Hoosier History Highlights: December 26-January 1
This Week in Indiana History
1816 - Governor Jonathan Jennings appointed John Johnson to be Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. He and Justices James Scott and Jesse L. Holman held their first session in May of 1817. Johnson died during the court's first recess before any major decisions were made.
1916 - The John Philip Sousa band played two New Year's Eve concerts at the Murat Theater in Indianapolis. The program included many of the Sousa favorites, including "Stars and Stripes Forever" and "The Washington Post March." Earlier in his career, Sousa had been director of the Marine Band, known as "The President's Own." He directed the White House Band under five Presidents, including Indiana's Benjamin Harrison.
100 YEARS AGO
1922 - H. D. McClelland, manager of the state automobile department, announced that the new 1922 license plates would be easier to read than those from years before. This was due to the change in size of the plates and numbers embossed on the plates. Ed Jackson, Secretary of State, had selected the colors for the new issues. Letters and numbers were white on a dark blue background.
1930 - Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard died at his home on North Meridian Street in Indianapolis. A journalist, cartoonist, and humorist, his most famous creation was Abe Martin, a cracker-barrel philosopher who lived in Brown County, Indiana. Abe Martin's short, comical, and topical quips appeared daily in over 200 newspapers across the country. Will Rogers described his friend Hubbard as "America's greatest humorist."
1934 - The Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso, opened in 1885, was severely damaged by fire. In subzero temperatures, the city fire department was assisted by firemen from Gary and LaPorte as flames rose through the 168-foot tall tower. The building was repaired but the tower was not restored. (Photo by Gary Smith.)
1960 - The Ben Davis High School band presented a concert on Monument Circle in Indianapolis to raise funds to travel to Washington, D.C. The group had been invited to perform in the inaugural parade for incoming President John F. Kennedy. The goal was met. The Indianapolis Star reported that, on inauguration day, the band, "smartly uniformed in purple and white," was a big hit with the crowd.
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HOOSIER QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"If everbuddy thought before they spoke, there wouldn't be enough noise in the world t' scare a jaybird."
- - - Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930)
From Abe Martin's Almanack, Abe Martin Publishing Company, Indianapolis, 1909
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Indiana quick quiz
1. According to the National Weather Service, what is the coldest month in Indiana? a/ December b/ January c/ March
2. What was the original name of Santa Claus, Indiana? a/ Santa Cruz b/ Santa Fe c/ St. Louis
3. The first session of the Indiana Supreme Court took place in what city? a/ Indianapolis b/ Corydon c/ Madison
Answers
1. b; 2. b; 3. b
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Did you know?
When Santa Claus paid a visit to the office of Governor Edgar Whitcomb in 1971, he was actually Jim Yellig, from Santa Claus, Indiana. Yellig, born in the village of Mariah Hill, was one of the most famous "Santa Clauses" of all time. The official resident St. Nick in the Hoosier town of Santa Claus, he also appeared in Christmas parades in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. A charter member in the Santa Claus Hall of Fame, he played the jolly old elf for a total of 54 years. It has been said that no Santa, before or since, has had as many children visit him in person.
This article originally appeared on Evening World: Hoosier History Highlights: December 26-January 1
