Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Downtown Indianapolis

Today we will visit the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Downtown Indianapolis.
Soldiers & Sailors Monument/Monument Circle
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is the centerpiece of Monument in downtown Indianapolis and dedicated on May 15, 1902. Retail stores, office buildings, radio and televisions studios surround the Monument.
The monument stands 284 feet tall and is made of Oolitic limestone from Owen County in southern Indiana.
The monument houses the Eli Lily Civil War Museum in the lower level. The museum features exhibits relating Indiana’s role in the Civil War.
After visiting the museum, you will find excellent views of downtown Indianapolis from observation decks just above street level.
The link to watch the entire video is in the description of the video

From the Book
East Central Indiana Day Trips

Transcript:

Greetings, today we will visit the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Downtown Indianapolis.
Soldiers & Sailors Monument/Monument Circle
Inside the Memorial visitors will find the Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum

The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is the centerpiece of Monument in downtown Indianapolis and dedicated on May 15, 1902. Retail stores, office buildings, radio station and televisions studios surround the Monument. The monument was built using a design commissioned to Bruno Schmidz of Berlin, Prussia. The monument stands 284 feet, six inches tall and is made of Oolitic limestone from Owen County in southern Indiana.

Numerous sculptures surround the monument. German designer Bruno Schmitz designed the monument, expanding on a design commenced by Alexander Ralston’s 1821 plan. Governor Oliver Morton proposed the idea for the Monument. The Indiana General Assembly created a commission to build it in 1888. The Commission staged an international competition to pick artists to construct the monument. Renowned artists and architects Bruno Schmitz, George Brewster, Nicholas Geiger and Rudolf Schwarz designed various aspects of the cascading fountains, sculptures of sailors and soldiers, and other features of the magnificent monument. The memorial became a symbol of not only Indianapolis, but the State of Indiana as well.

The monument houses the Eli Lily Civil War Museum in the lower level. The museum features numerous exhibits relating Indiana’s role in the Civil War and the stories of some of these soldiers. Opening in 1999 the museum derives its name from Eli Lily, one of Indianapolis’ leading business man.
Eli Lily (July 8, 1838 – June 6, 1898)
The son of Gustavus and Esther Lilly, Eli was native to Baltimore, Maryland. \Their abolitionist viewpoint at odds with the slave state, Maryland, the family migrated to Greencastle, Indiana. After the move, Eli enrolled in Asbury University, now Depauw. During his time in the University, Lily also worked as an apprentice at a printer’s shop, serving as a printer’s devil. After his graduation, he traveled to Lafayette to visit an uncle.
Apprentice as a Druggist
While there, he visited the Good Samaritan Drugstore, where the rows of bottles and fragrant herbs fascinated him. He decided to stay in Lafayette and get a job in the store. He worked there for four years, gaining his certificate of proficiency, Lily moved on to work for Perkins and Coons in Indianapolis, then returned to Greencastle to open his own drugstore in 1861.
Marriage and War
After beginning his store, he and Emily Lemon married. The couple would have one son. Soon after he opened his store, the Civil War broke out. Eli, a fervent abolitionist, enlisted in the 21st Regiment of the Indiana Volunteer Militia. After mustering, the army sent the unit to garrison a harbor port in Baltimore. Bored with this duty, Lily resigned his commission and returned to Indiana. During his six month absence, his wife Emily had given birth to their son. He studied artillery, then petitioned Governor Oliver P. Morton for permission to form an artillery unit. Morton granted him permission, so Lily formed the Eighteenth Indiana Battery of Light Artillery. This unit became known as the Lilly Battery and served as a part of the “Lightning Brigade,” the 17th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, commanded by fellow Hoosier Colonel John T. Wilder. His unit saw extensive service during the war. A confederate force captured him in 1864. He remained a prisoner until January 1865, when the Confederates paroled him. He returned to service, serving garrison duty near Vicksburg. During this time the army promoted him to Colonel. At the end of the war, he mustered out.

He and a business partner leased a 1400-acre cotton plantation near Port Gibson, Mississippi. Lily moved his family there. The plantation suffered setbacks, his family all caught malaria, which Emile died of. Heartbroken, Lily returned to Greencastle with his son.

He sought employment in Indianapolis and found it at the Harrison Daily and Company, where he worked until 1867. That year he formed a partnership with an army friend. The men opened a drug store in Crawfordsville. While at Crawfordsville, Eli met, and married Maria Cynthia Sloan. The couple would have one daughter. Restless, Eli dissolved the partnership in 1876 and moved back to Indianapolis. His application for work at drug manufacturer Augustus Kiefer was refused. Kiefer instead encouraged him to open his own business. Lily took the advice, opening his new business on May 10, 1876. His business would grow into a world leading drug store with thousands of employees.
After his death he was interred at Crown Hill Cemetery
Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, Section 13, Lot 19.

Visiting the Monument
After visiting the museum, you will find excellent views of downtown Indianapolis from observation decks just above street level. From here you can see the impressive tall buildings surrounding the circle and obtain great scenes down north and south Meridian Street, East Market Street towards City Market and West Market as it looks directly at the Indiana State Capitol Building. You may then either climb the 330 stairs; or take the elevator for a stunning vista of the city from the top of the monument.
The Soldiers and Sailors Monument is located at the intersection of Meridian and Market Streets in downtown Indianapolis.
To find more information about the monument and current operation hours, visit:
Soldiers and Sailors Monument
https://www.in.gov/iwm/soldiers-and-sailors-monument/
The episode is based upon my book, East Central Indiana Day Trips, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is the fifth book in the 9 volume Road Trip Indiana Series. The books include all the historical markers, as of 2022, in Indiana with the text and back story. The books also include a nearly complete listing of virtually every tourism destination in the state. The destinations include parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys, wineries and much, much more. I encourage you to visit the web site and subscribe to it. If you like what I am doing, please purchase a book, as it helps fund my work.
You can find my books locally at the at the Romweber Marketplace in downtown Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.