Beech Grove, Indiana
Encyclopedia
As of the census
of 2000, there were 14,880 people, 6,085 households, and 3,839 families residing in the city. The population density
was 3,462.5 people per square mile (1,336.1/km²). There were 6,506 housing units at an average density of 1,513.9 per square mile (584.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.24% White, 0.89% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races
, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.
There were 6,085 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1% were married couples
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 36.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,548 and the median income for a family was $46,944. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $26,135 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $19,647. About 4.4% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
, Beech Grove maintains its own police, fire, public works, and parks departments and operates its own public library and senior-citizens' center.
Beech Grove's government was first organized as a "Town Board" system on November 12, 1906. The system remained until 1935, consisting of three elected Ward representatives and a Clerk-Treasurer. From 1911 to 1939, Board members were elected as representatives of locally-organized political parties (e.g., Progressive, Citizens's Ticket, Peoples's Ticket).
Upon legally becoming an Indiana Fifth-Class City in 1935, its first mayor and four city council members were elected (three district members, and one at-large). Beech Grove achieved Indiana Fourth-Class City status in 1961. The present city council consists of five district members and two at-large members, plus an elected clerk-treasurer.
The mayors, their political affiliations, and their terms of office, have been:
Mayor Joe Wright announced his resignation from the office as of January 14, 2011; CIty Councilman John Jennings was named as Interim Mayor, until the appointment of Terry Dilk on January 25, 2011 by the Marion County Republican Committee to fill out Wright's term through the 2011 elections. Dilk was defeated in the November 8, 2011 election by former City fire chief Dennis Buckley, who became the first Mayor to have been the child of a former candidate for the same office (his father, Robert Buckley, was defeated in the 1967 election).
The 1951 Mayoral election featured Democrat Alice Stratton, one of Indiana's first female candidates for such an office.
The city flag was not adopted until the 1970s, when a competition was held in which citizens were invited to submit designs. The winning designer was Mike Hart. The flag features an orange, black and white logo on a blue field; the logo shows the profile of an old-style railroad locomotive, in orange, with a white circle superimposed in the center. The circle contains a depiction of the tower complex of St. Francis Hospital, and bears the name of the city, the year "1906" and the motto "Where Tradition Welcomes Progress."
s" (colors: orange and black) participate as members of the statewide Indiana High School Athletic Association
(IHSAA), the Marion County Athletic Association and the Indiana Crossroads Conference.
The city's first school was opened in 1907 in the upstairs of the Wheat Grocery Store at 423 Main Street. Between 1909 and 1929, a series of school buildings and additions were built on the 1000 block of Main; only the original gymnasium remains from these structures. The high school was begun in 1917 and its first graduating class was in 1922.
A new combined junior high/high school was built in 1955 at 1248 Buffalo Street, just northwest of the existing school site. The previous complex became Central Elementary. The new facility operated on a split-day schedule, with high school students attending in the morning and junior high students attending in the afternoon.
By 1960, the city's growth to the south prompted the building of South Grove Elementary (later Intermediate) at the 800 block of South 9th Avenue. With the population growth, the present high school was built in 1966 just east of the 4000 block of South Emerson Avenue and the 1955 facility remained as the junior high (later middle) school.
Before the 1990s, the kindergarten education experience was only offered in the city by private specialty schools (past examples being Cassidy's and Happy Time). As part of the state's trend to incorporate this age level within the public schools, the city school system joined with the City's Parks Department in the development of Hornet Park, a dual-use facility built on the grounds of the former Olympia Club (a private swimming/recreation club). Kindergarten (and, added recently, 1st-Grade) classes are held in the south part, while the city offers meeting rooms and exercise facilities in the north part.
At different times in the city schools' history, certain grade-levels have been moved between schools. Ninth-graders were moved from high school to junior high from 1964 to 1973. Sixth-graders were in elementary school until 1977, when they were moved to middle school level, but were returned to the elementary level in 2004.
Also within the city limits are the Holy Name of Jesus School (Roman Catholic
, grades 1 to 8 only), built in 1922, and the Nazarene Christian School, grades Kindergarten through 12, (Independent Nazarene, a ministry of the Independent Nazarene Church in Beech Grove). Many students from Holy Name of Jesus continue their high school studies at Beech Grove High School or the nearby Roncalli High School
.
