At the heart of any one of the weekly printed thin copies of “This Week in Indianapolis,” readers would find a map of Indianapolis, touting “key points of interest.”
While we are better served today by multiple pages of maps, so much is there to do in Indianapolis of 2014, 50 years–more and less ago– the city’s attractions could be whittled down to a page.
Check out this one from 1966:
Or if you prefer it by list:
Any surprises here? Any you miss, wish were still around, or that need to make a comeback? Do tell.
This is pretty remarkable to see the difference between 1966 (when I was in high school) and today.But, in 1966 there was a different vibe. Everyone had a job because businesses could flourish downtown. Today, it is much easier to move your business to the burbs or another country.
What interests me the most about this map is some of the roads. I think most of us interested in Indianapolis history know about SR 100, the first attempt at a perimeter road, and the cancelled extension of 69 from Castleton into the North Split, which is shown as under construction (or planned?) on this map.
There are two things on the map that I haven’t seen or heard of before, though.
First, it looks like there’s marking for a planned extension of Lafayette Road south from its end at 16th Street to what looks like the Harding / Morris / I-70 interchange. Do you guys know anything about that? Doesn’t seem like it would have been of much use to anybody, although maybe more traffic would have changed the fate of some of those old neighborhoods that decayed on the near Westside — if they didn’t get clobbered for the street itself.
Also — and maybe this one is more answerable — the listing of Michigan Rd as Northwestern Ave (Michigan Rd) is intriguing. As Michigan Road was one of Indiana’s first, we know that’s its original name; but when was it changed to Northwestern Ave within Indianapolis? And when was it re-renamed? (unrenamed?)
Love these old maps, although this isn’t that old (for some of us). Neat to see “Road 100”. I’m not familiar with SR434 (71st St.)
I remember Rt. 100 well. I lived in Broad Ripple in 1966. Driving north on College put you “out in the country” by the time you reached Rt. 100.
I wonder what the missing numbers on the Key were. Points no longer of interest? Points of interest no longer there?
Ben- Michigan Road is also labeled as Southeastern Av on this map. The Michigan Road was originally a state road between Mich City and Madison, I believe. Maybe the NW Av/Southeastern Av was just a device to tell which part of the Michigan Road you were on when crossing thru the city.
The snapshot just before the interstates is interesting – also the jagged dotted line is the city boundary that is now Indianapolis Public Schools district gives us a view before city-county government.