Weekly View » 100 Years Ago

100 Years Ago: Oct. 23-29

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 05:08:16 +0000

From The Indianapolis Times, Tuesday, October 26, 1926: Investigations into Indiana political corruption involving elected Republican officials and the Ku Klux Klan continued before the Marion County grand jury and the special U. S. Senate committee chaired by Senator James Reed. Declaring they had “God’s plenty” to tell the jury, former Marion County Klan cyclops George Elliott and former Indianapolis police inspector Harvey Bedford were called because they might be able to throw some light on alleged agreements between various politicians and D. C. Stephenson in return for the ex-Klan chief’s political support. Lake County politician and former Klan official Ralph Bradford “spilled the beans,” telling the committee of a secret Klan conference in Washington, DC attended by Indiana Senator James Watson, Imperial Wizard Hiram Evans, Indianapolis Mayor John Duvall, and others to oust Walter Bossert as Indiana grand dragon.

100 Years Ago: Oct. 16-22

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 05:08:02 +0000

From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, October 17, 1926: A radio controlled “Ghost Car,” operated without driver or passenger, will make its first appearance in the Midwest during a week-long series of demonstrations around Indianapolis as a feature of the second annual radio show. One of the most unusual inventions of the radio age, the “Ghost Car” is stationed a couple hundred feet in front of a second car which is officially known as Station 2XAX, a licensed radio station. Through a series of radio wave impulses sent from the rear car, the “Ghost Car’s” motor is started, its gears are shifted, the horn is blown, the lights are turned on and off, and the car is run forward and backward, all by radio control. The “Ghost Car” can be seen daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. at various locations.

100 Years Ago: Oct. 9-15

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:08:41 +0000

From The Indianapolis Times, Monday, October 11, 1926: Today, the Marion County grand jury began investigating charges that politicians and high officials were involved with D C. Stephenson, former Klan grand dragon, in corrupt political deals when Stephenson was “the law in Indiana.” Criminal Judge James Collins instructed jurors to make a thorough investigation of reports that Stephenson, who is serving a life term in Indiana State prison, is now ready to talk. Prosecutor William Remy, who is leading the investigation, announced that Stephenson will be called before the jury, but others will be called to testify first so it will be known what corroboration or facts must be obtained from him. “Everybody will be given a chance to tell what they know, but nobody will be permitted to use this grand jury to whitewash anyone or to throw dirt.”

100 Years Ago: Oct. 2-8

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 05:08:59 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, October 2, 1926: The Indianapolis Airport will be established at once on 234 acres of level ground in Mars Hill that has been leased by the Indianapolis Airport Corp. The tract selected is a half-mile square, bounded on the east by Holt Rd, on the north by Minnesota St, on the south by Raymond St, and on the west by the Drexel Gardens Addition. The site is accessible to the city by streetcar and a spur from the Pennsylvania Railroad. Kentucky Av will provide bus and truck access. Today’s announcement completes the work done over several months by members of the Chamber of Commerce to give Indianapolis an airport worthy of the name and worthy of the city it will serve. The 113th Observation Squadron of the Indiana National Guard will supervise the airport’s operation.

100 Years Ago: Sept. 25-Oct. 1

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 05:08:44 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Saturday, September 25, 1926: The sixth annual concert of the Educational Aid Society for Colored Orphans will take place at Shortridge High School’s Caleb Mills Hall Tuesday evening. An “All Hoosier Cast” of more than forty musicians of exceptional ability include 150 singers representing the colored schools that will be the background for the community sing of patriotic tunes. Among the ensembles performing are the Mt. Paran female quartet singing negro spirituals, the Mitchell chorus, and the Y.W.C.A. quintette. Several individual piano numbers will be given along with vocal soloists. The Educational Aid Society was organized to meet the problem of the institutional children when they leave the Colored Orphans’ Home by providing scholarships. While the benefit concert raises $1,200 (2025: $22,288) annually, churches, lodges, clubs and white and colored citizens contribute annually to the Society.

