The History of Indianapolis

While the state of Indiana was admitted into the union in 1816, Indianapolis was not platted until 1821 and wasn’t officially incorporated until 1832 with a population of 1,000 people.

Alexander Ralston and Elias Pym Fordham designed the original pattern for the city in a grid style branching out from Governor’s Circle, now known as Monument Circle.

You can still see evidence of the 1800s design downtown.

One of the biggest reasons Indianapolis was chosen as the capital city was because many thought the White River would serve as a major transportation artery. It didn’t take long for early settlers to realize that it was difficult to maneuver and too shallow for steamboats.

Luckily, the city had much more success with the building of roads and rail lines which would later lead to one of its nick names, “The Crossroads of America.”

Indianapolis was booming by the 19th century with a massive jump in the population from 8,000 to 169,000 in just 50 years!

Not only did the population grow but so did the educational system, industrialization, and social awareness. The 1880s and 1890s are considered Indy’s golden years.

Fun Fact: The name “Indiana” means “Land of the Indians” and “Polis” is the Greek word for “city”, so they put the two together to create the name “Indianapolis.”

Today, Indianapolis continues to grow. It is quickly becoming a major metropolitan area and cities like Carmel and Fishers are continually ranked in the best places to live in the U.S.

Due to it’s relatively low cost of living, numerous companies are choosing to locate offices and headquarters here making it a prime location for rental property investing.