In the wake of the Civil War, a growing number of American children were left orphaned. In response, members of the Germania Lodge No. 3, a German American fraternal society, founded the Deutscher Allgemeiner Protestantischer Waisenverein (German General Protestant Orphan Association) with the goal of sheltering 50 to 100 displaced children at a time. The first three children arrived in 1873. To design the orphanage, the founders commissioned Diedrich A. Bohlen, a first-generation German immigrant and one of Indianapolis’ most influential architects. The result was a grand 2.5-story building with nearly 25,000 square feet of living space. Bohlen’s design blended German and American architectural styles of the late 19th century. Set on a 13-acre estate, the orphanage functioned as a largely self-sustaining institution. It was complete with pastures, vegetable gardens, a vineyard, and an orchard. Many of these operations were maintained with the help of the children who lived there. Most of the orphanage’s founders were first-generation German immigrants who deeply valued the preservation of their culture. As a result, the institution operated primarily in the German language, which was taught to all children regardless of their background and used in all daily activities. A brick plaque still visible above the front entrance bears a Fraktur inscription: “Allgm. [Allgemeine] Deutsch Prot. [Protestant] Waisenhaus gebaut A.D. 1871” (“General German Protestant Orphanage built A.D. 1871”), a lasting testament to its origins. However, anti-German sentiment during World War I brought dramatic changes. In 1918, the use of the German language was discontinued, and by 1919, the home was renamed the General Protestant Orphan Association, distancing itself from its cultural roots. As foster care became more common in the United States during the 20th century, the need for traditional orphanages declined. In response, the organization shifted its mission to provide temporary housing for abused, abandoned, or neglected children, renaming itself the Pleasant Run Children’s Home in 1971. The organization used the building for over a century, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Although the Pleasant Run Children’s Home closed in 2001, the building remains a powerful symbol of Indianapolis’ early German American heritage. Today, it serves a new humanitarian mission as the Salvation Army's Harbor Light Center, which supports adults recovering from addiction through treatment programs and transitional housing and continuing a legacy of care first envisioned by its German founders.
]]>Zion Evangelical United Church of Christ is one of the oldest churches in Indianapolis, founded by German immigrants in 1841. Unlike some immigrant groups, such as the Irish, who were predominantly Catholic, German Americans were religiously diverse. Instead of forming one unified religious body, they organized into smaller communities based on faith tradition, such as German Protestants or German Jews.
Zion Evangelical represents one of these modest but enduring Protestant congregations. The church’s first pastor, Reverend J.G. Kunz, was called in 1841 to lead a small group of German-speaking worshippers. Over the years, three different structures were built to house the growing congregation, first in 1845, then 1866, and finally in 1913. These buildings gave German immigrants a place to worship in their native language and maintain spiritual traditions in a new land. Although regular Sunday services are now conducted in English, the church still holds Easter and Christmas services in German to honor its heritage.
The current church building, dedicated on May 18, 1913, was designed by the Bohlen architectural firm. It was the oldest architectural firm in Indianapolis, founded by German immigrant Diedrich A. Bohlen. His sons Oscar and August carried on the legacy, designing Zion Evangelical in a Gothic Revival style. Note the high ceilings, square towers, three pointed-arch doorways, and the beautiful stained glass windows depicting scenes from the life of Jesus. The bells, originally purchased from Germany in 1873, were relocated into this new church, another meaningful connection to the congregation’s homeland.
Like many churches of the era, Zion Evangelical played a vital role in community service. In 1860, the congregation helped build a schoolhouse, which by 1891 served over 500 students. Between 1895 and 1899, the church held fundraising events for the Deaconess Hospital, where deaconess women provided both spiritual and physical care to the sick and needy. The church also supported the Pleasant Run Children’s Home, often inviting children to attend Christmas celebrations. Recognizing the need for elder care, Zion organized the Altenheim Community in 1909 to provide healthcare and assisted living for aging members.
Today, Zion Evangelical United Church of Christ stands not only as the oldest German congregation in Indianapolis, but also as a living testament to more than 180 years of faith, service, and cultural continuity in the city.
]]>You are standing in front of the Indianapolis Liederkranz Building, which has been home to the Indianapolis Liederkranz since 1914. This is the oldest active German singing organization in the city and one of the few remaining of its kind in the United States. Music has long served as a vital expression of German culture, both in Indianapolis and across the country. The word Liederkranz translates to “wreath of songs,” a name commonly used for German men’s singing societies, also known as Männerchöre (men’s choirs). These choirs were central to social life, performing at festivals, parades, and community events. In Indianapolis, they were especially popular at German social gatherings and even civic celebrations. As the city’s German immigrant population grew in the late 19th century, numerous choral groups emerged. Their popularity helped launch major cultural events like the Indiana Sängerbund Song Festival, first held in Indianapolis and repeated regularly afterward. In 1872, two organizations, the Druiden Lodge and the Rothmänner, merged to form the Indianapolis Liederkranz. The group played a prominent role in the Eighth Sängerbund Festival, but its prominence briefly waned in favor of the Indianapolis Männerchor before regaining a stable membership: around 60 active singers and 250 social or supporting members by the early 20th century. In 1914, the Liederkranz moved into its current home on Washington Street after many years of rehearsing and performing in other venues, including Union Hall and Mozart Hall. With the new building, the organization not only had a permanent space for concerts and social gatherings, but also began to host other German cultural groups. From 1914 to 1916, the Liederkranz Building served as a hub for the Deutscher Verbund, or Federation of German Societies—a coalition of over 50 regional and occupational organizations. The Federation operated much like a mutual aid society, providing support and resources to newly arrived German immigrants and the wider German American community in Indianapolis. Today, the Liederkranz continues its mission to preserve, cultivate, and celebrate German culture through music and fellowship. In addition to its historic Männerchor (Men’s Choir), the organization now includes a Damenchor (Ladies’ Auxiliary Choir), Bell Choir, and Brass Band. For more than 150 years, the Indianapolis Liederkranz has remained a living tradition in the city’s cultural landscape.
