There’s always something new and exciting happening in Indianapolis! The Encyclopedia is always growing, too. Explore the latest featured content.

Featured Articles

Baseball

Baseball was the most popular sport in Indianapolis long before racing, , and . Although one of the nation’s largest cities without a Major League franchise, Indianapolis holds a rich baseball tradition, with professional teams dating back to the 1800s. Historically, no other city can boast of holding teams in all three of baseball’s highest minor leagues (American Association, International League, Pacific Coast League), the early American and National leagues, and the short-lived Federal League. Indianapolis also played a key role in the Negro Leagues. Local fans have been cheering on… Read More »Baseball

Early Art Schools of Central Indiana

Traveling portrait painters may have been the earliest artists in Indianapolis. Portraiture was the only way to maintain the memory of oneself and others until the invention of the daguerreotype in 1832. One such portrait painter was R. Terrell, who informed Indianapolis residents of his availability to paint portraits to encourage the fine arts. Later artists included , who opened a studio in a room on Washington Street in 1844. opened an art studio in the same building as Cox in 1858. Both men took students. Cox’s pupils included Joseph… Read More »Early Art Schools of Central Indiana

Emma Christy Baker 

(Feb. 10, 1865-Sept. 23, 1955). Emma Christy was born in Salem, Washington County, Indiana, to William W. Christy and Hester Shrewsberry.  Her father was born a free man of color in North Carolina and came to Washington County in the 1820s. Her mother was born enslaved but was freed at age 5 when her owners settled in Washington County, Indiana. Indiana state law stipulated that all enslaved people be “freed” upon entry to the state. Anti-Black sentiment led the Christy’s to leave Washington County one month after Emma was born in… Read More »Emma Christy Baker 

Monster Meetings of the Senate Avenue YMCA 

In 1900, a group of African American men founded the Young Men’s Prayer Band in Indianapolis to challenge the discriminatory practices of the city’s YMCA. By 1905, the Young Men’s Prayer Band ─ which merged into an unnamed “Colored” YMCA and later became known as the ─ launched an annual series of public lectures known as “Monster Meetings.” The public forums, held most Sunday afternoons between November and March, featured prominent speakers from across Indiana and the United States, who addressed attendees about local, state, and national issues.   The Monster… Read More »Monster Meetings of the Senate Avenue YMCA 

White Castle #3

Indianapolis White Castle #3 opened in 1927. Located at 660 Fort Wayne Avenue, the 600-square-foot square restaurant was a simple whitewashed cement block building. The exterior bricks were white enamel with green enamel bricks wrapping the entire base of the structure. Battlements and turrets added a Medieval feel to the structure. The one-story building featured “White Castle” spelled out in stained glass in transom windows. The interior had only five bar stools for customers. A renovation in 1930 added four more. This structure remains the oldest intact building of its… Read More »White Castle #3

Recent Posts