Logan's Indianapolis directory, 1868, Part 54

Author:
Publication date: 1868
Publisher: Logan
Number of Pages: 416

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INDIANAPOLIS FROM 1818.

after the May election, when the new democratic council discharged it, and by ordinance allowed the city marshal to ap- point one policeman to each ward, with a captain; Charles G. Warner being selected for the post. The republicans repealed this ordinance, May 18, 1857, and passed another, by which the council elected seven policemen and a captain ; A. D. Rose be- ing chosen. Two additional policemen at large were appointed in 1858, and Samuel Lefever elected captain. A. D. Rose suc- ceeded in 1859. The force was increased May 11, 1861, to two men from each ward, and on the 2d of July, 1861, was fixed by new ordinance at fourteen men and a cap- tain; A. D. Rose retaining the post. He held it till October, and then entered the army, being succeeded by Thos. A. Ram- sey. The two day policemen were dis- charged in November. John R. Cotton was chosen chief in May, 1862. Two day patrolmen were again added, and the men first uniformed at the expense of the city. Thos. D. Amos was chosen chief, May 19, 1863, and the force increased to one lieu- tenant, seven day and eighteen night pa- trolmen. D. M. Powell succeeded as chief, May 25, 1863. During the fall much trou- ble was experienced in preserving the peace, in consequence of the great number of rowdies in the city, and on the 4th of December a new ordinance was passed re- organizing the force. On the 4th the mayor was authorized to appoint detect- ives, and on the 21st the military authori- ties were asked to detail guards to assist the police. The request was granted, and until after the war a strong guard mate- rially aided in preserving order in and around the city ; the guard headquarters being at the police office. A new ordi- nance fixing police districts, was passed March 21, 1864, and amended May 9th, and Samuel A. Cramer elected chief. On the third of October, twenty-six special po- licemen were added, during the State fair. Complaints being made of the insufficiency of the force, the council, on the 5thof De- cember, 1864, authorized an addition of six- teen men until the second Tuesday in May, 1865, and raised the chief's salary to $1,- 500. The pay of the men was also in- creased once or twice during 1863 and 1864, being finally fixed at $2.50 and $3.00 per day. Jesse Van Blaricum was chosen chief in the spring of 1865, with two lieu- tenants, nine day and eighteen night pa- trolmen, two detectives, and sixteen special men under his command. He served till April, 1866, when Thos. S. Wilson was elect- ed chief, and still holds the office. The force has been maintained for the last three or four years at an annual cost of

$25,000 or $30,000, and now consists of about thirty men.

In September, 1865, Mr. A. Coquillard organized a merchants' police force for the patrol of the business squares along Wash- ington street, and on the 16th of Oc- tober the council recognized the force, granting it police powers. A. D. Rose took the control of it in September, 1866, and is now at its head. It is composed of twelve men, paid by the parties whose property it guards. In addition to the regular and merchants' police, there is a force of three or four men at the Union Depot, appointed by the company, and con- firmed by the council, and invested with police powers.

1855. A financial panic had occurred in the West during the fall of 1854. The Free state-stock banks had very generally stopped payment, and their notes, which formed the great bulk of the circulation, were passing at a heavy discount. Rail- way and other pending enterprises, were greatly embarrassed, and nearly all those in progress suspended operations. Trad -. ers and manufacturers were much cramp- ed, and general distrust prevailed among business men. A bankers' convention was held here on the 7th of January to classify the notes of the suspended banks and fix discount rates according to the value of their securities. The rates were accordingly fixed, but not adhered to even by those who made them, and the discounts were raised or lowered at the caprice of brokers, entailing great losses on the com- munity, and making large sums for the operators in the business.

The mayors of the several cities of the State met in convention at this point on the 22d of January, for consultation and mutual improvement, but without any visi- ble result.

A colored lithiographic engraving of the city, as seen from the top of the Blind Asylum, was published in January by J. T. Palmatary.

A deep and lasting snow fell in Febru- ary, affording fine sleighing.

