Across Indiana; 20 Years Across Indiana
- Transcript
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I'M PRETTY going up now. There were a few different things we had batted around I think one of those go blue highways because the blue highways on the map with those little highways. I think we came back to cross Indiana just because it was more of a general title that would reflect the entire state. Well I think we want to see ourselves on TV. You know I mean we want to see our neighbors and we want our neighbors to be interesting people doing interesting things. And I think that just delights the heck out of us. You don't really know what you're going to get but you get some of the most beautiful things out of them. To make the world a friendly place. One must show what a friendly face.
Welcome to the 20th anniversary of the program that took this quote from Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley and put it on your television week after week. After week. After week. I think you get the picture. Now gas cost an arm and a life these days. So let's not keep the motor idling hop aboard and we'll take a journey 20 years into the past. Back in time to that primordial cowpath first cross Indiana first. Her legs on the logs and began to braid on its area. But first an apology is in order. Yes I really wound up with egg on my face this time. Oh. Much as I would just love to take all the credit. The original idea for a cross in Vienna came from a former executive producer of WFYI. I had been doing reports called the rural route for Indiana tonight and my boss saw the potential for a series devoted to tales of the people I had met along Indiana's back row. I will terminate. How. Her. Challenge was how to tell those
stories. We thought well let's let's not try to be the news let's be the anti News Good evening and welcome to a cross and the enemy a new and as yet unexplored adventure in public broadcasting. We dealt with what I called Little Known Facts About little known facts. Maybe you can say little known facts about teeny tiny facts. Titus Rush was with our little show from day one offering this ditty about fault lines in our debut. I see three women and you know some I mean those who want to just tell me about the earthquake. Yeah today Titus's station manager at WUFT in Gainesville Florida where or so he claims that fishing is much better. I think Mike sort of put it best one time line Mike Catherwood when he said you know that a lot of storytelling started a long time ago. I was around the five. And it was a melting story.
Wow. I guess we're kind of at Elder storytelling. We were heavily influenced at that time. By the show that came out of Chicago called Wild Chicago. If you watch those early shows then you probably had your eye on Tim Swartz and didn't even realize that. Tim was our chief videographer. Today Tim is a freelance writer and video editor living in Jasper with his wife Melissa who we met on the show. Daughter of Lorelei and their trusty dog. So we didn't want to be just another you know a talking head you know with somebody's world title will say we were doing a story about antique cars. I would present person so that I could shoot them and shoot their reflection to say like the chrome on the bumper. To Duty and it. Would never set them you know say like that you know on a couch or a chair in front of a bookcase or something like that.
We had a group of people at the time that were you know very used to this. BANG BANG BANG get everything out all at one time and and and Michael had to kind of come through it and teach people really to take their foot off the throttle thing started happening across and you know that hadn't happened on a regular basis on Indiana TV before. It was a chance to relax you know or do the viewing public to somebody doing something neat and spend a little time with them instead of. Rushing off to the next thing right away. Mike knew that that would work. And it kind of kept sticking to his guns until everybody sort of got it and then and then the lightbulb started going off. I don't know when and I just don't know where to begin to resonate with our viewers. And then you begin to resonate with us and a very real sense I think. I think we begin to serve it. Across Indiana sponsored by plum tree though sure the town's a little dried up
but that doesn't mean you can refer to it as prone bill. We hate thing. You put it right I mean you know it seems like if you're a Hoosier and you discover something that makes you unique them shouting words. Welcome to the house wine bar cash aren't we a funny bunch. See them here is pie shaped and you have to straddle it to enjoy it. You'll like this person you like their collection. You think that looks like George Bush. Read my lips. But at the same time you're going. Isn't that kind of a funny thing. I have four horses and two dogs two cats. And we found ourselves taking idiosyncracies and turning them into instant stardom. Some are calling tell me what. They're amateur. But there will always be a special place in our hearts for this man who appeared twice in our first three seasons and became our first bona fide
celebrity. Those of you who didn't blink when a certain rock legend drove a bus or sold ice cream. Probably won't bat an eye if this is what they fix in computers 0 0 0. But even though he's drinking wires and installing chips after 19 years. Paul Butler is still first and foremost for ever l of us. But I like you very much Mark Earley really took off after crossing me on the Stern show flat Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday even Sunday. It was a lot of work. And I. Was already in there thinking it was on the ghetto. If you're known by the company you keep. And then Paul's living room wall shows that he travels pretty elite circles. In 2000 I saw on TV that the president or prime minister of Tokyo Japan was a novice.
