Rensselaer Republican, Volume 28, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 November 1895 — CENTURY OF GROWTH [ARTICLE]

CENTURY OF GROWTH

MARVELOUS DEVELOPMENT OF IN--1 BtANA- JN A HUNDRED YEARS. 1 ■Uf-ussion of. Plan* For Celebrating the Centennial In 1900—Some Remarkable lute About the State Cited by Colonel 'JUt' Lilly, President of the Centennial Commission—HU Suggestions as to the Scope of the Great Celebration—Commissioner Dougherty’s Ideas. The closing year of the century will round out 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 lour from the state at large for the purpose of considering and recommending plans for a fitting centennial celebratiou. This commission is composed atf leading men of the state. It is ‘known as the Indiana Centennial Commission. The president is Colonel Eli jldliy, of Indianapolis, the first to suggest the movement. l*he proposed celebration is being discussed throughout the state with much interest, and the commission will soon take :up the task of outlining plans for tho, consideration of the next legislature,, - with which—wtil rest the deteimiua- ~ toon of what shall bo-done. I ISTKKVIKW WITH COLONEL LILLY. 5 In an interview regarding the great .project Cciftmei I,k>\, the president T3T~ tlie coniniissiou, saui to a press representative: “Every consideration of state pride* end individual duty should move tho people of TiicTiaua to grandly celebrate tho centennial aaniversary 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 Uuitedriatates -■—first ’MPt in me capital at Washington, that rJgiou which has now become the heart of the union, the very center ■of population, wealth and intelligence. “Indiana is therefore the only state historica-fy representing the exact _ * boundaries of me loth century. “The general assembly, recognizing their patriotic duty, wisely and iu time ■provided lor a commission to consider and report a plan for the proper observance ot the great event. —- GROWTH OF A HUNDRED YEARS. “The general assembly had in mind the wilderness of the year 18(H), with a population of scarce live thousand troutj rsaU'U, now grown to be a great state ’of tii o and a hats millions of souls, with a real value iu farms of nine hundred millions ol dollars, producing an annual value of one hundred and-twenty-five millions of dollars; a state with a mauuiaetnring population of one hundred and fifty thousand, earning ; toiiu&Uy shay-five millions oi tieimrs, with an output to the value of three hundred miiTioiis of dollars, and a mia* •era! output of over fifteen millions of dollars; avtate with the greatest organiaation for the education of the masse.3 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 has erected the noblest monument on earth to the citiwen 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 greatest ever presented to a state, to demonstrate the achievements of a hundred years, the most momentous hundred years of all time. X , A GREAT MID-CONTINENT EXPOSITION. "it may be early to suggest plans, but I have iu mind that all appropriations made by the state should be expended solely upon a state centennial building and the permaueut exhibits and expenses 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 Indiana Mid-Continent exposition. these appropriations to be supplemented by individual; subscription amt the usual method* of raising funds for such purposes. To this the general government should be asked to add an exhibit at its own expense. “But we mast not stop here. In every county in the state a competent person should be selected by the Historical Society of Indiana to write the conuty history from its organization, and by all means the history of every regiment and b iitery in tne United States service sbomd be written and preserved. ?>; se histories should in 1900 be placed in the permanent exhibit. A GENER AL BRIGHTENING UP. “But if the tangible results of this great event are not manifest in every commnhity the greatest benefit will be lost. Every city, town aud village should clean np and beautify the public places and all citizens should adorn their premises by planting trees, flowers and grass, painting or whitewashing fences and buildings; railroads should lead off and become an inspiration to the people iu this work until as morning breaks on the 20th century the Indiana of a hundred yean would show the brightest, 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 be goes. “So the centennial mast not he alone for the great capital which in 1900 will have a population of 900,000, with its hundreds of miles of beautifully paved and shaded sliisif with its boulevards and parks and magnificent buildings and monuments which all may enjoy, hut for every city aad town, village, hamlet and beam within ear borders." OTDIAVA TBS TOLAS OF 188 UNION. Bos. Hugh Dougherty «f Bluffton, find., a member of the educative committee of the namadarisa, in an interview. with reference Is the importance a»d desirability of nwh a celebration, says: “Indian Is tom pdae stale of the Union. Through bar the great throbbing veins of commerce, which nourish ovary part of our pstorms! body, flow. Her geographical location and physical features are such that the east aad the to

land railroad center iu tho world. The center of our coputry’s population is wit bin her borders. Her position jtowyyj hv*p sister States isrnniqptio. and Her nlarvelou- progress since brganizition as a territory calls for a'e-egtjiguini 'jniiilpfi r>f_ such a character wdll teat enable her sons and daughters to appreciate the heritage of a hundred years. “•Thdte is no way *n ; Whtoh #e-could more effectively kindlej that wholesome state pride which must ‘underlie Ihe noble action of her present and future. citizenship than' by Tt paTade of seer achievement and a fresh revelation of her early struggles. The latter are now matters of recorded history to most of us, and a retrospective view of the heroic struggles of ouufathers would be an eloquent lesson in patriotism. In their toils, their sufferings, their hardships, their conflicts, momentous questions were at stake and issues vital to the future world. In appearance they were insignificant at times, but in reality, copious and full of benevolent consequences. Acting nt the springs of , our future greatness, instruments otherwise* weak became mighty for good, aud our pioneer fathers, obscure to the world, proved to be agents of destiny. They who entered ah untamed wilderness with vast wastes of forest verdure to make a garden for their children, and the hills then silent in their primeval sleep now echo the music of happy homes of industry. These hardy sons of toil, whose school was the forest, whose trade was barter with savages, whose social life was that of the campfire, whose daily lesson was self-sacrifice, conquered the territory of Indiana for civilization. Such memories as these ought to kindle a Burning enthusiasm in every loyal Hoosier breast to join in the proposed observance of our anniversary. ‘•THE II I, HIT AGE OF A HUNDRED YEARS.” "Such an obsorvance would be of more than local consequence. It would be a formai ww in which-Our state could: give. evidence to the world of her wortiiiness qi a place- in-the family of,states comptiflffg our great republic. Our exhibit would say: ‘This is our achievement;’ and of this we need not bo ashamed. With an agricultural productivity unsurpassed, monumental manufacturing industries, natural resources inexhaustible, among which are lumber, stone, coal, natural gas and petroleum, a school system which is an object TeSSon to the world, an intelligent, industrious, patriotic, Christian citizenimprovement—in fine all that constitutes" the highest degree of prosperity and civilization to be found on the globe—the people'of this great state may be exceeding 1 glad to make a representative exhibit of the fruit of their labors and say to the world: ‘Behold the heritage of a hundred years. ’ “Then let us celebrate the event which has led id such Hlarvclons .eeftsfequehc.es —au-.event contemporaneous with the beginning of a century-Which has seen greater commercial development, more extensive mahufaetpring enterprise, more valuable t invention and discovery, more fruitful agricultural activity, more widespread intelligence, more altruistic feeling, and more application of the agencies that make possible complete living than all the centuries that preceded; aud in the observance of this historic event let us show that Indiana has contributed her full share toward achieving this unparalleled progress.’’