Teddy Roosevelt and Indiana connections
He visited Indiana 10 times, trips that included riveting and colorful episodes that made national news.
Mar 25, 2026•59 min
Hoosier History Live
A lively, live discussion of fascinating topics from the rich history of the state of Indiana. Host Nelson Price, the "connoisseur of all things Hoosier," engages guests in a lively, live conversation about high-interest issues relating to Indiana history.
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Episodes
Invasive pests impacting plants and trees
Guest Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp talks with Host Nelson Price about invasive pests impacting plants and trees in Indiana.
Mar 25, 2026•59 min
Vinyl era of Indiana music: a follow-up
Rock and roll icon Chuck Berry was the headliner at a concert at Bush Stadium in 1972, the first of a long-forgotten series of music festivals at the former baseball stadium in Indianapolis. A poster for that 1972 concert is now part of the collection of the Indiana Music History Project . So are rare vinyl LP's and 45's featuring Indiana musicians. And so are four Indiana University yearbooks from each year that Hoagy Carmichael was a student in the 1920s, although the music history project gen...
Aug 02, 2024•57 min
D-Day and Hoosiers: 80 years later
As Hoosier History Live salutes the recent 80th anniversary of D-Day , a milestone during World War II , we will explore the Indiana connections to the largest amphibious invasion ever undertaken. Our guest, World War II historian Ron May , an author and chaplain, interviewed Hoosiers involved in various ways with D-Day, which was June 6, 1944. He also has researched the lives of those who did not make it home. In addition, Ron has visited American cemeteries in Normandy, France, and Luxembourg....
Jul 25, 2024•58 min
Madge Oberholtzer: A follow-up about the woman who helped bring down the KKK
This episode delves into the enduring legacy of Madge Oberholzer, whose deathbed testimony against KKK Grand Dragon D.C. Stevenson led to his murder conviction and helped dismantle the Klan's power in 1920s Indiana. Author Charlotte Ottinger shares new research, including recently discovered photos and artifacts, and discusses how Madge's story continues to inspire books, plays, and murals, while also drawing parallels to modern societal issues regarding power and sexual assault. The discussion highlights Madge's courageous stand and the lasting impact on her family and the state's history.
Jul 18, 2024•56 min
Busting myths about historic houses
Maybe you have heard some of these comments about houses built in the 1800s and early 1900s: "They never had closets." "Anything that sticks out of the house – like a wing -- was a subsequent addition." "Their only light was from candles or kerosene lamps." These are widespread misconceptions that our distinguished guest, Indianapolis-based architectural historian Benjamin L. Ross of RATIO Architects , plans to dispel when he joins Nelson in-studio. For more than 15 years, Ben Ross has been invo...
Jul 11, 2024•57 min
An acclaimed race driver and a sportswriter: two lives cut short
A fan favorite even though he shunned publicity, hard-charging Bill Vukovich was the two-time defending champion at the Indianapolis 500 and on his way to a third consecutive victory in 1955 when he was killed during a horrific crash. One of his closest friends was a nationally acclaimed sportswriter, charismatic Angelo Angelopolous of the Indianapolis News , who chronicled Vukovich's rise from a hard-scrabble childhood (and a family tragedy) to his triumphs at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway . ...
Jun 27, 2024•59 min
Marquis de Lafayette, his farewell tour and Indiana
All across the state, sites are named in his honor. The city of Lafayette, for example. In Indianapolis, there's Lafayette Road. In the city of Princeton in southwestern Indiana, there's a Lafayette Park. And the Marquis de Lafayette , hailed as a hero of both the American Revolution and the French Revolution, is the only individual to have two counties in Indiana with names associated with him: Fayette County and LaGrange County. LaGrange was the name of an estate in France owned by Marquis de ...
Jun 20, 2024•1 hr
Deaths in the White House, including a First Lady
Sure, the White House has been the setting for hundreds of joyous and celebratory events. But the historic home of U.S. presidents and their families also has been a setting for deaths, including that of the only First Lady from Indianapolis. Not only did Caroline Scott Harrison , the beloved wife of President Benjamin Harrison , die in the White House, so did his grandfather. William Henry Harrison , the shortest-serving president in history, had only held office for 31 days when he died in 184...
Jun 06, 2024•55 min
Hoosiers who claimed to witness Lincoln's assassination
Nearly 160 years ago this month, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Washington D.C. Witnesses to the tragic event on April 14, 1865 may have included several Hoosiers who claimed to be at Ford's Theatre. In the decades following the shooting, residents of Indiana towns and cities including Dayton in Tippecanoe County, Ladoga in Montgomery County, Jonesboro in Grant County and Aurora on the Ohio River – as well as Indianapolis – were interviewed by newspapers about what they witnessed....
