Marion County, Indiana - Chapter 13: Military Matters, 1884 (part 2 of 2)

The final development of the city as a centre of commerce and manufactures would doubtless have come in time from its natural advantages, if there had been no war and no artificial advantages to hasten it, but 1865 found a breadth and permanence of growth that would not have been found in 1870 if there had been no war. A consciousness of strength was universal, and in the year the war closed, high as taxes were, the citizens petitioned the Council to give subsidies to four railroad enterprises, - the Vincennes, sixty thousand dollars ; the Indiana and Illinois Central (now Indianapolis, Decatur and Springfield), forty-five thousand dollars ; the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western, forty-five thousand dollars ; and the Indianapolis and Cincinnati Junction, fortyfive thousand dollars. The last took its subsidy upon the express condition of locating its machine-shops here, and didn't do it. The Indiana and Illinois Central subsidy was never drawn from the treasury, although many supposed it was. The reorganized company, the Indianapolis, Decatur and Springfield, finished the line to the city very recently, but never claimed the money. That road is now permanently leased to or consolidated with the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western, and the forty-five thousand dollars is a subject of litigation between the trustee of Centre township and the County Board. The trustee wants the township's portion of the subsidy for public purposes, and the question is in court.