Indianapolis Past
(A pictorial display of
various Indianapolis
landmarks...44 images)

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Indianapolis Skyline
(Includes the new
Lucas Oil Stadium)

CLICK HERE FOR
A TRIP DOWN
THE 1960'S
MEMORY LANE

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A Pictorial Display of Various Landmarks

This is the City
Indianapolis, Indiana
The Year is 1963

-McDonalds hamburger, fries, and large Coke: 45 cents.

-Burger Chef; cheeseburger, fries, and a large Coke; 50 cents. (The Big Chef would not appear until 1966.)

-A Big Chief, onion rings, and a Chocolate Coke at the TeePee drive-in; $1.20. (Frisch's Big Boy platter and a drink were $1.35.)

-A gallon of City Service Ethyl was 26 cents.

-Pack of Lucky Strikes cost 20 cents. (25 cents out of a cigarette machine).

-Movies at a downtown theater (Circle, Lyric, Lowes , Indiana , or Keith) 50 cents (before 6 PM ).

-City bus fare was 20 cents. (2 cents more for a transfer).

-Monthly phone bill: $4.95 (average). "Information" was free.

-P. O. P. (Pay One Price) all day rides at Riverside Amusement Park ; $1.00.

-A day of swimming at Longacre Pool; 35 cents. (But you could go to the Garfield Park pool for 15 cents.)

-Pay telephones( Indiana Bell ) were black and "boxey" in brown booths(ashtray equipped) with cushioned seats and sliding glass doors.

-A call would cost you 10 cents, but a call to the operator or Information would send your dime clanging back into the coin return.

-Copy of The Indianapolis Times newspaper; 7 cents..

-Half gallon of milk; 25 cents.

-Bouncin' Bill Baker was spinning the platters on WIBC. The "Emperor" and Jackson "Q" Sundae and Jay Reynolds were three of the WIFE Good Guys.

-Selwin was hosting the Saturday afternoon Tarzan mo vies on WISH-TV Ch. 8

-Sammy Terry was giving us all "pleasant nightmares" on WTTV, Channel 4.

-Wilhelmina followed Sammy with an even worse movie!

-Happy Herb brought us Popeye cartoons from the "poop deck" studio prop at Ch. 4. (Cowboy Bob was still in college; Janie was a Ch . 4 "intern.")

-David Letterman was a student at Broad Ripple High School .

-Jane Pauley was a student at Warren Central.

-Harlow Hickenlooper and Curley Meyers kept us laughing with the 3 Stooges on Saturday mornings ( Ch. 6, at 9:00)

-Dick Summers hosted Rhythm Carnival on Ch. 8.

-You could do the twist at Fox's Skating Rink, or at The Whiteland Barn.

-Herman Hoglebogle was fixing problems for readers of The Indianapolis News. (Herman was created by Tom Johnson, a graduate of Broad Ripple High School, 1951)

-The Hinkle Fieldhouse, the State Fair Coliseum, and Clowes Hall were the Biggest, the best, and considered "state of the art".

-Debbie Drake was leading the morning exercises on Ch. 8.. Jack Lalane was doing the same on Ch. 6.

-Frances Farmer hosted the Channel 6 late afternoon movie on WFBM TV (6)

-Ruth Lyons 50 / 50 Club took up 2 hours from 12 Noon to 2:00 pm on WLW-I Ch. 13.

-There were no Country music radio stations in town. There were many German language radio programs but no Spanish language stations.

-FM was strictly for classical or "show tunes."

-WGEE, 1590 AM played music for "Colored" listeners.

-You could live in Marion County but not be a resident of the city of Indianapolis .

- 38th Street was the line between the "haves" (North) and the "have nots" (South).

- Greenwood was considered to be a "hick" town.

-Castleton was a gas station.
-Fishers was a train depot.

- Carmel was a truck stop on Rt. 31 but also the fastest growing suburban community in the US .

- Avon was a red flashing stop signal along Rt. 36.

-Eagle Creek was just THAT!

-The "max" was dinner at the King Cole Restaurant , and a show at the Embers on the North Meridian "strip" of upscale night life.

-"Dream proms" were held at the Indiana Roof, and dinner at the Key West Shrimp House or at Brody's".(21st & Arlington )

Greyhound and Trailways buses came and went from the Traction Terminal (old Interurban) shed on W. Market St ..

-You could catch a train to Chicago about once every hour at Union Station. ($12.00 round trip)

-You could fly out on a TWA "jet" airliner at " Weir Cook Municipal Airport ."

-You got your prescriptions filled at Hooks, Haags, or Rexall drug stores.

-You got groceries at Kroger, Standard, or Marsh supermarkets. (or at Porky Lane ).

-Interstate 465 was a short 4 lane "highway" that served only to connect you to the "big" State and National Routes.

-No cable; No Internet; No wireless; No self-serve; No drive-thrus; No ATM's.

The basketball sectionals, regioals, semi finals, and finals for all high schools was held at Hinkle Fieldhouse, and it was great fun

The Meadows was a great place to shop and Glendale "The"place to shop.

Arlington High school was new and the best.

Cathedral was all boys

The other all boys school, Brebuf, was the gentlemens all boy school, the guys had to wear ties

St. Anges, Lady wood...just for girls

Keystone Ave, two lanes and stopped at 86th Street (known then as N. Shadeland Ave or Ind 100)

Noblesville, was an afternoon trip

Rock Island Refinery and it's flame

LS Ayres and it's magical Christmas

Nothing was open on Sunday

Times sure have changed in forty five short years!



Cadle Tabernacle


Coliseum Building at the Indiana State Fairgrounds


Original Pennant


Steak & Shake on Lafayette Road in 1958


Old Marion County Court House


Riverside Park


The Trolley Barns


Union Station


Weir Cook Airport


Early View of the Athenaeum


Claypool Hotel


Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 1911


Brookside Park Community Center


Scottish Rite


East Gate to Crown Hill Cemetery


First Presbyterian Church


Roberts Park Methodist Church


The Naval Armory


James Whitcomb Riley Home


Sunken Gardens at Garfield Park


Early view of Circle
The English Hotel and Theater


Indiana State Capitol


Indiana World War Memorial


Union Station


Early Indy 500 View Showing Pagoda


Washington at Meridian - Large building in the foreground is
the H. P. Wasson Company department store