Indiana

Danceland! For hundreds of thousands of couples from all around the Calumet region of Northwest Indiana and Chicago's East Side, the name alone conjures up memories of dancing and romancing to thousands of live big bands.

Opening night in October 1929 drew over 2,000 people to the beautiful ballroom with the famous maplewood dance floor. It continued to thrive with live music four nights a week and 12 months a year throughout the Big Band Era, despite the Great Depression and World War II, and into the rock 'n roll era, until it burned to the ground on Sunday morning, July 23, 1967. Almost everyone's marriage in the region began with a dance at Madura's Danceland. In the 38 years Danceland was open, it had only two owners and managers, Michael (Mike) Madura Sr. and Michael (Mick) J. Madura Jr., father and son. It remained a family business for all those years, with three generations of the Madura family having worked there in many capacities.

Every summer in July, half a million people descend on downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, for the annual Three Rivers Festival. Patrons of the festival enjoy nine days of fun events, entertainment, and food. In 1968, Dean Phillips of the Fort Wayne Convention and Visitor Bureau came up with the idea of holding a community festival. With the support of Mayor Harold S. Zeis, Phillips, along with Paul Shaffer, Joan White, Bob Walda, Elston Ehrler, Tommy Manny, and Ruth Whearly, hosted a festival that promoted business and industry, celebrated Fort Wayne's culture and diversity, and helped revitalize the downtown area. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018, the Three Rivers Festival remains Fort Wayne's largest summer celebration and is the second-largest festival in the state of Indiana!

Discover the vibrant history of Elwood, Indiana, endearingly termed "the Heart of Hoosierland." Elwood is a resourceful town and a vibrant example of Midwestern values.

In 1852, Elwood, Indiana, was a tiny settlement located in Pipe Creek Township of Madison County. Its residents sustained their meager lifestyle as farmers, lumberers, and merchants, but the nation's westward migration was on its way, bringing railroads, people, opportunities, and growth. Nothing bolstered the city's expansion like the 1886 discovery of a seemingly endless reserve of natural gas throughout East Central Indiana. The cheap and plentiful fuel ushered in a new industrial-based economy that prospered greatly. Unfortunately, the gas supply was not infinite, and by the early 1900s, many towns, such as Elwood, were struggling to survive. Elwood, however, reinvented itself and bloomed again.

In 1908, the Aurora Business Mens Association decided to bring a celebration to its sleepy river town. Little did these men realize that the Aurora Farmers Fair would bring their community together for the next 100 years. During the 1909 fall festival, Second and Main Streets were blocked off and lined with farm exhibits and storefronts were decorated. There were over 700 entries and 12,000 people attended. Every year merchants and manufacturers parade, and contestants are selected from area schools to compete for a place in the royal court that presides over the festivities. Class reunions and family homecomings are held around the event, and schoolchildren are released early to participate in a bicycle and pet parade. In 1959, the Aurora Business Mens Association ceded management and sponsorship of the fair to the Aurora Lions Club, and in 1969, the Lions Club purchased a beautiful old building from the Aurora Casket Company to house exhibits. Sadly, in 1998, arson destroyed the fair building, and years' worth of fair history was lost. This book has been created, in part, in an effort to regain a portion of the collection that was lost.