This week in Indiana’s history…
1819 – At his home in Corydon, Indiana Governor Jonathan Jennings met with President James Monroe and General Andrew Jackson. The Governor treated the two guests to dinner at nearby Craig’s Tavern. On a 15-week tour of frontier states, the President and General were met at Jeffersonville and escorted to Corydon by the State Militia.
1870 – Governor Conrad Baker signed a draft in the amount of $464,923.34 endorsed to the State Board of Sinking Fund Commissioners. According to the Indianapolis News, the payment would almost, if not entirely, erase state obligations and leave Indiana debt-free for the first time in many years.
1893 – Patrons of the Grand Opera House in Indianapolis enjoyed readings by prominent Indiana authors. Among those on the program were James Whitcomb Riley, Lew Wallace and Meredith Nicholson. Riley recited favorite poems and stories, Nicholson shared his recent poetry, and Wallace delighted the crowd with a preview of his newest book, Prince of India. A reporter for the Indianapolis Journal said, “It is not often that such a galaxy of literary stars can be brought together upon one occasion.”
1918 – The Hagenback-Wallace Circus Train was struck in the rear by another train near Hammond. Many of the wooden passenger cars caught fire. An estimated 86 were killed, including circus performers and their families. Approximately 125 were injured in one of the worst train wrecks in United States history.
1950 – The United States entered the Korean War. During the three-year conflict, over 33,000 soldiers were killed, including over 900 from Indiana. The names of the fallen Indiana soldiers are listed on the Korean War Memorial, located on the American Legion Mall in Indianapolis.
1964 – A steaming calliope heralded the arrival of the Showboat “Majestic” in Madison. A project of the Indiana University Theater Department, the floating theater offered a taste of old-time entertainment to audiences in cities along the Ohio River. In addition to performing in “Arsenic and Old Lace” and “Abie’s Irish Rose,” students on board ran the box office, worked in the kitchen, and generally kept the old boat in “ship shape.”