History 68 results

Tracks Through Time: The Trains of 1970s Bloomington

Richard Koenig

In the 1970s, a budding photographer in Bloomington captured images of trains as they passed through the area. Today, Richard Koenig, a professor of art at Kalamazoo College, shares his photographs with Limestone Post, showing how a once essential industry was threaded into the very fabric of town life. Click here to read the full story and to see Koenig's photos.

March 30, 2017

Standing Rock Protestors: ‘Water Is Life’

Laura Martinez

Protestors at Standing Rock in North Dakota have a simple message: “Mni Wiconi” — Water is life. Or as Laura Martinez, a Bloomington resident and citizen of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, writes, "Life cannot exist without water. We can survive without oil by investing in renewable energy, but we cannot sustain life without clean water." Click here to read the full story.

March 9, 2017

Hoagy Carmichael sits at the piano surrounded by friends in the Book Nook on Indiana Avenue, sometime in the 1920s. | Photo courtesy of Indiana University Archives of Traditional Music

Dada a la Bloomington — a 1920s ‘Anti-Art’ Hotbed

Michael G. Glab

When the absurdist art movement known as Dada began spreading to major cities around the world in the 1920s, it rarely found its way to sleepy Midwestern towns. But writer Michael G. Glab looks into how a soda shop in Bloomington became a hotbed of Dada, courtesy of favorite son Hoagy Carmichael and his friends. Click here to read the full story.

February 7, 2017

Cynthia Brubaker has had more than a hand in preserving some of Bloomington’s most iconic buildings. | Limestone Post

Big Mike’s B-town: Cynthia Brubaker, Preservation Developer

Michael G. Glab

Cynthia Brubaker has had more than a hand in preserving some of Bloomington’s most iconic buildings — now homes to some of the town’s favorite galleries, studios, and businesses. This is the second profile in the series Big Mike’s B-town by Michael G. Glab for Limestone Post and based on his WFHB interview show Big Talk! Click here to read the full story.

January 12, 2017

6 Places Keeping Bloomington’s History Alive and Personal

Andrew Cary, Dason Anderson

When Indiana became a state in 1816, Bloomington was four years from its official incorporation. But the town named after fields of blooming flowers soon became a thriving and growing town. Here are some of the more interesting places that preserve the heritage of their times and help you connect to years past. Click here to read the full story.

December 8, 2016

If you’re tempted to hit the road this summer to explore Indiana for its bicentennial, several new books can help guide your way. | Photo courtesy of Tichnor Brothers, Public Domain

200 Road Trips to Explore Hoosier Country’s 200th

Limestone Post

Are your travel plans more likely to favor French Lick over France, or Yellowwood over Yellowstone? Do you find road maps more interesting than flight plans? If you’re tempted to hit the road this summer to explore Indiana for its bicentennial, several new books can help guide your way. Click here to read the full story.

July 5, 2016

Every year since 1830, New Pekin, in southern Indiana, has celebrated the 4th of July, making it what the townspeople say is the “Oldest Consecutive 4th of July Celebration in the Nation.” | Limestone Post

New Pekin, Ind., Has ‘Oldest’ 4th of July Celebration in the Nation

Michael Waterford

Every year since 1830, a small town in southern Indiana has celebrated the 4th of July, making it what the townspeople (and The Library of Congress) say is the “Oldest Consecutive 4th of July Celebration in the Nation.” Writer Michael Waterford looks into this event, which rivals those in towns hundreds of times its size. Click here to read the full story.

June 27, 2016

Powwow Keeps Native American Heritage Alive

Miles Reiter

Drums beating, feathers flying, hearts racing, spirits soaring — Indiana University’s 5th Annual Traditional Powwow at Alumni Hall this past weekend welcomed dancers, drummers, singers, and other performers from across the land. Miles Reiter filmed the event, which is more than just a social gathering — it’s a ritual of many tribes keeping their heritages alive. Click here to watch the video.