper.  The four-page weekly has a circulation of 800.

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Bishop Chatard arrives in Indianapolis

Roman Catholic Bishop Francis Chatard moves the historic seat of his diocese from Vincennes to Indianapolis. He sets up residence at St. John’s Church and begins the search for land for a cathedral. In 1961, a new parochial school, Chatard High School, is named for him. 

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The Indianapolis Bar Assocation founded

Forty prominent Indianapolis attorneys, including future U.S. President Benjamin Harrison and Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks create the organization. Napolean B. Taylor serves as its first president

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First telephone exchange established

E. T. and James Gilliland, local manufacturers of telephone equipment, establish Indiana’s first telephone exchange in Indianapolis in March 1879 under the Bell patents.

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Indiana Dental College organizes

A committee of Indianapolis dentists sponsors the college. The same group of dentists also sponsors the Indiana Board of Dental Examiners. 

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Indianapolis Leader begins publication

In August, the Bagby brothers—Benjamin, James, and Robert—establish the Indianapolis Leader, a four-page weekly newspaper for the city’s Black citizens. It is the first African-American paper in Indianapolis.

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Charity Organization Society forms

Rev. Oscar C. McCulloch of Plymouth Church instigates the establishment of the Charity Organization Society. The organization is devoted to providing relief for the poor. 

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City reaches 211 miles of streets

The city lists 45 miles paved with cobblestone and five miles covered with wood. The remainder is paved with boulders, gravel, or unimproved. Forty miles of streets are illuminated.

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Population in 1880 totals 75,056

White: 68,538

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First Black man elected to General Assembly

Known in Indianapolis for his public speaking on civil rights, James S. Hinton is the first Black man elected to represent Marion County in the State House of Representatives.

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English Opera House opens

Hamlet is the theater’s premiere production. The first section of the hotel, constructed around the theater, follows in 1884 and a second section in 1896. 

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Daughters of Charity of the St. Vincent de Paul Society comes to Indianapolis

Bishop Francis Silas Chartard invites the religious order to Indianapolis to establish a hospital. Four sisters set up St. Vincent Infirmary in a three-story house next to St. Joseph Church.

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Electric service comes to Indianapolis

The Indianapolis Brush Electric and Power Company, the forerunner to Indianapolis Power and Light Company, becomes the first company to bring electric service to the city. 

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Eliza A. Blaker founds the Indianapolis Free Kindergarten Society

Eliza A. Blaker, a crusader for early childhood education, organizes a free kindergarten in September 1882  to aid the community’s charitable efforts toward its underprivileged children. She becomes its first director. 

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Classical School for Girls opens

May Wright Sewall opens the Classical School for Girls at the southeast corner of Pennsylvania and St. Joseph streets in September 1882. The preparatory school continues until 1907.

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Indianapolis Colored World begins publication

Edward E. Cooper and Edwin F. Horn launch the Democratic newspaper, which covers national and local news and reports on the conditions of African American people nationwide.

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First nurse training program

Flower Mission Training School for Nurses supplies nursing care for the Indianapolis City Hospital and provides nursing care for the community through a system of district nursing starting in June 1883.

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Christ Church Cathedral Choir established

First comprised of only men and boys, the choir through the years earns an international reputation for musical excellence.

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Lutheran Child and Family Services established

Members of the Bible society from St. Paul and Trinity Lutheran churches establish the Evangelische Lutherische Waisenhaus Gesellschaft, an asylum for orphans and aged people.

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Art Association of Indianapolis mounts its first exhibition

Shortly after the organization is incorporated in October, the association holds an exhibition of 453 works by 137 artists. It runs for three weeks at the English Opera House and establishes the Art Association on the city’s cultural scene.

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Indiana’s first intercollegiate football game

Butler and DePauw play against each other in the state’s first football game between universities which is held at the 7th Street Baseball Grounds. Butler wins four goals to one.

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Thomas A. Hendricks elected U.S. vice president

An Indianapolis resident, Hendricks wins election as vice president on a ticket headed by Grover Cleveland, who becomes the nation’s 22nd president. The victory is the first by the Democrats since the Civil War. Nine months into his term, Hendricks dies at his home in Indianapolis.

