The Hoosier Historian

17/05/2024

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19/02/2024

❗️We will open our grounds to the public for viewing of the eclipse on Monday, April 8th! ☀️ We are inside the “path of totality” for 4 minutes or more!

Here’s the details:
▫️Gates open at 10am
▫️Free for everyone!
▫️No reservations - first come, first serve!
▫️Concessions open with very limited menu (drinks, popcorn, candy)
▫️Bring your co****le boards, frisbee’s, footballs, etc!
▫️We will NOT provide eclipse glasses, but highly recommend for safe viewing. Here is a link to the Indiana State Park Inns online store to grab them if needed:

https://stores.innsgifts.com/solar-eclipse-glasses-set-of-4/

*Keep in mind, our regular polices and rules still apply.
▪️We are pet friendly. We just ask that they are on a leash and that you pick up after them.
▪️No fireworks, grills, or alochol.
▪️No overnight camping.

01/02/2024

March 22-24

01/01/2024

18/12/2023

Welcome to all of the new followers who have joined us over the past year! If you have a piece of Indiana history or a related event that you wish to share, please feel free to send a message.

25/11/2023

Prior to the forced removal of Indigenous peoples of northern Indiana, countless generations used an extensive network of trails that crisscrossed the region. These trails were crucial for travel around Lake Michigan; they followed paths of least resistance and avoided streams and wetlands when possible. Many of these trails followed old beach ridges left from ancestral Lake Michigan.

This map was developed by local historian and author Kenneth Schoon who compiled it using historic maps and accounts. The map notes village sites, including many with names as they were known around 1830. It generally highlights the major routes, though it's important to keep in mind that innumerable spur trails branched from these paths.

Not unexpectantly, these trails became the earliest roads of Northwest Indiana. Route 12 follows the old Calumet Beach Trail from the Laporte/Porter County line west to Oak Hill Road. Stretches of Ridge Road further west in Lake County also follow this trail. Many village sites became the first Euro-American communities; Chiqua's Town is today's Valparaiso, and McGuinn's Village became Merrillville.

The major east-west path was the Sauk Trail, a transcontinental route that split into the Oregon and Sante Fe Trails further west. From Dyer east to Valparaiso, Sauk Trail is today's Route 30, Hwy 330, 73rd Avenue, Old Lincoln Hwy, and Lincoln Hwy.

As you travel across the region, remember those who came before you that helped shape the landscape we experience today.

Image credit: Kenneth Schoon from his book "Calumet Beginnings."
Alt text: Black and white map of Northwest Indiana including historic Indigenous trails and villages.

25/11/2023

11/11/2023

11/11/2023

During November’s Native American Heritage Month we encourage you to check out Early Peoples of Indiana at https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation/files/HP_earlypeoples-1.pdf. This booklet was first published by the DHPA in 1999 and has been revised and updated several times since. This is our most requested archaeology outreach product, and much has been discovered, and learned, since the original. This document is designed to provide an introduction to the rich, varied, and complex nature of the precontact cultures who once inhabited Indiana, as well as early historic peoples in our state.

11/11/2023

Festival of Trees begins in just 4 days! And on December 2, you can join us for the 2023 Holiday Author Fair! Mix and mingle with more than 60 authors while enjoying holiday cheer of the decorated trees! See all the authors scheduled to appear: https://indianahistory.org/events/holiday-author-fair-2/

Holiday Author Fair Presented by Printing Partners

02/11/2023

https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2023-11-02/bob-knight-dead-83-and-his-polarizing-yet-unmistakable-legacy

Longtime Indiana basketball coach and three-time national champion Bob Knight died Wednesday at the age of 83, but the battle for his legacy wages in the court of public opinion.

