New podcast on Yesterday’s Indianapolis, this one looks at Karl Schoen, a World War I fighter pilot from Indianapolis who was killed in combat over the Western Front. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/y...

Ran across a former National Guard armory on the south side back in July thanks to some exterior stonework which survives today. www.class900indy.com/post/explori...

A few comets have been identified of late although they may not be as visible in Indianapolis as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS which arrived last fall. Nevertheless, here is a throwback to a post from 2024 which looks at the arrival of the Great Comet of 1858. www.class900indy.com/post/the-gre...

With the upcoming completion of the Dig Indy project by Citizens Energy, I decided to take a quick look (honestly, this post could have been 5,000words) back at the city's long history with pollution in the White River and other local waterways. www.class900indy.com/post/dirty-s...

A then and now of the northwest corner of Delaware and Washington Streets in downtown Indianapolis. The ‘then’ image is from 1961, which at one point didn’t seem all that long ago, but is now more than 60 years in the past.

The recent news of delays with the Indianapolis City Market redevelopment project reminded me that there used to be two City Markets in Indianapolis. This blog post explores the history of the western market house. www.class900indy.com/post/the-oth...

After spending a week in Ireland, a country with no lack of castles and towers, I thought I would re-up this post from last September about a stone tower constructed here in Indianapolis. www.class900indy.com/post/the-mer...

A quick post before vacation begins, here is a bit of history behind the 'Maple Road' name for what we know today as 38th Street. www.class900indy.com/post/from-38...

Another one of my Retro Indy columns is in the Indianapolis Star. This one looks at how the Butler University (n/k/a Hinkle) Fieldhouse was once used for bicycle races. www.indystar.com/story/news/h...

Happy to announce that last Friday I finalized a contract for a new book with The History Press. This title will branch out from my usual Indianapolis centric focus, and explore the history of lesser-known events, places, and people around all of Indiana.

Perfect weather this week for some time in our local parks, including White River State Park downtown. This post takes a detailed look at a 1981 panoramic photo of the land that what would become @WhiteRiverStPrk. www.class900indy.com/post/panoram...

A food related ‘then and now’ on this Friday, here is the Steak n’ Shake restaurant location at 5360 North Keystone in Indianapolis. ‘Then’ image is from 1958, and a lot has changed with that corner, and the restaurant in 60 years. 1/2

The newest episode of Yesterday’s Indianapolis features a chat with historian Deedee Davis about her work on the amazing Osbert Sumner photo collection at the Irvington Historical Society. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/y...

With all the hot weather of late, let’s review the history of one of the major, albeit indirect, water sources for Indianapolis: Morse Reservoir. www.class900indy.com/post/once-ag...

Have you ever wondered about the history of this statue of Henry Lawton at Garfield Park? Or perhaps, you never knew about this statue. Either way, wonder no more. www.class900indy.com/post/guardin...

Then and now of the Indianapolis Sentinel newspaper building, located on the east side of Illinois just south of Washington, where Circle Centre stands now, although the building had already been demolished when construction on the mall began in the late 1980s. 1/2

Since there is a pizza festival downtown on the Circle today, I’m reposting this Indy pizza history from a few weeks ago. www.class900indy.com/post/a-slice...

I don’t have any blog posts on point with the State Fair, but this is State Fair adjacent: The history of the State Ditch which once flowed through the old state fairgrounds in Fall Creek Place. www.class900indy.com/post/drainin...

New podcast up this morning discussing how Indianapolis found itself located on the mighty White River in the middle of central Indiana. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/y...

Another upcoming waterway talk, this one will explore the history of Eagle Creek reservoir, and the history of a now long gone house along its shores. Thanks to the @indylibrary.bsky.social for hosting this event! Pre-reg is required so check out the link in the comments to get your seat!

Been seeing a lot of squirrels around my home lately, so it’s time to revisit this old post from several years ago. www.class900indy.com/post/indiana...

Venturing into some food history of Indianapolis, with a post exploring where the first pizza was sold in the city. www.class900indy.com/post/a-slice...

A ‘then and now’ of the Pembroke Arcade’s frontage along Virginia Ave., just southwest of the intersection of Washington and Pennsylvania streets. The Arcade also had frontage on Washington, with a slight elbow between that and its Virginia Ave. entrance. A parking lot now occupies the Arcade site.

Ran into a neighbor who has been in the Butler-Tarkington area for quite some time and he mentioned the Ron D Vu drive in on the northside of Butler’s campus. So, a good time to remember this post about the popular hangout. www.class900indy.com/post/meet-me...

One last update on the streetcar site on Washington Street near the statehouse. The rails have been removed, but the remains of the rail ties are still visible in the ground (removed pieces of ties are in a pile nearby).

