Tree planting ceremony marks last bicentennial event
Posted May 12, 2017 7:00 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A Statehouse tree dedication ceremony was the final official event marking Indiana's 200th anniversary of becoming a state.
The Friday event on the Statehouse lawn in Indianapolis came after the planting of 44 Indiana-native trees on the grounds.
The Indiana Bicentennial Commission sponsored numerous events over the past year, including a five-week torch relay that passed through all 92 counties. Indiana became the 19th state on Dec. 11, 1816.
Participants in the tree ceremony included Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Republican state Sen. Jim Merritt, and Jay Ricker, the owner of Ricker's convenience stores.
A metal plaque will be installed to commemorate the event.
Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch speaks on the west lawn of the Indiana Statehouse during a tree dedication ceremony on Friday, May 12, 2017, in Indianapolis. The 44 Indiana-native trees were planted on the Statehouse's lawn through a partnership between the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Ricker's Replenish program. The tree dedication ceremony marks the final Indiana Bicentennial event. (Mykal McEldowney/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
The Associated Press
Indiana Sen. Jim Merritt, Indiana Bicentennial commissioner, speaks on the west lawn of the Indiana Statehouse during a tree dedication ceremony on Friday, May 12, 2017, in Indianapolis. The 44 Indiana-native trees were planted on the Statehouse's lawn through a partnership between the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Ricker's Replenish program. The tree dedication ceremony marks the final Indiana Bicentennial event. (Mykal McEldowney/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
The Associated Press
Perry Hammock, executive director of the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, speaks on the west lawn of the Indiana Statehouse during a tree dedication ceremony on Friday, May 12, 2017, in Indianapolis. The 44 Indiana-native trees were planted on the Statehouse's lawn through a partnership between the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Ricker's Replenish program. The tree dedication ceremony marks the final Indiana Bicentennial event. (Mykal McEldowney/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
The Associated Press
A newly planted serviceberry tree sits on the west lawn of the Indiana Statehouse during a dedication ceremony on Friday, May 12, 2017, in Indianapolis. It is one of 44 Indiana-native trees planted through a partnership between the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Ricker's Replenish program. The tree dedication ceremony marks the final Indiana Bicentennial event. (Mykal McEldowney/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
The Associated Press
A plaque commemorating the planting of 44 Indiana-native trees on the Indiana Statehouse lawn sits ready to be placed near Washington Street on Friday, May 12, 2017, in Indianapolis. The plaque was presented during a dedication ceremony on Friday, in honor of the tree planting done through a partnership between the Indiana Bicentennial Commission, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Ricker's Replenish program. The tree dedication ceremony marks the final Indiana Bicentennial event. (Mykal McEldowney/The Indianapolis Star via AP)
The Associated Press
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