Laf. Rd. Bridge CLOSED April - December 2009 ! ! !

If you travel Lafayette Rd between 71st and 79th St., you might want to attend this public meeting.
The road is scheduled be closed from March through December 2009 to replace the bridge over Eagle Creek.


You are cordially invited to attend a public information
meeting for Project # BM-01-019 the replacement of
the Lafayette Road Bridge over Eagle Creek.

This public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 12, 2009
at 6:30 p.m. at Fishback Creek Public Academy located at 8301
W. 86th Street.

• Learn about the project background and timeline
• Hear the analysis of why we need to replace the bridge
• Find out about traffic restrictions during construction

Public comments are welcome and encouraged.

All DPW meeting locations are accessible to persons with disabilities.
If special accommodations are needed, please contact the neighborhood
coordinator at (317) 327-5238.



Mary E. Chalmers
Mayor's Neighborhood Liaison - Pike Township & Eagledale
Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services
Gregory A. Ballard, Mayor
200 E. Washington St., Suite 2160
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317)327-5157
(317)327-5424 (fax)

mchalmer@indygov.org
www.indygov.org/myneighborhood

Pike grads remember Ropkey property . . .

An old buddy, Andy Pritchard, has been following the Ropkey House story along with Mark Montieth and several hundred Pike High School grads. They have compiled a short list of memories from growing up in the area:
1. "I remember seeing the tanks and airplanes in the backyard from the interstate, but I didn’t realize there was so much history behind the place."
2. "Sally Vogel and Steve Kent used to ride Mr. Ropkey’s horse around the neighborhood."
3. There was a gravel pit pond behind the house that was dug out when 465 was expanded and the county needed dirt to build up the overpass for 79th St. to cross the interstate.
4. A half-submerged single-person submarine was stuck in the pond. Mr. Ropkey had bought it from the government and hauled it to his property. He tried to drive it in the pond, but it sank.
5. A small arsenal of tanks, howitzers and other military equipment was scattered around the backyard.
6. There's also a report of a NASA Gemini space capsule in the pond. All the toys have been moved to somewhere near Crawfordsville.
7. His tanks were used in the movies “1941” and “Tank.’
8. More than 500 working antique clocks could be found inside the home, as well as other fine furnishings.
9. Dave Todd, who provided landscaping around the home in the 1970s, recalls that Mr. Ropkey popped a champagne cork at his 80th birthday party and put out his eye. (His own eye, not Dave’s.)
Note: The Ropkey Museum is located in Crawfordsville and is open to the public.

"It was brought to our attention that this was a historic house, and we have discontinued any effort to demolish it,"

