History

Latest Posts for Local History

• History 301: High-profile kidnapping landed in Indianapolis
  By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor In May 1932, The Indianapolis Star published an Extra edition when the kidnapped child of Ann and Charles Lindbergh was found dead less than five miles from their New Jersey home. The kidnapper remained at [Read More…]
• History 301:Margaret Anderson was an anti-establishment heroine
  This feature originally appeared in the June 2017 edition of Urban Times. By CONNIE ZEIGLER Contributing editor ‘We are on trial for revealing the unavoidable natural thoughts of a 16-year-old girl,” Margaret Carolyn Anderson said at her court [Read More…]
• History 301: City’s measured response to 1929’s ‘Black Tuesday’
  ABOVE: The Direct Credits Society, a group that wanted to bypass the banking system during the Great Depression, in a photo at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the 1930s. INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY By CONNIE ZEIGLER Contributing editor An epic [Read More…]
• History 301: When the beatniks invaded Indianapolis
  By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor Indianapolis experienced a zeitgeist moment in the fall of 1959. It came in the form of the city’s first expresso café. In the 2020s we might think that an espresso cafe heralded a wholesome early appreciation [Read More…]
• History 301: Fashion designer famous everywhere but hometown
  This essay originally appeared in the February 2020 edition of Urban Times. By Connie Zeigler, Contributing editor When you think of famous fashion designers, your mind likely wanders to Paris, New York, Milan. Does it wander back to Indianapolis? [Read More…]
• Indy boasts a decades-old flirtation with Hollywood
  By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor As we approach the Academy Awards again, did you ever wonder if any movies filmed in Indianapolis have won an Oscar? Well, if you have, the answer to that question, probably not surprisingly, is no. It’s not [Read More…]
• Contest made world tour possible for working-class ‘girls’
  By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor The “Grand Tour” of Europe became a popular excursion for wealthy Americans as early as the 18th Century. Mark Twain documented his Grand Tour of Europe in 1867 in his travel book, Innocents Abroad. Some [Read More…]
• Harry C. Stutz left his mark on automotive industry
  With “transformative” renovations now under way at the former automobile factory known for years as the Stutz Business Center and now more simply as “the Stutz,” historian Connie Zeigler takes a look at the man whose business acumen launched the famous automobile company. [Read More…]
• History 301: An early newspaper describes life in new state capital
  This illustration depicts Indianapolis soon after the Western Censor was first published. The artist captured Washington Street looking west from Pennsylvania Street In 1825. INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor For the [Read More…]
• History 301: It took local media a while to warm up to cocktails
  By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor In at least one ranking of states Indiana stands near the bottom, and that is probably a good thing. The online source, 24/7 Wall Street, ranked Indiana 30th in a list of “the drunkest states” compiled in [Read More…]
• History 301: Milliners thrived in early Indianapolis
  By CONNIE ZIEGLER, Contributing editor Long before Indianapolis became known as the capital of motor car racing, it was known as the capital of millinery. In fact, the first milliner arrived in the city in the 1820s when the young city was a [Read More…]
• Indiana Landmarks to explore ‘The Legacy of Juneteenth’
  Juneteenth – the oldest known celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States – commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived on Galveston Island with word that the Civil War was over and enslaved people were free. On Sunday, [Read More…]
• History 301: Community was entranced with Mrs. Moy Kee
  Mrs. and Mr. Moy Key, circa 1905.COURTESY THE INDIANA ALBUM By CONNIE ZEIGLER / Contributing editor The following report quotes historic sources which may use terms considered offensive today. For accuracy these quotes were not altered. For almost [Read More…]
• The strange case of Wacker v. Wacker: Part II
  The house which still stands on Riverside Drive was new when the Wackers moved into it in 1899. By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor In 1900, August Wacker filed a court case against his wife, Louise, in Marion Circuit Court requesting that, [Read More…]
• The strange case of Wacker v. Wacker
  August Wacker worked to have his wife declared insane. By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor In March 1903 the Indianapolis Journal reported the “pathetic circumstances” of a man named August Wacker, who was seeking a judgement by the Circuit Court [Read More…]
• History 301: Thanksgiving’s evolution to our modern holiday
  In 1965, first-grade students at School 42 depict the first Thanksgiving.INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY By CONNIE ZEIGLER, Contributing editor It’s almost time for Thanksgiving. As we celebrate the holiday we become part of an ancient tradition. Long [Read More…]
• History 301: City didn’t make much of an impression on Wilde
  Oscar Wilde was known for his flamboyant sartorial style. The following story was published in the August 2021 print issue of Urban Times By CONNIE ZEIGLER Contributing editor Over the years, Indianapolis has been infatuated with Oscar Wilde. For [Read More…]
• New Monument Circle Penney’s packed ’em in
  A J.C. Penney Co. building replaced the English Hotel/Opera House in 1951. Nathaniel Owings, formerly of Indianapolis, designed it.Bass Photo Co. Collection, Indiana Historical Society By CONNIE ZEIGLER Contributing editor It really did happen one [Read More…]
• Going to the dogs: When the city went all out
  In this 1932 photo, Mr. and Mrs. L.G. Voorhees of Fort Wayne prepare their Beagle for the State Fair Dog Show. PHOTO CREDIT: INDIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY By CONNIE ZEIGLER Contributing editor In July 1922, Indianapolis reached a new high-water mark in [Read More…]
• History 301: The tumultuous life and career of Frances Farmer
  Frances Farmer with her third husband, Lee Mikesell (right). She married and divorced Mikesell in 1958. By CONNIE ZEIGLER Contributing editor Indianapolis movie and theater actress, television host, interior decorator and shopkeeper, Frances Farmer, [Read More…]