100 Years Ago: Sept. 18-24

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 05:08:43 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Thursday, September 23, 1926: A city-county public building with 400,000 square feet of floor space was proposed by architect William Eldridge yesterday before the Indianapolis Engineering Society as a solution to Courthouse and City Hall overcrowding. A six-story office style building with inside courts and wings, costing $4,500,000 (2025: $83,579,176), could be built on two-thirds of the market square. The proposed sale of the Courthouse would pay off its debt and provide some of the new construction funds. The Engineering Society recently suggested the market house be abandoned in favor of regional markets in the outlying parts of the city and City Hall might be turned over to the State as a museum. The plan would retain Tomlinson Hall and remodel its ground floor into the main auditorium and the second floor into a balcony floor.

100 Years Ago: Sept. 11-17

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 05:08:42 +0000

From The Indianapolis Star, Saturday, September 11, 1926: Formal dedication services of four new church buildings in Indianapolis and vicinity – Little Flower Catholic Church, 13th St and Bosart Av, Irvington Methodist Church on North Audubon Rd, Ben Davis Christian Church, and Garden City Christian Church – will be held tomorrow. Rt. Rev. Joseph Chartrand, bishop of the Indianapolis diocese, will lead the solemn high mass of dedicatory services at Little Flower Church and Bishop Frederick Leete will lead a special dedicatory service at the Irvington Methodist Church. Ben Davis Christian Church pastor Rev. Bernard Bass will lead the morning service followed by a basket dinner and the dedication sermon given by Rev. Otto A. Trinkle, pastor of Englewood Christian Church. Marion County evangelist Rev. Virgil P. Brock will deliver the dedication sermon at Garden City Christian Church tomorrow afternoon.

100 Years Ago: Sept. 4-10

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 05:08:06 +0000

From The Indianapolis Star, Sunday, September 5, 1926: Six Sisters of Providence are busily engaged daily in last-minute preparations for the opening of Ladywood, the newest school for girls in Indianapolis. Located seven miles northeast of the city on Millersville Rd, Ladywood is on the former Stoughton Fletcher estate, hidden in trees and surrounded by hills and streams, the site was recently purchased by the Sisters. The mammoth building is receiving the final touches that will make the school a home for thirty young women who are the first enrollees. Carpenters, electricians, other craftsmen, and decorators are rushing to complete their work for the school’s opening on September 28. The former third floor ballroom has been converted into a chapel, and the many bedrooms are now furnished with single beds and furniture that will bring delight to the feminine heart.

100 Years Ago: Aug. 28-Sept. 3

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 05:08:37 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Friday, September 3, 1926: The giant, 195-foot-long TC-5 airship soared gracefully over the eastern part of Indianapolis Thursday evening on her way from Scott Field, Illinois to Dayton, Ohio. The airship’s great size and the roar of her powerful motors led many residents to believe it was so close it almost touched treetops as it passed over homes. From the ground, the beautiful ship presented a thrilling sight with searchlights playing on the gas bag and lights gleaming from the cabin portholes. Its great size was emphasized by an accompanying army airplane flying in circles around the large air boat like a sparrow darting after some giant bird. It was the first time many in the city had seen a blimp in flight, its majestic size and deafening thunder of the motors creating a near panic.

100 Years Ago: Aug. 21-27

Steven R. Barnett — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 05:08:40 +0000

From The Indianapolis News, Monday, August 23, 1926: Six bicycle teams, two youthful cyclists each, will compete in the third annual Irvington race. The fifteen-mile contest will take place on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Irvington Speedway, 5750 Hibben Ave. The track, banked on a forty-five-degree curve, was built by neighborhood cyclists under the direction of Don and Carl Vollrath, sixteen-year-old race promoters. The track measures one-twentieth of a mile; 375 laps will be required to complete the race. One of the “dangerous” curves has been made slippery with oil. Qualification trials will be held prior to the race. Carl Vollrath holds the new track one mile record, 3:15, an average speed of 18.4 miles per hour. The winning team will be presented with a silver trophy cup, and other entrants will receive merchandise prizes given by Irvington merchants.