Hoosier History Live

Originally aired 02/15/2025. Nelson's guest on this Black History Month show is Aleta Hodge, author of the biography, "The Robust Life & Times of Noble Sissle." Indianapolis native, Noble Sissle was the lyricist and co-producer of the first hit Broadway musical by and about Black people titled "Shuffle Along" (1921). He was a tenor, orchestra conductor and member of the Army regiment known as the "Harlem Hellfighters" during World War I.

Originally aired 02/01/2025. Host Nelson Price is joined by local historian Ed Fujawa, author of "Vanished Indianapolis" and creator of the the blog, Class 900: Indianapolis History. The pair interview each other between phone calls from listeners.

Although the Great Tri-State tornado in 1925 is considered the deadliest continual tornado in U.S. history, it's been nearly forgotten. This show, which originally aired on 01/25/2025, describes the devastation. Justin Harter, author of "The Great Tri-State Tornado" shares his knowledge of the event and its outcomes.

Originally aired 01/18/2025. Several of the most lavish structures in city history were constructed in Indianapolis between the 1870s through 1900. Architectural historian James Glass returns to talk with Nelson about this era of the city.

Content awareness for listeners: This show does contain discussion about violence relating to guns and murder and may not be suitable for listeners that are sensitive to this subject matter.

Originally aired 01/04/2025. Historians Beth Van Allen and Leon Bates discuss the ways that Indianapolis Public Schools handled the education of Black children and teenagers from the beginning of Indiana's statehood in 1816, through the founding of Indianapolis in the 1820s, and up through much of the 20th Century.

Originally aired 12/21/2024. Forensic investigative genealogy is a fascinating emerging field of work. Nelson's guest, Bradley Marchant, was hired by the Indiana State Police as their first genetic genealogist. Bradley shares how genealogy and DNA have been used to solve cold cases, including high-profile Indiana cases. He discusses misconceptions about law enforcement and forensic genealogy.

Originally aired on 12/14/2024. Distinguished architectural historian James Glass, and author of the new book "Architecture in Indianapolis, 1820-1900", shares his knowledge about historic churches, private homes and other structures in the circle city. Some of the buildings constructed in the 1800s are still standing, while others have been demolished. He also reviews architectural styles popular during the early and mid -1800s, including Federal, Greek Revival, and Gothic.

Originally aired 12/7/2024. In 2024, a life-sized sculpture of John Mellencamp was dedicated on the Indiana University's campus in Bloomington. It is not the only outdoor artwork on campus created by Indiana sculptor Michael Livingston McAuley, who was Nelson's guest for this show. He also created a bronze sculpture of legendary composer Hoagy Carmichael playing a Steinway piano. To create a bronze sculpture Michael begins by creating the image in clay. For John Mellencamp's sculpture, he used a photo taken by Mellencamp's former wife Elaine at the rock star's request.

Originally aired 11/23/2024. Although Marsh Davis has been president and CEO of Indiana Landmarks since 2006, his involvement goes much further back with what has become the largest statewide preservation organization in the country. Marsh retired in the spring of 2025. He was Nelson's guest on this archived show from 2024. The two explore successes and a few disappointments in the crusade to save historic sites across the state.