2013 Events & Programs
November 2013: Jackson Township Plane Crash, 1933
On November 21, Ken Keller--donning an old-fashioned cap--and company took us back to 1933, the early days of airline travel. On October 11 of that year, a United Air Lines plane exploded over Jackson Township, killing all 7 crew and passengers. Considered the first event of sabotage and terrorism in the U.S., this plane crash made headlines from New York to New Mexico. Unfortunately, the perpetrator was never caught. Lucky for us, though, we had someone in the audience who remembered visiting the crash site. Warren Canright, aged 7 at the time of the crash, regaled us with his memories of seeing the the mangled remains of the plane. Times reporter Heather Augustyn interviewed Warren as though they were back in 1933. Below are pictures of the evening's presentation: (L-R) Warren Canright being interviewed by Heather Augustyn; Ken Keller relating the story of the crash; Chesterton Tribune's headline about the plane crash. If you missed Ken Keller's presentation about the 1933 Jackson Township plane crash, here's a link to the NBC 5 Chicago (click here) report about the crash, the investigation, and the unanswered questions.
October 2013: Songs of the Great Lakes
On October 17, DHS members and their guests enjoyed the fall dinner before attending the October program. Susan Ruth Brown, a Valparaiso University graduate, performed Songs of the Great Lakes, a program of maritime music based on her extensive research in the Ivan Walton collection housed at the University of Michigan.
September 2013: Archaeology of Northwest Indiana
On September 19, William Mangold, Ph.D. discussed the archaeology of Northwest Indiana. Dr. Mangold's fascinating presentation including photographs of archaeological digs in the area and artifacts discovered at those digs. After his presentation, Dr. Mangold displayed and explained some of his own fossils and artifacts while helping attendees identify their own "backyard" discoveries.