]]>German language newspapers were thriving in Indiana by 1850. They reflected the larger German immigrant population that had made Indiana their home. The Taglicher Telegraph became Indianapolis’ first daily German-language newspaper in 1866. It was just one of over 175 German-language newspapers published in Indiana between 1843-1920.
The Täglicher Telegraph merged with the other largest known German language newspaper in Indianapolis, The Indiana Tribune, on March 3, 1907. The Indiana Tribune, originally established in 1878, had also built a strong reputation with the German speaking population of Indianapolis. After the merger, the paper was known as the Telegraph and Tribüne.
By 1918, the Telegraph und Tribüne and many other German-language newspapers in the United States were under threat of being shut down due to suspicion created by the United States’ entry into World War I. In early May of 1918 the United States government expressed support for these publications, stating that they would not lend aid to the suppression of German language publications, “provided that they do not engage in unlawful propaganda.” But as anti-German suspicion grew, concerns mounted about the papers communicating in the German language. On May 29, the Telegraph und Tribüne printed an announcement that it would cease its publication by early June due to the emergence of “a pronounced prejudice against everything printed or written in the German language, regardless of the fact that the German language newspapers are the means of reaching thousands of persons who are reached in no other way.”
German language newspapers as well as German language instruction in schools declined across the United States during and after World War I.
]]>The modern-day apartment complex in front of you, The Turnverein, is a striking example of the influence of German immigrants on the development of Indianapolis and the United States. Originally constructed in 1914, this building began its life as a gymnasium and activity center for the Independent Turnverein (Unabhängiger Turnverein). It was designed by Swiss-German architect Adolph Scherrer, who also designed the Indiana Statehouse. The Independent Turnverein was one of several German-American social organizations in the city that emerged from the Turner movement in Germany. This movement began in the early 1800s, when educator Friedrich Ludwig Jahn promoted physical training as a way to unify the German people following Napoleon’s occupation. Those who joined the movement were called Turners, German for gymnasts, but their focus extended beyond physical fitness. By the mid-19th century, the Turner philosophy emphasized both physical and mental strength, encapsulated by their motto: “A sound mind in a sound body.” This idea later influenced American physical education programs, many of which adopted similar mottos like “Healthy mind, healthy body.” By the mid-1800s, Indianapolis had become a hub for German immigrants and their cultural institutions. The city’s dominant Turner group was the Socialer Turnverein, formed by the merger of two earlier clubs. However, in 1879, a group of 33 members split from the organization to form the Independent Turnverein. This break was sparked by a political disagreement, specifically, the German-language newspaper Zukunft’s endorsement of Democrat Samuel J. Tilden in the 1876 presidential election. Many Turners, who had supported the Union during the Civil War, saw this endorsement as a betrayal of progressive ideals. The split also marked the Independent Turnverein’s break from the national Turner federation, making it a unique organization within Indianapolis. For a time, the Independent Turnverein held meetings at the Mozart/Germania Hall and the Third Presbyterian Church. Eventually, they commissioned Scherrer to design a dedicated clubhouse that reflected their mission. The building included gyms, a swimming pool, meeting rooms, and other amenities that supported both physical and intellectual development. The club thrived in the early 20th century, boasting over 1,500 members by 1925 and undergoing expansion to accommodate its growth. However, the Great Depression and World War II strained the organization’s finances. In 1945, the building was donated to Purdue University, which owned it until 1983. It was then sold to a private developer who invested $3 million in renovations, converting the space into the Turnverein Apartments you see today.
]]>Before 1890, Indiana's labor landscape laid the foundation for Indianapolis to become known as the Labor Capital. The city's strategic central location in the United States made it an ideal crossroads for transportation and trade, setting the stage for its industrial and labor prominence.
The construction of the National Road and the arrival of the railroad in the mid-1800s were crucial developments that transformed Indianapolis into a bustling transportation hub. These advancements facilitated the movement of goods and people, attracting numerous businesses and industries. As a result, Indianapolis emerged as a focal point for manufacturing and industrial activities, driving its economic expansion.
The burgeoning industrial sector in Indianapolis required a substantial workforce, drawing both skilled and unskilled laborers to the city. This migration of workers from across the country contributed to the city's growth and development. As industries flourished, so did the demand for labor, which fueled the rise of a strong labor movement.
In the late 19th century, Indianapolis became a center for labor organizing. Various labor unions established a significant presence in the city, advocating for improved working conditions, fair wages, and workers' rights. The American Federation of Labor (AFL), founded by Samuel Gompers, was particularly influential in shaping the labor landscape during this period. The AFL's efforts in Indianapolis set a precedent for labor advocacy, drawing attention to the struggles and achievements of the workforce.
Indianapolis also hosted numerous labor-related events, including conventions and strikes, which underscored the strength and solidarity of its workers. These events attracted national attention, further cementing the city's reputation as a leader in labor rights and advocacy.
Indianapolis's transformation into the Labor Capital was driven by its strategic location, industrial growth, and the emergence of a robust labor movement. These factors combined to create a city that not only experienced economic prosperity but also became a symbol of labor rights and advocacy.
]]>Prior to 1890, Indiana played a significant role in the federal and international labor movement, influenced by its industrial growth and the need for organized labor. During the 19th century, Indiana transformed from an agrarian society to an industrial powerhouse, particularly in manufacturing and transportation, with cities like Indianapolis and Fort Wayne emerging as centers of commerce and industry.
