117 past events with the history tag

Dane Starbuck, author of John W. Fisher: What a Life!, will discuss John W. Fisher, II, who married Janice Kelsey Ball (daughter of E.B. and Bertha C. Ball) in 1940. Raised in Maryville, Tennessee, and educated at the University of Tennessee and Harvard Business School, John was one of the most extraordinary business and community leaders in Indiana in the second half of the 20th century. He was a corporate and civic leader with a remarkable story of entrepreneurship, ambition, and striving for excellence.

Session

Thursday, August 1
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

Who knew, when the 1960’s began, that this decade would be like no other in American history? Terry will share with you the memories and experiences he had from living on Bethel Avenue to being stationed in South Vietnam. Drawing from his writings in his blog, Growingupinthesixties.com, he will talk about entering the decade at ten years old with the election of JFK and all the dreams of a better world, through preteen anxieties, laughing at high school immaturity, experiencing marriage at eighteen, becoming a father, and culminating with being wounded in Vietnam. 

Terry grew up in Muncie and Yorktown and attended Ball State University. He is the past president of Yorktown Chamber of Commerce and the Bi-Centennial Commission.  His is also the former owner of Fauquher’s Flowers, and you may remember him as a long-time manager at Bradburn Oldsmobile Cadillac. You will enjoy his sentimental journey down the streets and alleys of Neely addition and his ability to remember and poke fun at growing up in the sixties.   

The program highlights some amazing stories about Indiana women like Catharine Coffin, suffragist May Wright Sewall, actress Carole Lombard, Portland native Twyla Tharp, and Frances Slocum. Presentation will also include information about  lesser known women like fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert, aviator Marvel Crosson, and educator Gertrude Mahorney. 

You’ll also find out how Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Olympic champion Wilma Rudolph fit into Indiana’s history.

St. Augustine (354—430 C.E.) is a fourth century philosopher whose groundbreaking philosophy infused Christian doctrine with Neoplatonism. St. Augustine is one of the most important early figures in the development of Western Christianity, and was a major figure in bringing Christianity to dominance in the previously pagan Roman Empire. 

More than 100 titled works written by St. Augustine survive, the majority of them devoted to the pursuit of issues in one or another of the ecclesiastical controversies that preoccupied his episcopal years. Among his most important works are The City of God, De doctrina Christiana, and Confessions.

Relevant book on exhibit at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center: Meditations & Soliloquies, Augustine of Hippo, 1480

Almost from the beginning of aviation, women have been superstars — earning the respect and admiration of all people who were fascinated with this new form of transportation. There was little to no discrimination— a good pilot was a good pilot, period.  Mr. Kennison will talk about some of the most famous female fliers of those first exhilarating days of flight: Harriet Quimby, Kate Stinson, and Louise Thaden to name a few.

Norma will provide information about Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) historical markers in Delaware County as well as other marker programs. 

After her retirement from the Muncie Public Library, she has volunteered for the Delaware County Historical Society in various capacities, including editing a journal and a newsletter. She was also the main author of Delaware County, published in 2012, as part of Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series.

The gas boom in Delaware County led to rapid industrial growth, which in turn, attracted railroads. The first railroad line in Delaware County was completed through Muncie in 1852. By 1902, six intercity railroads, a local industrial railroad, and a belt-switching railroad served Muncie. Larry developed an interest in railroads when he was a child. He rode a steam engine to school for the first year and a half before they switched to diesel and stopped using the old roundhouse at 17th  and Gharkey.

Mr. Schwartz will take guests on a behind-the-scenes look at popular fairy tales, many of which have been altered to fit the psychology of various countries, their traditions, morals, and etc. He will also discuss the effect that Disney has had on these tales.

Session

Monday, October 7
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

Instructor: Mrs. Karen Good, board member and chair of Ancestor Hunters, Delaware County Historical Society; and the Indiana County Genealogist for Delaware County.

Tracing your roots is a way to document history and family information that you can pass along to future generations.  With many resources available online, genealogy is becoming popular and easier to accomplish.  Class is for those with little or no previous knowledge of geneaology. 

Topics covered each session:

Oct. 30-Genealogy 101: Will focus on general standards (i.e., how genealogist write dates among other htings) and discuss how to get started with your family tree.

Nov. 6-Forms and Documents: Will discuss census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, land records, etc., as well as the type of information that can be obtained from these forms.

Nov. 13-Organization: Will examine several different ways to organize all the information that you find.

Nov. 20-Software and Free Websites: Will take a look at these different software programs on the market as well as some of the free websites available to help you do your research.

Prohibition was this country’s attempt to address the severe problems of alcoholism. In the ultimate example of unintended consequences, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, during the 18th amendment's 13-year history. Murder, organized crime and a wide-scale disregard for the law by common citizens ensued.

Poorly crafted, the law had an amazing number of loopholes. Liquor taxes which were badly needed in the depression went to Al Capone and other criminals. The drama of prohibition is a most interesting story. 

