This year we have heard a lot about politics and have been treated to speeches, banners, and a variety of campaign signs and buttons. The Indiana primary is considered to be especially interesting this year and we welcome all this hoopla as typical party politics. But this was not always the way. A Whig Rally in 1840, at Battle Ground, Indiana was one of the first political events to incorporate slogans, banners, buttons and parades.

William Henry Harrison campaigned for president that year and his campaign slogan of "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" is still recognized today! The procession to the Rally was two miles long and six to eight abreast—with 1800 wagons and carriages and between 300-400 banners. Elaborately decorated floats included a canoe that was drawn by white horses and carried 27 fair young damsels representing the 26 states and the Goddess of Liberty. Cries of "Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too" rang out throughout the 3 day event, promoting Harrison and his vice-presidential candidate from Virginia, John Tyler. Log cabins and barrels of hard cider were symbols used to show that Harrison was a man of the people and buttons, pressed glass items along and printed ribbons were everywhere. This is the first election year that candidates actually spoke on their own behalf and while Harrison was not at this rally, speeches of support were given throughout the day. It was the colorful beginning for many of the political customs that we have today.

We have "kept the ball rolling" (another of the slogans from that campaign) since that time—and Lafayette – West Lafayette still has some of the greatest festival, parades and bands available. Come and join us this summer!

May 25th is Founder’s Day here in Lafayette. This is the day our town was officially platted. Mr. Digby, our town founder, had bought the site at the Christmas Eve land sale at Crawfordsville the year before. However, he sensibly decided it would be better to plat a town in May than December.

An early resident of Lafayette gave the following description of Mr. Digby. "I knew William Digby very well. He was a big man in every way. He was six feet tall and weighed 200 pounds... He was a great man to play cards. Seven-up (a form of poker) was his favorite game. He used to go on flat boats to New Orleans. He was captain of these boats and would play cards all the way down on the flat boats and then he would come back on steamers and play cards all the way back. He was an all ‘round old fellow and liked by all classes of people. He was inclined to be light complexioned and had light hair. I don’t believe he was much of a hunter but he liked to fish. He was a regular frontier all-around man. He was always ready to fight or do anything in support of what he believed to be right."

It is said that he was known to take an occasional drink and one downtown shop owner says that when he was researching the history of his building he discovered that Mr. Digby had gotten in a card game there one night and the ownership of the building changed hands 7 times during the course of the evening. Here are the rules to Seven-Up, his favorite game... It is played with a stripped deck in which all cards below the rank of 7 are removed—this gives you 32 cards. Each player is given two cards face down and one card face-up. This is followed by the first round of betting. Then a second card is dealt face-up and another betting round. Third card face-up and betting…a fourth card face-up and betting... finally a fifth card face-up, a betting round and then showdown. On the showdown, each player makes the best hand he can from both of his hole cards and exactly three of the five face-up cards. Because of the stripped deck, a flush beats a full house and an ace is always a high card.

There are many ways to have a great time in our town... you can tour Mr. Digby’s original plat with our Self-guided Downtown Architectural, attend one of our summer festivals, try one of our great restaurants. We welcome you... and so would Mr. Digby!