January 22, 2009
Historic House in Pike Township is safe - for now

Developer sets aside plans to demolish 1850 Cotton-Ropkey House while preservationists seek a new location for itBy John Tuohyjohn.tuohy@indystar.com
Preservationists appear to have staved off demolition of a landmark pre-Civil War house in Pike Township.
The Cotton-Ropkey House, at 6360 W. 79th St., had been slated to be bulldozed by its owners, the Kite Realty Group. The two-story wood house, built in the Italianate style in 1850, is one of only a handful of structures in Marion County that predate the Civil War.
Kite's subsidiary, West 79th Street Associates, last week got permission from the city to level the house and four other structures on the property. The permits caught the attention of the Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, which quickly stepped in to save the house.
Marsh Davis, president of the foundation, said the organization pleaded with the company for time to relocate the house -- and the developer complied.
"For now, we've had some time granted to us, and some of the pressure is off for a while," Davis said. The foundation's plan is to buy a plot of land, move the house there, renovate it and sell it on the open market.
"It would be a great home for someone, and it could probably fetch us a few dollars."
Zeff Weiss, a lawyer representing the developer, said that although the house has been marked up for destruction with spray paint, those plans are on hold indefinitely.
"It was brought to our attention that this was a historic house, and we have discontinued any effort to demolish it," Weiss said.
The house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982 because of its age, architecture and the background of its first owner. Isaac Cotton was a Pike Township clerk and assessor, who served as the township's Civil War draft enrollment commissioner and was an accomplished bee-keeper, swine breeder and wool grower.
"We have lost most of the buildings from that generation, so it is rare," Davis said. "It is a fine piece of architecture that is still in very good shape."
The house changed hands several times, and the Ropkey family bought it in 1937. The Ropkeys sold the property about three years ago to Kite, which plans to develop the land. The foundation had tried to find a place to move the Cotton-Ropkey House after Kite bought it, but couldn't find a nearby piece of land to buy.
The white, 13-room house is in a rural area on 79th Street a block west of I-465. It is two stories and made of timber. The windows, most with original panes, have black shutters hung on cast hinges outside. The portico design front porch is framed by three columns that support a wrap-around second floor patio. It has been vacant for several years.
"This is just a beautiful farmhouse that recalls the countryside that once existed up there," said Camille Fife, president of the Westerly Group, a historical preservation consulting firm in Madison.
The Italianate style derives from Italian renaissance architecture and was prevalent in the United States from about 1850 to 1880. The houses usually are two stories with low-pitched roofs; eaves with carved brackets underneath; and tall, narrow windows that are arched on top.
"They are very distinctive, and most of them in Indiana were built after the Civil War rather than prewar like this one," said Mark Dollase, vice president of preservation services for the Landmarks Foundation.
The foundation has begun negotiating with Normandy Farms Development Co. about buying land near the neighboring Normandy Farms Estate subdivision.
Bob Kleinops, chief executive of Normandy Farms, confirmed the company is interested in finding a new location for the Cotton-Ropkey House.
"It would be a shame if that house were lost," he said, but warned, "we haven't done anything yet. It's just talk."
Kite Realty has no immediate plans to develop the land so there is no urgency to taking down the house, Weiss said. The city's Department of Metropolitan Development said the company has not filed a development plan for the nearly 200-acre property.
Dr. Peter Kunz, a neighborhood activist who owns Traders Point Creamery, said the company has been clumsy in its treatment of the house by neglecting to seek community input on what to do with it.
"That's the sad thing about this," he said. "They don't even attempt to talk to anyone in the neighborhood about this. Nobody knows what's going on. Where is their civic responsibility?"
Though the house is a national landmark, it doesn't have local landmark protection, said David Baker, administrator for the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission
If it did, the commission could prohibit its destruction.
"Usually, that is something that is initiated by the owner, and it never was in this case," Dollase said. "Probably because they never thought it would be necessary."
If the foundation succeeds in relocating and refurbishing the house, it would place its own restrictions on the new owners and probably seek a local landmark designation to protect it, Dollase said.
"There'd be historic covenants about what could and couldn't be done to the house's interior and exterior," he said. "If we got local landmark status, someone couldn't just tear it down without a public hearing and some prior approval."

TPAN SPECIAL MEETING Mon. Feb. 9, 2009

TPAN Special Meeting on Monday, Feb. 9th
TPAN (Traders Point Assoc. of Neighborhoods) will hold an important Special Meeting beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9th at the West 86th Homeownerʼs Assoc. Clubhouse. At this meeting, TPAN will host the highest-level officials of IPL (Indianapolis Power & Light) who will address Traders Point neighbors (and anyone else who attends) on the issue of IPLʼs tree trimming practices on private property, where IPL has no right-of-way or easement to trim or cut. IPL currently claims it has the legal authority to trim and cut on private property, even when IPL has no right-of-way or easement. This describes much of the area of Traders Point where IPL cut in 2005 and again this past December. TP neighbor, Jerry Baker, together with citizen activist, Charlie Goodman, have been researching the legal basis for IPLʼs claim, and their findings cast serious doubt on the basis for IPLʼs claim of legal authority to trim and cut on private property. This meeting represents one last opportunity for IPL to respond and negotiate a modified policy with TP neighbors. It is likely that any product from this negotiation will become the basis for future IPL policy across the entire IPL service area. If negotiation fails at this meeting, TPAN is prepared to move forward on this issue using other means.
Please make plans to attend this meeting if you are in anyway affected by this issue. Keep up with our news at our website: www.historictraderspoint.org
While at the website, you may want to offer your opinion in the blog on another issue. TPAN has learned that Kite Realty has applied for a demolition permit for the historic Cotton-Ropkey farmhouse at 79th and Marsh Road. This farmhouse was built in 1848 and is on the National Registry list of historic places. The farmhouse is available for $1 to anyone willing to pay to move the house from Kiteʼs property. Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana has been unsuccessful in locating a buyer. If you have any ideas for saving this historic landmark of the Traders Point area, please register that idea on the blog, or contact a TPAN officer.
Steve Jones
TPAN President

