Hoosier History Live
A lively, live discussion of fascinating topics from the rich history of the state of Indiana. Host Nelson Price, the "connoisseur of all things Hoosier," engages guests in a lively, live conversation about high-interest issues relating to Indiana history.
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Vinyl era of Indiana music: a follow-up
08/02/2024
Vinyl era of Indiana music: a follow-up
Rock and roll icon Chuck Berry was the headliner at a concert at in 1972, the first of a long-forgotten series of music festivals at the former baseball stadium in Indianapolis. A poster for that 1972 concert is now part of the collection of the . So are rare vinyl LP's and 45's featuring Indiana musicians. And so are four Indiana University yearbooks from each year that was a student in the 1920s, although the music history project generally focuses on the "vinyl era"; that's usually defined as stretching from 1950 to 1990. The 1972 poster, vinyl LP's and yearbooks are among more than 5,000 pieces of memorabilia, ranging from a record player, photos and cassettes to flyers for concerts, that have been donated during the last year to the music history project, an initiative of the . So , the executive director of both the entertainment foundation and the music history project, will return to share updates since he was Nelson's guest last about the vinyl era of Indiana music. Rick, who formerly owned vinyl record stores in Indianapolis, attended the Chuck Berry concert in 1972, although the poster was donated by musician and photographer Neil Sharrow.
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D-Day and Hoosiers: 80 years later
07/25/2024
D-Day and Hoosiers: 80 years later
As Hoosier History Live salutes the recent 80th anniversary of , a milestone during , we will explore the Indiana connections to the largest amphibious invasion ever undertaken. Our guest, World War II historian , an author and chaplain, interviewed Hoosiers involved in various ways with D-Day, which was June 6, 1944. He also has researched the lives of those who did not make it home. In addition, Ron has visited American cemeteries in Normandy, France, and Luxembourg. So we also will discuss Hoosiers who are buried at the graveyards, including a pacifist from Indianapolis who served in a medical detachment and voluntarily walked into a minefield to come to the aid of two wounded comrades. , who was 21 years old when he was killed in March 1945, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the military's highest decoration. Ron May, who is based in Carmel, has been a frequent Hoosier History Live guest when we have explored World War II history, most recently on a show in in connection with his book titled "".
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Madge Oberholtzer: A follow-up about the woman who helped bring down the KKK
07/18/2024
Madge Oberholtzer: A follow-up about the woman who helped bring down the KKK
New information continues to emerge about a woman whose deathbed testimony in 1925 helped end the stranglehold of the notorious in Indiana. And there are multiple, new efforts underway to spotlight the legacy of , the victim of a lurid crime by KKK leader, , her neighbor in the neighborhood of Indianapolis. So Hoosier History Live will follow up a show from with Charlotte Ottinger, the author of a trail-blazing biography titled published by the . A registered nurse who also lives in Irvington, Charlotte will return as Nelson's guest to share more insights about Madge, who was brutally raped by Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of the KKK, during a train trip to Chicago with him and one of his associates. After being brought back to her family's home, Madge courageously recounted details of Stephenson's physical and sexual assault. Her statements resulted in his eventual conviction of second-degree murder in a sensational trial that helped end the clout of Stephenson, who had intimidated Indiana political and civic leaders.
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Busting myths about historic houses
07/11/2024
Busting myths about historic houses
Maybe you have heard some of these comments about houses built in the 1800s and early 1900s: "They never had closets." "Anything that sticks out of the house – like a wing -- was a subsequent addition." "Their only light was from candles or kerosene lamps." These are widespread misconceptions that our distinguished guest, Indianapolis-based architectural historian of , plans to dispel when he joins Nelson in-studio. For more than 15 years, Ben Ross has been involved in analyzing, interpreting and planning for the future of historic sites in Indiana and across the country, including well-known historic houses. Some myths about historic houses are so pervasive that they even are repeated to visitors by well-intentioned docents at the sites, Ben says. They include: "The back part of the house is shorter and simpler, so it must be older." "Almost everyone was a homeowner." "Many people lived in one place their entire lives." In some cases, Ben says, the myths distort social history and the way people lived in the 1800s and early 1900s.
