The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-02-08

! ly when the volunteers went off to the Black
| Hawk war. During a camp-meeting about
1924, a migration of squirrels overran it, and
tens of thousands crossed the river The
first brick building is now standing, or was
recently, and was built in 1922. The next
year Marion county was represented in the
Legislature, and the Indiana Journal was
commenced under the name of the Western
! Censor and Emigrants Guide" A woolen-
mill was built by Townsend & Pearce and
made yarn and coarse thread. The town was
then only half cleared of farms, with cow
paths running over them.
The first theatrical entertainment was
| given at Carter's Tavern, admission thirty
seven and half cents; the music, hymn
tunes, played on single fiddle. The first
church (Presbyterian) cost $1,000, and the
first Sunday met in a cabinet-makers
shop on the public square. At the public
meetings deer or beef was barbecued; and
this happened when Henry Clay went to In
dianapolis in 1912
The Shawnee Indians lived close by, and
caused some feeling of insecurity. Some low
bred whites murdered number of these In
dams and several of their guests in 1924, to
steal their furs, killing the squaws and the
children as well as the old ones, The lndi-
ans became excited but big trial ensued,
where nearly the whole bar of Indiana was
engaged The ring-leader, Hudson was con-
victed and hung, tine Indians joyfully look
ing on; and it is said to be the first instance
/
cuted for killing an Indian. Two Others Of
the murderers were hanged afterward, an
other got term in prison and one was par
doned. The Governor got up on the scat
fold when he pardoned this man and made
a speech on the enormity OF the crime, and
then set the man free. The Indians how
ever, were satisfied, and never resented the
injury.
military school and a real estate agency
were started by two Missionaries about 1925
The Kentucky influence finally over.
whelmed the White River or Hickory Qua
ker influence, and Henry Clay got 217 votes
in indianapolis to SO for Jackson and 16 for
| Adams. The State records were brought ia
heavy wagon, travelling about twelve miles
day, guarded by Samuel Merrill.
Till 1888 the Governor had no fixed resi-
dence; but on that date house was bought
for him. The Legislature first met in the
courthouse, Jan. 10, 1925. The growth was
very slow until 1S47, the capital having been
no benefit whatever to the town, although
| the central position it was placed in made it
railroad carrefour. Some benevolent in
situations, however were brought to Indi-
annapolis by the capital, but land sold for
only $1S per acre within the city limits after
the Legislature met.
The first Methodist Episcopal church was
made of logs, and stood to 1929. The river
was crossed by a licensed ferry at brick ferry
house.
In 1926 there were only 1872 people in
Indianapolis. A military company was
formed; fire company followed. Lorenzo
Dow came out to preach, and it took people
in Indianapolis a month to know that John
Adams and jefferson had died on the same
day.
Steam apparatus for mill was brought
from Cincinnati in 1881, being the first steam
engine, and it was a dead failure. The Gov
ernor's house cost 81, 900, and never was occu-
pied by family. A kind of seminary was
built in 1888, which became the first church
OF Henry Ward Beecher. The National road
was of little more value to indianapolis than
the State capital had been.
There were 100 kegs of powder sold in 1927,
showing that the people still lived greatly ON
game. stage was started to Madison in
1922, and a library instituted, which was a
failure. John Quincy Adams got five votes
in 1928, to Andrew Jackson's three, in
indianapolis. The National road bridge,
which cost SIS; 600 was com pleted in 1884.
The steamboat Robert Hanna, the first the
people had seen, came to the capital in 1881.
bringing stone and timber for the National
road. She ran excursions and finally ran
aground, where she lay six weeks. The river
never amounted TO much for steamboating,
and therefore a navigation company was
started and incorporated, which did nothing
with it. The Indiana Sentinel was started in
1871, superseding another paper. The FIRST
show that arrived was menagerie.
The Legislature charted six railroads in
1881 to center in indianapolis.
The first Statehouse only cost $50 900,
which was only 81 900 above the estimates of
the honest builders of that day. The plan
was sent from New York, and Ithal Town, the
architect, butt it in three years, out of blue
buff stone of slate character, on the style of
the Parthenon, The capitol was 200 feet long
and 100 feet wide.
portrait painter came along the next
year named Rodgers, and he was followed by
a soda-fountain. AT the Black Hawk war.
800 men, armed with backwoods' rifles, toma-
hawks, knives, powder-horns and shot
pouches, met in one of the groves, and
marched all the way to Chicago and were
called the "Bloody 800, but they never got
a smell of war, though, as usual, in firing a
salute for them, somebody had his arIns
blown of. A foundry was the next i'm,
provement
FIFTY YEARS OF HISTORY CONDENSED
General Harrison, the old territorial Gov
ernor, made visit to Indianapolis in 1888,
and had public dinner at Washington Hall,
expressing himself against notification; he
never returned any more, except in 1885.
The ferryman, whose name was Dan Blari-
cam, murdered a young fellow named Nc
Pherson in 1888, who rocked him out Of the
boat, on the suspicion of an intrigue with
lis wife, and the murderer got three years
in the penitentiary.
In 1884 the State Bank of Indiana was
chartered, with capital of $1600,000, the
State taking half the stock for twenty-five
years. The State actually made So, 700 900 on
its subscription through school fund. Its
successor was in existence until the national
bank act, passed during the rebellion. This
bank appears to have been model-never
loaned more than 5000 to any one person,
except when engaged in hog and grain buy,
ing. The bank suspended specie payments
in 1887 and resumed them in 1912.
Another bank, started in 1855, in spite OF
Governor Wrights veto and a set of jobbers,
managed to live until Mr.. Chase's system
killed it off. That second bank brought
Hugh McCulloch prominently forward as its