This week in Indiana’s history …
1816 – In the first state elections, Jonathan Jennings was elected governor, defeating Territorial Governor Thomas Posey. At age 32, Jennings was faced with the challenge of laying the foundation for the new state. In November, the new legislature met in the capital city of Corydon.
1876 – Mary Ritter Beard was born in Indianapolis. She attended DePauw University where she majored in history. A strong advocate for women’s rights, she authored several books on women’s history. She and her husband, Charles A. Beard from Knightstown, produced history textbooks which became standard references for the era.
1900 – An estimated 3,000 adults and children were staying on the grounds of Acton Park for a three-day religious gathering. The hotel and cottages were full and many were sleeping in tents. The community in southeastern Marion County was known across the country for its church camps. For over 40 years, visitors traveled by horse, buggy, and train to hear preachers and attend Bible classes. A huge fire in 1905 swept the grounds, destroying the pavilion and over 100 cottages.
1923 – Over 3,000 people came to Centerville, Ind., to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the birth of Governor Oliver P. Morton. Members of the American Legion related the life story of Morton, who had steered the state through the turmoil of the Civil War. Governor Warren McCray helped dedicate a marker in front of Morton’s former home on the National Road.
1947 – Baseball legend George Herman “Babe” Ruth was in Indianapolis at the old Victory Field for the American Legion junior baseball all-star game. He had been the guest of honor at a luncheon where officials and fans paid tribute to him as one of the greatest players of the game. After he spoke to the crowd at the ballpark, the “Sultan of Swat” took time to meet young players and sign autographs.
1971 – On the Ohio River, the Delta Queen, carrying 172 passengers, resumed a trip to Cincinnati after undergoing emergency repairs in Tell City, Ind. The excursion boat, a wooden-hulled paddle wheeler, had suffered damage in an attempt to maneuver off of a sandbar near Cannelton. The repair was accomplished with the use of green oak from a nearby Perry County forest.