Indiana History Series – Mossy Feet Books

Indiana and the Civil War

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Indiana played a huge role in the Civil War. The state supplied the second highest number of troops, per capita, that fought in the war while Indiana governor Oliver Morton was a strong political ally of President Abraham Lincoln.

The book will be released sometime in 2121.

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Short History of Railroads- Indiana Edition

Short History of Railroads- Indiana Edition

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Learn about the first United States train robbery as well the story of Indiana’s trains, electric traction railways and accidents. The book includes an extensive listing of train museums in the Hoosier State.
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Short History of Libraries, Printing and Language – Indiana Edition
Short History of Fire Fighting – Indiana Edition
Short History of Railroads- Indiana Edition

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Short History of Fire Fighting – Indiana Edition

Short History of Fire Fighting – Indiana Edition
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Learn the story of the fire fighters, companies and fire towers in Indiana. The book includes the histories and locations of the Hoosier State’s remaining fire towers and a full listing of the fire fighting museums in the United States and Indiana.
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Short History of Libraries, Printing and Language – Indiana Edition
Short History of Fire Fighting – Indiana Edition
Short History of Railroads- Indiana Edition

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Sample Chapter – Short History of Libraries, Printing and Language – Indiana Edition – Early Indiana Libraries

Sample Chapter

Short History of Libraries, Printing and Language – Indiana Edition

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Early Indiana Libraries
December 03, 1806 – Vincennes Library Company Established
The Indiana Territorial Assembly passed an act that established the Vincennes Library Company on December 3, 1806. The Vincennes Library Company formed an important cultural development in the frontier areas of the Indiana Territory. Private citizens contributed to the establishment and maintenance of the library. At the time of its formation, Vincennes had approximately 700 residents, including French and Amerindians. The Library grew; by 1823, the collection included 1023 volumes.
The 1816 Indiana Constitution and Libraries
Prior to Indiana’s admission to the Union as a state in December 1816, forty-three delegates assembled at the territorial capital at Corydon to draft a constitution for the state in June 1816. Article IX of this document dealt with schools, libraries and developing a penal code. Section 5 dealt with public libraries. The text is included below:
Sect. 5. The General Assembly, at the time they lay off a new County, shall cause, at least, ten per cent to be reserved out of the proceeds of the sale of town lots, in the seat of Justice of such county, for the use of a public library for such County, and at the same session, they shall incorporate a library company, under such rules and regulations as will best secure its permanence, and extend its benefits.
The delegates to the convention in Corydon that drafted Indiana’s first constitution in June, 1816 drafted a resolution on June 18, 1816 that stated:
“That it be recommended to the general assembly of the state of Indiana, to appropriate the money voluntarily given by the citizens of Harrison county to the state, to the purchase of books for a library for the use of the legislature and other officers of government; and that the said general assembly will, from time to time, make such appropriations for the increase of said library, as they may deem necessary.”
The capital of the Indiana Territory had moved to Corydon from Vincennes in 1813 in anticipation of achieving statehood. At the time, Corydon was nearer the center of population for the proposed new state. The legislature did nothing further to establish the State Library until they moved to the new capital at Indianapolis in 1825. On February 11, 1825 the legislature created the Indiana State Library, appropriated funds for its establishment and designated the Secretary of State as the State Librarian. In 1841 the legislature established the library as a separate instruction and in 1867 they placed the library in the care of the Indiana Supreme Court. in 1895 they appointed the State Board of Education as the State Library board. This move proved key to its expansion in later years and to the spread of public libraries across the state.

