New Books
- Purchases may be made via a visit to our office, by telephone (317-232-2535), fax (317-232-3728), or e-mail (ihb @ history.in.gov). More info on purchasing here.
Indiana State Parks: Treasures in Your Own Backyard (DVD)
Produced for WTIU/Indiana University Television by Ron Prickel
This new documentary tells the story of the staff, visitors, challenges and natural and cultural resources of Indiana State Parks since their beginning in 1916. It is a companion to the new Ken Burns documentary on the national parks system, scheduled to air on PBS stations nationally this fall, and is one of the first events in preparation for the Indiana State Parks Centennial Celebration in 2016.
DVD 112 min. / $19.95
Order No. 2783
Forgotten Tales of Indiana
Keven McQueen
Illustrations by Kyle McQueen
Author Keven McQueen recalls a time when skunk farms, which allegedly produced a cure for rheumatism, were speckled throughout the countryside and a miserable woman tied her husband to a fence post, coated him with salt and intended to let the cows 'lick him to death.' Meet the King of the Ghouls- an accomplished grave robber and notorious murderer- and a man so convinced he was an ox that he often joined neighborhood cattle for a bite of grass, and discover ghosts, monsters, giant skeletons and more in this collection of outlandish tales from the Hoosier State.
paper 160 pp. / 2009 / ISBN 978-1-59629-771-5 / $14.99
Order No. 2786
Remembering Zionsville
Joan Praed Lyons
Although William Zion never lived in Zionsville, it was his business acuity that led to the railway station being built on Elijah and Polly Cross's plot of land the beginnings of a burgeoning town. This strategic location brought development and prosperity to Zionsville as people traveling through Indiana stopped to discover the distinctive flair of this small but industrious community. Local historian Joan Praed Lyons depicts the spirit of a town in which a rousing game of donkey softball raised money for a new park and neighbors formed bucket brigades when fires broke out. In this delightful collection of vignettes, Lyons brings new life to Zionsville's history through her engaging and meticulously researched prose.
paper 127 pp. ISBN 978-1-59629-6-1/$21.99
Order No. 2784
Strange Tales of Crime and Murder in Southern Indiana
Keven McQueen
Illustrations by Kyle McQueen
Prepare to take a tour of some dark, strange moments of southern Indiana's history. From the scheming wife who wanted her dull husband out of the way to make room for a young love affair and the husband who stomped his wife to death because she wouldn't stop singing an irritating song, to the man who murdered an entire family to pay off some farming equipment and the case of a mistaken-identity murder, author Keven McQueen relates the sinister (or not so) motives and gruesome details of nine murders that occurred in southern Indiana between 1880 and 1912. With a detailed, if macabre, look at each story as well as the ambiguities surrounding the criminals and punishments, McQueen illuminates the darker side of Hoosier history.
paper 110 pp. / 2009 / ISBN 978-1-59629-772-2 / $17.99
Order No. 2785
The Miami Indians of Indiana: A Persistent People, 1654-1994
Stewart Rafert
The book explores the history and culture of the Miami Indians, who have fought for many years to gain tribal status from the U.S. government. This volume will appeal to a general audience as well as serious students of tribal history interested in the experience of a North American Indian tribal community over three and a half centuries.
cloth 358 pp. 1996/ISBN 0-87195-132-0/$19.95
Order No. 2334
Burger Chef
Frank P. Thomas Jr., Donald J. Thomas, and Robert E. Wildman, owners of the General Equipment Company, entered into the fast-food business by opening a 15¢ hamburger restaurant called Burger Chef in Indianapolis in 1958. General Equipment was a manufacturer of restaurant machinery and built the equipment installed in each Burger Chef store. The partners started their new Burger Chef division to sell more equipment; they never could have imagined that Burger Chef would eventually grow to become the nation’s second-largest hamburger chain and beloved by customers in towns and cities across America. Burger Chef continued in business until 1982, cooking its popular flame-broiled hamburgers and introducing its memorable advertising icons, Burger Chef and Jeff.
Images of America Series from Arcadia Publishing
paper 2009 / $21.99
Order No. 2779
Southern Indiana
Southern Indiana depicts a distinctive place at a special time: the beginning of the modern era, 1910 to 1920. During those years, this region of 26 counties, from which Indiana and much of the Old Northwest had developed a century before, was in transition toward consumerism and mass culture, as symbolized by automobiles, road-building, movies, radio, and popular magazines. Southern Indiana celebrated the state’s centennial; political progressivism in the era contributed to, among other things, prohibition and women’s suffrage. Americans for the first time sent young men off to war in Europe. The vintage photographs included in this book, culled from 20 private and public collections, are representative of southern Indiana. They show people at work, at play, in worship and school, in clubs and organizations, in travel, and at war. Most have never before been published. Once the most populous section of the state, the area o the south became much less so. Culturally—especially in the woods, hills, and valleys of the un-glaciated center of the district—southern Indiana retained its upper South character. It remained largely rural and agricultural. Most settlements were isolated and small; many communities had been losing popularity and people because of hard times on the farm and the appeal of larger cities.
