January 31 – February 6The Week in Indiana History |
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“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something is more important than fear.” – – – Meg Cabot Did You Know?
Bust of James Sidney Hinton at the Indiana Statehouse  February is Black History Month    James Sidney Hinton was the first African American to serve in the Indiana General Assembly. Born in North Carolina in 1834, he moved to Terre Haute with his family when he was about 14. He attended local subscription schools and later took college classes. He served in the Civil War and returned home to become a skilled orator who encouraged fellow African American men to exercise their newly-achieved right to vote. In 1880, he was elected to represent Marion County in the Indiana House of Representatives.  He was described as a man with “an erect and stately carriage, possessed of easy though dignified manners. . .a fluent and entertaining conversationalist and speaker.” Â
Abe Martin Sez: By cracky, it’s sum travelin’ t’ git t’ Brown County.” (Indianapolis News, February 4, 1905) Answers:  1. a  2. c  3. d |
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1934   Performing with the Reisman Symphonic Orchestra, pianist-composer George Gershwin was on stage at the English Theater in Indianapolis. It was standing room only as Gershwin conducted some of his most famous works, including “Rhapsody in Blue,” “An American in Paris,” and “I Got Rhythm.” Corbin Patrick, reviewer for the Indianapolis Star, called the composer a “pioneer in the movement to make a lady out of jazz.”
1940   Original costumes from the current hit movie “Gone With the Wind” were on display at the William H. Block Department Store in Indianapolis. In the one-day-only presentation, the costumes worn by Scarlett O’Hara, Rhett Butler, and other characters in the show were modeled in the Terrace Tea Room and later placed on display in the Illinois Street show windows.
1967   Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington. After graduation from Indiana University, she became an author of romantic fiction. She has written over 80 books for adults and teens, selling over 25 million copies worldwide. The Disney Company made two movies based upon her Princess Diaries.
1971   Apollo 14 was launched on a moon mission. Among many scientific projects on board were hundreds of tree seeds. When the mission returned to earth, the seeds grew into what were called “moon trees” which were planted across the nation. There are five in Indiana, including a sycamore (pictured) on the east lawn of the Indiana Statehouse.
2000   The African-American Historical Museum opened in Fort Wayne. It was founded by Hana Stith, a retired school teacher and community leader. The museum covers the histories of people of African descent in Allen County along with African history from the earliest times. It also houses the city’s largest public collection of African art.