. Its hospital services and health care network make it one of the important health-care providers in central Indiana.
) in the upstairs of his home in 1908; its present name of Holy Name of Jesus Parish was taken in 1918. A Methodist Episcopal meeting in the Clapp family home in 1908 eventually led to the present Beech Grove United Methodist Church. A noon-time Christian men's meeting of "Big Four" railroad employees in 1910 was the genesis of the present Beech Grove Christian Church. In late 1912, the First Baptist Church (since 1937, General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
) was organized and is now in its second location within the city.
Churches established in the city in later years include Beech Grove Wesleyan Church
(formerly Pilgrim Holiness Church
, in the 1920s); Independent Nazarene Church (in the 1950s); Faith Assembly of God (Assemblies of God
, 1958); South Emerson Church of God (Reformation Movement, Church of God (Anderson)
, 1961); Southwood Baptist Church (Southern Baptist Convention
, 1962); and Ascension Lutheran Church (Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
, 1972). In recent years, independent community Churches have appeared (e.g., Body of Christ Fellowship, Church on The Word, Omega Harvest).
The Benedict Inn is a multi-use facility operated by the local Our Lady of Grace Monastery of the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict. It contains meeting rooms, a gymnasium, and an indoor pool, which were part of the former Our Lady of Grace all-girls Catholic high school.
. The local Beech Grove Promoters Club was founded in 1953 as a chapter of the National Exchange Club, but left that organization in 1957 and adopted its present name. It organizes the city's two main public festivals—the 3rd of July Fireworks and the Fall Festival (since 1959) in September.
The city also contains Lodges of the Free and Accepted Masons
, Fraternal Order of Eagles
and Loyal Order of Moose. Posts of the American Legion
and the Veterans of Foreign Wars
are also active.
Past civic organizations which, while no longer in existence, performed service to the city include the Beech Grove Civic League and the Beech Grove Jaycees
. The Jaycees organized a "Buck-A-Brick" campaign in the 1950s to build a house-sized Beech Grove Civic Center on South 3rd Avenue, offering meeting rooms to the citizens. (This facility is now the home of the Body of Christ Fellowship.)
system.
, the Beech Grove Athletic Boosters (football, volleyball, basketball), the Beech Grove Wrestling Club, the Beech Grove Girls's Softball Association, the Beech Grove Soccer Club and the Beech Grove Swimming Club. Teams representing Holy Name of Jesus School participate in Indianapolis' Catholic Youth Organization
(CYO) sports league, in sports such as football, wrestling, kickball, and basketball.
The Scouting
movement, both the Boy Scouts of America
and the Girl Scouts of the USA
, have had a long history within Beech Grove. For many years, Boy Scout Troop 79
was the city's main unit; present troops are 108 and 465. Various Girl Scout and Brownie Troops have existed. Beech Grove, although not a rural community, also has an active chapter of the traditionally-rural 4-H
Club.
Bolton's farm, "Beech Bank" and Churchman's cattle farm, "Beech Grove Farm", both reflected the abundance of beech
trees in this area. This would eventually provide the reason for the city's name, although an early railroad stop in the area was known as "Ingallstown." The city's Sarah T. Bolton Park, situated on some of the former Beech Bank farmland, still contains several large beech trees along its southern boundary.
The actual city came into existence as a 'company town' for a new railroad repair facility constructed by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad (nicknamed the "Big Four"). Through acquisitions and mergers over the years, the railroad "shops" have been run by the New York Central, Penn Central and, presently, Amtrak
rail systems. Amtrak's Beech Grove Shops complex sits on 108 acre (0.43706088 km²) and there is 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) under the roofs of the buildings. In 2007, Amtrak had 550 employees working there.
In recognition of its heritage as a railroad town Amtrak's business car 10001 is named The Beech Grove and is often used by agency officials when they travel the system.
Although Beech Grove was incorporated in late 1906, it did not see rapid growth until the completion of the railroad facility in 1908; by July 1907, for example, there were only four homes and two businesses in place.