The rise of factories brought about challenging working conditions, including long hours, low wages, and unsafe environments. In response, workers began to organize for better conditions. Indiana's first significant labor organization emerged in the late 1850s—the Knights of Labor. This group, which sought to unite all laborers regardless of skill or industry, gained traction in Indiana, especially post-Civil War, advocating for an eight-hour workday and improved labor rights.
The state's involvement in the labor movement furthered during the 1870s and 1880s, with several crucial events shaping its labor landscape. The Great Railroad Strike of 1877, a nationwide strike triggered by wage cuts, garnered substantial participation in Indiana. The state became a flashpoint for labor unrest, displaying the growing tensions between workers and employers. This strike not only highlighted the plight of laborers but also illustrated the solidarity among workers across different sectors.
Labor activism also took a more organized form through local chapters of larger national organizations, notably the American Federation of Labor (AFL), which emerged from the labor movement in the 1880s. The AFL represented a shift towards more pragmatic labor activism, focusing on skilled workers and advocating for specific economic improvements rather than broad socio-political reforms.
Indiana maintained connections with international labor movements during this period. The proliferation of immigrant labor, particularly from Europe, brought diverse perspectives and practices. These communities contributed various labor ideologies and practices to the burgeoning labor movement in Indiana, fostering a sense of international solidarity. The exchange of ideas across borders was instrumental in shaping labor strategies and articulating shared grievances among workers facing similar challenges globally.
Indiana’s involvement in the labor movement was characterized by grassroots activism, the establishment of significant labor organizations, and connections to broader national and international labor rights discussions. The state’s industrial growth and the realities of worker exploitation catalyzed a burgeoning labor movement that laid the groundwork for future labor rights advancements in the United States.
]]>During the late 19th century, the United States was grappling with the complexities of rebuilding the south after the Civil War and the lingering impacts of slavery. Public service sectors, including fire departments, were predominantly dominated by white men. In May 1876, Indianapolis appointed its first four Black firefighters: Thomas Smith, Robert Braxton, James Graves, and Thomas Howard. This appointment was not only a breakthrough for these individuals but also a pivotal moment for the Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) and the Black community.
Their presence in the fire department highlighted the broader struggle of marginalized populations seeking representation and equality in jobs and employment. They likely faced discrimination and scrutiny from both within the department and the wider community. At a time when many Black Americans faced limited employment opportunities, these appointments offered a glimmer of hope and progress toward racial equality.
]]>The United States received a large number of Irish immigrants during the nineteenth century. Between 1820 and 1930, it is believed that around 4.5 million Irish immigrants came to the United States. From 1820 to 1860, the Irish made up one third of all immigrants entering the country. They were almost half of all immigrants in the 1840s. Due to the increased availability of employment opportunities, many Irish immigrants settled in larger cities in the East and Midwest. Not all Irish people settled in urban areas. In Indiana, Montgomery became one of the rural farming settlements for Irish immigrants. They tended to own their own land, especially if they came before the 1850s. Instead of finding employment on the various internal improvement projects happening in Indiana during the nineteenth century, such as canals and railroads, these immigrants made their living through farming, possibly something that they were accustomed to from their life in Ireland.
Montgomery’s Irish came from all four of Ireland’s provinces: Leinster, Ulster, Munster, and Connaught. Most came from either Leinster or Ulster. The already established Catholic community and St. Peter Catholic Church likely enticed some of the Catholic Irish to settle in Montgomery. Though a large number of Irish immigrants in the United States settled in urban areas, the Irish in Montgomery serve as an example of those that settled in farming communities.
]]>The Indianapolis News article, titled “The Trade Union Meeting” on April 17, 1873, signifies a growing collaboration between different trade unions, which were organizations of like-minded individuals who worked for the improvement of working conditions and benefits. The assembly included trades such different woodworkers’ unions, the carpenters’ union, the typographers’ union, and the machinists’ and blacksmiths’ union, just to name a few. This assembly elected John Shley as chairman and E. H. Kimberly as secretary. The assembly recorded the official name of the assembly to be “The Trades Assembly of the State of Indiana.” The assembly met in Indianapolis to be in the place where the government of the state would make laws. Not only was Indianapolis the place where labor laws would be changed, but also the city was the center of so many different trades’ organizations. Because of this, Indianapolis became an important place for labor reformists and trades’ organizations to be.
This stop gives an example of a “Union Hall” that the April 17, 1873, Indianapolis News discusses. This type of building was a meeting place that the Trade Assembly of the State of Indiana would have used to launch labor reforms around the state. This Union Hall in New Albany, Indiana is from around the same period and held a similar purpose. The Union Hall at this location may be small and easily missed, but it held an important role as a place for unions to meet and collaborate.
]]>In the mid-1860s, labor reformers fought to improve wages for workers and implement an eight-hour workday throughout the state. People like John Fehrenbach who was the president of the Indianapolis, Indiana, Machinists’ and Blacksmiths’ Union. He fought to improve labor conditions and advocated for workers rights. Fehrenbach later became the president of the International Union in 1870 and fought for universal labor reform throughout the US.
John Fehrenbach is a good example of how the labor reform movement was expanding. Regional collaboration was becoming a reality in the fight for workers. In this portrait of the first General Labor Conference in Louisville, Kentucky in 1865, the brief description tells a story of its own. The description lists twelve attendees from several different states around the Midwest and the East Coast. George Bunley was a Blacksmith from Indiana who attended this conference and represented the interests of the state. These men met to discuss how they could improve the working conditions of their state. The regional affiliations that this portrait shows speak to how the labor reform movement was moving from local to state to regional and would eventually reach national attention.