Personally I asked if I could send him a copy of mildness and he said sure so I sent him a copy of mine and in return he sent me a copy of his really really great guy and he loves Elvis. I met the Cherokee Nation they actually made me a Cherokee name the meaning behind it was a man of many voices. Now lest you people at home think we are in a cross Indiana fool around when we pick our eldest tribute artist will have you know that Paul is the best on the planet officially by 99 I won the champion of the world the true spirit of Elvis award. Now here's something we didn't know. Our show played a bit of Cupid for Paul. We taped at the home of a girl he had started dating and I had these people might have taken it. Now don't call Paul an Elvis impersonator. What he does is a tribute to the life and music of the king something he. DON No kidding.
Since he was only 12 years old I'm not going to question I'm just going to keep on till they tell me it's too long. Tell me to quit. And who knows maybe some day he'll leave the pompadour in sunglasses for good giving rise to a whole new generation of. There we say it. Paul Butler tribute artists but not all our stories turn out the way we might have expected them to. In fact some are downright nuts like this one. The mystery of the man who drove the only cab in Portland in the end. We were able to track down Lou Ransom's last known location to a diesel repair shop near Portland. We were visiting a shop any. Come to a lawnmower aid alarm or come through the parking lot. We had no idea who it was until he got up to the door. And. There's Lou Louis is a good guy but he's kind of all said he was. Give me one big
draw I. Want to Dixie chop her head across country. So where is he now. Some reports say he was stopped in Montpelier by police and told that he could drive his lawn more on the road. As to whether that's Montpelier Indiana or Vermont. We may never know. If it was me I'd have a good time. We also found out that some Hoosiers are compulsive accumulators which is a fancy way of saying that not only do they not throw anything away they travel miles to seek out things that usually don't see in everyday life and arrange them in collections of all shapes and sizes pencils lawn sprinklers pumpkins welcome mats. If you could touch it you could collect it. What you think of my nails. Oh I think they're lovely but the master of the minute medley was Jeff Oakes who could tell the difference between thousands and thousands of plain old names. Well not any old nails day to nails so have about
15000 Dale's most mainly sitting in boxes somewhere I have my display nailed there on the wall during the during the filming but my wife may be taken down during renovation. I have some in my office here I show people and they show up or if I want to get rid of someone I say Here let me show you my nails. Jeff's left the nails behind but not before leaving a collectible for all of you out there. Fascinated by his collection type preservation. Sold like 650 copies. Move over Stephen King Professor Oakes is nothing if not a man of passion but the object of his new affections would terrify even those who might have stared down an oncoming freight train in pursuit of his last medieval Arabic Elzevir and who you might ask might be the audience for such indigenous integers. My son in fifth grade was taught how to multiply numbers using what's known as a lattice method which I've seen a lot of medieval texts which quote went out of fashion about around the year sixteen hundred or so. And so he started multiplying by the lattice methods where did you learn that he said this in my textbook.
Turns out that some educators had gone back to medieval arithmetic books probably in medieval Italian books and they'd found his method there is and hey that's easier than the way we do it. I studied medieval math this is high tech where people basically learn the grammar of mathematics when they're in school and it really doesn't get interesting till you get beyond that it's like literature isn't interesting if you're just learning grammar. If you're learning how to conjugate verbs how to put sentences together that's not fun. Reading Tolstoy can be fun. Well ok for some people but you have to get beyond the grammar before you get to the interesting stuff. Jeff will be headed to Tunisia later this year to regale an international audience with his new discoveries in the mean time. His appearance on our little show is the gift that keeps on giving. Yes I do walking across campus and someone said hey I saw you on TV. Oh again. But for his spouse well not so much. My wife describes across Indiana as the weirdos of Indiana show. I'm one of the weirdos.