May 16, 2024•57 min
Amelia Earhart and her Indiana connections: Encore
She vanished more than 75 years ago over the South Pacific while attempting to fly around the world in a Lockheed Electra 10E twin-engine airplane sponsored by Purdue University . That's just one of the connections between famous aviator Amelia Earhart and the Hoosier state. She was particularly associated with Purdue, which has the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of artifacts associated with the famous aviator, whose disappearance in 1937 remains a mystery. To explore the sky-...
May 09, 2024•53 min
Some landmark structures in Indy, then and now
Have you ever gazed up at the Art Deco-style Circle Tower Building in downtown Indianapolis? With its tiered exterior design of the upper floors, the 14-story building has been a landmark on Monument Circle for more than 90 years. Also on Monument Circle, the Columbia Club has been a presence even longer. The building that houses the prestigious private club was completed in 1925 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. But two former Army airfields in Indianapolis are long gone. Stou...
May 02, 2024•56 min
Civic education: The need for a refresh
Surveys in recent years often have found more than 25 percent of Hoosier respondents did not know the name of the governor, according to a Ball State University professor quoted in a recent Indianapolis Star article. Does that sound alarming? Well, efforts are underway to increase civic understanding both by the general public and by students at Indiana schools. In a joint project, the Indiana Bar Foundation and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce are publishing an updated book, Here is Your Indiana...
Apr 25, 2024•56 min
Ask Nelson – and Glory-June Greiff, too
Calling all Hoosiers (or Hoosiers at heart who live in other states): Do you have any questions about Indiana's heritage that you'd like to ask historians? This show will be an ideal opportunity, with an open phone line throughout as Nelson is joined by Glory-June Greiff , a well-known public historian with broad and deep expertise about the Hoosier state. In between phone calls from listeners – the WICR-FM studio number to call is 317-788-3314 – Nelson and Glory-June will interview each other, ...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr
Lives of musicians post-Indiana Avenue heyday
Although the heyday of the Indiana Avenue jazz music scene in Indianapolis has been explored frequently – including on Hoosier History Live shows – one aspect is seldom discussed. What happened to the lives of the musicians during the 1970s, '80s and '90s? Where did they perform after the Indiana Avenue nightclubs closed? Those are the questions we will explore when Nelson is joined by a well-known Indianapolis musician and producer who worked with, was influenced by and befriended many of the j...
Apr 11, 2024•55 min
Sites along U.S. 40 in Indiana, then and now
From a massive former factory on the eastside of Indianapolis that's been repurposed into two charter schools to a 1950s-style diner in Plainfield and a former Masonic Temple in Greenfield , sites along U.S. 40 in Indiana will be in Hoosier History Live's spotlight. We also will explore a bygone barbershop that was owned by a formerly enslaved African American entrepreneur as well as two early automobile manufacturing plants , one of which is set to become a music venue. Stretching from Richmond...
Apr 05, 2024•59 min
Ellen Munds, a trail-blazer of Storytelling Arts
One series is called "Sharing Hoosier History Through Stories". Another series, about historic landmarks across Indiana, is titled "If These Walls Could Tell". There's also an annual "Liar's Contest" on the opening night of the Indiana State Fair. Storytelling Arts of Indiana is deeply involved in each of those, and, as Hoosier History Live salutes Women's History Month , we will spotlight a woman who has been a key figure in the nonprofit organization since it was created in the late 1980s. Ell...
Mar 29, 2024•59 min
Carnegie Libraries in Indiana
How often does Indiana rank as the No. 1 state in a national list? Well, here's a record for the books: More Carnegie Libraries were built in Indiana than any other state. Between 1901 and about 1918, 164 public libraries built in large part by funding from philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) were constructed in Indiana. More than 100 of them are still used as public libraries across the state. Others have been repurposed as everything from restaurants to museums, art ga...
Mar 21, 2024•58 min
Black firefighters history in Indy
Way back in 1876, when firefighting equipment was transported by horse-drawn wagons, the first Black firefighters were hired by the Indianapolis Fire Department . The four African Americans included a firefighter who, in 1911, died in the line of duty. Details about the story of the trail-blazing firefighters will be described on this show as Hoosier History Live salutes Black History Month . Our guest will be Corey Floyd , an IFD battalion chief and president of the Indianapolis Black Firefight...
Mar 07, 2024•58 min
Latino Hoosiers during the mid and late 1900s
On the east end of downtown Indianapolis, there was a community (or "barrio") of Mexican families during the 1940s and '50s. During the 1960s and '70s, camps in the farm fields of Grant County and Howard County were set up for migrant workers, most of them of Mexican or other Latino heritage. So there were urban as well as rural residents of Latino heritage in the Hoosier state during the mid and late 1900s. In our rotating series about ethnic heritage in Indiana that has focused on heritage gro...