This stop represents the Midwest’s progression into a regional organization for labor movements. Louisville, Kentucky gives an opportunity to show how different organizations from different trades came together to further a shared interest in labor. Similar efforts were being made in different regions of the country around this time.
]]>L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac (the University of our Lady of the Lake) was founded in 1842 by eight members, led by the French priest Reverend Edward Sorin; all eight were a part of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Though Father Sorin was French, four members of the founding group were Irish. In 1844, the University of Notre Dame received an official charter from the Indiana legislation. Students from the University of Notre Dame are collectively known as the “Fighting Irish.”
The Fighting Irish nickname originally referenced the Irish immigrant Union soldiers who fought during the Civil War. Many of them were a part of the 69th New York Regiment, also known as the Irish Brigade due to its high percentage of Irish soldiers. Indiana boasted two regiments that had a high percentage of Irish soldiers: the 35th Indiana Regiment and the 61st Indiana Regiment (the 61st merged with the 35th in 1862). The University of Notre Dame had a number of students, alumni, and staff who joined the Union Army. Reverend William Corby was a priest at the University who became an army chaplain for the Irish Brigade. Soldiers remembered Father Corby for giving the Brigade absolution or forgiveness of their sins during the war. Father Corby went on to become the third president of the University. Another Notre Dame priest, Father Peter P. Cooney, was a part of the 35th Indiana. The Irish Brigade’s valor and bravery in multiple battles despite high casualties resulted in others recognizing and distinguishing them as fierce fighters.
Despite the Irish veterans’ prominence and earned respect, the Irish throughout Indiana, especially in South Bend, were often of a lower social status. In 1870, South Bend’s Irish population owned less property than other European immigrants. Low income resulted in limited social mobility. Whether or not the Fighting Irish nickname comes from the Irish Civil War soldiers, Irish immigrants were present in South Bend’s history and their legacy continues into the present.
]]>As early as 1850, there were efforts to bring together and organize groups that fought for the betterment of working conditions throughout Indiana. There was a group of Indiana artisans that formed the Indiana chapter of Mechanics’ Mutual Protection. Started in New York, this organization was organized to protest the inclusion of convict labor with machine factory work as early as the 1830s. The organization quickly moved to Indiana and fought to increase wages, obtain better educational opportunities for workers, and look after the families of workers who were ill and could not work.
The opportunities that the Mechanics' Mutual Protection sought to have implemented were the first major revisions that the state of Indiana saw in labor reform. This organization sought out local lawmakers who would eventually implement laws throughout the state. They strived for these changes despite the thought of the mid-19th century that factories and businesses were independent and should be free from government oversight. The Mechanics' Mutual Protection and the organizations that would later join the fight in labor reform had a long and hard fight to achieve their goals.
This stop contains an important part of the early formations of labor organizations. At this stop, the Kenosha History Center holds an early constitution of the Mechanics' Mutual Protection from 1849. This constitution would have been very similar to the one the Mechanics' Mutual Protection organization used in Indianapolis, Indiana, when they formed in 1850.
]]>As the number of Irish immigrants and descendants grew in the state of Indiana, many people started to pay attention to the politics abroad in Ireland. Between the Great Famine (1845-1849) and calls for legislative reform and independence from the British Empire, many Irish moved out of Ireland but remained interested in their homeland.
Thomas Francis Meagher was born in Waterford, Ireland in 1823. In 1847, he co-founded the Irish Confederation— a group dedicated to an independent Ireland—with three others. After lecturing on anti-British ideas in public in 1848, Meagher was convicted of encouraging rebellion against the British government and was to be sent to Australia. In 1851, Meagher escaped to the United States where he became famous for his work for Irish independence.
Meagher connected with Irish communities, especially those in Indiana. An 1852 letter from Indiana’s governor, Joseph A. Wright, appeared in the Daily State Sentinel. In the letter, Wright wrote to Meagher on behalf of the General Assembly to ask that he come to the state: “You will find in this State many of your noble and generous hearted countrymen – some of our best citizens – who, together with the native citizens of Indiana, will give a cordial greeting to your arrival,” Wright wrote. While Meagher respectfully declined the invitation, he did make his way to Indiana in 1858. The Terre Haute Daily Union reported that Meagher would be delivering a lecture at the Universalist Church about Saint Patrick’s Day, national anniversaries, and “their significance and beauty – their harmony with the American Republic.”
During the Civil War, Meagher captained part of the 69th New York Regiment, which was also known as the Irish Brigade as most of the men were Irish. He was influential in encouraging other Irishmen, both those born in the United States and those from Ireland, to enlist in the Union Army. In 1861, Meagher became the Brigadier General of the Irish Brigade. The Irish Brigade had a hand in multiple Civil War battles, such as Fair Oaks, Antietam, Fredericksburg. After the Civil War, Meagher became the Secretary of the Montana Territory. In 1867, Meagher fell from a steamboat on the Missouri River and drowned.
]]>This stop displays the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company from Muncie, Indiana. The Ball brothers started in Buffalo, New York, and to expand their growing business moved to Muncie, Indiana in the late 19th century. Their facility of factories in Muncie became one of the largest manufacturing plants in the country of glass jars. This stop gives an example of what factories would have looked like in the late 19th century.
Labor in factories in the mid to late 19th century had little regulation. An 1881 Indiana Department of Statistics published a factory condition report stating the average factory worker earned $1.00 to $1.50 in a ten to twelve-hour workday. This is around the average wages for factory and manufacturing for 1881. These factory workers also worked six days a week regularly. The wages would be used to pay for the urban housing nearby and necessities for a five-person family. Some industries in the state would even require a seven-day work week.
People pushing for reform, such as the Prohibition Party in 1872, felt that the state government had a responsibility to regulate working conditions. The government should control and require a certain number of working hours and regulate safety concerns. The state government believed in the freedom of business to work their employees as they saw fit. The businesses of the mid to late 19th century looked further than just the labor of men to fill the needs of the growing industrial market.
