Delaware County Historical Society

10/19/2026

An upcoming movie titled “Jimmy” chronicles the life of actor Jimmy Stewart from the time that he received an Academy Award for “The Philadelphia Story” to his service as a combat pilot during World War II to making his first post-war movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” A trailer shows a brief exchange between Stewart and Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, which made me think of Hopper’s connection to Muncie.

Hedda Hopper, born Elda Furry, was one of two major gossip columnists (the other was Louella Parsons) whose words made or, more often, broke actors and other public figures in the late 1930s to the 1960s. Before turning to her writing career, Hopper spent years as a chorus girl and minor actress, and with a career that was going nowhere, Hopper accepted an offer to write a column. Her first major scoop was the announcement in 1939 of the upcoming divorce of James Roosevelt, son of President Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Also in 1939, Hopper took her acid tongue and often unsubstantiated news to talk radio with “The Hedda Hopper Show.” “This Is Hollywood” was next. Her last radio show was again titled “The Hedda Hopper Show” and featured music, interviews, and excerpts from movies with well-known guests.

So, what is Hedda Hopper’s connection to Muncie? Of course, it would be Emily Kimbrough, Hopper’s friend and fellow radio show host. In the collection of Emily Kimbrough correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, and other materials donated by Harold Caldwell are two letters from Hedda to Emily and numerous mentions in datebooks and address books. The letters are sugary sweet in tone and contain no gossip at all! Luckily, Hopper typed her letters, so they are easy to read. Check out two more letters from famous women in the Kimbrough collection at https://delawarecountyhistory.catalogaccess.com/archives/10532?searchtype=ArchivesSearch&position=1.

10/14/2026

Sanford Toll's haunt of the city calaboose:

A "prisoner passed from this earth.. and yet, his spirit is said by some to come frequently in the dead of night to visit the old calaboose.”

Some officers “say they would rather be out on a beat than to have the desk sergeant’s vigil beneath the room in which the spirit of John Toll sometimes walks.”

The floor had been recently converted for use as Muncie’s police court. It once housed the library’s reading room, an older 1870s courtroom and a holding cell commonly called a calaboose.

10/12/2026

In August 1970, a huge auction was planned in the building at the corner of Mulberry and Jackson Streets. Items to be auctioned included a piano bar, laundry carts, a duplicating machine, a French fry slicer, 100 rooms of furniture, and a fountain approximately eight feet by eight feet with a spouting cherub on each corner.

The Hotel Delaware was set to be demolished, and before that happened everything inside had to go. The auction, with auctioneer Charles Rose of Spiceland, Indiana in charge, took place on August 22 and 23. More than 400 people lined up on the first day to place their bids while more people waited to get inside so that they, too, could wander through the building. Reporter Nancy Love noted that “One gets an eerie feeling as he walks down the long corridors lined with rooms.”

That eeriness didn’t stop bidders from buying. By the end of the first day, many items had been purchased including antique chairs for $32 each, a stack of linens for $72 and an old map of Muncie for $1.50. There was still rooms full of furniture, both modern and antique, ready for the taking the next day. By the end of that day, almost everything was gone except for the cherub fountain. While many people seemed intrigued by the fountain, apparently no one had space for it at home.

The next big event leading to demolition was a huge party held at the hotel on September 5. It was a wild and crazy event with two bands, a dunk tank, a cardboard “jail,” and a bar staffed by “saloon-attired barmaids.” The men were dressed in everything from tuxedos to hard hats and the women in miniskirts or flowing pantsuits with swinging beads. Sledgehammers were provided, and guests were invited to take a swing at the nearest wall. At midnight, the revelers spilled into the street to watch a giant crane take the first swing at the building.

After this last hurrah, demolition began in earnest and, by the end of September, the Hotel Delaware was gone. I wonder what happened to the cherub fountain. Was it destroyed with the hotel? Was it removed? Is it still in Muncie? Any ideas?