A number of cases of small pox occur- red in January, and as the disease began to spread during February, the council, on the 10th of March, ordered the erection of a hospital. Several lots were bought in the north-west corner of the plat, plans adopted, and the house begun; but the disease and panic soon subsided, funds ran low, and the house was suspended or pros- ecuted at intervals for years, and was not finished till the spring of 1859, requiring a new roof and other repairs in the mean- time. Its erection was due to Dr. Livings- ton Dunlap, councilman from the Sixth

HISTORY OF

ward, who persevered against all obsta- cles till his object was achieved. It cost about $30,000, and remained unused, ex- cept as a rendesvous for bad characters, till April, 1861. It was proposed in Feb- ruary, 1860, to sell it, but the council committee reported in favor of renting it. During the summer it was proposed to use it as a city prison or a house of refuge, or a home for friendless women; but each of these projects was successively defeated. The Sisters of Chartiy, on the 21st of June, asked its use, under their control, as a hospital, but other christian denominations opposed the plan, and the application was withdrawn. The council finally, on the 21st of July, granted it to a society of la- dies as a home for friendless women. It was not occupied, however, for that pur- pose, and was given rent free to a keeper, who was to take care of it. After the war began and the sudden concentration of men at this point, the sick were taken there, and the council, on the 18th of May, granted its use to the government for a hospital, and it was occupied as such till July, 1865, and as a soldiers' home till No- vember, 1865, when, with the additions and improvements, it was surrendered again to the city. These improvements consisted of two large three-story ells, sev- eral outbuildings, fences, trees, gardens, &c. They had been offered for sale by the government authorities, but were final- ly surrendered to the city with the build- ing in lieu of rent. After the government vacated it, Rev. August Bessonies, Jan- uary 2d, 1866, submitted a proposition to the council to give the house to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, as a city prison for females, and also asked that the unfinished house of refuge be deeded to them, to be finished and used as a reformatory school for abandoned females. These proposi- tions were opposed by the citizens, and a subscription of $6,000 made to finish the house of refuge, and Mr. Bessonies' propo- sition was defeated. The house remained vacant till the spring of 1866, when about $2,000 were spent in buying hospital fur- niture and supplies at the government sales at Jeffersonville. A board of direct- ors was elected, Dr. G. V. Woollen chosen superintendent, a corps of consulting phy- sicians and surgeons appointed, and the hospital opened for patients July 1st, 1866. It has since been conducted at an expense of six or seven thousand dollars per year.

Two thousand, six hundred and ninety votes were cast at the May election. The revenue for general purposes, for 1854 amounted to $20,500; school fund $10,300. The general expenditures'exhausted the re- ceipts and left a debt of $567-the bal-

ance left in the school fund was $6,880. The street improvements requiring consid- erable labor in the engineer department, the council, in July, first authorized the office of assistant engineer, at $300 salary. A wood-measurer was also appointed for the newly-established wood markets. A market house was built this year on South street, between Delaware and Alabama streets. But few markets were held there, and the house was torn down in 1858.

The first city directory was issued this year by Grooms & Smith. Directories have since been issued by A. C. Howard, Henry E. McEvoy, J. T. Talbott, Sutherland & McEvoy, J. C. Sutherland, H. H. Dodd & Co., Richard Edwards, A. L. Logan and others.

The liquor law took effect June 12th, and the county agency was started. The law was generally observed for a few weeks, and unusual order and quiet reign- ed on the streets, but on the 2d of July R. Beebee was arrested for selling liquor, fined and imprisoned; the case went to the Supreme Court, and the impression gain- ing ground that the law would be declared unconstitutional, it was soon generally disregarded and the traffic reopened.

Blake's, Drake's, Fletcher's, Drake & Mayhew's, Blackford's and other additions to the city were made in 1854-5, and the lots mostly disposed of and their improve- ment begun. Between sixty and eighty additions and sub-divisions have been made to the city since the first one was made by John Wood, in June, 1836.

The fourth of July was celebrated by the Sabbath Schools at the State House yard, in the usual manner. Nineteen schools, comprising 2,100 children, par- ticipated. The firemen paraded in the afternoon, making a fine display. The Hope company, of Louisville, then visit- ing here, was in the line.

The Indianapolis Building, Loan Fund and Savings Association was organized in October, and continued its existence for several years, its object being to make loans to its members at ostensibly low rates of interest, to aid in building houses. The Marion Loan Fund and Savings. Asso- ciation, a similar organization, was started in March, 1856. These organizations when wound up, failed to realize the hopes of their projectors. The Indianap- olis Fuel Association was formed on the 31st. October, and supplied its members during the winter, with wood and coal at but little over one-half the rates charged in the open markets.

A women's rights convention was held at Masonic Hall, October 22d and 23d, Mrs. Rebecca Swank, President. Mrs.

