Round the Bend Now and Then

On January 7, 1933, almost two years after the tragic death of legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne, A Detroit Evening Times headline read: “Bomb Killed Rockne, Put in Plane by Gang”

A few years ago, retired journalist Jeff Harrell saw that shocking headline and curiosity got the best of him so he dug deeper. He found archived newspaper articles, official reports, interviews and more that backed up the theory that Rockne's plane was bombed.  He compiled all of this research and wrote a captivating book that tells the story behind the plane's tragic crash: As God's Witness: The Death of Knute Rockne.

In short, a Notre Dame priest witnessed one of Al Capone's hitmen murder a Chicago Tribune street reporter. He received several threats from Capone's men before taking the witness stand and soon after testifying, he gave his plane ticket to Knute Rockne whose plane crashed three days later.

In this episode, I meet with author Jeff Harrell to hear all about the story behind his book. As I say in the episode, it's such an engaging book that is hard to put down!

Be sure to check out Jeff's website and purchase his book: https://www.spiritofknute.com/

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Thank you to InRugCo for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to visit their shop at 220 E. Mishawaka Ave in Mishawaka... across from the Central Park entrance.

Check out their website and you'll see why I'm so enthusiastic about partnering with them! https://indianarugco.com/ 

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Thank you to Augie's Locker Room for sponsoring this episode. Be sure to visit them at 1733 N. Ironwood Dr or visit their website at https://www.augieslockerroom.com/

You'll see that I am not exaggerating one bit when I say that Augie's Locker Room is a Notre Dame memorabilia museum.

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ALL of our audio podcast episodes are also on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

In this episode, I meet with Mike & Christine Golic to shine a spotlight on The Golic Family Foundation and also to hear about their forty plus year relationship with the Notre Dame and South Bend area.

We start out by discussing everything from their favorite area restaurants to the changes the 5 Point/Eddy St area has experienced to recalling fond memories of a few local historical locations that are now sadly lost to time. 

We then talk about their family's charitable organization, the Golic Family Foundation, and how much of a positive impact it has in our community. To date, the foundation's donations have totaled over $250,000.... all contributed to local charities, right here in our community.

Be sure to check out the Golic Family Foundation's website https://golicfamilyfoundation.com/ to learn more! _____________________________________________

Thank you to InRugCo for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to visit their shop at 220 E. Mishawaka Ave in Mishawaka... across from the Central Park entrance.

Check out their website and you'll see why I'm so enthusiastic about partnering with them! https://indianarugco.com/ _____________________________________________

ALL of our audio podcast episodes are now on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

In 1984, the sometimes controversial owner of the very popular 5 Point/Eddy St. Corby's Tavern was shot execution style in his York Rd. home - in the normally quiet Twyckenham Hills neighborhood. The bar's manager escaped alive, but was traumatized by being strapped to a chair with a pillow case over his head. For three years, the case went cold, until a WGN reporter tipped off the South Bend Police to a possible connection to the murder of a wealthy Chicago businessman.

The story surrounding his murder is a tangled web that connects police officers, bitter divorces, tax liens, missing persons, wills, and girlfriends.... among other layers.

In this episode, Dieudonné Bayingana joins to help tell the story of the Corby's Tavern murder. He recently wrote a wonderful narrative, "The Midwest Connection" detailing all of the twists & turns the story contains. He & brothers collaborate on a web site dedicated to the arts. https://www.thefamilypsm.com/

Be sure to check out his article & also all of the other music, videos, pictures, & reading content that their website contains!

"The Midwest Connection" article: https://www.thefamilypsm.com/post/midwest-vice

PLEASE NOTE... Obviously, murder is something that is beyond tragic, & we mean NO harm or disrespect to anyone involved in this story… we researched public news accounts & tried to share the story as respectfully as we could.  Also, you’ll obviously hear the name “Corby’s” a lot throughout…. just remember: the Corby’s Tavern we speak of & the Corby’s Irish Pub we love now, are NOT the same bar at all. 