TPAN Special Meeting on Monday, Feb. 9th – Two Key Issues are Brewing

TPAN Special Meeting on Monday, Feb. 9th – Two Key Issues are Brewing
TPAN (Traders Point Assoc. of Neighborhoods) will hold an important Special Meeting beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 9th at the West 86th Homeowner’s Assoc. Clubhouse. At this meeting, TPAN will host the highest-level officials of IPL (Indianapolis Power & Light) who will address Traders Point neighbors on the issue of IPL’s tree trimming practices on private property, where IPL has no right-of-way or easement to trim or cut. IPL currently claims the legal authority to trim and cut on private property, even when IPL has no right-of-way or easement. This describes much of the area of Traders Point where IPL cut in 2005 and again this past December. TP neighbor, Jerry Baker, together citizen activist Charlie Goodman, have been researching the legal basis for IPL’s claim, and their findings cast serious doubt on the basis for IPL’s claim of legal authority to trim and cut on private property. This meeting represents one last opportunity for IPL to respond and negotiate a modified policy with TP neighbors. It is likely that any product from this negotiation will become the basis for future IPL policy across the entire IPL service area. If negotiation fails at this meeting, TPAN is prepared to move forward on this issue using other means.
Please make plans to attend this meeting if you are in anyway affected by this issue. Also, as of this writing, there is a small possibility of a change in the meeting date or venue. Therefore, please check the website, www.historictraderspoint.org to verify time, date and venue. This information should be finalized and posted by Jan. 17th.
While at the website, you may want to offer your opinion in the blog on another issue. TPAN has learned that Kite Realty has applied for a demolition permit for the historic Ropkey-Cotton farmhouse at 79th and Marsh Road. This farmhouse was built in 1850 and is on the list of historic places. The farmhouse is available for $1 to anyone willing to pay to move the house from Kite’s property. Historic Landmarks has been unsuccessful in locating a buyer. If you have any ideas for saving this historic landmark of the Traders Point area, please register that idea on the blog, or contact a TPAN officer.
Steve Jones
TPAN President

My Very Good Coincidence

In 1980 I graduated Earlham College in Richmond Indiana and was employed in the administrative offices of its museum, Conner Prairie, in Noblesville. Conner Prairie is a living-history museum and its crown jewel is William Conner’s brick house constructed in 1823, and over 640 acres of land he obtained from the Delaware Indians in the early 1800s. I left there, got a real estate license and years later my wife and I purchased a site 25 miles away in Indianapolis for the purpose of building a house. Curious about the history in my part of Pike Township , in 1998 or 1999 I discovered a website listing the earliest property owners in the area.
Next to each owner’s name was the legal description of their parcel. One day I traced the legal description for the earliest property owner, a "William Conner" who had purchased his site in 1822. I was surprised (and excited) to learn that his 80 acre parcel was within a few hundred feet of my property. So I contacted Conner Prairie and their historian was unaware of this parcel and assurred me it was a different William Conner. But it wasn't.
The Pike Township William Conner never settled on his property and a few years after purchasing it by patent from the Federal Government, he sold it to the founders of Traders Point, Indiana, which was platted in the 1850s. But for years I was perplexed by Conner's motivations and I decided to dig deeper.
This blog explores the facts surrounding the William Conner parcel in Traders Point, Indianapolis in Marion County, and produces considerable evidence that it is the same William Conner. I have also become fascinated by the process in which our country used men like Conner to negotiate with the Indians and obtain treaties for their land. Upon leaving Conner Prairie I began a career in commercial real estate, primarily in site selection. With my site finder’s perspective, and a cursory knowledge of the time, I believe I have discovered Conner’s motivations for acquiring an 80 acre site in Marion County in 1822; the same year he was building the first brick home in Hamilton County. My research (and musings) are scattered over time in my blog entries. Until I assemble this in a more coherent fashion, the blog serves multiple functions as identified in the masthead.