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An acclaimed race driver and a sportswriter: two lives cut short
06/27/2024
An acclaimed race driver and a sportswriter: two lives cut short
A fan favorite even though he shunned publicity, hard-charging was the two-time defending champion at the and on his way to a third consecutive victory in 1955 when he was killed during a horrific crash. One of his closest friends was a nationally acclaimed sportswriter, charismatic of the , who chronicled Vukovich's rise from a hard-scrabble childhood (and a family tragedy) to his triumphs at the . Angelopolous had completed an eagerly anticipated biography of his friend before the sportswriter died at age 43, probably as a result of radiation exposure he endured as a pilot in World War II by flying over atomic bomb sites in Japan. The manuscript of the biography of Vukovich went unpublished for nearly 65 years and remained in the closet of Angelopolous' nephew. But Vukovich never has been forgotten among Indy 500 history enthusiasts. A photo of the publicity-adverse driver covering his face in his Gasoline Alley garage after escaping crowds following his triumph in 1954 remains the bestseller in the Speedway's photoshop.
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Marquis de Lafayette, his farewell tour and Indiana
06/20/2024
Marquis de Lafayette, his farewell tour and Indiana
All across the state, sites are named in his honor. The city of Lafayette, for example. In Indianapolis, there's Lafayette Road. In the city of Princeton in southwestern Indiana, there's a Lafayette Park. And the , hailed as a hero of both the American Revolution and the French Revolution, is the only individual to have two counties in Indiana with names associated with him: Fayette County and LaGrange County. LaGrange was the name of an estate in France owned by Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834). Now, admirers across the country, including Hoosiers, are preparing to spotlight the 200th anniversary of of 1824-25, during which the distinguished "guest of the nation" returned to America after his triumphs in the Revolutionary War. He traveled 6,000 miles and visited all 24 states that comprised the country then, including Indiana. Lafayette's interactions with the Hoosier state were brief but eventful.
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Deaths in the White House, including a First Lady
06/06/2024
Deaths in the White House, including a First Lady
Sure, the White House has been the setting for hundreds of joyous and celebratory events. But the historic home of U.S. presidents and their families also has been a setting for deaths, including that of the only First Lady from Indianapolis. Not only did , the beloved wife of , die in the White House, so did his grandfather. , the shortest-serving president in history, had only held office for 31 days when he died in 1841 at age 68. He had been elected to the presidency as a resident of Ohio; beginning at age 27, though, he had served as the first governor of the Indiana Territory and lived in . During our show, we will explore these deaths as well as others with connections to the presidency of Benjamin Harrison, a Republican who was elected in 1888 after having served as a U.S. Senator from Indiana; the deaths include tragedies involving two of his Cabinet members. Also, just one month after Caroline Scott Harrison succumbed to tuberculosis in 1892, her father, John Scott, a retired college professor and Presbyterian minister, died in the White House, where he had been living with the First Family. Nelson will be joined in studio by , the veteran curator at the in Indianapolis, where a current exhibit, explores these losses in the mansion of the country's chief executive. The exhibit includes displays about Victorian-era mourning customs, so Jennifer will share insights about them during our show.
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Hoosiers who claimed to witness Lincoln’s assassination
05/16/2024
Hoosiers who claimed to witness Lincoln’s assassination
Nearly 160 years ago this month, was assassinated in Washington D.C. Witnesses to the tragic event on April 14, 1865 may have included several Hoosiers who claimed to be at Ford's Theatre. In the decades following the shooting, residents of Indiana towns and cities including in Tippecanoe County, in Montgomery County, in Grant County and on the Ohio River – as well as – were interviewed by newspapers about what they witnessed. Or claimed to have seen. During our show, we will explore these reports, including some involving Hoosiers who even said they helped carry the fatally injured president's body to a house across the street, where he was pronounced dead the following morning, April 15. We also will explore the reaction in the Hoosier state to the shocking news that the Great Emancipator, who lived in southern Indiana from ages 7 to 21, had been slain just after the Civil War ended.