There was common use of women in labor. There was division in the type of labor that women did depending on their education and marital status. Married women were discouraged from working in this period. Educated women were employed in administrative work, while less educated women were employed in factories. Children too were prone to unconventional labor practices. One mother of a child that was working in a glass manufacturing factory would rather send her boys straight to hell than send them back to the glass house (glass factory). Although these conditions were seen as a punishment, from as early as 1867 there were regulations put on the labor and conditions children were prone to. These regulations restricted child labor for more than ten hours in factories and the age at which children could work. Unfortunately, these regulations did not stop young kids from working, and it took time for lasting widespread changes in labor to take hold.
]]>Irish workers helping to construct railroads continued feuds from their homeland. Nationally, railroads, especially for steam-powered trains, increased in construction during the 1830s. For the state of Indiana as a whole, railroad construction peaked during the 1850s with most large cities having some sort of connection by 1860. The 1837 riot in Vernon occurred during the construction of Indiana’s first significant railroad that linked Madison to Indianapolis; the rail line was eventually completed in 1847.
The riot in Vernon consisted of a longstanding disagreement between the Corkonians and the Fardowns immigrants from Ireland. The Corkonians hailed from the province of Munster, especially County Cork, while the Fardowns are believed to have come from other southern counties in the province of Connaught and Leinster in Ireland. The two groups feuded on access to employment opportunities in America, protecting their region’s people’s jobs by intimidating the other region’s people. The majority of Irish immigrants working on the Madison and Indianapolis railroad identified as Fardowns, roughly 1,400 of the 1,700 workers. When more Corkonians arrived and secured jobs on the railroad and threatened the Fardowns’ majority, the Fardowns attacked the Corkonians killing one and wounding others. Two Fardowns, Martin Crotty and Michael Brennan, were tried for the murder of Corkonian Patrick Galuly. Both Crotty and Brennan were convicted and sentenced to death. The Governor of Indiana, Noah Noble, commuted their sentences and they instead served life terms. Crotty and Brennan reportedly were the first “life-time men” in Indiana. The riot in Vernon was just one example of the continuation of Irish traditions and beliefs from immigrant’s homeland to their new one.
]]>Irishmen often brought regional feuds from Ireland to the United States. Due to the number of Irish workers on canal projects, these were prevalent in Indiana. Two groups— the Corkonians and the Fardowns—held a longstanding feud. The Corkonians came from the Irish province Munster, specifically in County Cork. The Fardowns came from the provinces of Connaught and Leinster. The hostility between the two groups was ultimately due to competition for employment. The Corkonians and Fardowns had violent encounters near many canal and railroad worksites in Indiana, later referred to as the Irish War.
In 1835, groups of Corkonians and Fardowns were working on the Wabash and Erie Canal. Construction contractors knew about the feud and tried to keep the groups separate. The Corkonians worked the northern section of the fifty-mile line, leaving the southern section for the Fardown men. The men stayed in separate camps and often worried that members of the other party would burn down their shelters or kill them at night. Contractors reported that some men camped in the woods to avoid such a fate. Most men came to work armed, sometimes with weapons they had stolen from locals. Small-scale brawls became so frequent that worksite authorities planned to remove one of the groups from the line entirely.
In July, rumors of a big clash began to spread around the canal camps. The groups planned to meet in the middle of the two camps, near Lagro. As men on both sides prepared for the fight, work on the canal slowed to a halt. On July 10, a reported 600 Irishmen met in Lagro, about 300 from each faction. Canal Commissioner David Burr managed to arrange a truce that lasted long enough for Indiana militias to arrive. The militias arrested over 100 Irish laborers a few days later. Without a nearby jail to hold so many men, officials took eight of the faction leaders to Indianapolis and released the rest to return to work. The eight leaders were released shortly after arriving. One Corkonian leader, Jeremiah Sullivan, was later re-arrested and sent to the state penitentiary. He was the only participant in the clash to receive legal punishment.
]]>A canal craze swept the nation after the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, resulting in many states looking to create canal systems. Indiana began planning a man-made waterway to connect Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio, to the Ohio River in Evansville as early as 1826. The United States Congress gave Indiana a large amount of land to begin canal construction the following year. Construction on the Wabash and Erie Canal finally began with a groundbreaking ceremony in Fort Wayne on February 22, 1832. Advertisements for available construction jobs in Indiana were a major draw for Irish immigrants coming to the United States in the 1830s and 1840s. By 1837, about one thousand workers were employed on canal projects throughout the state. Newspapers circulated advertisements to recruit more workers. Though not explicitly recruiting Irish workers, advertisements appealed to immigrants who needed a well-paying job.
Arriving at the canal corridor, Irish men found jobs as contractors and laborers. Some advertisements in news publications around the state promised laborers lodging and $20 a month for their work and offered plots of land around the canal for $1.25 per acre. However, most laborers only received $10 a month, roughly worth about $363 today. Contractors often docked workers’ pay to account for food and lodging costs. Sometimes, the canal company paid laborers in certificates for small pieces of land rather than money.
Canal workers faced many hardships. Irish immigrants working on the canal lived in small, unhealthy shelters. The men, some with their wives and children, usually lived in cheaply built camps of 100-200 people. Contractors often had small homes to themselves, while most laborers lived together in larger buildings. Diseases were common in the canal environment, especially among the camps. Insects carrying illnesses, poor sanitation practices, and hard labor resulted in a high death rate among canal hands. The work itself was brutal. Men first cleared wide paths through trees and brush. Diggers followed, using picks and shovels to load cleared earth into horse-drawn carts. Many camps had nearby mass graves to bury laborers who died in work accidents and malaria or cholera outbreaks.