IBJ blog features Cotton Ropkey House

http://propertylines.ibj.com/

The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana is racing to save the Cotton-Ropkey House at 79th Street and Marsh Road just west of I-465. The owner of the property, Kite Realty Group, applied for a demolition permit after no one took it up on an offer to sell the house for $1 in exchange for moving it. But the local developer has agreed to give the foundation a little more time to find a way to save the home, which was completed in 1850 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The foundation is looking at a nearby site where it could move the house, said Marsh Davis, the group’s president. If they can get the home moved, they would fix it up, place covenants and resell it. The home’s façade displays characteristics of Greek Revival and Italianate styles, and a staircase features ash treads and a cherry railing. Farmer John Cotton began building the home in 1848 and it stayed in the family until 1937, when the Ropkey family bought it. They owned it until 2004 when Kite bought the 95-acre farm for development. (Photo: L. Mark Finch

Demolition soon for historic Ropkey farmhouse?

This today from a Traders Point neighbor:

"Kite Realty has applied for a demolition permit for the Ropkey farmhouse at 79th and Marsh Road. This property is on the list of historic places. We need publicity. This is really criminal and we must make sure that no federal funding is available for this property going forward. Please help spread the word."


Cotton-Ropkey House (added 1984 - Building - #84001086) Also known as Ropkey House 6360 W. 79th St., Indianapolis
Historic Significance:
Person, Architecture/Engineering
Architectural Style:
Italianate, Greek Revival
Historic Person:
Cotton,Isaac
Significant Year:
1850
Area of Significance:
Agriculture, Architecture
Period of Significance:
1850-1874, 1875-1899
Owner:
Private
Historic Function:
Domestic
Historic Sub-function:
Single Dwelling
Current Function:
Domestic
Current Sub-function:
Single Dwelling

Beaver Lodge, run and tree damage at Eagle Creek Nature Preserve (today)

Long Horns from Traders Point Farm on Moore Road (today)

Two Vivid Accounts of William Conner's Trading Post and Wealth

1. A History of the Formation, Settlement and Development of Hamilton County ... By Augustus Finch Shirts Photo of Augustus Finch Shirts (1901)

"The First Settlers. The lands within the bounds of Hamilton County Indiana together with other lands were purchased by the Government from the Indians in 1818. At that time there was but one white man permanently located within the present bounds of Hamilton County. This man was William Conner. He was at that time living in a double log cabin with his Indian wife. This cabin was situated four miles south of the present site of Noblesville on the east bank of White River. His place was called a trading post. In one room of his cabin he kept beads, lead, Hints, steel, knives, hatchets, and such other goods and trinkets as were usually necessary in such a place. These articles he exchanged for pelts taken by Indians and brought to him for trade. Mr Conner had a brother named John then living on or near the present site of Connersville. This brother was the proprietor of a trading post at that point. Both of these men were taken by the Indians when young and detained. This explains their presence among the Indians and also the fact that they had Indian wives. John Conner received his supplies from points along the Ohio River and William Conner received his supplies from his brother John. The furs purchased by William Conner from the Indians were dressed, stretched and then packed in proper form and sent by him by means of pack horses to his brother and in a like manner the goods furnished William by his brother John were transported from John Conner's post to William Conner's post. At that time there was no road leading from this point in any direction. There was an Indian trail leading from the John Conner trading post to William Conner's place by way of the present site of New Castle and Anderson to the mouth of Stony Creek thence down the river to William Conner's place. This was the route over which the supplies mentioned were transported.