Images of America Series from Arcadia Publishing
paper 2009 / $19.99
Order No. 2448
Danville
Danville, created in 1824 as the county seat of Hendricks County, was the hub of government, commerce, and agriculture. Farmers sold their crops in town and shopped there. As the agricultural economy diminished, Danville became home to workers commuting to Indianapolis. Danville residents have always valued education. On May 10, 1878, at the instigation of Prof. W. F. Harper of the Central Normal School of Ladoga, 50 farm wagons from Danville arrived at Ladoga and stole the whole school, including equipment, students, faculty, and baggage. Central Normal College was then installed in the facility previously housing the Hendricks County Seminary and the Danville Academy. From 1878 to 1951, Central Normal College was a Danville institution, turning out more than 75,000 graduates destined for leadership roles in education, business, law, and politics.
Images of America Series from Arcadia Publishing
paper 2009 / $21.99
Order No. 2780
Peru: Circus Capital of the World
In April 1884, Ben Wallace, the owner of the local livery, opened the season of his new circus in Peru and billed it as Wallace and Company’s Great World’s Menagerie and International Circus. It was an instant success and soon grew to be one of the largest and most renowned circuses in American history. Over the next 50 years, many circuses found a home in Peru. Under the direction of the American Circus Corporation, an industry was created in Peru that employed as many as 4,500 people. Circuses like the Hagenbeck-Wallace, John Robinson, and Sells-Floto/Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show departed Peru by rail each spring, along with some of the best acts from around the world, including Terrell "the Lion King" Jacobs; the world’s favorite clown, Emmett Kelly; and animal trainer Clyde Beatty, who played himself in 12 Hollywood movies. In 1929, Ringling Brothers purchased the American Circus Corporation. As the country sank into the Depression, fewer circuses left Peru each season. In 1941, Ringling Brothers closed its winter quarters in Peru, ending an era.
Images of America Series from Arcadia Publishing
paper 2009 / $21.99
Order No. 2781
Indiana's Cathoic Religious Comunities
With expanding Irish, Swiss, French, and German immigrant populations, the state of Indiana evolved from individual explorers, trappers, hunters, and traders into family-focused communities of farmers and craftsmen. Emerging from the former Indiana Territory, the state's early population was in need of education, health care, and social services to assist young families, the poor, the infirm, and the elderly. These needs were frequently met by Catholic religious orders, including the Benedictines, Sisters of Providence, Franciscans, Daughters of Charity, and other established organizations of dedicated religious men and women.
Images of America Series from Arcadia Publishing
paper 2009 / $21.99
Order No. 2782
People, Parks, and Perceptions - A History and Appreciation of Indiana State Parks
A useful general history of Indiana’s state parks, this highly readable study explores changes over time in the landscape and built environment.
paper 2009 / $19.95
Order No. 2776
Hoosier Legacy
The Constitution of the United States and The Constitution of the State of Indiana, also including the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
paper 2005 / $2.00
Bulk pricing available for $1.25 for purchases of 20 or more; please order in advance
Order No. 6111
You Don't Know the Half...
LaTasha Boyd Jones
Collection of poems.
paper 2006 / $12.95
Order No. 2772
Poet 24/7
Collection of poems.
paper 2008 / $14.95
Order No. 2771
The Airpoets present: Rivers, Rails and Runways
Rivers, Rails, and Runways' Introduces the work of five distinctive voices from the Heartland. Rooted in Indiana, the poems capture the lure of the landscape and its relevance to each poet's journey. Pulsating throughout are the authors' personal histories and meditations. Notable for its thematic range, the anthology gains its strength from a juxtaposition of styles, each elegant and attuned to the rhythms of everyday life.
paper 89 pp. 2008 / ISBN 978-1-60461-007-9 / $14.95
Order No. 2764
Sweet Sister Moon
Norbert Krapf's Sweet Sister Moon is a rich celebration of the feminine spirit, manifested through a wide range of subjects. Krapf's carefully-crafted poems encompass history, emotion, and the natural world.
paper 171 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-93499-962-2 / $20.00
Order No. 2762
Porthole Views of the World
Paintings by Hazel Stoeckeler / Poems by Elizabeth Weber
This collection of watercolors and poems both surprise and delight, taking readers on a meditative journey that opens and extends their horizons. Stoeckeler's paintings depict exotic locales around the world, and Weber's poems fill in the history and culture.
cloth 96 pp. 2008 / ISBN 978-1-932472-77-6 / $29.95
Order No. 2763
The LaSalle Street Murders
In 1991, Carol Sissom was a freelance journalist and a single mother when she wrote a 20-year anniversary article about the greatest unsolved murder mystery in the history of Indianapolis, Indiana - The LaSalle Street Murders – which were commited on December 1st, 1971. The LaSalle Street Murders is a true account of her journey – and a chronology of her life – as she details the relationship she had with a triple murderer – and the dangerous odyssey she embarked upon in order to put him in jail and solve the murders. This is a chilling account, based on a true story, in the tradition of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter.
