Indianapolis, the Capital + This Issue Concludes Our the Town Is Presented on Page 5
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A Magazine Exploring Indiana History IndianaThe Historian Indianapolis, the capital + This issue concludes our the town is presented on page 5. commemoration of the 175th On pages 6-8, the sale of Focus anniversary of the founding of land in Indianapolis in October Indianapolis. 1821 is examined. On page 9, Errata: The Indiana Historian, March 1996, page 8. In Part 1, in the March 1996 many of the early residents are paragraph four, the second issue, ended with the January 6, introduced. sentence should read “Italic 1821 act that named the town The organization of Marion type indicates TIH editorial entries.” and appointed commissioners to County is covered on pages 10-11. lay it out. On pages 12-13, there is an This issue covers the begin- account of the move of the critical The Indiana Historian nings of Indianapolis and Marion parts of Indiana’s state govern- June 1996 ISSN 1071-3301 County. It closes with the arrival ment from Corydon to Indianapolis. Editor of state government to the new “Behind the Scenes,” on page Pamela J. Bennett Lead Researcher capital in the fall of 1824. 14, presents some personal Paula A. Bongen On page 3, the commission- elements of historical research. Designer Dani B. Pfaff ers are introduced, with a focus Page 15, as usual, contains Contributing Editors Carole M. Allen, Janine Beckley, on Christopher Harrison. bibliography and resources. Alan Conant, Dani B. Pfaff, On page 4, the surveying and The back cover provides a Virginia Terpening platting of the town is covered. map showing the movement of The Indiana Historian provides re- sources and models for the study of local Alexander Ralston’s 1821 plat of early Indianapolis’ settlers. history to encourage Indiana’s citizens of all ages to become engaged with the his- tory of their communities and the state of Indiana. The Indiana Historian (formerly The Indiana Junior Historian) is issued quar- terly from September through June. It is a membership benefit of the Indi- Founding Indianapolis ana Junior Historical Society. One compli- mentary subscription is provided to Indi- ana libraries, school media centers, and 1820 January 11—An act “to select and locate cultural and historical organizations. Annual subscriptions are available for a site for the permanent seat” of state $5.00 plus tax. Back issues are available government. at individual and bulk pricing. This material is available to visually May 22-June 7—Site commissioners meet, impaired patrons in audio format, cour- 1820 tesy of the Indiana History Project of the select site, and prepare report for General Indiana Historical Society. Tapes are avail- able through the Talking Books Program of Assembly. the Indiana State Library; contact the Talk- ing Books Program, 317-232-3702. 1820 November 29—Site commissioners submit The Indiana Historian is copyrighted. report to General Assembly. Educators may reproduce items for class use, but no part of the publication may be January 6—Act to appoint commissioners reproduced in any way for profit without 1821 written permission of the Indiana Histori- to lay off town, name it Indianapolis, and cal Bureau. authorize land sales. 1821 January 8—Memorial to U.S. Congress Cover illustration: This painting, by from General Assembly to route National English artist Thomas B. Glessing, circa 1872-1873, supposedly represents Road through Indianapolis. Treasurer of State Samuel Merrill 1821 January 9—Act to appoint justices of the arriving in Indianapolis with the state peace for Indianapolis. records and treasury. See pages 12-13. Glessing lived in Indianapolis from 1821 April—Indianapolis commissioners to meet; 1859 until 1873. The painting was first only Christopher Harrison comes. reproduced in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Spring—Commissioner Harrison hires Elias Newspaper, September 26, 1874. An 1821 engraving was made for the book P. Fordham and Alexander Ralston to published by Robinson, reproduced here. survey and plat Indianapolis. The painting, and its companion used in October 8—Sale of lands in Indianapolis the March 1996 TIH, reportedly hung in 1821 an Indianapolis high school and were begins. eventually destroyed because of 1821 November 28—Act legalizes Harrison’s significant damage. actions as commissioner. From: Picturesque Indianapolis (Indianapolis: J.R. Robinson Publishers, 1821 December—Alexander Ralston plat of 1890). Indianapolis printed. 