after him, and a corner of the More Info hospital was named after Mary James Whitcomb Riley Home Alice, the little girl who stayed and Museum with the Riley family. 250 West Main Street Greenfi eld, Indiana 46140 When James Whitcomb (317) 462-8539 Riley died he was buried at the Adult Admisson: $4 highest spot in Crown Hill Cem- etery in Indianapolis. His tomb are welcomed in to see how the is one of the most visited sites in Riley family lived. the city. When entering the home, Every year, Greenfi eld hosts there is a spiral wooden staircase a four-day Riley Festival that that goes to the second fl oor. begins on the fi rst Thursday in To the left of the staircase is the October. The festival is located parlor, which would be called a on the corner of Main Street and living room today. It has a small State Road 9. The event in- closet, smaller than today’s clos- cludes food and shopping from ets, so the homeowner wouldn’t jewelry to clothes. The local be taxed as if it were another shops are included as well, sell- room. The James Whitcomb Riley Old Home, located next to the James Whitcomb ing their products. It has more Riley Old Home Museum, is where the Hoosier Poet was raised during his child- There are two chairs in hood. Photo by Becky Laffi n than 460 tents to visit. the living room, one for a man Each festival is designed to and the other for a woman. The after. Her name was Mary Alice “They all tell a different story. celebrate Riley’s birthday with a man’s chair has armrests. The Smith, but everyone called her Every one of his poems speaks different theme from his poems. woman’s chair does not. Annie. to me in a different way.” The festival also includes In the same room is a piano, Annie worked for her room Riley later on did buy the two parades every year. The which was added to the home and board. The room she stayed house back, but his mother had Parade of Flowers on Friday when it became a museum in was smaller than the rest of already passed away. features Greenfi eld Elementary because it was based off a poem the rooms in the house. She Riley passed away July 2, students who march downtown that Riley wrote. washed the dishes with soap that 1916, in Greenfi eld. There were to place fl owers around Riley’s In the next room is the was made from ashes and pork more people at his funeral than statue in front of the Courthouse. offi ce with a partner desk that fat. at Michael Jackson’s funeral. The parade is over sixty-fi ve Reuben also built. The desk has After the Civil War, Reuben Because he had been so popular, years old. two sides with shelving on both got injured and couldn’t pay the his name is found in many places The Saturday parade has sides. It was made so Reuben bills. The family lost the house. today. over 75 units that march from and his wife could work togeth- James promised his mother that The Riley Hospital for Chil- downtown Greenfi eld to Riley er. The desk later went missing someday he would buy the house dren in Indianapolis was named Park. from the house. It turned up in back for her. an auction and was returned to During his adulthood, James amous poet the museum. Whitcomb Riley lived in India- The Rileys had a different napolis for 22 years. He was a lifestyle than we do today. Dur- boarder at a home in Lockerbie ing his time there were certain Square; he never owned the bathing days, and ironing days. house. That house is also a Riley a Greenfi eld native During the bathing days there museum now. F was a certain order in which the Riley’s parents wanted their by Becky Laffi n nie” by James Whitcomb Riley. which today is known as State settled in back in 1844. family members all took baths. son to become a lawyer but Ri- Annie and James were Road 40, in Greenfi eld, Indiana. The log cabin came to be too Bathing days were on Saturday ley had always dreamed of being Little Orphant Annie’s come friends when they were little. The street had all the courts and small so Reuben started building nights. The men went fi rst and a poet. He began writing poems to our house to stay, They played together in the clos- lawyers in this town. Mr. and a house in 1850. There was no then the women, children, and about what he knew, his lifestyle. An’ wash the cups an’ saucers et of James’s room. This poem Mrs. Riley were both lawyers electricity during this time so he the babies. He made more money during his up, an’ brush the crumbs away, was based off the stories they themselves so it was a great spot had to build it by hand. The ironing days were on lifetime than any other Indiana An’ shoo the chickens off the told together. When they used to to settle. It took Reuben three years to Tuesdays. poet. porch, an’ dust the hearth, play in the closet, they would see On October 7, 1849, James make this house for the family. When Riley was about 11 “He was the rock star of his an’ sweep, the light from the outdoors and Whitcomb Riley was born in the That home is still on State Road years old, a girl and her father time,” said Gwen Betor, the tour An’ make the fi re, and bake thought they were goblins. log cabin that his parents had 40 in Greenfi eld, and visitors appeared at the front door. The guide at the James Whitcomb the bread, an’ earn her The year was 1844 when girl’s dad told Reuben and his Riley House and Museum in board-an’-keep; Reuben Riley and his wife, The James Whitcomb Riley Old Home Museum, located on West Main Street, wife that his family was getting Greenfi eld. Riley wrote more James Whitcomb Riley’s grave is at the highest spot in Crown Hill Cemetery This is only part of the James’s parents, moved to a was bought by the city in 1936 to become a museum to honor the Hoosier Poet. too big, so the little girl stayed than 1,000 poems. in Indianapolis. It features a statue of a small child sitting and reading a book. poem called “Little Orphant An- new area on the National Road, Photo by Becky Laffi n with the Riley family for years “I love them all,” Betor said. Photo By Elizabeth Granger