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Amelia Earhart and her Indiana connections: Encore
05/09/2024
Amelia Earhart and her Indiana connections: Encore
She vanished more than 75 years ago over the South Pacific while attempting to fly around the world in a twin-engine airplane sponsored by . That's just one of the connections between famous aviator and the Hoosier state. She was particularly associated with Purdue, which has the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of artifacts associated with the famous aviator, whose disappearance in 1937 remains a mystery. To explore the sky-high stack of Earhart links to Indiana, Purdue staff writer and historian , an aviation expert, joins Nelson for an encore broadcast of one of the most popular shows in our Hoosier History Live archives with the original show from . During the final two years before Amelia Earhart vanished, she was a sort of visiting celebrity-in-residence on the West Lafayette campus, where she was a career counselor for women students, and where she lectured and conducted conferences. She also was an adviser to the university's department of aeronautics.
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Some landmark structures in Indy, then and now
05/02/2024
Some landmark structures in Indy, then and now
Have you ever gazed up at the Art Deco-style in downtown Indianapolis? With its tiered exterior design of the upper floors, the 14-story building has been a landmark on Monument Circle for more than 90 years. Also on Monument Circle, the has been a presence even longer. The building that houses the prestigious private club was completed in 1925 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. But two former Army airfields in Indianapolis are long gone. , where famed aviator Charles Lindbergh made a stop on a national tour in 1927, was in the Mars Hill neighborhood of southwestern Marion County. , which opened in 1922 and became the site of several tragic crashes, was located near the former on the northeast side. Hoosier History Live will explore these current and bygone landmarks as well as several others, including the barracks at Fort Harrison and the that was the hub of the state's extensive Interurban system of electric rail cars during the early 1900s.
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Civic education: The need for a refresh
04/25/2024
Civic education: The need for a refresh
Surveys in recent years often have found more than 25 percent of Hoosier respondents did not know the name of the governor, according to a Ball State University professor quoted in a recent Indianapolis Star article. Does that sound alarming? Well, efforts are underway to increase civic understanding both by the general public and by students at Indiana schools. In a joint project, the and the are publishing an updated book, , to enhance understanding; it can be downloaded for free by the general public at and is being made available to Indiana schools (and their libraries) ranging from elementary schools to high schools. During our show, Nelson's guests will share about ways that people can get involved in public affairs; projects to enhance civic understanding, and Bar Foundation-supported programs such as and . We also will share various intriguing "Indiana facts" featured in the updated civics book. They include some that are obscure or quirky such as: In what Indiana city is it illegal to throw a snowball in city limits? Tune in for the answer. Who is the only elected county official with the authority to arrest a sheriff? Hint: It's probably not the office holder you would have assumed. And tomato juice was invented at what famous site in Indiana?
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Ask Nelson – and Glory-June Greiff, too
04/18/2024
Ask Nelson – and Glory-June Greiff, too
Calling all Hoosiers (or Hoosiers at heart who live in other states): Do you have any questions about Indiana's heritage that you'd like to ask historians? This show will be an ideal opportunity, with an open phone line throughout as Nelson is joined by , a well-known public historian with broad and deep expertise about the Hoosier state. In between phone calls from listeners – the studio number to call is 317-788-3314 – Nelson and Glory-June will interview each other, particularly about topics related to . She will share insights about women sculptors from Indiana during the early 1900s, including those whose works are featured in one of Glory-June's books, . Two of the sculptors whom Glory-June will discuss are: (1869-1940), who was born in and became one of the most prominent women sculptors in the country. The Swope Art Museum in her hometown displays some of her works. And (1882-1934), an Indianapolis native whose outdoor sculptures and statues can be seen across the state, from Delphi to the Fountain Square neighborhood in her hometown. She also created the statue in Greenfield of James Whitcomb Riley that stands in front of the Hancock County Courthouse.
