Across Indiana

Across Indiana is back, and we couldn't begin without series creator Michael Atwood. Producer Aric Hartvig visits Mike at his home to learn more about the art of storytelling. Along the way, they tell an Across Indiana story within an Across Indiana story at the Broadway Diner in Fortville.

Indianapolis’ Andrew Bowman is the grandson of an escaped slave who joined the north to fight in the Civil War. At the Battle of Honey Hill, when one Union flag bearer was killed and another wounded, Smith took the reins, keeping communications running and willingly making himself a visible Confederate target. Andrew’s grandfather was awarded the medal of honor by President Bill Clinton.

In 2007, Across Indiana visited Whiting, Indiana to celebrate an Eastern European delicacy at Pierogi Fest. Today, producers Aric Hartvig and Leana Kruska go back to an event that has grown exponentially. Amongst the revelers at the Polka Parade, Aric seeks out the tastiest pierogi, and Leana searches for her dance partner from years ago, Mr. Pierogi.

Crawfordsville’s Rotary Jail Museum is a portal to the past. This unusual jail was designed to rotate so prisoners could only enter or exit when their cell aligned with an outer door, keeping guards safe and inmates in their cells. Yet the mechanism had tragic flaws, and by the 1970s, a new jail was built. Now, the museum in Crawfordsville is the last of its kind.

On a country road outside of Bloomington, a modest building houses some unusual residents. Welcome to WildCare, an organization that specializes in the rehabilitation of injured native species. Raccoons, possums, owls, turtles, and snakes are nursed back to health under the watch of trained volunteers. Animals unable to return to the wild teach the public about respecting nature.

8-year-old Michael Parker was diagnosed with cancer just shortly after his father passed away from the same disease. With the help of Make-A-Wish Foundation, Michael's dream of becoming a baseball player came true. He signed an official contract and is now #3 on the Indianapolis Indians Triple-A team.

In 1864, escaped slave George L. Knox stepped foot in Indianapolis for the first time, and he made sure the city would never forget. Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and publisher, George Knox would rub elbows with the most powerful players of the day and shape Indiana's political scene for decades to come.

Indiana's own 28th Regiment, US Colored Troops, fought at the heart of some of the most important battles of the Civil War and played a critical role in the United States' newest national holiday. Indiana Humanities is teaming up with historian Kaila Austin to uncover the lost history of the 28th Regiment, preserved in the archives of their descendants on the south side of Indianapolis.

Indy's Teeny Statue of Liberty Museum features over 650 Ladies of Liberty. From dolls and miniature statues, to beverages and specialty items. The owner of this museum hasn't seen the Statue of Liberty, but still hopes to add to his collection. Tim Harmon is a salvager, an entrepreneur, a collector and the owner of this teeny museum, but deep down really just wants to be known as a Hoosier.

Learn the story of the iconic sugar cream pie, Indiana’s unofficial-official state pie. We visit Wick’s Pies in Winchester and the SunShine & Cinnamon Cafe in Alexandria to find out just what makes sugar cream pie so unique to Indiana. Want to find out for yourself? Check out the Hoosier Pie Trail, and plan your adventure to thirty-two bakeries statewide!

The firefly. The lightning bug. The romance of early summer in Indiana has always been a twinkling glow of lights. Sergio Henriques of the Indianapolis Zoo tells us what makes the magical beetle tick, a school in Lafayette transforms the Say's Firefly into the state insect and a festival in New Harmony celebrates the 'Natural Fireworks' of the Midwest.

The Indiana State Fair holds many traditions. One you might not have heard about is the Llama Costume Contest. 4-H participants compete around the state and put it all on the line at the finals. Beyond the fun, there's a deeper purpose: these llamas and alpacas are actually in training. By getting dressed up and covered, the animals are desensitized to noise and get used to being touched.

The Propylaeum is the name for both the Indianapolis organization that connects and celebrates women, as well as the gorgeous mansion they call home. The Propylaeum was the original location for several Indy icons like the Children's Museum and the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and provided space for women to live, learn and grow together. So how does a 135-year-old organization continue to evolve?

Since 1964, Rasheeda's Freedom Day has been an annual tradition in Indianapolis’s Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. But beyond the food and fun, a brave escape is the real reason for celebration. The heroine of this tale, JoAnna LeNoir, recounts the pivotal decision to bring her family to Indy with just the clothes on their backs. Local filmmaker Dija Henry retells the family’s uplifting story.

At the height of his activity in the early 2000s, the Brush Master’s artwork covered an enormous span of the Indianapolis cityscape. For producer Kyle Long, his once-omnipresent hand-painted signs are an important component of the visual aesthetic of Indianapolis. The Brush Master hand-painted signs represent a dying tradition in a world increasingly dominated by technology and corporate design.