Short History of Libraries, Printing and Language – Indiana Edition

Short History of Libraries, Printing and Language – Indiana Edition

Description:
The Short History of Libraries, Printing and Language tells the story of printing, language, books, writing and libraries. Learn about the development of ink, papyrus, parchment, paper and the story of Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press. This Indiana Edition relates the history of early Indiana libraries, the Indiana State Library and Indiana library laws.
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Origin of Language
Writing Materials
Writing Instruments
History of Ink
History of Books
Library – Etymology and Definition
The First Libraries
Ancient Libraries
Greek Libraries
Roman Libraries
House of Wisdom
Libraries of the Middle Ages
Renaissance Libraries
Subscription Libraries
Private Libraries
Circulating Libraries
National Libraries
Library Company of Philadelphia
New York Society Library
Library of Congress
Carnegie Libraries
The 1816 Indiana Constitution and Libraries
Early Indiana Libraries
Carnegie Libraries in Indiana
1947 Indiana State Library Law
Indiana State Library
Library Services and Construction Act
Indiana Library Associations
Library Associations Around The World
United States Library Associations
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Mossy Feet Books Catalogue
Sample Chapter 1
Indiana’s Timeless Tales – Pre-History to 1781
Illinoisan Glacier Boundary

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Sample Chapter – Short History of Roads and Highways – Indiana Edition – Forks of Wabash

Sample Chapter
Short History of Roads and Highways – Indiana Edition
Forks of Wabash
This historical marker in Huntington, County notes the location of an important portage road that linked the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River.
Title of Marker:
Forks of Wabash
Location:
Business US 24/ W. Park Drive, east of SR 9 junction, Huntington. (Huntington County, Indiana)
Installed by:
Society of Indiana Pioneers
Marker ID #:
35.1972.1
Marker Text:
The junction of the Wabash and Little rivers, 100 yards south, was the western terminus of the Maumee-Wabash long portage and, in 1835, of the first section of the Wabash and Erie Canal. During the 18th century French and English traders passed this way and, in 1778, Henry Hamilton brought 171 British troops and 350 Indians with 40 boats through the portage en-route to retake Fort Sackville at Vincennes. Three Miami villages were located here and Chiefs Richardville and LaFontaine once lived here. The Forks was the scene of many Indian councils and the Miami Treaties of 1834, 1838 and 1840.
Brief History by the Author
During the late Seventeenth Century the Miami tribe controlled one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in the Ohio River Valley. The area between the St. Mary’s River and Wabash River proved the shortest portage point between two great waterways, the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. The portage, or “carrying place” in French, allowed travelers moving by water access to the Mississippi River from the St. Lawrence River and beyond. The French utilized the portage, at the pleasure of the Miami, during their early explorations into the North American interior. The Miami realized the importance of the portage, as it had been used by Amerindian tribes for centuries. The tribe allowed their friends, the French, to use it, after paying a toll.
The Importance of the Portage
Traveling by canoe, a traveler could voyage from Lake Erie up the Maumee River to the junction of three rivers, the Maumee, St. Joseph and St. Mary’s. From the junction, the route turned southeast on the St. Mary’s to the portage point. Canoeists needed only carry their canoes a short distance, which varied by the season of the year, only a few miles from the portage point on the St. Mary’s River to the Wabash. Once in the Wabash a traveler could journey down the Wabash to the Ohio and on to the Mississippi. The French used to portage point to move goods from their colonies in New France to New Orleans. The Amerindians used it to move the furs they collected to their trading partners further east. All these travelers had to pass through the lands of the Miami Indians, who collected a toll from everyone.
Fort Wayne
Realizing the importance of the spot where the three rivers joined, the French established a trading post near the junction in 1715, followed in 1722 by a fort. The English also occupied the site after driving the French from North America at the conclusion of the French and Indian War. General Anthony Wayne built another fort on the junction during the Indian Wars. Many of the treaty negotiations between the Amerindians and the United States took place there. The portage maintained importance until the 1830’s, when the Wabash-Erie Canal made it unnecessary.