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Lives of musicians post-Indiana Avenue heyday
04/11/2024
Lives of musicians post-Indiana Avenue heyday
Although the heyday of the Indiana Avenue jazz music scene in Indianapolis has been explored frequently – including on Hoosier History Live shows – one aspect is seldom discussed. What happened to the lives of the musicians during the 1970s, '80s and '90s? Where did they perform after the Indiana Avenue nightclubs closed? Those are the questions we will explore when Nelson is joined by a well-known Indianapolis musician and producer who worked with, was influenced by and befriended many of the jazz notables who, earlier in their lives, had performed on "The Avenue". The heyday of the Indiana Avenue jazz scene generally is defined as stretching from the 1940s through the mid-1960s. , 58, who is best known as a bass player (although he has played several other musical instruments), began meeting former Indiana Avenue headliners as a 12-year-old. He eventually went on to play an array of gigs with everyone from the legendary (1932-2021) to saxophonist (1921-2004). Bill Myers thinks he has the distinction of being the only male to ever play bass with the popular after one of them, Virtue Hampton, their bass player, suffered a stroke.
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Sites along U.S. 40 in Indiana, then and now
04/05/2024
Sites along U.S. 40 in Indiana, then and now
From a massive former factory on the eastside of that's been repurposed into two charter schools to a 1950s-style diner in and a former Masonic Temple in , sites along in Indiana will be in Hoosier History Live's spotlight. We also will explore a bygone barbershop that was owned by a formerly enslaved African American entrepreneur as well as two early automobile manufacturing plants , one of which is set to become a music venue. Stretching from to , U.S. 40 bisects the state and follows the route of the National Road, which was completed across the Indiana wilderness during the 1830s. Its designation as U.S. 40 came in the 1920s. That's also when opened a massive factory on the highway (which enters Indianapolis as East Washington Street) that eventually employed thousands of Hoosiers who made electronic components and dry cell batteries. After sitting vacant and decaying for more than 30 years, the plant (the birthplace of the Duracell battery) has been repurposed as the home of and . It's among the historic sites – current, bygone or repurposed – that Nelson and his guests will "cruise by", although they won't leave the radio station. He will be joined by two board members of the : of Indianapolis, a business and civic leader who has crusaded for six Indiana Historical Bureau markers. Along those lines, the Indiana National Road Association has erected along the U.S. 40 route in Indiana. And of Greenfield, who is retired from Eli Lilly & Co. With his wife Beverly, Bob renovated a former Masonic Temple that was considered one of the largest lodges in the state when it opened in 1895. The historic building on U.S. 40 now is a banquet and event center in Greenfield owned by Bradley Hall Events.
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Ellen Munds, a trail-blazer of Storytelling Arts
03/29/2024
Ellen Munds, a trail-blazer of Storytelling Arts
One series is called "Sharing Hoosier History Through Stories". Another series, about historic landmarks across Indiana, is titled "If These Walls Could Tell". There's also an annual "Liar's Contest" on the opening night of the Indiana State Fair. is deeply involved in each of those, and, as Hoosier History Live salutes , we will spotlight a woman who has been a key figure in the nonprofit organization since it was created in the late 1980s. , the executive director of Storytelling Arts, is a former children's librarian who, with two co-founders, launched the organization with a festival at in 1988 after a year of planning. Ellen, who is retiring on June 30, will be Nelson's guest as we spotlight her and the organization created for the promotion and preservation of stories. In turning back the pages of Storytelling Arts' own history story, it seems a floatation center in Indianapolis played a key role. According to Ellen, she met future professional storyteller , one of the other co-founders of Storytelling Arts, when he co-owned a local floatation center.
