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A vibrant community of artists, watermen, entrepreneurs, educators, and spiritual leaders left a legacy well worth preserving.

Nestled in northeastern Indiana's Kosciusko County, Syracuse and its two lakes, Lake Wawasee and Syracuse Lake, became a popular area both for industry and tourism following the completion of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1874. What had been a quiet fisherman's paradise developed quickly, as hotels, restaurants, and merchants sprang up to meet the growing demand of residents and visitors. Pharmaceutical manufacturer Col. Eli Lilly helped establish the first sailing club on Lake Wawasee, and Chicago-based mobsters in Al Capone's crime syndicate ran gambling operations. Upscale hotels attracted the wealthy and influential, while ambitious locals made Syracuse a competitive industrial presence in the state, nurtured innovative boat builders, and supported a strong foundation of schools and churches.

Groundbreaking research published by Robert S. Lynd and his wife Helen Merrell Lynd in 1929 transformed Muncie, Indiana into a barometer of social attitudes, customs, beliefs and behavior in the American heartland.

Recognized as the most widely studied mid-sized community in America, Muncie has attracted researchers and historians for nearly a century. A town which prospered in the 1920s, and survived the economic hardships of the Great Depression, Muncie has grown to become a prospering business community with a strong link to its rich past. Muncie: The Middletown of America explores the evolution of Muncie in a series of over two hundred black and white images. Spectacular photographs unveil Muncie's past, from the Ball Brothers, whose glass-making company gave the city its reputation in the 1880s, to exciting high school basketball and volleyball contests in the 1980s and 1990s. Striking imagery enables the reader to connect to the past and visualize how Muncie developed to where it stands today.

Local author Jane Simon Ammeson leads a tasty tour of historic Region restaurants.

A wonderful diversity of flavors has defined Northwest Indiana as a dining destination from its early days to the present. Now almost a century old, Teibel's pan-fried fish carries on the tradition of "perch palaces'? like the now lost Phil Smidt's. Pierogis have been a staple at the Cavalier for decades. So great was the demand for frog legs at Vogel's that they used to raise their own. The same dish has remained on the menu at the Town Club since opening in 1947. Serving Northwest Indiana-style, crisped-edge hamburgers, Miner-Dunn and Schoops both survived the onslaught of fast food chains and continue on today.

Crawfordsville, Indiana, has a rich history of spiritualism and paranormal lore. /

In the late 1800s and early 1900s mediums were trained in the city, and spiritualism was preached from the street corners. Spirit photography was all the rage, and many flocked to town to have their photos taken with ghosts. The Crawfordsville Monster caused a nationwide stir after terrorizing the town for several days and being spotted by more than 100 people. Urban legends also abound in this small city, including legends like the cursed chair of Oak Hill cemetery, Spooky Hollow and the Old Hospital./

Authors Christopher and Christina Hunt share these tales and others devoted to the mysterious past and darkly thrilling secret life of the heart of Montgomery County.

It reveals the journey of hopeful and hard-working Polish immigrants who arrived in the early 1900s, established an ethnic community, and adapted to the American way of life. This fascinating photographic compilation of almost 200 images features various past and present residents of Gary. It examines the city's diverse ethnic groups and religious denominations, offering a glimpse of a life very different from that of today. Along with detailed captions, The Polish Community of Gary offers the rare chance to experience the history of Polish Gary, bringing its exciting past alive again. Author John Trafny traces the story of past trials, tribulations, and triumphs with skill, compassion, and an insider's eye.

In this pictorial history, visit the Horace Mann west side neighborhood of Gary, Indiana, through four generations of the Steel City.

Though Gary was an industrial city founded by U.S. Steel, the Horace Mann neighborhood evolved into one of the most exclusive residential areas in northwest Indiana. Skilled craftsmen from the mills were able to live among doctors and lawyers as well as businessmen and supervisors from U.S. Steel. From the boom years of the 1920s through the 1960s, residents of diverse economic backgrounds sent their children to the same schools, prayed together in the same houses of worship, and shopped in Gary's popular downtown. Gary's West Side: The Horace Mann Neighborhood is a pictorial history spanning four generations of one of the Steel City's premier residential districts. Through archival photographs, family snapshots provided by former residents, and shared memories, the reader is taken on a nostalgic journey from the city's founding in 1906 through to the 21st century.

Wolf and Dessauer documents the rich and interesting history of this chain of department stores.

Remember how it used to be at W&D? From its humble beginnings as a dry goods store in 1896, Wolf and Dessauer grew to provide customers with revolutionary services and previously unheard of amenities: personal shoppers, in-store models, escalators, an open-air French café and the magical Christmas WanDerland--home to Santa and his precious elf, Wee Willie WanD. Join Jim and Kathie Barron on this glorious return to one of the most progressive department stores in history. Relax in the tearoom with one of Edith Goodyear's California Dream Bars, don elegant couture from around the world and luxuriate in this remembrance of a beloved Fort Wayne icon.

From time to time, however, the river lashes out at those who inhabit its shores. The frigid waters of winter and early spring sometimes swallow the city, leaving mud, disease, and devastation in their wake. The more than two hundred images featured in Jeffersonville, Indiana tell the city's tale from the earliest days of settlement, through the boom days of the late 19th century, and on to the tragedy of the Great Flood in 1937. Those who observed the bawdy days of Jeffersonville's marriage parlors, gambling halls, and saloons called the city "Little Chicago." Those who marveled at the diversity of its religious establishments called it the "City of Churches." Citizens of Jeffersonville enjoyed its nightlife on Saturday and filled its pews on Sunday, but have never failed to work hard throughout the week.

