Published by the Indiana Newspaper in Education Foundation Inc.

In association with:IBJ Book Publishing

41 E. Washington St., Suite 200Indianapolis, IN 46204

www.ibjbp.com

Copyright © 2016 by Nelson Price & the Indiana Newspaper in Education Foundation Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher.

All inquiries should be addressed to: Indiana NIE Foundation, 41 E. Washington St., Suite 301, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Editors: Justin Rumbach & Mike Snyder

Graphic Design & Layout: Beth Winchell

Project manager: Karen Trusty Braeckel

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016934721

ISBN: 978-1-939550-36-1First edition

Printed in the United States of America

Jack W. Humphrey, Ed.D. Professional Reading Specialist

Colonel, United States Marine Corps.

Innovator in education

Leader of teachers

Friend of children

Champion of reading

Father of Newspaper in Education Weekfor Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.,

the state of Indianaand the nation

DEDICATED TO

Quirky aspects of Indiana .................................. 1Giant turtle, steer, egg make list of state’s oddities

Famous Hoosiers .................................................. 2Astronauts, athletes, cartoonist, composers call Indiana home

Ethnic immigration in Indiana ........................... 4Germans, Irish, other groups bring ethnic diversity to state

Hoosier state food heritage .............................. 6Popcorn and pork and pie! Oh, my!

Influential African-Americans ........................... 8Madam Walker, “Major” Taylor, others made impact on state

Women who influenced Indiana .................... 10First lady, saint, Olympic athletes rank among Hoosier pioneers

Hoosier president & veeps ............................... 125 U.S. vice presidents, 1 president hailed from Hoosier state

Myths about Indiana ......................................... 14Believe it or not, “ facts” get distorted

Native American heritage ................................ 16Native Americans thrived before white settlers came

Origins of unusual Indiana names .................. 18Native Americans, Revolutionary War heroes lend names to state’s places

Indiana during Civil War ................................... 20Large number of Hoosiers battled for Union Army

Transportation drives state ............................. 22Boats, covered wagons carried pioneers to Indiana

Overlooked Hoosiers ......................................... 24You know their creations but not their last names

Famous landmarks across Indiana .................. 26Caves, courthouses, dunes, hotels make Hoosier state unique

Museums, other places to visit ....................... 28Explore Indiana through famous, lesser-known museums

Table of Contents

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Astronauts, artists, musicians, Olympic athletes, scientists, singers, business leaders, basketball players, TV stars and politicians.

Hoosiers have become famous in all of those walks of life and in just about every other career. In fact, men and women from Indiana have drawn attention from across the country since the beginning of the state.

Consider Johnny Appleseed. He was a real person on the Indiana frontier, not just a Disney cartoon character. By the time Johnny Appleseed, whose actual name was John Chapman, died near Fort Wayne in 1845, he had become a folk hero to thousands of people. Chapman (or Appleseed) had been born in Massachusetts. He wandered around

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Jim Davis created Garfield, the world-famous cartoon cat. Hoagy Carmichael loved 1920s jazz and composed the popular song “Stardust.”

Astronaut “Gus” Grissom from Mitchell, Ind., studied engineering at Purdue.

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Famous HoosiersAstronauts, athletes, cartoonist, composers call Indiana home

the frontier, distributing not apple seeds, but seedlings, to early settlers. He also was a traveling preacher who deeply respected Native Americans.

Speaking of cartoons: The comic strip seen in the most newspapers around the world is drawn in Indiana. Garfield the cat, featured in more than 2,000 newspapers (even in countries like Japan, Spain and Brazil), was created in 1978 by Jim Davis, who grew up on an Indiana farm. He draws his world-famous cartoon cat – and creates spinoff products like stuffed dolls and posters – at his business, called PAWS Inc. It’s

based in a wooded area near the town of Albany, Indiana.

Hoosiers also have become famous by composing music. Cole Porter, who wrote both the music and lyrics (words) for songs performed in Broadway musicals and Hollywood movies, was born in Peru, Indiana. Another famous composer, Hoagy Carmichael, was born in Bloomington; he grew up there and in Indianapolis. Even though Porter and Carmichael died many

years ago, their songs are still enjoyed all over the world.

