Yesterday's Indianapolis

Ed Fujawa
  • 5.0 (10)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Exploring the history Indianapolis, Indiana, and the surrounding area, Yesterday's Indianapolis will cover a wide range historical topics about the people, places and events, which have shaped the history of the Circle City and Indiana as a whole. Also check out the companion website to this podcast: Class 900: Indianapolis History (class900indy.com)

Episodes

  1. W.D. Huffman and the Indianapolis Pickle Industry

    12/24/2025

    W.D. Huffman and the Indianapolis Pickle Industry

    The tradition of hanging a pickle ornament on Christmas trees inspired this podcast about the W.D. Huffman Pickle Company, which operated on St. Clair Street near downtown Indianapolis. The company produced a variety of food items beyond their top billed product, and at times had run ins with state health authorities with concerns about the purity of the products they produced. Companion Blog Post: Kind of a Big Dill: The History of the W.D. Huffman Pickle Company of Indianapolis Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Also, Venmo can be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    16 min
  2. Pioneering the Christmas Tree Farm in Indianapolis

    12/08/2025

    Pioneering the Christmas Tree Farm in Indianapolis

    This episode of Yesterday's Indianapolis explores the reputed first Christmas tree farm in Indianapolis, operated by Edward Eickhoff, a southside farmer who sold the trees at his stand on the west side of the old Marion County courthouse. Companion Blog Post: Edward Eickhoff and the Pioneering of the Christmas Tree Farm in Indianapolis Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Also, Venmo can be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    13 min
  3. The Indianapolis Fire Department and the 1973 Grant Fire: “The finest moment this department ever had.”

    11/05/2025

    The Indianapolis Fire Department and the 1973 Grant Fire: “The finest moment this department ever had.”

    This episode explores the November 5, 1973, fire at the old Grant Building located on Washington Street in Indianapolis. NOTE: This episode contains excerpts of radio dispatches which may contain some colorful language, which considering the scope of this fire, is not unexpected. But a heads up, nonetheless. Blog Post: Indianapolis Fire Department and the 1973 Grant Fire: “The finest moment this department ever had.” Map of IFD Deployments at the Grant Building Fire: Pictorial graph map of "Grant Fire" - Indianapolis Firefighters Museum - The Indianapolis Public Library Digital Collections Indianapolis Firefighters Museum Archive: Indianapolis Firefighters Museum Collection | Digital Collections | IndyPL | The Indianapolis Public Library - The Indianapolis Public Library Digital Collections Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Also, Venmo can be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    32 min
  4. The Final Flight of Karl Schoen on the Western Front

    10/20/2025

    The Final Flight of Karl Schoen on the Western Front

    This podcast explores the final flight and death of Karl Schoen, an Indianapolis native who flew fighter aircraft over the Western Front during World War I. Class900Indy blog post about Karl Schoen: Armistice Day Connection: Karl Schoen of the Army Air Service. This is not the first time Karl Schoen has appeared in a Class900Indy blog post, This post details a 522-mile bike ride he and two friends took while they were still in school, 7 years before his fateful flight described in this podcast: Nine Days and 522 Miles: A Bike Tour from Indianapolis and Back Again Walking Tour of Old Indianapolis Zoo Site at Washington Park: Trek & Talk: Indianapolis Zoo History at Washington Park - Indiana Humanities Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Venmo can also be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    16 min
  5. Exploring the Historical Photos of Osbert Sumner with DeeDee Davis

    08/18/2025

    Exploring the Historical Photos of Osbert Sumner with DeeDee Davis

    In this episode of Yesterday's Indianapolis, I am joined by local historian DeeDee Davis to discuss an exhibit at the Irvington Historical Society which explores the photography of Indianapolis resident Osbert Sumner. The glass negatives for the photos were discovered under a stairway in a basement at Sumner's former home in Irvington and depict hundreds of scenes from around Indianapolis at the turn of the 20th century. DeeDee, a historian with the Indianapolis City-County Archives and board member at the Irvington Historical Society, assisted with the identification and organization of these amazing images. Irvington Historical Society Website: https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/ Support the Irvington Historical Society: https://www.irvingtonhistory.org/support/ There is no companion blog post for this episode, but please check out Class 900: Indianapolis History to explore Indianapolis history. Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Venmo can also be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    28 min
  6. Selecting the Site of Indianapolis

    08/04/2025

    Selecting the Site of Indianapolis

    More than anything, Indianapolis sprang forth from the stroke of a pen versus being an already established population center or crossroads. This podcast explores the efforts of a state mandated commission to select of the state's new seat of government, which would later become Indianapolis. Note: While I refer to Indianapolis throughout the podcast, that name was not selected by the General Assembly until 1821, after the events detailed in this podcast. Other names were also considered for the city, including Tecumseh, a nod to the Shawnee warrior chief who resided in Indiana. Companion Blog Post: Selecting the Seat of Government: The Expedition to Locate the Site of Indianapolis Native Americans around Indianapolis Post: The Native American Presence at the Founding of Indianapolis Changing the Route of Fall Creek: Changing Course: The Diversion of Fall Creek Sources for this podcast are listed in the blog posts above. I refer to Chief Anderson, a prominent Lenape chief who resided in a Lenape town on the site of present-day Anderson, Indiana, several times in this podcast. Anderson's father was of Swedish descent and had married a Lenape woman, thus the "Anderson" name. Anderson's Lenape name was Kikthawenund. Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Venmo can also be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    31 min
  7. Silk and Explosives: The Real Silk Strike of 1934

