Hoosier History Live

The soldier who fired the first American shot during World War I was a Hoosier. Because initial reports from France did not include the soldier's name, they only indicated that he was from South Bend. A media frenzy ensued in October 1917 to determine his identity, with widespread misinformation that was repeated for years. Also in 1917, a nurse who had been born on a farm near Elkhart signed up w...

About 700 residents of Wabash County in northeastern Indiana once donated locks of their hair to create a harp. Well, an intricate artwork in the shape of a harp. That sounds weird (or at least offbeat) today, concedes, T.J. Honeycutt, director of archives and outreach at the Wabash County Museum, where the "hair harp" is among the exhibits that continually astonish visitors.

A mysterious illness killing songbirds swooped in over the summer and became front-page news across Indiana. Concurrently, the Covid-19 pandemic that's been so devastating for people apparently has had a positive impact on the hobby of birding. Hoosier History Live will do a deep dive into those and other issues related to our feathered friends. In September, the Indiana Department of Natural Reso...

In advance of the 20th anniversary of what has been called the most historic event of the 21st century so far, Hoosier History Live will welcome phone calls throughout our show from listeners. We invite you to call the WICR-FM studio (88.7) at 317-788-3314 and share where you were when you learned about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, or describe the ways, small and subtle or signific...

Indiana's population has increased by 302,000 during the last 10 years, but more than half of the state's 92 counties lost people. All of the five fastest growing counties border Marion County in central Indiana. Hamilton County, where the population has increased by 26.6 percent, continues to post the largest gains, "with a growth rate faster than the state of Texas," reports Carol Rogers, co-dir...

In advance of the 20th anniversary of what has been called the most historic event of the 21st century so far, Hoosier History Live will welcome phone calls throughout our show from listeners. We invite you to call the WICR-FM studio (88.7) at 317-788-3314 and share where you were when you learned about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, or describe the ways, small and subtle or signific...

During the decades when  Indianapolis  and its downtown were far from vibrant,  Naptown  was frequently used - along with "India-NO-Place" - as a derisive nickname for the lackluster Hoosier capital. But the actual origin of the Naptown nickname is much different than the negative connotation it later came to have, and the original intent was not to insult or disrespect the city, according to  Ste...

For our 600th show, Hoosier History Live will explore an aspect of our heritage that's, well, notorious. During the 1870s and '80s, outlaw gangs terrorized some Hoosiers, particularly merchants and farmers, in an area of southwestern Indiana sometimes known as the  Lost River region . It encompasses  Martin County ,  Orange County  and parts of  Dubois County . "The dynamics of the gangs ... were...

During the 1860s and '70s, "colored schools" (the term used during that era) began to open in Indiana. State laws required Black students to be educated in schools separate from their white counterparts. In 1886, the ceremony for the first graduate of  Vincennes Colored High School  in southwestern Indiana sparked a national controversy when whites boycotted the event, according to an article in t...

A bushel of challenges have confronted family farmers in recent decades. At the same time, farmers mаrkets have sprouted up in towns and neighborhoods across Indiana, the popularity of their "buy local" appeal undeniable. Nick Carter, 38, is knee-deep in both family farms and farmers markets. He grew up on a multi-generational family farm near  Russiaville ; today, he lives with his wife and three...

One persistent myth about  Strawtown  is that the village in  Hamilton County  near the  White River  came close to being designated the new state capital of Indiana more than 200 years ago. Other myths involve  Chief Straw , the supposed namesake of the village who has been described as an early Native American leader in central Indiana. Even though a 10-foot monument to Chief Straw was built in...

As we approach the 20th anniversary of the 9-11-01 terrorist attacks, this month marks another milestone involving  Indiana Task Force 1 , which was among 28 elite rescue teams dispatched to  Ground Zero  in New York City to search for survivors. Thirty years ago, in July 1991, Indiana Task Force 1 - which includes firefighters, emergency medical technicians, engineers, search-dog handlers and oth...

