This Day in Indiana History - August 22, 1840 - The First Meeting of the Indiana Horticultural Society in Indianapolis

A Day in Indiana History - August

August 22, 1840 - The First Meeting of the Indiana Horticultural Society in Indianapolis
Inspired by famous minister, Henry Ward Beecher, the Indiana Horticultural Society meets in Indianapolis for the first time.
Henry Ward Beecher (June 24, 1813 – March 8, 1887) 
The son of Lyman Beecher and Roxana Foote, Henry was native to Litchfield, Connecticut. He was a brother to Harriet Beecher Stow, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. He attended Mount Pleasant Classical Institute and Amherst College, graduating in 1834. He overcame a speech impediment to become a noted orator. After attending Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati, Ohio, Beecher entered the ministry. His first parish was in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. He arrived in Lawrenceburg on July 8, 1737. He would then move to Indianapolis, where he would remain for eight years. He was an avid gardener with a keen interest in agriculture. During his time in Indiana, he also became nationally noted for his abolitionist and women's suffrage views.
Indiana Horticultural Society
Begun in 1840 at the encouragement of Reverend Beecher, the first meeting was held on August 22. Farmers from around the state came to Indianapolis with their best produce to show and to become acquainted with new varieties and farm
ing methods. The Society lasted until 1847, when it dissolved, most likely because Beecher left Indiana. The Society revived under the name Indiana Pomological Society in 1860. Members of the group would rename it the Indiana Horticultural Society in 1863.