Advertise on podcast: Hoosier History Live

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.

Originally aired on 03/14/2026. The show reflects on how Hoosiers celebrated previous milestone anniversaries such as the Bicentennial in 1976 with a look at a historic cottage in the then-evolving Lockerbie neighborhood in Indianapolis, and fire hydrants in South Bend, which had distinctive decorations. Nelson'g guest, Libby Cierzniak, a retired Indianapolis attorney who writes a city history blog at Indypolitan.com. The duo discuss what unfolded in Indiana during 1926, when the country turned 150, as well as the Centennial in 1876, plus pioneer-era festivities in 1826.

Originally aired 03/07/2026. The show spotlights the first woman faculty member at Purdue University as well as other trail-blazing women affiliated with Purdue. They  include a Latin professor who became a legendary mountain climber in the 1880s and the first female professor in the Department of Entomology. These women are featured in a new book, "Purdue's Female Founders" by Lafayette-based historian and writer Angie Klink who is the guest of this episode of the show.

Originally aired 02/28/2026.  Indianapolis-based historians Jeff Stroebel and Eunice Trotter will join Nelson to share insights about  the little-remembered but historically significant political movement known unofficially as "Garvey-ism."  The movement peaked during the 1920s and early 1930s and had a presence in cities across Indiana. It stressed racial pride and economic self-sufficiency along with rejecting racial assimilation and pursuing a "Back to Africa" advocacy.

Originally aired 02/21/2026.  Content awareness for listeners: This show contains discussion about violence and may not be suitable for listeners that are senstive to this subject matter.   For many decades after Carol Jenkins, a young Black woman, was murdered in Martinsville in 1968, the killing remained unsolved and a "cold case". Then a series of revelations began to unfold, including a chilling voicemail left with Sandra Chapman when she was an investigative reporter in Indy. Sandra is Nelson's guest to share updates, including about a documentary, "The Girl in the Yellow Scarf", that she has produced and directed about the infamous case and aftermath. This is a follow up to a previous show with Sandra in 2024.

Originally aired 02/14/2026. Hoosier History Live salutes Valentines Day and spotlights the marriages of people who lived to be 100 years old (or older) and, in some cases, were wed for 70 or even 80 years. Some of the stories are romantic and  some are heart-breaking or quirky. Nelson's returning guest is Gerry Justice, an Indianapolis author who interviewed centenarians for his book, "My 100-Year-Old Friends: In Their Words".

Originally aired 02/07/2026. Benjamin Harrison V was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the great-grandfather (and namesake) of the only U.S. president elected from Indiana. Nelson and his guest explore other Revolutionary War-related aspects associated with the Harrison political dynasty. Benjamin V became the first person to read the Declaration of Independence out loud but voted not to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Jennifer Capps, the veteran curator at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis, will explain why.

Originally aired 01/31/2026. Genealogy for people with Native American ancestry can be challenging because of several factors, including the way the U.S. Census categorized (or did not categorize) Indigenous Peoples, particularly during the 1800s. Sarah Pfundstein, a genealogy librarian at the Indiana State Library, is Nelson's guest to offer advice and suggestions for resources.

Originally aired 01/17/2026. The Indiana World War Memorial, Circle Theatre on Monument Circle, the Indiana Statehouse, the Birch Bayh U.S. Courthouse and other buildings all have classical elements of Greek and Roman design. Nelson's guest is distinguished architectural historian James Glass, the author of two books that explore Indianapolis architecture during the 1800s and early 1900s.

Originally aired 01/10/2026. Nelson and guests, Michael and Jamie Snyder, native Hoosiers who moved separately to Pasadena in the mid 1970s as teenagers  explore the unlikely, but extensive, historic connections between Pasadena and Indiana. The California city was founded in the 1870s by Hoosiers who were tired of bitter winters. They initially called their settlement "The Indiana Colony" before coming up with the "Pasadena" name. Transplanted Hoosiers also launched a festival to showcase flowers during winter (when they weren't blooming in Indiana) that evolved into the Tournament of Roses.  After returning to their home state, Michael and Jamie founded the MEK Group, a Carmel based marketing and PR firm.

Originally aired 01/03/2026. Previous guest and antiques dealer, Charles Alexander,  discusses his collection of historic Indianapolis memorabilia and ephemera. He has postcards, photos, artifacts and souvenirs connected to Indianapolis landmarks, high schools, and bygone department stores, businesses and banks. Charles shares insights about the history of garage sales, plus advice for collectors.

Originally aired 12/13/2025. An all call-in program was aired with co-host and  prolific author Ray Boomhower of the Indiana Historical Society. Listeners are invited to call WICR-FM with any questions or comments about our Indiana heritage throughout the show. In between phone calls from listeners, Nelson and Ray interview each other about topics related to the holiday season and "America 250".

Originally aired 12/06/2025.  Nelson and his guests explore the histories of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood on the eastside of Indy as well as Polk's Dairy, the state's largest milk distributor during the early 1900s. The only remaining structure of the dairy complex is its stable for delivery horses, which today houses the Polklore Micro-Museum that highlights neighborhood history. Nelson's guests  Joanna Taft, founder of the Harrison Center, Immanuel Ivey, who grew up in Martindale-Brightwood and works for the Edna Christian Center, and Kipp Normand, an artist and historian.