Beech Grove grew with two annexations after World War II
, with the final one (1967) taking place just before the Uni-Gov legislation which merged Indianapolis
with most of the rest of Marion County, preventing future annexation.
Two famous actors have listed Beech Grove as their birthplace—Clifton Webb
(November 19, 1889–1966) and Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930–1980). Webb was born before Beech Grove came into existence as a separate entity, while McQueen was born at the City's St. Francis Hospital. Both moved away from the area while they were still infants; neither one grew up or lived in Beech Grove.
On October 15, 1948, Beech Grove received the honor of a visit by a sitting President of the United States
. Harry S. Truman
, a Mason, came to the city's Masonic Lodge during his legendary 'whistle stop' re-election campaign to participate in a ceremony involving a member of his staff who was one of its members.
Within the traditional focus in Indiana
on high-school basketball, the Beech Grove Hornets have earned one IHSAA State Championship—that of its girls team, in Class 3A of the 2003 tournament. From that team, senior Katie Gearlds won both the IHSAA's Patricia Roy Mental Attitude Award (for Class 3A) and the "Miss Basketball" honor for the entire State. She went on to be a four-year starter for Purdue University
from 2003 to 2007, and was the first Hornet graduate to play in an American professional sports major league (for the WNBA's Seattle Storm
in the 2007 season). During the non-class years before 1996, the school had earned only three Sectional (equivalent to District in some states) titles (two by the boys's team in 1966 and 1992, and one by the girls's team in 1978); since the change to classes in Indiana high-school basketball, the boys' team has won one Class 3A Sectional title (2008).
The Hornets' most consistent state-level athletic success has come in wrestling, in which five students have won a total of seven individual state titles (Ralph Edwards and Gary Pierson in 1972, Ethan Harris in 2005, Danny Coyne in 2006, and a three-year unbeaten run by Steven Bradley from 1996 to 1998). The 1972 wrestling team endured the closest-ever runner-up finish in IHSAA wrestling history, ending up a half-point behind Bloomington
. 60 Hornet wrestlers have qualified for the IHSAA State Finals (with several appearing two, three or four times), winning 55 placement medals. Also, in swimming, Andy McVey won two IHSAA individual titles in 1986, setting State records for that time; he had come back from a false-start disqualification in the 1985 finals, in which he had been favored to win.
Beech Grove High School's "Marching Hornets" band program has earned four Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) State Band Finals berths in its history, during the long service of former director James Williams. The present band, directed by alumnus Cory Wynn with the help of Scott Bradford and Chad Barton, has sought to return to that level of success, earning their first ISSMA Regional Gold rating in nine years in 2005. The Marching Hornets continue to achieve great levels of success on the marching music field. After 2005, the band has returned to the level of success that they had during the James Williams years. They have grown to become one of ISSMAs Class C "powerhouses" in the South. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Marching Hornets returned to the state finals in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, for the first time in 19 years, where they placed 5th in Class C on 2009, 7th in Class C in 2010, and 2nd in Class C in 2011.
Some Beech Grove streets have been named in honor of notable citizens, such as Byland Drive (Mayor Richard Byland); Fletcher Lane (former Fire Chief, City Councilman and business owner Robert Fletcher); Killian Drive (Father Peter Killian); Newcomer Lane (Town Board member and businessman W. S. Newcomer); and Ticen Street (Town Board member Willard Ticen). A quartet of parallel streets in the northern part are named, in alphabetical order from south to north, for the cities of Albany
, Buffalo
, Cleveland
and Detroit
. In June 2007, a sign post on Hornet Avenue was given in honor of Katie Gearlds, honoring her arrival into the WNBA. No one has yet made widely known, however, the story of the naming of two connected cul-de-sacs in the far south part--Rodney
Court and Dangerfield
Drive, presumably someone's tribute to the comedian.
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 14,880 people, 6,085 households, and 3,839 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,462.5 people per square mile (1,336.1/km²). There were 6,506 housing units at an average density of 1,513.9 per square mile (584.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.24% White, 0.89% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.78% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present and 36.9% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,548 and the median income for a family was $46,944. Males had a median income of $37,500 versus $26,135 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $19,647. About 4.4% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Although geographically completely surrounded by IndianapolisIndianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Beech Grove maintains its own police, fire, public works, and parks departments and operates its own public library and senior-citizens' center.
