Home » History » Archaeology » Reclaiming Ransom Place

Reclaiming Ransom Place

© Jennifer Overhulse-King

If archaeology were all about pyramids in Egypt or stone henges in England, the entire subject and all its questions could be effectively covered by one archaeologist working in one place on one dig. But, as they say, "Variety is the spice of life."

The many subjects that fall under the larger archaeology umbrella are covered by just as many individuals working locations around the globe, some of them may be in your own neighborhood. Dr. Paul Mullins of Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is one of those individuals digging in your own backyard, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Mullins Outside the Mainstream

Mullins got his undergraduate degree in communications, but his main interest was always in theater.

"Along the way, I took Anthropology and Archaeology classes for no substantial reason outside of fascination," Mullins said. "I had always collected things -- baseball cards, toys, random antiques, too, so when I started thinking about archaeology as story-telling about material objects I was really excited by the possibilities."

These fascinations have led Mullins to pursue archaeology outside of the mainstream pyramid track.

"I came to IUPUI because, first, there were lots of faculty, administrators and community folks who were eager to do archaeology of a relatively recent community -- there are a fair number of places that archaeology of the last 150 years is not particularly desired."

Reclaiming Ransom Place

Mullins was intrigued by the possibilities Indianapolis presented. Indianapolis offered a historically rich neighborhood just off IUPUI's campus, Ransom Place. Ransom Place captivated Mullins' attention due to the plethora of small Black-owned businesses that had existed there and the existing nineteenth century homes.

The Ransom Place neighborhood was a bustling African-American community at the turn of the last century. The community included many black businesses ranging in type from corner grocery stores and jazz clubs to Madam C.J. Walker's beauty supply plant and family-owned funeral parlors. The neighborhood's current moniker, Ransom Place, is taken from a former resident. According to IUPUI's Ransom Place Archaeology Page, Freeman Briley Ransom lived from 1882 - 1947. He not only made his home in Ransom Place with his family, he made his living there as well. Ransom was the general manager of Madam C.J. Walker's plant and one of the community's most prominent residents, thus the name, Ransom Place.

Today, the Ransom Place Neighborhood Association owns much of the community's historic past. Businesses, homes and gathering places have given was to empty lots and abandoned buildings. This neighborhood seemed the perfect spot for Mullins to flex his archaeological muscles.