Hoosier History Highlights: April 3-9

This Week in Indiana History

1865 - Albion Fellows Bacon was born in Evansville. Sometimes called “the mother of Indiana housing laws,” she gained a national reputation as a social reformer and author, best known for her efforts to improve living standards. In 1911, she helped organize the Indiana Housing Association. In 1917, she was behind a law passed by the Indiana legislature which set higher housing standards and authorized condemnation of unsanitary dwellings.

1874 - Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok were on stage at Good’s Opera House in South Bend. In a play called “Scouts of the Plains,” they were among a cast of characters who dramatized the Old West. Newspaper reports said “the acting on the stage was so natural as to carry terror to the heart more than one spectator.” (Pictured: Buffalo Bill Cody)

1910 - Single G, one of the greatest racehorses in history, was born in Cambridge City, Indiana. A harness racer, he started in 434 races and placed in 418 of them, a record which has never been broken. Named for the white “G” marking on his forehead, he kept up his winning record for 14 years. (Pictured: A mural by artist Pamela Bliss in downtown Cambridge City.)

1942 - The War Production Board ordered an immediate halt of bicycle sales in Indiana and across the nation. All bicycle orders were cancelled. The country was gearing up for World War II, and the bikes were needed for defense workers. They were added to the list of items to be rationed during the war. (Pictured: This 1942 Christmas ad for the Roadmaster bicycle explains why Santa would not be bringing bikes that year.)

1968 - Robert F. Kennedy, in Indianapolis for the Democratic Presidential primary campaign, announced the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to a crowd at 17th and Broadway. His impassioned plea for peace on that night is considered one of the great public addresses of that era. (Pictured: The Landmark for Peace sculpture at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Park.)

1974 - Powerful tornadoes tore across 39 Indiana counties, killing 47 people, injuring over 1,000, and causing $200 million in damage. Governor Otis Bowen toured the region while President Richard Nixon declared the state to be a disaster area. The National Weather Service reported a record 148 tornadoes across 13 states in 24 hours. (Pictured: Headline from the Lafayette Journal and Courier for April 4, 1974)

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HOOSIER QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I think it’s a tremendous responsibility to place a structure as permanent as a house. . . to take over a piece of that vanishing commodity, open land, and to cover it short of beautifully would be callously irresponsible.”

— Avriel Christie Shull (1931 - 1976)

Avriel Christie Shull was born in Hamilton County and attended Carmel High School, Butler University, and the John Herron School of Art. Dynamic and creative, she became an interior decorator and architect, best known for her mid-century modern homes.

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Indiana quick quiz

1. Which United States President authorized the admission of Indiana to the Union?

a. Thomas Jefferson; b. James Madison; c. James Monroe

2. Which city served as the Indiana Territorial capital?

a. Madison; b. New Albany; c. Vincennes

3. Why are there 19 stars on the Indiana state flag?

a. The state has 19 counties; b. Indiana was the 19th state to join the Union; c. There were 19 signers of the original state constitution

Answer

1. b; 2. c; 3. b

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Did You Know?

Martin Luther King, Jr., Park in Indianapolis is on the site where Robert Kennedy delivered the news of Dr. King’s assassination in 1968. The memorial, “Landmark for Peace,” was designed by Greg Perry, who created the piece with sculptor Daniel Edwards. The artwork reflects Kennedy's call for justice, non-violence and reconciliation. The sculpture portrays Kennedy and King reaching out to one another

This article originally appeared on Evening World: Hoosier History Highlights: April 3-9