Session

Wednesday, November 6
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

In 1945-46, Ball State University’s first mobile home court was constructed on the corner of Tillotson and Gilbert, along with three barracks-style buildings which the college converted into two-bedroom and one-bedroom apartments. These units were part of Ball State’s first accommodations for married students.  

In addition to providing housing for married students, these apartments also provided housing for some faculty members and their families. The duo will share information and photographs for this gone-but-not-forgotten housing.

Presenter: Mr. Bruce Goldfarb, author of “18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics”   

Mr. Goldfarb will outline a story of a woman whose ambition and accomplishments far exceeded the expectations of her time. His recent book follows the transformation of a young, wealthy socialite into the mother of modern forensics.

Frances Glessner Lee was best known for creating the “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death,” a series of dollhouses that appear charming―until you notice the macabre little details: an overturned chair, or a blood-spattered comforter. And then, of course, there are the bodies―splayed out on the floor, draped over chairs―clothed in garments that Lee lovingly knit with sewing pins. Lee developed a system that used the Nutshells dioramas to train law enforcement officers to investigate violent crimes, and her methods are still used today.

This documentary by Ted Green, Mika Brown, and WFYI, tells a story of an Auschwitz survivor’s fight to heal the world. As a 10-year-old "Mengele Twin," Eva Mozes Kor suffered the worst of the Holocaust. At 50, she helped launch the biggest manhunt in history. Into her 80s, after decades of pain and anger, she traveled the world to promote what her life journey taught: hope, healing, and humanity.  This special screening is sponsored by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

Presenter: Mr. Ted Shideler, volunteer, Delaware County Historical Society.

It’s been more than forty years since Marhoefer Packing Company ceased its Muncie operation, leaving behind a 45-acre site on North Elm Street. Mr. Shideler will chart the company’s course from its humble roots as the Kuhner Packing Company through its expansion to one of the twelve largest meat packing companies in the nation and beyond. 

This program will feature maps, historic photographs, newspaper articles, and even diary entries related to some of the interesting locations that helped shape the history of women in Muncie and east central Indiana, including churches, opera houses, bars, and specific residences of impact.  You’ll hear stories from the following panelists:

· Sara McKinley, local history and genealogy supervisor, Muncie Public Library

· Sarah Allison, head of archives user engagement, Ball State University Libraries

· Emily Johnson, assistant professor, Department of History, Ball State University

· Courtney Jarrett, professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, Ball State University

· Rachael Smith, assistant lecturer, Women’s and Gender Studies, Ball State University

· Melissa Gentry, supervisor, GIS Research and Map Collection, Ball State University Libraries

Presenter: Dr. Hans Eicholz, senior fellow, Liberty Fund

A discussion of the relationship between two important thinkers whose books shaped the American experience.

Relevant books on exhibit at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center:

Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. In a Letter Intended to Have Been Sent to a Gentleman in Paris, Edmund Burke, 1790, 1st edition.
Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack on the French Revolution, Thomas Paine, 1791, 1st edition.
Odes to Mr. Paine, Author of "Rights of Man,” John Wolcot (pen name Peter Pindar), 1791, 1st edition.

Course meets four Wednesdays, April 1-22.

Instructor: Mrs. Karen Good, board member and chair of Ancestor Hunters, Delaware County Historical Society; and the Indiana County Genealogist for Delaware County

Tracing your roots is a way to document history and family information that you can pass along to future generations. With many resources available online, genealogy is becoming popular and easier to accomplish. Class is for those will little or no previous knowledge of genealogy.

Topics covered each session:
April 1 —Genealogy 101
Will focus on general standards (i.e., how genealogist write dates among other things) and discuss how to get started with your family tree.

April 8 —Forms and Documents
Will discuss census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, land records, and etc., as well as the type of information that can be obtained from these forms.

April 15 —Organization
Will examine several different ways to organize all the information that you find.

April 22 —Software and Free Websites
Will take a look at three different software programs on the market as well as some of the free websites available to help you

Presenter: Dr. Peter Mentzel, senior fellow, Liberty Fund

Both Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill saw freedom as a means to realize individual potential and self-determination. However, both differed on the concept of freedom realization and the impediments to freedom. Nonetheless, there are several commonalities between the two philosophers, and this will be the topic of Dr. Menzel's presentation.

Presenter: Mr. Larry Campbell, railroad enthusiast

The gas boom in Delaware County led to rapid industrial growth, which in turn, attracted railroads. The first railroad line in Delaware County was completed through Muncie in 1852. By 1902, six intercity railroads, a local industrial railroad, and a belt-switching railroad served Muncie.

Larry developed an interest in railroads when he was a child. He rode a steam engine to school for the first year and a half before they switched to diesel and stopped using the old roundhouse at 17th and Gharkey.

Presenters: Ms. Rebecca Torsell, archivist for Architectural Records at Ball State University’s Drawings and Documents Archive, and Ms. Sara McKinley, local history and genealogy supervisor, Muncie Public Library

House History 101 will teach you the steps for researching the history of your home. You’ll learn basic research methods for discovering the date of construction, ownership, occupancy, and more.