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Carnegie Libraries in Indiana
03/21/2024
Carnegie Libraries in Indiana
How often does Indiana rank as the No. 1 state in a national list? Well, here's a record for the books: More were built in Indiana than any other state. Between 1901 and about 1918, 164 public libraries built in large part by funding from philanthropist and industrialist (1835-1919) were constructed in Indiana. More than 100 of them are still used as public libraries across the state. Others have been repurposed as everything from restaurants to museums, art galleries, local government offices and civic centers, with many retaining the "Carnegie" name in some way. To explore a range of aspects about "the Carnegies" – which include two branches still in use in the system – Nelson will be joined by studio guest , president of the , who has done a deep dive into the topic. The first Carnegie Library built in Indiana was in and the last town to receive funding was . OF Indiana's 92 counties, only 9 did not receive any Carnegie funding for a public library, according to Dr. McNiece.
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Black firefighters history in Indy
03/07/2024
Black firefighters history in Indy
Way back in 1876, when firefighting equipment was transported by horse-drawn wagons, the first Black firefighters were hired by the . The four African Americans included a firefighter who, in 1911, died in the line of duty. Details about the story of the trail-blazing firefighters will be described on this show as Hoosier History Live salutes . Our guest will be , an IFD battalion chief and president of the , which is in the midst of a major project. A history museum about Black firefighters is being developed in a non-operational (shuttered) fire station on the north-eastside. The museum in Old Station No. 31, , is expected to feature historic firefighting equipment, uniforms, helmets, plaques and videos. Battalion Chief Floyd, who grew up near Old Fire Station No. 31, says he hopes the museum will open in two or three months.
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Latino Hoosiers during the mid and late 1900s
02/29/2024
Latino Hoosiers during the mid and late 1900s
On the east end of downtown Indianapolis, there was a community (or "barrio") of Mexican families during the 1940s and '50s. During the 1960s and '70s, camps in the farm fields of and were set up for migrant workers, most of them of Mexican or other Latino heritage. So there were urban as well as rural residents of Latino heritage in the Hoosier state during the mid and late 1900s. In our rotating series about ethnic heritage in Indiana that has focused on heritage groups ranging from Germans and Irish to Ukrainians and Koreans, Hoosier History Live will follow up a show in about the Mexican communities in northwest Indiana during the 1920s. The guests on that show included of the , who will return to share insights about the subsequent evolution of Latinos during the mid and late 1900s. Nicole is the co-author of "" (Indiana Historical Society Press); her ancestors came from Mexico to the area of as early as 1918. Steel companies in northwest Indiana recruited Mexican immigrants as workers, with a barrio established in the Indiana Harbor area of East Chicago.
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Movie and TV directors who aren't household names now
02/09/2024
Movie and TV directors who aren't household names now
Now that awards season is underway in Hollywood – Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday – our spotlight will be on movie and TV directors with Indiana connections. The filmmakers range from directors of movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood such as the holiday classic "" (1947) and "" (1944) to popular hits like "" (2012). "Miracle on 34th Street" was directed by (1911-1979), who was born in . Although the movie has become a Christmas classic, it was not initially released during the holiday season and was not promoted with yuletide as a focus. Nelson's guest, Dan O'Brien, a screenwriter and former TV sportscaster based in Greenwood, will explain why. In addition to being a director, George Seaton was a screenwriter and won an Oscar for his screenplay for "Miracle on 34th Street". He also won an Oscar for his screenplay for "" (1954) starring Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby; Seaton directed that movie as well. Other movie directors we will spotlight include (1896-1977), whose ancestors helped found , where he was born. Although Hawks primarily is remembered as a director of Westerns (several starred John Wayne, including "Red River" and "Rio Bravo"), Hawks was known for his versatility. His other hits include "" (1953) starring Marilyn Monroe as well as "To Have and Have Not" (1944) that teamed Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall for the first time.
