Mossy Feet Books – Author Paul R. Wonning
Books About Indiana History, United States History and Garden Guides
In this episode the author talks about John Smith and some of his adventures in Jamestown Colony.
Just over a year after the colonists settled at Jamestown and six months after the devastating fire, John Smith led fourteen men on an expedition from their fort to explore the region that surrounded them on June 02, 1608. Continue reading Podcast – John Smith and Jamestown
Greetings, today I will talk about Indiana native Colonel Harland Sanders.
Everyone is familiar with Colonel Harland Sanders, the founder of the famous Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food chain. Few may know, however, that Colonel Sanders was born and raised near Henryville, Indiana in Clark County, Indiana. Continue reading The Story of Indiana Native Colonel Harland Sanders
Most basketball fans know that the athletic director at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith, invented the game of basketball in 1891. Continue reading The Father of Indiana Basketball – Ralph Jones
Father Joseph Kundek invited monks from the Einsiedeln Abbey in Switzerland to come to Indiana to serve the needs of local Catholics. The monks responded to the call, establishing St. Meinrads as a school for Catholic children. It would also serve as a school to prepare men for the priesthood. Continue reading Podcast – St. Meinrad Arch Abbey
George Popham led a colony to current Maine to found a colony along the Kennebec River as a venture for the Plymouth Company, establishing the colony on August 13, 1607. Continue reading Podcast – The Short-Lived, Little Known Popham Colony
While on a camping trip to Brown County State Park, we took the opportunity to use our camping sticker to inspect the campground and facilities in the Paynetown Recreation Area on the northern shore of the lake. Paynetown has an electric and a non-electric campground, hiking trails, boat docks, boat rental and picnic shelters.
State Road 446 crosses a bridge that carries the highway over the lake. We crossed this and turned right into the Cutright Recreation Area, which consists mostly of another boat ramp. Continue reading Video – Hickory Ridge Fire Tower
Their initial landing on April 26, accomplished, the English colonists searched for a site to settle. If successful, they would be the first permanent English settlement in North America. At length, the president they chose to lead them, Captain Edward Maria Wingfield, decided on a spot. It was on a marshy spit of land on the north shore of the James River. They arrived on the spot on May 13, 1607 and went ashore on May 14. Continue reading Podcast – The Founding of Jamestown, Virginia – Part 2
Britain’s first attempt at founding a colony in North America had failed at Roanoke Island in 1590. It would be almost 20 years before they would mount a second attempt. Continue reading Podcast – The Founding of Jamestown, Virginia
Greetings, Today I will discuss the Pivot, or Initial Point in Indiana.
What is the Pivot Point, you ask? Well, it is the initial point of all land surveys in Indiana. The point was established by a surveyor team led by Ebenezer Buckingham on September 1, 1805. I did visit the site in the summer of 2025, however I did not walk back to the actual stone marker, as it is on private land. An historical marker near the road is about 600 yards east of the stone pillar. Continue reading Podcast – Indiana’s Pivot Point
The Pioneer Village at Spring Mill State Park
Today we will tour the pioneer village at Spring Mill State Park. Continue reading Video – The Pioneer Village at Spring Mill State Park
Five months out from the beginning of their voyage from Acapulco, Mexico the expedition headed up by Sebastián Vizcaíno reached a bay that an earlier explorer, Rodríquez Cabrillo, had called San Miguel. They entered the bay on November 10. The expedition of three ships entered the bay and anchored. Continue reading Podcast – Sebastián Vizcaíno Exploration in California
Early pioneers in Indiana founded the village of Spring Mill in 1814. The copious amounts of water that flowed from local caves encouraged them to build a gristmill using the water to power the mill. In 1817 Hugh Hamer, the mill’s owner, built a bigger mill on the site. This gristmill was a three-story limestone structure and is the mill that exists in the Pioneer Village today. Continue reading Podcast – The Gristmill at Spring Mill State Park
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado had explored large areas of what would become America’s Southwest in 1540 – 1542. Spain had never followed up on this great expedition. King Phillip II of Spain decided to end this neglect by charging explorer Juan de Oñate with the mission of exploring this region on September 21, 1595. Continue reading Juan de Oñate Expedition to the Great Plains
Today we will visit the Ben Shroeder Saddle Tree Museum in Madison, Indiana. Continue reading Video – Ben Schroeder Saddletree Factory Museum
Ben Schroeder Saddletree Factory MuseumToday we will visit the Ben Shroeder Saddle Tree Museum in Madison, Indiana.From the BookSoutheast Indiana … Continue reading Podcast – Ben Schroeder Saddletree Factory Museum
Greetings, today I will conclude the tale of the Roanoke settlement in Virginia Continue reading John White Returns to Roanoke
Gus Grissom Memorial – Spring Mill State ParkGreetings and happy new year. Today we will visit the memorial dedicated to … Continue reading Video – Gus Grissom Memorial – Spring Mill State Park
By 1588 Spain was the preeminent power. Its overseas colonies spread over three continents in the New World, North America, South America and Central America. These colonies sent vast quantities of gold back to Spai Continue reading Podcast – The Spanish Armada
Greetings and happy new year. Today we will visit the memorial dedicated to Hoosier astronaut Gus Grissom, located at the entrance of Spring Mill State Park near Mitchell, Indiana.
Gus Grissom Memorial Continue reading Podcast – Gus Grissom Memorial – Spring Mill State Park
The Kingdoms in Chaos is the second book in the Wizards of the Golden Star Series. The Book I opens as the kingdom of Napoli falls. The creature Gwaum kills and eats the king while Queen Betsa and young Prince Ruther flee from the capital. Gwaum goes on to devastate the countryside The queen and her subjects that manage to escape the bedlam take refuge in a cave. Continue reading Kingdoms in Chaos
Mossy Feet Books - Author Paul R. Wonning 