Hoosier History Live

Why did the despicable  Ku Klux Klan  become pervasive across Indiana during the 1920s? Who joined? And does the tendency of the general public to focus on Klan Grand Dragon  D.C. Stephenson  (and his lurid scandals) dilute the more insidious - if less sensationalistic - impact the KKK had on life in Indiana in the 1920s?  These are among the questions that acclaimed Indiana historian  James Madis...

As the two largest natural lakes in Indiana, they have been the scenic locations of summer homes for more than 100 years, with vacation lodging options ranging from waterfront mansions to cottages and bungalows. They've also attracted their share of celebrities and even notorious characters. Lake Wawasee , southeast of the town of  Syracuse  in  Kosciusko County , and  Lake Maxinkuckee  - with the...

She started singing as a 5-year-old girl at  Mt Calvary Baptist Church  in  Indianapolis , where her grandfather was the minister. Soprano  Angela Brown , 56, went on to become an international opera star, performing everywhere from the  Metropolitan Opera  in New York City - where she made a sensational debut in 2004 - to prestigious venues in Paris, London and Shanghai. She has sung the national...

Amid the celebrations of the  100th anniversary of women's voting rights  this month, it's important to acknowledge the arduous, decades-long struggles that were involved in reaching that historic milestone.  It's also important to dispute myths about the women's suffrage movement that have persisted ever since the  19th Amendment  became official on Aug. 26, 1920.  Hoosier History Live will chall...

Like an almost-forgotten Hollywood classic enjoying an unexpected revival of interest, drive-in movie theaters are in the spotlight again with the Covid pandemic-related resurgence of outdoor film showings. As if on cue, Hoosier History Live will explore the rise and fall of drive-in theaters, which boomed in popularity in the years after  World War II . During the 1950s, more than 120 drive-ins f...

The pageantry, competition and drama of the  Tokyo Summer Olympics  was supposed to be underway at this point, concluding with a closing ceremony on Aug. 9. Instead, the games have been postponed until July 23-Aug. 8 2021 due to the  Covid-19 pandemic  - and some analysts have speculated they may not even happen then. Regardless, Hoosier History Live will spotlight Olympians with connections to In...

No need to pity Indiana's snake population, but let's acknowledge that misconceptions abound about the reptiles that commonly evoke terror and scorn. Of the many species of snakes native to the state, only four are considered venomous. Hoosier History Live will spotlight those four - including the most rare, the dreaded  water moccasin  (also known as the  cottonmouth ) - along with a range of oth...

Even aside from the roller coasters at  Indiana Beach , the ups and downs have been dizzying at the iconic tourist attraction on the shores of  Lake Shafer  at the Hoosier town of  Monticello . The heyday of the beach, boardwalk, amusement center, arcade and ballroom - where the Beach Boys, Sonny & Cher and Janis Joplin performed - lasted for decades after the park opened during the 1920s. After a...

Almost like the beginning of a  Disney  movie, this story starts with a boy captivated by animals, but distressed by turbulence in his family. After growing up in  Indianapolis  during the years following  World War I  - and attending  Arsenal Technical High School  and what was then the  John Herron Institute of Art  -  Bill Peet  went on to be generally considered the greatest storyboard artist...

Ever since the selection of the original  Mercury 7 astronauts  in 1959 marked the dawn of the U.S. space program, it's been well known that a significant percentage of  NASA  astronauts, mission specialists and engineers have spent portions of their lives in Indiana. After all,  Purdue University  has long been nicknamed "Mother of Astronauts." Less well known, however, is Indiana's connection to...

With various aspects of racial justice in the headlines,  Hoosier History Live  will explore precedent-setting legal trials in early Indiana involving  African Americans  and  Native Americans . We are drawing upon our rich archive for a special encore show focusing on two landmark cases of racial justice in early 19th century Indiana. The two trials: one in which an enslaved Indiana woman success...

Following the recent dismantling in an  Indianapolis  park of a Confederate monument that originally marked the graves of prisoners of war who died at a Union Army camp,  Hoosier History Live  will explore the historic context of various aspects of the controversy. Several guests will participate during the show: an expert on  Civil War  history, including the former  Camp Morton  and Confederate...