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Saenger chor created

German tradesmen form the society, dedicated to the labor reform movement. The society draws members together in private homes to sing songs of solidarity and justice for the working classes.

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City Market opens

The market occupies the lot originally designated for this purpose in the 1821 plat of Indianapolis. On market day, vendors fill the building and street with their carts and stalls. 

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Kahn Tailoring established

Henry Kahn, the son of Alsatian Jewish immigrants, opens a small tailor shop at 14 East Washington Street. Kahn Tailoring becomes a principal manufacturer of uniforms for the U.S. military during World Wars I and II.

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Alpha Home for Aged Colored Women opens

Founded by Eliza Goff, a housekeeper and former enslaved person, the home cares for elderly and infirm African American women with no families or means of caring for themselves. 

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First Labor Day parade and celebration

The Knights of Labor collaborate with independent trade unions to hold the city’s first Labor Day parade. An estimated 4,000 residents participate.

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Democratic Party accused of election tampering

Following the municipal election, Democratic Party officials are accused of tampering with tally sheets to secure the election of the Democratic candidate for the criminal court judge. Several of the accused are convicted in 1888.

Construction on a new Indianapolis Union Station begins

Pittsburgh architect and engineer Thomas Rodd designs the new Union Station to replace the outmoded old structure. The new building is constructed at  39 Jackson Place.

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The General Assembly begins its first session in the new State House

Designed by architects Edwin May and Adolph Scherrer, the new building consists of a central dome and rotunda, flanked by four-story wings within an enlarged State House grounds. Construction is completed by October 1888.

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Jonathon W. Laughner opens Boston Confectionery

Laughner’s confectionery is later remodeled and renamed Laughner’s Dairy Lunch, becoming one of the first cafeteria-style restaurants in the Midwest.

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Freeman journal begins publication

Edward E. Cooper, formerly with the Indianapolis World, launches the Freeman, a Democratic-oriented publication, in July 1888. He claims it to be the only illustrated African American journal. 

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Construction begins on the Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument

Construction officially begins on the Civil War Memorial using the design submitted by German architect Bruno Schmitz and funds that the General Assembly appropriated for this purpose in 1887.

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Indianapolis Propylaeum incorporates

The Propylaeum’s Articles of Association provides that stock is acquired, purchased, and held only by women. The building is to be used for cultural and educational pursuits, particularly for women.

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Benjamin Harrison nominated for president

The Republican Party nominates Indianapolis attorney Benjamin Harrison, grandson of President William Henry Harrison, for president. Harrison defeats Grover Cleveland and serves as president from 1889 to 1893.

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Russian synagogue Knesses Israel established

Jewish immigrants from Russia establish the third Orthodox immigrant synagogue, Knesses Israel. The congregation first resides on Merrill Street near where Lucas Oil Stadium now stands and then at 1021 South Meridian Street. In 1966, the congregation merges with B’nai Torah at 6510 Hoover Road.

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Columbia Club organizes

First established as the Harrison Marching Society to support Benjamin Harrison’s presidential candidacy in 1888, the society acquires a clubhouse and formally organizes as the Columbia Club.

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First interurban arrives

Introduced to the state during the 1890s, Indianapolis’ first interurban is the Indianapolis, Greenwood and Franklin Railroad. This line’s inaugural trip from Greenwood arrived in downtown Indianapolis at 11:30 A.M.

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Indianapolis Protective Union organizes

Guy and Domenico Montani, local Italian musicians, help organize the city’s first musicians’ union and the third such union in the country.

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Indianapolis Commercial Club established

Col. Eli Lilly, William Fortune, and other businessmen found the Indianapolis Commercial Club, later the Chamber of Commerce. Lilly serves as the first president.

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Address numbering system adjusted to cope with continued growth

The city now uses Meridian and Washington streets as the dividing lines. It also eliminates all duplicate street names and erects street name signs. 

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Population in 1890 totals 105,436

White: 96, 282

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Thomas Lennox Sullivan becomes the first Indianapolis-born resident to be elected mayor

Sullivan has lived all his life in the downtown area, with the exception of attending Racine College in Wisconsin. His term as mayor is focused on public improvements. 

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First electric streetcars begin operation

Electric streetcars eliminate the need for mules (and their wastes) and bring clean, quiet, and inexpensive locomotion to the city’s public transportation. 

