Mary Miller is widely known in the Lafayette community. As the founder of Lafayette and the first female bank president in the United States, the history of Miller’s pioneer spirit has been admired for years.
In recent months however, the city of Lafayette was presented with a darker history of some members of the Miller family through a petition and information presented by some Lafayette residents.
As a result, the city is conducting a survey of its residents to get a better understanding of the community’s perception of the Miller name and what history its residents are aware of. The survey is being paid for by the city at a cost of $25,143.
“When we learn new history, I think it’s important as a community that we talk about it and talk about the impact it has on people who we really value as part of our community,” said Mayor Jamie Harkins. “The only way to really be an inclusive city is to make sure we hear from everyone and really take that into account.”
The survey will open to the public on Thursday and will close March 5.
Harkins said the survey is to educate residents on what the City Council has learned about the Miller family and hear from the community, but the results will not determine the path forward on its own.
“The survey’s just one piece of information,” Harkins said. “Once we find out more and hear from hopefully a wide range of folks in the community, I think we as a council have to have some conversations on what the path forward looks like. I don’t think anyone knows yet, but we’ll have to figure that out.”
When hearing news about the survey, Lafayette resident Doug Conarroe said he’s familiar with the Miller family history both good and bad.
Conarroe said the city has recognized one aspect of its history, but it’s time for community members to recognize the other. He was one of the residents behind the creation of the petition calling for the name change of The Miller apartment complex.
“My argument all along has been the history of Mary Miller’s grandsons, who were members and leaders of the local Ku Klux Klan, negates and really damages that family’s name and I’m not in favor of it being used,” Conarroe said.
Lafayette resident Nicholas Bernhard, however, has no issue with the Miller name being used in the city and, in direct response to the apartment complex petition, said that Mary Miller’s legacy shouldn’t be diminished because of what her grandsons did after she died.
“I think that the survey and the change of the apartment name was prompted by a petition that was very light on facts and very heavy on insinuation and implication,” Bernhard said. “I definitely agree with the sentiment of trying to build understanding and unity; I think that this is the wrong way to go about it.”
Harkins said in addition to the survey, it’s important for the city to get comments from all parts of the community, including conversations, outreach, and talking to residents who have been specifically impacted by the issue.
“I really want to make sure that everyone that lives in Lafayette feels part of Lafayette,” Harkins said. “However we get there, we’ll figure out together.”
The survey links are available on the city of Lafayette’s home page at lafayetteco.gov.
