Article Archives: 100 Years Ago

100 Years Ago This Week: Feb. 6-13

February 5, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

From The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, February 9, 1915: The “jitney” bus has arrived. This automobile express service made its debut yesterday when Richard Rogers, at the behest of a group of local men, established a route on Illinois Street between Union Station and Thirty-fourth St. Rogers is using a five … Read More

100 Years Ago This Week: Jan. 30-Feb. 6

January 29, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, February 4, 1915: A force of more than 100 men began yesterday in cleaning the streets of snow and slush under the direction of the citizens’ employment committee. The men were taken from the employment bureau registry, on which 3,000 names appear, the most needy … Read More

100 Years Ago this Week: Jan. 23-30

January 22, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, January 28, 1915: John H. Bruning, Indianapolis mercantile broker with offices at 517 Majestic Building, became the second person to use the new transcontinental telephone line of the American Telephone & Telegraph Co, and the first person to use it for commercial purposes. Mr. Bruning … Read More

100 Years Ago This Week: Jan. 16-23

January 15, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

From The Indianapolis News, Monday, January 18, 1915: More  than half of the women and girls employed in retail stores and in the garment factories in Indiana receive an average wage of less than $7.00 (2013: $158.88) a week, according to a Census Bureau bulletin. In stores, women and girls … Read More

100 Years Ago This Week: Jan. 9-15

January 8, 2015 | by Steven R. Barnett

From The Indianapolis News, Thursday, January 14, 1915: “The home is a menace; its poor construction makes it a veritable fire trap,” asserted Fred W. Rubin, Irvington Civic League president, in his appeal to the county commissioners yesterday calling for action to remedy the alleged conditions at the Children’s Guardians … Read More