Virginia Brooks: “Joan of Arc of West Hammond”
The Indiana History Blog
by Nicole Poletika
2w ago
“West Hammond has been electrified of late by what a woman—a woman of intelligence, of action and indomitable courage—can accomplish.” -Munster Times, 1911 The woman described by the Times was one Virginia Brooks, also dubbed “Joan of Arc” of the burgeoning village of West Hammond. She was determined to end the mistreatment of vulnerable residents ..read more
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Lincoln School: “Laying Before the Body Our Grievance”
The Indiana History Blog
by Nicole Poletika
2M ago
In addition to the struggles of daily life, Black Americans had to wage an often losing battle to secure suitable education for their children. They had historically been deprived of that which affords an understanding of one’s rights and enables one to secure a livelihood. Crawfordsville’s Lincoln School embodied this decades-long fight. However, like other ..read more
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“Herman Billik Must Die”: Whiting’s Own Palm Reader, Hypnotist, and . . . Murderer?
The Indiana History Blog
by Jill Weiss Simins
2M ago
At the turn of the twentieth century, the man who called himself Herman Billik  (also Billick) was “plying his trade as a charmer, palm reader and hypnotist in Whiting,” according to the Hammond Times. He was well-known among Whiting residents for his involvement in strange incidents involving the occult. By 1906 he was well-known to ..read more
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Indiana’s “Pot of Gold”
The Indiana History Blog
by Stephen Taylor
2M ago
Though you won’t become a millionaire panning for gold in Indiana, today’s recreational gold hunters have a lot of fun sloshing around Hoosier creeks in search of the shiny metal that led many a conquistador to his doom.  Around 1900, however, Indiana farmers and geologists explored the possibility that the hills of Brown, Monroe, and Morgan ..read more
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“An Equal Chance:” Ada B. Harris, Norwood, and the Black Progressive Movement Part II
The Indiana History Blog
by Kelsey Green
2M ago
During the Progressive Era, Black women were often excluded from both white reform initiatives and male-dominated Black organizations. In response, Black women across the nation formed local clubs that allowed them to exercise agency and agitate for reform. The club movement was especially popular in Indianapolis. Editor Nina Mjagkij found that, “Between 1880 and 1920 ..read more
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“An Equal Chance:” Ada B. Harris, Norwood, and the Black Progressive Movement
The Indiana History Blog
by Kelsey Green
3M ago
“My greatest ambition is for my race. I want to see my people succeed. I want to see them have an equal chance.” – Ada B. Harris[1] In the late 1800s and early 1900s the neighborhood of Norwood, which lay Southeast of downtown Indianapolis, was one of the most vibrant Black communities in the area ..read more
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Injustice’s Lariat: Lynching in Indiana
The Indiana History Blog
by Justin Clark
3M ago
Indiana, a state claimed as “free” from its statehood in 1816, was nevertheless the 7th highest non-southern state with racial terror lynchings, with 18 separate incidents. When searching through Indiana newspapers, many stories emerge of outlaw vigilantes who terrorized and brutalized African-Americans, sometimes for nothing more than alleged crimes. Since many were lynched before they ..read more
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The “Genial Postmaster”: Dr. Alois Wollenmann
The Indiana History Blog
by Justin Clark
3M ago
In the latter days of the summer of 1904, the decision of a local doctor and postmaster caused an uproar in Ferdinand, Indiana and even caught attention across the country. “People in the vicinity of Ferdinand do not like the action of the postmaster and are loud in condemning him,” wrote the Evansville Courier. The ..read more
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Freedom Seekers in Indiana: A Study in Newspapers
The Indiana History Blog
by Justin Clark
3M ago
Despite its status as a free state in the federal union, Indiana maintained a complicated relationship with the institution of slavery. The Northwest Territory, incorporated in 1787, banned slavery under Article VI of the Articles of Compact. Nevertheless, enslaved people were allowed in the region well after lawmakers organized the Indiana Territory in 1800. As ..read more
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“Shamerican” William Dudley Pelley: Self-Styled Fascist Leader & Noblesville Publisher
The Indiana History Blog
by Nicole Poletika
3M ago
William Dudley Pelley tapped into a small, but growing contingent of Americans who admired Hitler’s fascist agenda, particularly his oppression of the Jewish population. With the formation of the Silver Shirts in 1933, Pelley not only cultivated a degree of power and influence, but amassed a small fortune through his “‘fanatical and misled followers.'”[1] Using ..read more
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