Military Park is the oldest public park in Indianapolis,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

, covering . It is located in western

downtown Indianapolis Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Ma ...

. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on October 28, 1969.

History

The grounds of Military Park, originally called Military Ground, have seen various uses since the founding of Indianapolis in 1820. The first documented celebration of Independence Day in the city occurred at Military Ground on July 4, 1822. The United States Congress officially gave the land to the state of Indiana in 1827 for use in training the local militias. Prior to 1860, its greatest use for militia training was for the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...

in 1836.Bodenhamer 1008 ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs In accordance with the 1851 Indiana Constitution, the land that forms Military Park cannot be sold; only

Monument Circle The Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument is a tall neoclassical monument built on Monument Circle, a circular, brick-paved street that intersects Meridian and Market streets in the center of downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. In the years s ...

and half of the

Indiana State Capitol The Indiana Statehouse is the List of state capitols in the United States, state capitol building of the U.S. state of Indiana. It houses the Indiana General Assembly, the office of the Governor of Indiana, the Indiana Supreme Court, and other st ...

grounds share this distinction. The first

Indiana State Fair The Indiana State Fair is an annual state fair that spans 18 days in July and August in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. The Indiana State Fair debuted in 1852 at Military Park in Indianapolis and is the sixth oldest state fair in the U.S. It is th ...

was held at the park in October 1852. The site continued to be used whenever the fair was held in Indianapolis until 1860 when the fair was moved to what would later become Camp Morton during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. Stalls and exhibition halls were built on the grounds for the fair, surrounded by a large wooden fence. The state fair made one last appearance on Military Park in 1863. During the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

soldiers were encamped at the park. Governor

Oliver P. Morton Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton (August 4, 1823 – November 1, 1877), commonly known as Oliver P. Morton, was a U.S. Republican Party politician from Indiana. He served as the 14th governor (the first native-born) of Indiana during the Amer ...

renamed the park Camp Sullivan, after the 13th Indiana Infantry's

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

Jeremiah C. Sullivan Jeremiah Cutler Sullivan (October 1, 1830 – October 21, 1890) was an Indiana lawyer, antebellum United States Navy officer, and a brigadier general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was among a handful of former Navy officers ...

. It was the first designated camp for the Federal army in Marion County, Indiana. However, this use severely damaged the grounds, due to the different troops entering and leaving Camp Sullivan, as it was a marshaling center. Following the war, efforts by local resident George Merritt started to improve the grounds, with the addition of a fountain and a small pool with a rock foundation of considerable size. Relics from the war and playground equipment were also added, as was a pavilion that still stands.

William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan (March 19, 1860 – July 26, 1925) was an American lawyer, orator and politician. Beginning in 1896, he emerged as a dominant force in the Democratic Party, running three times as the party's nominee for President ...

was notified that he would be the Democrat nominee for the Presidency of the United States on August 7, 1900. The two-hour rally was preceded by a march by the candidates from Indianapolis's

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

. In 1916, the park was renamed Camp Sullivan Park. Between

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the park began to deteriorate. On October 28, 1969, the park, again known as Military Park, was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The park continued to deteriorate until 1980 when the

Lilly Endowment Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and among the largest endowments in the United States. It was founded in 1937 by Josiah K. (J. K.) Lilly Sr. and his s ...

and Krannert Charitable Trust granted funds for its improvement. In 1979, it became part of

White River State Park White River State Park is an urban park in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Situated along the eastern and western banks of its namesake White River, the park covers . The park is home to numerous attractions, including the Eiteljorg Museum of A ...

. In 2007, the park's shelter house was renovated for over $700,000.Shelter House at Military Park Gets a Makeover – Newsroom – Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick

References

External links

{{Indiana in the Civil War Parks in Indianapolis Historic districts in Indianapolis National Register of Historic Places in Indianapolis White River State Park Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Indiana State Fair

History

See also

References

External links