NEW ALBANY — A mob of angry white residents went street-to-street in New Albany, spilling blood and destroying property, fueled by fear and bent on exacting their fury upon black people during a 30-hour period in July 1862.

Aside from a few local newspaper stories of the riots — which historians dubbed as blatantly racist and felt did more to instigate mayhem than accurately report the tragedy — accounts of the violent outbreak are scarce.

It was almost as if the incident — which is believed to have led to the deaths of at least three black people and caused extensive property damage — had been swept under the rug.

But led by the research of Floyd County Historical Society member and author Pam Peters, the bloodshed and mob violence of those frightful hours will be recognized more than 150 years after the incident.

At 10 a.m. Aug. 18, an Indiana State Historical Marker bearing information about the riots will be unveiled. The marker will be placed in front of the Israel House at 142 W. Main St., which is the building that now houses Lamberts Distributors.



THE STORY

According to Peters, a black man was being chased by a mob when the wife of the house, Mary Israel, opened the door and let him into her home. She barred the door to keep the angry crowd away, and thus her bravery served as a bright spot during a dark period in New Albany’s history, Peters said.

In part to honor her actions, the marker — which makes New Albany’s 20th overall putting the city behind only Corydon and Indianapolis for most markers in the state — will be placed near the Israel House.

“That is one place we know for sure where an African-American at this time found refuge,” Peters said.

New Albany certainly wasn’t alone when it came to outbreaks of violence against blacks during the Civil War era. During the summer of 1862, national newspapers reported similar violent acts against blacks in Toledo, Ohio, Cincinnati and Chicago, Peters said.

Without a doubt, other communities in Indiana also had tragic backlashes against black residents during the time, Peters said. Fear that black people would take jobs away from white workers was one of the reasons for the hatred, Peters said.

The New Albany incident reportedly started near East Fifth Street after a white man was shot and killed during an altercation believed to have been started after he shouted racial slurs at a group of black people. There were black people arrested for the shooting, but Peters said there’s little record of the legal proceedings and whether they received a fair trial.



MOVING AHEAD

Unlike other cities across the state, Peters feels New Albany is ready to recognize the violent outbreak of July 1862.

“I think it’s a real step forward in the right direction for our community to finally, publicly acknowledge after 150 years that this riot in our city happened, and it was whites on blacks, not the other way around,” she said. “I think it shows a strong character. It shows the community is ready to acknowledge not just its good side, but its bad side also.”

And the recognition needs to come publicly, which is why the marker with the support of the New Albany City Council is so important, Peters continued. The council voted unanimously to foot $1,000 of the $2,000 cost for the marker. Develop New Albany and the Floyd County Historical Society split the remaining expense.

Dani Pfaff, state marker manager for the Indiana Historical Bureau, said the Floyd County Historical Society has been a great partner in the effort to accurately portray Hoosier history. Pfaff said tireless research from people like Peters and other historians helps ensure the correctness of the markers, and that the Internet has certainly aided in the process.

“The way we tell history has changed dramatically,” she said.

Like Peters, Pfaff said it’s difficult — due to the lack of unbiased media coverage and documentation of the event — to know how many black people died or were injured during the New Albany riots.

Researchers were able to determine and confirm some of the property damage and violence through a letter written to a Cincinnati newspaper about the New Albany outbreak shortly after it occurred, Pfaff said.



MARKING HISTORY

The first state marker was installed in 1946. Most of the markers placed before 2000 are being reviewed for accuracy, Pfaff said.

Review of the past markers along with the research provided by people such as Peters and groups like the Floyd County Historical Society “will help us tell Indiana’s history, good and bad, for the world to see,” she continued.

As a black man very familiar with the city, the Rev. Anthony B. Toran, pastor of the Galatian Missionary Baptist Church in New Albany, agrees with Peters in that “the community is ready to embrace what happened” in 1862.

Toran will lead a prayer during the introduction ceremony for the marker, and said he’s proud of Peters for the work she’s done planning the event.

“I think that history is important, and often times we want to recognize and remember the good history and forget about the bad history,” he said. “Even though it’s painful, and it wasn’t a good time in the city of New Albany, it gives us an opportunity to recognize what happened and not make those mistakes again and maybe correct some of the things that are wrong.”