One thing those of us who toil more often behind the scenes and in the forefront know is that Hoosiers are not shy about expressing themselves. And we've learned which of our stories are your favorites by the emails comments on our website and just plain stopping us on the street to let us know. So which is the most popular feature ever on across Indiana. We'll start with number three. They are full of play and they are full of life. The patient commitment at the rescue center in fully amounts to a safe and caring environment that allows the animals the healing room you want via cell animals. And when animal comes here we make a commitment. When you go home for the rest of smart you know a recent opinion poll revealed that 40 percent of you out there believe it. No data however on what goats think about us humans. One of our favorite haunts is just that haunting and Ghost scenes and things that go bump in the night. This is very strange. Why is it that here on Capitol Hill. Let things roll
uphill. Battles and be a puzzle. But the creepiest gremlins of all the ones that can turn your hair white. And leave you quivering in awe at their capriciousness are the ones you encounter when faced with on air deadlines without shooting and cemetery and all of a sudden the viewfinder on my camera just suddenly started filling up with smoke. And you know what's what's going on here and then pretty soon along the edges I would hear you start to see it starting to glow red. It was probably a day that was about 35 or 40 degrees below zero and my videographer came in and said not Titus. I just got back from a shoe and the and the heater in the truck is not working. Why remember this I don't know I guess it was just painful. We went to somewhere out past Terre Haute and almost over no one though and the place was called junky Joe. And when we got there this guy's place had no heat and I mean I'm stomping my
feet and trying to move around trying to keep myself warm and we got caught in a blizzard coming back as a member to have his terrible and bad friend grow I know how you got home. I don't think that you know Tom Brokaw or Wolf Blitzer ever you know had those kinds of situations. We were going to take a down outside of Paoli Indiana. We parked the station vehicle and we heard a big bang. I mean like an explosion. And what was the battery that exploded in the vehicle. We went up to meet the speak keeper. Now I get stung several times a day I don't feel it. I'm thinking if I get stung I'm going to feel it. Next thing I know a bee course gets underneath my neck. It's hauling all over my face. I'm freaked out he reaches in takes the bait just smashes it to hand his hand he thinks nothing of it. I'm like OK I'm trying to get back to the editing room. One of the shots involved two guys two hired actors on horses
that were going to come up rob the train car and then right away we still will and will mark three running forward and one horse starts to follow the other horse to mark to the side of me and at the last second she's out on there and has to kind of veer this way. He picks up and apparently I mean I could feel it but my head but apparently just missed my. Head by. You know. Need to there's a dissenter beneficiary from the one thing that we what we always worked with was having a very limited amount of funds. We are not a WGBH we're not running with a thousand people. We're able to create much more with much less but yet we're not sacrificing quality. And you know I I just think that is one of the best gifts I see these stories and I wonder how in the heck did
we do this. I often said that at the end of the day with an across Indiana story I would be the most tired but I would also be the most most pleased. OK Dave forgive me. Adorable aggravating. There you go. It feels good. This is if I had done anything. To make it I'm not trying to analyze Dave stout because guys that get paid a lot more money than I have on an hourly basis. So I've tried and they failed miserably. Well in Berkeley California on another assignment. I realized I was just minutes away from San Francisco. The new home of former across Indiana producer Dave Stoke. And with this being across Indiana's 20th season. I couldn't pass up the chance to finally meet this living Indian legend. The same day still from CBS. We seem to still get where. You haven't seen a guy named Dave
still. Like. You know of Dave still from CBS ever right. These. Guy named Dave still. You know him. You know who he is. Finally word mostly spread through the street. Because he found me. A. Ticket. I'll go get it or you don't you know it already. Thank you thank you miss a lot for someone I haven't met yet. Really if you're a man you may have to go in with a shirt. I'm back across the aisle right now. Nowadays Dave is working for a show called Eye on the bay. It's kind of like across Indiana except that it's totally different. There I was thinking when I was on the show. What if it was too much about me. So you know what I want to do kind of an across Indianapolis Hall this across new Francisco OK. Interesting here. Got hope. Look at him. Yeah. I'll get. This off now.
Those are all things. We immediately begin to ring the area we talk beatniks the Maggio Marilyn Monroe earthquakes the very first television broadcast strip clubs you name it. I heard about it. Dave was determined to share everything he knew about his new home. You've heard of the phrase to be shanghaied. I have heard of of of Shanghai three going come back. OK I just. That a cable car. No no no no no no no no that's not a cable cause his heart. Was. Below that. Point every morning. In 1980. Make sure make sure Mike sees this. City lights for Mike. You don't seem too interested. I'm interested in Shanghai just no no no no that's OK I know what I'm not for you know what my model wasn't doing across in history. I never let the facts get away with that story OK. I would encourage you to do the same. Your cable to. Every of these Hill say this this is going to remind you of the highest point India or one thousand two hundred fifty seven feet
that highest point. Yes yes it does. And just when I thought of time was over. Dave have one more surprise. Next thing I know. We're right outside the doors of the Levi Strauss headquarters. My second lifelong dream came true. Very high here cartridge from small town Bryant Indiana holding the oldest pair of jeans in the world. Why is a pleasure seen yet I tend. A little flatter by the shirt. I take them off for you on the plane went to say hello to all the folks back in uniform and. I like that with the whole gang. Channel 20. That's my mans coming. Oh yeah that's right. Where's organ. Well I guess there's no turning back now this may or may not be my last across Indiana story. But otherwise it was good working with all of you. I received a fellowship to go to New York City and work with the Today show and the reason that I
ended up coming back was instead of doing the superficial stories that we're working on every morning for the Today show. Whether those were murders or the stock market you know all these negative stories I found that all the stories that were on across Indiana were very positive. That would apply you took your head down towards a bowl a little bit. Oh God. Loomis for a story is much more interesting. When you can experience the story yourself and you can let your audience know. That you know this is something that they need to experience whether it's eating a bug which I didn't do. I tried. One of my favorite stories was actually getting into a hot air balloon and experiencing what flight was like with absolutely no sound. And floating above. How is it I'm reliving that experience right now.
