January 10 – January 16The Week in Indiana History |
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   Following are fictional Indiana cities which serve as “home towns” for television shows. Match the town to the show. 1. Orson, Indiana 2. Pawnee, Indiana 3. Hawkins, Indiana A. Stranger Things   B. The Middle  C. Parks and Recreation Answers Below
“Universal suffrage is the only guarantee against despotism.” – – – May Wright Sewall (1844 – 1920) May Wright Sewall was one of the leading advocates for women’s rights in Indiana and the nation Did You Know?   The Indiana Internal Improvements Act of 1836 seemed like a good idea at the time. The state, only 20 years into statehood, was heavily forested. Travel was difficult if not impossible in some sections. The act called for the construction of canals, turnpikes, and railroads throughout the state. All would be interconnected. Soon, every town and hamlet wanted to be part of the plan. The price tag ballooned to over $10,000,000. Before any of the projects could be completed, the Panic of 1837 sunk the economy across the nation and forced the state into bankruptcy. This financial disaster had a large impact upon the decision to write a new state constitution in 1851. This document put strict limits on state expenditure and debt.
ENJOY “HOOSIERS HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY” hosted by Governor Eric Holcomb and First Lady Janet Holcomb STATEHOOD DAY: Meet members of all three branches of Indiana Government Abe Martin Sez: Th’ trouble with tellin’ a good story is that you allus have t’ listen t’ a couple o’ poor ones. (Indianapolis News, January 17, 1921) ANSWERS: 1. B  2. C  3. A
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1836   Indiana passed the Internal Improvement Act. Signed by Governor Noah Noble, the law proposed the building of interconnected canals, turnpikes, and railroads throughout the state.  Bonds were issued to citizens and speculators for funding a long list of projects. It was hoped the work would be done in ten years and be fully covered by the budget.
1899   A cheering crowd at the Indiana Statehouse greeted officers and crew of the Battleship Indiana. They had come to present the state with a Nordenfeldt machine gun captured from the Spanish Cruiser MariaTeresa during the recent Spanish-American War. They also provided the battle flag carried by the Indiana in the naval engagement off Santiago de Cuba. Governor James A. Mount and members of the General Assembly participated in the ceremony. Rev. M. L. Haines offered prayer and James Whitcomb Riley recited his poem “Old Glory.”
1901   Just two days after leaving office, former Indiana Governor James A. Mount died of a heart attack at the Denison Hotel in Indianapolis. A farmer from Montgomery County, he had fought in the Civil War and served in the state senate. His body lay in state at the Indiana Statehouse before burial at Oak Hill Cemetery in Crawfordsville. (Pictured: A detail from the official portrait of Governor Mount by Hoosier artist James M. Dennis.)
1920   Governor James P. Goodrich called a special session of the Indiana Legislature to ratify the Women’s Suffrage Amendment of the United States Constitution. Indiana was the 26th state to approve the amendment, which went into effect nationwide on August 18, 1920. In signing the bill, Governor Goodrich called it “an act of tardy justice.”
