This week in Indiana’s history …
1844 – 35-year-old Abraham Lincoln toured Southwest Indiana, campaigning for Henry Clay, the Whig Party candidate for President. He gave speeches at Rockport, Bruceville, Vincennes, Washington and Boonville. He also went to his childhood home near Gentryville, where he visited the graves of his mother and sister.
1903 – Two railroad trains collided near 18th Street just northwest of downtown Indianapolis. One was carrying Purdue football players and fans to the annual Indiana/Purdue game, which was to be held in the capital city’s Washington Park. Seventeen people were killed in the wreck, including 14 members of the Purdue football team. Scores of others were seriously injured, including Purdue team manager Harry S. Leslie who, 25 years later, would be elected Governor of Indiana.
1916 – The beautiful Sunken Gardens were opened to the public at Garfield Park in Indianapolis. Mayor Joseph E. Bell and others helped dedicate the gardens, which were the first in the nation to be illuminated by colorful electric lights. Designed by famous landscape architect George Kessler, the walkway, fountains and extensive plantings provide visitors a lovely stroll through the beauty and serenity of nature.
1927 – Hoosier Hoagy Carmichael recorded “Star Dust” for the first time at the Gennett Studios in Richmond. Lyrics were added two years later, and the song became one of the most popular of all time. Carmichael went on to a legendary career in show business. He wrote scores of hit songs, including “Georgia on My Mind,” “The Nearness of You,” “Skylark,” and “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening,” which won an Academy Award for Best Song in 1951. In Hollywood, he was a popular character actor who made 14 films, including “To Have and Have Not,” in which he starred with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
1942 – The first LST was launched at the Evansville Shipyard. Called “Landing Ship Tanks,” these vessels were developed to carry tanks, vehicles, cargo and landing troops directly onto shore with no docks or piers. During World War II, a workforce of over 19,000 at the Evansville yard produced an LST every three or four days, turning out a total of 167 during the course of the war.
1963 – On Halloween night, a propane tank exploded during a performance of “Holiday on Ice” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum. The blast killed 74 people and injured more than 400. It was one of the worst disasters in the history of the city.