This coming week in Indiana’s history …
1863 – The Civil War came to Indiana when more than 2,000 Confederate soldiers under the command of John Hunt Morgan overwhelmed about 400 Indiana militia members in Corydon. The men, called “Morgan’s Raiders,” plundered their way through several towns, including Salem, Vernon, Dupont, and Versailles, before escaping into Ohio where they were captured two weeks later.
1919 – An ad in the Indianapolis News invited the public to ride the Monon Line for a one-day railroad excursion to Michigan City, the “Coney Island of the West.” For a round-trip fare of $2.70, travelers could “enjoy the cool breezes of Lake Michigan,” leaving in the morning at 7:45 and returning home that night at 10.
1934 – Michael Graves was born in Indianapolis. He became one of the nation’s leading architects, known for important buildings like the NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis and the Humana Building in Louisville. He also gained fame for whimsical household items like tea kettles and electric toasters.
1945 – Selma Neubacher Steele, the widow of artist T. C. Steele, donated more than 300 paintings to the state of Indiana. Their home in Brown County, “The House of the Singing Winds,” is now a state historic site, which last month opened a spacious new visitor center.
1953 – Former President Harry Truman and his wife Bess had lunch at the Leland Hotel in Richmond. They were driving their new Chrysler New Yorker on a return trip from the nation’s capital. Truman recalled his visit to the city in 1928 when he helped find a site for the Madonna of the Trail statue.
1979 – Breaking Away was released to theaters across the country. Filmed almost entirely in Bloomington, the movie is a coming-of-age comedy/drama about young men growing up in a college town where their parents work at the limestone quarry. The American Film Institute calls it one of the most inspiring movies of all time.