This book begins by proving that Indianapolis is the genuine Gateway to the West and not St Louis. Even without the 1834 wood covered bridge this book re-discovers, a host of history aficionados all support the argument this book makes that Indy was the doorway to the frontier. They know that today’s Crossroads of America was the organizing lead for the Manifest Destiny we also discuss that fueled America’s push to settle the West.

This book shows how Indianapolis has always been in front of the transportation curve. In it, you will learn how, beginning in the mid-1840’s, Indianapolis had the largest interurban street-car system in the world. Then you will learn about the train system which made it “the railroad city of the west” even before its 1853 built train station then became the first in the world to bring all rail travel to one hub.

We will fast forward to the 1880’s as Carl Fisher began filling the region with the first HiWheel then conventional bicycles. I will also explain how this brought about the many bicycle clubs (about 100) that were filled with prominent business leaders whose voice had a big say in road use policy for this fast growing town (by 1890, there were over 105,000 people in Indianapolis).

Because of the huge impact they have had on the world, with a whole chapter, we’ll also take a good look at Diamond Chain, a still flourishing company, formed locally in 1890. You will see how it was this company that made chain affordable enough that bicycles could be sized down to where they could be stood over. After being the main cause of the bicycle explosion of the Gay 90’s, Diamond Chain, as we show you, made cars, motorcycles, the Ford assembly line, even the Wright Bros plane, possible.

As Diamond Chain built its reputation as a world leader in industry, the early Indianapolis bicycle chieftains then gave birth to the automobile industry. There were 97 different car manufacturers here at one point. You will then see how Carl Fisher, who made his name with bicycles, then left them behind to make it affordable to drive a car past sundown. As he built his headlight company, he partnered with three others to bring about what is now the largest spectator event in the world, the Indy 500 Motor Speedway.

With the riches that resulted from the sale of the company that made night driving practical, he turned his attention to building the Lincoln Highway of 1914. This highway had such a huge impact on the American landscape that it gets a whole chapter in this book. You will see how he got Americans everywhere to help him build the first road across an entire continent. The Lincoln Highway, originated in, and developed from Indianapolis, was the first arterial to travel from the East Coast to the Pacific Ocean.

By the 1960’s Indianapolis entered a several decade period of decline. At which point you will meet the man whose example I feel called to follow today. Beginning in the mid 1980’s, led by Ray Irvin, Indianapolis reinvented itself. Here you will be able to read the interview I transcribed that I did with him. In it, you can see for yourself how he led the charge to rehabilitate this amazing city.

This book will show you why Indy is now known as the Greenway Capital of the world. We’ll also talk about the first downtown Greenway on the planet, the globally celebrated, 8-mile (very soon to be 10) Indianapolis Cultural Trail (ITC) that now makes for the most bike friendly business district in America!

This book will call attention to the vibrant tourist economy and the many new, cutting edge business concerns that Greenways have brought to Indianapolis. It is this example that will inspire bikeways to and from the other Downtown Greenways we foresee for the 19 other NBG Anchor Cities along the NBG route at BikeRoute.com. As these cities connect to one another, the result, in time, will be a national network of Indy Greenway replications with Cultural Trail duplicates at their center – the National Bicycle Greenway!