Richmond, Indiana

Richmond, Indiana is a city in eastern Indiana, near the border of Ohio. It is sometimes called the "cradle of recorded jazz" because some early jazz records originated there at the studio of Gennett Records, a division of the Starr Piano Company. Richmond is the county seat of Wayne County. As of 2000 the city's population was 39,124.

History

Richmond was settled along the East Fork of the Whitewater River in 1806 by Quaker families from North Carolina. John Smith and David Hoover were among the earliest settlers. Richmond is still home to several Quaker institutions including Earlham College and the Earlham School of Religion.

Related Topics:
Whitewater River - 1806 - Quaker - North Carolina - Earlham College - Earlham School of Religion

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Richmond has a rich cultural heritage and was at one time believed to be the smallest community in the United States with a professional opera company and symphony orchestra. The Whitewater Opera has since closed its doors but the Richmond Symphony Orchestra is a source of community pride. Joseph E. Maddy formed the first complete high school orchestra in

Related Topics:
Whitewater Opera - Richmond Symphony Orchestra - Joseph E. Maddy

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Richmond in the 1920s. Maddy went on to found what is now known as the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

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A significant group of artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries came to be known as the "Richmond Group." The list of artists includes John Elwood Bundy, George Herbert Baker and John Albert Seaford among others. The Richmond Art Museum has an outstanding collection of regional and American art. Many consider the most significant painting in the collection to be a self portrait of Indiana-born William Merritt Chase.

Related Topics:
Richmond Group - John Elwood Bundy - George Herbert Baker - John Albert Seaford - Richmond Art Museum - William Merritt Chase

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Richmond was once known as "the lawnmower capital" because of the lawn mowers manufactured there from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century. Manufacturers included Motomower Dille-McGuire and F&N.

Related Topics:
Motomower - Dille-McGuire - F&N

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After starting out in Union City (a short distance to the north) a large manufacturer known as the Wayne Works was moved in Richmond. Wayne was a manufacturer of horse-drawn vehicles, including "kid hacks", a precursor of the motorized school bus. Beginning in the early 1930s through the 1940s, several automobile designers and manufacturers were located in Richmond. Among the automobiles manufactured there was the "Richmond" which was built by the Wayne Works, the "Rodefeld", the "Davis" and the Crosley.

Related Topics:
Union City - Kid hack - Automobile - Crosley

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In the 1950s, Wayne Works became Wayne Corporation, a well-known bus manufacturer, and relocated to a site adjacent to Interstate 70 in 1967. The company was a leader in school bus safety innovations, but closed in 1992 during a period of school bus manufacturing industry consolidations.

Related Topics:
Wayne Corporation - Bus - Interstate 70

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Richmond was known as the Rose City because of the many varieties once grown there by Hills Roses in several sprawling complexes of greenhouses. The company once had about 34 acres under glass. The Richmond Rose Festival honored the rose industry and was a popular summer attraction.

Related Topics:
Rose - Greenhouses

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Richmond is located on the National Road, which became part of the system of National Auto Trails. The highway is now known as U.S. Highway 40. One of the extant Madonna of the Trail monuments was dedicated at Richmond on October 28, 1928. The monument sits in a corner of Glen Miller Park adjacent to U.S. 40.

Related Topics:
National Road - National Auto Trail - U.S. Highway 40 - Madonna of the Trail - October 28 - 1928

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On April 6, 1968, several downtown blocks were destroyed or damaged by a massive explosion and fire, killing 41 people and injuring more than 150. As a result, the main street through downtown was closed to traffic and the Downtown Promenade was built in 1972 (and later expanded in 1978). The five-block pedestrian mall was later torn down and the street reopened to traffic in 1997 as part of an urban revitalization effort.

Related Topics:
April 6 - 1968 - 1972 - 1978 - 1997

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