Music also is the career field in which another Hoosier became one of the youngest from our state to

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W here did your ancestors come from?Among white Hoosiers for much

of Indiana’s 200 years as a state, Germans have been the No. 1 ethnic

heritage group.Some major cities, particularly Fort Wayne

and Evansville, have had an especially deep and widespread German heritage. So have smaller communities such as Jasper, Ferdinand and Oldenburg in southern Indiana.

Irish immigrants ranked second behind Germans for most of Indiana’s history. Third and fourth were, in order, English and Scottish immigrants.

Before any of them came, though, the French were the first to arrive. Fur traders and priests from French regions of Canada traveled in the 1700s to the wilderness that became Indiana. Many of the French explorers wanted to trade with the Native Americans. To do that, the French established villages such as Vincennes, Indiana’s oldest town. It’s also in the southern part of the state.

Northwestern Indiana was settled much later. So the major ethnic heritage of cities there – such as Hammond, Crown Point, Munster and Portage – is different than several other regions of the state. Polish, Czech, Greek, Serbian and other heritage groups from Eastern Europe often made these Indiana communities their new home. They tended to come several years after the first Germans

settled elsewhere in the state.In the 1800s German-speaking people

arrived in waves. Many early German settlers were lured by the farmland in Indiana.

Others came because they had special skills such as furniture making. By the end of the 1890s, about 70 percent of Indianapolis residents reported having German heritage. In Fort Wayne and Evansville, the percentages were even higher.

That changed dramatically during the last 25 years in several of Indiana’s largest cities. Ethnic heritage groups relatively new to the state, including Hispanics, arrived in increasingly large numbers. Between 2000 and 2009, the number of Hispanics living in metro Indianapolis more than doubled.

Fort Wayne became the home of more immigrants from Burma than any city in the country. Experts say it’s because Catholic organizations and other groups in Fort Wayne reached out to help people fleeing Burma, where dictators ruled for many years.

South Bend is particularly known for the Irish and Polish ancestry of its residents. The sports teams of the University of Notre Dame even are called the “Fighting Irish” in tribute to the heritage of the Catholic university – although its founder actually was a French priest in the 1840s.

Many Hoosiers are unaware that, during the late 1800s and early 1900s, Italians came

Ethnic immigration in IndianaGermans, Irish, other groups bring ethnic diversity to state

Some 49,000 Amish live in Indiana.

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F rom trail blazers in business, basketball and bicycle racing to music and the military, African-Americans have had a significant impact ever since Indiana

became a state in 1816. Many Hoosiers are unaware that communities of black residents were thriving here even before statehood 200 years ago.

As opportunities became available – or as they made their own – African-Americans in Indiana drew national attention.

They included Madam C.J. Walker, who moved to Indianapolis in 1910 and made a fortune with a factory that created hair-care products such as combs, lotions and shampoos. Her products were sold across

Influential African-AmericansMadam Walker, ‘Major’ Taylor, others made impact on state

Sources say Madam C.J. Walker became first female African-American millionaire.

the country and shipped to customers in the Caribbean and Central America.

Experts concluded that Madam Walker (1867-1919), whose parents were slaves in the South before the Civil War, may have been the first African-American woman to become a millionaire.

Her name at birth in Louisiana was Sarah Breedlove. Her early life was rough. Sarah’s parents died when she was about seven years old. She had a series of grueling jobs, including scrubbing laundry for other families.

Sarah dreamed of something better, particularly when she was horrified to notice some of her hair was falling out. Experts today attribute this to damaging hair-care products, stress and other factors. Calling herself Madam Walker, she created better merchandise.

Her move to Indianapolis was a business decision. The Hoosier capital was a manufacturing center in the middle of the country, with major railroads that enabled Madam Walker to easily ship her products.

The success that followed, with her bustling factory and mail-order business, did not just benefit Madam Walker. She hired former maids, laundry workers and other women who, just like Madam Walker, had been toiling

at tiring work. They ended up with office and sales jobs, resulting in a much better quality of life.

About 10 years before Madam Walker moved to Indianapolis, a native of the city became the top bicycle racer in the world.

During an era – the late 1890s and early 1900s – when bicycle racing was one of the most popular sports, Marshall “Major” Taylor (1878-1932) set records. In 1901 he won 42 out of 57 races he entered. Major Taylor met the kings and queens of Europe and competed as far away as Australia.

Taylor, whose father fought in the Civil War, apparently got his nickname at age 13 while performing bicycle tricks. On his bike, he liked to wear a cap and uniform with braids – the

kind worn by a major in the Army.It’s not just people who made an

impact. Legendary places associated with African-Americans also have been significant in Indiana’s heritage.

