This week in Indiana’s history …
1828 – Bids were offered for construction of sections of Brookville State Road. This was a primary route for goods and people moving from Ohio to Indianapolis and beyond. Congress authorized the 78-mile state road in 1821, running from the Ohio border to Indianapolis through Brookville in Franklin County.
1900 – Miriam Mason Swain was born in Goshen. She was a magazine editor and teacher for a few years before moving to Batesville. There she settled into a career as a popular author of children’s books. Among her 50 titles are Smiling Hill Farm, The Gray-Nosed Kitten, and A Pony Called Lightning.
1922 – The Indiana Theater opened in Terre Haute. The first program for the new “movie palace” was a silent film titled Cappy Ricks. Music for the motion picture was provided by the Indiana Symphonic Orchestra.
1931 – An explosion at the Little Betty Mine in Linton, Ind., killed 28 miners. Authorities determined that the blast had been triggered by methane gas. Indiana Governor Harry G. Leslie was among the many who came to help in rescue and relief efforts.
1978 – The “blizzard of ’78” paralyzed much of the state. Blowing snow, ice, and snow drifts made travel nearly impossible and closed many schools. Winds gusted to 55 mph, and snow was 20 inches deep in areas.
2013 – A headstone was placed on the grave of Dr. Samuel Elbert at Crown Hill Cemetery over 100 years after his death. He is considered to be the first African American physician in Indiana.