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Click on the map to see the neighborhood in 1887
Click on the map to see the neighborhood in 1898
Click on the map to see the neighborhood in 1914
These maps were produced by the Sanborn Map Company to assist fire insurance
companies in assessing risk with insuring properties. They were
produced from 1867-1970 and are drawn at a scale of 50 feet to an inch.
Since street addresses were changed three times throughout the history of
the Ransom Place neighborhood, numbers on these maps are not the currently
used numbers. Maps were produced for more than 12,000 American towns
and can be accessed by clicking
here.
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Ransom Place Historic District, located in downtown Indianapolis, is bounded by West 10th Street on the north, West St. Clair Street on the south, Camp Street on the west, and North West Street on the east. The first lots in the area were platted in 1865 by two printers, Charles P. and J.M. Meikel. A real estate broker, William Y. Wiley followed in 1871. Settlement at this time was limited due to the marshy nature of the White River's floodplain but by 1880 the neighborhood was home to 110 households and 503 residents. Buildings in the area at this time included a Baptist Church and the Caylor Ice Company Stables and Wagon Shed. Population continued to grow over the following ten years; both the church and the ice company were replaced by houses. The population of the neighborhood began to change in the first two decades of the twentieth century, largely due to the "Great Migration" of African-Americans out of the south and into other areas of the country. In this 20 year period, the Ransom Place neighborhood underwent a dramatic shift from being 86% white to 96% African-American. Many of these residents were prominent citizens within the growing black community of Indianapolis, indeed the 800 block of California Street was known as the "Negro Meridian Street" in reference to the city's most prestigious white residential street. Some of these residents included:
Freeman Ransom (828 California Street) Attorney, General Manager for Madam C.J. Walker Company By the 1920's-1930's, Ransom Place and the surrounding area had become a vibrant area rich with African-American culture. Indiana Avenue, adjacent to the neighborhood, became a focal point for African-American owned businesses and entertainment establishments. The Madam Walker Theater, opened in 1927, is still open today and continues to promote African American and multi-cultural arts. Also opened in 1927 was Crispus Attucks High School, an all-black high school. Other important establishments included the Flanner House, a community service organization, the Phyllis Wheatley YWCA, and the offices of the Indianapolis Recorder newspaper. Sadly, the beginning of the Great Depression in the 1930's brought out-migration and an increase in absentee landlords. Many houses in the area fell into disrepair and the neighborhood began to decline. In 1945, the Indianapolis Redevelopment Commission was formed and set about rehabilitating the homes in the area . The district is experiencing revitalization still as part of a joint project of the City of Indianapolis, BOS Community Development Corporation, the Indianapolis Housing Partnership, and MEDIC (Midtown Economic Development and Industrial Corporation). In 1992, Ransom Place Historic District was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. In 1996 and 1997, a well was excavated at 941 Camp Street by Indiana State Archaeologist Dr. Rick Jones. These excavations were among the few African-American archaeological projects conducted in the region. Since 1998 Ransom Place has been the site of a cooperative archaeology project sponsored by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, the Ransom Place Neighborhood Association, and the Indianapolis Urban League. For more information about Ransom Place Archaeology visit our Visitors page.
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