A progressive politician and lifelong Democrat, Samuel M. Ralston met the challenges posed by Indiana’s transition to a more urban and industrial state. Born in 1857 in Ohio, he opened a law office in 1886 in Lebanon, where he lived until elected governor in 1912. As governor, he advanced reforms such as the establishment of a Public Service Commission to regulate utilities. He organized emergency relief during the Great Flood of 1913 and later that year helped resolve the Indianapolis streetcar strike. As part of the state’s centennial, he urged creation of the Indiana Historical Commission and the first Indiana state parks. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1922, was considered for presidential candidate in 1924, and died in 1925.