Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 November 1895 — CENTURY OF GROWTH [ARTICLE]

CENTURY OF GROWTH

MARVELOUS DEVELOPMENT OF INDIANA IN A HUNDRED YEARS. Discussion of Plans For Celebrating the Centennial In 1900—Some Remarkable Facts About the Slate Cited by Colonel Eli Lilly, President of the Centennial Commission —His Suggestions as to the Scope of the Great Celebration—Commissioner Dougherty’s Ideas. The closing year of the century will round oat the first hundred years of the existence of Indiana, the civil government of the territory having been Inaugurated on July 4, 1800, at Vincennes. The importance of properly celebrating this epoch in the history and growth of the state was recognized at the last session of the legislature by the authorization of the appointment by the governor of a commission composed of two representatives of each congressional district and four from the state at large for the purpose of considering and recommending plans for a fitting centennial celebration. This commission is composed of leading men of the state. It is known as the Indiana Centennial Commission. The president is Colonel Eli Lilly, of Indianapolis, the first to suggest the movement. The proposed celebration is being discussed throughout the state with much interest, and the commission will soon take up the task of outlining plans for the consideration of the next legislature, with which will rest the determination of what shall be done. 1 iNTkRV-lEW WITH COLONEL LILLY.

In an interview regarding the great project Colonel Lilly, the president of the commission, said to a press representative: , “Every consideration of state pride and individual duty should move the .people of Indiana to grandly celebrate the centennial anniversary of the establishment of civil government of the territory at Vincennes July 4, 1800. On that day, the 24th anniversary of our , national independence and in the very year the congress of the United States first met in tfie capitol at Washington, the name Indiana was first given to! that region which has now become 1 the heart Of the union, the very center of population, wealth and intelligence. I 1 “Indiana is therefore the only state 'historically representing the exact | boundaries of the 19th century. “The general assembly, recognizing j their patriotic duty, wisely and in time provided for a commission to consider and report a plan for the proper observance of the great event. GROWTH OF A HUNDRED YEARS. “The general assembly had in mind the wilderness of the year 1800, with a population of scarce live thousand frontiersmen, now grown to be a great state of two and a half millions of souls, with a real value ill farms of nine hundred millions of dollars, producing an annual value of one hundred and twenty-five millions of dollars; a state with a manufacturing population of one hundred and fifty thousand, earning annually sixty-five millions of dollars, with an output to the value of three hundred millions of dollars, and a mineral output of over fifteen millions of dollars; a state with the greatest organization for the education of the masses in the world; a state that gave the services of over two hundred thousand men and twenty-five thousand lives that the Union might live, and that lias erected the noblest monument on earth to the citizen soldier. “These things were in the minds of the members of the legislature and it now remains for the people of Indiana to recognize their opportunity, the greatost ever presented to a state, to demonstrate the achievements of a hundred years, the most momentous liun<dred years of all time.

A GREAT MID-CONTINENT EXPOSITION, i “It may be early to suggest plans, but I have in mind that all appropriations made by the state should be expended solely upon a state centennial building and the permanent exhibits and expon ses of administration. That authority should be given by the legislature to authorize cities, towns and counties to appropriate aid to a general exposition of the resources of the state to be called possibly the'lndiana Mid-Continent exposition, these appropriations to be supplemented by individual subscription and the usual methods of raising funds for such purposes. To this the general government should be asked to add an exhibit at its own expense, i “But we must not stop here. In every county iu the state a competent person should be selected by the Historical So ciety of Indiana to write the county his tory from its organization, and by all means the history of every regimeut and battery in the United States service should be written and preserved. •These histories should in litOO be placed in the permanent exhibit. A GENERAL BRIGHTENING UP. 1 “But if the tangible results of this great event are not manifest in every com muuity the greatest benefit will be lost. Every city, town and village should clean up and beautify the public places and all citizens should adorn their prem ises by planting trees, flowers and grass, painting or whitewashing fences and buildings; railroads should lead off and become an inspiration to the people in 'this work until as morning breaks on the 20th century the Indiana of a hundred years would show the bright jest, cleanest, happiest land on earth. The travel of a continent crosses Indiana. Let the eye of the traveler rest upon things beautiful and he will carry ;our fame wherever he goes. - “So the centennial must not be alone ifor the great capital which in 1900 will 'have a population of 200,000, with its hundreds of miles of beautifully paved and shaded streets, with its boulevards and parks and magnificent buildings and monuments which all may enjoy, but for every city and town, village, nam let and liOTUf* uoraers ’ ’