Thousands of Irish laborers survived horrible conditions and backbreaking work to complete the Wabash and Erie Canal in 1843. At 468 miles, the canal was the longest in the United States. Navigable water systems were important to the transportation of both goods and people. Indiana became more involved in national trade routes with the canal connecting the state to the Great Lakes via Toledo. However, the state did not have enough money to maintain the canal for long. The Wabash and Erie Canal closed in the 1870s.
]]>By 1880, Indianapolis was the third-largest meat-packing city in the country. One of the businesses in the city was the Deschler meat packing company in the backyard of their property on 423 California Street.. The Deschlers immigrated to Indianapolis from Germany in the 1860s and quickly established themselves in the food industry. They later would merge with another food industry company nearby and continue to build a prominent food business in the city.
The Kingan and Company meat packing plant at Maryland and Blackford Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, was larger than Deschler’s. Belfast resident Samuel Kingan founded his meat-packing company in Northern Ireland in 1845. Kingan opened additional factories in Brooklyn, New York, and Cincinnati, Ohio, before establishing the Indianapolis plant in 1863. An article in The Indianapolis Star boasted that workers at the new facilities would kill and pack 2,500 hogs per day.
Kingan and Company recruited mostly Irish immigrants for jobs at the plant. Employment opportunities drew more Irish to the nearby community. Some new arrivals sent their belongings directly from Ireland to the Kingan plant. Immigrants from all over Ireland lived in small homes and boarding houses in the neighborhood surrounding the plant.
The workers at the Kingan and Company meat-packing plant often endured long hours and dirty, dangerous conditions. The factory was loud with the sounds of squealing hogs and processing machines. Witnesses described conveyors of dead animals passing through crowds of workers at all hours of the day. The workers used cleavers to chop the meat going by, leaving blood and entrails all over the factory floor. Most of the employees were Irish men, but photos from the time show some women and children at work in the plant. Child labor was not uncommon in the 19th century. Many working-class children needed to earn money to help support their families, even though child labor is harmful to kids’ health and development.
The multiple stops on Blackford Street encompass the sites where both the Deschler and Kingan meat-packing facilities operated. Further north on Blackford Street, looking toward California Street, the Deschler Meat Packing Company operated. Further south on Blackford, at the intersection of Blackford and Maryland Street, one can look at the former site of the Kingan and Company meat-packing plant. Both sites played a major role in the history of Indianapolis and its industry.
]]>Irish immigrants have a long history with Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. Throughout the nineteenth century, Indianapolis provided an urban environment for Irish Americans seeking opportunity in the Midwest. Many working-class Irish immigrants who came to Indianapolis found homes just southeast of the city center. So many Irish people lived in the neighborhood that it became known as Irish Hill. Researchers in the 1930s found that around 90% of Irish people living in Marion County at the time had once lived in Irish Hill. There was also a large Irish population in Fountain Square to the south.
Most of the Irish living in these neighborhoods came to the United States to escape famine and poverty. They did not have very much money and needed to work hard to support themselves. Some men found work building canals, roads, and railways in and around the city. Others worked in factories like the nearby Kingan and Company meat-packing plant. Unmarried workers often stayed at boarding houses operated by other Irish immigrants in the community. Hannah O’Connor, an Irish woman living on Georgia Avenue, had twelve railroad workers staying in her boarding house in 1880, most of them Irish. Like many women in the neighborhood, Hannah made a living doing domestic work. There were plenty of jobs for women around immigrant labor hubs. However, they had very few choices for what type of work they could do.
In addition to having jobs, the Irish neighborhoods in Indianapolis had a strong sense of community. This was largely built around religion. Most Irish immigrants were devout Catholics, and the church was central to their social and spiritual life. In the 1830s, there were very few Catholics and no Catholic churches in the city. Early Irish immigrants had to celebrate Mass in bars and rented rooms. The Irish community helped establish Indianapolis’s first Catholic parish, Holy Cross, in 1837. St. John the Evangelist Church was built in Irish Hill in 1850, and St. Patrick’s Catholic Church opened in Fountain Square in 1865. These churches started schools, hosted social events, and supported the needs of the Irish community.
In Irish Hill and Fountain Square, Irish immigrants worked hard to support themselves and each other. They created strong community bonds in their places of work, worship, and rest. Over time, Indianapolis’s Irish population spread throughout the city, and Irish Hill and Fountain Square welcomed diverse new residents. The neighborhoods still hold the memory of the Irish immigrants who built them.
]]>Irish societies were a significant part of social and cultural life for Irish- Americans in Indiana. The main Irish society operating in the state in the 19th century was the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) and the Ladies’ Auxiliary, also called the Daughters of Erin. The AOH originated in New York City in 1836. The Irish immigrant organization grew from the tradition of Ribbon societies in Ireland. These secret societies were made up of poor Irish Catholics who wanted better conditions for the working class and supported an independent Ireland. The AOH in America continued to promote Catholicism, Irish nationalism, and the rights of the working class.
According to tradition, the first Indianapolis chapter of the AOH was founded on St. Patrick’s Day in 1870. Newspaper records, however, indicate that the group first met in Indianapolis in 1872. By its first anniversary, the Indianapolis chapter had its own meeting hall at the corner of South Street and Delaware Street, a few blocks southwest of Monument Circle. The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the AOH was not formally established in Indianapolis until the 1890s, and records of the group’s activities are scarce. Both organizations grew quickly. In 1910, there were over a thousand members in eight chapters of the AOH in Indianapolis and more than 1100 members in nine chapters of the Ladies’ Auxiliary.
