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    Lafayette
    Lafayette
    Lafayette
    Ebook130 pages39 minutes

    Lafayette

    By W.C. Madden and Tippecanoe County Historical Association

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    About this ebook

    Founded as a "River Town" in 1825, Lafayette grew quickly and became a city in 1853. It was named after the famous French general Marquis de Lafayette, who helped America win its independence from England. In its more than 150 years in existence, Lafayette has come a long way. After the city celebrated its centennial, its growth remained stagnant from the 1960s through the 1990s. However, the addition of a Subaru plant and Wabash National changed this and started a movement that has turned the city into a major industrial and population center in the Hoosier state. Its continued economic growth is almost assured with the expansion of several plants and the addition of other companies.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateAug 10, 2015
    ISBN9781439652756
    Lafayette
    Author

    W.C. Madden

    The authors are longtime baseball historians with an expertise in the collegiate game. W.C. Madden has written the College World Series Record Book and The College World Series: A Baseball History, 1947-2003, along with many other titles. John E. Peterson, senior pastor at Bensonvale Covenant Church in Omaha, is the author of The Kansas City Athletics: A Baseball History, 1954-1967.

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      Book preview

      Lafayette - W.C. Madden

      it.

      INTRODUCTION

      Lafayette’s French heritage began before it was named for a French general. In the early 1700s, French fur traders came to the area. These traders established a settlement on the Wabash called Ouiatenon, and France claimed the area and called it New France.

      Then, in 1824, William Digby purchased some land on the banks of the Wabash. He hired a surveyor, who platted his holdings. When the plat was completed in May 1825, Digby named the village Lafayette, after the French general Marquis de Lafayette, who helped America achieve its freedom from England. A year later, Tippecanoe County was created, and Lafayette became the county seat. This assured the city would grow immediately, as the county government built a courthouse to conduct business.

      The town became known as a river city since most transportation to and from it was by water. The population increased until it became a city in 1853.

      Fast-forward to the 1950s, and the city’s population had reached around 40,000. During the 1960s, retailers began moving their stores from downtown Lafayette to shopping centers on the outskirts of the city. As a result, Lafayette formed a redevelopment commission to tackle the problem. Bank One built a skyscraper downtown in 1970. One of the best improvements that the city made came in the 1990s when the railroad downtown was moved to allow for better traffic flow.

      Meanwhile, retailers, automotive dealers, restaurants, and other types of businesses opened up around the successful Tippecanoe Mall. Then, in the 1990s, large box stores opened up on Indiana State Road 26 and Creasy Lane. The Historic Preservation Commission was established in 1993 to create and promote five historic districts in Lafayette: downtown, Ninth Street, South Sixth Street, South Third Street, and Upper Main Local. This assured that Lafayette would retain its historic look downtown. An arts and market district was created there as well, with several galleries and restaurants.

      The future looks bright for retail business in Lafayette, as some businesses have already announced they are either expanding or opening up more stores. For example, Dunkin’ Donuts announced in early 2015 that it is coming to Lafayette in 2016 with some stores; the chain currently has 30 in Indiana.

      The population of the city remained flat from the 1960s to the 1990s, right around 40,000 people. The sleepy Midwest city began to awaken as it began to annex areas outside the city that were starting to grow quickly. Major industries such as Caterpillar, Wabash National, and Subaru settled in Lafayette, resulting in the growth.

      Contributing to that growth is a good transportation system. Interstate 65 came in the 1970s to bring better access to the city. It runs on the perimeter of Lafayette and heads south to Indianapolis and north to Chicago. There are also some US highways and state highways that run through the city, which help add to its appeal as a transportation hub via semitrailer. Trains also run along the same routes, providing another method of shipping.

      Mayor Dave Heath began annexing areas to increase the city’s tax base and bring city services to the new areas. He helped the population rise to 56,397 in 2000, about a 30-percent increase in a decade.

      Then, Mayor Tony Roswarski took over in 2004. He began annexing mostly vacant areas primed for development. Between the two mayors, the city grew far and wide, resulting in more room for industries and residential housing. The population has grown as a result, with more than 67,000, according to the 2010 census, about an 18-percent increase from 2000. And, in 2014, it was estimated that the population was more than 70,000 by city-data.com. Downtown also began to grow again in the new century as new high-rises went up, such as Renaissance Place. Some of buildings were for business, while others were for housing and restaurants. Geographically, the city has grown to 28 square miles in size, according to city planning.

      Mayor Roswarski is happy with the new businesses

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