Paula Dunn
The case of the Indian Murders
Two hundred years ago on Oct. 7, a man named James Hudson went on trial in Madison County for his role in what early local historians referred to as “The Indian Murders.” While it’s questionable whether this was, as some have claimed, the first time in this country’s history that a white man was held…
Read MoreDillinger Hysteria Hits Westfield
From Time to Thyme By: Paula Dunn Last week I wrote about my efforts to learn if John Dillinger’s body had really made a stop outside the Westfield Cafeteria on its way to Indianapolis for burial, as Helen (Carey) McColgin had said. That’s not the only time she believed Dillinger visited the Westfield Cafeteria, though.…
Read MoreMore on Dillinger and Sheriff’s Residence
Thanks to a couple of readers, I’ve got some details to add to past columns. Sandy Lynch, the director of the Hamilton County Historical Society Museum, sent some photos of the Sheriff’s Residence and Jail with — and without — the garage and tower. Garage? I’d completely forgotten there used to be a garage. (I’d…
Read MoreThe Carnival of Vice
From Time to Thyme By Paula Dunn This week we’re journeying back 122 years to Noblesville’s 1902 street fair. According to an 1898 Louisville Courier Journal article, street fairs — fairs held on streets in the heart of a city — were THE thing in the Midwest at that time, taking the place of “the…
Read MoreSchool Nicknames, Kindergarten Memories and a History Mystery
From Time to Thyme By Paula Dunn Time for another reader column! Several weeks ago when I asked for information on the origins of Hamilton County’s various high school nicknames, Jeanne Flanders wanted me to include the county schools that are no longer around — Walnut Grove, Jackson Central, Cicero, Arcadia, Atlanta, Adams Township/Boxley and…
Read MoreClay Township Quiz
By Paula Dunn Well, we’ve come to the last township to be highlighted during the Bicentennial celebration. It’s time to test your knowledge of Clay Township history! 1. Who was Clay Township’s first settler? 2. Carmel/Clay Township is known for its roundabouts. When was the first roundabout built? 3. When Home Place was laid out…
Read MoreWooly Worms, Allisonville Road And The Forest Park Cabin
By Paula Dunn It’s another reader feedback week! On the wooly worm watch . . . My cousin, Nancy Lacy, said her great-granddaughter spotted three black and orange/red wooly worms while on a school outing in a woodsy area of Tipton County. Ed Snyder sent a photo of a wooly worm with that same color…
Read MoreHalloween In The 1960s
By Paula Dunn I may be old, but I’m glad I was born when I was. Growing up in the 1960s meant I was a kid when Halloween was still primarily geared toward kids. Back then, the holiday was mostly about going trick-or-treating — accent on the “treat.” Oh, there were a few tricks, but…
Read MoreThe Wooly Worm/Persimmon Seed Forecast, 2023-2024
By Paula Dunn Here it is — this year’s winter weather forecast column! Before I get started, though, I want to issue the usual disclaimer: I don’t really forecast the winter weather. I just provide data from the folk signs that Sheridan’s weather expert, Clara Hoover, used to create HER forecasts. I’ll leave it to…
Read MoreThe Delaware Township Quiz
By: Paula Dunn Hamilton County’s Bicentennial celebration moves to Delaware Township in October. Are you ready to test your knowledge of Delaware Township history? 1. True or False — Delaware Township has always covered the same geographic area. 2. One of Hamilton County’s covered bridges used to be located in Delaware Township. What was its…
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