What I always joke about the show being to forget the humor of the drama to get story I'm going to get my pads on but eventually something clicked. You know looking to feel better. A weight was lifted. I had become one with the dog in every way. The everyday chores just didn't seem right. Stress triggers anymore. It's not so bad that I don't put this in the living room. Jim. Can I help you with stuff in there Mike I'm just trying to be prepared for something whatever happened here or just. Became something that happens to me. Yeah just step right on in. I got the reins. Thanks Jim. My pleasure my pleasure. It's about those men. I for first met Mike at Wade when he just started working and at 20 he also did weather reports. The most famous of which was to tell people a storm front was coming through that he.
I was walking down the street and ran into a man wearing a trench coat and asked him how the weather was the man opened the trench coat and clouds of water poured out on to Mike's face so you can see he was always a pretty esoteric guy who's pretty young sage and nothing to worry about. I was up in Indianapolis at a concert actually all my sweaters are at the cleaners and I look around and Michael is right behind me. And somebody comes up to him and says looks at him and says hey doesn't your little brother do across Indiana. Your twins. You know that just on TV special effect our producer calling up to help us run the snow across Indiana. Oh. That's probably OK. Michael I want all of you and you know have you heard of across Indiana.
I don't think so. An aircar big piece I guess would be one that you know shamelessly puts my cell phone camera. I'll tell you what that is nice. Card big was the full Lanie of film scripts. I do think up some skit sometimes with the brain sandwich piece. I did have it in my mind that it would be funny to bring me. Back to New Networks. And have a group of people. Do the Thriller dance behind me came up with a heartening esque way to do things in because it went over well. I just stuck with. Many of our producers who left the show have continued quite illustrious careers. Todd Gould return his for gold and glory segment on our show into an hour long documentary for PBS featuring the voices of Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee in an original score by jazz great David Baker. The show garnered seven regional Emmys.
Dan Nelson left for the sunnier climes of Florida before landing a job with the mother lode of all PBS flagship station WGBH in Boston. He's since returned to Bloomington Indiana where he's still with PBS. Our high PBS network station WTI. And we had our share of producers who discovered that music was their true love and went on to fame and fortune that way. As a member of Margot and the nuclear so and so's crisper I's journey has taken him all over the country. The band made it to the top or most of the pop or most in DC Late Night with Conan O'Brien. I have a will back my next guest from Indianapolis Indiana. They are here tonight with a song from their brand new album Animal. Please welcome Margot and the nuclear sounds. Well for us I mean that was like I think all of our. We could've taken any show we would
have ever wanted to play on that would be the one you know. For that to actually happen it was. It was huge. Being in a band and touring a life and. Sleeping in rest stops truck stops. Is this really hard it's a lot of fun it's also a really really hard to do that. And so I remember having to drive forty. Four hours. From Indianapolis to San Cisco story because we were running behind. After trying to fix the bus up. Although his love of music has taken him far. Chris still holds telling Indiana stories close to his heart. I did think that my experience with. The media when I was was definitely the the best experience I had in television. Now Chris is working on a new project right here in Indiana with his new band the academy. They've just released a CD. And as a fellow traveler
across Indiana and a drummer to boot. I wish him all the best. Brown County native who's got learned enough about himself during his time on across Indiana to realize his true calling wasn't in telling. Stories. My here through the process and since I was a terrible producer I was horrible. And they would come to me when it was about music for Brown County or Brown County. And so yeah I guess you like my songs I guess you just do it you know. And Reverend Peyton's big damn baby is doing what they know and love. Full time this summer they have 60 dates across the country on Vans Warped Tour which has proved to be an unexpected perfect fit for this unique band.
