This week in Indiana’s history …
1783 – The Treaty of Paris was signed with Great Britain. The pact officially ended the American Revolutionary War and gave most of the land east of the Mississippi to the United States. The new area, called The Northwest Territory, included most of Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and part of Minnesota.
1893 – The Grand Army of the Republic, made up of Civil War veterans, held its annual “encampment” in Indianapolis. Over 75,000 attended the gathering, which included the construction of a replica of the Union gunboat Kearsarge on the east lawn of the Indiana Statehouse. The GAR met in the city eight times between 1881 and 1949.
1936 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in Indianapolis to open the State Fair. Before going to the fair, he took a two-hour open-car tour, stopping at various work sites in the city. At Riley Hospital for Children, his car pulled up close alongside a window so he could talk to children face-to-face. He was welcomed to the State Fair by Governor Paul V. McNutt and Mayor John W. Kern.
1964 – It was 1 a.m. and supposed to be a secret, but somehow fans and photographers found out that the Beatles were arriving in their chartered Lockheed Electra at Weir Cook Airport. It was another secret that they were staying at the Speedway Motel, but that one got out, too. The “Fab Four” were good-natured about it as they prepared for two State Fair shows later in the day.
1988 – A formal dress party was held at the Indiana Statehouse to celebrate the $11 million restoration of the building. Entertainment for the crowd of 2,000 was provided by singer Marie Osmond. The project, which took five years, brought the structure back to its original glory, while updating its technology and accessibility. Governor Robert D. Orr told the assembly, “This is a renewal as well as a celebration. It is sentimental with an eye toward the future.”
2012 – A life-sized statue of Orville Redenbacher was unveiled in Valparaiso, where he developed the popcorn that made him famous. The statue has the “Popcorn King” sitting on a park bench wearing the bowtie, suspenders, and horn-rimmed glasses which were his trademarks. Through his commercials and guest appearances on television, he was a familiar figure to people around the world.