Explore the notorious and unusual side of Muncie's history.

Muncie is the classic small American city. But for much of the past two centuries, the city fell victim to murder, corruption and the bizarre. Mayor Rollin Bunch went to prison for mail fraud, while his police commissioner faced a murder rap. Viola Babe Swartz ran a brothel out of a truck stop that was raided by police at least a dozen times but ran for sheriff in the 1974 primary election. June Holland, of the locally famous Holland triplets, killed her neighbor for refusing to sell her house.

The coldest cases from Middletown, USA

With dozens of unsolved murders spanning decades, Muncie and surrounding Delaware County might have more killings without justice than any American community like it. In 1962, Maggie Mae Fleming was shot to death as she sat in her living room. Paula Garrett was bludgeoned in her home in 1979, and her son, who survived the attack, wants justice. Garth Rector, killed in 2008, could have been murdered by any number of people he knew--or dated.

Journalists and award-winning true crime authors Douglas Walker and Keith Roysdon shine a spotlight on the victims, and on their loved ones and the investigators still hoping for resolution to long-cold murders.

Give the ball to Leroy,” the “Carmel Connection,” “Holy Toledo!” & More

Over its century in existence, Ross-Ade Stadium hosted thousands of memorable moments. Here are the 100 greatest games from the stadium’s first 100 years. Go inside Ross-Ade as Purdue clinches the 1929 Big Ten Championship and Bob Griese plays a perfect game against top-ranked Notre Dame in 1965. Relive Drew Brees leading the Boilermakers on a dream-come-true Rose Bowl season in 2000 and a former walk-on quarterback sinking #3 Michigan State with an epic passing performance.

From Jack Mollenkopf to Jim Young, Tiller Time to the Brohm Squad, Rod Woodson’s epic Old Oaken Bucket battle to the Tyler Trent game, author and Purdue alum gathers the moments in Ross-Ade when legends were made.

The falls of the Ohio River at Louisville presented a considerable obstacle to this floating traffic, and vessels traveling on this major waterway were forced to portage their cargo around the turbulent waters. In 1812, three enterprising brothers from New York, Abner, Joel, and Nathaniel Scribner, bought land at the western end of the rapids and named their new settlement New Albany in honor of the capital of their native state. Their village became the head of downriver navigation on the Ohio and evolved from a backwoods settlement into Indiana's largest city, a lively river town where steamboats, textiles, sheet music, automobiles, and pastries have all been manufactured. Natural disasters have periodically changed the face of the city, but New Albany has always recovered due to the determination of its citizens. This collection of vintage images portrays the triumphs and tragedies of these residents.

The year was 1844, and scores of pioneers from the eastern and southern areas of the United States were migrating to the nearly impenetrable virgin forests of Indiana's newly established Tipton County, named for two-term Indiana senator and revered warrior Gen. John Tipton.

Displacing all but a fraction of the Miamis who once dominated the bountiful Indiana Territory, the white settlers cleared the land, built homes, and farmed the rich soil. Soon, the expanding railroads arrived, ushering in a cultural and economic boon with jobs, innovation, and an end to the settlers' isolated lifestyle. Despite the change, Tipton Countians remained loyal to their pioneer values, and future generations included war heroes, outstanding scholars, prominent athletes, and a president of the United States. Today, the spirit of the early pioneers endures throughout Tipton County, home to some 16,000 Americans who, like their ancestors, proudly hail their Hoosier heritage

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Brownsburg, Indiana with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

In 1835, William Harris sectioned off his land--the area now known as Mainand Green Streetsin Brownsburg--for the purpose of establishing a town.

Harris used beech trees, elm trees, and hickory stumps to define the town's boundaries; he called it Harrisburg. The name Harrisburg was already in use elsewhere in Indiana, so Brownsburg, which paid homage to early settler James B. Brown, was selected as an alternative. Brownsburg's railroad station, located between Indianapolis and Crawfordsville, positioned the farming community for dramatic growth. As new settlers arrived, new businesses, mills, and factories also began to open. Today, Brownsburg continues to grow, and the community is known for its engineering and racing industries and its first-rate schools.

Join author Linda Lichte Cook, a longtime resident of Brownsburg maintains the digital archives of images and historic documents known as the Brownsburg Then and Now/Indiana Memory Project as she showcases her town's rich history.

Winchester has always been the county seat, and the county's other incorporated towns owe their continued existence to the coming of the railroads between 1852 and 1882. In its earliest years, Randolph County became known for its abolitionism and work for temperance. In the years after the Civil War, the county's power grew economically and politically. The early 20th century witnessed a burgeoning manufacturing sector, and transportation was made easier through widespread use of steam railroads, electric interurban cars, and the automobile.

Despite the mistaken trivia game answer, Elmo Lincoln, the first Tarzan in 1918, was born in Rochester, Indiana, not New York. And John Chamberlain, famous modern sculptor, was born here too. Clyde Beatty, wild animal trainer extraordinaire, lived here while the Cole Brothers-Clyde Beatty Circus had its winter quarters in Rochester in the 1930s. For a community with such a small population, Rochester has harbored more than its share of famous people.

May Wright Sewall struggled to uplift womankind and unflinchingly called for peace in a world sleepwalking toward conflict. In the guise of Abe Martin, Kin Hubbard graced the Indianapolis News's back page for twenty-six years with folksy humor. Combat photographer John A. Bushemi bravely faced the terrors of war and perished capturing its violence. Audacious automotive pioneer Carl G. Fisher went to any length to promote himself, even flying a car via a hot-air balloon. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience, author Ray E. Boomhower, the dean of Hoosier biographers, brings together forty of the most notable figures from the nineteenth state.