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African American namesakes of Indy parks
02/01/2024
African American namesakes of Indy parks
Who was Bertha Ross? A park on the north west side of Indianapolis is named in her honor. Namesakes of other city parks include a superstar in baseball's old Negro League, a beloved cook at Flanner House and one of the first Black officers in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Our show on Saturday (Jan. 13) will spotlight "African American namesakes of Indy parks", with Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas sharing insights.
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Delphi town history: encore
01/26/2024
Delphi town history: encore
Because of a tragedy, a picturesque town with a Greek name (unusual for Indiana) has been in the national news for more than six years. That has often obscured the colorful heritage that in northern Indiana has reclaimed in captivating ways, including cruises on a portion of the former , restored historic structures and a park showcasing the waterway's heritage, that have made the city a popular destination for visitors. will spotlight Delphi (population. 2,975), the county seat of , where, from May through September, visitors enjoy cruises on , a replica of a 19th century canal boat. In this encore broadcast (original air date: ), we also look at the history of some sites associated with the tragedy, the murders of two girls in February 2017, as well as the , which includes an interactive museum, and restored buildings such as the . Not only did , the Hoosier poet, perform at least six times at the opera house, he also visited the Delphi area to enjoy fishing and other leisure activities. Nelson's guest is Carroll County historian . He is a docent at the , a grand, Federal-style home built in the 1840s by the contractor of the region's section of the Wabash & Erie Canal, which was constructed to connect on with on the . The Reed Case House eventually became an inn for travelers and canal workers.
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Ulen: The vagabond turned CEO and unusual Boone County town: encore
01/18/2024
Ulen: The vagabond turned CEO and unusual Boone County town: encore
He quit school after the fifth grade to ride the rails, so was an unlikely Hoosier to become an international business tycoon. Ulen also created and became the namesake of an unusual small town that's surrounded by the city of in . In this encore broadcast of a show from , History Live will take a dual look at Henry Ulen, an industrialist, and the town of that he founded in the 1920s not far from where he had grown up. "I traveled from the time I was 14 until I was 18," Ulen once said. "The moment the idea hit to go somewhere, and it always did in the spring, I was off. St. Louis, Denver, Chicago, Dodge City, Cincinnati . . . anywhere the next freight train happened to be going." Henry Ulen (1871-1963) founded Ulen & Company, a prestigious business that oversaw infrastructure projects in places like Bolivia, Iran and Greece. The company was based in New York City until Ulen decided to return to Indiana and create a town as a community for his executives and engineers. Although that's no longer the case (Ulen & Company shut down more than 60 years ago), the 40-acre town still has about 120 residents. Just as in the 1920s, the hub of the community is a golf course and country club.
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History of Santa Claus, Ind., and letters from around the world
01/11/2024
History of Santa Claus, Ind., and letters from around the world
Whether you have been naughty or nice during this yuletide season, have you wondered how a sleepy village founded in southwestern Indiana during the 1840s became the country's only town that has a post office with the Santa Claus name? Hundreds of thousands of "Dear Santa'' letters from children around the world have been delivered to Santa Claus, Ind., since the early 1900s. And the Spencer County town (approximate pop.: 2,580) has become a tourist destination, with an internal, recreated historic village that includes a Santa Claus Museum, a church built in the 1880s and a towering Santa statue that weighs 40 tons. To celebrate the season and its spirit, Hoosier History Live will explore the evolution of the unusual town (its original name was not Santa Claus) and the letters, which are answered by a joyful army of community volunteers known as "elves". They toil in the recreated historic village, which opened within the town in 2006.
