Hoosier History Highlights: March 20-26

This Week in Indiana History

1854 - St. Meinrad was founded in Spencer County by monks from Einsiedein Abbey in Switzerland. It is one of only two archabbeys in the United States and one of eleven in the world.

1912 - The Spades Park Branch Library was dedicated in Indianapolis. Andrew Carnegie built 164 libraries in Indiana, and this is the only one in the Italianesque style. The Spades Park Branch continues to serve the community near Brookside Park.

1917 - The Methodist Church approved the move of Moores Hill Collegiate Institute to Evansville. In 1919, it became Evansville College and, in 1967, the University of Evansville. The school was founded in 1854 in Dearborn County.

1954 - The basketball team from the small high school in Milan, Indiana, won the state championship. The victory was the inspiration for "Hoosiers," one of the most popular sports movies of all time. The film was shot in locations around the state, including the iconic final game at the Butler University fieldhouse.

1954 - RCA began producing color TVs at its plant in Bloomington, Indiana. A set with a 15-inch screen and 36 vacuum tubes sold for nearly $9,000 in today's dollars. At the time, there were only 6 hours of color broadcasting each week.

2012 - Randall T. Shepard retired as Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. He was the longest-serving Chief Justice in Indiana history. Appointed to the Court in 1985 by Governor Robert D. Orr, Shepard had earlier served as Judge of the Vanderburgh Superior Court in Evansville.

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HOOSIER QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The postman is a patient soul, and seldom makes a fuss, but for a dog to bite him seems to him superfluous; So teach your dog to hide his grouch and wag a cordial tail, for he who has a dog that bites is he who gets no mail."

---Mary E. Bostwick (1886 - 1959)

Mary E. Bostwick was an adventurous reporter for the Indianapolis Star. She barnstormed with young pilots in the 1920s, rode elephants in circus parades, hovered over the city in air balloons, and was the first woman to ride around the Speedway. For many years, she penned a daily column, "Last Page Lyric," which viewed the day's events in a humorous tone. The above appeared in the issue for April 25, 1929.

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Indiana quick quiz

Most of Indiana's 92 counties are named for famous people in history. Identify each county below based upon the clue given:

1. First Chief Justice of the United States; 2. Founding Father and inventor of bifocals; 3. French hero of the United States Revolutionary War; 4. First governor of Indiana after statehood

Answers

1. Jay County (John Jay); 2. Franklin County (Benjamin Franklin); 3. Fayette County (Marquis de Lafayette); 4. Jennings County (Jonathan Jennings)

This article originally appeared on Evening World: Hoosier History Highlights: March 20-26