This coming week in Indiana’s history …
1856 – A post office was established in the newly-named town of Santa Claus in Spencer County. The previous name, Santa Fe, was changed because there was already a town by that name in Miami County. In the early 1930s, the town was featured in Ripley’s Believe It or Not. That Christmas, the post office received thousands of letters to Old St. Nick, a tradition which has continued to this day.
1919 – Madam C. J. Walker died in Irvington, N.Y. At the time of her death, she was considered the wealthiest self-made woman in America. She had amassed a fortune from her cosmetics and hair care business in Indianapolis. Her legacy includes the Walker Theater on Indiana Avenue.
1921 – Wonder Bread was introduced by the Taggert Bakery in Indianapolis. The name was inspired by the “wonder” of the International Balloon Race at the Speedway. At first, the bread was sold as a solid loaf. The “pre-sliced” product was not offered until the 1930s.
1929 – Ceremonies were held at Garfield Park in Indianapolis for the re-dedication of the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which had been moved from the old Greenlawn Cemetery. The memorial is in tribute to the 1,616 soldiers who died at Camp Morton, a Civil War prison camp on the north side of the city.
1938 – Novelist Thomas Wolfe was the featured speaker at a literary banquet in the Memorial Union Building at Purdue University. Dr. E. C. Elliott, University President, was the toastmaster at the event. Wolfe, the author of Look Homeward Angel, spoke on the topic of “Writing and Living,” drawing upon his own works, experiences and convictions.
1954 – Comedians Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and, according to newspapers, “hit like a tornado, and aroused drivers, mechanics, officials, and a swarm of spectators with their antics.” They took a spin around the track in the pace car, a yellow 1954 Dodge Royal.