Indianapolis Illustrated | Marion County, INGenWeb

INDIANAPOLIS ILLUSTRATED

Indianapolis illustrated: the capital city of Indiana: its growth, resources, commerce, manufacturing interests, financial institutions, and prospects, also sketches of the leading business concerns which contribute to the city's progress and prosperity: a complete history of the city from foundation to the present time (1893)

Ranking among the most prosperous and enterprising commercial centers of our rapidly expanding country, stands the city of Indianapolis, capital of the State of Indiana, and the most populous city within the bounds of her broad domain. Singularly fortunate in her geographical advantages, being situated in the very heart of the State, surrounded by a territory, rich in agricultural, mineral and other natural resources, having unsurpassed transportation facilities, she stands to-day as the great center from which radiate many of the great manufacturing, educational and financial interests, which have so rapidly developed this great and noble State. Few cities in the country have such ample transportation facilities as has Indianapolis, and her communication with all parts of the country by rail is direct and rapid. The history of Indianapolis is one of continuous struggle against great obstacles and strong competition, but her growth in spirits of adverse circumstances during the last decade has been rapid and permanent, and she is to-day financially in a strong and healthy condition, the educational center of the State, and socially as well as in all other respects offers valuable inducements, both for business and residence that are fully demonstrated by her wonderful development and prosperity. Indianapolis was first settled in 1819 or 1820, and during the latter year was selected as the State Capital, and during the same year the present city site as platted by Alexander Ralston. It was also in December of this year that Marion County was organized, and in 1832 the town was duly incorporated, although it was not till 1836 that the action of citizens was duly legalized by special act of the legislature. An act re-0incorporating the town was adopted February 17, 1838, and this act provided among other things the including within its corporate limits the four sections or "donations" of land made by Congress upon the admission of the State in 1816.

From this time on the city grew rapidly by reason of the fact that enterprising merchants and manufacturers quickly realized the many advantages offered by this infant city, and every branch of commercial enterprise began springing up. Manufactories were established, weekly papers issued, school houses erected, and backed by ample capital, and the untiring energy of its citizens, the city has kept pace with the rapid strides of modern development, and it can truthfully be said that Indianapolis has before it a brilliant future.

The city is well laid out, its streets broad, the larger portion of them paved, and lighted by electricity. Its business and manufacturing structures are substantially built, and many of them are triumphs of modern architecture, while few cities have a better equipped street railway system.

State Capitol at Indianapolis

The public buildings, of which the State Capitol Building is the most conspicuous feature, are among the most attractive points of interest to the visitor, and include the State House, Court House, Union Depot, Masonic Hall, Commercial Club, Public Library, County Jail and other State Institutions.

The great wholesale and jobbing interests of the city, together with its vast manufacturing industries will be treated at length in the following pages of this review in order that the reader may have a clearer conception of the prominent position which Indianapolis holds to-day in the commercial and financial circles of the country.

The State of Indiana ranks among the prominent agricultural sections of the country, and this owing to the fact of its having a rich soil, a temperate and equal climate, and unsurpassed facilities for natural and artificial drainage, offers substantial inducements for investment in farm lands and the pursuit of agriculture.

New Public Library

Indiana is bounded on the north by Michigan, east by Ohio, south by the Ohio river, and on the west by Illinois. She has a total area of 36,119 square miles, or 23,116,160 acres. To the east and northeast of the city of Indianapolis, there is an inexhaustible supply of volitic limestone, the most important mineral deposit in the State. In Washington County alone there are 200 square miles of this formation, much of which has an average thickness of forty feet, and many other counties have equally as good deposits. This stone, which is unexcelled for building purposes, and of which there is an unlimited supply, exists chiefly in Putnam, Monroe, Owen, Lawrence and Washington counties. A large coal producing area, covering a tract of 7,000 miles, extends through Fountain, Vermillion, Vigo, Clay, Park, Owen, Knox, Green, Martin, Daviess, Posey, Pike, Dubois, Warrick, Vanderburg, Spencer and Perry counties, and coal mines have been successfully worked in all this territory since 1888. The entire State, especially the southern portion, has always been rich in the growth of hardwood lumber, with considerable amounts of oak, ash, sugar, beech, hickory, linn, sycamore, etc., in other sections, and large forests of oak and hickory in the eastern part of the State.

There are many mineral springs scattered throughout the State the waters of which are sought after far and wide by invalids for their medicinal properties; among the most noted of which are the Sulphur Springs at French Lake and Weisbaden in Orange County. But one feature which has made the State of Indiana noted throughout the country is its natural gas, which is found in seemingly inexhaustible quantities throughout a wide portion of its territory, and which has given to Indianapolis an unlimited supply of fuel, the cheapest and most easily handled to be found in the world, and due reference of which will be made in future pages of this work.

From the brief description of the many and varid [sic] sources of wealth of this great State of Indiana previously given, it will readily be seen that the city of Indianapolis, lying within the very center of this rich and fertile country, has advantages and opportunities for growth and development seldom accorded to any city, and how well she has availed herself of these advantages will be briefly depicted in the following pages of this review.

[NOTE: Please see the Index for the numerous pages that are presented on this site at the present time. Additional items will be added as time allows.]