10/05/2026

Join Delaware County Historical Society on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at Cornerstone Center for the Arts to celebrate Delaware County history with good food, the launch of the website for the Delaware County Bicentennial Celebration in 2027, and a short program featuring fun facts about the county’s history. You’ll also learn about some of the activities planned for 2027.

Christiana Mann of The Culinary Cottage will treat us to a five-course "Indiana Through the Years" menu featuring modern versions of classic Indiana foods. The menu includes:

Amuse Bouche – Tomato juice shots made famous in 1917 French Lick Springs Hotel.
1. Shrimp Cocktail based on the one made famous by St. Elmo Steak House in 1977.
2. A course based on 2027 food trends.
3. Chicken and Noodles, 1877.
4. Breaded Pork Tenderloin, 1927.
5. Spiced pudding cake, 1827, with persimmon pulp and bourbon whipped cream.

10/05/2026

It was, according to an article in the Muncie Morning Star of September 3, 1918, “… the greatest pageant ever staged in this part of the state….” This spectacle was a Labor Day parade featuring workers from Delaware County’s businesses, industries, and organizations marching together to demonstrate how the community was united in support of the war effort.

By 9 a.m. on Monday, September 2, the downtown Muncie streets were lined with thousands of spectators matched only by the number of parade participants. According to the account of the parade, “Never before in the history of Muncie have the people responded so completely to the call of patriotism….”

Police officers led the parade followed by a float featuring the librarians of Muncie Public Library seated around a table filled with books and magazines. Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company used giant fruit jars to demonstrate the importance of canning produce from the Victory Gardens. The T.W. Warner Company replica of a British tank was preceded by “Joan of Arc,” Durham Manufacturing displayed its fireless cooker, which was used at hospitals and camps, and Ontario Silver Company workers (pictured here) carrying silverware made for the soldiers. Warner Gear Company workers were led by “Uncle Sam” leading “Kaiser Wilhelm II” by a chain.

Perhaps one of the most impressive displays was the Hemingray Glass Manufacturing Company’s truck which featured tents and Red Cross huts along with telephone poles topped with glass insulators and wiring that extended to the last of the marching Hemingray workers. Other marchers included a company of engineers from Fort Benjamin Harrison, Red Cross workers, and Delaware County’s War Mothers. It was a grand, patriotic parade that highlighted the people who made the products and provided the services that supported the war effort.

The photo was taken on West Washington Street between Franklin and Liberty Streets.

10/01/2026

Ghost swamps and haunted bog lights of Delaware County:

All at once, something big began running in the water toward the wagon. Terrified, “the traveler quaked in his boots and struck the horses with his whip.” The team “sprang forward with all the power possible” as if to run, when suddenly, “a formidable being appeared in front of them.”

Something big began running in the water toward the wagon. Terrified, “the traveler quaked in his boots and struck the horses with his whip.” The team “sprang forward with all the power possible” as if to run, when suddenly, “a formidable being appeared in front of them.”

09/30/2026

200 years! Almost. Today marked the unveiling of the Delaware County Bicentennial logo. The logo incorporates both the Mississinewa and White rivers flowing through the county and honors the past while looking toward the future. The act establishing the county was signed in January 1827, and we will celebrate all next year with events for all ages, beginning with a countywide bell ringing on January 26. There will be a ball, music events, exhibitions, a parade and much more. The website will be revealed on November 11, 2026 at the Delaware County Historical Society's annual meeting. Stay tuned for information on how to reserve your seat for the dinner. A huge shoutout to the Bicentennial Steering Committee and to Muncie's own Intersection for the logo and website designs

09/28/2026

C. L. Welch, sales agent for the Inter-State Automobile Company and endurance driving enthusiast, took his place behind the wheel of the company’s model Bull Dog 40 on Thursday, March 17, 1910. With his wife and his pet bulldog by his side and a desire to prove the durability of the auto, Welch started on a several thousand mile trip through the entire United States. The couple’s plan was to drive through northern Indiana to Illinois to Michigan and Wisconsin then on to Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, over the Rocky Mountains and to the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver, British Columbia. After reentering the United States, the couple would travel down the Pacific coast to Santa Monica, California where Mr. Welch planned to enter an auto race with another car shipped there for that purpose.

