Take a trip back in time... On Christmas Eve, 1824, a twenty-two year-old river man traveled to Crawfordsville with his savings and purchased land on the banks of the Wabash River for his new town. His name was William Digby and the town was Lafayette. He platted it in May of 1825 and sold it three days later, making an $8 profit. Business has been good in downtown Lafayette ever since.
He platted his town on a grid system and it extended from the river to what is now 6th Street and North Street to South Street. He designated a public square that became the Courthouse Square when Lafayette was named the county seat in 1826. Within a few years, the settlers had cleared the area from the river to the public square and about a block to the north and south. Streets and paths were created at random by citizens who owned property and would clear the way through the trees and underbrush from his house to a particular destination. Marshes and ponds were scattered throughout the town. One pond was large enough to be called Lake Stansbury. In 1836, the town board hired an engineer to grade the town, levy a tax on each lot, and authorize the town Marshall to dig up the stumps in the public square. The public market area was started in the 1830s and 5th Street, between Main and Columbia, has been its home ever since. The first true courthouse was built in the public square in 1845. At this time the city wharf was located about a block from the square and so was the Wabash & Erie Canal. The canal had arrived in the early 1840s and the railroads about 10 years later. The population in the 1840s was around 2,000 people. A distinct commercial district developed around the public square. Workers tended to live in the area around the canal, the river, and the factories along the riverbanks. Businessmen lived primarily in the areas close to the square. Most of the buildings around the square were two or three stories. The ground floors were usually used as retail stores and the second and third floors were used for offices, wholesale businesses, or residences. Offices around the square included bankers, railroad administrators, doctors and lawyers. It was not unusual to see pigs and cows roaming the streets of this active downtown area. The 1850s through the 1870s were certainly an expansion period here in Lafayette. Transportation was an important part of the city’s success. Farmers had expanded their markets; manufacturing businesses could receive supplies and ship their products. It also became a wholesale trade center and traveling salesmen were often in town to "put up" at the numerous hotels around or near the square. In 1870 the population had grown to over 13,000 residents and there were more than 200 businesses in the general vicinity of the Courthouse Square. Street railways were soon providing transportation to the downtown. Businesses and homes began to move away from the river and commercial area. Purdue opened on the west side of the river and increased development began in that direction. However, the downtown historic area remained largely intact. Most of the buildings were built in the 19th century, many are Italianate design, of brick construction, and two or three stories high. Today, as in years past, our downtown area remains the heart of our city. |
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Historic Centennial Neighborhood
www.historiccentennial.org
Historic New Chauncey Neighborhood
www.newchauncey.org
Historic Ninth Street Hill Neighborhood
www.ninthstreethill.org
Historic Perrin Neighborhood
www.perrin-neighborhood.org