Even specialists in African-African history could be forgiven for drawing a blank at the mention of the name of  Indianapolis  native  James Baskett . In spite of being the  first black male actor to win an Oscar  - for a role in which he sang a song that also won an Academy Award - Baskett's place in the annals of African-American history seems to be largely forgotten. That's because the role for...

A fishing village founded on the northern shores of  Lake Michigan  during the 19th century and a Florida resort city on the Gulf of Mexico are miles apart both geographically and culturally, but share a distinction by virtue of their Indiana connections. Hoosiers have long flocked to both towns as seasonal destinations, with the cottages of  Leland, Mich ., popular during the summer, while many "...

Not only did he recover from a harrowing helicopter crash that almost struck  Speedway High School  in 1977, he also had to cope earlier that year with the suicide of his mentor, Sid Collins, the original "Voice of the Indy 500" on the  Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network . Veteran motorsports broadcaster  Paul Page  - who was inducted into the  IMS Hall of Fame  last month - will be Nelson'...

Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM. Or stream audio live from  anywhere  on  WICR Online ! You can listen to recent shows by clicking the podcast links below, or check out our  extensive archive of past shows available as podcasts . June 12, 2021 Moravian heritage of Hope, Indiana - Encore Click here to listen to the podcast . Columbus, Ind. , in  Bartholomew County , south of Indianapol...

Brownsburg  resident  Bob Palma  has a nine-car garage that houses his treasures: a 1973 Mustang convertible; four 1964 Studebaker Daytona models; a 1956 Packard Clipper hardtop and other cars manufactured more than 40 years ago. As Hoosier History Live explores the world of Hoosier car collectors like Bob, we won't focus exclusively on "classic" autos; that term has a specific, limited definition...

When you want advice about the problems that invasive trees and plants can cause in Indiana, whom do you consult? For  Hoosier History Live , the obvious choice is the  Hoosier Gardener , aka  Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp , the award-winning,  Indianapolis -based journalist and president of  GardenComm: Garden Communicators International . An Indiana advanced master gardener, Jo Ellen will be Nelson's gu...

Even though 17 years have zipped by since their last visit, no one is putting out welcome mats for the  periodical cicadas  that are about to take Indiana by swarm. The Hoosier state is considered one of the country's major hot spots for the 17-year emergence of the type of cicadas known as  Brood X . "The bugs will show up pretty much anywhere there are mature trees, and the males will unleash lo...

Never mind that he's done videos about historic sites in nine other states. Home turf for the creator of the multimedia project  History in Your Own Backyard  is Indiana. With a motto that advises motorists to "travel slowly and stop often,"  Satolli Glassmeyer  has ventured from his home in the small Indiana town of  Sunman  in  Ripley County  to make short documentary videos about historic local...

Saturdays, noon to 1 p.m. ET on WICR 88.7 FM. Or stream audio live from  anywhere  on  WICR Online ! You can listen to recent shows by clicking the podcast links below, or check out our  extensive archive of past shows available as podcasts . April 17, 2021 Bear pit at Riverside Park and other bygone animal attractions Click here to listen to the podcast .   Bears at  Riverside Park  in  Indianapo...

The  Covid-19  pandemic obviously will be the focus of work by future historians. But enough history has unfolded already for  Hoosier History Live  to explore the beginnings of the health crisis in Indiana, including the first diagnosed case and the first death in the state. During this show, we also will compare the spread in urban and rural areas, describe early challenges in contact tracing an...

Even though we're just past  Women's History Month , it's never a bad time to spotlight the impact of an Indiana architectural trail-blazer who had both pizzazz and spunk. Beginning in the 1950s, when women home builders were a rarity, A vriel Shull  designed and built  mid-century modern  homes in  Carmel ,  Indianapolis  and other Hoosier cities. National periodicals eventually distributed the h...

Indiana wants me Lord, I can't go back there. Those were the opening lines of a pop song that became a hit in 1970, rising to No. 5 on the Billboard Top 100 list. True crime author  Andrew Stoner  uses the song,  Indiana Wants Me , in his newest book as an entree to exploring fugitives and prison escapees throughout more than 100 years of Indiana history. To discuss several of the cases described...