By ANDREA NEAL If Franklin Delano Roosevelt had not run for an unprecedented third term in 1940, there is a good possibility that Hoosier Paul Vories McNutt of Franklin would have become the 33rd President of the United States. One of the most powerful politicians Indiana has ever seen, McNutt had “astonishingly good looks,” according to …read more.

by Andrea Neal Dubbed the “colored cyclone” by newspaper reporters of the early 1900s, Hoosier Marshall W. “Major” Taylor was a champion cyclist whose speed was surpassed only by railway locomotives. Despite achieving international fame — and defying bigotry and Jim Crow segregationist practices — Taylor died penniless and alone at 53, a forgotten sports …read more.

By ANDREA NEAL From his pulpit at Plymouth Congregational Church in Indianapolis, the Rev. Oscar C. McCulloch missed no opportunity to push his congregation out of the pews and into the world. “Here lies our work,” he exhorted one Sunday, unveiling a vision of a church that educated, entertained and provided role models to the …read more.

By ANDREA NEAL The date was July 4, 1894. The location was Pumpkinvine Pike 3 miles east of Kokomo. Elwood Haynes had hauled his newfangled carriage — a horseless one no less — to the edge of the city for a test drive. He unhitched the horses that towed it there, mounted the driver’s seat …read more.

By ANDREA NEAL Although few Hoosiers know his name, James Bethel Gresham, Evansville, earned a place in the history books for his role in World War I. Corporal Gresham, of the 1st Division’s 16th Infantry, was reportedly first to die in the service of the American Expeditionary Forces. A factory worker at the time of his …read more.

By Andrea Neal In 1916, Indiana celebrated its 100th birthday with pageants, parades and a presidential visit and gave the best gift imaginable to future generations of Hoosiers: a statewide parks system. The planning began in 1915 when lawmakers created the Indiana Historical Commission — today the Historical Bureau — to oversee centennial events and …read more.

By ANDREA NEAL In 1897, an assistant attorney general made a legal error that cost the Miami Nation of Indiana its federal recognition as a tribe. They’ve been fighting ever since to win it back. “Our people are as upset now as they were 100 years ago,” declares Chief Brian Buchanan. It’s a story that …read more.