Indiana Avenue near downtown Indianapolis was the setting for a jazz music scene that flourished after World War II. Wes Montgomery, one of the best jazz

guitarists in American history, and other national stars got their starts in clubs along the avenue.

For his album “Goin’ Out of My Head,”

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Women who influenced IndianaFirst lady, saint, Olympic athletes rank among Hoosier pioneers

F rom settlers of the wilderness to an early environmentalist, a first lady who made history, advocates for voting rights and Olympic athletes, women from Indiana

have been pioneers for 200 years.An author who loved nature – and became

famous around the world for writing about the birds, wildlife, swamps, flowers and forests in Indiana – was an environmentalist even though we did yet not use the word during her lifetime. Gene Stratton-Porter, whose bestselling books included “The Girl of the Limberlost” (1909), also was a photographer.

After being given her first camera as a Christmas present by her 8-year-old daughter, Stratton-Porter (1863-1924) sold photos and magazine articles about the birds, butterflies, muskrats and other wildlife in Indiana.

Next came her books, most of which she wrote in two cabins that you can visit. Limberlost Cabin is located near a swamp next to the town of Geneva. In the far northeast corner of the state is a second cabin, Wildflower Woods, where Stratton-Porter moved later in life. At Wildflower Woods, next to a lake near Rome City, she planted thousands of flowers, trees and vines.

Long before that, when much of the state

was still a wilderness, a Catholic nun arrived from France. Leading a small group from the Sisters of Providence to the frontier near Terre Haute, Mother Theodore Guerin was nearly 42 years old and in frail health when she and the other nuns came in 1840. Their first Indiana winter was so brutal that some almost died.

But Mother Theodore (1798-1856) and her group went on to clear land in forests so they could build roads, schools and orphanages, often doing the heavy work themselves. They also set up early versions of drug stores that gave free medicine to the poor.

Mother Theodore also opened an academy for girls that today is known as St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. It’s the oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women in the nation (although it became co-ed in 2015). In 2006,

St. Mother Theodore Guerin founded St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in 1840.

Gene Stratton-Porter wrote popular books and took wildlife photos.

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Hoosier president & veeps5 U.S. vice presidents, 1 president hailed from Hoosier state

Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis is the burial site of more U.S. vice presidents than any other graveyard in the country.

Five vice presidents have been elected from Indiana, explaining why the Hoosier state has been called the “Mother of Vice Presidents.” Three of the five are buried at Crown Hill.

So is one U.S. president, Benjamin Harrison from Indianapolis, who was elected in 1888 and lived in the White House until shortly after his wife died in 1892. Harrison, a Republican, had been a U.S. senator from Indiana and, before that, a general in the Civil War. Harrison is the

only president elected from Indiana.But the state has deep connections to two

other presidents, including Abraham Lincoln. In fact, many historians contend Hoosiers need to take more credit for Lincoln, who was seven years old when his family came to the southern Indiana wilderness from Kentucky.

That was in December 1816, the same month Indiana became a new state. After helping his father clear land in the dense forest and build a cabin, young Abe Lincoln lived in Indiana for 14 years.

“There, I grew up,” he wrote later in life, referring to Indiana. Eventually, when he was

21, Lincoln moved to Illinois, where he was living when he was elected president.

During his boyhood and teenage years as a Hoosier, many significant events occurred. They included the death of his beloved mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, when he was barely nine years old.

While living in the frontier community of Little Pigeon Creek, young Abe, who loved books, occasionally was able to attend school. Mostly, though, he learned about the world by reading in the small cabin that he shared with his father and sister and, eventually, with a stepmother and stepsiblings in what today

Benjamin Harrison served as a U.S. senator from Indiana before being elected president.

Abraham Lincoln moved to Indiana when he was 7 years old and lived here for 14 years.

Dan Quayle was vice president under George H.W. Bush.

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Among Northern states, Indiana sent one of the highest percentages of young men and boys to battle for the Union Army during the Civil War.

Ever since the war from 1861 to 1865, the large number of Hoosiers who joined “President Lincoln’s Union Army” has been a source of pride for many in the state. It’s the inspiration for many memorials built to honor Hoosiers lost in the North vs. South conflict, including the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in downtown Indianapolis.