We stick out like a sore thumb and but it's good. That's pretty put stomp and the kids get it is me on guitar and vocals and sometimes a place of harmonica too and my wife breezy. She plays washboard the drummer and the five young buck is Erin because Percy he's a real distant cousin but he's a cantor spear made yourself a little different. But it's you know it's it's at least rooted and you know roots music in the American music and you know I like to call it in yeah news. On. Our. Time. I'm. Just trying to keep the show moving and trying to have fun always while we're still doing that. Having to deal with egos including my own cash. Michael and David get into fights
and he had a play tennis. And. He. Wanted you to look sexy you know and that's just part of that is just a competitive edge in me. You know. Also just common or decided to always make friends with you. You know I wanted to book. A whole working on the shows each time I hear the way everybody you know to the point that you need to be game to keep up with you like that was a good. Book. You know Steve you know. What when you want to show that stuff for five of those. People busting your tail at each show. To do a good story how can it not be
good. We have a lot of different you know cooks in the kitchen but but somehow the soup still tastes good. So Bill Russell from the Boston Celtics You know the game schedule we have to be here we must will win you know across Indiana has been like a family over the years. And as it can be with many families we've known our share of sadness as well. Two of our friends on the show are no longer with us and we take these next moments to remember them and to share our thoughts of them with you. This trip across Indiana was made possible by viewers like you and by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Mike Fenwick with an interesting contradiction. He was a homebody who loved to cook love to arrange his furniture just so it was very many apartments. But he also loved to travel. Whens was very frugal and save his pennies and brought his lunch every day so that he could jet off to this that or the other exotic island. His career took him through radio and television all around the country. But
he came here in 2000 and. In love really being back in the car. And that's why it's kind of appropriate that his voice was that warm comforting soothing announcer voice that told you that across Indiana was coming on. He was especially tickled when. When the producers allowed him to do a story about the chamber stove modern cooks adore these things and Mike would come in day after day with a new story of somebody who was more and more in love with the chain Burstow if they felt that was the observer quit. Jay Robert Cooke showed a gentler side of our show. Oh I think he was a city boy. Most of his life and he kind of got a kick out of rural music rural arts and crafts and maybe what he did is he use that kind of sensibility to produce his stories was wonderful with kids dare I was a big man.
And you would think that somebody is largely as busy as he was would be intimidating to the children and pretty soon they would open up to him. And just just talk to him like you know. And it was just an amazing thing to see especially considering how rats of all he could be you know with adults and my spouse and I went to the Indiana Lang festival in-story Indiana after or finished with a wine festival we started driving through Nashville and I said you know what it's it's a 30 I think the Nashville house is still open let's go get those up. The apple butter on the fried best hits and I learned all about the fried best bits on the album butter from Jay Robert Carr. And now for your viewing pleasure an excerpt from the second most popular across Indiana story ever. And I am. On that call them and people that crowd up people period that people really have to take them out and go and you know there's no one leaves without a rock with I give a moan if they don't
give up they got Dan. Good they get can roll I love it when I leave out of this world I tell them just drop a big deal don't call them they don't want a lot of ground. And I don't want to know through four days of nothing. If I died if lying put me in the hole of kind of a rock from where that eating dolphin exalting on call family are doing that want to say they're going to. So I got to interview Mia Farrow. I feel it is my moral responsibility to try to convey what I have witnessed. I remember just driving down there to interview her and I have all these volumes of things to read about her to make sure I'm just so convinced that I'm I'm going to ask the wrong thing or do the wrong thing. I think that as human beings we all feel an incredibly lucky even if it's painful but if we find a way to be useful to get I think we all have that that need and that moral obligation. And when we find that. Suddenly. All those existential questions are answered we we know the
meaning of life. Boy she was quick and she was precise and she was passionate and she was smart for a program that celebrates those who will inherit the earth. Our little show has seen some pretty notable notables talk with us on the front porch the visitor that stands out in all our minds comes from my 1991 interview with Kurt Vonnegut. I'm very proud of my state because it used to be a highly literate state and I went to the greatest high school in the history of high school to know that and this time I had lots of music lots of books. Lots of the arts and. I gotta go to find out last night that this is my state Indiana a wealthy state with a great cultural underpinning from the past is third from the bottom on s 86 third from the bottom. Yeah well that's too late to fix just like the Williamsburg Bridge unlike Brooklyn Bridge unlike the Holland Tunnel and all that. It's too late to fix
it so we gotta But still people we gotta try to fix it. Yes we got to try to fix it but it is like turning around a tanker you know. You know it's going to push we've seen examples Oh yeah recently in his area it takes a long time to turn a ship like that. But I'm pessimistic just because the news is awful and you catch hell for it for noticed me for saying oh this is maybe something's not right in Denmark third from the bottom in this marvelous state. Well how did it happen. Take a letter to the network. DEAR AMY entertainment. It's come to my attention that you're airing a magazine program that originates from someone's living room. Well I'd like to point out that I have been hosting a show from our living room from the Midwest for nearly a decade longer than your latest venture. Of course not all our subjects were great and powerful. In 2003 we did a story about a young man who upped Wayne's world
because he was above doing a television show in his parents basement right above for the Michael S and the show beamed across the entertainment airwaves for Michael's folx living room. But that's old news. We wanted to know what Michael is up to now. Michael still lives in Valparaiso with his wife Kristen and new baby Gianni son used to be spending a lot of plating if you will. So now being a father and being a husband but still having multiple projects I follow to the various things I'm doing now. It's sort of really just a continuation of the of the grind that I've loved and I've been used to since as long as I can remember. Entertainment is still a big part of Michael's life. He now runs an online entertainment program called I follow TV a show that doesn't get dirt from the copper Razzi but instead the average Joe. Someone shared a story with us and I followed dotcom recently about their encounter with
Sandra Bullock's his strange husband Jesse James. She ran into Jesse right before the whole scandal broke and she said Jeff you look the shovel and she could tell from her brief encounter with him that he hasn't brushed his teeth. And she said never trust a man who hasn't brush his teeth. As for Michael's entertainment career. Well according to him there is nothing he can't do from MBNA and we think he's proved back. I'm very proud of the fact that throughout my endeavors in the entertainment industry everything has been produced here on her soil. And if you ask him becoming a new father was more exciting than being on The Tonight Show with that Leno guy. But one of the most amazing interviews came when a producer talked about things he never had before with someone he had lived right next to all his life. Eric Hart vague usually plays the comic on our show but every so often his stories show a serious side.