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Indianapolis Chain & Stamping Company begins manufacturing

The company, later renamed Diamond Chain, produces blockchain to make drive chains for bicycles. It supplies about 60 percent of American-made bicycle chains by 1900. 

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City approves a new charter that serves until 1970

A nine-member, public-private committee drafts a new city charter. It grants unprecedented powers of appointment to the mayor and provides for a board of public works. 

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Indianapolis Country Club opens

Country clubs become popular social centers for the cultural elite. Indianapolis gets its own country club when the Indianapolis Country Club is established.  Membership is restricted to white people only. 

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American Nonconformist newspaper moves to Indianapolis

The Populist Party newspaper arranges the move to Indianapolis after the Indiana branch of the People’s Party is organized in July 1891.

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New State Fairgrounds open at East 38th Street and Fallcreek Parkway

Moving from Camp Morton, the new fairgrounds, built by J. F. Alexander and Son on 214 acres, contain 72 buildings, a 6,000-seat grandstand, and a mile race track.

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Lew Wallace begins construction of the first major apartment building

Wallace names the building “Blacherne” after the palace in his novel, The Prince of India. The seven-story structure is located on the northwest corner of Meridian and Vermont streets.

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William V. Wheeler opens the Rescue Mission and Home of Indianapolis

Wheeler, a sales manager for Layman & Carey Hardware, opens a small mission on South Street. It is renamed Wheeler Mission Ministries in 1990.

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First basketball game played in Indianapolis occurs at the Illinois Street YMCA

Reverend Nicholas McKay, an associate of Dr. James Naismith, basketball’s inventor, introduces the game to the Crawfordsville YMCA in 1893. The Indianapolis YMCA adopts the game soon thereafter.

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First Black physician at city hospital

Sumner A. Furniss successfully competes for a City Hospital internship, becoming the first African American physician to work at the hospital. He starts his own practice the following year.

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Indianapolis Recorder begins publication

Printshop owner George P. Stewart and attorney William Porter launch the publication as a two-page church directory. In 1897, it is expanded to four pages and adopts the Recorder  name.

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Indianapolis school system opens industrial training school

The school opens as the state’s first public vocational high school. In 1910, it is named Emmerich Manual Training High School in honor of Charles Emmerich, the school’s first principal.

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John Herron bequeaths funds to establish a museum and art school

Herron bequeaths $250,000 to the Art Association of Indianapolis with the stipulation that the funds be used to build a museum and art school bearing his name.

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Thomas Taggart elected mayor

Taggart, an Irish immigrant, defeats Republicans Preston C. Trusler and becomes mayor of Indianapolis. He serves three terms in office (1895-1901) which are marked by public improvements and fiscal efficiency.

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Indianapolis chapter of Young Women’s Christian Association holds first meeting

The Indianapolis YWCA is established to promote the “physical, intellectual, social, and spiritual advancement of young women.”  It later affiliates with the national YWCA, which is founded in 1906 as a nonsectarian Christian organization. 

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Blocks department store opens

William H. Block opens a small department store at 9 East Washington Street, which in 1907 is incorporated as William H. Block Company.

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Black cyclist Major Taylor sets records

Taylor sets several unofficial records in August at Indianapolis’ Capital City bike track, which results in numerous death threats. Indianapolis bicycling tracks are subsequently restricted to whites only.

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The city annexes several towns

The city of Indianapolis annexes West Indianapolis, Brightwood, Haughville, Mount Jackson, Stringtown, and Eastside Terrace.

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Flanner House established

Frank William Flanner donates a cottage for the creation of the Flanner Guild (later Flanner House), the first settlement house for African Americans in the city. 

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Das Deutsche Haus opens

Herbert Lieber gives the dedication speech, lauding the structure as the “embodiment of the Americanizing process.” Designed by Bernard Vonnegut, the building becomes the center of German American culture. 

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Indiana division of the League of American Wheelmen participate in the Newby Oval inaugural race

The Wheelmen hold its annual meet at the Newby Oval, built by future Indianapolis Speedway owner Arthur C. Newby and local architect Herbert Foltz. The new velodrome is considered one of the best in the nation at the time.

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The Daily Echo begins publication

The publication, the first and longest-running student newspaper in the nation, begins its 72-year existence at Shortridge High School.

