Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
1854 - Indianapolis

Indianapolis, a city, capital of Indiana, and seat of justice of Marion county, on the W. fork of White river, at the crossing of the National road, and immediately below the mouth of Fall creek, 109 miles N. W. from Cincinnati, and 86 miles N. N. W. from Madison. It is situated in a fertile and extensive plain, very nearly equidistant from the several boundaries of the state. When this place was selected for the capital of Indiana, in 1820, the whole country for 40 miles in every direction was covered with a dense forest. On the 1st of January, 1825, the public offices of state were removed from Corydon, and the seat of government was permanently established here. The streets generally cross each other at right angles, excepting 4 diagonal streets, which converge to a circular area in the centre of the town. The principal public buildings are on Washington street, which is 120 feet wide. Several other streets are 90 feet wide. The state house, erected at a cost of $60,000, is an elegant building, surmounted by a dome, and having 10 Doric columns on each front. Its dimensions are 180 feet long by 80 wide. Among the public buildings may be mentioned the governor's house, the court house, a large Masonic hall, the Bates House, the largest hotel in the state, besides many other hotels, 2 market houses, and the depot of the Madison and Indianapolis railroad, 350 feet long, by 56 wide. There are 26' churches, and 3 others are in course of construction. Indianapolis is said to contain a greater number of churches in proportion to its population than any other city in the Union. Great attention is paid to education, and the public schools are in a very flourishing condition. The city contains 2 banks. Seven or eight newspapers are published here, one of which is a daily. The city contains several iron foundries, flouring mills, and manufactories of steam engines, paper, window sashes, and other articles. Indianapolis is the terminus of seven railroads, viz. the Madison and Indianapolis, opened in 1847, the La Fayette, the Terre Haute and Indianapolis, the Indiana Central, the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine, the Peru and Indianapolis, and the Lawrenceburg and Upper Mississippi railroad. Nearly all of the above are now in operation. Population in 1840, 2692; in 1850, 8090; in 1853, about 12,000.


A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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