Tag Archives: Indianapolis

Marion County birth return: Stegemeier

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The Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library has digitized early Marion County, Indiana birth returns. Doctors and midwives filled out the returns and sent them to the Marion County Health Department, which would issue a birth certificate. The dates for these returns range from 1882 to 1907. Recording births wasn’t mandatory at the time, so not every birth is included. This makes the returns that are in this collection even more valuable for research.

These cards enrich our understanding of early Indianapolis families. In many cases, the location of both the child’s and parent’s birth, their names, address, age and father’s occupation are listed. Some cards even ask for aspects of the birth itself, such as whether it was easy or difficult, and a reason. These birth returns give us a glimpse into the lives of early Indianapolis residents and even tell the story of the city itself.

Picture of birth return with the name Stegemeier.As the holiday season – a time filled with food and festivities – is upon us, it’s the perfect opportunity to feature the birth return for the child of a well-known Indianapolis restaurateur. Restaurant owner, Richard Stegemeier married Minnie Schmidt on Nov. 22, 1900. They had their first child, Richard Jr., on Sep. 10, 1901. Later sons, Karl, whose birth return is pictured here, and Henry, as well as daughters, Alma and Marie, were born into the family. According to the birth return pictured above, Karl was born at the Protestant Deaconess Hospital, which once stood on the spot that is now the parking garage on Ohio Street and Senate Avenue across the street from the Indiana State Library.

Screenshot of Indianapolis Baist Atlas Plan.

Indianapolis Baist Atlas Plan # 5, 1908.

Photo of Stegemeier's from newspaper.

Indianapolis Times, March 19, 1931.

Richard Stegemeier was the proprietor of Stegemeier’s Cafeteria, a beloved institution in Indianapolis. Housed at one time in the basement of the Occidental Building – and other locations, including 17 N. Illinois St. and later 114 N. Pennsylvania St. – Stegemeier’s was known for its hearty German fare, beer and as the meeting place of local movers and shakers. The Illinois St. location was in the basement of the Apollo Theater Building, attracting theater-goers to the restaurant before and after the shows.

Newspaper ad for Stegemeier's.

Indianapolis Times, June 29, 1922.

The Stegemeier family likely rubbed elbows with various big shots and stars during its years in operation. Famous Indianapolis residents such as Booth Tarkington, James Whitcomb Riley, Dr. Meredith Nicholson, members of the Vonnegut family and more were known to frequent the restaurant. Author, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., even wrote about a visit to Stegemeier’s in the prologue of his work, “Jailbird.”

Scan of newspaper article.

Indianapolis Times, Feb. 18, 1951.

Richard Stegemeier immigrated to Indianapolis from Hannover, Germany in 1891 and opened his first restaurant in 1892 with his brother, Henry. Many of those that visited the restaurant remembered it for its substantial meals such as sauerbraten, wiener schnitzel, potato pancakes and bean soup.

On Nov. 25, 1924, an advertisement for the Thanksgiving menu included, “Roast Spring Turkey with Giblet Gravy, Oyster Dressing, Candied Sweet Potatoes and Cranberry Sauce.” Now, over a hundred years later, these items continue to be popular dishes for Thanksgiving dinners around the country.

Scan of ad for Stegemeier's Cafeteria.

Indianapolis News, Nov. 25, 1924.

While most of the food served at Stegemeier’s is still enjoyed today, like chicken and dumplings, beef prime rib, mashed potatoes and apple pie, they also advertised dishes that would make some modern diners’ stomachs churn. Oxtail julienne, boiled ox tongue and calf brains with eggs were all popular enough to be advertised in the April 13, 1911 issue of the Indianapolis Star.

Newspaper ad for Stegemeier's.

Indianapolis Star, Sep. 3, 1921.

Newspaper ad for Stegemeier's Grille.

Indianapolis Times, Feb. 20, 1937.

In 1951, Richard Stegemeier retired and sold the business. Over the next few years, the restaurant changed hands three times. It’s likely none of the new owners had the heart for the business that Stegemeier had for his namesake. In 1953, it was reported that the current owner had plans to eventually drop the Stegemeier name. The restaurant was also undergoing major renovations, which involved the removal of the large, ornate bar which was a trademark of Stegemeier’s. A few years later, after the dust had settled from the renovation, Stegemeier’s restaurant closed for good.

Newspaper picture showing woman outside of Stegemeier's Cafeteria.

Indianapolis News, July 29, 1955.

