“Once it is established as the genuine Gateway to the Frontier, since it is the Crossroads of America where half the nation is within a day\u2019s car drive, its profile as an important must visit city will skyrocket. Soon, large numbers of people will feel the need to experience for themselves the history that proliferates here. And as they do, they will feel called to enjoy the two-wheel wonder that abounds in what is more and more becoming accepted as America\u2019s top bike city. Toward that end, the argument history scholars helped me to make in proving that it was Indianapolis that opened up the West, and not St. Louis, that will give added authority to Indy\u2019s greenways. On center stage, Indianapolis will be able to show the power greenways have to re-energize business centers as well as build community .<\/div>\n
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In 1902, when the original wood covered, National Road bridge over the White River was dismantled, the city lost a lot of its muscle. It lost its ability to call itself a leader. In the name of progress, it had destroyed its connection to a past that led the way in settling the West.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In the 1960\u2019s, when St. Louis was busy campaigning for federal dollars to rebuild its waterfront (and change its image from being known as Mound City) by re-branding itself as the Gateway to the West, Indianapolis was not even considered. It had nothing to show for itself.<\/div>\n
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In yielding the Gateway moniker to St, Louis, Indianapolis got pushed off to the side. Once former Indiana state historian, Brigette Cook Jones, and I discovered the wood-covered National Road bridge, that even local history has expunged from the record books, I knew we had made a huge breakthrough. I knew its memory had to celebrated. It would help Indianapolis shine as the transportation leader it always has been.<\/div>\n
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Nor do I make this statement lightly. With the help of well qualified others, once we discovered this expunged bridge, it set me off on a path to back up what I felt it signified. I pumped a lot of time into learning what I could about it. As such, what has resulted is the ironclad argument I have made in my book about Indianapolis being the Gateway to the West and not St. Louis.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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What I have proposed has been accepted by local and state historiographers, as well as local business leaders. Once this becomes an accepted notion beyond city and state confines, more and more people all over this Nation will pay attention to the leading edge\/trendsetting direction that Indianapolis is moving in with its Greenways.<\/div>\n
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In terms of how the original bridge was used, in 1834 it enabled the National Road from Washington, DC to reach the frontier of the West on the other side of the White River. At one point, there were as many as 90 wagons on it an hour.<\/div>\n
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At the very least, there needs to be an historical marker along the river\u2019s edge on the black railing between the water and Celebration Plaza & Amphitheater in White River State Park. A nominal expense, this can be done now!”<\/div>\n
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When world class unicyclist, Eddie Moffat and Martin Krieg ride to Columbus next Spring, besides showing what that change to… read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3VuuR-4dY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16784,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2022\/08\/22\/nbg-strategy-aug-2022-update\/","url_meta":{"origin":16242,"position":0},"title":"NBG Strategy – Bring USA to Indy Bike Week 2025","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"August 22, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By combining the work our NBG Scouts did from 1998 to 2010, with the GPS input that came our way when we had interactive maps at our site (2007-2009) and then the crowd sourced bike route data that Google now has on line, in 2014, we put the San Francisco\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-22-at-10.30.01-AM.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-22-at-10.30.01-AM.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-22-at-10.30.01-AM.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16330,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2021\/11\/18\/krieg-writing-national-bicycle-greenway-business-plan-not-a-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":16242,"position":1},"title":"Krieg Writing National Bicycle Greenway Business Plan (not a Book)","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"November 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I am NOT writing a book. As a hunkered in to the P&L spreadsheet for one of the cost centers I am describing, I was hit with a game changing awareness. In telling my story with numbers for what I thought was the \"How to Build the NBG\" book, it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book - How NBG"","block_context":{"text":"Book - How NBG","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/book-how-nbg\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Book-Cover-NOT.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16692,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2022\/07\/13\/nbg-direction-posted-at-bikeroute-com\/","url_meta":{"origin":16242,"position":2},"title":"NBG Direction (posted at BikeRoute.com)","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"July 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Celebrating Cycling in Cities Where People Live By combining the work our NBG Scouts did from 1998 to 2010, with the GPS input that came our way when we had interactive maps at our site (2007-2009) and then the crowd sourced bike route data that Google now has on line,\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Velo-mobile-with-fountain.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Velo-mobile-with-fountain.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Velo-mobile-with-fountain.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Velo-mobile-with-fountain.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14265,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2019\/04\/06\/we-just-ride-indianapolis-kent-crockett-is-back-ride-saturday-april-6\/","url_meta":{"origin":16242,"position":3},"title":"We Just Ride, Indianapolis, Kent Crockett is Back Ride, Saturday April 6","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"April 6, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Kent with his sister,\u00a0 Melody WJR cyclists from the Wally's Big Belly Bike Shop were there. L-R, Christopher Thomas, Tim Pfeiffer, Michael Hager, Brian George Piper, Robert Houpt, Kent Crocket, Melody Crockett https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3_DyNwIc3WY Also honoring Kent was world-class unicyclist, Eddie Moffat. Here is what he and 50-inch Eagle HiWheel cyclist,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/IMG_0544.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/IMG_0544.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/IMG_0544.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/IMG_0544.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/IMG_0544.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/IMG_0544.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":16226,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2021\/10\/13\/nbg-send-off-indy-to-cols\/","url_meta":{"origin":16242,"position":4},"title":"NBG Send Off Indy to Cols","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"October 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Send Off Indy to Cols Ride \u00a0 In May 2022 (exact date tba), Martin Krieg will ride his 1891 HiWheel bicycle with World Class unicyclist Eddie Moffatt and a select few others on a ride from Indianapolis to a proposed reception with Columbus Mayor, Andrew Ginther. They will be using\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "How Indy Built America"","block_context":{"text":"How Indy Built America","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/how-indy-built-america\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/87257642_130533688497423_546760705559232512_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/87257642_130533688497423_546760705559232512_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/87257642_130533688497423_546760705559232512_n.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15272,"url":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/2020\/02\/08\/ride-for-the-national-bicycle-greenway-summer-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":16242,"position":5},"title":"Ride for the National Bicycle Greenway -Summer 2020","author":"awakeagainmartin@gmail.com","date":"February 8, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Ride for the National Bicycle Greenway - visit Mayors from San Francisco\/Oakland to Indianapolis to help us show the world how the cities on our route can reinvent\/reenergize themselves with Downtown Greenways similar to the Cultural Trail here in the Crossroads of America. Help us demonstrate that with such infrastructure,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Indianapolis"","block_context":{"text":"Indianapolis","link":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/category\/indianapolis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/84592790_2531296280491402_293879215923658752_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/84592790_2531296280491402_293879215923658752_n.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/84592790_2531296280491402_293879215923658752_n.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16242"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16250,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16242\/revisions\/16250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bikeroute.com\/NationalBicycleGreenwayNews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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