Old News: Moving the capital from Corydon to Indy
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The Old Capitol Building, Indiana's first state capitol, in the Corydon Historic District circa 1960. Photo: Harvey Meston/Getty Images
Welcome back to Old News! A new series where we zoom in on Indianapolis' past to highlight the iconic events, entities and individuals that tell the Circle City's story.
Indianapolis has been the state capital for 200 years. But the title of Indiana's first capital belongs to a town just north of the Ohio River in the state's southern tip.
Driving the (old) news: In 1816, the Indiana General Assembly met for the first time in Corydon.
- The Harrison County town was selected as the second capital of the Indiana Territory in 1813, and graduated to state capital when Indiana gained statehood three years later.
- But as the 1820s approached, the rest of the state was settled, and the town's position in the far south was considered a hindrance.
- A bill to make Indy the state capital was signed in 1824 and went into effect on Jan. 10, 1825.
The intrigue: Making the roughly 132-mile move to establish the new capital wasn't easy in the 1820s.
- First-person accounts from Indiana State Treasurer Samuel Merrill and his family tell the tale of a challenging two-week trek marred by weather, sickness and inconsistent lodging along the way.
Zoom in: The Indiana Historical Society is celebrating the bicentennial of Indiana's capital moving with a new exhibit called "Making a Capital in the Wilderness."
- "The exhibit is not just about the politicians who created the capital. It is about the Indigenous tribes who lived on the land before white settlers came," reads the event's description. "It is about the free African-American families who came to live in and around Corydon. It is about the experiences of the people who lived in a new territory, a new state and the two new capitals in the wilderness."
If you go: The exhibit is open through June 7, 450 W. Ohio St.
- 10am-5pm, Tuesday-Saturday.
- Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and $5 for kids ages 5-17. Kids under 5 get in free.
- Park for free in the IHS lot off New York Street.