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Publication of The Gentleman from Indiana

The author, Indianapolis native Booth Tarkington, becomes an instant success, propelling him into the national limelight. In Indianapolis, the book is less well received, with residents feeling mocked.

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Southside Turnverein Hall opens

The hall, designed by Vonnegut & Bohn and completed in November 1900, contains a gym bordered by a proscenium stage and a bowling alley. The building serves the group of Turners that broke away from the Socialer Turnverein to form its own organization in 1893.

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John Hook and Edward F. Roesch found first Hook’s Drugstore

The first Hook’s Drug Store opens in October 1900 at 1101 S. East Street in Indianapolis’ German community. The firm eventually grows into the largest drugstore chain in the state.

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Population in 1900 totals 169,164

White: 153,201

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Social Democratic Party holds national convention

The Social Democratic Party holds its first national convention in Indianapolis and nominates Eugene V. Debs for president and Job Harriman for vice president.

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Riverside Park municipal golf course opens

Mayor Thomas Taggart and the Board of Park Commissioners establishes Riverside, the city’s first municipal golf course and the fourth in the nation. It is a segregated course. 

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Day Nursery Association of Indianapolis begins providing day care

Founded in 1899 by the Kings Daughters Society, the organization converts a one-room center near Monument Circle for childcare, becoming the city’s first childcare center.

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Socialist Party of America founded

Led by Eugene Debs and leaders of the Social Democratic Party, over 100 men and women meet in the Indianapolis Masonic Hall to found the Socialist Party of America. 

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Nordyke and Marmon begins building cars

Nordyke and Marmon, manufacturer of flour-milling machinery, produces its first motor car.  The  Marmon Automobile, as the motor car is known, features improved lubricated crankshaft and rod bearings.

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Indiana Central University established

The Church of the United Brethren in Christ establishes Indiana Central University (later University of Indianapolis). The state of Indiana charters the same year.

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Art Association opens the John Herron Art Institute

Using a bequest left by John Herron, the Art Association of Indianapolis establishes the Institute to operate an art school and museum. The art school opens with 10 pupils and 5 teachers on Talbott Street at T. C. Steele’s former home.

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Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Monument dedication

At the gala event, Civil War general and author Lew Wallace serves as master of ceremonies, and  Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley recites a poem that John Philip Sousa transformed into a march.

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Indianapolis Traction and Terminal Company incorporates

The Indianapolis Traction and Terminal Company incorporates after seven interurban companies sign an agreement for use of the city street railway tracks and the construction of an interurban terminal.

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Woman’s Improvement Club organizes

Lillian Thomas Fox and other prominent African American women found the self-improvement club. It later becomes known for efforts to provide tuberculosis care for African Americans.

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Indianapolis Star debuts

The Indianapolis Star debuts as a daily newspaper, the brainchild of Muncie industrialist George McCulloch. In the first two days, the Star distributes 50,000 free copies of the one-cent newspaper.

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Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) founded

At its start, IHSAA denies Black public high schools from participating in basketball leagues and tournaments from 1903 until the 1942-1943 season.

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Businessmen establish Associated Employers to combat labor strikes

Indianapolis businessmen create the organization to provide advice and assistance to companies involved in strikes or lockouts. The aim is to destroy union shops.

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Concentrated Acetylene Company organizes

Partners Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, and P. C. Avery form Concentrated Acetylene Company to assemble and fill acetylene cylinders used in automobile headlights. The company later becomes Prest-O-Lite Company.

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Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs founded

Black women’s organizations from Indianapolis, South Bend, Anderson, Marion, Muncie, and Terre Haute form the Indiana State Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. The group focuses on the improvement of education, health, living standards, and interracial understanding.

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The U.S. Army creates Fort Benjamin Harrison

Established in Lawrence Township, President Theodore Roosevelt and Lt. Col. Russell Harrison request that the military installation be named after President Benjamin Harrison. 

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Max Emmerich becomes the first Olympic gold medal winner from Indianapolis

One of four athletes affiliated with the Socialer Turnverein who participated in the St. Louis Summer Olympic Games, Emmerich wins his gold medal for his participation in the triathlon, consisting of the 100-yard dash, long jump, and shot put.

