Indianapolis

Lore & Background

Indigenous peoples inhabited the area dating to as early as 10,000 BC. Under the Treaty of St. Mary's (1818), both the Lenape and the Miami Nation relinquished their tribal lands in central Indiana. The Miami Nation of Indiana (and its branch, the Miami Nation of Oklahoma) held primary claim to the territory, which forms part of Cession 99. In 1821, Indianapolis was established as a planned city for the new seat of Indiana's state government. The city was platted by Alexander Ralston and Elias Pym Fordham on a grid. Completion of the National and Michigan roads and later arrival of rail solidified the city's position as a major manufacturing and commercial center. Since the 1970 city-county consolidation, known as Unigov, local government administration operates under the direction of an elected 25-member city-county council headed by the mayor.

In Their Own Story

The arena is still humming. You can feel it in the soles of your shoes, a low vibration from the PA system cycling through the pre-game montage. The smell is specific—warm hardwood polish, the faint sweetness of concession-stand popcorn drifting up from the lower bowl, and underneath it all, the clean metallic tang of the court being wiped down for the fourth time that evening. A ball boy in a red warmup jacket bounces a game ball near the baseline, the thud-thud-thud echoing off the upper deck where a few hundred fans are already in their seats, clapping in unison to no particular rhythm, just to feel the sound fill the space. On the court, the Pacers' logo is a red and white target, and the hardwood gleams under the lights like it's been lacquered a second time. Somewhere in row 23, a kid in a size-too-big Miller jersey is pressing his face against the glass, watching the players do their pre-game stretches, and his mother is filming it on her phone, narrating to the camera like it's the most important thing she's ever recorded. The arena breathes. The city breathes with it. And in a few minutes, the lights will dim, the crowd will rise, and the Pace will start again.

Reader's Guide

Indianapolis anchors the 28th largest metropolitan economy in the United States. Prominent industries include trade, transportation, and utilities; education and health services; professional and business services; government; leisure and hospitality; and manufacturing. The city has notable niche markets in amateur sports and auto racing. As of 2019, Indianapolis has been home to two major league sports teams, three Fortune 500 companies, eight university campuses, and numerous cultural institutions, including the world's largest children's museum. The city's international reputation rests primarily on the Indianapolis 500, the world's largest single-day sporting event. Among the city's historic sites and districts, Indianapolis is home to the largest collection of monuments dedicated to veterans and war casualties in the United States outside of Washington, D.C.

Did You Know?

• The name "Indianapolis" is derived from pairing the state's name, Indiana (meaning "Land of the Indians"), with the Greek suffix for "city."
• Jeremiah Sullivan, justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, is credited with coining the name Indianapolis.
• The first European Americans to permanently settle in the area that became Indianapolis were either the McCormick or Pogue families.
• Indianapolis became an incorporated city effective March 30, 1847.
• Indianapolis Union Station was the first of its kind in the world when it opened in 1853.