INDIANAPOLIS FROM 1818.

Lucretia Mott, Ernestine L. Rose, Frances D. Gage, Adaline Swift, Harriet L. Cutler, and Joseph Barker, of Pittsburg, and other speakers addressed the convention. But few persons attended, and the move- ment excited no remark.

The city was well supplied with amuse. ments this year. The Black Swan, with the African Mario, sang at Masonic Hall on the 2d of May, (she again visited the place in the spring of 1868.) Du Bufe's paintings of Adam and Eve were shown May 22-6, at Washington Hall. Powers's Greek Slave, October 19-25, at College Hall; Parodi, with Maurice and Madam Strakosch and others, sang, Dec. 10th, at Masonic Hall. Brown and Commons opened the Atheneum, May 14, ending the season June 25, with C. J. Fyffe, manager, and J. F. Lytton, Beaver, and others, in the company; Harry Chapman and his wife, Mrs. A. Drake, William Powers and James E. Murdoch were the stars. Murdoch left in disgust before the close of his engagement. Commons re-opened the Atheneum, September 15th, ending the season December 8th, with Thos Duff, manager, and about the same company ; Eliza Logan, Joseph Proctor, Susan and Kate Denin, Peter and Caroline Richings, and Mr. and Mrs. Florence were the stars. Yankee Robinson had returned dur- ing the fall, and wintered here with his circus company. An amphitheatre was fitted up in Delzell's stable, on east Pearl street, and horse opera given during the winter.

The first effort at numbering the houses on Washington street, was made during the fall, but no settled system was adopted and the numbering was partial and faulty. The Council, in July, 1858, authorized A. C. Howard to number all the streets of the city, and the work was completed during the fall, but the system was defective in numbering only the houses then built, and the work was badly done, resulting in confusion as new buildings were erected. The Council, in June, 1864, adopted a sys- tem authorizing fifty numbers to the square. The work of renumbering was done by A. C. Howard, and the plan has since been followed in the numbering of new buildings.

The Young Men's Christian Association gave their first course of lectures during the fall and winter, Park Benjamin, Rev. Mr. Butler, David Paul Brown, Edwin P. Whipple, Henry B. Staunton, H. W. Ells- worth, Bishop Simpson, and Edward P. Thompson being the lecturers.

1856.' The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church met on the Ist of- May, in the hall of the house of

representatives, and continued in session for about a month, attended by the full board of Bishops, and the leading men of that denomination. The delegates were the guests of citizens of all the churches, and the pulpits of the churches were filled each Sabbath by preachers in attendance at the conference. The session was im- portant and interesting, and drew the at- tention of the whole country to this city. It was the first national body meeting here.

The city election took place May 6th, 2,776 votes being cast, the democrats elect- ing the whole city ticket, with ten out of fourteen councilmen.

The assessment for this year amounted to $7,146,670, $1,892,152 being personal property. The receipts in the general fund for the past year were $27,889, ex- penditures $46,105. The debt on the 1st of May, 1854, was $567; May 1st, 1855, $11,000; May 1st, 1856, $15,295. It was proposed to fund the debt by a loan, and Jeremiah D. Skeen was chosen in August, by the Council, as financial agent, to sell city bonds in the New York market. He accordingly went there, and not succeed- ing in negotiating a loan for the city, by- pothecated the bonds for $5,000, which he applied to his own use. The defalcation was discovered in the spring of 1857, and unsuccessful efforts made to recover the bonds. The money was finally paid by the city to the parties who had advanced the money to Skeen. Suit was brought against Skeen and his sureties, and judg- ment finally recovered in January, 1868, for the principal and interest of the de- falcation.

Alfred Stevens, the City Clerk, died October 26th, and George H. West was appointed Clerk pro tempore, to fill the va- cancy. Henry F. West, Mayor of the City, died November 8th, and was followed to the grave by an immense concourse of citizens. He was the only incumbent of that office who has died during the term. He had been an earnest and active pro- moter of the public schools, and their suc- cess had been largely due to his efforts as trustee. The Council ordered a special election to be held, November 22d, to sup- ply vacancies in the offices of Clerk and Mayor. It was held, and for the first time in several years the democrats were beaten. Two thousand nine hundred and thirty-one votes were cast; William J. Wallace was chosen Mayor, and Frederick Stein, city Clerk. The republicans in- dulged in wild demonstrations of delight when the result became known.

