This coming week in Indiana’s history …
1852 – The novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The main character is believed to have been based on Thomas Magruder, a former slave who worked for Governor Noah Noble in Indianapolis. Stowe had met Magruder when she came to the city to visit her brother, Henry Ward Beecher, minister at the Second Presbyterian Church.
1892 – The city of Harrisburg in Grant County changed its name to Gas City. Established by Noah Harris in 1867, the town was in the center of the “gas boom” of the 1890s. Natural gas poured out of the ground at 300 to 350 pounds of pressure per square inch and there seemed to be an unlimited supply.
1917 – Dedication ceremonies were held for the new Carnegie Library in Earl Park. Built at a cost of $7,500, it is one of the 164 libraries in the state donated by Andrew Carnegie. The building continues to serve the readers of Benton County. Many of the original 10,000 books are still preserved in the collection.
1925 – A powerful tornado stormed through Missouri, Illinois and Southwestern Indiana. Known as the “Tri-State Tornado,” it was on the ground for three hours. The twister caused 695 deaths and thousands of injuries. In Indiana, the town of Griffin was destroyed and Owensville and Princeton suffered heavy losses.
1954 – The team from the small high school in Milan won the state basketball championship. The Milan Indians defeated the powerhouse Muncie Central Bearcats, who were going for their third state title in four years. The victory was the inspiration for “Hoosiers,” one of the most popular sports movies of all time.
1994 – Alonzo Fields died at age 93. Born in Lyles Station, he had served as Chief Butler at the White House under Presidents Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. His autobiography, My 21 Years at the White House, was a best seller, On stage, his life is portrayed in a one-man show titled “Looking Over the President’s Shoulder.”