GREENFIELD — One hundred years ago, on July 22, 1916, the entire country was stunned to learn of the passing of the great Hoosier Poet, James Whitcomb Riley. Headlines from New York to California and even in Honolulu and London, England reported his passing. President Woodrow Wilson sent a private telegram to the Riley family, and the Governor of Indiana, Samuel Ralston, offered the rotunda at the Indiana State Capitol for his funeral. In his hometown of Greenfield, the local papers filled the front pages with the news. The townsfolk draped their homes and businesses in black, signifying deep mourning, and when the time for the funeral came, two interurban cars as well as other motor cars made the solemn trip to Indianapolis to pay their final respects. All in all, a total of 35,000 people passed Riley’s casket during his public funeral, and it is said that along the roadway from the Lockerbie Home to the State Capitol, and on the next day to Crown Hill Cemetery, the streets of Indianapolis were lined with hundreds of thousands of people.
One hundred years later, Riley’s hometown of Greenfield “Remembers Riley” and marks his passing. The public is invited to a wreath laying ceremony in front of the James Whitcomb Riley statue, located in front of the Hancock County courthouse on Main Street at 9 am on Friday, July 22. Greenfield Mayor Chuck Fewell will be issuing an official proclamation to mark the occasion.
The James Whitcomb Riley Boyhood Home, 250 W Main St, Greenfield, will be draped in black to honor Riley’s memory. Tours of the home will be held during normal business hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last tour begins at 3pm), and the first 50 visitors will receive a commemorative print of Riley’s poem, “Away.” Regular admission fees will apply. However, you may visit the Riley Museum (the yellow house next to the Riley Boyhood Home) free of charge. Inside there will be a special display of items and pictures from Riley’s funeral from 100 years ago, and you may sign the official “Remembering Riley Memorial Book” with memories of your favorite Riley poem or Riley story.
The Riley Boyhood Home is open from 11 am. – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday from April through October with special “By-Your-Request Tours” during the off season. Admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.50 for seniors, and $1.50 for youths (6-17), and children under age 6 are free. Group tours are also available and can be accommodated at alternate hours by request. For more information on the Riley Boyhood Home, call the home at 317-462-8539 or go to the Riley Home website at: www.jwrileyhome.org
