"Where Are My People to Go?:" Violence and Resilience in West Baden

For many, French Lick Valley was an idyllic retreat and recreational wonderland. But for Black residents, the Valley was a hotbed of violence and intimidation in the early 1900s. Many had moved to the area from the South to work in the hospitality business. The local community responded to their presence with a series of threatening letters and bombings. While these efforts succeeded in driving out some Black residents, those who remained opened businesses and established recreational opportunities.

In this new episode of Talking Hoosier History, we explore the resilience of Black French Lick residents despite contending with displacement, vandalism, violence, and eventually the organized efforts of the Klan.

This episode of Talking Hoosier History is voiced by Justin Clark, written by Nicole Poletika, and produced by A.J. Chrapliwy. A transcript, show notes, and more information on this episode is available at the THH website: https://podcast.history.in.gov/.

From the Vault | Vigo County Registry

A free state upon entering the union in 1816, Indiana nevertheless had a Constitutional provision that attempted to exclude free African-Americans from moving and living there. In this episode of From the Vault, we shine a light on an item in our collections that highlights this contradiction: the Vigo County registry.

Learn more about the Archives: https://www.in.gov/iara/

Learn more about the history relevance campaign at https://www.historyrelevance.com/.

Credits: Written and produced by Justin Clark Special Thanks to Claire Horton, Chandler Lighty, and Michael Vetman Music: “Memories” by Sappheiros, “Allemande” by Wahneta Meixsell, and “The Coldest Shoulder” by the 126ers

Injustice’s Lariat | Lynching in Indiana

Indiana, a state claimed as “free” from its statehood in 1816, was nevertheless the 7th highest non-southern state with racial terror lynchings, with 18 separate incidents. When searching through Indiana newspapers, many stories emerge of outlaw vigilantes who terrorized and brutalized African-Americans, sometimes for nothing more than alleged crimes. Since many were lynched before they received equal justice under the law, many of their lives ended tragically through injustice under the lariat. To learn more about Flossie Bailey, check out Nicole Poletika's article from the Indiana History Blog.

Learn about other stories of lynching at Chronicling America (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/) and Hoosier State Chronicles (www.hoosierstatechronicles.org).

Learn more Indiana History from the Indiana Historical Bureau: http://www.in.gov/history/

Visit our Blog: https://blog.history.in.gov/

Learn more about the history relevance campaign at https://www.historyrelevance.com/.

Credits: Written and produced by Justin Clark. Footage from CNN, PBS Newshour, the Guardian, Dryerbuzz, and the Equal Justice Initiative Photo by Citizensheep on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA Photo by Fraser Mummery on Foter.com / CC BY Photo by Claire Anderson on Unsplash Music: "Ether" by Silent Partner, "Dramatic, Sad Ambient Song" by MovieMusic, and "Slow, Dramatic, Acoustic Song" by MovieMusic.