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ALL of our audio podcast episodes are now on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

Tom Lynch has owned and operated Lynch's Gym at the intersection of Dunham and Walnut St for half of his life and has lived in the neighborhood for almost his entire life.

In his 80 plus years, he has amassed quite the collection of stories! From his days at the original Washington High School on Sample St, to the Marine Corp, to his time in competitive body building, and even his 13 years as a professional wrestler. Even with all of his experiences and stories that he can tell, one this is for sure, many people look up to Tom and consider him a friend, mentor, and a father figure and he pretty much amassed all of this while running a gym in the neighborhood he grew up in, in a nondescript building, on the corner of Walnut and Dunham.  

I interviewed Tom right in his gym and it’s as old school as you can get - nothing but dumbbells, free weights, benches, and mirrors. You definitely won’t find any nautilus machines or a smoothie bars.

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Be sure to support our sponsor, Dan Berry Insurance! When I think of an example of a local business that I'm be proud to partner with, it is definitely Dan Berry Insurance. They’ve been in business locally in Michiana since the early 1990s and I’ve personally been a customer for 23 years with both our home and automobiles insured. Check out their website below!

https://www.danberryinsurance.com/

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ALL of our audio podcast episodes are now on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

In this episode, I meet with Lou Sabo - longtime photographer, including 25 years with the South Bend Tribune. 

Lou has spent decades photographing South Bend's landscape, amassing quite a collection of pictures and knowledge about our local history along the way.

He has created and narrated a couple of different YouTube documentaries that include a plethora of his photography of historic South Bend throughout.  Hear ALL about this and more in my talk with Lou Sabo!

Be sure to check out Lou's website AND YouTube documentaries at the links below!

https://www.lousabo.com/

https://youtube.com/@lousaboandvincesipocz6046?si=awLFeui_7pxXPd9W

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ALL of our podcast episodes are now on YouTube! Check out our channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

We do a little something different in this episode! Normally I conduct interviews that help tell a story from our area’s past or highlight a historical or well known spot in our area.

In this episode, we shine a light on a huge four day event… a one of a kind event that has only happened 4 other times in North America, an event that hopes to draw thousands of families to the Northern Indiana.  The event is called The Big Balloon Build and it’s to benefit one of our community's most impactful organizations, The Ronald McDonald House of Michiana. 

In this episode, you’ll learn ALL about The Big Balloon Build event that is coming to the Northern Indiana Event Center in Elkhart on April 25 - 28.  You’ll hear from three different people, each who passionately articulate how great this event will be!

You’ll hear from Jen Nyikos, owner of Fun By the Yard event decorating company, Nancy Salwin - Director of Sponsorships & Events at Ronald McDonald House Michiana, and Kiersten Eifler - Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - Ronald McDonald House Michiana.  

Check out the websites below for tons of information - tickets, volunteer opportunities, pictures, etc.

Fun By the Yard: https://www.funbytheyard.net/big-balloon-build

Ronald McDonald House Michiana: https://rmhcmichiana.org/big-balloon-build/

Big Balloon Build: https://www.bigballoonbuild.com/northernindiana

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I'm starting to dabble in visual content as well! Check out our You Tube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

In South Bend's historic City Cemetery, there is a bridge that looks completely out of place and literally crosses over nothing.  It crosses no stream, creek, or road -just a VERY old stone arch bridge.  

Turns out it was one bridge of many, built in the 1830s, that was meant to cross a waterway. This waterway was to be called the Kankakee Mill Race. This mill race was meant to connect the St. Joseph River to the Kankakee River.  The water from the mill race was meant to provide hydroelectric energy to the brand new city of South Bend and surrounding areas. 

