150 Years of Lawrence History
From a wilderness stop along a Native American trail in 1823,
Lawrence, Indiana, has evolved into an important destination
community in northeast Marion County. Lawrence is one of the
"Excluded Cities"—allowed to retain its city government when the
rest of Marion County adopted a unified government structure in
1969.
But while "excluded," it is also "included" as the residents of
Lawrence also vote for the mayor of Indianapolis (as county
executive) and maintain representation on the Indianapolis/Marion
County City-County Council.
The first platting of the city
was a triangular tract bounded by 42nd Street, Franklin Road and
Pendleton Pike in 1849. The settlement was first called Lanesville.
Other names were tried, including Jamestown after the founder James
White. In 1866, the Marion County Commissioners approved the name
Lawrence—also the name of the surrounding township—after the Naval
hero of the War of 1812, Captain James Lawrence, who is best
remembered for the command, "Don’t give up the ship!"
The village became a town by the vote of 600 citizens in 1929.
Growth was steady and sure. By 1940 the population of Lawrence was
1,048. Following World War II, the numbers of citizens rose
dramatically. The population stood at 1,999 residents by 1950. A
special census in 1956 showed 7,863 residents, and talk began of
incorporating as a "fifth-class" city.
Morris Settles was the extremely popular first Mayor of Lawrence,
serving the city for 24 years (1960-1983). He guided the new city
through the arrival of still more residents (10,126 by 1960). But
while Lawrence was growing, so was nearby Indianapolis, and the
clever Settles foresaw the inevitable clash of interests between the
large and small cities within Marion County.
When Robert Sterrett became
Mayor of Lawrence in 1984, the population was nearing 20,000, and
the status of the City of Lawrence had been clearly defined within
the Unigov framework by the Indiana State Legislature. His efforts
to meet the community’s explosive growth (attracted by excellent
schools and a safe family atmosphere) provided a challenge that
simply no one in Lawrence government had experienced before.
Thomas D. Schneider became Mayor of Lawrence in 1988, seeking and
implementing solutions to the increased demands for water, sewers,
street maintenance, trash collection, police, fire and EMS services
created by both new and established residents.
The sudden end of the Cold War brought about the closing of Fort
Benjamin Harrison, the city’s largest employer. Strong
public-private cooperation has made the redevelopment effort a model
for base closure activities throughout the US Department of Defense.
The population of the City of Lawrence is expected to exceed 35,000
during the Year 2000 Census. A beautiful State Park and championship
Pete Dye golf course exist within the city’s boundaries. A new
Lawrence Government Center sits opposite the park entrance and marks
the first city center the community has ever had. Hopes run high
that the development and revitalization of the City of Lawrence will
continue with the same energy and success that have marked the
achievements of recent years.
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