John D. Howland

Hon. John D. Howland (1818 – 1877) was a prominent lawyer, and clerk of the Federal and District Count from 1863 to the time of his death in December of 1877. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland and came to Franklin county, Indiana at the age of 18.  

Mr. Howland was an important cultural leader in the city of Indianapolis in the late 19^th century. A driving force behind the city’s early intellectual scene, he organized the Indianapolis Library Association (precursor to the city’s public library).  

Howland was the principal founders along with five others, and became the first president of The Indianapolis Literary Club which was organized on January 10, 1877. ¹ The club was established in his home in Indianapolis. The stated purpose of the club is the pursuit of “social, literary and aesthetic culture.” 

Informally, the Literacy club acted as a meeting place for a number of the city’s leaders from various professions. Membership lists indicate the club has continued this function through its history into the present. ² 

An Indianapolis News account dated January 7, 1905 called attention to the upcoming celebration of the Club’s twenty-eight anniversary:

”It is the late John D. Howland, more than to any other, that the Club owes its existence. Mr. Howland was for many years the cleark of the United States District and Circuit courts in the city, a quiet man of forceful character, a lover of good books, fond of the society of cultured men.”

John D. Howland is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana. His funeral was at Christ Church where he was a member. 

L to R: Plate located center of frame bottom reads John D. Howland, First President, 1876–’77; Brass plate on wall to right of portrait reads John D. Howland, 1818 – 1877, Clerk, US District Court, First President, Indianapolis Literary Club 1876 – 1877, T.C. Steele, 1897. Oil On Canvas, On Loan From The Indianapolis Literary Club

Note: John D. Howland (1818 – 1877) the Indianapolis, Indiana official should not be confused with John Dare Howland the artist (1843 – 1914) of Denver, Colorado. 

the columbia club

The Columbia Club was established in 1888 as the Harrison Marching Society to support the candidacy of General Benjamin Harrison of Indianapolis as President. After Harrison won election in that year, the society decided to incorporate as a permanent organization and chose the name Columbia Club, based on the popular alternative name for America at the time.

The Club has occupied three buildings at its prominent location on Monument Circle, and the current building opened in 1925. Designed in English Tudor style by the noted Indianapolis architects Rubush and Hunter and features lavishly appointed interiors with sculptures and plaster details by top Indiana artists.

The present building has hosted famous personalities and holds a tradition of important business and civic meetings being held at the club.

In 1926, Queen Marie of Romania was welcome to the city with a banquet at the Club, and the next year Charles Lindberg, the American Eagle, was honored at the Columbia Club for flying solo from New York to Paris.

In 1976, President Ronald Regan keynoted the annual Beefsteak Dinner held since 1891.

In the previous clubhouse the four founders of the Indianapolis 500 – Carl Fisher, James A. Allison and Arthur C. Newby met in 1909 at the Club and discussed building the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In more recent years, the agreement to bring the Baltimore Colts to Indianapolis was finalized at a meeting in a Columbia Club suite.³

T.C. Steele was a member of the Columbia Club during the time he and his family lived in Indianapolis at Tinker Place (1885 – 1901).  

The Columbia Club was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

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Footnotes

Special Thanks to The Columbia Club 

¹ Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, Charles E. Meyer & David G. Vanderstel  
² Indiana Historical Society, Essays of the Indianapolis Literary Club  
³ Myregistersite  https://user1660004.sites.myregisteredsite.com/id12.html