    07/07/2025

    Silk and Explosives: The Real Silk Strike of 1934

    Exploring the history of the 1934 strike at the Real Silk hosiery mills in downtown Indianapolis. Note: I realized I was speaking a bit faster for this episode, so you may need to slow things down to .75x speed. Companion Blog Post: Silk and Explosives: The Real Silk Strike of 1934 Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Venmo can be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    22 min
  8. "Like the Roar and Hum of a Fast Speeding Railway Locomotive" - The Eastside Tornado of 1927

    05/19/2025

    "Like the Roar and Hum of a Fast Speeding Railway Locomotive" - The Eastside Tornado of 1927

    Exploring the May 18, 1927, tornado which swept through the heart of downtown Indianapolis and caused serious damage on the near eastside. Companion Blog Post: "Like the Roar and Hum of a Fast Speeding Railway Locomotive" - The Eastside Tornado of 1927 Note: All sources listed in the above blog post. Most images are the Indiana Historical Society's Bass Photo Collection. The full collection can be accessed at this link: Indiana Historical Society Digital Images - Indiana Historical Society Digital Images. Fire Tower Blog Post: Eye in the Sky: The Last Indianapolis Fire Tower Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Venmo can be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    18 min
  9. An Indianapolis What If: The Proposal to Dam the White River

    05/15/2025

    An Indianapolis What If: The Proposal to Dam the White River

    This episode explores a proposal in the early 1920s to construct a dam on the White River at present day 38th Street in Indianapolis in order to create a large lake in the river valley north of that point, The proposed lake would have flooded the town of Rocky Ripple and made Butler University a lakeside campus. This podcast is based on one of the first blogposts I published on Class900Indy.com back in 2018. An updated version of this blog may be found here: https://www.class900indy.com/post/a-river-runs-through-it-but-we-d-rather-have-a-lake-the-fairview-park-reservoir Sources for the podcast may be found at the bottom of the blog post above. Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory. Venmo can be accessed here: https://venmo.com/u/ejfujawa

    27 min
  10. “A Veritable Fire Trap”: The National Surgical Institute Fire of 1892

    04/09/2025

    “A Veritable Fire Trap”: The National Surgical Institute Fire of 1892

    Yesterday’s Indianapolis Episode 3: “A Veritable Fire Trap”: The National Surgical Institute Fire of 1892 Companion Blog Post: https://www.class900indy.com/post/a-veritable-fire-trap-the-national-surgical-institute-fire-of-1892 As a heads up, this episode contains some graphic descriptions of fire victims. Also, some of the quoted sources use outdated and offensive language when referring to the patients of the Surgical Institute. Want to help offset the hosting costs for the blog and podcast? Leave a donation here: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory

    26 min
  11. The Minister and the Klan: The Resignation of Earl N. Griggs of Butler-Tarkington

    03/21/2025

    The Minister and the Klan: The Resignation of Earl N. Griggs of Butler-Tarkington

    Yesterday’s Indianapolis Episode 2: The Minister and the Klan: The Resignation of Earl N. Griggs of Butler-Tarkington Class900Indy Companion Blogpost (which was published in 2024, not 2023 as stated in the podcast): https://www.class900indy.com/post/an-indianapolis-pastor-his-church-and-the-klan-the-resignation-of-earl-n-griggs-of-butler-tarkin "Exposure of 12,208 Ku Klux in Marion County, Indiana" Tolerance Newspaper, Indiana State Library: https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll69/id/700do The Hooded Order in the Pulpit: Klan Membership in 1920’s Indianapolis Churches (authored by the late Prof. Paul Mullins): https://paulmullins.wordpress.com/2019/04/15/the-hooded-order-in-the-pulpit-klan-membership-in-1920s-indianapolis-churches/ If you want to support my historical research (and help cover web and podcast hosting fees and archive subscriptions)), please feel free to leave a donation at the following link: https://ko-fi.com/class900indyhistory

    17 min
  12. Murder on the Canal: Calvin Fletcher and the Trial of Thomas Finch

    03/09/2025

    Murder on the Canal: Calvin Fletcher and the Trial of Thomas Finch

    Check out https://www.class900indy.com/ for the companion blog post for this episode. This podcast references the book 'Murder in Their Hearts: The Fall Creek Massacre' which is available from the Indiana Historical Society at this link: https://shop.indianahistory.org/products/murder-in-their-hearts This is the inaugural episode of 'Yesterday's Indianapolis' so some things may be a little rough. Tune in to future episodes as the quality of the podcast will (hopefully) improve as I get a hang of this new format for exploring the history of Indianapolis and central Indiana.

    29 min
  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Exploring the history Indianapolis, Indiana, and the surrounding area, Yesterday's Indianapolis will cover a wide range historical topics about the people, places and events, which have shaped the history of the Circle City and Indiana as a whole. Also check out the companion website to this podcast: Class 900: Indianapolis History (class900indy.com)

Information

  • Creator
    Ed Fujawa
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Edward Fujawa 2022
  • Show Website
    Yesterday's Indianapolis

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