The Kankakee Mill Race was built by one of South Bend’s founding father’s, the very respected businessman & trader, Alexis Coquillard.  It was a sure fire way for him and his many investors to harness the energy of the newly built waterway and sell it to industrial buildings and mills that would be built along the canal.  The four mile canal stretched from the St. Joe River, near Memorial Hospital, to the far West Side of South Bend.

All was going to plan until the moment Alexis Coquillard realized that he and his investors lost everything on what would become known as "Coquillard's Folly."

In this episode, I meet with local historian and author Aaron Helman. Within Aaron's most recent book, Ride the Jack Rabbit: More of the People, Places, & Events That Make Michiana Fascinating, is a chapter that details "Coquillard's Folly." Aaron and I discuss that chapter and all of the WILD details surrounding the "The Dry Ditch and South Bend's Bridge to Nowhere."

Be sure to visit Aaron's website and check out his books!

Website Link: https://www.aaronhelman.com/

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I'm starting to dabble in visual content as well! Check out our You Tube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

The Linebacker Lounge is a legendary Notre Dame & South Bend area establishment. It has stood on the corner of Edison Rd & St Rd 23 since 1962. While the surrounding area has changed over the years, The Backer has stood tall making sure all who visit leave happy & hopefully upright.  

In this episode, I meet with Aaron Frucci, "retired" longtime Backer bartender. Bartenders, especially bartenders in packed college bars, see some things & Aaron is no exception!

We record AT The Backer & we discuss everything from famous celebrities visiting to bachelorette parties battling, to generations of patrons, & Aaron even shares what Linebacker Sludge is.  Yuck!

We also discuss the history of the Linebacker & how there were several instances in the 1970s where we were extremely close to losing the beloved bar.

Check out The Linebacker on:

Facebook: Linebacker Lounge Across From Notre Dame Link: (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100028671055755)

Twitter: @backerlounge1 Link: (https://twitter.com/backerlounge1?s=21&t=F7clXfsuquJDUiC1HWAY-Q)

Website: https://linebackerlounge.com/

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I'm starting to dabble in visual content as well! Check out our You Tube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

In the early hours of January 10, 1935, at the corner of Colfax Ave & Michigan St in South Bend, IN, bomb blasts rocked the fancy Palais Royale building. The target was the Palace Cafe, which was located on the ground floor of the building. In the ensuing months, the drama surrounding the bombing was something out of a Hollywood script with everything from courtroom shenanigans to looting to insurance companies taken to court.

In this episode, I meet with local historian and author Aaron Helman. Within Aaron's most recent book, Ride the Jack Rabbit: More of the People, Places, & Events That Make Michiana Fascinating, is a chapter that details the Palace Cafe bombing. Aaron and I discuss that chapter and all of the WILD details surrounding the Palace Cafe bombing.

Be sure to visit Aaron's website and check out his books!

Website Link: https://www.aaronhelman.com/

______________________________________________________

I'm starting to dabble in visual content as well! Check out our You Tube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!

Imagine how hard it would be to have a son or daughter overseas fighting in a war. Now imagine that multiplied by SIX! SIX of Ethel & Howard Hardman's sons left their Corby St. home to serve our country in World War II!

In this episode, you'll learn about those SIX brothers: South Bend's Band of Brothers. I meet with Edna Parcell, who over the years has helped tell the stories of her brothers Royal, Clyde, Robert, Marion, Joseph and Donald Hardman, who all served our country in World War II.  

I must tell you all that doing this episode moved me so much.  From hearing Edna's memories, to editing & shaping the episode, it truly was special.  I obviously never met the Hardman brothers, but I feel honored & privileged to be able to share their WWII story with others. 

This episode is a stark reminder to us that freedom is not free and that our men and women serving in our military sacrifice SO MUCH to keep us free. Be sure to thank a veteran today!

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I'm starting to dabble in visual content as well! Check out our You Tube channel! Be sure to like and subscribe! Link below!

You Tube Link: https://youtube.com/@RoundtheBend574

Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen

To contact the show, you can email at [email protected] or message on Twitter.

For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.

Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!