The AOH and Ladies’ Auxiliary were primarily charitable and cultural societies. The groups hosted fundraising events to provide financial support for area Catholic Churches and schools, as well as society members in need. These events also served as a platform to strengthen the Irish community, promote Irish culture, and raise awareness about political and social issues in Ireland.
]]>Beginning in the mid-1800s, Irish Hoosiers around the state gathered each March 17th to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This holiday celebrates St. Patrick, a saint who served as a missionary in Ireland in the fifth century. The Catholic Church credits Patrick with bringing Christianity to Ireland. The Catholic faith became an important part of Irish identity over the years. As the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick came to symbolize both Catholicism and Irish patriotism.
Indiana’s largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration took place in Indianapolis. The Ancient Order of the Hibernians (AOH) and an independent Irish military group called the Emmett Guards organized the day’s activities. After celebrating mass, Irish societies gathered at the Masonic Hall on the corner of Washington Street and Capitol Avenue. Social, political, and charitable groups like St. Patrick’s Temperance Society and the United Irish Benevolent Association joined the AOH and Emmett Guards in procession. Bands played Irish tunes and Irish and non-Irish spectators cheered as the parade made its way around the city center.
After the parade, guests attended a banquet at the Masonic Hall. People ate and drank while politicians, military leaders, and Catholic clergymen delivered speeches. The hall was decorated with Irish and American flags. Likewise, the speeches celebrated the Irish and American identities of the majority immigrant audience. Speakers remembered Ireland with pride and called for the country to be free of English rule. The speakers also blessed America as their new home and encouraged the audience to embrace their opportunities and responsibilities as American citizens. The evening ended with music and dancing. The holiday activities allowed the Irish community in Indianapolis to honor the life of a beloved saint and celebrate their identity as Irish Americans.
Indianapolis continues to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the present. Today, the popular holiday holds more cultural than religious significance and is celebrated by Irish and non-Irish people alike.
]]>In late August 1897, three branches of the Ancient Order of Hibernians gathered for their annual picnic at Robison Park in Fort Wayne. Over 3,000 people of Irish nativity or descent flocked to the new amusement park to enjoy the festivities. The afternoon boasted a variety of sporting events, allowing Irish American men to demonstrate their athletic skills. The “fine program of sports” included baseball, Gaelic football, and hurling. With a combination of American and Gaelic sports, the Irish community celebrated its cultural heritage and ideas of traditional Irish masculinity while shaping its distinct Irish American identity.
Robison Park was decked with green on August 27, 1897, for one of its largest events of the year. The excursion offered food, dancing, and speeches from community leaders, but sport was the main attraction. The afternoon began with a baseball game between the Shamrocks and the Emeralds, two local teams in the Robison Park League. Other teams in the league, like the Hibernian Rifles and the Clover Leaves, also boasted Irish-inspired names and had largely Irish rosters. The Emeralds prevailed over the Shamrocks, 14-8.
Though baseball was growing into a popular pastime for Irish Americans in the Midwest, Gaelic sports attracted the most attention, symbolizing cultural revival and nationalist pride. A Gaelic football match followed the baseball game. Young men from existing area teams met on the grassy pitch to play the uniquely Irish sport, which combined elements of soccer and rugby. Division 3 defeated Division 1, one goal and three points to none.
The sporting events concluded with the first hurling exhibition ever played in Fort Wayne. The ancient Gaelic sport, now the national sport of Ireland, was a high-contact activity with militaristic undertones. Using a curved wooden stick called a hurley, athletes attempted to hit a small ball known as the sliotar through or over their opponent’s goalposts. The team of recent immigrants who learned to play hurling in Ireland easily defeated the American-born team, one goal and one point to one point.
The Irish community of Fort Wayne continued celebrating Hibernian Day at Robison Park into the 1910s. Sport remained a significant part of the festivities and the Irish identity of the athletes and attendants.
]]>The Grand Body of the Sisters of Charity was created in 1874 by the Bethel African American Episcopal (AME) church. The organization served as a resource for black families moving to Indiana after the Civil War (1861-1865). The organization provided food, clothing, and medical treatments. In 1911, charity opened a hospital for the Black community. The Sisters also formed a home for the elderly and a women’s improvement club. Clubs allowed black women to have autonomy and participate in the social gospel movement.
]]>Originally, the Sisters of the Good Shepard opened in France in 1835. In 1873, the House of the Good Shepard was opened in Indianapolis from young women and girls who were misbehaving or going against social norms. The mission of the organization was to provide shelter and moral guidance to young women in danger or need. Evidence reveals that the organization treated women harshly and operated like a correctional facility. Indianapolis was the 15th city to have one of these homes.
The House of the Good Shepherd was meant to help women from all backgrounds. Some were prostitutes, unmarried, or pregnant. Others were considered at risk of engaging in immoral behavior, including orphans and those born out of wedlock. Families or priests sent their family members there. Eventually Marion County sent women there who were charged with minor crimes for reform. The House was partially funded by the city. It operated a Magdalene Laundry which was essentially the women who were forced to stay there working for free in the Laundry. The House profited from their work. Conditions were harsh and women who gave birth there had their children taken and forced into adoption.
]]>The YMCA, also known as the Young Men’s Christian association, started in 1844 in London, England. The association made its way across the sea to Indianapolis in 1854 when a group of evangelical protestants opened a building there. Being a religious association, the mission and membership revolved around church members. Their programs included readings, services, and charity work. In 1871, the YMCA opened a building on North Illinois Street. The YMCA separated itself from the church and shifted its focus toward helping the poor and charity work. Members played a role in establishing institutions such as the Home for Friendless Women, the Indiana Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, and a shelter for newsboys.