Sadly, by the end of the war, more than 25,000 Hoosiers had been killed in battle or died of diseases that quickly spread in the soldiers’ camps. The war also dramatically affected the lives of women, children and

nonmilitary men who stayed home to keep life going on farms and in towns.

In southern Indiana during July 1863, farms and towns were looted and burned by Confederates. Known as “Morgan’s Raiders” because they were commanded by

Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan, they charged across the Ohio River and raided Indiana towns such as Salem and Dupont.

In their path, Morgan’s Raiders burned bridges and railroad depots, seized food from farmhouses and stole horses. Panic spread across the state. Hoosiers feared the Confederate cavalry planned to seize the State Capitol Building in Indianapolis. But the Confederates encountered resistance and were diverted to Ohio where they were defeated, and Gen. Morgan was captured.

All of the other significant military conflicts

involving Hoosiers happened in other states, both in the North and in the South. Hoosiers were involved in every major battle of the war, including the bloody Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. The 19th Regiment from Indiana not only earned glory and fought in Gettysburg, they became members of the Iron Brigade, one of the war’s most famous group of soldiers.

Hoosiers who served in Civil War regiments

Indiana during Civil WarLarge number of Hoosiers battled for Union Army

Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan and his raiders captured Salem July 10, 1863, burned the depot, cut telegraph wires and demanded ransom from merchants for sparing their stores.

Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan

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Long before cars and airplanes were invented, Hoosiers traveled by horse-drawn wagons, boats – and later, railroads.

Pioneers began arriving in the early 1800s by boats along the Ohio River. Or they came on land by Conestoga wagons, a type of covered wagon. (Later, beginning in the mid-1800s, Conestoga wagons were made in South Bend by the Studebaker Brothers. Run by five brothers – all of whom had long beards – the Studebaker business went on to make popular cars for nearly 60 years.)

Transportation drives stateBoats, covered wagons carried pioneers to Indiana

Steamboats transported people and animals to towns along the Ohio River. The Duesenberg, a luxury car, was one of many automobiles manufactured in Indiana.

The first major road across Indiana was a big dirt path created during the 1830s through the dense forests by hundreds of workers. They chopped the tall trees and removed stumps and rocks. Known as the National Road, it stretched clear across the middle of Indiana from Richmond on the east end to Terre Haute on the west. (Today, the National Road is a highway known as U.S. 40.)

About the same time that pioneers were moving to Indiana by wagon and stagecoach on the National Road, steamboats and other watercraft were bringing people and animals

to towns on the Ohio River. Thanks to the bustling traffic on the river, Madison was the state’s largest town during the 1830s.

To create ways to move products and people on water in other parts of the state, Hoosiers in the 1830s and ‘40s dug canals. The canals were designed to extend the Wabash River, the Whitewater River and other waterways. Although the canals did not last long, the town of Delphi continues to celebrate their impact with boat rides and a canal museum.

Railroads soon proved to be much faster than canal boats. The first major steam

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ome Indiana landmarks have been made by people – including magnificent courthouses, towering monuments, historic barns and spectacular hotels.

One hotel in Indiana has an atrium called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

Other landmarks across Indiana are the result of nature, including the Dunes on Lake Michigan, caves, rivers and lakes.

And don’t forget Indiana’s state parks. The creation of the state park system has been a lasting legacy of Indiana’s 100th birthday celebration in 1916.

After that centennial, the first two state parks created were McCormick’s Creek and Turkey Run in western Indiana.

Fun fact: Turkey Run got its quirky name from wild turkeys

that avoided chilly weather by gathering in the canyon bottoms, or

“runs”, which tended to be warmer.In far-northeastern Indiana,

Pokagon State Park is famous for its toboggan slide, which has thrilled

visitors since the 1930s.Almost all of the

state’s largest natural lakes also are in northern Indiana. The two largest, Lake Wawasee and Lake Maxinkuckee, are popular sites for summer cottages.

In southern Indiana, many of the largest

lakes have been created. Among them is the state’s biggest lake, Lake Monroe near Bloomington.

Southern Indiana also has some of the country’s best-known caves. They

include Marengo Cave, discovered by children in the 1880s. Designated a U.S.

National Landmark, Marengo Cave has passages that intrigue visitors and is located

near the Ohio River, the biggest landmark at the southern border of Indiana.