After his restaurant days were over, the Sep. 21, 1956 Indianapolis Star caught readers up on Stegemeier’s life in retirement.

“RICHARD STEGEMEIER, retired restaurateur, sat at the counter at Merrill’s, downtown, obviously as much interested in the way food is electronically ordered by the waitresses and conveyed from kitchen to counter as in his noonday snack … Mr. Stegemeier is seen daily about the streets, his mounting years resting lightly on his stalwart shoulders, wearing a cane which he does not need and greeting old friends with booming, resonant voice. It wouldn’t be quite so dreary here in winter if this grand, old man didn’t take off – and by bus too – for Florida to add to the already abundant sunshine down there.”

Richard Stegemeier died in 1961, leaving his mark on Indianapolis through memories of good times, great food and the consequential decisions made at his restaurant by the round table of writers, politicians and leaders who dined there.

This blog post is by Dagny Villegas, Genealogy Division librarian, wishing you the happiest of holidays!

Sources:
“Indiana, Marriages, 1780-1992”, , FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XF8H-V5V : 13 January 2020), Richard Stegemeier, 1900.

Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

“United States, Census, 1910”, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKPB-HPC?lang=enFri Jul 05 19:47:10 UTC 2024), Entry for Detrick Stegemier and Minnie Stegemier, 1910.

“Stegemeier’s: More than an eating place — an institution.” Indianapolis Star, 09/03/1921, p. 23

“Richard Stegemeier, Restaurateur Dies.” Indianapolis Star, 11/27/1961, p. 25

Henn, Carl. “Stegemeier’s – Hoosier Tradition with ‘Old Country’ Touch.” Indianapolis Times, 02/18/1951, p.37

Dreyer, Gerald. “Stegemeier Bar Removal Means ‘Passing of an Era’.” Indianapolis News, 05/06/1953. P. 39

George, Larry. “Landmark Gives Up.” Indianapolis News 07/29/1955, p. 10

1867 Asher and Adams map of Indianapolis

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Asher and Adams are noteworthy mapmakers for their contribution to 19th century county and city mapping. They are known for their detailed state atlases of New York in 1869, 1870 and 1871. Some Asher and Adams maps were published in New York City, and others were published in Indianapolis. Sometimes, they publish as Asher, Adams and Higgins.

The Indiana State Library wishes to share an 1867 map of Indianapolis, published by Asher and Adams in Indianapolis, and printed in Buffalo, New York. It has now been made available online. The map is large and detailed. Railroads are drawn with detail and clearly name the depots. There is an extensive business directory in the margins.

If you’re an Indianapolis map enthusiast, you’re likely familiar with the 1866 Warner map of Marion County, published by Titus. However, you may not have seen the Asher and Adams map; at least not the Indiana State Library’s copy. Why wouldn’t you have seen this map before? It’s rare and it’s massive. It was dissected, and when unfolded its large size makes it difficult to handle. It was also horribly dirty. It had been on “preservation status” in our catalog, essentially hiding it from the online public access catalog.

This is where Seth Irwin comes in. Irwin has been the Indiana State Library’s conservator since 2019. He, and his rotating crew of interns, with a grant-funded conservator, have worked wonders with the map collection. You may have seen their blogs about some other map treatments here and here. Sadly, he is leaving his position here at the Indiana State Library. He has made a huge impact on the future of the State Library’s Indiana map collection. His knowledge and tenacity made him an incredible friend to the map collection. I am deeply grateful for the time he spent time with us.

Here are some photos from his most recent treatment of the Asher and Adams Indianapolis map:

Washing of the map.

Dirty silk – once used to protect the map – removed.

Before and after, side by side.

Now, go spend some time with our maps!

This post was written by Monique Howell, Indiana Collection supervisor.

Visually Impaired Preschool Services

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Did you Know?

90% of what a child learns is through their vision.
85% of the foundation of learning happens the first five years of their life.

Did you also know that located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis is an exceptional preschool for children with visual impairments? It is called Visually Impaired Preschool Services, or more affectionately known as VIPS. It is an inclusive, nonprofit organization that was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1985 and “provides vision-specific, early intervention for young children, birth to three, who are blind or visually impaired and comprehensive support to their families.” It has since expanded to Indiana. Indiana’s VIPS took root in 2011 through the efforts of a teacher for blind and low vision children, who was also the mother of a legally blind child.

