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The Herald-Times Auction

The Monroe County History Center, along with the IU Archives and the Monroe County Public Library, have been fielding phone calls and questions for weeks once it was announced that bound copies of the Herald-Times were going to be auctioned off instead of being taken in by a local repository. Dina Kellams, Director of the

John Stempel

Blog post by Rod Spaw The History Center’s current exhibit, Breaking the News, couldn’t hold all the stories of Monroe County newspapers. So here is a Breaking the News EXTRA: John Stempel, newspaperman and educator. John Stempel learned the gritty lessons of journalism in newsrooms from the Bloomington Evening World to the New York Sun. But his greatest contribution was

Breaking Away: Exploring the “Town and Gown” Dynamic

Blog post by Dan Reid   Breaking Away is a 1979 film which follows a group of young working-class friends in Bloomington, IN, who are struggling to find their place in the world. The film explores themes of class, identity, and friendship as the protagonist, Dave, pursues his dream of becoming a professional cyclist. When creating

My Experience as an Intern with the Monroe County History Center

By Matt Nokes I remember being interviewed for the role of Permanent Collections and Exhibits Intern during the second week of classes of my senior year. I immediately knew that this would be a great place to work. Hilary and Gabby–curator and assistant curator–were very friendly and made for great supervisors–always offering to help or

Taco Takeover

Tales of the H-T: blog posts taken from or inspired by The Herald-Times archive at the Monroe County History Center. Blog post by Rod Spaw Three of the most successful college basketball coaches in the nation got together in Bloomington for a few days in early 1996, but the purpose was only indirectly related to

March Is For Magic and Memories

Tales of the H-T: blog posts taken from or inspired by The Herald-Times archive at the Monroe County History Center. Blog by Rod Spaw.   March is a special month for fans of Indiana University basketball, a time of magic, memories, and championships. This year, Hoosiers will be watching both the men’s and women’s tournaments closely,

Elvis and the Student Power Movement at Indiana University

Tales of the H-T: blog posts taken from or inspired by The Herald-Times archive at the Monroe County History Center. By Rod Spaw. For much of the 1960s, Indiana University could boast of having its very own Elvis, but about the only thing IU’s Elvis had in common with the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll was

Happy Birthday, Joshua Bell

Tales of the H-T – stories taken from or inspired by the Herald-Times Archive at the Monroe County History Center. Article by Rod Spaw. Monroe County residents of a certain age feel really old: Joshua Bell just turned 55. Yes, the violinist extraordinaire who grew up in Bloomington now is eligible for a whole bunch of

Election Central

Tales of the H-T: blog posts taken from or inspired by The Herald-Times archive at the Monroe County History Center Blog post by Rod Spaw   Election night is a special time to be around a newspaper office. It’s sort of like Christmas Eve in Santa’s workshop; weeks of careful planning and preparation come down

Server Success at Boxman’s and Groves Restaurant

Blog post by Assistant Curator, Gabby Krieble. Be sure to stop by the History Center to see the “Order Up! Restaurants of Monroe County” exhibit before it closes on November 5. Many mid-century American sit-down restaurants prided themselves on excellent service. Boxman’s and Groves Restaurant in Bloomington were no exception.             The photo above shows the

Looking Back on Old Bloomington

This is a newspaper article from the “Bloomington Daily Telephone” from December 16, 1929 by Blaine W. Bradfute. Four and five decades ago the boys of the north end of Bloomington found amusement at the Showers pond and the Hunter pond. How many people of today can recall the sites of these two ponds? The

Hail and Farewell

Tales of the H-T: Stories taken from or inspired by material in the Herald-Times archive at the Monroe County History Center. By Rod Spaw The image is surreal. The figure of a woman, blonde and tan, floats on a sea of bobbing heads against a green backdrop. She is wearing bikini bottoms and a white

Here are Harrowing Details of I.U’s First Football Game

Many students and alumni are looking forward to the start of the 2022 IU football season. Let’s hope they have a better start than the 1889 team. Below is an undated article about Old Bloomington found in a donated scrapbook. All photos are of early IU football teams. As soon as I.U. organized its first football

Irish Immigrants Valued Education

by Rose McIlveen March 22, 1986 For the Irish, the trauma of uprooting themselves from the old country may have been offset by the promise of a fresh start, but most of them who came to Monroe County did not leave the futures of their children to chance. Fully 64 percent of the Irish families

Newsboy a Witness to Wave of Terror in Monroe County

Blog post by Rod Spaw Tales of the H-T: stories taken from or inspired by the archives of The Herald-Times at the Monroe County History Center. For more than 40 years, the limestone sculpture of a newsboy has graced a corner of the yard at the home of Chris Kohler and Sherry Rouse in Monroe