I'm not as comfortable doing those. But one one story that I did do that I was very comfortable telling was a trip. That I took with my father my dad was a Vietnam veteran who had never seen the wall. Honoring Memorial Day. Washington D.C. is flooded with leather clad veterans paying their respects each in the room with me to see that. That moment and capture it and tell a story about it was it was very special to our family. And as I walked up to the wall. Tears came to my eyes. I. Emotions. Went through me as far as I know he didn't cry when his mother died and to see him like that you know still tears me up a little bit. The gunfire at all at all came back to me. I was. I was hearing it all
just like. Like it happened maybe yesterday. No one in me had him stand up and everyone applauded. You know it's a standing ovation for him. I mean it was just super special. It was just so great wrecking taste like raccoon you know that you know it was like yeah we've heard a lot of chicken Oh I don't taste like a lot of times. A great story would just drop in your lap because somebody would email you or call you up and say I know if something I wanted to do a story believe it or not. Artists models had hair and I called them and the lady that answer the phone started laughing and she said Oh have I got a guy for you that I don't smoke. I don't write. I don't go I don't you. Know I have to all be screwed. So there's not much. While. I was actually going to church one one one evening I think I was going from Indianapolis up to Kokomo and I saw what looked to be a former
ranch right there on the highway. But I was there 16 years ago. Urban B cast lane became a very popular part of across Indiana. Not just for their love of llamas but for teaching them a little dance. A square dance to be exact these days Herb's done more than retired his dancing shoes. He's revamped his prized performers as well and it's a whole new breed. Suisham llamas out practice has more money in them of course. They pushed high school kids to believe the 16 years you have people from all those states went to see him and. One square dances which you can do it. I think the age got away from me I'm 81 years old and. I just can't square dance like you used to. No dance floor. No problem. For on the castling farm there's a hidden story around every corner. I was in the business for 25 years and we export a deer's to Taiwan for half of these yakking and there's that was the last of the bags and we saved them
all and now we have these all home grown and those from our own farm Earvin be still welcoming their fans from across India. Anyone can drop by to visit the alpacas chickens or just sit in the llama lounge and have a Coke. I ended up choosing my stories again by just getting on the road and experiencing Indiana for myself. I remember just finding signs on the side of the road of these really. These different places that I could visit and I would go ahead probably pull off on the side of the road walk up to the person's going sometimes to get stories you do really weird things. There was a guy that had a huge slingshot carved out of a tree in his yard and I got in the door and there's no answer. And I thought at any moment any policeman driving on the street. Who had seen me doing this and thinks something is amiss here in that case in the place of the deadline for the side that was coming up and so one day I just decided to go over to the house knock on the door and hopefully you know try to introduce myself quickly and before they
decided to arrest me I had been told about their property it was a guy walking out of the door and he had a box under his arm when I pulled out of his house and I said. Excuse me sir. You don't know me my name's Todd Gold I'm a producer with a show called Crossing the line. I'm doing this this historical segment on the guy used to live in his house if he have any memorabilia that he had been having. Photos anything you might have seen he says was this the kind of thing you're talking about and you open it up and there's about 70 still images. Eight by 10 still images. And this guy was was going to get rid of it. There's a magic. To that to what happens to you when you're producing a show and across Indiana allowed us that opportunity to experience that magic. We've already said that when it comes to expressing themselves Hoosiers aren't really what you call a shy bunch. But then we weren't wallflowers either. Especially when we tackled some of the more serious issues facing our state. Many of those
tales came from a special me we had on the show that of Indiana history some of it told in stories of glowing achievement while other accounts revealed a darker side. Waters called it the night civilization collapsed. The last public lynching in Indian history. It was my ability to sort of be doing your piles tell history stories. We have to make an effort to understand to get beyond to go beyond these rather difficult times. I do think that history is incredibly personal there John Mark ever heard of a big plane crash dream. Everybody does. So we started praying. 40 years ago and across Indiana I was always to take the person pick them up and put them right there on the spot.