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State Archives: a follow-up
12/28/2023
State Archives: a follow-up
With construction finally underway of a new home for the , which include a trove of historic material such as the transcripts of landmark court cases, Hoosier History Live will follow up a show we did about the status of the archives. In addition to highlighting aspects of the $102 million structure being built on the downtown canal in Indianapolis, we also will spotlight some of the landmark court cases, which range from "slave trials" early in the state's history to the death penalty case involving a teenage girl and a gruesome murder in 1906. Nelson's returning guest will be , executive director of the Indiana Archives and Records Administration. For more than 20 years, many of the state's archives, which include the original Indiana State Constitution of 1816, have been housed in a deteriorating warehouse on the eastside of Indianapolis that was intended to be temporary and is not sufficiently climate controlled. A tunnel will connect the new Archives building with other buildings on the state government campus. To share insights about the landmark court cases with transcripts housed in the archives, Chandler has consulted with former Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice , who was a guest on Hoosier History Live in . The cases include two that became known as "slave trials" in the early 1820s involving teenage African American girls. The cases tested the then-new constitution prohibiting slavery in Indiana. During this show, Chandler will discuss one of the cases, involving a teenager in Vincennes named Polly Strong. On Hoosier History Live, we have explored the other "slave trial", which also involved an enslaved teenager, Mary Bateman Clark, on a show that we rebroadcast most recently in ; our guest was well-known Indianapolis journalist and historian , a descendant of Mary Bateman Clark.
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Bygone landmarks in Indy
12/15/2023
Bygone landmarks in Indy
Once there was a majestic courthouse in Marion County designed in the Second Empire style with a clock tower, spire, cupolas and statues of Greek goddesses. Once, where Butler University's campus is located today, there was a spacious park, with a boathouse for canal rides, an outdoor band shell for concerts, a roller coaster and diving horses. And once there was a long covered bridge that extended across the White River, enabling travelers on Washington Street in Indianapolis to make it across the waterway without getting wet. These and other bygone landmarks will be the focus of our show with the author of a new book, Vanished Indianapolis, that describes the distinctive sites and explains why they went away. The author who will be Nelson's guest is Ed Fujawa, the creator of a popular blog about city history, class900indy.com. Although Ed is an Indianapolis attorney, he never tried a case in the Marion County Courthouse, which was demolished in the early 1960s. (Today, the site is a plaza just south of the City-County Building, which replaced the courthouse as the home of local courtrooms and various city offices.) Constructed in the 1870s, the courthouse drew national attention because of its lavish architecture. In Vanished Indianapolis, Ed describes a daredevil in 1919 who climbed to the top of its central spire and was among the thrill seekers attracted by the building's design.
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First cookbook published in Indiana and food fashions of 1840s and ‘50s- Encore
12/07/2023
First cookbook published in Indiana and food fashions of 1840s and ‘50s- Encore
With the approach of Thanksgiving, Hoosier History Live will spotlight the trail-blazing woman who wrote the first cookbook published in Indiana. Also on the menu: We will explore food fashions of the mid-18th century era when the cookbook came out. The author was (1805-1885), who was living in , when her popular cookbook was published in 1851. Titled "Mrs. Collins' Table Receipts" (and retitled "The Great Western Cookbook" when it was reprinted in New York later during the 1850s), the cookbook "is an excellent reflection of the dishes served in middle class homes in mid-century Indiana", our guest says. (The word "receipts", as in the title of the book, was often used during the era to refer to recipes.) Our guest on this encore show (originally broadcast last Feb. 25) is Indianapolis-based food historian , an expert on foodways of late 18th century America through the pre-Civil War era. With more than 20 years of experience as a historic consultant to museums and historical societies in researching and developing programs, Sheryl helped launch the hearthside dinners at .
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Indiana state flag: the back story
11/30/2023
Indiana state flag: the back story
It may be easy to unfurl a flag, but there sure are a lot of twists in the story of how the current Indiana state flag became the official symbol. At one point, even the (a k a the American flag) was the official flag for the Hoosier state. The backstory about the state flag and several untold, related stories are described in a new book, . The author, Morgan County resident , will be Nelson's studio guest to dig into the history that he's unearthed about the blue and gold flag with the torch and 19 stars. (Refresher history tidbit: In 1816, Indiana became the 19th state to enter the country.) Also during our show, David Reddick will share insights about the life and career of (1880-1971), the watercolor artist from credited with designing the state flag. According to folklore, Hadley won a contest sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1916. The actual story is more complicated, David Reddick says.