Their efforts paid off over time, because VIPS grew. In 2022, their new facility opened, and it is astounding. It has a sensory room, several playrooms, a little library section with print and braille board books, a kitchen area, a doctor’s room and so much more. There are even apartments above VIPS that can be leased out to families with visually-impaired children who need them. They offer a wide range of programming and services such as home visits, orientation and mobility services, preschool readiness programs, parent empowerment programs, summer programs and story times to name a few.

Those of us at the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library love to go over to the VIPS facility for outreach and to provide story times for the children and their parents to enjoy. These story times allow us to read stories to the children and allow the parents and children to become familiar with braille books.

Besides partnering with us at the Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library, VIPS also partners with others in the community for outreach, such as the Indiana School for the Blind and the Indiana State Department of Health. This is to ensure that all the visually-impaired children they serve receive all the essential resources and help they need. The kind staff at VIPS is dedicated to the growth and happiness of the children and families they serve.

So, if you, or anyone you know, has a young child in need of the Visually Impaired Preschool Services you won’t be disappointed by all they have to offer. VIPS can be contacted at via their website, by calling 317-961-5001 or by visiting 1212 Southeastern Avenue in Indianapolis.

Visually Impaired Preschool Services is a non-profit organization and accepts donations.

This post was submitted by Kylie Brinker, reader advisor, Indiana Talking Book and Braille Library at the Indiana State library. 

Visually Impaired Preschool Services. “VIPS Indiana – Visually Impaired Preschool Services.” Visually Impaired Preschool Services, 12 Apr. 2024, vips.org/vips-indiana/.

Save Woodruff Place

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On Sept. 18, 1953, residents of Woodruff Place were invited to attend a town hall meeting via a flyer proclaiming that “time is of the essence.” The flyer – a copy of which can be found in the Small Broadsides Collection at the Indiana State Library – provides a glimpse into the hard-fought battle that ultimately resulted in the annexation of Woodruff Place into the city of Indianapolis.

Now a near-east side neighborhood, the town was established in the 1870s by James O. Woodruff, best known for creating the city’s water system, and it remained an independent town within city limits after it was incorporated in 1876. Councilman J. Wesley Brown introduced the annexation ordinance multiple times in 1953 before it was passed in September, but it was formally enacted only after nine years of protests and legal battles. The final blow to resistant Woodruff Place residents came in February 1962 after the Supreme Court decided not to review the case, the next logical step after the Indiana Supreme Court upheld the annexation the previous year. At the time of annexation, it comprised around 1,700 residents.

The reason for annexation cited by the city was the need for Woodruff Place residents to pay their share of taxes, though the incorporated town did already pay the city fees for trash, sewage, education, police, fire and the General Hospital. Residents cited concerns over losing zoning power – which was eventually addressed – amid increased industrialization of the surrounding area and control over the features that typified the area, such as the iconic fountains. The debate was often heated, with one resident in the Sept. 4, 1960 issue of the Indianapolis Star comparing the city’s views on their right to annex Woodruff Place to “what the Russians think about the people of Hungary.” The press could also be critical of Woodruff Place in turn. In an Indianapolis Star op-ed supporting annexation in Oct. 22, 1953, for instance, the author likened the city to a Roman town, referring to both as “tombs of entanglement.”

One of the fountains in Woodruff Place. From the Indiana State Library’s Oversize General Photograph Collection.

In 1954, amid a drastic increase in service fees levied after annexation was initially challenged by residents, the town agreed only to pay for fire and for a period the city was only served by county sheriff’s office. Later, after it was determined that the Indianapolis treasury could not be used to fight the legal battle, Woodruff Place residents raised the money via donations from both resident homeowners and renters. This fund was referred to as a “War Fund” in the press.

With many residents now only ever knowing Woodruff Place as a charming neighborhood, it is now perhaps best know for its flea market, which has taken place the first week of June as a neighborhood fundraiser since 1975.

This post was written by Victoria Duncan, Rare Books and Manuscripts supervisor.

Inaugural Lunch and Learn program from State Library scheduled for March 14

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The Indiana State Library has announced the launch of a new program series called the Lunch and Learn Series. The series will run throughout 2024, with six programs already planned.

The inaugural program, “Fire Insurance Maps Online,” will take place on March 14 from 12-1 p.m. in the History Reference Room at the Indiana State Library.

Originally created to help insurance companies assess structures’ fire resistance, historic fire insurance maps now have a wide variety of uses, including historic preservation, land use research and urban development. Presenter Jamie Dunn, supervisor of the Genealogy Division at the Indiana State Library, will teach attendees about fire insurance maps and the Indiana State Library’s Fire Insurance Maps Online database.

