The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-09-02
GETTING
Old; CENTURY
Mark ISNEAR
Hundredth Anniversary of
Incorporation to Come
on Saturday.
STILL STEPPING ALONG
Mr.. Indianapolis Full of
Ambition, as He Looks
Forward to 2O32.

II attribute my long life to the
enterprise of my citizens and the
fact that always have lived among
the best of neighbors,'' said Mr.. In
dianapolis today
Mr.. indianapolis, speaking a day
before ne is to celebrate his Tooth
anniversary, showed no effects of
advanced age, though he admitted
some Of his citizens had been ex-
periencing a deficiency of money
during the last two or three years.
I've had a lot of doctors work.
ing to correct my malady," he said,
but as yet the best any of them
can do is to promise that recovery
is just around the corner"
Mr.. indianapolis, who has lived
here all his life, was asked if he
believed in the maxim, THE first
hundred years are the hardest"
Reaches Century Saturday
We'll" he replied, It wish you
wouldn't ask to quote me on that
just yet. You see, I hardly feel
qualified to say until I see what
the second hundred are like"
Mr.. Indianapolis birthday will be
Saturday. He dates back to Sept. 8,
1882.
He really is much older than that.
however. The date is not the one of
his birth, it simply was the date on
which his birth certificate-articIes
Of iTOOFflOrotiOY1 Gya-I
Kind of a funny thing" Mr.. In
dianapoliS unused. Before the GER
tlflcate was filed, there wasn't any
name written in the blank.
Named by Legislator
"A lot of people had made sug-
gestions, but no decision had been
reached. jeremiah Sullivan, a men,
Der of the state legislature, saw the
certificate, and he had some ideas
OF his own on the subject. He
wrote indianapolis and it's been
that way ever since"
Prior to filing of the certificate,
Mr.. indianapolis was a sort of ward
of the county and state. Govern
ment was in charge of county and
township officials. They took good
care of the young city, and saw it
made the state capital before they
gave up jurisdiction.
First mayor was Samuel Hender-
son. He was named from the town
board of trustees, other members of
which were Samuel Merrell, John
G. Brown, John wilkins and Henry
P. Coburn.
No Pay Cuts Then
Annual salary of the trustees was
$12. No mention of attempted pay
cuts is made in the early records.
Things went along pretty nicely
for a long time after the town was
incorporated. The National road
was built, schools progressed, rail-
roads came and brought factories.
Irvington, Brightwocd, Haugh-
vile, Mt. Jackson, Beech Grove and
a number of other suburbs grew up.
The legislature, through the years.
granted additional powers to the
city.
sullivan Then Mayor
Then, in 1891, the city govern
ment underwent a radical change.
The old incorporation was dropped
and the present city charter was
substituted. Mayor at the time
was Thomas L. Sullivan, father of
the present chief executive of the
city. Main changes in the charter
were those setting up the board of
public works and the city con-
troller.
and these are about all the
big things" Mr. Indianapolis said,
as he propped his feet on the desk
and took two cigars from his pocket.
Have stogie?" he offered. "a
10-center. always smoke them
around state fair week. That's when
I'm most prosperous"