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Publication of The House of a Thousand Candles

Indianapolis author Meredith Nicholson publishes the national bestseller and his most famous novel. The novel is set in Indiana.

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Indianapolis Humane Society founded

Nine concerned citizens found the Humane Society of Indianapolis to prevent cruelty to women, children, animals, and other sentient beings.

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Jewish Federation of Indianapolis forms

Local Jewish leaders, primarily immigrants of German origin, establish the Jewish Federation to coordinate efforts to serve new Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe who were fleeing virulent anti-Semitism.

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Christamore settlement house established

Anna C. Stover and Edith D. Surbey begin a settlement house at 1718 Arsenal Avenue. It attracts teachers and nurses into a community of women reformers.

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Medical proprietary schools consolidate to become the Purdue School of Medicine

The merger includes the Indiana Medical College, Central College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the Fort Wayne College of Medicine. It begins a conflict between Purdue and Indiana universities over control of medical education that would last until 1908.

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First movie theater opens

The city’s first movie theater—the Bijou, a converted vaudeville house—opens on East Washington Street. Bijou shows half-hour films viewed during the lunch hour.

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New York Central Railroad purchases land for repair facility

The New York Central Railroad purchases 640 acres in Beech Grove to construct $5 million locomotive shop and equipment plant. It is touted as the “largest locomotive hospital in the world.”

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Wonderland Amusement Park opens

On May 16, over 8,000 people attend opening activities at Wonderland Amusement Park on East Washington and Gray streets. White City Amusement Park, located in Broad Ripple, opens ten days later on May 26.

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Dedication of the Cathedral Church of SS. Peter & Paul

The Cathedral Church of SS. Peter & Paul is dedicated for the Catholic Diocese of Indianapolis. The campus will eventually include offices, a school, and a residence in addition to the cathedral.

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Cole Motor Carriage Company builds the first Cole motor car

Joseph Cole decides to continue automobile production and forms the Cole Motor Car Company in 1909. 

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May Aufderheide publishes her first composition

The Indianapolis ragtime pianist-composer publishes “Dusty Rag” in May.  She publishes 19 pieces between 1908 and 1912, several of which are financial successes.

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Fire destroys White City Amusement Park

A fire in the “Mystic Cave” attraction at White City Amusement Park in Broad Ripple spreads and destroys the entire park.

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Acme-Evans Milling Company forms

Acme-Evans Milling Company forms with the merger of the city’s oldest milling companies, Evans Milling Company, founded in the 1820s, and Acme Milling Company, established in 1840. 

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George E. Kessler completes his park and boulevard plan

Landscape architect and urban planner George Edward Kessler creates the plan for the boulevards and parks system for Indianapolis. The plan provides a framework for the expansion of the city.

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The General Assemby authorizes Indiana University to conduct a medical school in Marion County

The authorization officially ends the controversy that began with establishment of a Purdue medical school in 1905. It allows IU to operate its school of medicine legally in Indianapolis for the first time. 

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A national gas balloon race takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The first race at the speedway is a balloon race with nine competitors. The event draws around 40,000 people to the still incomplete track. 

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Lincoln Hospital Association incorporates

African American physicians establish the organization after being barred from treating their Black patients in city hospitals. The hospital opens on December 15 and remains in operation until 1915.

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Population in 1910 totals 233,650

White: 211,780

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Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company moves to Indianapolis

Madame C. J. Walker moves her successful haircare and product business to Indianapolis. She purchases a home at 640 N. West Street and remodels a stable and warehouse on the property into a factory and office.

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First Indianapolis 500-Mile Race

Forty cars participate in the race with Carl Fisher occupying the pole position. Ray Harroun, driving a locally built Marmon, wins the race in 6 hours and 42 minutes.

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Harry Stutz begins the Ideal Motor Parts Company

Harry Stutz founds the Ideal Motor Parts Company to produce automobiles after Stutz Auto Parts Company has success with the Bearcat. Later the companies merge to form Stutz Motor Car Company.

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Civic leaders establish Immigrants’ Aid Association

The association opens a settlement house at 617 West Pearl to provide social services and Americanize the immigrants.

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Indianapolis branch of NAACP organizes

Mary Cable organizes the branch and becomes its first president. The organization helps Black citizens access rights guaranteed under U.S. Constitution. Within three years, the branch has 200 members.