Each program is eligible for one LEU for Indiana library staff. Click here to register.

Follow the Indiana State Library’s Facebook page for more information on the upcoming programs as it becomes available.

The Indiana State Library is located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.

Please contact Stephanie Asberry, deputy director of Public Services and Statewide Services at the Indiana State Library, with any questions about the Lunch and Learn Series.

This blog post was submitted by John Wekluk, communications director. 

The rise and fall of a city cemetery: Greenlawn Cemetery, Indianapolis

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Photo of Greenlawn Cemetery, ca. 1920. “A Transcript of the Grave Stones Remaining in Greenlawn Cemetery Indianapolis.” Indianapolis: Emmerich Manual Training High School, 1920.

The Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library recently digitized our records pertaining to Greenlawn Cemetery in Indianapolis. These records were created in the early 1920s to document the remaining graves in Greenlawn before they were removed. Many of the records come from the company that owned the land at the time. However, the most interesting part of the records are the photographs, which were created by staff and students at Emmerich Manual Training High School as part of a class project.

Greenlawn Cemetery in 1898. “Insurance Maps of Indianapolis, Indiana, Volume 1.” New York: The Sanborn-Perris Map Co. Limited, 1898.

A new city needs a new cemetery
Greenlawn was the first public cemetery in Indianapolis. Established in 1821 near the White River and present-day Kentucky Avenue, many of the earliest residents of the city were buried here. As the main city cemetery, Greenlawn served as the final resting place for everyone from those buried at public expense to prestigious Hoosiers Indiana Governor James Whitcomb and early settler Matthias Nowland.

A Long, Slow Decline

Indianapolis death records from September 1872. Greenlawn is referred to as City Cemetery in these records. “Death Records Indianapolis, Indiana 1872-1874.”

By the 1860s, the trustees of Greenlawn became concerned that the cemetery was nearing capacity. They could not purchase adjoining land due to encroaching industrial and commercial development. Despite concerns about overcrowding, burials continued in Greenlawn for another 30 years, although more and more families chose to purchase plots in the newly developed Crown Hill Cemetery.

The last burial in Greenlawn took place around 1890. By this point, the cemetery was already deteriorating. Vandalism and flooding from the river, along with neglect by the cemetery caretakers, resulted in many broken and missing tombstones and unidentifiable graves.

Greenlawn in the early 20th century

Among the events held in Greenlawn Cemetery Park was a ragtime concert by the Indianapolis Military Band. Indianapolis Star, July 31, 1904.

Public complaint about the condition of the cemetery led city and cemetery officials to move many of the remaining graves to Crown Hill and to seek other uses for Greenlawn. By 1904, part of the land had been reclaimed as a park. Although events and concerts took place there, the park did not garner much popularity with the public. In an article published on Nov. 22, 1908, the Indianapolis Star referred to the area as “Neither a first-class cemetery nor a first-class park” and proposed that the remaining graves be removed and the area converted to a “modern park.”

Newspapers reported on what was being done at Greenlawn throughout this time period. Indianapolis Star (l-r) July 7, 1907; Nov. 15, 1911; March 4, 1917.

Plans for the expanded park never materialized, but redevelopment of the land continued. In 1907, the Vandalia Railroad sought to build tracks across another section of Greenlawn. Over the next decade, more graves were cleared to make way for the railroad, cutting across the northern section of the cemetery.

Industrial expansion

The former Greenlawn area in 1927. Most of the cemetery has been overtaken by railroads and industrial development, while the city retained ownership of a few parcels on the river. “Baist’s Real Estate Atlas of Indianapolis.” Philadelphia: G. W. Baist, 1927.

By the 1920s, manufacturing and industrial sites on the White River took an interest in expanding onto the Greenlawn site. During this time, the few remaining legible grave markers were documented and the records deposited at the State Library before the last visible traces of Greenlawn Cemetery were removed. Although future construction would continue to turn up evidence of burials, even into the 21st century, the cemetery largely slipped out of public memory just as it disappeared from the public eye.

More images from Greenlawn ca. 1920. “A Transcript of the Grave Stones Remaining in Greenlawn Cemetery Indianapolis.” Indianapolis: Emmerich Manual Training High School, 1920.

This blog post is by Jamie Dunn, Genealogy Division supervisor.

