INDIANAPOLIS — On Thursday, WRTV got its first look at the site of the Henry Street Bridge in the White River Innovation District, which will connect the near west side to downtown. The project is already uncovering historic discoveries.
The city said the site used to be the first and largest electric railway freight terminal in the U.S.
“It has been developed multiple times. We're standing on brick pavers, and we see electric rail lines from the 20s beneath us today,” said Brandon Herget, the Department of Public Works director.
It’s also the site of the Greenlawn Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Indianapolis, where the city's estimated hundreds of human remains may still exist.
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That’s why they’re taking a unique approach to the project.
“Our process is going to be led by an archaeological team, and we're going to document everything and share that transparently with the public,” explained Herget.
The process is already underway at the sacred site on the east side of the White River off Kentucky Avenue.
“We've done some probes and coring to get a better understanding of where the burials will be located,” explained Ryan Peterson, an archaeologist with Stantec. “So, removing the topsoil with a bigger piece of equipment allows us to spend more time excavating by hand when we get down to actual burials.”
The move is something many with the Community Advisory Group have been pushing for, at what was once the only cemetery where Black people could be buried.
“We know people like Morrison Greathouse are buried over there. He's Muhammad Ali's great, great grandfather,” said Eunice Trotter, the Director of Indiana Landmarks Black Heritage Preservation Program. “It's extremely important that we document this history and this heritage and that we do the right thing by these ancestors.”
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"These African Americans, there are no records of them being moved, which strongly suggests they are still here,” said Historian Leon Bates, who’s helped make the city initially aware of the remains. “The city of Indianapolis is doing the right thing.”
The bridge will connect downtown to the near west side, as well as the new Elanco development.
It will also be walkable and include an expansion of the cultural trail.
The city told WRTV they've already uncovered fragments of human remains during pre-construction. They estimate that 650 or more graves could be found.
Excavation will start in November and is expected to finish by the spring of 2025.
The entire bridge is expected to be completed by 2026.
It’s expected to cost $43 million on top of the archaeological costs of an additional $12 million.
