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Convention Preamble
by Gregory Crowell
When one thinks of Indiana, visions of cornfields, racing cars, or basketball hoops perhaps spring to mind. The truth is, however, that although these things are indeed important icons of the Hoosier State, the area has a rich and varied history, and is perhaps underappreciated as the home of a number of fascinating organs of great historical and artistic value.
The City of Indianapolis will serve as the home base for this convention. Situated on the shallow White River, the city is one of the most populous urban areas in the world on a non-navigable waterway. Though the city was slow to grow (by the mid-1820s there were only 1,000 people), it soon became a major center of industry. The influx of German immigrants in the nineteenth century did much to add to the city's resources, and by the Civil War the city had become an important center for the manufacturing of supplies to support the Union war effort In 1881 Indianapolis became one of the first states in the country to install electric street lights. By the early twentieth century, Indianapolis was quite prosperous, and the magnificent mansions that line North Meridian Street still give witness to the exquisite taste and endless resources of many of the city's wealthier residents. Although Charles H. Black's 1891 invention in Indianapolis of the first internal combustion gasoline engine was not an unqualified success, the city eventually became an important center of automobile manufacture-it was here that such legendary cars as the Stutz, Duesenberg, and Cole were made. Of course, that tradition of automobile worship lives on at the Indy Speedway (which dates back to 1909), home of the famous Indy 500 race. Those interested in automobile history are encouraged to visit the Speedway's museum, where a fascinating collection of historical racing cars dating back to 1911 can be viewed.
Indianapolis is also notable for the beauty of its architecture and layout Indeed, Eagle Creek Park is, at 4,000 acres, one of the largest urban parks in the country, and the Garfield Park Conservatory is also one of the largest and most beautiful of its kind. At Lockerbie Square one can stroll through the streets and admire the restored nineteenth-century homes, soaking...