The Untold Great History of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, also colloquially referred to as Indy, is the capital of the U.S. State of Indiana. The name of the city was given by Indiana Supreme Court’s Justice, Jeremiah Sullivan. The name Indianapolis primarily means “Land of the Indians.” It was incorporated as a city in 1832 with just 1,000 residents consisting mostly of the indigenous population and European settlers. Indianapolis is one of the largest inland cities in the country, with no navigable water routes. When the state of Indiana was unionized in the year 1816, Congress allocated four sections for capital development. However, the suggestions made by a special commission determined the centrally located site, near John McCormick’s cabin on White River, to be the perfect site for the state’s new capital.
Planning of Indy
The plating of the city of Indianapolis took place in 1821, and it went through massive expansion as years passed by and economic development it witnessed. In 1824, Indianapolis was chosen as the government seat, and the legislature held the assembly in the city for the first time in 1825. The first capitol building in Indianapolis completed its construction in 1835. The primary overland route for the city was National Road initially, which began from Eastern Seaboard. However, the surveyors later decided to follow Washington Street as the primary street of the city.
The road construction in the city and across the state marked the beginning of an economic boom for Indianapolis, which got a further boost in 1847 with railroad arrival. One of the legacy festivals that has been celebrated annually in Indianapolis since 1852 is the Indiana State Fair, which attracts many tourists from all over. The city is also home to one of the largest collections of documents, monuments, and memorials dedicated to war casualties, veterans, and state heroes, after Washington D.C. Today, apart from many other historical and cultural monuments, museums, universities, and festivals, Indianapolis is also known for hosting Indianapolis 500, the world’s largest single-day sporting event.
Growth of Indianapolis
Some of the early settlers in the area that became Indianapolis were European Americans. There are still conflicts among historians as to which family was the first to settle between John Wesley McCormick and John Pogue. Today, Indianapolis has become the social, cultural, and economic hub for Indiana and leads the 29th largest economic region in the United States.