Sample Chapter – Short History of Roads and Highways – Indiana Edition – Mammoth Internal Improvements Act

Sample Chapter
Short History of Roads and Highways – Indiana Edition

January 16, 1836 – Assembly Passed Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836
The Indiana General Assembly passed what many hoped would be a financial boon for the developing state of Indiana. Instead, the Act led to financial ruin.
The State of the State in 1836
When Indiana became a state in 1816, the state was a vast network of forest, prairie, rivers and streams. White settlement clung to the southern counties along the Ohio River, with a sliver of settlement along the Wabash River in the west. Amerindian tribes still claimed the northern two-thirds of the state. By the 1830’s, the situation had not changed much. Indianapolis, the new state capital, was a muddy pioneer settlement along the White River. The southern counties had access to the Ohio River, the only good means of transportation. Since only the Wabash River was navigable, other parts of the state had no access to reliable transportation systems. The only roads were a loose, unorganized network of trails cut through the wilderness. The state had begun construction on the Michigan Road, slated to be a main artery between Lake Michigan and Madison on the Ohio River, but construction would not finish until the 1840’s. The Buffalo Trace provided a rough highway from Vincennes to Clarksville. By 1830, Indiana had a population of about 600,000 people. Tax revenues for the state totaled around $50,000.
Tax Revenue
Indiana had two sources of tax revenue in 1830, property taxes and poll taxes, each providing about half the state’s revenue. Indiana and other states admitted to the Union after 1803 were prohibited from taxing land purchased from the federal government for a period of five years. Thus, by the mid 1830’s, vast areas of land that it could not previously tax were entering the tax base. In addition, land sales remained high in the state during the period, so more lands would continually enter the revenue stream. Indiana expected to double its tax revenue in just a few years. Moreover, anything the assembly could do to increase land values would increase tax revenue. This was especially true if the state switched to a different tax system. The state used a per acre tax system, placing a greater tax burden on agricultural land. The state switched to an ad valorem system in 1835, which permitted the state to tax both land and personal property at a rate based on its assessed value. This system reduced the burden on farmers and increased it on merchants, homeowners and manufacturers.
The Geographic Quandary
The rising star of transportation in the early 1830’s were canals. New York had great success with the Erie Canal and there were other examples. Railroads had not yet become mainstream. Thus, most states had canal construction projects. The problem with canals is that they are geographic specific in the benefits they bestowed and widespread in the taxing requirements to produce the revenue to finance them. The assembly struggled for years over this problem. How to tax everyone in the state for a canal that would only benefit one geographic region was the unanswerable question. The answer seemed to be, build them all at once and jump-start an economic boom everywhere in the state. This is what the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836 sought to do.
Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836
Signed into law by Governor Noah Noble, the act was meant to be his crowning achievement. The law authorized the Indiana Central Canal, the Whitewater Canal, the Wabash and Erie Canal, the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, paving the Buffalo Trace and Michigan Road. The bill provided for a Board of Internal Improvement, which was authorized to borrow up to ten million dollars, based on the good faith and credit of the State. Jubilant celebrations took place all over the state with the passage of the bill. Governor Noble was cautious because the Assembly had passed the spending portion of his program, but had not followed his tax increase recommendations.
Too Much at Once
The aims of the law, while noble, were much too ambitious. Construction of canals is an expensive business. Construction of the Whitewater Canal was impaired by a flood that washed out much of the completed work. Many of the sites slated for canal construction were in reality not suitable sites. Then the Panic of 1837 set in.
Panic of 1837
This complex event created an economic depression that lasted from about 1837 until 1842. The multiple causes were questionable lending practices in the Western United States, restrictive lending policies enacted by Great Britain and falling agricultural prices. The period before 1837 had been a period of intense economic growth. During this time the prices of cotton and other commodities rose. Land prices also increased. The Bank of England noticed a decline in cash on hand in 1836. They raised interest rates in an attempt to attract more cash. When the Bank of England raised its interest, it forced banks in the United States and other nations to raise their rates. This, along with other events, caused land and cotton prices to fall. The chain of events this set off triggered a depression that caused profits, prices, and wages to fall and increased the unemployment rates. It was not until 1843 that the economies of the major countries rebounded.
Tax Revenues Fall, Then Disaster
The conditions induced by the Panic created an economic depression. Land values fell, as did tax revenues. Instead of having more revenue to work with, the State found itself with less. By 1841, tax revenues were $72,000 while interest payments on the debt reached $500,000. The State was bankrupt. The State had not completed any of the slated projects. It was left to Madison’s James F.D. Lanier to use his financial wizardry to convince creditors to take over the projects for a fifty percent reduction in the debt. Creditors were only able to complete two of these projects. Lanier also aided the state with two loans totaling one million dollars. The State managed to repay it by 1870.
Thus, what many consider the biggest legislative debacle of all time ended.