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Publication of A Hoosier Chronicle

A Hoosier Chronicle,  a novel written by Indianapolis author Meredith Nicholson, explores politics and society in central Indiana, particularly Indianapolis, in the early 20th century.

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Civic leaders lay the cornerstone of the Senate Avenue YMCA

Senate Avenue YMCA construction begins in October 1912. It offers young African American men a variety of cultural, recreational, religious, and physical exercise programs. It also provides educational classes and dormitory facilities.

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Luella McWhirter begins the Woman’s Department Club

Luella Frances Smith McWhirter, along with 10 other women, organizes the club to stimulate spiritual, ethical, artistic, and educational growth among Indianapolis women. The club emphasizes study and community work.

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Indianapolis Church Federation organizes

The Indianapolis Church Federation is founded and led by First Baptist’s minister, Reverend Frederick E. Taylor. Many of the leading Protestant churches in the city join to coordinate their various reform efforts. It also creates a committee that seeks to regulate the location of Protestant congregations to lessen competition.

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Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce established

The Commercial Club joins with other commercial organizations to form the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber persuades new industries to come to the city and influences legislation.

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First municipal Christmas tree

Following the practice begun by New York City, Indianapolis erects its first municipal Christmas tree in University Park.

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Merchants National Bank building complete

The 17-story Chicago-school building designed by Daniel H. Burnham maintains its status as the city’s tallest building for the next 50 years.

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James A. Allison establishes the Allison Speedway Team Company

James A. Allison, founding partner of Prest-O-Lite Company and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, establishes the machine shop, which later is renamed Allison Engineering Company.

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Great flood of 1913

A storm buffets the city with 60-mph winds and six inches of rain over a 24-hour period, causing levees to break. The peak flood stage is estimated at 31.5 feet.

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Streetcar Strike of 1913

Eight hundred streetcar operators stop work in the city for eight days to gain union recognition, higher wages, and improved working conditions. Mob activity destroys property and leads to three deaths. 

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Dedication of Long Hospital

The opening of the hospital marks the beginning of the Indiana University School of Medicine campus along West Michigan Street. The hospital trains physicians, nurses, dietitians, and other medical professionals.

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Indianapolis Boy Scout Council organizes

The Indianapolis council organizes and charters a Boy Scout troop with a membership of 100 boys. F. O. Belzer is the first scout executive leader. 

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Three local trust companies create the Indianapolis Foundation

Fletcher Savings and Trust Company, Indiana Trust Company, and Union Trust Company adopt a joint resolution of trust to form the Indianapolis Foundation.

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John Barton Gruelle receives patent for the Raggedy Ann doll

Former cartoonist John Barton Gruelle patents his Raggedy Ann doll. Three years later, he publishes Raggedy Ann Stories, followed by a Raggedy Andy volume.

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Hollidays deed their 80-acre estate to the city

John Holliday, founder of the Indianapolis News, and his wife Evaline deed their 80-acre estate to the city for use as a public park. The city names the property Holliday Park in their honor.

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Arsenal Technical High School officially opens as a high school

Following a four-year litigation between the school board and former owners of Winona Institute, the school officially becomes the city’s third high school. It had served as a technical training school since 1912.

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Circle Theatre opens

Led by A. L. Block and Robert Lieber, investors contribute over $500,000 to build a new theater. Circle Theatre opens as Indianapolis’ first building constructed specifically for feature-length motion pictures.

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Congregations hold evangelistic campaigns in unison

The Church Federation’s “Indianapolis Plan of Evangelism” enlists all congregations to hold their annual evangelistic campaigns at the same time and to join in a citywide publicity blitz. The campaign ends on Easter Sunday, April 8, 1917.

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Dr. Sumner A. Furniss elected to Indianapolis City Council

Furniss, a member of the Marion County Republican executive committee, becomes the second African American to serve on the City Council. 

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Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation acquires Prest-O-Lite

After Carl Fisher and James Allison sell Prest-O-Lite, the unit continues distributing automotive batteries until 1927 when Electric Auto-Lite Company purchases Union Carbide’s battery interest and the Prest-O-Lite name. 

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Anna Marie Ridge establishes the first local Girl Scout troop

Ridge organizes the first local troop in Irvington after corresponding with Juliette Low, national founder of Girl Scouts. There are nine troops in Indianapolis by 1919.

