On the city’s west side are two neighborhoods that have been home to many African-Americans over the years: Riverside and Haughville.
Riverside, located along one of Indy’s largest water sources, White River, reaches to 30th Street on the north and Fall Creek to the south. It was once the location of an initially segregated amusement park, a soapbox derby hill and a naval armory.
Haughville, a neighboring town, was settled in the early 1830s and was mostly populated by European immigrants from Ireland, Germany and Slovenia. At one time, half of the town’s inhabitants were of Slovene background.
Both Riverside and Haughville, despite their proximity to water, commerce and the central part of the city, suffered due to white flight, poverty and crime. Today, the working-class areas are headed toward resurgence thanks to the commitment of the residents and upcoming economic development.