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Indiana state flag: the back story
11/30/2023
Indiana state flag: the back story
It may be easy to unfurl a flag, but there sure are a lot of twists in the story of how the current Indiana state flag became the official symbol. At one point, even the (a k a the American flag) was the official flag for the Hoosier state. The backstory about the state flag and several untold, related stories are described in a new book, . The author, Morgan County resident , will be Nelson's studio guest to dig into the history that he's unearthed about the blue and gold flag with the torch and 19 stars. (Refresher history tidbit: In 1816, Indiana became the 19th state to enter the country.) Also during our show, David Reddick will share insights about the life and career of (1880-1971), the watercolor artist from credited with designing the state flag. According to folklore, Hadley won a contest sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1916. The actual story is more complicated, David Reddick says.
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Naturalization ceremonies: a judge’s perspective
11/16/2023
Naturalization ceremonies: a judge’s perspective
A rotating series on Hoosier History Live delves into the ethnic heritage of (and immigration to) Indiana. We have explored dozens of ethnic heritage groups, ranging from shows about and to the state's early and the . Many of the immigrants and refugees become U.S. citizens at naturalization ceremonies held at various venues. This time, we will explore the topic from a different perspective: that of a federal judge who oversees many of the naturalization ceremonies. of the will be Nelson's studio guest to share insights about an aspect of his job that he considers among the most rewarding: officially making Indiana residents new American citizens. What has been the homeland for the most immigrants at Judge Sweeney's naturalization ceremonies since he began his stint on the federal bench in 2018? He plans to share the answer during our show, as well as offer other observations about naturalization ceremonies that he's overseen. (The U.S. District for Southern Indiana includes a wide swath of central and southern Indiana, stretching from the Indianapolis metro area, Kokomo, Terre Haute and Richmond to Evansville, Bloomington and New Albany.) According to court officials, 1,333 residents of the district have been naturalized as U.S. citizens so far in 2023, with a total of 1,850 projected by the end of the year. The number declined during the Covid pandemic, when naturalization ceremonies were unable to be held for a few months. (In 2020, only 925 residents of the district were naturalized, compared to 2,286 in 2018.)
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Graverobbing conspiracies of early 1900s
11/10/2023
Graverobbing conspiracies of early 1900s
It's a creepy chapter of Indiana's history, but probably appropriate to explore during the season known for all things ghastly. Graverobbing in central Indiana had been an "open secret" for decades before several arrests in 1902 and subsequent trials drew national attention, according to , a public historian and senior lecturer at Ball State University's department of media. Rings of graverobbers in Indianapolis and Hamilton County had been plundering small cemeteries in the Hoosier capital city and rural cemeteries. They sold corpses to various medical schools that were desperate for cadavers. (These medical schools predated the formation of – and were unaffiliated with – the I.U School of Medicine.) Chris Flook, who will be Nelson's studio guest, describes the grisly conspiracies in a new book, "". Key figures in the graverobbing rings included Rufus Cantrell, an itinerant African American preacher known as the "King of the Ghouls", and his competitor, Hampton West, a white, former Confederate soldier who was based in Hamilton County. They were hired to ransack cemeteries by the medical schools, including the Central College of Physicians and Surgeons, that sought cadavers to use in training students. In his book, Chris Flook describes the impact of racism in the arrests and trials of the conspirators. "Racism played a decisive role in how the participants were adjudicated", Chris notes. "The Black graverobbers received a disproportionate amount of blame and punishment for a criminal conspiracy created, managed and maintained by white doctors at some of the medical schools."
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