In northwestern Indiana, the major landmark is vast Lake Michigan. On its shores are The Dunes, huge drifts of sand, including some almost 200 feet tall. Experts say The Dunes – which stretch from Gary to Michigan

City – were created centuries ago when glaciers retreated from the region.

As pioneers settled the state, Hoosiers created landmarks. Many Indiana towns were planned with a town square where the most majestic building was the courthouse. City leaders wanted people to respect judges and juries, so Indiana courthouses often were designed with clock towers, statues, curved staircases, stained glass windows and stunning artwork.

Some courthouses in our 92 counties have become landmarks for unusual reasons. In Greensburg, the Decatur County Courthouse is famous because a tree grows out of its roof.

The oldest courthouses still in use both were

Famous landmarks across IndianaCaves, courthouses, dunes, hotels make Hoosier state unique

Fulton County calls itself the “Round Barn Capital of the World.”

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The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and Conner Prairie Interactive History Park near Fishers are popular, well-known destinations for exploring

aspects of the state’s heritage. So are the Indiana State Museum and the “You Are There” exhibits at the Indiana History Center.

Dozens of lesser-known museums and other fascinating places to visit are scattered across the state, though. Even the sport that’s most closely identified with Indiana has a museum of its own, with plenty of interactive displays. The Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame is in New Castle, also the hometown of the

largest high school gym in the country.In an interactive display at the basketball

hall of fame, you play hoops as the clock ticks; your challenge is to make a basket before the buzzer sounds. Memorabilia of famous teams from Crawfordsville, Muncie Central, Attucks, Milan and other high schools is regularly displayed.

If cars are more your speed, check out the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend. That’s the city where popular Studebaker cars were made until 1963. The business was founded more than 100 years earlier by five Studebaker brothers, who started out making

wagons, horse-drawn carriages and sleighs. The historic Lincoln Carriage – which took President and Mrs. Lincoln to Ford’s Theater on the night of his assassination – is displayed at the Studebaker museum.

Before the Civil War, the Underground Railroad – routes by which escaped slaves from the South made their way to freedom through Northern states, including Indiana – was active across the state. About 2,000 escaped slaves were helped in the far-eastern Indiana village of Newport (which later changed its name to Fountain City) thanks to a Quaker couple named Levi and Catharine Coffin.

Museums, other places to visitExplore Indiana through famous, lesser-known museums

Escaped slaves hid in the Levi Coffin House, part of the Underground Railroad.

Visitors can tour famous artist T.C. Steele’s home and barn-shaped studio.

Conner Prairie Interactive History Park set a record in 2014 with nearly 360,000 guest visits.

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Legendary Hoosiers: Famous Folks from the State of Indiana by Nelson Price (Guild Press of Indiana, 2001).

Little Turtle, the Story of an American Indian by Maggi Cunningham (Dillon Publishing, 1979).

Madam C.J. Walker by A’Lelia Bundles (Chelsea House Publishers, 1991).

Major Taylor: The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer by Andrew Ritchie (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996).

My Indiana: 101 More Places to See by Earl L. Conn (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2009).

My Indiana: 101 Places to See by Earl L. Conn (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2007).

Nature’s Storyteller: A Life of Gene Stratton-Porter by Barbara Olenyik Morrow (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2010).

Oddball Indiana: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places by Jerome Pohlen (Chicago Review Press, 2002).

On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker by A’Lelia Bundles (Scribner, 2001).

People, Parks and Perception: A History and Appreciation of Indiana State Parks by Glory-June Greiff (Trafford Publishing, 2010).

Peopling Indiana: The Ethnic Experience edited by Robert Taylor and Connie McBirney (Indiana Historical Society Press, 1996).

Road Trip: A Pocket History of Indiana by Andrea Neal (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2016).

Tecumseh: Shawnee Rebel by Robert Cwiklik (Chelsea House Publishers, 1993).

The Magnificent 92 Indiana Courthouses by Jon Dilts (Quarry Books, 1992).

The Magnificent Seven: The Authorized Story of American Gold by N.H. Kleinbaum (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1996).

The Sword & The Pen: A Life of Lew Wallace by Ray E. Boomhower (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2005).

The Vice Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary edited by L. Edward Purcell (Facts on File, Inc., 1998).

There I Grew Up: Remembering Abraham Lincoln’s Indiana Youth by William Bartelt (Indiana Historical Society, Press, 2008).

