Traders Point Christian Church Cross Raising

Perhaps the most enduring symbol of the Traders Point community has been the Traders Point Christian Church. For many in central Indiana it may be their first and only introduction to the term “Traders Point”. Thousands of members past and present have participated in baptisms, weddings, and funerals from inside its walls. The church has influenced many through educating youngpeople; starting with a pre school that has evolved into an accredited academy, the school within the church building educates several hundred students annually in grades K-8.

Started in a small log cabin on the banks of Eagle Creek in the 1850’s, relocation has been a constant theme of the church. Whether caused by growth in membership, or the frequent flooding of Eagle Creek, Traders Point Christian Church has been no stranger to relocation. But until recently they were always able to stay within the general neighborhood of Traders Point, Indiana. After a decade of trying to find a site for growth in Pike Township, the neighborhood anchor relocated to Boone County from its perch atop Lafayette Road at Moore Road in the summer of 2006.

A new chapter in the life of an important area landmark was marked on February 26. 2006, when hundreds of members witnessed the raising of the cross at the new site. Those in attendance noted that shortly after the cross had been attached to the new structure, a rainbow appeared.

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About Ross Reller

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.
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