A Bend in Time

Episode 1: Birth of the AAGPBL Come with us and relive the heyday of the South Bend Blue Sox and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. In this episode, we’re exploring the beginnings of the league from tryouts to train rides to the decision to land a team in South Bend, Indiana. Sources include The South Bend Blue Sox by Jim Sargent; The Dutiful Dozen by W.C. Madden; archived newspa...

Episode 2: The Inaugural Season The rosters were set, the uniforms were ordered, and the managers were assigned. Now there was only one thing left to do: Play Ball. No one – not even the players – quite knew what that first season would look like, and no one was sure if the fans would turn out. Follow the 1943 Blue Sox through their first season in the AAGPBL. Sources include The South Bend Blue S...

Episode 3: The War Years The All-American League was imagined as a way to keep baseball alive during the war, and that’s exactly what it did in 1944 and 1945. Follow the Blue Sox as they provide a welcome distraction for South Bend during the worst and ugliest parts of World War II. Sources include The South Bend Blue Sox by Jim Sargent; The Dutiful Dozen by W.C. Madden; archived newspapers includ...

Episode 4: League in Transition World War II ended in 1945 and left players, owners, and fans wondering what would happen with the All-American League. The women kept playing, but their game kept changing – transitioning from underhand to sidearm to overhand pitching. Every year, the game looked more and more like baseball, and if the Blue Sox were going to bring a championship to South Bend, they...

Episode 5: Chase for a Championship The Blue Sox had experienced plenty of success during their early seasons but had yet to deliver an elusive championship to South Bend. By the late 1940s, it looked like they had the necessary pieces to deliver playoff glory, including a budding superstar in Jean Faut. Sources include The South Bend Blue Sox by Jim Sargent; The Dutiful Dozen by W.C. Madden; arch...

Episode 6: The Dutiful Dozen 1952 was the most dramatic year in the history of the Blue Sox – a season filled with strife, interpersonal drama, and a player walkout that left the Blue Sox massively shorthanded heading into the playoffs. Sources include The South Bend Blue Sox by Jim Sargent; The Dutiful Dozen by W.C. Madden; archived newspapers including (but not limited to) the South Bend Tribune...

Episode 7: The End of an Era By 1954, the writing was on the wall, and the end of the AAGPBL was fast approaching. But that didn’t mean that the Blue Sox didn’t want to win. Follow the South Bend squad as they follow the league toward its end and try to bring one last hurrah to the home fans. Sources include The South Bend Blue Sox by Jim Sargent; The Dutiful Dozen by W.C. Madden; archived newspap...

Episode 8: Whispers of the Beautiful Game The AAGPBL folded at the end of the 1954 season, but that didn’t mean that the Blue Sox were done making an impact in South Bend. We close out the series by following up on the players who remained in town after their playing days were over and continued to touch the community during the years and decades to come. Sources include The South Bend Blue Sox by...

Episode 1: South Bend Bait Company What do lures, bamboo rods, and a scandalous escape to Sandusky have in common? Dive into the story of the South Bend Bait Company—once a fishing industry titan and now a collector's dream. From deer-hair hooks to million-dollar sales, this episode of A Bend in Time unravels the dramatic history of innovation, scandal, and resilience behind one of South Bend’s mo...

Episode 2: South Bend Toy Company From croquet sets and baseball bats to doll carriages and record-breaking wagons, the South Bend Toy Company once ruled as a global toy titan. But behind the success were fiery factory disasters, wartime contributions, and a remarkable legacy of craftsmanship. Join A Bend in Time as we uncover how this iconic toy maker rose to international fame, broke sales recor...

Episode 3: Stephenson Underwear Murder, mayhem, and long johns! Step back in time to explore the scandalous rise and fall of the Stephenson Underwear Mills, one of South Bend’s most influential—yet controversial—businesses. From woolen suits worn by President Benjamin Harrison to battles over land, labor, and tariffs, this episode of A Bend in Time delves into the company’s storied past. Discover...

Episode 4: Muessel Brewing In this episode of A Bend in Time, we follow the fascinating journey of the Muessel Brewing Company—from its Bavarian roots to its rise as a South Bend institution. Discover how this family-owned brewery thrived amidst temperance movements, tragic headlines, and the devastating effects of Prohibition. With tales of championship football teams, daring robberies, and endur...

