Charitable Organizations created in 19th-Century Indianapolis

7 Locations | Curated by Jamee West

Indianapolis experienced significant urban and philanthropic initiatives to promote the welfare of others by donating money and organizing assistance in the 19th century. Charitable initiatives included hospital services, community events, and resource centers that provided essential support such as food, clothing, and education. As urban life expanded so did economic depression, disease, and growth of industry. The costs and resources debilitated during the Civil War in the mid-19th century left communities in need of food, clothing, and medical assistance. Groups of citizens formed social networks focusing on supporting those in need and fostering a culture of civic responsibility, the duty of citizens to better the well-being of their community. Many of these organizations originated from churches and neighborhood groups. They were organized by gender with men and women belonging to separate groups. The following tour follows a list of charities in the Indianapolis area in the 19th century that affected social and physical lives in the community. Whether members’ motives were based on moral foundations or caring about the wellbeing of others, many lives were affected by the efforts of philanthropy. Today Indianapolis is home to leading philanthropy organizations such as the Eli Lily Foundation, Wheeler Mission, and the YMCA.

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…
View Story Show on Map

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…
View Story Show on Map

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…
View Story Show on Map

A women’s charity organization, the Indianapolis Flower Mission served the sick poor of the Circle City for over one hundred years. Part of a national movement, the charity began in 1876 when Alice Wright, the daughter of a prominent railroad manager, and a handful of her friends started taking…
View Story Show on Map

Loading Stories
Map