After reaching the west coast and racing in California, Mr. and Mrs. Welch planned to travel through Mexico, back to the southern states, up the Atlantic coast through New England, and then back to Muncie. It was an incredibly ambitious undertaking, especially considering the relative newness of automobile travel and the condition of the roads, and in fact, the lack of roads in many places. Newspapers throughout the country enthusiastically covered the journey, sharing little tidbits about Welch and his travels. The Daily Journal in Freeport, Illinois reported on March 25, 1910 that Welch had “taken part in many prominent races of recent years, on more than one occasion raced against (Barney) Oldfield….” It was also noted that he had not pumped air into his tires since he left Muncie. Another article noted that Welch expected to make his trip without washing his car.

Welch didn’t, however, make it through the journey without setbacks. In Michigan, he encountered sand hills, and in Wisconsin, he dealt with constant rain and muddy, rutted roads. A late spring snow in Hawley, Minnesota proved dangerous causing the Inter-State Bull Dog to slide into a ditch. Other trials and travails prooved even more difficult for Mr. Welch, and by the time the travelers reach Omaha, Nebraska, he felt the need to return home for a rest. The car, looking a little worse for wear but with an engine in good shape, was shipped back to Muncie and then taken to the new Indianapolis Speedway for a few laps around the track. Mr. Welch intended to continue his trip as soon as he recuperated.

Did C. L. Welch continue his trip? I don’t know. The copy on the back of the postcard seems to indicate that Welch made it to California, but the only other mention of him in the Muncie newspapers in 1910 was a report about an accident that he had during a race at Waco, Texas where he was thrown from his car and suffered a broken jaw. If I find anything else about his endurance trip, I’ll let you know. I’m certainly curious.

To learn more about the Inter-State Automobile Company, check out the blog post written by Minnetrista Museum and Gardens archivist and DCHS board member Susan Smith. The blog is located here - https://www.minnetrista.net/blog/interstate-auto?rq=inter-state.

09/23/2026

Wonderful turnout today at the dedication of the Benjamin V. Cohen historic marker in downtown Muncie.

09/21/2026

Some variation of the saying that war is “months of boredom punctuated by moments of extreme terror" may have originated during World War I to describe a soldier’s life in trench warfare, but the phrase, no doubt, applied to any armed conflict. During World War II, the head of the Army’s Library Section sought to help solve the problem of boredom by supplying one hardback book to every soldier, but the books were too bulky to carry in the field.

The solution was small, mass-produced paperback books, known as Armed Services Editions, distributed to the soldiers by the Council on Books in Wartime. More than 1,300 different titles that included classics, bestsellers, poetry, and humor were produced. Approximately 120 million copies were distributed to the troops from 1943 to 1947. A few of the authors represented include William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zane Grey, Jack London, H. P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Muncie native Emily Kimbrough was at the top of the New York Times bestseller list in 1943 and was selected as one of the titles in the first series of books to be issued. It proved to be popular enough that it was reprinted and issued again in 1944.

The book also appeared in the 1949 movie The Sands of Iwo Jima. In the final battle of the movie, a bookish Marine played by Martin Milner is killed. The camera pans in on his body showing a copy of the book Our Hearts Were Young and Gay in his pocket.

In a letter to John Y. Cole, Executive Director of The Library of Congress dated December 22, 1982, Emily Kimbrough wrote “You ask about responses from readers of the Armed Services Edition of Our Hearts Were Young and Gay. Over the years, I have received many heartwarming, reminiscent letters from men in the service who wanted to tell Cornelia Otis Skinner, the co-author, and me their enjoyment and their laughter at the book, even in very unhappy times and surroundings.”

The pictured copy of the Armed Services Edition of Our Hearts Were Young and Gay is included in the Emily Kimbrough collection donated to Delaware County Historical Society by her friend and biographer Harold Caldwell.