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The Village Heritage By Lois Lovell for the Zionsville Historical Society Revised by Edie Kellar Mahaney Dir. P.H. Sullivan Museum April 1994 Though still a wilderness, Indiana petitioned for statehood in April 1816 and was admitted to the Union in December of that year. It was the early 1820's before settlers pushed north of White River into the central part of the state. One of the earliest white settlers who came to Boone County in 1823 was Patrick Sullivan. He raised his family in the first log house built along the banks of Eagle Creek near Zionsville. By 1830, Boone County had been laid out and David Hoover, another early settler, was appointed clerk for the new probate court. His home, overlooking Big Eagle Creek, was used for sessions of the court. Not only was Hoover's home the court house, but it was also the church and one of three polling places in Boone County for the national election of 1832. In January 1831, Polly Hoover was married to Elijah Cross. It was the first marriage in the new county, and it took place in Polly's home, which appropriately, also was her church and court. David Hoover died in the 1836, but his daughter and son-in-law remained in the locale and played an important part in the formation of the village. The area showed little growth until 1852 when the Cincinnati, Indianapolis & Lafayette Railroad laid tracks across the Cross-Hoover lowland. Elijah Cross realized the importance of this historic event and contacted his friend and practical surveyor William Zion, in the new county seat Lebanon, and asked Zion to lay out a town using the railroad as the focal point. Zion plotted the town to be about a half-mile square with the eastern edge following the creek and the southeast corner following the bend. The railroad bisected the eastern side of the village and separated the business district of Meridian Street, later Main Street, from the residential section of the west. The town was to be named for Cross's wife Mary, but when she heard of her husband's choice she declined the honor. At a loss for a name, Cross asked the surveyor Zion to use his. Thus, the village was named Zionsville. Quickly the town grew: Settlers even moved their homes intact across Eagle Creek from nearby Eagle Village. A sawmill, a gristmill, a distillery and a creamery were built along the banks of Big Eagle Creek. A harness shop and a general store were built along the south end of Main Street. Being a convenient day's travel from the state capital Indianapolis, Zionsville became a popular stopping place for travelers. An inn was built, which gained renown for its delicious meals and cheerful hospitality, and became the center of social events in the village. About 1858 a school was needed, and a fine two-story clapboard building was erected. Several churches also were built. In 1860, a newspaper began publication and has survived as the Zionsville Times Sentinel, the local news media today and it is the oldest publication in the county. Also about this time, the citizens realized another need and built a log jail, used primarily for corralling Saturday night merry-makers. The day before his 52nd birthday, President-elect Abraham Lincoln stopped in the village on his way to Washington and his inauguration. When the train arrived, the tall, angular gentleman emerged from the west side, took a few steps to the station platform and spoke to the crowd of villagers who had gathered in what is now Lincoln Memorial Park. The Civil War brought additional growth to the village. Clay pits were prevalent near the town. A brick kiln was built and supplied bricks for much of this growth in both Zionsville and the surrounding area. One of the most unusual homes built during this period was that of Philander Anderson, the banker. The house was octagonal and featured a beautiful spiral staircase. None of the interior rooms were square, which presented problems when Mrs. Anderson attempted to furnish the home. The 22-room home remained a village showplace for more than 80 years. With the war over, the village looked toward the future. In 1866 it became incorporated and took up the task of municipal government. By 1868 a new school named "The Academy" was built. It was said to be the finest in the 'west'. The two-story, brick building contained four rooms on the ground floor for the elementary classes and the upper story was used for a three-year high school. It is the present site of the Zionsville High School Varsity Gym. Late in the 19th Century, Zionsville became known as a cultural center with the organization of Zion Park Assembly Chautauqua. Personalities such as Albert J. Beveridge, a Republican leader who became Indiana's leading progressive reformer and William Jennings Bryan, a famous orator from Washington, D.C., regularly appeared before the assembly on the banks of Lake Como, the present site of Eagle Elementary School. Later, when vaudeville became the national craze, Zionsville remodeled its town hall, built in 1902, into a theater which became a regular stop on the circuit. Nearing the end of the century, Zionsville was a typical Indiana farm town. Slowly, the new inventions changed the village. No longer was it necessary for business to locate near Eagle Creek. The millraces disappeared; business moved north along the Main Street. The original clapboard school was sold, the upper story removed and placed on a new foundation, and both buildings housed businesses for many years. Progress raced forward. In 1901 the speedy interurban railway raced down the center of Main Street, and Zionsville was only minutes away from the state capital. Demand for speed caused the New York Central to move its tracks to the west edge of the town, but the village remained essentially a pleasant Midwest farm community. Not until the post-World War II growth of once distant Indianapolis threatened the village's very identity did the villagers take action. Although the Zion Park Assembly is no more, culture remains an important part of the village with the founding of the P.H. Sullivan Museum in 1973, and the opening of Munce Art Center in 1981, the Women's Symphony Group in 1992, and the dedication of the new Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Library in 1994. Civic organizations including The Zionsville Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, Rotary, Historical Society and several other clubs and sororities, flourish in the community. Most major church denominations are represented in the area and residents enjoy a well-equipped park, a nature park, a private swim-club and a nine-hole golf course. Surrounded by a countryside of rural tranquility and beauty, the village of Zionsville and its nearby neighborhoods have been transformed into a picturesque community with enjoyable dining, delightful shopping and opportunities for a visit or a lifetime. *Highlights added.