Montgomery bus boycott

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Most Americans know how the Montgomery bus boycott began: On Dec. 1, 1955 an African American woman in Montgomery, Alabama named Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to relinquish her bus seat to a white man. This seemingly innocuous act of civil disobedience led to a year-long boycott of Montgomery’s bus system by the city’s Black population and ended up being one the early battles in this country’s civil rights movement, a campaign which sought to promote and ensure racial equality after centuries of abuse.

Shortly after the arrest, Montgomery’s religious and civic leaders formed the Montgomery Improvement Association. Led by Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Edward Nixon, the MIA quickly organized travel alternatives for the boycotters. Privately-owned cars were used for carpools and people were encouraged to walk or bike when possible. Frequent rallies were held in local churches to help bolster the public’s resolve.

First article on the boycott in Indianapolis’s preeminent African American newspaper, the Indianapolis Recorder (Dec. 10, 1955).

Running a months-long boycott of this kind required a great deal of money. Not only did the MIA need hundreds of vehicles for their carpools, but those vehicles also required gas and frequent maintenance. Retaliation against the boycotters was endemic. Many carpool drivers were habitually pulled over and ticketed for minor or non-existent traffic violations. Some lost their jobs for participating in the boycott and needed financial assistance to survive. Representatives of the MIA made their way to other cities, particularly those in the north, to explain the situation in Montgomery and appeal for both public support and funds.

In March 1956, an MIA representative named Johnnie Carr appeared at a fundraiser in Indianapolis, hosted by the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Carr was a particularly appropriate person to represent the boycott. Born Johnnie Rebecca Daniels, Carr was a childhood friend of Rosa Parks. She also had been involved in civil rights activism for several years prior to the bus boycott.

Announcement of Carr’s meeting in the Indianapolis Recorder (March 31, 1956).

Program for Carr’s Indianapolis meeting from the Indiana State Library collection (ISLO 325.26 no. 5).

According to The Indianapolis Recorder’s coverage of the event, Carr spoke to a crowd of over 600 people at the Philips Temple Church and received a standing ovation. Her speech was one of absolute resolve, an assurance that the boycott would continue and that the rights and dignity of Montgomery’s citizens would prevail. The event managed to raise over $1,300 for the boycott cause (approximately $14,000 adjusted for inflation).

Indianapolis Recorder headline quoting Carr, April 7, 1956.

Carr’s prediction was correct. After lengthy legal maneuvers, the United States Supreme Court ultimately ruled that Montgomery’s practice of bus segregation was unconstitutional. The boycott officially ended in December of 1956.

The Montgomery bus boycott was an early and important victory in the civil rights campaign. Despite being a local issue to Alabama, it ended up garnering worldwide attention. Much of that was thanks to the tireless work of people like Carr and others in the MIA.

Complete digitized issues of the Indianapolis Recorder, documenting African American life in Indianapolis from 1899 to 2005 can be found on Hoosier State Chronicles.

This blog post was written by Jocelyn Lewis, Catalog Division supervisor, Indiana State Library. For more information, contact the Indiana State Library at 317-232-3678 or “Ask-A-Librarian.”

Frank Michael Hohenberger, photographer and writer

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Frank Michael Hohenberger was born Jan. 4, 1876 in Defiance County, Ohio. In his teenage years, he was an apprentice to a printer, which eventually took him to Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Star. A change in careers brought him to Lieber’s camera store, where he first encountered images of Brown County. He took off directly to Nashville, Indiana and began photographing it. In the 1920s, his images were published as prints for sale to tourists in shops throughout the town and in newspapers. As the Brown County locals came to trust him, he was allowed to photograph people in addition to landscapes and photographed the painters and other artists while they worked. There was even a point where people came to him to have their portraits taken. Hohenberger wrote a column for the Indianapolis Star and at the height of his career was selling prints internationally. This recognition led to him photographing other places in Indiana and beyond, but he always returned to Brown County.

The Indiana State Library has some of Hohenberger’s photographs around Indiana and Kentucky as well as some clippings. The bulk of his collection is at the Lilly Library at Indiana University in Bloomington and consists of his diary as well as over 9,000 photographs.

The photographs of the Indiana Dunes are on exhibit now at the Indiana State Library in the Manuscripts Reading Room, located at 315 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis.

More materials relevant to Hohenberger can be found in the Indiana State Library’s Digital Collections by clicking here, here and here.

This blog post was written by Lauren Patton, Rare Books and Manuscripts librarian, Indiana State Library. For more information, contact the Indiana State Library at 317-232-3678 or “Ask-A-Librarian.”

