As we reflect on America’s history, it can be tempting to focus on the big events.
In U.S. history class, you probably learned about the Boston Tea Party, or the major battles of the Civil War. But despite its vastness, history is about real people — and it starts in our backyard.
“The places we go, the places we walk by every day have a history,” said Bethany Hrachovec, formerly the education and engagement director at the Indiana Historical Society. “All it takes is us just digging a little bit deeper to learn those stories.”
In Indy, there’s no better place to start than Indiana Avenue. Today it’s largely empty storefronts and parking lots. But a century ago, the strip was the center of Black culture and commerce in Indianapolis. The area eventually faded, largely because of urban renewal caused by construction of the highway and IUPUI’s campus.
I’ve done a good amount of reporting and research on Indiana Avenue over the years. So, when I discovered the Indiana Historical Society had created a Monopoly game themed around the area’s history, I knew I wanted to try it out.
Instead of Park Place and Pennsylvania Avenue, the Historical Society’s version includes properties such as the Senate Avenue YMCA or Sea Ferguson’s Fun Bowl — complete with a brief description of their histories.
The game, created in 2019 as part of an exhibit on Madam C.J. Walker, also dives into some of the tougher aspects of being Black in the early 20th Century, such as sundown towns and segregation.
“It felt disingenuous to us to shy away from that history because so many students are experiencing the legacy, still, of these historic issues,” Hrachovec told Mirror Indy. “It’s integral to the story.”
I roped in a couple of my Mirror Indy coworkers and hosted a game night so we could try out Indiana Avenue Monopoly for ourselves. Here’s what we learned, and how you can host your own game night, too.
When we started the game, I decided that I was there to have fun and learn some stuff. That meant I bid on the properties I liked and was most interested in, regardless of whether they’d make me the most money.
That did not work out for me financially. But I’m pretty thrilled that I collected cards for three of the neighborhood’s housing developments — Pat Ward’s Bottom, Ransom Place and Lockefield Gardens. That last one was an especially good get because I was playing as Oscar Robertson, who famously grew up in Lockefield and got his basketball start there. No regrets.
Indiana Avenue’s history is bittersweet. Many of the places on the Monopoly cards — Pat Ward’s Bottom, for one — aren’t around anymore because of urban renewal.
Still, I was relieved to see that some of the places on the cards, like Douglass Park, are still in Indy and bringing the community together all these years later. It gives me hope they’ll be around for the next generation, too.
I grew up in a family where game night gets pretty competitive, so I went into Indiana Avenue Monopoly with three goals: have fun, learn something new about Indy history and win. I accomplished all three.
My strategy was to buy up full sets of properties, and I ended up with the whole set of green ones: Ward’s Sanitarium, Flanner House and the Lincoln Hospital.
I knew some background on the Flanner House neighborhood, but I had never heard of Ward’s Sanitarium or the Lincoln Hospital. Both properties taught me more about what it would have been like for Black doctors and patients to deal with racism in healthcare in the early 1900s.
City Hospital opened in 1866 and was the first hospital to provide care to Black patients. But Black doctors and nurses couldn’t practice there. That’s why Lt. Col. Joseph H. Ward started Ward’s Sanitarium and Nurses Training School in 1907. It became a private hospital where he could treat Black patients.
Lincoln Hospital opened in a two-story home in 1909 and treated Black patients for free. It was a place where Black surgeons and doctors could get training in a time where they had limited access to practice their skills elsewhere.
I learned so much playing Indiana Avenue Monopoly. As someone who grew up in Indy, some people you could play as, such as Madam C.J. Walker and Oscar Robertson, were familiar. Other lesser known names, such as small business owner Dora Atkins Blackburn and journalist Lillian Thomas Fox, were inspiring.
I’m excited to see the Indiana Historical Society carrying on their legacy for future generations of aspiring community leaders to look up to.
I also especially loved learning about Indiana Avenue’s thriving arts and entertainment scene — so much so that I couldn’t resist scooping up properties that were once-popular venues like the Pioneer Theatre and the Soul People Repertory Company, which was active well into the ‘90s!
Now, it’s your turn
You can play Indiana Avenue Monopoly, too! Download the printable PDF from the Indiana Historical Society.
Their document includes the game rules and a board, cards, player icons and even Monopoly money, though we used some bills and pieces from another game. All you’ll need to contribute is a set of dice. Make sure you read the instructions on page 15 so you print everything out correctly.
Published as part of a national effort by local newsrooms to reflect on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. See coverage from other newsrooms.
Mirror Indy staff Carley Lanich, Ibby Ahmed and Sophie Young contributed to this story.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations. Sign up for our free newsletters.
Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, at 317-759-0249 or on most social media @clairerafford.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
