1884     William “Will” Cuppy was born in Auburn, Indiana.  He graduated from Auburn High School and went on to the University of Chicago.  A talented writer, he became a popular humorist and literary critic, remembered best for his satires on nature and history.  His best-known work is The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody. Â

1889     President Benjamin Harrison returned home toIndianapolis to help lay the cornerstone for the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument on the Circle.  While he was in the city, he spoke at Tomlinson Hall to Civil War veterans who had been members of his 70th Indiana Regiment.

1928     Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly was on stage at the Lyric Theater in Indianapolis.  The champion pole sitter had recently completed a 100-hour stay at the top of the flagpole of the nearby Denison Hotel.  Flagpole sitting, a fad in the 1920s, required the participant to perch atop a pole for hours and sometimes days.

1929     The Paramount Theater opened in Anderson.  Designed by famous architect John Eberson, the lavish interior is in the style of a Spanish village.  The theater, with its original Page Pipe Organ, is still a popular venue for movies, stage shows, and social events.  There were once over 100 Eberson movie palaces in America.  Only 12 remain.  Two have survived in Indiana:  The Paramount in Anderson and the Embassy in Fort Wayne.

1969     Governor Edgar D. Whitcomb was on hand for the opening of the 117th Indiana State Fair.  The star-studded entertainment program included Bob Hope, Glen Campbell, Anita Bryant, The King Family, and the hit recording group The Association.  General admission tickets for the shows ran from 50 cents to $1.50.

2014     History was made as JudgeLoretta Rush was sworn in as Indiana’s first female Supreme Court Chief Justice.  Appointed to the Court by Governor Mitch Daniels, she succeeded Brent Dickson as Chief Justice.  She had earlier served 14 years as a judge in Tippecanoe County.

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Indiana Statehouse Tour Office

Indiana Department of Administration

Guided tours of the Indiana Statehouse are offered Monday through Saturday.  For more information, check our website listed at the bottom of this page.

(317) 233-5293
captours@idoa.in.gov

INDIANA QUICK QUIZ

1.  Indiana is one of four states which begins with the letter “I.”  What are the other three?

2.  The official state aircraft of Indiana is the World War II P-47 Thunderbolt.  In what Hoosier city was it built?

3.  What is manufactured at Fort Wayne’s Vera Bradley Company? a. cosmetics  b. purses  c. draperies  d.  floor coverings

Answers Below

HOOSIER QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The trouble with the dictionary is that you have to know how a word is spelled before you can look it up to see how it is spelled.”

– – Will Cuppy

DID YOU KNOW?

     The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument was under construction for nearly 13 years.  Dedication ceremonies were held in April of 1902.  General Lew Wallace presided over a large celebration which included poetry by James Whitcomb Riley and music by John Philip Sousa.

ANSWERS:  1. Idaho, Illinois, Iowa  2. Evansville 3.  b. purses