Forgotten Hoosiers: Profiles from Indiana's Hidden History

Forgotten Tales

by Fred D. Cavinder

Vowing to overcome the sin of seriousness, Indiana-born humorist Don Herold lived up to his promise. Gifted with a droll sense of humor and a vivid imagination, he was one of the most widely read, if least remembered, Hoosiers. In Forgotten Hoosiers, journalist Fred D. Cavinder presents a collection of biographical sketches charting the lives of noteworthy Hoosiers who have been overlooked, as well as acclaimed figures whose Hoosier origins have been obscured. From Harland David Sanders, the pioneering Kentucky colonel who developed the world-famous chicken franchise, to Samuel G. Woodfill, whom many have called the greatest hero of World War I, Hoosiers- both known and unknown- have continued to make their marks across the country and the world.

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2009

Reviews

[Charles]

While it may not be common knowledge that some of the people profiled in this book spent some of their childhood in Indiana, most are well known. In some cases, the declaration of the person as a Hoosier is a bit of a stretch. They were born in Indiana and spent some of their childhood there, but during most of their life lived elsewhere.
For example, consider the case of Harlan Sanders, the founder of the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. His biography, like his image, is hardly hidden. Another case is that of General Walter (Beetle) Bedell Smith, General Eisenhower’s chief of staff in World War II. It is impossible to read any history of the general operations of the Allied forces in Europe in World War II without seeing his name.
The most interesting fact in the book appears in the profile of Erwin (Cannonball) Baker. He was the first person to cross the United States from California to New York on a motorcycle. He accomplished that feat in 1915 in a little over 15 days. Later, Baker claimed that only four miles of the roads he traversed were paved. It is also true that the “Cannonball Run” movies were based on his exploits and nickname.
The stories are excellent and cover people from soldiers to poets to politicians to engineers to musicians to artists. That is a significant positive aspect of the book, for it is always entertaining and educational to learn about people that have not operated in your normal circle of interests.

[Peter Daining]

While I found many of the characters and their feats interesting, it is hard to believe that the only forgotten Hoosiers the author could find were white — and 21 out of 23 were men.

[Danny Schlegel]

Fun read. Found an error in birthday vs death day. Someone managed to die before they were born. But overall it was a fun and quirky read.