Short History of Roads and Highways Indiana Edition

Short History of
Roads and Highways
Indiana Edition
Short History of Roads and Highways – Indiana Edition

Description:
From the first rude ridgeways to the modern interstate superhighway, the evolution of the road is a fascinating story. Readers will learn the progression of roads from the first ridgeways, roads in the ancient world, Roman roads and the development of the revolutionary McAdam Road. Native Americans developed an extensive system of trails for both trade and war. The Short History of Roads and Highways – Indiana Edition includes information on early Amerindian trails, pioneer traces and the beginnings of the modern Indiana highway system.
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Sample Chapter
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Introduction

Evolution of Road Building Materials

Historic Roads

Native Roads and Wildlife roads in North America

Old Pioneer Roads

Post Road from Madison Portland, Maine, to Savannah, Georgia

The 1807 Gallatin Plan

The Bonus Bill – 1817

The American System 1820

Maysville Turnpike Act of 1827

Panic of 1837

Named Highways

Good Roads Movement

Office of Road Inquiry

American Motor League

The Horseless Age

American Automobile Association

Office of Public Roads

Questions Over Constitutionality of Federal Road Construction

American Association of State Highway Officials

Federal Aid Road Act of 1916

1919 Military Caravan

Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921

Pershing Map

Uniform Signage Introduced

United States Highway Numbering System Approved

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1938

German Autobahns

Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944

Federal-aid Highway Act of 1956

Classifications of Roads

Indiana Edition

Indiana Amerindian Trails

Indiana Pioneer Traces

National Road 1829 – Indiana’s First Superhighway – the Michigan Road

Napoleon-Brookville Road

Indiana Roads Prior to 1850

January 16, 1836 – Assembly Passed Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836

Indiana Roads Between 1850 and 1900

Automobiles and Bicycles Fuel Demand for Better Roads

Lincoln Highway

March 07, 1917 – Act Authorizing Main Market Highways Signed

1919 – Indiana State Highway Commission

Indiana Highway Time Line

Sample Chapter – Short History of Museums – Indiana Edition – Corydon State Historic Site

Sample Chapter

Short History of Museums – Indiana Edition

Corydon State Historic Site

Corydon Capitol State Historic Site
The Indiana Territory Legislature contracted with Dennis Pennington to build the new Territorial capitol at Corydon. Pennington was a builder and prominent citizen of Corydon and served as Speaker of the House. He began construction of the building in either 1811 or 1812. The building would serve as the Harrison County Court House at first, then as the territorial capitol when it moved to Corydon. When the legislature did move in 1813, they met in the building.
The Capitol
Pennington used limestone quarried nearby to construct the building, which was two stories tall and forty feet square. The two and a half foot thick stone foundation delved three feet into the earth and supported the two-foot thick stone walls. The lower room had fifteen-foot ceilings, the upper floor ten feet. One large fireplace on each floor provided heat. The cost to build the capitol was $1500.
The First Legislature
The first General Assembly consisted of 29 representatives, 10 senators and the lieutenant governor met in the building in November 1816. Indiana received Statehood on December 16, 1816. Corydon remained the State Capital until 1825, when it moved to the new city of Indianapolis on the White River in the center of the state. After the capital move to Indianapolis, the building became the Harrison County Courthouse. Harrison County renovated the building in 1873, covering the stone floors with wood and closing the fireplaces. In 1917, the State of Indiana purchased the building with the intent of preserving it. Harrison County built the current courthouse in 1929 and the State took over the building. The State renovated the building to its original condition.
The Corydon State Historic Site commemorates the history of Indiana’s first state capitol. Visit the federal-style limestone building that was built between 1814 to 1816 and served as the state capitol from 1816 to 1825. Tours also include Governor Hendricks’ Headquarters, a two-story federal style brick house built in 1817 which also served as Governor Hendricks’ home while he was governor of Indiana from 1822 to 1825. The site is very informative and rich with history. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Mondays and on some holidays. Winter hours vary. For current hours and information, contact:

Corydon Capitol State Historic Site
Address
202 E. Walnut St.
Corydon, IN 47112
812-738-4890
https://www.indianamuseum.org/corydon-capitol-state-historic-site

Sample Chapter – Short History of Museums Indiana Edition – Levi Coffin Home

Sample Chapter

Short History of Museums – Indiana Edition

Levi Coffin Home

Levi Coffin State Historic SiteTitle of Marker:
Levi Coffin
Location:
113 US 27 North, Fountain City. (Wayne County, Indiana)
Installed by:
Installed: 2002 Indiana Historical Bureau and Levi Coffin House Association, Inc
Marker ID #:
89.2002.1
Marker Text:
Side one:
Levi Coffin (1798-1877), a Quaker abolitionist, lived in Newport (now Fountain City) with his family 1826-1847. Moved from North Carolina because he and his wife, Catharine, opposed slavery. Advocated, and sold in his store, free-labor products not produced by slaves. House built circa 1839; designated a National Historic Landmark 1966.
Side two:
Coffin’s Reminiscences (1876) documented work in Underground Railroad and antislavery movement. The Underground Railroad refers to a widespread network of diverse people in the nineteenth century who aided slaves escaping to freedom from the southern U.S.
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Short History by the Author
Levi Coffin (October 28, 1798 – September 16, 1877)
The only son of Quakers Prudence and Levi Coffin Sr, Levi had six sisters. The family lived on a farm near New Garden, North Carolina. Coffin became opposed to slavery at an early age and by the time he reached fifteen years old he began helping slaves escape their owners. This was a common activity for Quakers in the region. For a short time Levi operated a school for slaves, teaching them to read the bible. The authorities soon made him stop this activity. The slave owners of North Carolina became enraged at the Quakers and began persecuting them, finally driving them from the state. Many moved to Indiana and Levi’s family was among them. Levi made an exploratory trip to Indiana in 1822 and determined that he wanted to move there. He and Catherine White married in 1824 and moved to Indiana in 1826 with their new born son Jesse.
In Indiana
The family settled in Newport, Indiana. the city has since changed its name to Fountain City. Levi purchased a plot of ground to farm and a year after that opened a store. Levi discovered that the town was on the route of the Underground Railroad and began assisting slaves in their flight, using his home to shelter and hide them. His business at first suffered, because many boycotted it because of his activities, but soon this passed and he began to prosper. He was able to make an investment in a local bank and as a result, became a director. His newfound prosperity enabled him to fund his Underground Railroad activities. Historians estimate he helped over 2000 escaped slaves flee to freedom. Pressure to halt his activities continued and he received death threats. In spite of the pressure, he continued to hide and shelter runaway slaves.
Ohio
In 1847 Levi moved to Cincinnati to manage the Western Free Produce Association. This was a business that would only deal with merchandise not associated with the slave trade. Supply problems plagued this business and it struggled for years. He had rented his Newport business out and it continued to serve runaway slaves. Meanwhile, he used his connections to aid escaping slaves in the Cincinnati area. When the Civil War ended he raised money for the Western Freedman’s Aid Society, an organization that sought to help the former slaves adjust to freedom. After the Fifteenth Amendment passed he retired to his Avondale, Ohio home where he passed away in 1877. Levi Coffin State Historic Site
The State of Indiana purchased the home in 1967. After completing the restoration work, the home was opened to the public. The Indiana State Museum operates the Levi Coffin Home through the Levi Coffin House Association as a State Historic Site. Visitors may tour the eight room home, designated as one of the top twenty-five historic sites in the United States. The home contains much of the original furnishings from the Coffins and the Newport Community. For more information about the Levi Coffin Home, visit:Levi Coffin State Historic Site113 U.S. 27 NorthFountain City, IN 47341Phone: 765-847-2432manager@levicoffin.org