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The War Chest established “to provide for all war and benevolent needs”

The Indianapolis War Chest Committee places a giant chest on Monument Circle as part of a fundraising plan. Residents monitor progress by watching the chest filled with cash and coins.

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Spanish flu leads to lockdown

The first cases in the city are reported on September 19 and spread quickly, leading to the lockdown. With closures and mask mandates, cases decline. The city reopens December 2.

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Frank Shields, local chemical engineer, manufactures Barbasol

Shields, a former MIT professor, develops the first brushless shaving cream, which he names Barbasol. Workers fill and package the product entirely by hand in Indianapolis.

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Red Ball Transit founded

Red Ball Transit becomes the nation’s first long distance moving service. Initially serving only Indianapolis and the immediate vicinity, the first branch office opens in Columbus, Ohio, in March 1921.

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National headquarters of the American Legion locates in Indianapolis

Chartered on September 16, 1919,  delegates from around the country select Indianapolis as the Legion’s national headquarters during its first national convention.

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Indianapolis Athletic Club incorporates

A group of Indianapolis businessmen incorporates the club to “promote clean sports, amusement, and sociability” among members. Its building at Meridian and Vermont streets is completed in January 1924.

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Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company established

Duesenberg Automobile and Motors Company, Inc., establishes a factory on West Washington Street at Harding Street to build passenger cars. Its automobiles gain a reputation for being luxurious and well-engineered.

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Population in 1920 totals 314,194

White: 279,411

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Community Chest organizes

The precursor to the United Way of Central Indiana, the Community Chest forms to unite fundraising efforts. It also coordinates activities of 40 different community service organizations. 

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League of Women Voters established

After the 19th Amendment ensures women’s right to vote, the Indianapolis Branch of the Woman’s Franchise League of Indiana disbands and establishes a League of Women Voters of Indianapolis in its place.

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Washington Park hosts first game of the Negro National League

The Negro National League incorporates with teams in six midwestern cities. Indiana’s team is the Indianapolis ABCs, managed by C. I. Taylor, a famed early Black baseball manager.

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City celebrates centennial

The centennial celebration takes place June 5-10. Festivities begin with a mass meeting at Tomlinson Hall. Other events include musical performances, a street parade, a pageant, and a riverboat display.

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Phyllis Wheatley Branch of the YWCA organizes

This branch seeks to educate and empower the women and girls of Indianapolis’s African American community. It opens in a building that previously housed the Senate Avenue YMCA. 

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Premiere of Shuffle Along, a musical

Indianapolis native Noble Sissle writes and produces the musical with three other musicians. It marks the revival of African  American folk humor, jazz dance, and Ragtime. 

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First radio station launches

Francis F. Hamilton begins broadcast of 9ZJ, later WLK, from his garage at 2011 North Alabama Street.

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Cadle Tabernacle opens

The 10,000-seat revival and convention center opens as a site for large-scale religious gatherings. During the 1920s, it also hosts Ku Klux Klan rallies, dance marathons, and prize fights.

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Frederick Douglass Park opens

Named for abolitionist Frederick Douglass, the Indianapolis Parks Department designates the park as separate and solely for African Americans. This discriminatory policy lasts until the 1960s. Activities at the park include little league baseball, golf, and social events.

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David Curtis Stephenson moves to Indianapolis and becomes Grand Dragon of the KKK

Stephenson reigns over the KKK in Indiana and 22 other northern states. Under his leadership, the Klan grows in numbers and gains extensive political influence in state and local governments.

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First city in Indiana to pass zoning legislation

The Common Council creates a City Plan Commission and passes the city’s first zoning ordinance. This ordinance establishes five types of use districts: residential, apartment, business, and two industrial districts. 

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Second radio station begins broadcasting

Noble B. Watson begins WOH with a sponsorship by the Hatfield Electronics Company. It is the first station to broadcast the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. 

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Orchard Country Day School opens

Nine local women establish the experimental school based on the “Organic School Model.” The school, located in the home and apple orchard of Mary Stewart Carey, begins with 20 students.

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American Settlement created

The settlement forms through a consolidation of the Foreign House, established by the Immigrants’ Aid Association, and the Presbyterian Chapel, which works mainly with Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants.

