Sign In

Alexander Ralston's Famous Plan for Indianapolis, Fifteen Years On.

This extremely rare 1836 map of Indianapolis, published by William Sullivan (the town's first civil engineer) and William Woodruff, offers a detailed view of the young city's layout and development. Enhanced by contemporary manuscript notes, the map combines practical urban planning information with decorative elements, showcasing the city's aspirations and rapid growth just 15 years after its founding as Indiana's state capital.

The map's core layout reflects the original 1821 plan designed by Alexander Ralston, a Scottish-born surveyor who had previously worked with Pierre L'Enfant on the plan for Washington, D.C. Ralston's design for Indianapolis centered on a mile square grid with a circular plaza at its heart, from which four diagonal avenues radiated. This plan, influenced by Enlightenment ideals of urban design, provided a rational framework for the city's growth and development.

Sullivan and Woodruff's map expands upon Ralston's initial concept, illustrating how Indianapolis had grown beyond its original boundaries in just over a decade. It presents the city's grid-like street layout in detail, with numbered blocks and lots reflecting its planned nature. The map showcases the enduring influence of Ralston's design while also depicting the city's adaptation to natural features and evolving needs. The White River, curving along the western edge, is shown influencing the city's shape and future development patterns.

The map and accompanying manuscript notes provide valuable insights into Indianapolis's ambitious canal projects of the 1830s. A pencil mark along Missouri Street, identified in the notes as representing a canal under construction, refers to the Central Canal, part of the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836. The notes also mention proposed cross-cut canals and reservoirs for mill purposes, reflecting the city's broader plans to harness waterpower for industrial growth. These annotations offer a glimpse into the optimistic spirit of infrastructure development that characterized many American cities during this era. While not all of these ambitious plans would come to fruition due to financial challenges in the following years, they demonstrate Indianapolis's aspirations to become a major industrial and transportation hub in the Midwest.

A striking feature is the circular diagram in the lower left corner, centered on an engraving of the State Capitol building. Surrounding this are concentric rings containing information about Indiana's counties, their distances, and directions from Indianapolis. This innovative design efficiently conveys geographic information while emphasizing Indianapolis's central role in the state. Other notable elements include the map's focus on houses of prominent local residents and a small vignette seemingly depicting a train reaching the town through a narrow valley.

The first map of Indianapolis, A Plat of the Town of Indianapolis, was published by H. Platt at Columbus, Ohio in 1821.

Manuscript Notes

The manuscript notes provide additional context to the map's content. The writer addresses William Chauncey Fowler ("W.C. Fowler", a Professor of Chemistry and Natural History at Middlebury College) discussing specific lots in Square 50, predicting their increasing value due to proximity to planned canals. His optimistic outlook on property values and population growth - projecting an increase from 4,000 to potentially 10,000 residents within six years - aligns with the broader trend of rapid urban expansion in the American Midwest during this period. The writer's tone is one of boosterism; at one point, he strongly warns Fowler against selling any of the lots.

The Thursday, October 29, 1846 issue of the State Indiana Sentinel records that F.C. Fowler's lots 1,2, and 3 of block 50 had been sold for back taxes the prior day.

Writing in the late 1830s, the writer says, "This Map is scarce." If that was the case then, just imagine how rare it is today!

Transcription:

W.C. Fowler

N.B. The pencil mark along Missouri Street represents the Canal now being excavated. The pencil mark running west through Square 50 represents a crosscut canal extending to a reservoir or basin for mill purposes. The reservoir is marked as you see at the extremity of the cross-cut canal. The marks on the west side of the reservoir represent mill houses. From this reservoir running south is another canal extending south to another reservoir for the same purposes. These reservoirs and cross-cut canals are in project. Your lots are Nos. 1, 2, 3 of Square 50. The cross-cut canal will take off a part of lot No. 3.__ so one of the Engineers just told me. But it will give it an increased value which will more than compensate for what is taken off. Your lots are valuable. Their situation renders them so. They will be in the very centre of business. They are now worth more than $500, apiece or each. I advise you not to sell them yet for anything. They will continually increase in value. This town containing about 4000 people will in six years contain nearly... nearly [an]d perhaps more than ten thousand. At any rate you must visit this place before [you s]ell those lots I have [exa]mined the records and find your deed properly recorded; and I shall ever, my dear [friend be?] zealous to prom[ote] your interest. This Map is scarce. I found this with a friend of mine and dirty as it is I se[nd it t]o you

Rarity

No records in RBH nor in OldMaps.com. We locate examples in the Indiana Historical Society; Indiana State Library (acquired circa 1911-12; see The Indiana Magazine of History 8, no. 1 (January 1912): 147–148.); and Indianapolis Public Library.

Not in Phillips Maps.

The Indiana State Library has various manuscripts and archival materials related to Sullivan and his map (see OCLC 1000519907).

The original Sullivan manuscript map is at the Indiana Historical Society.

Provenance

From a descendant of William Chauncey Fowler.