The distance from one post to the other was sixty miles over this trail and no settlement between the points all were forests Indians and wild beasts. Soon after the purchase of these lands by the Government the people began preparations for moving to the lands called the new purchase for the purpose of selecting suitable homes to be purchased by them when the lands could be bought. A white man, one Marshal, lived with William Conner a short time before the Conner Indians left. John Conner's Indian children left this man Marshal went with them in the late fall of 1818. My father George Shirts moved his family from or near the present site of Connersville on pack horses to the William Conner place in the month of March 1819. My father made a trip from the William Conner place on horseback to the John Conner trading post at Connersville. On his return trip to this county he was joined by Charles Lacy who came with my father and camped upon an old Indian field now known as the Tunis Gerard farm. Mr Lacy did not bring his family with him. He came for the purpose of building a cabin and putting out a small field of corn. The implements brought with him were carried on his horses pack saddle fashion. On the first day of April 1819, Solomon Finch, his wife Sarah, his daughters Rebeccah, Mary and Alma, and his sons James and Augustus, then living near the present site of Connersville, left their home for the horse shoe prairie two miles southwest of Noblesville. Their route was over the Indian trail spoken of above. "

2. WITHIN ONE MAN'S RECOLLECTION(2); What Was an Indiana Wilderness Has Grown to be a Large City. (NY Times April 3, 1896,) From The Indianapolis News. " Fabius Finch continues to be a consulting member of the law firm of Finch Finch, is among the last of the first settlers of Marion County. He lived within a few miles of this city years before it was chosen as the site of the State capital, or before, perhaps, even a cabin had been erected in what is now Center Township.

Finch wrote in 1896: "When we arrived (in 1814) there was not a cabin built except those at Mr. Conner's trading post and four or five at an Indian village across the river. Most of the money in those days was silver. There were times when William Conner had a good deal of it. He kept his money in a trunk at the head of his bed, and a rifle within easy reach. The trunk would hold a bushel and a half, and I have seen it full of silver dollars. There was little or no thought of thieves then. We were living on the prairie when the Commissioners chosen to locate the state's capitol came to William Conner's place. They were looking to see if it would be an eligible place."

Eagle Creek navigable to the new state capitol

William Conner would have seen a very different Eagle Creek Valley than we know today. In addition to Conner's knowledge of the Miami Indians of the Eagle Creek Valley, Conner would have seen the creek as a navigable waterway connecting it to the new state capitol established in 1820. The Indian Name for Eagle Creek was Lau a shinga paim honnock or Middle of the Valley so called from the beautiful bottoms that extend along it sometimes from two to four miles in width. This may be correct Lawi is the Delaware for middle schingeu means level pern or peem has the force of near or adjoining and hanni is a river.
A few years before Conner's Marion County patent on Eagle Creek, he had established his Hamilton County trading post. I recently discovered this map of Indiana in 1811. In reviewing the map I realized that Eagle Creek would have been second only to White River as a navigable waterway into the state's new capitol. This fact, coupled with his knowledge of trade occurring between settlers and Indians in the vicinity of his Eagle Creek patent, would have made this land patent a compelling opportunity for a second trading post. Page 87

True Indian Stories: With Glossary of Indiana Indian Names

By Jacob Piatt Dunn

Published by Sentinel printing company, 1908

Original from the University of California

Digitized Nov 16, 2007

320 pages

My New Year Report to Clients

My love for the Traders Point area is inspired by its unique place in central Indiana. Occasionally I am asked how I reconcile my work in commercial real estate with my desire to preserve Traders Point. It is not a zero sum game. It is possible for central Indiana to grow and prosper and for Traders Point to remain undisturbed. It takes diligence and I enjoy the balancing act of insuring that we hold onto what is unique and worth preserving. I will let other folks enjoy the traffic jams. So with this background I share with my neighbors a letter I send annually to my clients. For those opposed to all development, or those who just feel we need a time out, you will enjoy the message immensely.