July 6 piece of shrapnel compass case had our plane. I love my dad and all. Wish I could eat some of the cooking. Tell Helen I found God. Be happy. Who are the people that were involved. What were they saying. What were they feeling. And then allowing you to be sort of a fly on the wall and to watch all this week to watch it all play out. In 19 0 7. The committee on mental defectives used charts data to convince the Indiana legislature to draft alone legalizing sterilization as a means to promote healthier Hoosier society. I didn't say that the thought was always pleasant or inspiring. When the show's always had a history of looking at some some tough subjects. If you were travelling across our nation and your car broke down praying it would happen in India we would get you fixed up and on your way and wouldn't dream of cheating you. But if you stayed here. All bets are off. Cars we can
fix. Were not so accomplished for children. I think it was a timely piece. I state's priorities in relation to education for our children and the kind of environment we create and I not only think it was timely then I think it's even more timely now. I knew every time that that thing really aired because I would get letters demanding a public apology from either him or the show for saying those things about the state and the current situation is short sighted and selfish and the piece said that clearly and I would say those words again if not stronger. But the state's history also has a storybook side including a famous face from Oxford that adorn cars coffee watches nines and even washing machines. And it wasn't human at all. Although the landscape around Oxford has seen some high tech changes. Robert and Thelma Glaspie has passion for Dan Patch is one landmark that
hasn't changed. What is new is this a book two years ago by Charles Lee or some. One that sparked a whole new interest in Dan Patch. With a little help from Robert in film my wife and I turn him loose we have a lot of printed material we turn him loose that they go to it. But when he left he said How much do I owe you. My wife has a copy of your book. In the latter decades Dan patches barn fell into disrepair but its subsequent renovation has brought forth a wealth of treasures. Right into this stall. And the text box was set again that wall and he put the light. On that text box. And on that tack box you can read Ganpat word in the end. That he had been there over a hundred years and nobody. Dan Panch is often being called Seabiscuit before there was a sea biscuit.
His famous name and his famous records were a cottage industry all their own. With his horsey likeness showing up on all sorts of products not even remotely associated with harness racing. Ganpat. Washing machine wringer. A what Dan Patch trainer. For a washing machine. But Robert's most prized possession is one that came right out of the barn in his own home town. Well they started throwing out the trash and all at once a boy found a fiber pail. That contained horseshoes. I came down looked at him and from what visually I'd seen of the damn petrol are few. Some of those had to come off the band peg. And I compared it to the Horseshoe. That I had bought. That was a copy of what Dan
patch wore when he set the record. And it brought tears. Dan Patch has been a lifetime labor of love for Robert and Selma. A legacy they hope to pass on. A kind of hate to admit that I'm 84. My interest should really be to put a museum in the town of Oxford that I'm not able to do it myself. I mean Dale. It's hard to describe. I feel a tradition kind important to his. Wire up our you know our ways that we're on across Indiana because all of you who sat in e-mails and letters asking for us to perform which is just a little weird. Yeah because we didn't know that anyone came to our shows could actually read rise. All music's always been a big part of across Indiana. And being a little visual doesn't hurt. Who can forget this amazing human pretzel by greenfields Wright sisters.
In showcasing tunes on our show we thought we'd head back to a MO to see if the whole town was still jamming the way they used to. And if the lightning fast fingers of a very quiet very talented girl named Savannah were faster and more talented with a little maturity. Yes on all counts. From playing three to four years and you're that good. That's about more than I sure am. OK. Marathon where you. Know only. More than that and early on. I thought well even if it was the big shot three years later and far from. 15 year old Savannah the town is now playing several instruments and sing amongst the miliary face. Mojo.
