1840 – The first meeting of the Indiana Horticultural Society was held at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. The organization was inspired by Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, then pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in the city. Farmers came to the capital city to show their best produce and to discuss new ideas and practices in growing crops.
1917 – The 38th Division of the National Guard was organized at Camp Shelby, Miss. It was made up of units from Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia. The Indiana regiments included the 137th and 139th Artillery and the 151st, 152nd, and 76th Infantry. These units included volunteers from all over the state.
1920 – Mary Bostwick of Indianapolis became the first woman in Indiana to serve on jury duty. She was also a newspaper reporter who covered a wide variety of news and sports. She took part in balloon races and flew with barnstorming pilots. With 500 Winner Howdy Wilcox at the wheel, she was the first woman to ride around the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (at 110 mph).
1925 – The Brown County Democrat newspaper reported that the “Constitution Elm” in Corydon had been taken nearly completely down. The tree, which originally had a limb span of 100 feet, had been dead for almost a year. It is thought that members of the Indiana Constitutional Convention sought shade under the huge tree while they worked on the founding document in 1816. Officials said that the tree had been carefully taken down and that the elm wood was being preserved for future use as artifacts and souvenirs.
1933 – Newspaper carriers from Central Indiana were treated to a three-day visit to the Chicago World’s Fair. The 173 boys and girls rode on a special train to the Windy City and stayed at the Palmer House. They were treated to dinner aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, a large lake steamer. They rode the exciting “skyride” and took in all the sights of the “Century of Progress” exposition.
1951 – It was announced that the Jordan College of Music would merge with Butler University. Formerly called the Jordan Conservatory of Music, the school occupied the old L. S. Ayres mansion on North Delaware Street in Indianapolis. It would remain in that location until 1962 when a new building opened on the Butler campus. All past Jordan graduates became Butler alumni.