I’m in the middle of writing a new blog post, but in the meantime I thought I’d share this post from three years ago about exploring one of the best preserved sections of the canal near Anderson, Indiana with @jordanryan.bsky.social. www.class900indy.com/post/explori...

If you are in or around Bloomington tomorrow (Sunday the 13th), stop by the library branch on Kirkwood at 2 pm for a ‘Coffee with Friends’ event where I’ll be discussing my book, Vanished Indianapolis and the research process for the book, including some in the field adventures.

A ‘then and now’ looking north from the intersection of Meridian and Maryland. The ‘then’ is from 1916, while the ‘now’ is from this past Thursday. Visible here is the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, the Merchants Bank building, and the unexpanded Ayres Building.

Not really a blog post, but a brief commentary about the importance of libraries generally, and specifically how important the State Library is to the citizens of and Indiana and to the history work I do. www.class900indy.com/post/comment...

This marble plaque at Lincoln School #18 on Palmer St. on the southside was installed in 1903 to memorialize a claimed Lenape Native American sugar camp on the site. While its face is degraded (photo is enhanced for clarity), it reads "Until 1820 Here Was A Camp of the Delaware Indians." (1/2)

New podcast up, this one exploring the labor strike at the Real Silk hosiery mills. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/y...

Taking a look at how Indianapolis newspapers covered Independence Day in 1822, 1876, and 1976.

“But are there not many fascists in your country?" "There are many who do not know they are fascists but will find it out when the times comes.” Ernest Hemingway, "For Whom the Bell Tolls

Exploring the history of Fairfield (fka Fairground) Avenue, and the streetcar line to the State Fairgrounds which it hosted. Special thanks to @williamhazen.bsky.social for allowing the use of some streetcar images from his collection. www.class900indy.com/post/the-his...

🧵(1/2) Here are some of the #books I read during the second quarter of 2025. Care to share what you've been reading? A post here by local #Indy historian @edfujawa.bsky.social continued my reading journey to reconcile new information about my own personal history... (see ALT txt).

The White River in and around central Indiana has become more popular for recreation of late, and its water quality is much improved. However, that was not always the case and this post explores two environmental disasters, 100 years apart. www.class900indy.com/post/100-yea...

Construction work for the Blue Line bus route on Washington Street just south of the statehouse has revealed the remains of the streetcar tracks which ran along this stretch of roadway. Some brick work is also visible.

Another episode of @fox59.bsky.social Weather Authority where I joined meteorologists Ethan Rosuck and Brian Wilkes to explore the history of the 1992 Indiana tornado outbreak. youtu.be/Ofa4pHzbWEs?...

I’ve begun contributing to the Retro Indy column in the Indianapolis Star and my first story, about the history of the downtown heliport, is now online. Yay. www.indystar.com/story/news/h...

The former Christian Theological Seminary campus (now part of Butler) on the west side of the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood was once its own exclusive enclave called Shooters Hill. www.class900indy.com/post/once-a-...

Programming note for a few months from now: I’ll be presenting about Indianapolis waterway history at the Irvington Historical Society on September 21 at 2 pm. It’s going to be really cool.

"History does not always repeat itself. Sometimes it just yells, 'Can't you remember anything I told you?' and lets fly with a club." John W. Campbell, born on this day in 1910

Going to have to dig into this story about the ACLU and the Indiana War Memorial.

Butler University is planning a new safety and transit hub on the south end of campus, next door to the Delta Tau Delta house. That site once hosted the Summer Mission Camp, a “fresh air” camp for children which was adjacent to Fairview Park. www.class900indy.com/post/not-jus...

News reports indicate that the iconic Circle Tower will be converted to a hotel. Designed by Rubush and Hunter, the building was constructed by the William P. Jungclaus Co., one of many collaborations between the two companies. 1/2 www.class900indy.com/post/constru...

A short post about the history behind a parking lot in downtown Indianapolis, and the strange stripes which are visible in its asphalt paving. www.class900indy.com/post/from-ra...

Was hoping to get a new blog post up today, but these gutters aren’t cleaning themselves. So here is a throwback to an old favorite: What is up with the Venerable in Flackville? www.class900indy.com/post/the-ven...

I passed by Virginia Avenue yesterday afternoon on the way to the transit center and was reminded that the view southeast from Pennsylvania Street used to look upon the Virginia Ave. viaduct, discussed in more detail in the blog post below. www.class900indy.com/post/overcom...

Hey, @edfujawa.bsky.social, found your Vanished Indianapolis book at the Aloft Hotel near the Circle

Four covers of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce monthly magazine ‘Activities’ celebrating the Indianapolis 500 in 1922, 1923, 1928 and 1929. These are from the Indianapolis Special Collection Room at the Indianapolis Public Library.