Episode 5: The South Bend News-Times Rivalries, rising stars, and the race for readers! Explore the history of the South Bend News-Times, a scrappy underdog that nurtured talents like Ring Lardner and Charles Butterworth while battling its rival, the South Bend Tribune. Discover tales of journalistic pranks, political feuds, and how a little basement graffiti launched a cartoonist’s career. Despit...

Episode 6: Birdsell Manufacturing Company Lawsuits, poetry, and a game-changing machine! This episode of A Bend in Time dives into the story of the Birdsell Manufacturing Company, the pioneering South Bend firm that revolutionized farming with the Birdsell Clover Huller. Follow the epic battles of J.C. Birdsell as he fought to protect his patent, built an industrial empire, and turned a niche inve...

Episode 7: George Cutter Company What do New Orleans’ flickering streetlights and South Bend’s industrial past have in common? The George Cutter Company. In this episode of A Bend in Time, we illuminate the story of the man who brought style to streetlights across the U.S. and beyond. From his collaborations with Alexander Graham Bell to crafting iconic Arcadian lamps still standing in historic di...

Episode 8: South Bend Watch Ice-block watches, arctic expeditions, and dishonest postcards and more in this episode about the South Bend Watch Company. In this final episode of A Bend in Time's series on forgotten businesses, we chronicle the rise and fall of this trailblazing watchmaker that dared to challenge the giants of its industry. From marketing brilliance and luxurious railroad-grade time...

Episode 2: Dr. Louis Humphreys Louis Humphreys was mayor of South Bend from 1868 – 1872, a time that lined up almost perfectly with Schuyler Colfax’s vice presidency. It was an unprecedented time of Good Feelings, business development, and governmental cooperation. For most of his term, Humphreys’ actions rarely made big news… and that’s exactly the way he would have wanted it. Part of Series 1: D...

Episode 3: William Miller William Miller was mayor of South Bend from 1872-1876, inheriting a city on a high note that was about to come to an unexpected end. Miller had endured plenty of tragedy during his early life and would see plenty more during his four years in the mayor’s office. He’d oversee the city’s effort to build a modern water works and help deliver the wildest political circus the...

Episode 4: Alexander Thomas Alexander Napier Thomas was mayor of South Bend from 1876-1878, during the years it was most affected by the nation’s Long Depression. He was a proud member of the Temperance Society, an in-demand Sunday School teacher, and a pioneer at heart, leaving South Bend to build a new life in Nebraska even before his term in the mayor’s office was up. Part of Series 1: Dawn of...

Episode 5: Lucius Tong Tong was mayor of South Bend from 1878-1880, the first of its leaders to come with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. During his term, Tong oversaw maintenance on a city whose original infrastructure was turning 15 years old, acquired the land that would be come Howard Park, and watched over one of the worst fires in the city’s history. He also wrote some pretty awf...

Episode 6: Dr. Levi Ham Dr. Levi Ham was mayor of South Bend from 1880-1884, 74 years old by the time he took office, and 78 by the time he left. Ham inherited a city that was financially kneecapped and one that was changing in the face of European immigration. He helped deliver Democrats to power, even as the party and its members were touched by controversy. Part of Series 1: Dawn of the City of...

Episode 7: George Loughman George Loughman was mayor of South Bend from 1884-1888, and while he was mayor, he was also freight agent with the railroad, foreman of a fire station, President of the South Bend Building and Loan, and an insurance dealer. His tenure watched over the professionalization of city’s police and firefighters, a historic visit from presidential candidate James Blaine, a viole...

Episode 8: William Longley William Longley was mayor of South Bend from 1888-1892, and if he would have had his own way, he would have never been mayor at all. The reluctant city leader won a reluctant campaign that left him overseeing a growing city with growing industry. He also was left to administrate a soap opera involving the establishment of city parks, high profile fires, and the largest a...

Episode 1: William Greenawalt George William Greenawalt George was mayor of South Bend from 1865 – 1868. He saw the city through its incorporation and presided over its first City Council meetings. He oversaw the city’s first efforts to pave roads and sidewalks, wooed railroad investment, and led the controversial effort to annex the nearby village of Lowell. Part of Series 1: Dawn of the City of...