Feb 29, 2024•59 min
Movie and TV directors who aren't household names now
Now that awards season is underway in Hollywood – Oscar nominations were announced Tuesday – our spotlight will be on movie and TV directors with Indiana connections. The filmmakers range from directors of movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood such as the holiday classic " Miracle on 34th Street " (1947) and " To Have and Have Not " (1944) to popular hits like " The Amazing Spiderman " (2012). "Miracle on 34th Street" was directed by George Seaton (1911-1979), who was born in South Bend . Alth...
Feb 09, 2024•57 min
African American namesakes of Indy parks
Who was Bertha Ross? A park on the north west side of Indianapolis is named in her honor. Namesakes of other city parks include a superstar in baseball's old Negro League, a beloved cook at Flanner House and one of the first Black officers in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Our show on Saturday (Jan. 13) will spotlight "African American namesakes of Indy parks", with Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas sharing insights.
Feb 01, 2024•59 min
Delphi town history: encore
Because of a tragedy, a picturesque town with a Greek name (unusual for Indiana) has been in the national news for more than six years. That has often obscured the colorful heritage that Delphi in northern Indiana has reclaimed in captivating ways, including cruises on a portion of the former Wabash & Erie Canal , restored historic structures and a park showcasing the waterway's heritage, that have made the city a popular destination for visitors. Hoosier History Live will spotlight Delphi (...
Jan 26, 2024•44 min
Ulen: The vagabond turned CEO and unusual Boone County town: encore
He quit school after the fifth grade to ride the rails, so Henry Ulen was an unlikely Hoosier to become an international business tycoon. Ulen also created and became the namesake of an unusual small town that's surrounded by the city of Lebanon in Boone County . In this encore broadcast of a show from 2022 , History Live will take a dual look at Henry Ulen, an industrialist, and the town of Ulen that he founded in the 1920s not far from where he had grown up. "I traveled from the time I was 14 ...
Jan 18, 2024•56 min
History of Santa Claus, Ind., and letters from around the world
Whether you have been naughty or nice during this yuletide season, have you wondered how a sleepy village founded in southwestern Indiana during the 1840s became the country's only town that has a post office with the Santa Claus name? Hundreds of thousands of "Dear Santa'' letters from children around the world have been delivered to Santa Claus, Ind., since the early 1900s. And the Spencer County town (approximate pop.: 2,580) has become a tourist destination, with an internal, recreated histo...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr
State Archives: a follow-up
With construction finally underway of a new home for the Indiana Archives , which include a trove of historic material such as the transcripts of landmark court cases, Hoosier History Live will follow up a show we did last year about the status of the archives. In addition to highlighting aspects of the $102 million structure being built on the downtown canal in Indianapolis, we also will spotlight some of the landmark court cases, which range from "slave trials" early in the state's history to ...
Dec 28, 2023•57 min
Bygone landmarks in Indy
Once there was a majestic courthouse in Marion County designed in the Second Empire style with a clock tower, spire, cupolas and statues of Greek goddesses. Once, where Butler University's campus is located today, there was a spacious park, with a boathouse for canal rides, an outdoor band shell for concerts, a roller coaster and diving horses. And once there was a long covered bridge that extended across the White River, enabling travelers on Washington Street in Indianapolis to make it across ...
Dec 15, 2023•38 min
First cookbook published in Indiana and food fashions of 1840s and '50s- Encore
With the approach of Thanksgiving, Hoosier History Live will spotlight the trail-blazing woman who wrote the first cookbook published in Indiana. Also on the menu: We will explore food fashions of the mid-18th century era when the cookbook came out. The author was Angelina Collins (1805-1885), who was living in New Albany, Ind. , when her popular cookbook was published in 1851. Titled "Mrs. Collins' Table Receipts" (and retitled "The Great Western Cookbook" when it was reprinted in New York late...
Dec 07, 2023•58 min
Indiana state flag: the back story
It may be easy to unfurl a flag, but there sure are a lot of twists in the story of how the current Indiana state flag became the official symbol. At one point, even the Stars and Stripes (a k a the American flag) was the official flag for the Hoosier state. The backstory about the state flag and several untold, related stories are described in a new book, The Indiana Flag: Who Really Designed It? . The author, Morgan County resident David Reddick , will be Nelson's studio guest to dig into the ...
Nov 30, 2023•57 min
Indiana state flag: the back story
It may be easy to unfurl a flag, but there sure are a lot of twists in the story of how the current Indiana state flag became the official symbol. At one point, even the Stars and Stripes (a k a the American flag) was the official flag for the Hoosier state. The backstory about the state flag and several untold, related stories are described in a new book, The Indiana Flag: Who Really Designed It? . The author, Morgan County resident David Reddick , will be Nelson's studio guest to dig into the ...
Nov 30, 2023•57 min
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