Government—All city elective or appointive officers hold a four-year term of office. The administrative department is in the hands of the mayor and the boards and officials ap pointed by him. The city council consists of nine members, one being elected from each of the six councilinanic districts, and three at large. The council is composed of six mem bers representing the party in power and three members of the next largest political party. The city clerk and police judge also are elected for four-year terms. The mayor's appointees are the corporation counsel, the city controller, the chief of police, the fire chief, three mem bers of the board of public works, the three members of the board of public safety, the four members of the board of park commissioners, and four members of the city board of health. Other city officials, serving in departments sub sidiary to those set forth above, are appointed by the mayor through the boards having the supervision of these departments. The board of school commissioners consists of five mem bers elected by popular vote. The board is non-partisan, women being eligible to member ship. The affairs of the school city are sepa rate from .those of the municipality proper, the board having control over its finances, which are provided by special tax levies under State law. Notable improvements in methods of municipal administration are in progress, as a result of a survey and recommendations of the New York Bureau of Municipal Research, made under the direction of the Chamber of Commerce in 1917 and the establishment by the Chamber of a Municipal Bureau in 1918.
Beginning with two or three families in 1819 or 1820, Indianapolis has shown a steady and rapid growth, having a population of 1,085 in 1830; 2,698 in 1840; 8, 091 in 1850; 18,611 in 1860; 48,244 in 1870; 75, 056 in 1880; 105,436 in 1890; and 169,164 in 1900. Since 1900 the increase in population has been still more rapid, the census of 1910 show ing a population of 233,650, making an increase of 38.1 per cent over the figures given in the last official enumeration. The population in 1916 was estimated as 285,000; in 1918 at more than 300,000. In 1890 Indianapolis was 26th in population, and in 1910 it was 22d in the United States.
The first settler, George Pogue, arrived in March of 1819 or 1820. The legis lature of Indiana, meeting at Corydon, by corn mittee selected, in 1820, the site for a State capital, and named it Indianapolis, 6 Jan. 1821.
Another committee laid out the plat. Lots were slowly sold for several years, and the government was actually removed to the new capital in 1824, the first session of the legisla ture being held there in 1825. The first State House, modeled after the Parthenon, was com pleted in 1835. A town government was insti tuted in 1832 under three trustees, a town coun cil was established in 1838, and a city govern ment under mayor and council in 1847. The present metropolitan form of government, with the mayor as the responsible administrative officer and the council as the legislative branch, was adopted in 1891. A volunteer fire depart ment was formed in 1826, which had much help from the State when the capitol building was completed. The first fire chief was appointed in 1853, and the department was changed to a corps of paid men in 1859. The police depart went was first established in 1854. The new i town began to support a newspaper in January 1822, and a church in 1823. The first railroad reached the city in 1847, and several others were completed in the next four years. Their effect upon the town is seen in the large in crease in population. The State capital was the centre of great activity during the War, and there was great expansion in business and manufactures as well as increase in popula tion, most of which was retained. The city did its full share in raising regiments for the War, and is said to have expended a million dollars in contributions, bounties, and war ex penses. Camp Morton, on its outskirts, was first a camp for training soldiers, and later for prisoners of war. The free school system now cited as a model by educational experts, was begun in 1853 with the accumulations of sev eral years of special taxation spent in buildings and grounds. The Citizens' Street Railway charter was granted 18 Jan. 1864. The slaugh tering and packing business, now so large a factor in the city's trade, began its great ex pansion in the Same year. Public improve ments were but few in number until the adop tion of the new charter in 1891.
Indianapolis has numbered among her prom inent citizens Benjamin Harrison, Thomas A. Hendricks, Charles W. Fairbanks, Thomas R. Marshall and others high in the affairs of the government.