100 Years Ago This Week: July 10-16

From The Indianapolis Star, Friday, July 16, 1920: Fences of unpainted boards, placed closely together, extending the length of the property to the sidewalk, were erected yesterday on either side of Dr. Lucian Meriwether’s home, 2253 N. Capitol Ave. The fences, one ten feet high and the other six feet high, were paid for by members of the Capitol Avenue Protective Association. Since Dr. Meriwether, a colored dentist, moved into the house two months ago, offers have been made to him exceeding the price he paid for the property, but he has refused them. The protective association is determined to prevent the location of colored persons in their neighborhood, and if other homes in the area are sold to colored families, more fencing methods will be attempted. Dr. Meriwether had an injunction filed in Superior Court to limit fence heights.