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Theodore Roosevelt in Indiana photograph collection

 Collection — Folder: SP151
Identifier: SP151

Scope and Contents

This collection includes black-and-white photographs taken during the Henry W. Lawton statue dedication in Indianapolis, Indiana. The photographs show the dedication ceremony in front of the courthouse and President Roosevelt addressing the crowd, as well as the parade and procession to or from Vice President Fairbanks' house. The images also include snapshots from the gathering at the house earlier in the day. There are also 3 clippings from newspapers showing scenes from Roosevelt's 1907, 1910, and 1918 visits to Indiana.

Dates

  • 1907/05/30; 1957-1971

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Historical Note

President Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 30, 1907 and traveled by carriage through the city in a procession to the home of his vice president, Charles Fairbanks, for a luncheon where he met with several local public figures such as authors Meredith Nicholson and James Whitcomb Riley, politicians Governor Hanly, Thomas Taggart, Albert J. Beveridge, Harry S. New, Jesse Overstreet, and more.

That afternoon, members of the party attended the dedication of the Henry W. Lawton statue in front of the old Marion County Courthouse. Roosevelt gave a well-received speech to a crowd of 40,000 to 60,000 people in front of the Marion County Courthouse, along with governor, and Riley read his poem, "The Home Voyage." Lawton's widow and daughters attended the event.

The Lawton statue, sculpted by Andrew O’Connor in 1906, was later moved and rededicated in the Sunken Garden Garfield Park in 1915.

Roosevelt also visited Indianapolis on June 11, 1918 to promote Americanism and support the War Savings stamp campaign. The 1971 clipping in the collection incorrectly identifies a photograph as beign from Roosevelt's June 11, 1918 visit, despite the presence of Charles W. Fairbanks, who died in a few days earlier on June 4th. The two images were taken during the 1907 visit when the president and vice president traveled by horse-drawn carriage to Fairbanks' home.

Sources:

Arts Council of Indianapolis. "Henry Lawton Monument." Indy Arts Guide. Accessed November 5, 2021. https://www.indyartsguide.org/public-art/henry-lawton-monument.

"City Gives Executive Chief Rousing Welcome and Pays Soldier Tribute." Indianapolis Star, May 31, 1907, 1, 3. Accessed November 5, 2021. ProQuest.

Findagrave.com. "Charles Warren Fairbanks." Find A Grave Memorial. Accessed November 9, 2021. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/323/charles-warren-fairbanks.

"Lawton, Greatest Hero of Indiana." Indianapolis Star, May 26, 1907, 17. Accessed November 5, 2021. ProQuest.

"London Will Honor Sculptor Whose Statue of Gen. Lawton Stands Here." Indianapolis Star, May 26, 1931, 3. Accessed November 5, 2021. ProQuest.

"Roosevelt War Message Stirs Thousands Here." Indianapolis Star, June 12, 1918, 1, 8. Accessed November 9, 2021. ProQuest.

Extent

0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by subject.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Existence and Location of Copies

Digitized materials are available online in the ISL Digital Collections (http://digitalcollections.library.in.gov): https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll13/id/3271/rec/6

Related Materials

Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN:

SP106: Henry W. Lawton statue dedication photographs

SP014: English family photograph collection

OP0: General oversize photograph collection *People--Roosevelt, Theodore: Theodore Roosevelt and gathering at Charles W. Fairbanks home, 1907 *Indianapolis Buildings: Theodore Roosevelt dedication of Lawton monument, 1907

OBC197: Theodore Roosevelt, Civil War General Henry Lawton statue dedication, hand-colored photograph

OBE011: Lois York oversize collection

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2021/11/05 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid revised 2021/11/05 by Brittany Kropf.
Title
Theodore Roosevelt in Indiana photograph collection
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671