2 The Indiana Historian, June 1996 + © Copyright Indiana Historical Bureau 1996 + The commissioners and the agent The act approved on January and place. He decided to forge 6, 1821 provided for the appoint- ahead and fulfill his duties. He ment of three commissioners to hired surveyors Alexander Ralston lay out the town of Indianapolis and Elias P. Fordham to plat the and an agent to oversee the sale town. He hired Benjamin I. Blythe of lots. Christopher Harrison, as clerk. He oversaw the manage- James W. Jones, and Samuel P. ment of the sale of lots in October Booker were chosen commission- 1821 after the town had been ers. General John Carr was platted. named agent for the sale of lots. The General Assembly, in a The act gave very specific November 28, 1821 act, legalized instructions on how to plat the his actions working as the lone town and how to sell lots in the commissioner. town. The commissioners were to Sources: Dunn, Greater Indianapolis; meet in April 1821 to begin their Nowland, Early Reminiscences; Laws assignment. of Indiana, 1820-21; the January 6, Christopher Harrison was 1821 act is summarized on page 13 the only commissioner who of the March 1996 TIH. appeared at the appointed time Christopher Harrison General John Carr Harrison, who was born in General John Carr was born in Maryland, was wealthy and well- Perry County, Indiana on April 9, educated. He moved to Indiana in 1793; his family moved to Clark 1807 near Hanover, where he lived on County, Indiana in 1806. a high bluff for seven years as a His military career began with recluse, having (as reported by Dunn) the Battle of Tippecanoe, November 7, lost his true love to another man. 1811. During the War of 1812, he In 1815, he moved to Salem was made lieutenant of a company of Indiana Historical Society. where he opened a store and became William H. English Collection, United States Rangers. He served as an active participant in his commu- brigadier general and major general nity. of the Indiana Militia until his death. In 1816, he ran on the ticket He was clerk of Clark County, with Jonathan Jennings and was 1824-1830, and a presidential elector elected Indiana’s first lieutenant Christopher Harrison in 1824. He served in the U.S. House governor. In 1819, he ran against of Representatives, 1831-1837 and Jennings for governor and was 1839-1841. He died in 1845 in Clark soundly beaten. County. During the time he was commis- well, washing, and had his wig off. Source: Biographical Directory of the sioner, Harrison lived with Matthias James happened to discover the want American Congress, 1774-1949 (Washing- Nowland. Years later, Nowland’s son of hair, and ran to my mother and ton, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1950), 951. wrote in his reminiscences of Harrison, told her, ‘the Indians had scalped the “He had no more hair on his man that came last night.’ She did head than there was on the palm of not fully understand until she his hand, and wore a wig. I shall stepped to the door and saw his bald never forget the fright he gave my head.” younger brother James. The morning Sources: Dunn, Greater Indianapolis; after his arrival . he was out at the Nowland, Early Reminiscences. © Copyright Indiana Historical Bureau 1996 + The Indiana Historian, June 1996 3 + Surveying and platting the town In the spring of 1821, Com- from the Washington plat. vision—a projection of what the missioner Christopher Harrison Ralston’s 1821 plat map of town could be. Two quotations, employed Elias P. Fordham and Indianapolis on page 5 shows a provided below from early histo- Alexander Ralston to survey and neatly laid out little town with ries, give a more realistic picture plat the town of Indianapolis so wide, well-defined streets. Ac- of early Indianapolis. that a land sale could be held. cording to Holloway, “The bound- Sources: Bolton, Nathaniel, A Lecture Apparently, Ralston led the ary streets, East, West, North Delivered before the Indiana Historical survey team since early India- and South, were not included in Society, on the Early History of Indianapolis and Central Indiana . napolis histories give little credit the original survey. The Commis- (Indianapolis: Austin H. Brown, to Fordham. sioner [Harrison] seems to have Printer, 1853); Dunn, Greater India- Ralston was well-qualified for thought that nobody would ever napolis; W. R. Holloway, Indianapolis. his position. He had assisted live on the outside of the last line A Historical and Statistical Sketch of Major L’Enfant with the survey of of squares.” Harrison was subse- the Railroad City . (Indianapolis: Indianapolis Journal Print, 1870); what is now the city of Washing- quently convinced to add them to Nowland, Early Reminiscences; ton, D.C. The plat of Indianapolis the plat. Sulgrove, History. incorporated several elements The map was, naturally, a Alexander Ralston “The first inhabitants principally settled immediately on the bank Ralston was born in Scotland. of White river, and the lower or western part of the city. Many of their He came to Indianapolis in 1820 log cabins were erected before the town was laid off, and when the with his black housekeeper, Cheney survey was made, their residences presented a singular appearance, Lively. After he platted the town of as to location. Some were in the center of the lots, others in the streets, Indianapolis, he made it his home.