The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-06-10
TIE TOWN IN EARLT DATs.


The accuracy Of some Of the dates and inci-
dents RELAXED in Dr. Bradleys historical sermon
on the occasion of the ssmi-eentennial anniver-
sary Of the Episcopal Church In Indiana ID
questioned By an old citizen whose memory and
records run back almost to the beginning Of the
city. .'The Doctors sketch Of Christ Church
and the city, be said yesterday. was little
more positive the point Of the hrst settlements
here than the evidences viii warrant The frat
white settlers came here in 1919. he said. That
Is by no means certain. Though long ago &C
cepted IS the traditional origin Of the city. 10
has been always disputed by some who had good
opportunities TO know the truth. AS early 90
1923 DIR. Mitchell, one OF the earliest settlers,
and most Intelligent professional men in this
place. published al elaborate refutston OF the
claim of George Porne 90 the honor Of being
the frst settler. Cyrus Whetzel. Of the Bluffs
"a settler there 10 1919 confirms him. aud MIRA
King. widow of one Of the McCormicks Of 1890.
told Mr.. r. b. Duncan that her husband and
Pocue came here in the summer OF 1873. and Sc
lected sites for homes TO which both came the
following February, 1890 Mccormick settled
near the run, and Poeue further east. near the
east bluff Of the creek bottom. That was in
1920. Mr.. Bradley also says that there we're
Indians here till 1924 There were some living
in the near peighborhood late 1924, but
about the falls Of Fall creek and the site
now all Madison county. there were some rem
nants Of these tribes that held their territory
till the treaty CT st. Nary's in 1878 required
them TO leave and give fun possession 10 the
whites in 1871 The murder Of two Indian
families in 1924 by half dozen white outlaws,
took place some miles above Pendetnn. thirty
miles from here, aud the trial of the murderers
was at Madison. By the way, ex-Unitcd States
Senior o. H Smith. IN his Indiana sketches.
says: This was the fret time that white had
hao 81 vfa al nd fad fnr
murder Of an Indian
Your own recollections Of The time Episco-
palsm came into the town are. no doubt, many
and varied" the reporter suggested
''Yos. There was one strange incident aseo-
cated with the history of Christ Church.
though no part of it. that some even OF tho
members may never have heard. The frss
church was built In 1888. and here was heard
the first church organ and the first choir ever
heard in Indianapolis. The first oreanst,
think. was the first wife Of the late William II.
Morrison. The second was young LADY from
the East, whose sister accompanied her. and
probably assisted her in keeping school. The
latter Ia 1889 married . half-blood "niggec.r .
rank offense against good sense and delicacy. IL
no more. sven IN these days; but fifty years ago.
in a community mainly composed OF immigrants
from kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia aud North
Carolina, it was some thing little less sbomn-
able than incest bat q good deal worse than
murder. mob gathered around the house
where the ceremony was going on. intending to
prevent It. Failing In that, under the lead Of Q
prominent professional man and Wing politician.
Dr. George W. Stipp, the BRIDEGROOM vas taken
out to Crowdsr's later Garner'sD farm. at the
Crawfordsville road ford. and there ridden on q
rail-, and. some said, tarred and feathered, but
this was denied by others. He was warned 20
leave the place st once and did 90. His foolish
wife was not molestsd by the mob, and was
later allowed 70 join him, and they and the or
gapst sister left here. never 20 be heard Of aft
erwards.'
THE contrast between the Christ Church
building Of that time and today was. no doubt,
remarkable
.'Ths ORIGINAL Christ Church. built in 1888.
was . frame. fronting south, with low wooden
tower surmounted by FIVE little wooden pyra-
mids. the tallesr in the middle. the others the
cornera IL stood till 1857, and was then bougbs
by the African Methodist congregation. Of tho
old ''colored' church on Georgia. street the
canal. where the famous Bishop Quinn used TO
preach during his visits here from Baltmors>It
was burned some half dozen years after its re-
moval. The cornerstone was laid on the 18th OF
May 1885, and is notable in city history as the
first corner-stone1 ever laid with the
ceremonies that have since become 60
familiar II was also notable for the fact
that IL contained the FIRST silver coins OF
our new national coinage that had reached the
town They were brought from the East by
Mr.. Z. X Foster, . jeweler, who happened to
take some Of them in his pocket TO the corner
stone celebration. and. when the eposit OF
newspapers, records and otksr 'memorandA'
was made, set Of half dimes, dimes and quar-
ters was put with them. This coinage ran out
the Spanish .pillared quarters the levies OF
bits and the picayunes or '6ps.' Christ
Church CONVERSIONS held the advance guard Of
the army Of patriotic home coins