The major purpose of this study is to examine the mayoral years of Leonidas A. Guthrie, from 1905 to 1910. Guthrie (1875-1964), a Muncie, Indiana lawyer, reform leader, and philanthropist, served as mayor during a period when Muncie began to evolve into a modern city. His administration saw a number of changes in Muncie as the city entered the twentieth century, including the first brick streets and the widespread installation of electric street lights. In spite of these advancements, Guthrie, who kept exhaustive notes on every facet of his life, left no chronicle of his mayoral years amidst the large collection of his personal papers housed at Special Collections at Ball State University.Further research discovered that Guthrie's term was marred by controversy surrounding the city fire department and the Great Goddard Fire of 1907, the Interurban Strike of 1908, and the battle between the "wet" and "dry" elements which eventually led to the passage of the local option law and a "dry" vote for Delaware County. Therefore, this dissertation is a, chronological account of Guthrie's administration and an examination of the controversies and political turmoil surrounding Guthrie's mayoral years. / Department of History