100 Years Ago: April 19-25

From The Indianapolis News, Tuesday, April 22, 1919: A ten-day “clean up our city time,” targeting dirt and rubbish in the yards and alleys, will begin tomorrow in Indianapolis according to a proclamation issued today by Mayor Jewett. All citizens are called upon by the mayor to help beautify the city and make it “a healthy city in which to live and an attractive place for our many visitors.” City ash wagons will haul away the trash for free during this period, and city sanitary inspectors will see that the city is properly cleaned – all yards, chicken lots and alleys – and trash placed in easy access of the city haulers. Attention will be given to screening manure boxes, a favorite breeding place for flies, and the cleaning and disinfecting of vaults and cesspools which must be made flyproof.