Author Archives: Charlie McAtee

“Attucks was Ours,” the Championship Team that Broke Barriers

Imagine the 1950s — you may fantasize about the sleek cars and dramatic outfits or ponder about how fast life changed post-World War II. Republicans had returned to power and segregation was still practiced in public schools, but as noted in The Indiana Way: A State History, Indiana was not resistant to change, nor would […]

New Indiana County Historian Appointed in Daviess County

Bruce Smith has been appointed the new county historian in Daviess County. Smith was born in Muncie, Ind., and is married to Katie (Feistritzer) Smith. He served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1972 and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science. He graduated from Indiana University Law School in 1976 and worked as […]

Indiana Students Receive Special Awards, Honors at National History Day Contest

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) proudly announces several Indiana students received special awards and honors at the National Contest for the National History Day (NHD) program held June 11-15 at University of Maryland, College Park. Each year at the National Contest, officials choose one junior and one senior project as Indiana’s outstanding state entries. This […]

Sliding Into Summer: Playground Equipment of Old

I have fond memories of the times spent on our family’s swing set and playing on playgrounds in my hometown as well as those in the places we visited. Those fond memories, thankfully, do not include the feeling of terror that I appear to be experiencing as I go down the slide of our new […]

Indy’s Premier Bourbon Celebration Returns to Indiana Historical Society

INDIANAPOLIS (June 13, 2023) — The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) invites guests to an extraordinary night of bourbon tasting in downtown Indianapolis, raising money for IHS outreach and education programs. Presented by Crown Liquors, Indy’s Premier Bourbon Celebration takes place Friday, July 28, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana […]

What’s in an Indiana place name? Confusion!

Indiana’s geography can be complicated sometimes. Did you know there are at least 38 locations (unincorporated places, towns, cities) in Indiana that share the name of an Indiana county in which they are not located. This excludes township names, and names of places that are altered by the addition of a suffix (-ville, -field, -burg, […]

New Exhibit at the Indiana Historical Society Highlights Changes in Modes of Transportation

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS)’s newest exhibit, Rivers, Rails and Roads, opens June 10 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. The exhibit showcases sketches, photographs and maps to illustrate the changes in transportation over time as well as first-person texts and oral histories […]

The Largest Syrian Colony Outside of New York

Below is an excerpt from a recent article in the IHS publication, Traces. By 1900 there were vibrant Arabic-speaking communities across Indiana, including in Indianapolis, Terre Haute, and Michigan City. But Fort Wayne was special, at least according to its Syrian residents. Alixa Naff, who developed the Smithsonian Institution’s collection on Arab American history, wrote […]