Moment of Indiana History
Posts tagged Bloomington
December 31, 2007
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Mr Jingle Bell Rock
During the holidays, radio listeners around the nation get their fill of pop tunes about Santa, reindeer and Grandma, in no particular order. Secular holiday music with a rock-and-roll beat is so ubiquitous now that it’s hard to imagine the season without it.
December 3, 2007
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Holiday House Tours
On the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Oldfields – Lilly House and Gardens, is decorated in the style of Christmas in the 1930s, when the mansion was the new home of Indianapolis businessman and philanthropist Josiah Lilly.
September 17, 2007
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Stone Age Institute
When reflecting on Indiana history, we most often consider the last two centuries—only occasionally delving into the century or two prior to that. In 2003, however, Indiana distinguished itself as a preeminent location for the study of pre -history.
August 27, 2007
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“Big Dave” Van Buskirk
A family graveyard in the northwest corner of Monroe County, Indiana serves as the final resting place for two veterans of the American Revolution. While their legacy endures, their physical presence would almost certainly have been overshadowed by that of a Civil War soldier also buried in the Buskirk/Abel/Wampler cemetery. David Van Buskirk, better known as “Big Dave” or the “Big Lieutenant,” was reportedly the tallest man in the Union Army.
August 20, 2007
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John Birch Society
The anti-communist climate that prevailed during the post-war period in the United States may be most vividly represented by the investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee. A somewhat less familiar manifestation of Cold War uneasiness was the John Birch Society. The still-active conservative political advocacy group had its start in Indiana.
August 13, 2007
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Indiana’s Carnegie Libraries
A philanthropic campaign undertaken a century ago left a permanent mark on the American urban landscape. From 1890 to1917, steel magnate Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1679 public libraries in towns and cities across the country—not to mention 830 others around the world.
July 9, 2007
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Fred Jewell
In many places around the country, it just wouldn’t be summer without a performance by the municipal band on the town square. The band’s program would be equally inconceivable without a healthy dose of marches. Along with John Philip Sousa and Karl King, Hoosier Fred Jewell may be credited with a good deal of the march repertoire still heard across the U.S
February 5, 2007
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Breaking Away
Bloomington, Indiana provided not only the setting for the film Breaking Away, but its subject matter as well.
December 4, 2006
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Gentry Brothers Circus
Before recording artists and Oscar-winning films celebrated Bloomington, Indiana, the city already occupied an important position in entertainment history.
September 18, 2006
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The Kinsey Institute
When people talk about sex these days, their discussions are most likely informed by research conducted at Indiana University from the 1930s through the 60s.
