1812      Little Turtle, leader of the Miami People, died in Fort Wayne near the Eel River.  One of the most important Native American leaders of his time, he led the Indian Confederacy against soldiers who were taking over the Northwest Territory in the late 18th Century.  After he signed the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, he became an advocate for peace.

1837     The United States Post Office made a contract with the Great Western Express Company to deliver mail to western cities. Coming by express coach along the National Road, letters could be brought from Washington, D.C., to Indianapolis in 65 hours.  Normal delivery took 6 days.  To prepare for the quick transfer of mail, the driver of the coach would blast a bugle as he approached the inn or stopping place.

1911     The Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners voted to accept a gift of land from Poet James Whitcomb Riley. The property on St. Clair Street between Meridian and Pennsylvania Streets brought into focus long-hoped-for plans for a new city library.  The donation, which included three adjacent lots, was valued at $75,000 (nearly $2.5 million in today’s dollars.)  The library (pictured) opened in 1917.

100 YEARS AGO 1921     The Indiana Legislature created the Indiana Motor Vehicle Police Department.  It was the first law enforcement agency to have statewide authority to enforce traffic laws.  The division was also charged with investigating the growing problem of car thefts.  The first force was made up of 16 officers.  In 1933, the agency was reorganized as the Indiana State Police.

1961     Margaret Truman starred in the play “The Time of the Cuckoo” on stage at the Avondale Summer Theater in Indianapolis.  The daughter of President Harry S. Truman received kind reviews from local critic Charles Staff, who wrote that “the role of an American spinster and her ill-fated fling fit Miss Truman’s talent admirably.”  After the show, Governor Matthew Welsh and his wife Virginia hosted a reception for the actress at the Governor’s Mansion.

2005     President George W. Bush was the featured speaker at the Indiana Black Expo in Indianapolis.  Addressing a crowd of 3,000 at the RCA  Dome, the President said, “I see an America where every citizen owns a stake in the future of our country.”  He was accompanied on Air Force One by Indiana Congresswoman Julia Carson.

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ANSWERS:  1.   D       2.  B       3.  A       4.  C

Indiana Statehouse Tour Office

Indiana Department of Administration

Guided tours of the Indiana Statehouse are offered Monday through Saturday.  For more information, please contact the tour office.

(317) 233-5293
touroffice@idoa.in.gov  

Indiana Quick Quiz

     Did you know that you could visit Boston, Philadelphia, Long Beach, and Washington without leaving Indiana?  Match the cities below to their Hoosier counties.

1.  Boston     2.  Philadelphia        3.  Long Beach    4.  Washington

A.  LaPorte County   B.  Hancock County   C.  Daviess  County          D.  Wayne County

Answers Below

Hoosier Quote of the Week

“One of the things I believe in is that if a greater slice of humanity can experience spaceflight, it will translate to untold benefits and changes on Earth.  What if every world leader saw Earth from space?  It might be a more gentle, kind planet.”

– – -  Beth Moses

Beth Moses is Chief Astronaut Instructor for Virgin Galactic.  She was the first woman to make a spaceflight on a commercially-launched vehicle.  She earned two degrees in astronautical engineering at Purdue University.  

Did You Know?

     The Indiana State Police Museum collects, preserves, and presents the history of the state’s top law enforcement division.  A wide variety of displays offer insight into the evolution of police work over the past century.  The collection includes uniforms from different time periods, vintage police vehicles, and even the death mask of infamous bank robber John Dillinger.  The museum, at 8660 East 21st Street in Indianapolis, is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm.  It is also open the third Saturday of each month from 12:00 pm until 4:00 pm.

ABE MARTIN SEZ: Classic music is th’ kind that we keep thinkin’ will turn into a tune. (Kin Hubbard, TheIndianapolis News, July 11, 1923)