Historic Fall Creek, Pendleton Settlement

Pendleton’s Streets Overflowed with 10,000 Visitors – September 26–27, 1913

Imagine standing in downtown Pendleton on a warm September afternoon in 1913. Horses, elegant carriages, and some of Indiana’s newest automobiles crowded State Street while thousands of spectators packed the sidewalks. The occasion was Pendleton’s Fifth Annual Horse Show, one of the largest community celebrations the town had ever hosted.

Despite a rainy start on opening day, the weather improved, and the crowds came in droves. Newspaper accounts estimated 8,000 people attended the first day, while more than 10,000 visitors filled Pendleton by the close of the show, an astonishing number for a town of its size.

The event featured 45 competition classes, including Percherons, Belgian stallions, draft teams, Standardbreds, Shetland ponies, mule teams, and elegant driving horses. Colonel Palmer Edgerton of Marion judged the entries, with winners taking home cash as well as practical prizes such as wagons, plows, harnesses, steel ranges, and even a camera.

The accompanying photograph appears to have been taken from an upper-story window looking east along State Street, capturing the center of the celebration. The image beautifully illustrates a changing America, where horse-drawn vehicles still dominated the streets while early automobiles had already become a major attraction.

A newspaper describing the horse show parade two years later (1915) tells us it marched north on Broadway, east on High Street, north on Pearl Street, west on State Street, and back to High Street, with merchants decorating their storefronts in gala fashion. It is likely the 1913 parade followed a very similar route through downtown Pendleton.

One of the most interesting details in the newspaper reads:

“Automobiles and rigs lined all streets adjacent to the main street where the various awards were made.”

For citizens of Pendleton it was one unforgettable weekend. The town became the gathering place for horsemen, farmers, merchants, and curious visitors from across Indiana.

More than a century later, this extraordinary photograph preserves not just the buildings of downtown Pendleton, but the excitement, pride, and community spirit of a great public celebration.

Do you recognize any of the buildings or businesses visible in this remarkable photograph?






Attributed To: Anderson Herald

"Kindly welcome and good company await you at Idlewold this fine summer day."






Attributed to: Pendleton Historical Museum