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University of Toronto permits Eli Lilly and Company’s general distribution of insulin

Through its collaboration with the University of Toronto, Lilly and Co. develops Iletin, the world’s first commercially produced insulin. The lifesaving diabetes treatment results in a Nobel Prize for the investigators with whom Lilly worked to produce the product.

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Olympic swimming tryouts in Broad Ripple

Broad Ripple Park hosts the Olympic swimming tryouts from June 5th through June 7th. Johnny Weissmuller, soon-to-be Hollywood Tarzan, wins 100-meter freestyle qualification.

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Euphrasia “Fraze” Donnelly becomes the first woman from Indianapolis to win an Olympic Gold medal

Donnelly, a 19-year-old member of the Hoosier Athletic Club swim team, wins the medal in the 4X100-meter women’s freestyle event at the Paris Summer Olympic Games. She and her team members break the world record with a time of 4:58.80.

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First running of the Gold and Glory Sweepstakes

African American civic leaders Robert Brokenburr, William “Pres” Ruckner, and white promoter Harry S. Earl establish the Colored Speedway Association when Black race drivers are turned away from the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. They organize the sweepstakes, which runs at the Indiana State Fairgrounds from 1924 to 1936.

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Dedication of James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children

The James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children, then Indiana’s only children’s hospital, is dedicated on the anniversary of Riley’s birthday. The hospital begins treating patients on November 19th. 

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WFBM radio begins broadcasting

Clem Portman, John Tribby, Hobart Ashlock, and Frank Sharp introduces WFBM radio to Indianapolis listeners. The first broadcast features presidential election results. 

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Mary Stewart Carey founds The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Carey and several other civic leaders found the museum in the Propylaeum’s carriage house. Children and their families donate to its collections.

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Former Marion County treasurer and Klan member John L. Duvall elected Mayor

Duvall defeats Democrat Walter Myers in November in the race for mayor, marking the triumph of a Klan-sponsored slate of candidates.

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Jim Morris, civic and Pacers leader, dies

Trial jury hands down a guilty verdict for Stephenson, Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, for his role in the death of Madge Oberholtzer, whom he brutally raped. He serves 31 years.

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The Jewish Welfare Fund established

The Jewish Welfare Fund forms to raise funds for local, national, and international Jewish communities. The fund provides relief to individual families as well as to Jewish agencies. 

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Crispus Attucks High School, an all-Black school, opens

Indianapolis opens Crispus Attucks High School to segregate the city’s public secondary education. Matthias Nolcox becomes the first principal and assembles a staff of African American professionals from around the country. 

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Mayor John Duvall resigns at the insistence of the city council

After being convicted of violating the state’s corrupt practices act, sentenced to 30 days in jail, and fined $1,000, Duvall resigns as mayor. 

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Walker Theatre initial opening

Completed eight years after the death of Madam C. J. Walker, the finished segments of the theatre building open during Christmas week. The entire building opens in August 1928 during the annual Madam Walker Convention.

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Butler University constructs its fieldhouse

Construction of the Butler Fieldhouse (now Hinkle Fieldhouse ) is complete. The college basketball arena becomes “Indiana’s Basketball Cathedral.” Butler’s basketball team and coach Tony Hinkle gain national attention.

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The Indianapolis News announces Eli Lilly and Company product that treats pernicious anemia

Lilly Laboratories develop the liver extract in collaboration with Harvard University scientists. The discovery results in the second Nobel Prize for medicine connected to the company in a decade–the first being for insulin in 1923.

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Indianapolis Times wins Pulitzer Prize for exposé on Ku Klux Klan

The Times receives the Pulitzer Prize for its 1927 series exposing Ku Klux Klan activities in Indiana and helping to break the strength of that organization in the state.   

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Butler University builds Arthur Jordan Memorial Hall on new campus

Butler University moves to its third campus, the area of former Fairview Park. Arthur Jordan Memorial Hall, funded by Arthur Jordan, becomes the first academic building constructed on the campus.

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Bronze statue added to steps of Indiana World War Memorial

Pro Patria, the 25-foot-tall, seven-ton statue, is created by New York artist Henry Herring. The work is reputed to be the largest sculptured bronze casting made in America at the time.