because of this, and because of
the incorrect assumption that the river would serve as a major transportation
artery. However, the waterway eventually proved to be too sandy for trade. Jeremiah
Sullivan, a judge of the Indiana Supreme Court, invented the name Indianapolis
by joining Indiana with polis, the Greek word for city; Indianapolis literally
means "Indiana City". The state commissioned Alexander Ralston to
design the new capital city. Ralston was an apprentice to the French architect
Pierre L'Enfant, and he helped L'Enfant plan Washington, D.C. Ralston's
original plan for Indianapolis called for a city of only one square mile
(3 km²). At the center of the city sat Governor's Circle, a large circular
commons, which was to be the site of the governor's mansion. Meridian and
Market Streets converge at the Circle and continue north–south and east–west,
respectively. The Capital moved from Corydon on January 10, 1825. The
governor's mansion was eventually demolished in 1857 and in its place stands a
284-foot (87 m) tall neoclassical limestone and bronze monument, the
Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. The surrounding street is now known as
Monument Circle or just "The Circle".
The city lies on the original east–west
National Road. The first railroad to serve Indianapolis, the Madison and
Indianapolis, began operation on October 1, 1847, and subsequent railroad
connections made expansive growth possible. Indianapolis was the home of the first
Union Station, or common rail passenger terminal, in the United States. By the
turn of the 20th century, Indianapolis had become a large automobile
manufacturer, rivaling the likes of Detroit. With roads leading out of the city
in all directions, Indianapolis became a major hub of regional transport
connecting to Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Cleveland,
and St. Louis, befitting the capital of a state