Beech Grove's government was first organized as a "Town Board" system on November 12, 1906. The system remained until 1935, consisting of three elected Ward representatives and a Clerk-Treasurer. From 1911 to 1939, Board members were elected as representatives of locally-organized political parties (e.g., Progressive, Citizens's Ticket, Peoples's Ticket).
Upon legally becoming an Indiana Fifth-Class City in 1935, its first mayor and four city council members were elected (three district members, and one at-large). Beech Grove achieved Indiana Fourth-Class City status in 1961. The present city council consists of five district members and two at-large members, plus an elected clerk-treasurer.
The mayors, their political affiliations, and their terms of office, have been:
- Charles Adams (ProgressiveProgressive Party (United States, 1924)The Progressive Party of 1924 was a new party created as a vehicle for Robert M. La Follette, Sr. to run for president in the 1924 election. It did not run candidates for other offices, and it disappeared after the election except in Wisconsin. Its name resembles the 1912 Progressive Party, which...
, 1935—1938); (DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, 1939—1942) - E. Allen Hunter (RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, 1943—1948 and 1952—1955) - Richard H. Byland (Democratic, 1948—1951)
- David D. Finney (Democratic, 1956—1958)
- Elton H. Geshwiler (Democratic, 1959—1991)
- J. Warner Wiley (Democratic, 1991—2003)
- Donald "Joe" Wright (Republican, 2004—2011)
- John Jennings (Republican, interim, 2011)
- Terry Dilk (Republican, 2011)
- Dennis Buckley (Democratic, beginning January 2012)
Mayor Joe Wright announced his resignation from the office as of January 14, 2011; CIty Councilman John Jennings was named as Interim Mayor, until the appointment of Terry Dilk on January 25, 2011 by the Marion County Republican Committee to fill out Wright's term through the 2011 elections. Dilk was defeated in the November 8, 2011 election by former City fire chief Dennis Buckley, who became the first Mayor to have been the child of a former candidate for the same office (his father, Robert Buckley, was defeated in the 1967 election).
The 1951 Mayoral election featured Democrat Alice Stratton, one of Indiana's first female candidates for such an office.
The city flag was not adopted until the 1970s, when a competition was held in which citizens were invited to submit designs. The winning designer was Mike Hart. The flag features an orange, black and white logo on a blue field; the logo shows the profile of an old-style railroad locomotive, in orange, with a white circle superimposed in the center. The circle contains a depiction of the tower complex of St. Francis Hospital, and bears the name of the city, the year "1906" and the motto "Where Tradition Welcomes Progress."
Schools
The city has its own school district, the Beech Grove City Schools, consisting of five facilities (Hornet Park, Central Elementary, South Grove Intermediate, Beech Grove Middle, and Beech Grove High). Its high school athletic teams, the "HornetHornet
Hornets are the largest eusocial wasps; some species can reach up to in length. The true hornets make up the genus Vespa and are distinguished from other vespines by the width of the vertex , which is proportionally larger in Vespa and by the anteriorly rounded gasters .- Life cycle :In...
s" (colors: orange and black) participate as members of the statewide Indiana High School Athletic Association
Indiana High School Athletic Association
The Indiana High School Athletic Association is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public and private high schools in the State of Indiana. It monitors a system that divides athletically-competing high schools in Indiana based on the school's enrollment. The divisions, known as...
(IHSAA), the Marion County Athletic Association and the Indiana Crossroads Conference.
The city's first school was opened in 1907 in the upstairs of the Wheat Grocery Store at 423 Main Street. Between 1909 and 1929, a series of school buildings and additions were built on the 1000 block of Main; only the original gymnasium remains from these structures. The high school was begun in 1917 and its first graduating class was in 1922.
A new combined junior high/high school was built in 1955 at 1248 Buffalo Street, just northwest of the existing school site. The previous complex became Central Elementary. The new facility operated on a split-day schedule, with high school students attending in the morning and junior high students attending in the afternoon.