References:
Smith, Michael P. “Frank M. Hohenberger.” Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. Accessed Aug. 30, 2022.

“Frank M. Hohenberger Collection.” Indiana University Bloomington. Accessed Aug. 30, 2022.

Newly-digitized images from the Genealogy Division

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Working at home during the pandemic has changed the way we approach our daily tasks. While we can’t do some things that we can do on-site from home, there are still a lot of projects that can be completed. Fortunately, I was able to upload several digitized images from multiple collections in our holdings during this time. Below are some of the images from two of the collections.

Vesper Cook grew up as Dorothy Vesper Wilkinson in Peru, Indiana. She was the curator of the Miami County Museum for 20 years and wrote some local and family histories. Her collection contains some of her research along with numerous photographs.

The photographs are of not only her immediate family, but also of her extended family as well as several her mother’s friends as teens and young adults.

Katherine Parrish was born in Indianapolis in 1921. She attended Shortridge High School and Butler University. She later married Milton Mondor. Her father was John P. Parrish, an architect who help design buildings at Stout Field along with several other buildings around Indianapolis, while her mother grew up in the area known as Nora.

The Mondor Collection has numerous family photographs, both intimate as well as staged. Most of them are of her immediate family but her parents’ extended family is also represented in the collection.

There are also photographs of John P. Parrish’s social life and his career as an architect. There are photographs of buildings around Broad Ripple and Washington Township as well as the hanger and administration building at Stout Field. He also sent many postcards home with images of the Murat Gun Club at Shiners conventions in the 1920s.

To view more digital images from the Genealogy Division check out our Digital Collections page.

Blog written by Sarah Pfundstein, genealogy librarian, Indiana State Library. For more information, contact the Indiana State Library at 317-232-3689 or “Ask-A-Librarian.”

Defunct summer fun in Indianapolis

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With COVID-19 currently afflicting the nation, many fun summer activities have been altered for sanitation and social distancing purposes or have been cancelled completely. As a result, many Hoosiers have been left with rather lackluster summer options, devoid of family vacations and fun excursions. Undoubtedly, this has caused a certain degree of wistfulness as people recall past summers and good times.

Compiled here are a few fun summer excursions in Indianapolis that no longer exist. Fortunately, there can be no fear-of-missing-out because you absolutely could not visit any of these places, even if you wanted to!

Riverside Amusement Park
This amusement park existed from the early 1900s until 1970. The park land still exists under the name Riverside and fun can be had there, but the current park is nothing like it was during its heyday when it boasted of having multiple roller coasters, a massive roller skating rink and a bathing beach.

From an item in the Program Collection (L658), Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection.

From the Postcard Collection (P071), Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection.

Wonderland Amusement Park
Another Indianapolis amusement park was Wonderland. Located on the east side of the city, the park was relatively short-lived, operating from 1906 until 1911 when it was destroyed by a fire.

Image shows park entrance in 1910. Program Collection (L658), Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection.

Like many amusement parks of the time, Wonderland hosted a variety of traveling performers who plied their death-defying feats at fairs and festivals throughout the country. In the summer of 1907, Indianapolis citizens could see stunt cyclist Oscar V. Babcock ride his bike through his thrilling Death Trap Loop.

Before and after picture of Babcock performing at Wonderland. From Oscar V. Babcock Photographs Collection (SP054), Rare Books and Manuscripts Collection.

Cyclorama
Cycloramas were a popular form of diversion in the late 19th century. They consisted of a platform surrounded by a 360 degree panoramic image. The goal was for viewers to stand on the platform and feel immersed in the scene depicted in the image, as though they were there in real life. Many popular cycloramas depicted battle scenes from the American Civil War and traveled from city to city. In 1888, the Indianapolis Cyclorama hosted a painting depicting the Battle of Atlanta. Standing at 49 feet tall and spanning over 100 yards, the painting must certainly have impressed visitors. Alas, by the turn of the century the fad for cycloramas had waned and the Indianapolis cyclorama building was eventually torn down. However, the Battle of Atlanta panorama still exists and can be viewed in person at the Atlanta History Center.

Program from Indiana Pamphlet Collection (ISLO 973.73 no. 35).

Visit the Indiana State Library’s Digital Collections to see more.

This blog post was written by Jocelyn Lewis, Catalog Division supervisor, Indiana State Library. For more information, contact the Indiana State Library at 317-232-3678 or “Ask-A-Librarian.”