This week in Indiana’s history …
1816 – President James Madison signed a Congressional resolution admitting Indiana to the Union as the 19th state. The new state government would be centered in Corydon. Jonathan Jennings assumed the office of Governor, having won the election in August
1880 – The Madison County Courthouse in Anderson was destroyed by fire. Nearly all records were lost. A new building was opened in 1885. That building served into the 1970s, when it was replaced with the more modern structure.
1917 – Thirty Indiana delegates attended the National Women’s Suffrage Association Meeting in Washington, D.C. Women from around the nation met for the three-day event at Poli’s Theater. The Hoosier group was led by Mrs. R. E. Edwards of Peru, president of the Indiana Franchise League.
1926 – An explosion in Coal Mine No. 2 in Francisco, Ind., killed 37 men. The exact cause of the blast was never determined. It was the second-worst coal mine disaster in state history. The worst had occurred the year before in Sullivan, when 51 were killed.
1941 – Hoosiers, still stunned by the bombing of Pearl Harbor, sought comic relief at local movie theaters. One of the most popular films was “Look Who’s Laughing,” showing at the Indiana Theater in Indianapolis. The cast was comprised of well-known radio stars Fibber McGee and Molly, Lucille Ball, the Great Gildersleeve, and Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.
1958 – Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to a crowd of 4,000 at Cadle Tabernacle in Indianapolis. The 29-year-old Baptist preacher told his audience, “If democracy is to live, segregation must die.” He was welcomed to the city by Incoming Mayor Charles Boswell, who said Rev. King made a place for himself alongside Crispus Attucks, Nathan Hale and Daniel Boone.