[2] Founder and owner Louis Howland, who was soon replaced by Edward Elder Cooper, published its first print edition on November 20, 1884.

[4] Sold internationally, it covered everything from small Black communities to sports and entertainment.

[5] Hurt by inflation following World War I and competition from the more locally focused Indianapolis Recorder, the paper ceased publication in 1926.

[6][7] The paper frequently featured the writings of Richard W. Thompson, who was managing editor from 1888 to 1893.

[8] Unlike other Black newspapers that reprinted photographs, woodcuts, and drawings at the time, the Indianapolis Freeman had a full staff of African American artists dedicated to producing original illustrations for the newspaper.