Websites & VideosBall State University website and video: The Lenape on the Wapahani Riverhttp://cms.bsu.edu/news/articles/2014/4/documentary-sheds-light-on-delaware-native-americanswww.lenapeonthewapahani.org

Carroll County Wabash and Erie Canal Association www.wabashanderiecanal.org

Indiana Courthouse Squares Projectwww.indianacourthousesquare.org

Indiana German Heritage Society www.ighs.org/heritage

Indiana Landmarks’ blog about the state’s cool historic placeswww.hiddengemsindiana.org

Italian Heritage Society of Indianawww.Italianheritage.org

National Toy Hall of Famewww.toyhalloffame.org

The Amish – PBS video aired 02/2012(Search web for free access)

Vera Bradley Sales LLCwww.verabradley.com

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reams do come true – with a lof of hard work and financial support.

And thus this project So you think you know Indiana? Celebrating 200

years of the Hoosier state became a reality thanks to both organizations and individuals.

Without generous sponsors, this book would remain an aspiration. The Indiana Newspaper in Education Foundation made its largest grant in history to this project. The Indiana Library Federation joined ranks with both financial and delivery support to provide a free book to every elementary school library in the state. The Hoosier State Press Association Foundation also donated funds to fulfill part of its mission to increase public literacy, and the Indiana State Reading Association partnered financially with the NIE Foundation as it has for decades to benefit young readers. (Please see the following pages.)

When John Wolf, Indiana Department of Education and current president of the Indiana NIE Advisory Board, mentioned Indiana’s bicentennial at a 2013 fall meeting, he planted the seed for this project.

By spring 2014 the board met with Nelson Price. He immediately came to mind as the author of choice for a written project because of his previous books and knowledge of the state. (Read Price’s bio on page 41.) The board discussed a newspaper series, and Lisa Plank with United Way’s ReadUP program suggested a book.

The NIE board wanted both. But first it needed to finance the writing and graphic

design of the series.Price agreed to write the stories within

the limited budget – and went far beyond his responsibilities by proofreading and supplying additional resources for teachers and students.

After securing the author, the board commissioned Beth Winchell, a freelance graphic designer. She began her newspaper career in 1980 as an ad compositor at the Chronicle-Tribune in Marion. She then became an advertising designer at the Naples (Fla.) Daily News.

Returning to her Hoosier roots 10 years later, Winchell joined The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News in 1992 and designed everything from automotive ads to a weekly NIE feature, “Read the Zoo.”

In November 2015 – after 35 years in newspapers – she retired from Star Media, where she coordinated sponsored online content and custom print publications.

Winchell graciously designed the newspaper layouts at half her usual fee as a donation to the project. Without her help, the second phase – this book she also designed – would not be.

Two newspaper editors on the NIE board donated their time. Justin Rumbach, president of the Indiana NIE Foundation and managing editor of The Herald in Jasper, and former managing editor Mike Snyder of The Commercial Review in Portland edited and proofread both the newspaper stories and book.

Nadia Kousari of the Indiana Historical Society willingly located numerous file photos for use in the project.

Garfield © Paws, Conner Prairie, The Indianapolis Star, Pearl Grey Photography and Shutterstock also supplied art.

Vivian Sade, editor of the Churubusco News, dug through the newspaper’s archives for a photo to help tell the story of the ”Busco Beast.”

Robyn Young, librarian at Avon High School, Indiana NIE Advisory Board member and president of the Indiana Library Federation, assisted in fundraising and solicited ILF’s support in book delivery. Tisa Davis of ILF made distribution of books to schools possible – saving thousands of dollars.

Librarian Karen Duffy at Forest Dale Elementary School in Carmel willingly shared her expertise on fourth-graders’ interests.

Former and current HSPA staffers Milissa Tuley, Shawn Goldsby and Yvonne Yeadon handled all of the behind-the-scenes activities that made this project work for all parties.

IBJ Book Publishing’s Patricia Keiffner and Jodi Belcher patiently guided the team through the publishing process.

Karen Braeckel, former director of the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation, spent hundreds of hours coordinating the creation of the bicentennial series and the publication of this book. This project would not have been possible without her unwavering dedication to the NIE program and youth literacy.

To all others not mentioned here – who gave support along the way – thank you!

– Board of DirectorsIndiana Newspaper in Education Foundation Inc.