By 1960, the city's growth to the south prompted the building of South Grove Elementary (later Intermediate) at the 800 block of South 9th Avenue. With the population growth, the present high school was built in 1966 just east of the 4000 block of South Emerson Avenue and the 1955 facility remained as the junior high (later middle) school.
Before the 1990s, the kindergarten education experience was only offered in the city by private specialty schools (past examples being Cassidy's and Happy Time). As part of the state's trend to incorporate this age level within the public schools, the city school system joined with the City's Parks Department in the development of Hornet Park, a dual-use facility built on the grounds of the former Olympia Club (a private swimming/recreation club). Kindergarten (and, added recently, 1st-Grade) classes are held in the south part, while the city offers meeting rooms and exercise facilities in the north part.
At different times in the city schools' history, certain grade-levels have been moved between schools. Ninth-graders were moved from high school to junior high from 1964 to 1973. Sixth-graders were in elementary school until 1977, when they were moved to middle school level, but were returned to the elementary level in 2004.
Also within the city limits are the Holy Name of Jesus School (Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, grades 1 to 8 only), built in 1922, and the Nazarene Christian School, grades Kindergarten through 12, (Independent Nazarene, a ministry of the Independent Nazarene Church in Beech Grove). Many students from Holy Name of Jesus continue their high school studies at Beech Grove High School or the nearby Roncalli High School
Roncalli High School (Indiana)
Roncalli High School is a Catholic high school located in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is located on the south side of Indianapolis and run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis...
.
Medical institutions
St. Francis Hospital, founded by the monastic order of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in 1914, has grown from its single building within Beech Grove to include a greatly expanded Beech Grove complex and newer facilities in south Indianapolis and nearby MooresvilleMooresville, Indiana
Mooresville is a town in Brown Township, Morgan County, Indiana, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 9,326. It was founded in 1824 by Samuel Moore, a Quaker from North Carolina.-Geography:Mooresville is located at ....
. Its hospital services and health care network make it one of the important health-care providers in central Indiana.
Religious institutions
Beech Grove's oldest churches have existed since the earliest days of the city. Father Peter J. Killian established the Blessed Sacrament Parish (Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
) in the upstairs of his home in 1908; its present name of Holy Name of Jesus Parish was taken in 1918. A Methodist Episcopal meeting in the Clapp family home in 1908 eventually led to the present Beech Grove United Methodist Church. A noon-time Christian men's meeting of "Big Four" railroad employees in 1910 was the genesis of the present Beech Grove Christian Church. In late 1912, the First Baptist Church (since 1937, General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
The General Association of Regular Baptist Churches is one of several Baptist groups in North America retaining the name "Regular Baptist"....
) was organized and is now in its second location within the city.
Churches established in the city in later years include Beech Grove Wesleyan Church
Wesleyan Church
"Wesleyan" has been used in the title of a number of historic and current denominations, although the subject of this article is the only denomination to use that specific title...
(formerly Pilgrim Holiness Church
Pilgrim Holiness Church
Pilgrim Holiness Church is a religious denomination associated with the holiness movement that split from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1897. It was first organized in Cincinnati, Ohio as the International Holiness Union and Prayer League...
, in the 1920s); Independent Nazarene Church (in the 1950s); Faith Assembly of God (Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
, 1958); South Emerson Church of God (Reformation Movement, Church of God (Anderson)
Church of God (Anderson)
The Church of God is a holiness Christian body with roots in Wesleyan pietism and also in the restorationist traditions. Founded in 1881 by Daniel Sidney Warner, the church claims 1,170,143 adherents...
, 1961); Southwood Baptist Church (Southern Baptist Convention
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
, 1962); and Ascension Lutheran Church (Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
, 1972). In recent years, independent community Churches have appeared (e.g., Body of Christ Fellowship, Church on The Word, Omega Harvest).
The Benedict Inn is a multi-use facility operated by the local Our Lady of Grace Monastery of the Sisters of the Order of St. Benedict. It contains meeting rooms, a gymnasium, and an indoor pool, which were part of the former Our Lady of Grace all-girls Catholic high school.