Early in February, Dunlevy, Haire & Co. began business as brokers and run-

HISTORY OF

ners of the State and free banks, in the interest of Cincinnati bankers. In two months $2,000,000 of the circulation was returned for redemption, causing such financial stringency that a State commer- cial convention was held here, in April, to protest against the course of the Cin- cinnati and Indianapolis brokers in crip- pling the trade and resources of the State, by contracting the circulating medium. Delegates from Cleveland, St. Louis, To- ledo and Louisville, were in attendance. Bitter resolutions were adopted in regard to the conduct of Cincinnati business men and bankers, and efforts were made to di- vert the trade of Indianapolis to other points. The meeting had the effect to se- riously diminish the war on Indiana banks, and open other markets to our peo- ple.

Clinton Watson opened an exchange and reading room in August, in the room over Harrison's bank, but the enterprise failed in a few weeks from want of pat- rons.

Professor Pusey made a balloon ascen- sion on the 28th June, and attempted another on the 4th of July, but failed for want of sufficient gas. The usual cele- bration of schools and firemen occurred, and in the afternoon the first fantastic parade attracted great crowds.

The political canvass this year was unu- sually animated and bitter, both parties putting forth their full strength, and hold- ing frequent great conventions. The lar- gest republican demonstration was held on the 15th of July, attended by many thousands of persons from all parts of the State. A great procession took place, and an almost equally great torch- light procession at night, closing with fire- works and balloon ascensions. During the afternoon, a border ruffian demonstra- tion and dramatic representation of the designs of the slave interest, and life in Kansas, was given by a club of young men in fantastic dress, and with proper acces- sories. It created great amusement at the expense of the opposite party, and was re- peated with effect by the club at several other points during the canvass. The lar- gest democratic convention followed on the 17th, closing also with a torchlight proces- sion at night, and in numbers and enthu- siasm vied with that of their opponents.

A great storm of wind and rain took place November 21st, doing considerable damage, not only here, but all over the western States.

The Indianapolis Art Society was formed during this or the next year, and held an- nual drawings for several years, under the direction of a committee, at Herman Lei-

ber's print and picture store, where the pictures (mostly by Indianapolis or Indi- ana artists,) were placed on exhibition .- Messrs. Jacob Cox, P. Fishe Reed, Jas. F. Gookins and others, being contributors .- The paintings were purchased by an asso- ciation, at their value, each member con- tributing a stipulated sum, and the pic- tures were divided by lot. Many good paintings were thus distributed at small cost among the citizens.

The Young Mens' Literary, and the Young Mens' Christian Associations each gave a course of lectures during the win- ter. Charles Sumner, J. B. Gough, T. A. Mills, S. S. Cox, Elihu Burritt and others, appearing before our people. Judson, John and Asa Hutchinson sang, January 22, at Masonic Hall. Ole Bull appeared Feb- ruary 27, Signor Blitz, (the elder,) in April, Tom Thumb in July, Miss Richings October 10th, and 30th; Strakosch, Parodi, Tiberini, Morini, and Paul Julien, Novem- ber 24th ; and a State musical convention under George F. Root, was held there No- vember 20-1. W. L. Woods opened the atheneum in March, for one month; W. Davidge being the only noted star. It was reopened by Vance & Lytton, May 16, clo- sing June 3; Eliza Logan, Miss Richings, and Mrs. Coleman Pope, being the stars .-- It was opened by Maddocks & Wilson sev- eral times in June and July, for a day or two at a time. Wilson, Pratt & Co. ap- peared there during the State fair; Yankee Bierce and the Maddern sisters early in December, and on the 16th of December it was opened by Lytton & Co. for the season, closing March 9, 1857. The company in- cluded Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Lacey, Tannyhill, Lytton, and others. Sue Denin, Dora Shaw, John Drew, Char- lotte Crampton, Mrs. Drake and Miss Du- val, appeared as stars. It was reopened for a few days, afterward, for benefits, and in March 1857, for a week or two, under C. J. Smith, as manager.