Musicians have come from. The surrounding towns and they come in. Every Tuesday night and have a chance to show. This mandolin player a few words his younger brother Ethan. Who is the same age now as Savannah was when across Indiana first. And where will we find these talented siblings when we come back in another form. I'll still come and take your place. You like now. Look at. Me Out of school I'm not there by the music and I think where I read the study and that in a way they would rate a little feat. One final where are they now know. Remember this hour
across Indiana video got these men from New Albany into the for real Guinness Book of World Records. When to be of help the good news is that Craig Humphrey and crew have gone on as the human wrecking balls in National Geographic specials and on many cable channels. The bad news is that their record for tearing up phone books has since been beaten. But they plan a controversial appeal. They claim that the new title holder tore up a passel of Yellow Pages which as you surely must know are thinner than your typical white pages. State and any time that we would go to a town you know across Indiana when we would show up people were happy to see us. Oh it's across Indiana. It's a big deal. I mean we we make the newspapers because I'm going to make two newspapers in the same town. If you get any news from the rural areas it's because someone shot somebody or someone's house burned down or a tornado destroyed their yard or their house and I think
we you know when we get to tell the stories about the good things the smaller things I would show up on a story and I would tell Frank I'd say you know like just our shoot don't let me to know that were rolling. When you just keep people in their natural element when you're just standing next to them and you're sharing the camera space and you're just walking through with them all of a sudden they start opening up and talking. But by the end of the day they're pulling stuff out of the closet saying oh by the way do they tell you this or do you know about this or hate you just on the story I mean but you do know that my neighbor has a really good story arc that you guys get in the town. There's a real good restaurant in town that you know should stop that you have to store anything. It's just got really good food. And oh by the way do all you guys when you and you guys like anything to eat like some tea you get to meet people and you get close to people and. Some of those people of I've stayed close to him it's been a good thing. Let me give you a perfect example when I was a kid and you watched curly Myers and HARLOW Hickenlooper and the Three Stooges show Charlie Myers didn't know me from anybody he was a singing cowboy on
Saturday. I had ADD. And. I contacted him I said you know what I kind of like tell your story that was probably. Seven or eight years ago. And I was at his birthday party three weeks ago. So the 90th birthday party so we have stayed in touch we have stayed friends. And that's one of the things that I've thought you know across in the end it's really been cool. I know this is going to sound corny but what I've learned from across Indiana. Is how genuinely good a lot of people are. And you have a tendency not to think about that kind of stuff anymore. But. Again corny Lie number two. I have never been on the story and that if from people with a lot of money from people with no money. That I Didn't Like everyone then and in the story on. And I've met a lot of good people that way. We've come to the climax of the hour and it's a scene parting jaw dropping skivvies drying in the breeze one of that the most popular across Indiana
story ever the one we've gotten the most response about and oddly enough it comes from the very first year of the show. Our guide is taking us to the highest point in the state of Indiana. I think we're just above the corn line and I'm scared because our guy has a gun right. So Rob. How many times have you taken a trip to the high school right. Only once twice a year twice a year and it's killing me and I know why I mean get a nose bleed. Well raw scenery where you look at The View where you think you're going home is and here it is. Indiana High Point elevation one thousand two hundred and fifty seven feet. And that's it for this long and winding road of cider and stories so it's
time to head off into the sunset. See you in another one of the earth. Yes. It's either ought to be really permitted by them. I am as ever your host. Michael. I really enjoyed. The experiences I had. With the crossing. I had people come up to me all the time. And say. Bash shell. Is wonderful. Across Indiana gives. Us. The. People who work on it and people watch it. He's adventurers. And. They're not. You know create. Life and Death adventures with their adventures about one another about us. It sparks conversation. And.
I think that that was sort of our goal all along. Maybe we should all you know take life like a cross in the store and say hey you know what let's talk to the weird guy with the gigantic rock here and. Let's see what he's all about. I love that about the show. I hope across Indiana keeps giving people those adventures for years and. You're. I wouldn't let this guy into your house if I would have been for 20
years I've had the pleasure of spending time in your living room each week while we go across India. You know such neighborliness deserves the award so I'm inviting you to it. It's the biggest. Where are they now with this side of the fowler. As we look at the neighbors we met and the people behind the scenes who put them on TV in this 20th anniversary edition.
- Series
- Across Indiana
- Episode
- 20 Years Across Indiana
- Producing Organization
- WFYI
- Contributing Organization
- WFYI (Indianapolis, Indiana)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/200-27zkh4b3
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/200-27zkh4b3).
- Description
- Episode Description
- This is the 20th anniversary edition of Across Indiana.
- Series Description
- Take a weekly journey across the cultural landscape of the Hoosier state. Host, Michael Atwood, and a team of award-winning producers explore the places, people and traditions that make Indiana a unique place to live and work. The program profiles interesting Hoosiers, from humble farmers to computer entrepreneurs and folk artists. Across Indiana blends heart, soul, humor and journalistic insight into a unique television program made by, and about, the people of Indiana.
- Created Date
- 2010-05-27
- Asset type
- Episode
- Genres
- Magazine
- Topics
- Local Communities
- Humor
- Rights
- No copyright statement in content.
- Media type
- Moving Image
- Duration
- 01:00:17
- Credits
-
-
Copyright Holder: WFYI Indianapolis
Producer: Simmons, Jim
Producing Organization: WFYI
Production Unit: WFYI Indianapolis
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
WFYI-FM
Identifier: ACIND-2006-S002 (WFYI Indianapolis)
Format: DVCPRO
Generation: Submaster
Duration: 02:06:00?
If you have a copy of this asset and would like us to add it to our catalog, please contact us.
- Citations
- Chicago: “Across Indiana; 20 Years Across Indiana,” 2010-05-27, WFYI, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed November 19, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-200-27zkh4b3.
- MLA: “Across Indiana; 20 Years Across Indiana.” 2010-05-27. WFYI, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. November 19, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-200-27zkh4b3>.
- APA: Across Indiana; 20 Years Across Indiana. Boston, MA: WFYI, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-200-27zkh4b3