Happy New Year! We have placed 2008 in the rear view mirror much as a motorist does while passing a horrific crash. It is normal for each of us to be concerned about what horrors may be ahead. Commercial Real Estate is experiencing a generational shift downward in value and this deserves some discussion. So I will take the unusual step of sharing my perspective with my clients in a longer than usual New Year Report.

The fall of Lehman Brothers in mid-September was accompanied by a sharp re-pricing of all commercial real estate paper. The TARP which was approved by Congress at the request of the Treasury is recapitalizing the largest banks but they are not lending yet. (The TARP money was even used by PNC Bank to purchase National City Bank). We see no evidence that banks want to loan money for real estate. Their mis-pricing of real estate risk in the past is now causing most lenders to take the TARP money for their own purposes (which have included bonuses). Commercial Banks are now seeking a minimum of 30% cash down payments and in many cases are asking borrowers to move all their banking business to the lender. Smaller community banks appear to be in much better shape but are limited to how much they can lend on a single transaction and tend to favor the loans of less than $2 million for land and building. This is resulting in a stand-off in which basically nothing is happening on the brokerage side of commercial real estate. From my preliminary research, all transactions that closed in Q4 were negotiated prior to September 15, 2008. I had a couple of these transactions and lenders were too far down the road with the borrowers to re-trade the deals (although that didn’t stop them from trying), but even those deals which were structured on the rules in place prior to mid September were difficult to close.

As we move forward we are entering the most dramatic re-pricing of commercial real estate at one time that I have witnessed in my 20+ years in the business. This re-pricing is going to be a slow process for most sellers to get their arms around but I wanted to give you a sense of how it may unfold. First, increasing costs of capital always reduce what Buyers can pay for property. Although interest rates appear to be low, the demands for higher down payments are in excess of cash on hand for most borrowers. Reduced lines of credit further reduce what Buyers can pay. Unfortunately for the Buyers, Sellers are seldom in a hurry to be told what they don’t want to hear, so there will be fewer transactions. Most owners of commercial real estate don’t become motivated sellers unless prices are increasing, so in a declining market we will see fewer sellers. Buyers could be encouraged to offer more to the few who are ready willing and able were it not for the increased credit costs. The sellers who absolutely must sell will be corporations with excess property or lenders who have foreclosed. Neither is interested in seller financing or lengthy sale cycles. This will lead to some dumping and distressed sales. We have not yet seen properties return to lenders in any significant volume so it is too early to know what real impact lender-owned sales will have on the market. In the case of land, only the most heavily leveraged land will be returned to lenders for liquidation. In central Indiana, this has been limited to the production home builders returning platted parcels to the banks. These parcels have been resold for $.25 to$.50 on the dollar, still many times more than the land’s value to a farmer. Buyers of these distressed assets are speculators and most I have talked with have a very long time horizon (and wished they had waited longer to buy anything).

Second, a great deal of brokerage activity in the past decade was related to Section 1031 of the IRS code. The motivation/desire to defer tax on capital gains in real estate encouraged many Buyers to pay more for investment real estate and replacement property than the property may actually have been worth. Now that the air is being released from the 1031 bubble, we will see a dramatic decrease in transactions in general. As fewer sellers enter the marketplace, there are fewer people seeking replacement property. As there are fewer buyers seeking replacement property, there are fewer motivated sellers. It’s a cycle that is not expected to reverse for several years.

