Guns at Fort Ben Boom in Salute

From The Indianapolis Times, Saturday, August 4, 1923: Thirteen guns at Ft. Benjamin Harrison boomed at sunrise today in honor of President Warren G. Harding who died two days ago. Throughout the day a gun fired at half hour intervals in salute to the dead President and at sunset tonight the highest military salute, that of the Union, will be given when forty-eight guns are fired. Tomorrow, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts will hold memorial services at the Soldier and Sailors Monument and all Indianapolis civic clubs are asked to hold services. The flag at the Boy Scout camp was lowered to half-staff and tonight’s concluding events of the French fete sponsored by the Irvington American Legion Post were canceled. Local organizations at regular or special sessions adopted resolutions expressing sorrow over the nation’s chief executive’s death.

“Guns at Fort Ben Boom in Salute,” The Indianapolis Times, 4 August 1923, p. 1:3

East Side Enjoys 'Red Letter Day'

One Hundred Years Ago – From The Indianapolis Star, Thursday, June 28, 1923: Yesterday’s “Red Letter Day,” sponsored by the East Side Commercial Association, was a great success. Businesses in the area bounded by Emerson Av, Michigan St, Sixteenth St, and the Monon tracks were closed while proprietors gave support to the celebration’s events. Front porches along Parker Av were decked with flags and the street and sidewalks were a boiling mass of humanity of all ages with all eyes on the pushmobile, bicycle, roller skate, and wheelbarrow races. Other events included the girls’ tug of war, the girls’ nail driving contest, and a baby contest. In place of a cancelled balloon ascension, high-dive performer Capt. Wanamaker ascended a ninety-foot ladder and made a death-defying dive into a net. The festivities ended with dancing in Parker Av to the music of the Blue Devils Orchestra.

“East Side Enjoys ‘Red Letter Day’,” The Indianapolis Star, 28 June 1923, p. 3:3

City Council Kills Anti-Mask Ordinance, 6 to 2

One Hundred Years Ago – From The Indianapolis Star, Tuesday, June 19, 1923: Last night the Indianapolis city council voted 2 to 6 to defeat a proposed ordinance that would prohibit the wearing of masks in public by anyone except on Halloween. A crowd of nearly 1,000 citizens, mostly made up of members of the American Unity League who supported the measure aimed at the Ku Klux Klan, jeered and hissed following the vote. Democrats Otto Ray and William Clauer voted “Aye” and Republicans Theodore Bernd, Ira Bramblett, Lloyd Claycombe, Ben Thompson, and John King along with Democrat Heydon Buchanan voted “Nay.” Councilor Buchanan’s name appeared in the anti-Klan paper Tolerance as a member of the secret organization. Councilor Ray said, “It is a serious political mistake made by Republican members to vote against this; you will find out how disastrous it will be later.”

“City Council Kills Anti-Mask Ordinance, 6 to 2,” The Indianapolis Star, 19 June 1923, p. 1:7