Acknowledgments

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OfficersJustin Rumbach, PresidentThe HeraldJasper, Ind. Greg Erbeck, Secretary Gannett Consumer Marketing & Sales Indianapolis, Ind. Karen Braeckel, Treasurer Hoosier State Press Association Foundation (Retired) Indianapolis, Ind. Jack Humphrey, Past PresidentMiddle Grades Reading Network (Retired)Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. (Retired)Evansville, Ind. Board MembersBarbara Barbieri The News-Banner Bluffton, Ind. The Ossian JournalOssian, Ind.

Karisa Campbell HarrisIndiana NIE Advisory Board, Vice President Fort Wayne Newspapers Fort Wayne, Ind. Earlene HollandOakland City University (Retired)Indiana Department of Education (Retired)Superintendent, Maconaquah School District (Retired) Dubois, Ind. Chris S. JudsonPast President, Indiana State Reading AssociationConcord High SchoolElkhart, Ind. Carol Lutz Past State Coordinator, Indiana State Reading AssociationKokomo Schools Corp. (Retired) Kokomo, Ind.

Lisa Plank United Way of Central IndianaReadUP program Indianapolis, Ind. Susan Scholl Carroll County Comet Delphi, Ind. Mike SnyderFormer managing editorThe Commercial Review, Portland, Ind. Indianapolis, Ind. John WolfIndiana NIE Advisory Board, president Indiana Department of EducationIndianapolis, Ind. Robyn Young Indiana Library Federation, President Avon High School Avon, Ind.

Indiana Newspaper in Education Foundation Inc.he Indiana Newspaper in Education Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) corporation, supports the goals of the Newspaper

in Education program in Indiana as established by the Indiana NIE Advisory Board, a not-for-profit volunteer group of newspaper personnel, educators and representatives of the Hoosier State Press Association and the Indiana Department of

Education.Decades ago HSPA and the IDOE sponsored the formation of the

Advisory Board whose purpose is to coordinate efforts to advance educational objectives of the NIE program in Indiana and develop in young people:

• A continuing desire and ability to read a newspaper critically and reflectively;

• A concern for public issues and a motivation to involve themselves in our self-governing process; and

• An understanding of the role of a free press in our society.Over the years, the NIE Foundation sponsored statewide serial stories

for newspapers to publish for young readers, online resources for teachers to use in their classrooms, NIE Week activities, webinars and workshops, election materials – and now an original newspaper series published in a hardcover book for school libraries in celebration of Indiana’s 200th birthday.

Indiana NIE Foundation Inc. Board of Directors

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BooksIndiana Legends: Famous Hoosiers from Johnny Appleseed to David Letterman (Hawthorne Publishing, 1997 hardcover; 2005 softcover), a book of profiles of 160 famous Hoosiers ranging from historic figures to contemporary newsmakers. Subjects range from frontier characters such as Tecumseh, the legendary Shawnee warrior, through Abraham Lincoln, Madam Walker, Cole Porter, Col. Eli Lilly, Kurt Vonnegut and Ryan White to contemporary newsmakers such as Garfield creator Jim Davis, Jane Pauley, Reggie Miller, classical music star Joshua Bell and a dozen Hoosier astronauts. To profile the historic figures in his first book, he spent years traveling around his home state, interviewing relatives of legendary Hoosiers as well as historians, curators and other experts. Indiana Legends is in its fourth edition and seventh printing.]

Indianapolis Then and Now (Thunder Bay Press, 2004; Pavilion Press, revised edition 2016), a colorful examination of the evolution of America’s 14th largest city (based on U.S. Census Bureau 2015 statistics). In this visual history book, Price led a three-person team including a photographer and a photo historian. Part of the bestselling “Then and Now” series by Thunder Bay Press, other cities featured include Boston, Rome, Chicago and some major European and North American cities. He shares folklore, long-forgotten anecdotes, statistical trends and

captivating details about 70 sites (some long-gone, others brand new and thriving) around the city.

The Quiet Hero: A life of Ryan White (Indiana Historical Society Press, 2015), A biography for young readers of the teenager from Kokomo who crusaded to attend school despite community opposition becauseof his AIDS diagnosis. As the face of young people with AIDS, Ryan White became a national celebrity. As a journalist, Price covered the story from the beginning through Ryan’s death in 1990.