Paper 280 pp. 2006 / ISBN 1-4243-0176-9 / $20.00
Order No. 2769
The LaSalle Street Murders 2
Is based on the true story of one woman, a modern-day private eye and investigative reporter, who is obsessed with the sensational serial killings of three good-looking bachelor slain in 1971. Risking her own life, she is determined to expose the story. She is relentless in her persuit of the truth as she hunts down her enemies before they kill her. This is book two of a three part series.
Paper 327 pp. 2008 / ISBN 978-1-60702-666-2 / $20.00
Order No. 2770
Banking with Dillinger
True Crime Writer and detective Carol Sissom visits the John Dillinger family and reveals a spell binding account of what "Public Enemy Number One" was really like. Banking with Dillinger" is the true story about one of the most famous criminals in American History. Ironically - it's a saga about the man who not only robbed banks, he was a fugitive with a good heart who helped people in need during the great depression.
Paper 203 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-6072-678-5 / $17.95
Order No. 2768
Cooling Board: A Long-Playing Poem
In the tradition of the Langston Hughes classic Montage of a Dream Deferred, Mitchell L. H. Douglas uses persona poetry to explore the personal and professional struggles of soul legend Donny Hathaway in his debut collection Cooling Board: A Long-Playing Poem. Evoking the sense of listening to a concept album, Douglas presents a narrative in two sides: side one focusing on Hathaway’s development as a young musician and subsequent rise to fame and side two bearing witness to the adversity that plagued his later years. Readers will see Hathaway as true to his family, true to his faith, and uncompromising in his quest for musical innovation.
Paper 109 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-59709-104-4 / $19.95
Order No. 2759
Eastside Indianapolis: A Brief History
In its early days, Indianapolis was designed to be a city of only one square mile, but as settlers flocked to the Circle City, a steady beat of progress made its way across the Eastside. Through their dedication to maintaining the character of neighborhoods like Woodruff Place, Fountain Square and Irvington, Eastsiders have banded together time and again to preserve the memories of landmarks like the Rivoli Theatre and Al Green's. Julie Young, a lifelong resident of the Eastside, celebrates one of the most culturally diverse areas of Indianapolis as she illuminates the strength and determination that would make any resident proud to call the Eastside home.
Paper 128 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-59629-683-1 / $19.99
Order No. 2758
Air Raid Nights and Radio Days
Don Schroeder explores the sharp contrast between the dark nights and bright childhood memories that opened the doors for a boy growing up as part of the Silent Generation. After the Depression and World War Two, conditions improved for many Americans, including Don and his family. With wit and humor, Don invites the world to see Indianapolis as this 'nasty little gutter tramp' saw it. Sample city chicken or scrambled brains with eggs, mow down imaginary Nazis, and turn off 'Fibber McGee and Molly,' the favorite nighttime radio show, in time to confuse enemy bombers and save Indianapolis from destruction. Don relishes those nearly forgotten years and the memories of God reaching for a boy slip-sliding along during this difficult period of Air Raid Nights and Radio Days.
Paper 264 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-1-60696-034-9 / $14.99
Order No. 2757
T. C. Steele and the Society of Western Artists, 1896–1914
This book chronicles the Society of Western Artists from its inception in 1896 to its last sponsored exhibit in 1914. Comprised of the top artists from Indianapolis, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, and Cincinnati, the annual traveling exhibition enhanced the stature of the work of Western artists through exposure to a wider public and by garnering reviews in the nation's art periodicals. A founding and active member of the society, Hoosier Group artist T. C. Steele executed some of his best landscape works during the years the society was active. Rachel Berenson Perry examines Steele's thoughts on plein air painting, his role as a catalyst for the development of regional Midwest impressionism and the Brown County Art Colony, his painting techniques, and his unwavering devotion to nature. The volume features 60 color reproductions of artworks by the society's major artists, complete annual catalog listings, and original exhibition reviews.
Cloth 176 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-0-253-35293-14 / $49.95
Order No. 2754
Indiana's Weather and Climate
John E. Oliver
There's more to Indiana weather than what greets us when we go outdoors. Ever wonder why the daily weather report is so erratic? Why the seasons seem to come too early or start too late? Whether there really is such a thing as global warming? This fascinating and informative book tells the story behind the daily forecast, seasonal variations, and climate change. It explains why there are seasons in this part of the world and examines some of their more dramatic aspects—thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, droughts, and snowstorms. Here you'll find information on forecasting, weather satellites, and data collection; on faraway events that influence Indiana's weather, such as El Niño; and on long- and short-term changes in Indiana's climate beginning more than 1,000 years ago. Air pollution, urban heat islands, "the LaPorte anomaly"—it's all here in this comprehensive and up-to-date reference.
