Talking Hoosier History

On Thursday, April 24, 1919, 13 women took off their headsets and staged a walk out at the New Home Telephone Company in Linton, Greene County, Indiana. Five days later, a battle broke out between the people of Linton and the Indiana militia. On this episode of Talking Hoosier History, we explore the harsh working conditions that drove these women to strike and the course of events that led to the whole area around Linton being put under Martial Law.  Read transcripts and show notes here. 

What is a Hoosier? People have been asking just that question for nearly two centuries, but have we ever really figured it out? On this episode of Talking Hoosier History, we explore some of the various and sometimes outlandish explanations of the origin of the most famous demonym in America. Read transcripts and show notes here. 

On April 4, 1968 Robert Kennedy arrived in Indianapolis for a planned campaign speech. Instead, he had the impossible task of telling the mostly African American audience that Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot and killed. His speech was an inspiring moment of grace in the aftermath of unthinkable violence. However, it was the strong African American leaders of Indianapolis who led the community in peaceful mourning while other cities erupted into violence. Read transcripts and show notes here.  

You may know that George Rogers Clark took Fort Sackville in Vincennes, Indiana, from the British in a daring siege. But why should we care? How would history be different if he hadn't? What you may not know is that he later expatriated himself and dared a second revolutionary act that also could have changed history and the U.S. map . . . possibly to this day. In this episode of Talking Hoosier History we ask... WHAT IF? Read transcripts and show notes here.

You may know that Abraham Lincoln spent fourteen formative years in Indiana. But what part of this oft-told story is fact and what part is fiction? Did Indiana shape Lincoln into the man who would become one of the greatest U.S. presidents? Or did he achieve greatness despite his Indiana roots? This episode of Talking Hoosier History explores Lincoln the man, Lincoln the myth, and the grey area in between.  Read transcripts and show notes here. 

The Senate Avenue YMCA provided a gathering place and rallying point for the African American residents of Indianapolis, who faced prejudice and discrimination in the segregated city. The Y's "Monster Meetings" brought nationally renown speakers such as Martin Luther King Jr. and their messages of hope for equal rights, love for their oppressors, and resistance to the hate of racism. (Guest: Dr. Frank Thomas, Director of the PhD Program in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric, Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis) Read transcripts and show notes here. 

Zerelda Wallace became politically active late in her life, after she raised several children and lost her husband. She made up for lost time, however, becoming a leader in the temperance and suffrage movements in Indiana and nationally. Her strong belief in Christian moral principles and ideas about women as the moral compass of humanity inspired her work to bring women the vote. Read transcripts and show notes here.

In this episode of Talking Hoosier History, we're doing something a little different. Instead of our usual story-telling format, we're interviewing author and historian Wendy Gamber about her tale of one nineteenth century woman's dubious money-making schemes, alleged murder plot, and ensuing five court trials. Meet the Notorious Mrs. Clem.

With the rise of spiritualism in the late nineteenth century, Hoosiers began gathering in dimly lit rooms to contact the spirits of the departed. Others didn't go looking at all, but restless ghosts found them nonetheless. Some of these terrifying tales ended up in the pages of Indiana newspapers. Join us as we journey through these eerie encounters . . . if you dare. Find transcripts and show notes here. 

Spanish Influenza hit Indiana in September of 1918. While the virus was killing soldiers and civilians affected by WWI around the world, most Hoosiers assumed they were safe that fall. Unfortunately, the mysterious flu was already on their doorstep. On this episode of Talking Hoosier History we examine the havoc caused by the dread malady and the brave nurses and regular Hoosiers who battled the epidemic. Read the show notes here. 

Follow us through five scenes from the 165 year history of the Indiana State Fair. The curtain rises on the first fair in 1852, when farmers gathered to learn about the latest innovations and compete for prizes such as "best pair men's cowhide shoes." In scene two, we enter the sideshow tent and examine the Victorian moral controversy behind treating people with physical differences like objects. In scene three, we'll rush the stage to see The Beatles in 1964, during their only appearance in the Hoosier State. In scene four, we'll drool over Jessop's Butterscotch Corn and wonder at the young woman who built the business from the back of a wagon. And in scene five we'll walk through Hook's Drug Store Museum and learn about how this temporary exhibit became one of the most popular permanent features of the Indiana State Fair. Read the show notes here. 

Kenneth Rexroth’s poetry, literary criticism, and political activism inspired a generation and solidified his place in the American literary canon. And while much has been written about his years in San Francisco laying the groundwork for a literary renaissance in that city that grew into the larger Beat movement, little has been written about his time in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio – a period when the budding poet rubbed elbows with anarchists, burlesque dancers, criminals, and the artistic and literary elite of the Midwest and the world. Read the show notes here. 

In a career spanning half a century, the radical Hoosier politician George Washington Julian worked to end slavery in the United States. Working through various political parties, he maintained his abolitionist views in the face of adversity and helped push the Lincoln administration toward the 13th Amendment. Learn more about Julian in Episode Three of the Indiana Historical Bureau's podcast, Talking Hoosier History. See the show notes and music credits here.

During her prestigious career, Hoosier physicist Melba Phillips developed a key quantum theory with J. Robert Oppenheimer, worked for peace in the new atomic age following WWII, and was persecuted as an alleged communist during the McCarthy Era. Learn more about her story in Episode Two of the Indiana Historical Bureau's official podcast, Talking Hoosier History. This episode features music from the award-winning musician Moby! See the full music credits and read the show notes here. 

In 1948, African American Hoosier Bill Garrett made his varsity debut at Indiana University, directly challenging the Big Ten ban on black players. Learn more about his story in the first episode of the Indiana Historical Bureau's official podcast, Talking Hoosier History. Read the show notes here.