Civic institutions
Established service groups include chapters of the Lions International and KiwanisKiwanis
Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
. The local Beech Grove Promoters Club was founded in 1953 as a chapter of the National Exchange Club, but left that organization in 1957 and adopted its present name. It organizes the city's two main public festivals—the 3rd of July Fireworks and the Fall Festival (since 1959) in September.
The city also contains Lodges of the Free and Accepted Masons
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
, Fraternal Order of Eagles
Fraternal Order of Eagles
Fraternal Order of Eagles International is a fraternal organization that was founded on February 6, 1898, in Seattle, Washington by a group of six theater owners including John Cort , brothers John W. and Tim J. Considine, Harry Leavitt , Mose Goldsmith and Arthur Williams...
and Loyal Order of Moose. Posts of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
and the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
are also active.
Past civic organizations which, while no longer in existence, performed service to the city include the Beech Grove Civic League and the Beech Grove Jaycees
United States Junior Chamber
The United States Junior Chamber is a leadership training and civic organization for people between the ages of 18 and 41. Areas of emphasis are business development, management skills, individual training, community service, and international connections. The U.S...
. The Jaycees organized a "Buck-A-Brick" campaign in the 1950s to build a house-sized Beech Grove Civic Center on South 3rd Avenue, offering meeting rooms to the citizens. (This facility is now the home of the Body of Christ Fellowship.)
Local media
Beech Grove has no daily newspaper, but its news events have been mainly covered for many years by a free weekly newspaper headquartered within the city. Now titled the Southside Times, the weekly was for most of its existence known as the Perry Township Weekly. (Past Beech Grove newspapers included the Independent, the Graphic and the Spotlight.) The city has no local radio or television station. It is part of the Indianapolis radio/television market and has its own cable TV Government-access television (GATV) channel available on the ComcastComcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
system.
Youth activities
Among the organizations sponsoring youth athletics are the Beech Grove Little LeagueLittle League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
, the Beech Grove Athletic Boosters (football, volleyball, basketball), the Beech Grove Wrestling Club, the Beech Grove Girls's Softball Association, the Beech Grove Soccer Club and the Beech Grove Swimming Club. Teams representing Holy Name of Jesus School participate in Indianapolis' Catholic Youth Organization
Catholic Youth Organization
A Catholic Youth Organization is an organization for young Catholics. Usually each group uses the church for meeting and gathering, although some have their own premises. It was initiated by Bishop Bernard J...
(CYO) sports league, in sports such as football, wrestling, kickball, and basketball.
The Scouting
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
movement, both the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and the Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
, have had a long history within Beech Grove. For many years, Boy Scout Troop 79
Scouting in Indiana
Scouting in Indiana has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.-Early history :...
was the city's main unit; present troops are 108 and 465. Various Girl Scout and Brownie Troops have existed. Beech Grove, although not a rural community, also has an active chapter of the traditionally-rural 4-H
4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
Club.
Historical notes
By the turn of the 20th century, the Beech Grove area was a rural section of Indiana's Marion County. Notable residents included poet and women's-rights activist Sarah Tittle (Barrett) Bolton (1814–1893), and Indianapolis financier Francis McClintock Churchman (1833–1891).Bolton's farm, "Beech Bank" and Churchman's cattle farm, "Beech Grove Farm", both reflected the abundance of beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
trees in this area. This would eventually provide the reason for the city's name, although an early railroad stop in the area was known as "Ingallstown." The city's Sarah T. Bolton Park, situated on some of the former Beech Bank farmland, still contains several large beech trees along its southern boundary.
The actual city came into existence as a 'company town' for a new railroad repair facility constructed by the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad (nicknamed the "Big Four"). Through acquisitions and mergers over the years, the railroad "shops" have been run by the New York Central, Penn Central and, presently, Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
rail systems. Amtrak's Beech Grove Shops complex sits on 108 acre (0.43706088 km²) and there is 700000 square feet (65,032.1 m²) under the roofs of the buildings. In 2007, Amtrak had 550 employees working there.
In recognition of its heritage as a railroad town Amtrak's business car 10001 is named The Beech Grove and is often used by agency officials when they travel the system.
