a history of carmel · preservation of the great american songbook in the facility. the city hosts...

1999The Children’s Art Gallery, established in the Carmel Arts Council Bicentennial House in 1998, is named world’s smallest of its kind by the Guinness Book of Records.

The Carmel Clay Library moves to new 116,000-square-foot facility at 4th and Main Streets.

2000 Population: 37,773.

2001

2004Groundbreaking for Central Park.

The inaugural Tour de Carmel bicycling event is held.

2005A proposal for the Center for Performing

Arts is announced. 2006The Carmel-Clay Veterans Memorial, created by sculptor Bill Wolfe, is dedicated near the reflecting pool in the City Center.

Indiana becomes a state.

A HISTORY OFCARMEL

1822First pioneer families move into the area.

1823Hamilton County established.

1820sTown of Mattsville evolves.

1832Pleasant Grove community started by Isaac Sharp (present Home Place).

1783Northwest Territory acquired by U.S.

1800Delaware Indians present and Indiana

boundaries established.

1983Dedication of new gazebo at Flowing Well Park.

1987Carmel Sesquicentennial Celebration.1988

Dorothy Hancock (1988-1991) begins her mayoral term. Hancock

oversaw rapid growth in the area and community-building activities.

199696th Street Bridge opens connecting Clay Township businesses and residents with the rapidly growing Fishers community.

The Vision 2020 Community Survey is completed.

James Brainard begins the first of his mayoral terms. His administration is noted for its longevity, continuing the place-making movement, promoting the concept of the New Urbanism for a walkable city, and an interest in increasing community diversity and environmental sustainability.

The first roundabout intersection is constructed.

1997Carmel wastewater treatment plant

wins Best in its Class Award from Environmental Protection Agency.

Hazardous Household Waste site opens.

1998The first section of Hazel Dell Parkway

opens a north-south thoroughfare in the east end of Clay Township.

City Center plans are announced.

The first International Arts Festival is held, celebrating a growing diverse international

population in Clay Township.

1992Community conflict arises over proposed tax hike to fund expansion of Carmel High School.2

1993Residents object to construction of affordable housing.3

The Museum of Miniature Houses opens on Main Street.4

The Carmel Arts Council is established.

Flowing Well Park opens as a city park after improvements by the Carmel Rotary Club and a 1991 land donation

by American Aggregates.5

Michael Graves designs the distinctive Thomson Electronic headquarters on the

North Meridian Business Corridor.

The Main Street Revitalization Project begins.

A Sister-city relationship with Kawachinagano, Osaka, Japan is initiated.

Carmel Fest moves to Civic Square.

1994

1833First school built by Isaac Sharp.

1837Village of Bethlehem founded.

1846First post office; given the name Carmel.

1853White Chapel Church built.

1869 Eller Covered Bridge erected.

1914Carmel Carnegie Library opened.

1874Bethlehem officially incorporates as the

town of Carmel. 1882Monon Railroad built through Carmel.

1883Monon

Railroad Depot constructed. 1887

Carmel School built.

1900Carmel population: 498.

1921New school built for grades 1-12.

1904First electricity in town (streetlights).

1937Carmel population: 632.

1950 Carmel began first significant growth of

population to 1,009. 1954Boundary of Clay Township moved from Range Line Road east to the White River Aug. 1.1957

Metropolitan school district of Clay Township organized.

Eller’s Bridge destroyed by fire Oct. 6.

1958New Carmel High School began construction (410 students at the time).

1965 Keystone Avenue opened, sparked

rapid growth of Carmel.

1980The U.S. Decennial Census population of Carmel is 18,072.

Jane Reiman (1980-1987) is elected Carmel’s first female mayor. Her two terms are marked with infrastructure

improvements and an emphasis on long-term city planning.

1923 First stoplight invented by local inventor

Leslie Haines; installed at Main and Range Line Rd.

1816

1903Interurban constructed through town.

Blue School built.

1974 Population: 13,484.

1986Groundbreaking for Carmel Civic Square.

1990Carmel population: 25,380.

New City Hall opens.

Interlocal park agreement is signed by City of Carmel and Clay Township, setting the groundwork for combined city-township parks department.

1828Kinzer cabin built.

Moffitt house built.1829 Indianapolis-Peru road surveyed (now

Range Line Rd./Westfield Blvd.)

1861-1865Civil War.

1865First turnpike road through town (now Range Line Rd.); toll charged to travelers.

1995Carmel earns Tree City USA designation.

James Brainard (1996-present) is elected mayor.

2003City completes the largest annexation in its history to date, including all the

land west of U.S. 31 and north of 116th Street in Clay Township.

Carmel population: 40,000.