04/10/2023

https://www.facebook.com/BrownCountyMusicCenter/posts/181748201620869/?vh=e&extid=MSG-UNK-UNK-UNK-COM_GK0T-GK1C

04/10/2023

https://fox59.com/news/entertainment/italian-tenor-andrea-bocelli-to-play-with-indianapolis-symphony-orchestra-in-april/?fbclid=IwAR3fpoPJMU3XEB7_hf8qsBNKe7l6djCP1oi55XGrRziilSYCml3IR9igqIM

INDIANAPOLIS — Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will join the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra for a performance at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse next year. According to a news release from the Indian…

23/09/2023

Happy Autumnal Equinox, Indiana!

11/09/2023

We had a great time at the Columbus Scottish Festival!

Animals Athletics Entertainment Celtic Market Children’s Area Clans Dancing European Car Show Food & Drink Living History Nonprofits Pipe & Drum

10/08/2023

https://owencountyindhistory.org/Carnegie/index-carnegie.html

Welcome to the official site of the Owen County Indiana Heritage & Culture Society

29/04/2023

The Viking Fest is going on this weekend! https://whitestown.in.gov/community/parks-and-recreation/events/viking-festival/?fbclid=IwAR0DoUpl14t2yk_neUtoZstyaBcmEp6d3dBM7tPlubSSOqfA_iyZX7uBAzE

Whitestown’s 2023 Viking Fest, presented by TDS, will take place on April 28-30 at Anson Acres Park. What to expect: There will be Viking-themed reenactors in full garb swinging their weapons, multiple Viking villages, stage entertainment, artisans selling crafted items, food, mead, inflatables, a...

07/04/2023

https://www.littleitalyfestivals.com/

Clinton hosts the annual Little Italy Festival, a four-day Labor Day Weekend celebration of the area’s Italian and coal mining heritage. Begun in 1966, the event draws over 275,000 visitors annually, featuring Italian and carnival-style food, grapevine-roofed wine garden, and grape stomping.

01/03/2023

https://indianahistory.org/events/eva-kor-from-auschwitz-to-indiana/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=facebook_ads&utm_campaign=IHS+-+Eva+Kor&utm_content=from+Auschwitz+to+Indiana+Retargeting

Eva Kor from Auschwitz to Indiana tells the remarkable story of Eva Mozes Kor, who survived Auschwitz as a child and the experiments of Dr. Joseph Mengele, and grew up to be one of the most influential Holocaust educators and activists in the world. She ignited a global manhunt for Mengele, organize...

23/02/2023

09/02/2023

The actor, Adam Driver, lived in Indiana as a child and went to university in Indianapolis. His mother and her family are from Mishawaka, Indiana.

Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. Recognized for his collaborations with auteur filmmakers, he is the recipient of various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award, making him one of few performers nominated...

15/01/2023

The Indiana State Library has been digitizing a set of historic lake maps and making them available online for free to use and download. This set of maps was created between 1922-25, making them all around 100 years old. Read more and see the maps here: https://bit.ly/3ZHmUzo

13/01/2023

Did you know that famous actor Brendan Fraser was born in Indianapolis, Indiana?

Brendan James Fraser (/ˈfreɪzər/ FRAY-zər;[1] born December 3, 1968[2]) is an American-Canadian actor[3] known for his leading roles in blockbusters, comedies, and dramatic films. Having graduated from the Cornish College of the Arts in 1990, he made his film debut in Dogfight (1991).

10/12/2022

Brown County State Park ranked No. 6 on a list of America’s most beautiful state parks in the United States.

08/12/2022

Keep Your Daydream is biking south through Indiana!

08/12/2022

Keep Your Daydream is in Indianapolis, Indiana! If you haven't yet, check out their YouTube channel for lots of fun adventures RVing around the USA.

05/11/2022

https://www.yohogeneralstore.com/attraction/at-the-yoho/?fbclid=IwAR3A15eYASf-oi45xiVM3PValsKfCKlhKRfCNPncBScoiqj5HQdxoYfE4hU

things to do Little Free Library at the Yoho General Store Eastern Greene Schools partnered with the Yoho General Store to provide a Little Free Library in downtown Solsberry. It’s located in the Yoho General Store’s outdoor dining area directly across the street. Take your mind on an adventure ...