Sample Chapter – A History of Switzerland County

The Indiana Territorial Assembly created Switzerland County two years before Indiana became a state in 1814. The legislature named the county for the native land of many of its early inhabitants, Switzerland. The first commercial wineries in the United States were located here, and the county considers itself the birthplace of commercial winemaking in America. Residents celebrate this heritage yearly during the Swiss Wine Festival in late August. Continue reading Sample Chapter – A History of Switzerland County

The Lenape Tribe in Indiana

The Lenape, or Delaware, Indian tribe was native to the Eastern Seaboard, however pressure from European settlement forced them west, first to Ohio and then to Indiana. On the eve of the War of 1812 the tribe occupied several villages along the White River what would become the East Central region of the State of Indiana. They had migrated into the area in the mid 1790’s and would remain until about 1818 when they were forced further west. The Lenape Tribe in Indiana relates their history, mythology, lifestyle as well as the chiefs that lived in Indiana during this time. Continue reading The Lenape Tribe in Indiana

Events Leading to Columbus’ First Voyage

In 1469 Spain was still a disunited nation. The Kingdom of Castile was the largest kingdom and occupied the region between Portugal and the Kingdom of Aragon. The Atlantic Ocean lay to the north and the Muslim region of Grenada lay to the south. The Kingdom of Aragon bordered Castile to the west and France to the northeast. The Pyrenees Mountains formed the Aragon/France boundary. The Mediterranean Sea lay to the southeast. Continue reading Events Leading to Columbus’ First Voyage