1976 First performance of Carmel

Symphony Orchestra.

Portion of Zina Warren home moved to Main St. (now Carmel Arts Council’s

Children’s Art Gallery).

Carmel becomes a city (from a town).

First mayor, Albert Pickett, elected.

1975The Carmel Clay Historical Society is

formed as part of local preparations for the nation’s Bicentennial..

1991Carmel High School stadium opens. At the time, it is the most expensive project in the history of secondary education in Indiana.

Ted Johnson (1992-1995) is elected mayor. His administration is marked

by the concept of place-making, which promotes attention to public spaces and

better urban design to define a place and to connect “people and the places

they share.”

A citizen’s group in Clay Township creates a medieval-themed neighborhood

park christened “Carmelot.”

PGA Championship Golf tournament held at Crooked

Stick Golf Course, the first well-known

course designed by Pete and Alice Dye in 1964.1

The WestClay development brings the New Urbanism concept of live/work/play to the township.

The Carmel Neighborhood Association Network is formed.

Construction gets underway for the first buildings for City Center (Schwinn Bike Shop and AMLI residential complex).The $300 million development (when completed) will feature businesses and residences to form a walkable downtown area.

2007The state turns control of Highway

431 over to the City of Carmel, along with $90 million for a significant

improvement project.

Central Park and Monon Community

Center opens.62008Time magazine features Carmel in an article about roundabouts called “You Want a Revolution.”

2010Carmel population: 79,191.

Final improvements made to the Keystone Parkway. The initiative earns the city the Outstanding Achievement

Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

2011The Center for Performing Arts opens.

Singer Michael Feinstein installs his Feinstein

Foundation for the Education and Preservation of the Great American Songbook in the facility.

The city hosts a meeting of the National Roundabout Conference of the Transportation Research Board.

Carmel population approximately 81,500.

2002 The Monon Greenway opens 5.2 miles of

a walking and biking trail set on the rail bed of the abandoned Monon railroad.

West Park

opens.

Carmel becomes

the first city in the U.S. to choose the BioPasteur process of treating sewage

biosolids for reuse.

2012A sister-city relationship with

Xiangyang, Hubei, China is initiated.

2014The Department of Parks and Recreation receives the National Gold Medal Award

for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management by The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration.

2015The U.S. 31 improvement project, started

in 2011 is completed.

Mayor Brainard elected to sixth term.2016A special census reveals the Carmel population at 86,486.

The 100th roundabout is installed. (Shown: 2016 “International Roundabout of the Year” by the UK Roundabout Appreciation Society.)

City Council votes to become a city of the second-class.

Carmel High School girls’ swim team sets a national record by winning its thirtieth state championship.

Steele Johnson of Carmel wins silver medal in diving at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

ITT, a major national for-profit education corporation headquartered in Carmel, files for bankruptcy and closes.

2017City administration announces plans for a

$23 million expansion of Monon Boulevard, adding dedicated lanes for motorized, non-

motorized, and pedestrian traffic.7

Jenna Hymes is selected as conductor of Carmel Symphony Orchestra.8

Mayor Brainard proposes a $101 million bond issue to fund new city projects,

including a boutique hotel at City Center, the purchase and installation of an antique

carousel, and infrastructure projects.

Home Place, the last 1,017 unincorporated acres in Clay Township, is annexed by Carmel.

Carmel is named the best place to live in America by Niche.com.

1http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/history; Johnson, J. Douglas. 1993 Pete Dye. The Free Library (May, 1), https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Pete Dye.-a013920368 (accessed June 27 2017-from Indiana Business Magazine, Mai 1, 193).2Behind Closed Doors (1992, Jan 26). Indianapolis Star Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/docview/239977777?accountid=73983Koenig, B. (1992, May 03). Affordable homes put to test in carmel. Indianapolis Star Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/docview/240086823?accountid=73984Sally, F. N. (1993, Aug 17). A Doll Housewarming. Indianapolis Star http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/docview/240040427?accountid=73985Flora, J. (1994, Jul 27). Work wraps up at Carmel’s first park. Indianapolis Star Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/240165049?accountid=73986Thomas, J. (2007, May 27). Monon center opens with a splash. Indianapolis Star Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/240932091?accountid=73987Erdody, Lindsey “Carmel plans $23 million expansion of Monon near City Center,” Indianapolis Business Journal, (IBJ.com February 7, 2017) https://www.ibj.com/articles/62380-carmel-plans-23-million-expansion-of-monon-near-city-center.8Bongiovanni, D. (2017, Jun 04). Carmel orchestra hires a new conductor. Indianapolis Star Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/docview/1905382221?accountid=7398

1972Carmel Public Library moved to new library building.

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