Paper 176 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-0-253-22056-1 / $29.95
Order No. 2755
Steel Giants: Historic Images from the Calumet Regional Archives
Stephen G. McShane and Gary S. Wilk
At the turn of the 20th century, an army of workers descended upon the northwest Indiana dunes to forge a world-class steel industry for America and along the way built a city. As a result of the mills constructed by companies such as U.S. Steel, a small, grid-like city on the shoreline of Lake Michigan grew into a prosperous steel town, drawing workers from all over the country and beyond. The Calumet region became one of the most heavily populated and ethnically diverse regions in the state. The story of its phenomenal growth was captured by photographers from U.S. Steel in Gary and Inland Steel in East Chicago. Steel Giants presents a selection of these dramatic photographs, with detailed captions, showing the construction of the steel mills and steel towns, the early production of steel, and the people who lived and worked in the industry.
cloth 286 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-0-253-35299-6 / $39.95
Order No. 2753
Journey's End: Relics and Ruins of Indiana’s Transportation Legacy
John Bower
Journey's End is a book filled with emotional portraits of once gleaming, but now rusted, vehicles abandoned along fence rows, lonely depots adjacent to trackless railroad grades, and defunct service stations whose retired pumps offer gas at 31¢ a gallon. These are images that will spark transportation memories in everyone who sees them—of those Sunday drives to Grandma's, interminable waits at railroad crossings hoping for the arrival of a caboose, a first airplane flight, a first car, or the long bus rides to school. These stunning images are iconic reminders of where we have come from—and the means of transport we took along the way.
paper 144 pp. 2009 / ISBN 0-9745186-5-7 / $22.00
Order No. 2751
Peopling Indiana: The Ethnic Experience
Robert M. Taylor Jr. (Author), Connie A. McBirney (Editor), John Bodnar (Editor)
This volume is the capstone of an ethnic history project launched by the Indiana Historical Society in 1989. The lavishly illustrated book contains thirty-one chapters touching on many of the past and present ethnicities that populated the Hoosier State, including African Americans, Germans, Greeks, Chinese, Hispanics, Hungarians, Jews, Native Americans, French, Irish, Italians, Scots, Poles, and others. Chapters represent various ethnic groups, which are presented in alphabetical order, followed by a thorough index. The book also includes historic photographs, maps, tables and charts, and detailed footnotes.
cloth 703 pp. 2009 reprint (originally pub. 1996) / ISBN 978-0871951120 / $49.95
Order No. 2186
The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History
Nancy R. Hiller
Loaded with labor and time-saving conveniences, the Hoosier cabinet was among the earliest design innovations of the modern American kitchen. This culinary workstation allowed owners to maintain an efficient and clutter-free kitchen by centralizing utensils, cookware, tools, and ingredients all the while providing a space in which to prepare the meals of the day. Bloomington-based cabinetmaker Nancy R. Hiller draws on her years of specialty cabinet making and thorough knowledge of interior design to deliver an entertaining, beautiful, and informative history of the Hoosier cabinet—revealing its influence on the development of the contemporary American home. Illustrated with original manufacturers' advertisements and sales literature—some of which is previously unpublished—as well as color and black-and-white photos, this long-overdue book on an icon of the early 20th-century kitchen will be an invaluable resource to cabinetmakers, antiques enthusiasts, and homeowners planning a period-inspired kitchen.
cloth 144 pp. 2009 / ISBN 978-0-253-31424-6 / $34.95
Order No. 2743
The Natural Heritage of Indiana (DVD)
WFYI Productions
Samuel Orr, Documentary Filmmaker
Marion Jackson described his vision for the book The Natural Heritage of Indiana as “a celebration of Indiana’s natural heritage—its natural and human history, its landscape and its life—what it once was, what it is now, and what it promises to be.” He emphasizes the importance of understanding the past to prepare “us better to mold Indiana’s future.” He issued this challenge: “if you feel moved to help protect what remains of Indiana’s natural heritage, our objective will have been fulfilled.”
The series shares that mission. Documentary filmmaker Samuel Orr has spent more than two years, and has traveled thousands of miles to bring the landmark book to television in a four-part documentary series. The programs are produced in stunning high definition, and reveal their subjects through breathtaking photography, time-lapse cameras and innovative camera placement.
DVD 2008/$30.00 (45% discount for retailers)
Order No. 2721
- Purchases may be made via a visit to our office, by telephone (317-232-2535), fax (317-232-3728), or e-mail (ihb @ history.in.gov). More info on purchasing here.