Over time, the YMCA expanded to include social and recreational activities that were accessible with a paid fee. The membership fee gave access to a park, bowling alley, swimming pool, gym, and a night school. As recreation and community activities increased their mission and charity work decreased. Today there are several YMCA locations available to the public for a fee that continues to provide pool, gym, and sport activities.
]]>The Indianapolis Benevolent Society created the Widows and Orphans Friends’ Society in 1850. Originally, it paid private families to take in and care for individual orphans. The Widows and Orphans Friends’ society bought a residence and, in 1855, opened the Indianapolis Orphans Asylum at 14th and Capitol Streets. It helped over one hundred children. IBS supported the use of asylums to impose control and order over citizens affecting social norms. These asylums helped churches and families in need of placing the responsibility of care in another’s hands. Children and sometimes mothers would board at the orphanage, which acted less like an institutionalized asylum despite its name. Fundraising helped support the Indianapolis Orphans Asylum. In a newspaper from 1858, an exhibition of Italian paintings was displayed so the admission proceeds of 50 cents each person could benefit the asylum.
In 1875 the Indianapolis Orphans Asylum became its own organization providing resources for children and advocated better working conditions, access to basic education, and reforms in child marriage laws. The organization expanded to three additional institutions before a 1934 financial struggle caused by the Great Depression led the Orphan Asylum and the Family Welfare Society to combine. This resulted in the creation of the Children's Bureau of the Indianapolis Orphan Asylum. The bureau focused primarily on adoptions.
]]>The Charity Organization Society of Indianapolis was founded in 1879 after Reverend Oscar McCulloch invited Reverend Gurteen to speak to the Indianapolis Benevolent Society. Both Reverends advocated for Indianapolis philanthropy to switch to a scientific and non-religious charity approach. Rev. Oscar McCulloch, Mayor Caven, and four businessmen founded the Charity Organization Society of Indianapolis (COS) and elected McCulloch as president. IBS and COS became co-operating charity organizations creating the largest nonprofit social service in Indianapolis. McCulloch served as the leader of the Church of Plymouth in Indianapolis, where the organization was headquartered.
Initially, its membership consisted exclusively of men; over time, women became actively involved in its charitable efforts. Women were particularly dedicated to advancing the compassionate agenda. The Charity Organization Society operated with a constitution of guidelines and relied on donors to strengthen and expand its initiatives. The organization established committees and appointed investigators that assessed cases to determine where assistance was needed. Their evaluations prioritized efforts deemed urgent and identified individuals or groups considered ‘worthy’ of support. Member of COS were often from important families and connected men and women through similar civic and moral ideals. The value system assigned to those in need by COS spoke to the rich and middle class who supported self-independence and good behavior.
The Charity Organization Society assigned value based on contributions to society and themselves as a person in need. Charity came in many forms whether through donations or projects. In partnership with a local farmer one charity project planned by the Charity Organization society was to grow potatoes and then give them to the poor.
]]>The Indianapolis Benevolent Society was created on Thanksgiving Day in 1835 by James Blake, James Ray, and Calvin Fletcher. IBS was one of the first private charity organizations to impact individuals and families in Indianapolis. Benevolent societies appeared around the country and were intended to be non-religious. Most, though, were influenced by religious organizations. The Widow’s and Orphan Friends Society, for example, was comprised of church members who donated time and money to their causes. Women were allowed to participate while men led the efforts. They offered advice on home care and religious morals. The Marion County government had few funds for the poor. Private organizations stepped in to supplement public services providing clothing, food, and money. While it was admirable that members of these charity societies cared for the poor, their involvement also elevated their social standing. The Benevolent Society, like the Charity Organization of Indianapolis, supplied donations and assistance based on individual case evaluations and perceived need. They placed particular emphasis on supporting widows, children, and those suffering from illness. The society struggled financially to assist the public, new charities, along with the evolving public and private funding.
On the fiftieth anniversary of the Indiana Benevolent Society (IBS), roughly fifteen thousand members gathered to commemorate the organization's legacy. Led by reverends, the meeting reflected on the impact the society had made over its fifty-year history. At the time of IBS’s founding, Indiana was still a developing state, lacking essential resources such as railroads, schools, and a large population. As the city expanded, so did the needs of its residents, prompting a change in charitable efforts.
During the meeting, John M. Butler discussed that modern charity was increasingly influenced by self-interest and superficial desires. Change was necessary. The Indiana Benevolent Society remained committed to aiding those in need and identifying the deeper societal issues requiring resolution, intending to serve as active and engaged members of their community.
]]>This unnamed settlement, which was located along Utica-Sellersburg Road in Watson, is one of two known settlements in Clark County, Indiana. Clark County had a high population of Black Americans in the early- to mid-19th century. Slave owners navigated around the prohibition against slavery in the area by forcing enslaved people into indentured agreements in Kentucky, which was just across the river, before crossing to Indiana. Through these agreements, people were typically required to work without pay for a number of years to repay a debt. These agreements, however, could be extended indefinitely as punishment for breaking a law. There were 40 free people of color and 81 enslaved people in Clark County in 1810. By 1870, Clark County’s Black population included 1,970 individuals.
The village of Watson, where this settlement was located, was originally intended to be additional housing for relocated mill-workers. Watson was one of the only areas in Utica Township without sundown laws, laws that required Blacks to leave the city limits before the sun set. If Black people remained in areas with these laws, often called sundown towns, past sunset, they were threatened with legal consequences, violence, or worse. Watson was known as “a harboring place for them [African Americans] in considerable numbers” because it was not openly hostile to Black citizens. Unlike other areas covered in this tour, where individuals primarily worked as farmers on their own land, it was more common for Black citizens of this unnamed settlement to work as laborers for farms or other businesses. One of the only Black residents to own his own farm was Lowry Straws. Lowry’s personal holdings were valued at around $1,000.
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