Hoosier History Live

Originally aired 06/13/2026. Guest host Molly Head and her guest Jay Lee talk about mystical phenomenons in Indiana.

Originally aired 06/06/2026. Did you know that Abraham Lincoln's private secretary and uncredited speechwriter was a native Hoosier? John Hay (1838-1905) was born in Salem, Ind., where there's a John Hay Center. As a cultured, Ivy League educated teenager, Hay developed a nearly father son relationship with Lincoln beginning in Springfield, Ill. Hay, a gifted poet, went on to have a significant impact on many of the 16th president's most famous speeches, according to Nelson's guest, Jan Hartman, an award winning historian based on the East Coast. She is the author of a new book about John Hay titled "Lincoln's Speechwriter ". Just 26 years old when Lincoln was assassinated, John Hay had a remarkable life ahead, including serving as the U.S. Secretary of State to two other presidents.

Originally aired 05/30/2026. Following the opening in Indianapolis of a new Gurdwara, a house of worship for the Sikh faith, which originated in India, Hoosier History Live learns about the heritage that has been flourishing locally in recent decades. About nine Gurdwaras are in the Indy metro area, with dozens more across the state. Nelson's guests are well-known artist and civic leader K.P. Singh, who was one of the few Sikhs in Indianapolis when he arrived in 1967. They are joined by Saurabh Singh, a business executive and engineer who was a plant manager in Fort Wayne during the 1990s.

Originally aired 05/23/2026. Counties, towns, rivers, lakes and other sites have names inspired by Revolutionary War heroes, Founding Fathers, Native Americans terms and tribes, and even countries in South America. Nelson and his guest, Charles Braun, share their knowledge about the origins of place names ranging from the town of Wakarusa in far-northern Indiana to Rising Sun on the Ohio River. Charles Braun, an attorney, is the host of the long-running "Legally Speaking " show on WICR-FM.

Originally aired 05/02/2026. As an acclaimed journalist primarily based in Paris beginning in the 1920s, Indianapolis native Janet Flanner profiled and befriended notables including Hemingway, Picasso and Matisse. Flanner also reported on the rise of Hitler. A one-woman play about her remarkable life (1892-1978) was presented the summer of 2026, and a new biography of her has been published. Nelson's guests are Bruce Buchanan and Scott Keller, who were relatives of Janet Flanner; her father co-founded the Flanner Buchanan mortuary business.

​Originally aired 4/25/2026. During the early 1920s, Hammond had a pro football team. In Valparaiso, a restaurant popular for many generations specialized in turkey dinners all year, not just at Thanksgiving. And in Fort Wayne, an elegant French restaurant consistently received four-star ratings in national guides. All are among bygone "treasures" in northern Indiana that Hoosier History Live highlights during this episode. Nelson and his guest Joseph Pete, author of "Lost Treasures of Indiana", will explore restaurants, theaters, amusement parks and sports teams across the northern one-third of the Hoosier state.

Originally aired 4/18/2026. The Indiana Medical History Museum is located in a historic building that was part of Central State Hospital in Indianapolis, where, for 150 years, patients received treatment for mental health issues. Sarah Halter, the executive director of the museum, and Danielle Thomas, the operations manager, join Nelson to share an array of stories involving Central State, including insights about a patient during the 1930s who created widely acclaimed paintings. They also will discuss a reform-minded superintendent during the 1880s who destroyed straight jackets, restraint chairs and other devices in a public bonfire.

Originally aired 04/11/2026. Streetcar strikes in 1892 and 1913 were initiated by workers frustrated by low pay and long hours. The 1913 strike even involved what was described as a "police mutiny". Nelson's guest, award-winning author Ed Fujawa, and the creator of the class900indy blog, shares insights about the streetcar strikes and a strike in 1934 at the Real Silk Factory, which had reports of various acts of violence.

Originally aired on 03/28/2026. Listeners were invited to call and ask any questions about Indiana's heritage of Nelson and his guest, Ron May. In between the calls, Ron and Nelson will be interviewing each other, primarily about World War II topics connected to Indiana. In addition to being a WW II historian, Ron is a chaplain and a Carmel-based author who interviewed Hoosiers who served as Marines, pilots, nurses and in other capacities.

Originally aired 03/21/2026. In the wake of an extensive initiative to pull them together from 45 city, county and quasi-governmental agencies, Hoosier History Live delves into the archives. The archives include everything from jail registries dating to the 1880s to artifacts discovered during recent excavations. City Archivist Jordan Ryan and Dee Dee Davis, the reference archivist, describe their roles in the excavations related to the former Greenlawn Cemetery, the first major burial site in the city.