There is currently a great deal of “Obama-tism” (a belief that a change in Washington is good regardless of what it does to the national deficit). As Congress and the new president unroll their spending programs, I believe the average taxpayer will support them (unless and until the spending does not produce a turnaround on the local level). Since the majority of all employers have fewer than 20 employees, I believe that local confidence and local employment are key to any turnaround in our national economy. I am calling for lenders to return to the underwriting they have used successfully in central Indiana for years. After all, the national credit crisis was created by one simple fact: in order to increase home ownership, greedy lenders deviated from relying upon the proven metric of annual wages times three equals maximum home mortgage amount. We will not see the bottom of housing prices until our country returns to this metric. In Indiana most lenders stayed true to that proven metric!

There is a silver lining to the turmoil and it is this: we remain the most innovative country on earth and Indiana is one of the strongest if not the strongest of all the states from a fiscal perspective. This is no small feat for a state surrounded by three of the weakest states in the nation. However, for the same reason that we do not need a bailout from Washington, we will probably not see much in the way of pork from Washington to put people to work and thus Indiana may lag a recovery. So why do I remain bullish on central Indiana? I believe our local economy and our state economy are well-positioned for any turnaround that occurs on a national basis. Our infrastructure is sound, our housing is affordable, our markets are accessible, we have a great quality of life, and we have just cut the ribbon on two spectacular new projects: the international airport and the public library. We have health care, higher education, professional and amateur sports and cultural activities that rival cities of much greater size and expense. While I do not believe spending on infrastructure with federal dollars borrowed from our children and grandchildren will change much locally, I do believe our local business leaders are the secret weapon that will propel us ahead in the years to come.

I wish you the best for the coming year and look forward to providing helpful counsel regarding your real estate requirements in central Indiana.


G. Ross Reller
Vice-President
Meridian Real Estate, LLC
9000 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1050
Indianapolis, IN 46240
Direct 317.414-1101
Main 317.875.8888
Fax 317.875.9999
rreller@mresonline.com
mresonline.com

Pike Township is named for explorer Zebulon Pike

http://tinyurl.com/8gy9nn

The chronology of the naming of the 9 townships in Marion County in the 1820s leads me to conclude that Pike Township is one of the many tributes to explorer Zebulon Pike. Occurring simultaneous to the Lewis and Clark expedition, Pike's was not sanctioned by President Jefferson. And there is some evidence that General Wilkinson, who dispatched Pike to find the source of the Mississippi, may have been acting as a spy for a double agent of our government on behalf of Spain. Pike's expedition to New Spain (the American southwest) resulted in many acheivements, including identifying a peak he never climbed. Pike played an important role in our nation's history that deserves further inquiry. The above link is the best accounting I have seen of his life. Pike was not a native of the area but he did fight in the Battle of Tippecanoe. (approximately 20 miles northwest of Traders Point) The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought in 1811 between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and forces of Tecumseh's growing American Indian confederation. The battle took place outside Prophetstown, near present-day Battle Ground, Indiana, and was part of what is sometimes known as Tecumseh's War, which continued into the War of 1812. The battle was an important political and symbolic victory for the American forces. Pike died in the War of 1812.

Here's an excerpt from the above linked website:

In the summer of 1805, while in the midst of conspiring with Aaron Burr at Fort Massac, Wilkinson gave Lt. Pike the difficult assignment of conducting a reconnaissance of the upper Mississippi River. While Lewis and Clark were at the headwaters of the Missouri River far to the West, Pike left Fort Bellefontaine on August 9, 1805, with orders to find the source of the Mississippi, purchase sites from American Indians for future military posts, and to bring a few important chiefs back to St. Louis for talks. He took a force of 20 men on a 70-foot keelboat up the Mississippi, but he had little time to prepare for his trip. There was no interpreter of Indian languages along, no physician or anyone with medical training, and scientific equipment was limited to a watch, a thermometer, and a theodolite (a device to determine latitude).