Legendary Hoosiers: Famous Folks From the State of Indiana (Guild Press of Indiana, 2001), a youth-oriented companion book to Indiana Legends that presents the lives of famous people from Indiana and traces state history. The book includes color photos, trivia boxes, “Fun Facts,” “Did You Know?” sidebars and other features designed to captivate children, teenagers and adults.

Indianapolis: Leading The Way (Towery Publishing, 2000), a photo-oriented look at contemporary life in Price’shometown.

Live Radio Show HostHoosier History LiveWeekly talk show, WICR-FM (88.7), Indianapolis, the only live radio show with

listener call-in about a state’s history in the nation.

Chapters, essays and forewords

Undeniably Indiana (Indiana University Press, 2016), a collection of anecdotes from hundreds of Hoosiers about what makes the state unique.

What You Love the Most: An Irvington Memoir (2009), a book about the historic Irvington neighborhood in Indianapolis.

Real Feature Writing (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006), a college textbook on feature writing.

Real Sports Writing (Indiana University Press, 2003), a textbook on sports writing.

Urban Tapestry: Indianapolis Stories (Indiana University Press, 2002), an anthology of essays about the Hoosier capital.

Hoosier Century (The Indianapolis Star/Sports Publications, 1999), a visual look at Indiana throughout the 20th century.

By Nelson Price

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elson Price, an Indianapolis-based author, journalist, historian and radio personality, previously wrote five books. He won numerous awards as a feature writer and columnist at

The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News for a total of 21 years. For 12 of those years, he wrote a weekly, personal column and,

later, a monthly column about Hoosier history. The fifth-generation Hoosier continues to write freelance articles for magazines and The Indianapolis Star.

Earlier in his career, Price wrote for The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. During his stint at the former Indianapolis News, he was the education reporter, covering 11 public school districts, private schools and education on a statewide basis.

Price has made presentations about famous Hoosiers to thousands of fourth graders as part of their focus on Indiana history. Although not

a textbook, his Legendary Hoosiers is frequently used as a supplement by fourth-grade teachers.

For his presentations at elementary and middle schools, Price brings an extensive display of photos and illustrations of famous Hoosiers. While sharing insights about notables from all walks of life, he engages students in question-and-answer interludes throughout his programs. From northwestern Indiana to the Ohio River, public and private schools – as well as an array of teacher training groups and libraries – host his famous Hoosier presentations.

A popular public speaker for civic groups, Price won more than 45 state, local, civic and national awards for his profiles of newsmakers. He grew up in Indianapolis and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University with degrees in journalism and psychology.

He taught feature writing for the School of Journalism at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and is an instructor for a variety of adult education classes at IUPUI and for the Indiana Writers Center, including courses on the art of interviewing.

Price hosts a live radio talk show weekly on WICR-FM (88.7) Indianapolis, the only such show about a state’s history in the nation. He also speaks as a frequent guest on TV and other radio talk shows and lectures across the Midwest about the lives of famous Hoosiers and interviewing techniques.

For Indianapolis-based Thomson Tours he conducts trips to sites associated with famous Hoosiers or other aspects of Indiana history. He regularly writes for Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History, a magazine published by the Indiana Historical Society.

For his contributions to Indiana, Nelson received a Sagamore of the Wabash from two Indiana governors. In 2010 the Indiana Historical Society honored him with the Jacob Piatt Dunn Historian Award given annually to the author of the outstanding article in Traces.

At the end of 1999, Nelson coordinated The Indianapolis Star’s reader participation project to select the 10 Greatest Hoosiers of the 20th Century. Readers across the state voted using a ballot (pulled from Indiana Legends) that featured 65 distinguished Hoosiers. The result was one of the largest reader response projects in the newspaper’s history.

His civic involvement includes serving on the boards of the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, the Society of Indiana Pioneers, The Indiana Writers Center, the Indiana Historical Society’s publications advisory board and the Indianapolis Propylaeum Historic Foundation. For several years, he served on the Indiana Historical Society’s “Living Legends” committee, which selects four or five famous Hoosiers to be designated as “legends” in a black-tie gala that Price helped organize every year.

For 10 years he chaired the publications board of The Sagamore, the former student newspaper at IUPUI and served as its writing coach. Price also mentors the Eugene S. Pulliam interns each summer for the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation’s internship program.

For several years, he served as a member of the Spirit of the Prairie Award committee that honored famous Hoosiers at an annual banquet sponsored by Conner Prairie Interactive History Park.

About the author

Nelson Price