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About Archivist

I am pleased you have expressed interest in learning more about the historic Traders Point area in Indianapolis, Indiana. From 1980 to 1982 I was employed in the PR department at Conner Prairie Museum in Hamilton County. There I learned about William Conner, an important figure in Indiana's pioneer days. A decade later I became interested in the history of the Traders Point area and was surprised to learn that William Conner had been the first land owner in the area. In 1823 he acquired, through the Federal land office in Brookville, a patent for an 80 acre tract carved by Eagle Creek and an Indian trail that was about to be named the first toll roadway through the township (Lafayette Road). Thirty years later a village took shape within this tract. A grain mill on the creek, houses, churches, stores, restaurants, and two gas stations would take shape here in the creek valley hamlet of Traders Point. By 1962 all improvements (except a farmer's co-op) had been removed by the Indianapolis Flood Control Board to make way for Interstate 65 and a new reservoir. This blog is dedicated to preserving evidence of this historic area but I will occasionally use it to discuss related topics. To activate this follow, simply click the confirm button below. If you don't want to follow, ignore this message and we'll never bother you again. I am also a member of the Old Pleasant Hill Cemetery, a non profit association still selling burial plots for those who would like to spend all eternity in Traders Point, and I am an officer in the Pike Township Historical Society and the Traders Point Association of Neighborhoods.

Old Pleasant Hill Cemetery Info

The web address for Old Pleasant Hill Cemetery is www.ophc.info Old Pleasant Hill Cemetery is located within Traders Point, one of the oldest and most scenic areas in Indianapolis.  The cemetery dates to the 1820s.  It is a final resting place … Continue reading

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Ford Bridge construction to begin in 2012

Ford Bridge construction to begin in 2012.

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Traders Point Creamery Christmas

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Plate glass photos (circa 1905) of Pike Township, Marion County, Indiana life

http://s969.photobucket.com/home/piketwphistory/allalbums Great news.  I have just completed the process of photographing the Stevens glass plate collection.   These plates were found in the basement of Maxine Steven’s house by her son J.K.   He recently loaned them to me so that I … Continue reading

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Dear Traders Point Area Resident:

Several years ago a group of concerned citizens living west of 465 and north of Eagle Creek Park organized an association (TPAN) to address the opportunities and threats facing residents within the Traders Point area. Meeting irregularly at the West … Continue reading

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Eagle’s Edge, 8140 Moore Road

      Eagle’s Edge ,8140 Moore Road, The Samuel Dowden House, is currently owned by Dennis and Patti Smith. It was built in 1930 for Attorney Samuel Dowden and has since been owned by several prominent Indianapolis doctors and … Continue reading

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Traders Point and “the most famous man in America”: Henry Ward Beecher

Many know that the first pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis, Henry Ward Beecher, would go on to influence Abraham Lincoln and gain world re-known fame as a leader in the temperance movement.   Son of famed theologian Lyman Beecher, Henry was … Continue reading

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Traders Point Indians- Another Story of Pioneer Life: The Stolen Horses by Jerry Reade (1822)

  Artist Cassilly Adams (born 1843) died in Traders Point in 1921 (Indiana American – March 27, 1869) Grandfather drew his chair nearer the fire and began: ” I well recollect the time.  It was in 1822 and in the … Continue reading

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Henry Ward Beecher and Traders Point

Today during a visit to the Pike Township Historical Society Archives I was researching the history of the two-room brick school house that had once stood within the northeast corner of Lafayette and Moore Roads.   I had recently been shown a … Continue reading

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Fortune Farms breaks ground for new barn

A new barn will soon appear on Moore Road as part of Fortune Acres, a new organic farm in the Traders Point area. The barn will house equipment and livestock and will have office space in one end. The structure, … Continue reading

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