The table was overloaded when  Hoosier History Live  served up  a show on topics related to the foods of the pioneers  earlier this year. So during this show, we will savor additional, fresh aspects of what and how Indiana residents ate during the 1820s, '30s and '40s. Which members of pioneer households worked in the gardens? Did early settlers really believe tomatoes were poisonous? How was the...

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 13, 2020 Ellis Island, immigration and Indiana: encore Click here to listen to the podcast .   Ellis Island  - the "gateway to America" for generation...

As  the city of Indianapolis celebrates its 200th birthday  - and on the eve of what was supposed to have been a mass, public kickoff event for the Bicentennial era of the Hoosier capital - Hoosier History Live will explore a malaria epidemic during the early 1820s that almost wiped out the city just as it was getting underway. We also will look back on the city's history at various proposals for...

With the highly anticipated induction of  Tamika Catchings  into the  Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame  coming up this summer, Hoosier History Live is taking a look back at the challenges the  Indiana Fever  legend confronted during her spectacular career as a player, as well as her aspirations for post-Fever life. Since the original broadcast of this show in 2017 - one year after she ret...

Even though there won't be an  Indianapolis 500  this Memorial Day weekend due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we've got the green flag to explore the colorful heritage of the "greatest spectacle in racing." During this encore show originally broadcast in 2016, Hoosier History Live delves into the lives and careers of early race drivers who had deep connections to Indiana. Here are some of the story...

Two counties are named after  Native American  tribes. Many of Indiana's 92 counties have names that pay tribute to  Revolutionary War  heroes. And other county names salute famous Americans, including some who never set foot in the Hoosier state. A few counties even are named after an aspect of their natural landscape.  Lake County , with a northern border on the shores of  Lake Michigan , is an...

With the  U.S. Census  underway,  Hoosier History Live  is turning to a respected demographer to shine a light on trends - some recent and others deeply historic - about the state's residents and where they live. In 2018,  Indiana gained nearly 31,800 residents to reach a total population of 6.69 million , according to estimates provided by demographer  Matt Kinghorn , a senior analyst with the  I...

In 1967,  Esquire magazine  published a cover story with the tagline: "This man ought to be the next president of the United States." The reference was to  J. Irwin Miller  the long-time president of  Cummins Engine Company  - today,  Cummins Inc.  - whose impact extended far beyond the business world, both locally in his hometown of  Columbus, Ind ., and nationally, where he played a significant...

Although  Sears Roebuck & Co . announced many department store closings across Indiana and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018, the retailer has a deep and storied history on many levels in the Hoosier state. In this encore show originally broadcast in November 2018, we turn back the pages of history to explore the enormous impact of the  Sears Roebuck Catalog  100 years ago, particularly on s...

Does history offer any lessons in taking on the challenges of a viral threat? To explore this topic that never has been more timely,  Hoosier History Live  will air our  Epidemics in Indiana history  show that originally was broadcast in 2014 amid widespread concern about  Ebola  and the possibility of an epidemic in this country. Did you know a  malaria epidemic  swept  Indianapolis  just as the...

When you dig into questions of what Hoosiers ate in the 1820s, '30s and '40s, when they gathered for meals, the dining utensils they used, and related topics, you have a lot to savor. Indianapolis -based food historian  Sheryl Vanderstel   will even describe what she calls "lost" foods when she is Nelson's guest for a smorgasbord of information and historical facts about the food of pioneers and t...

Because April includes  Earth Day , Hoosier History Live will take the opportunity to explore tree planting crusades in Indianapolis, which have far deeper "roots" than many folks assume. Clear back in the 1850s - when the pioneer era wasn't even a distant memory and the Hoosier capital was not yet 40 years old - some residents were concerned about the loss of the city's tree canopy. In the spring...

Digging up details about the lives of farm wives in Indiana during the 19th century wasn't easy for historian  Morgan Lee Wilson , who will be our guest as Hoosier History Live salutes  Women's History Month . Morgan, who lives on a small farm near  Walkerton  in  St. Joseph County , has read diaries and letters written by rural women whose roles in agricultural life were crucial, but often unhera...