1857. The Germans, during the fall of 1856, had requested that a portion of the city free school fund should be set apart for the support of German schools, and the council in December had requested the trustees to report whether the project was feasible and proper. They reported against it in January, 1857, stating that the fund and school accommodations were insuf- ficient for the schools then in operation. There were nine houses (two of them rented, ) and the old seminary, in use, prop- erly accommodating twelve hundred pu- pils, while eighteen hundred were in at- tendance. The fund for 1856 had amount- cd to $27,050, the expenses to $19,428; bal- ance $7,616. There were thirty-five teach-

INDIANAPOLIS FROM 1818.

ers employed in June, and 2,730 children enrolled, being about forty-four per cent. of the children in the city, and but sev- enty-three per cent. of those enrolled were in daily attendance. The first ward house had been raised to two stories, in 1854, and the fifth ward house in 1856. The eighth ward house was built this year. D. V. Culley, John Love and N. B. Taylor, were elected trustees in January. In August there were twenty-nine sabbath schools, with two thousand nine hundred and fifty scholars.

The city council on the 16th of March adopted the new incorporation law as the city charter, under which the city officers and councilmen were elected for two years. Three thousand three hundred votes were cast at the May election, each party elect- ing part of its ticket. The council organ- ized and drew for short and long terms, and elected Andrew Wallace chief fire en- gineer. The receipts in the general fund for the past year were $32,697; expendi- tures $31,003; balance $1,232; debt $23,- 740; school fund $20,329; expenses $15,- 384; balance $4,945. The assessment was $9,874,700, and a tax levy for general pur- poses of sixty cents on each $100. The salaries of the city officers were fixed as follows : Mayor $800, clerk $600, marshal $500, deputy $400, attorney $400, street commissioner $450, engineer $600, clerk of markets $300, sexton $80, chief fire en- gineer $175, treasurer four per cent. on current and six per cent. on delinquent receipts, and councilmen $2 each meeting.

On the 22d of May the German Turn- ers had a celebration, procession, address and gymnastic exercises on the military grounds.

The spring had been backward and wet, and on the 10th, 12th and 16th of June there were tremendous thunder storms, resulting in a sudden and high freshet in White river and other streams in the State.

A brilliant comet appeared in the west- ern sky in the latter part of June.

The Fourth of July was celebrated by the Sabbath-schools only, the firemen not parading, and the Guards were at Lex- ington attending the Clay monument dedi- cation. This celebration was notable only as the last general one held by the schools.

Meetings were held in July by the busi- ness men to encourage the establishment of exclusively wholesale dry goods and no- tion houses. A committee appointed by the meeting reported that though there were seventy-five establishments and thir- ty-two manufactories which did a whole- sale business to a greater or less extent, there was but one exclusively wholesale dry goods house in the place. Blake,

Wright & Co., started a dry goods house in response to the demand of the meeting; but the enterprise was short lived.

There were two riots in July in which the firemen were prominent actors, attack- ing houses of ill fame in the western part of the city, destroying the furniture and injuring the buildings. Several af- fairs of this kind occurred afterward in this and the following years, the firemen being principal actors in all of them.

The county fair this year was a failure on account of unfavorable weather, but the State fair was the most successful ever held here, there being over three thousand seven hundred entries of articles for exhi- bition, and the gate receipts amounting to nearly $14,600. A vast crowd was in at- tendance during the three leading days. A grand parade of our fire department, with visiting companies from New Albany and Dayton, was held during the fair.

A negro was arrested here in December under the fugitive slave law. The arrest caused much excitement, and being fa- vored by the crowd, he escaped, but was recaptured after a long chase in the north part of the city, and remanded to his mas- ter in Kentucky, being convoyed thither by a large squad of heavily armed deputy marshals.

Dodworth's New York band, ninety in number, gave a concert on the 30th of June on the military grounds, under contract with H. Stone, of Cleveland, in his gift con- cert enterprise. They also gave a concert at night in Masonic hall, for their own ben- efit; but neither of the performances was largely patronized.

Edward Everett delivered his Mt. Ver- non lecture on the 4th of May at Masonic hall. Thalberg, Parodi and Mollenhauer gave a concert May 7th at the hall. Dud- ley Tyng, Horace Greeley, Ex-Gov. Bout- well and others lectured during the fall and winter for the Young Men's Christian Association. Mr. Kunz and his daughters gave a series of German theatrical per- formances, during June and July, at the Apollo Gardens. Stetson & Wood opened the Atheneum September 5th, with Mr. and. Mrs. Harry Chapman and an indifferent company, closing November 2d.

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Logan's Indianapolis directory, 1868, Part 54

Author: Publication date: 1868 Publisher: Logan Number of Pages: 416

Author:
Publication date: 1868
Publisher: Logan
Number of Pages: 416