Although Beech Grove was incorporated in late 1906, it did not see rapid growth until the completion of the railroad facility in 1908; by July 1907, for example, there were only four homes and two businesses in place.
Beech Grove grew with two annexations after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, with the final one (1967) taking place just before the Uni-Gov legislation which merged Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
with most of the rest of Marion County, preventing future annexation.
Two famous actors have listed Beech Grove as their birthplace—Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb
Clifton Webb was an American actor, dancer, and singer known for his Oscar-nominated roles in such films as Laura, The Razor's Edge, and Sitting Pretty...
(November 19, 1889–1966) and Steve McQueen (March 24, 1930–1980). Webb was born before Beech Grove came into existence as a separate entity, while McQueen was born at the City's St. Francis Hospital. Both moved away from the area while they were still infants; neither one grew up or lived in Beech Grove.
On October 15, 1948, Beech Grove received the honor of a visit by a sitting President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
, a Mason, came to the city's Masonic Lodge during his legendary 'whistle stop' re-election campaign to participate in a ceremony involving a member of his staff who was one of its members.
Within the traditional focus in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
on high-school basketball, the Beech Grove Hornets have earned one IHSAA State Championship—that of its girls team, in Class 3A of the 2003 tournament. From that team, senior Katie Gearlds won both the IHSAA's Patricia Roy Mental Attitude Award (for Class 3A) and the "Miss Basketball" honor for the entire State. She went on to be a four-year starter for Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
from 2003 to 2007, and was the first Hornet graduate to play in an American professional sports major league (for the WNBA's Seattle Storm
Seattle Storm
The Seattle Storm is a professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the 2000 season began...
in the 2007 season). During the non-class years before 1996, the school had earned only three Sectional (equivalent to District in some states) titles (two by the boys's team in 1966 and 1992, and one by the girls's team in 1978); since the change to classes in Indiana high-school basketball, the boys' team has won one Class 3A Sectional title (2008).
The Hornets' most consistent state-level athletic success has come in wrestling, in which five students have won a total of seven individual state titles (Ralph Edwards and Gary Pierson in 1972, Ethan Harris in 2005, Danny Coyne in 2006, and a three-year unbeaten run by Steven Bradley from 1996 to 1998). The 1972 wrestling team endured the closest-ever runner-up finish in IHSAA wrestling history, ending up a half-point behind Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
. 60 Hornet wrestlers have qualified for the IHSAA State Finals (with several appearing two, three or four times), winning 55 placement medals. Also, in swimming, Andy McVey won two IHSAA individual titles in 1986, setting State records for that time; he had come back from a false-start disqualification in the 1985 finals, in which he had been favored to win.
Beech Grove High School's "Marching Hornets" band program has earned four Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) State Band Finals berths in its history, during the long service of former director James Williams. The present band, directed by alumnus Cory Wynn with the help of Scott Bradford and Chad Barton, has sought to return to that level of success, earning their first ISSMA Regional Gold rating in nine years in 2005. The Marching Hornets continue to achieve great levels of success on the marching music field. After 2005, the band has returned to the level of success that they had during the James Williams years. They have grown to become one of ISSMAs Class C "powerhouses" in the South. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, the Marching Hornets returned to the state finals in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, for the first time in 19 years, where they placed 5th in Class C on 2009, 7th in Class C in 2010, and 2nd in Class C in 2011.
Some Beech Grove streets have been named in honor of notable citizens, such as Byland Drive (Mayor Richard Byland); Fletcher Lane (former Fire Chief, City Councilman and business owner Robert Fletcher); Killian Drive (Father Peter Killian); Newcomer Lane (Town Board member and businessman W. S. Newcomer); and Ticen Street (Town Board member Willard Ticen). A quartet of parallel streets in the northern part are named, in alphabetical order from south to north, for the cities of Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
and Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. In June 2007, a sign post on Hornet Avenue was given in honor of Katie Gearlds, honoring her arrival into the WNBA. No one has yet made widely known, however, the story of the naming of two connected cul-de-sacs in the far south part--Rodney
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
Court and Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
Drive, presumably someone's tribute to the comedian.