1816     The first Indiana General Assembly convened in Corydon, There were 10 senators and 29 representatives at the session.  Indiana was admitted to the Union the next month (December 11.)  Corydon remained the state capital until the government was moved to the new city of Indianapolis in 1825. Pictured:  The Statehouse in Corydon.

1848     Virginia Claypool Meredith was born in Fayette County.  She became known as “Queen of American Agriculture” and gained fame as a writer, speaker, and university professor.  She encouraged women to pursue education and  professional careers.  For many years, she managed a farm near Cambridge City.  In 1921, she became the first female trustee at Purdue University.

100 YEARS AGO 1921     Indianapolis welcomed General Ferdinand Foch, Marshal of France and Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in the closing days of World War I.  His private train was met with a ceremony that included the Purdue University Band and the Culver Black Horse Troop.  He spoke at Cadle Tabernacle and the Claypool Hotel, where he said, “We have had our war and it is our duty to maintain peace.”

1940     Robert Lee Brokenburr became the first African American to be elected to the Indiana Senate.  An attorney in Indianapolis, he served five terms, authoring legislation which prohibited discrimination in education, employment, and accommodations.  He also helped create the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

1948     Renovations were completed in the House and Senate chambers at the Indiana Statehouse.  The $750,000 project included additional rooms and offices, oak-paneled walls, plush new carpet, and new desks with red leather chairs.  New seating was also installed in the public galleries.

1963     On Halloween night, a propane tank exploded during a performance of “Holiday on Ice” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum.  The blast killed 74 people and injured more than 400.  The gas had been sparked by an electric popcorn machine.  The explosion propelled spectators, chairs, and chunks of concrete 40 feet into the air.  Pictured:  The headline from the Princeton Daily Clarion.  

ABE MARTIN SEZ:       Another good time t’ take a walk is when a feller takes out a pencil an’ starts t’ draw you a diagram o’ somethin’. (Kin Hubbard, The Indianapolis News, March 3, 1921)

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Indiana Statehouse Tour Office

Indiana Department of Administration

Visitors are welcome at the Indiana Statehouse Monday through Saturday.  For more information, please contact the tour office.

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

Indiana Quick Quiz

1.  Corydon is in which county?     a/ Spencer   b/ Owen  c/ Harrison  d/ Boone

2.  Corydon became the capital of the Indiana Territory in 1813 when the capital was moved from  a/ Vincennes  b/ Madison  c/ Terre Haute  d/ Brookville

3.  In the Corydon town square, there is a sculpture of former Indiana Governor  a/ Jonathan Jennings  b/ Frank O’Bannon        c/ Oliver P. Morton   d/  William Hendricks

Answers Below

Hoosier Quote of the Week

“The only legitimate right to govern is an express grant of power from the governed.”

– – – William Henry Harrison (1773 – 1841)

Harrison was Governor of the Indiana Territory and the 9th President of the United States

Did You Know?

     In Cambridge City, an Indiana Historic Marker honors Virginia Claypool Meredith.  The text reads:

As a writer, speaker, stockbreeder, and university professor, Meredith (born 1848) encouraged women to pursue education and careers related to farm life. She inherited Oakland Farm, three blocks south, 1882. Successfully grew business and reputation as farm expert. Appointed to 1893 World’s Fair Board of Lady Managers. She was known as “Queen of American Agriculture.”

By 1880s, Meredith promoted advancement of farm women to international audiences through speeches for farmers’ institutes and women’s clubs, and in publications, including Breeders’ Gazette. She led efforts to establish home economics science education at University of Minnesota and Purdue University. First female Purdue Trustee, 1921, she served until death, 1936.

ANSWERS:  1.  c/ Harrison County 2.  a/ Vincennes   3.  b/ Frank O’Bannon