Mossy Feet Books – Author Paul R. Wonning
Books About Indiana History, United States History and Garden Guides
After a trial in Plymouth for murder, the jury convicted John Billington of murder. Massachusetts Governor William Bradford, after consultation with the Massachusetts Bay Colony governor, decreed death by hanging for the convicted murderer. Continue reading The First Execution for a Crime in British North America
Governor John Winthrop turned many heads with his use of a “split spoon” as he sat at his meal. During this time, Winthrop likely owned the only fork in North America as the clergy considered split spoons evil. Opposed to the use of the new eating utensil they considered that the only thing worthy of touching “God’s food” were fingers. Many considered them effeminate since Thomas Coryate introduced them to England. Continue reading Before the Table Fork, there were Fingers and Knives
Thanksgiving feasts were a common practice for the European settlers and their native neighbors. It was tradition for the Europeans to set aside days of thanksgiving. They celebrated for a bountiful harvest, drought-ending rains or other providential events. These events did not have any connection with their worship service. They were set during week and commonly involved fasting beforehand. After the fasting, they would have one or several days of celebratory feasting. The Indians had similar traditions. They had thanksgiving celebrations sporadically throughout the year for special events. Thus, both peoples had traditions of this type of celebration. Continue reading Podcast – The Earliest Possible Date for the First Thanksgiving Day
Tri Kappa’s Winter Wonderland Bazaar 2025 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM November 8, 2025 South Ripley Elementary School 1568 S … Continue reading Author Paul Wonning at the Tri Kappa’s Winter Wonderland Bazaar 2025
Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 April 15, 1865)
The son of Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Abraham was native to Sinking Spring Farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky. Continue reading Podcast – Abraham Lincoln
The earliest evidence of the European Honeybee in America comes from a letter drafted by the Council of the Virginia Company, dispatched to Governor and Council in Virginia. The letter noted that the colonists had ordered seeds, apple trees, pigeons, mastiff dogs and beehives. The shipment of bees arrived in Virginia sometime in March 1622 to serve as pollinators for the European crops. The bees would also produce honey and beeswax, which the native bees did not produce. Continue reading Podcast – First Report of European Honeybees in the Colonies
Parliament had passed the Tea Act on May 10, 1773 to help the struggling East India Company compete with other tea importers. The legislation allowed the company to undersell their competition, including colonial tea smugglers. The company sent ships to Boston, New York, Charlestown, and Philadelphia in September 1773 with combined cargoes of over 500,000 pounds of tea. Tea importers in Charleston, New York, and Philadelphia, under pressure from local patriot groups, refused the shipments. However, the Boston merchants allowed the ships to dock. Continue reading Podcast – Boston Tea Party
Commodore Charles Knowles anchored his ship, the HMS Cornwall, in Boston Harbor in mid-November 1747 to retrofit and re-supply it. British seamen worked under harsh discipline, thus many of the crew deserted while the ship lay at anchor. When the ship prepared to depart, the ship was short of crew, so Commodore Knowles sought to replenish his crew by impressing Bostonians into naval service. Continue reading Podcast – Beginning of the Boston Impressments – Sparked the Knowles Riots
Philanthropist William Maclure established the Institute in 1838. The Working Men’s Institute inhabited a wing in the Harmonist Church until 1894. In that year, it moved to this impressive building three-story structure on Tavern Street. The Institute at one time comprised 144 Institutes in Indiana and additional sixteen in Illinois at its height. The Working Men’s Institute has dwindled to this location. This is the oldest continuously operating library in Indiana. Continue reading Working Men’s Institute Museum & Library
The Seven Years War, known as the French and Indian War in North America, ended with the Treaty of Paris on 10 February 1763. The French, by virtue of the treaty, yielded to the British vast stretches of land in North America and the Caribbean Sea. Continue reading Podcast – Royal Proclamation of 1763
The crises with England had grown after Parliament passed the so-called Intolerable Acts. In an attempt to provide a united response to Parliament and get the Acts repealed, delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies on the Atlantic seaboard assembled in Philadelphia at Carpenter’s Hall. The last inter-colonial meeting had been the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. Continue reading Podcast – First Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia
An Amerindian raiding party consisting of four Shawnee and one Cherokee overcame a group of three girls as they drifted on the Kentucky River, capturing them. Continue reading The Abduction and Rescue of Jemima Boone
June 29, 1773 – First of the Hutchinson Letters Published
Leaking sensitive government documents is nothing new. Ben Franklin, in an attempt to soothe the heat of the growing American Revolution, ended up fanning the flames instead when he sent a packet of letters written by Boston Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson that he had acquired to colonial leaders. Continue reading First of the Hutchinson Letters Published
The Chinese and Romans each had their own forms of ice cream that the elite among them could enjoy. Roman emperors dispatched runners into the mountains to fetch snow from the snow-covered peaks to bring back for the emperor to enjoy. Servants then flavored the snow with fruits and fruit juices. Historians have found evidence that Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) enjoyed snow mixed with honey and fruit. Continue reading Podcast – May 12, 1777 – First Ice Cream Advertisement
This episode tells the story of the legendary comedian, actor and television show host,Red Skelton. Red was born in Vincennes, Indiana. His birthplace, a museum dedicated to his life and an historical marker honoring him are all located near his birthplace. Continue reading Podcast – Red Skelton
Kidnapped in the African interior of the Rice Coast, a ten-year-old girl joined eighty-three other kidnapped Africans on the slave ship, the Hare April 9, 1754. After a ten-week voyage, the girl, whose African name is lost to the ages, was sold to a Carolina rice plantation owner at auction in Charlestown. He named her Priscilla. Continue reading Podcast – Slave Girl Priscilla Begins Her Horrible Journey
British governor Woodes Rogers, during his mission to destroy the Pirate Republic, accidentally found Alexander Selkirk, who had been stranded on an island for over four years. Author Daniel Defoe used the experience of Selkirk to write his classic book, Robinson Crusoe. Continue reading Podcast – The Rescue of Alexander Selkirk – Progenitor of Character Robinson Crusoe
Colonial justice was harsh and quick. Just over one year after Oglethorpe founded Savannah in 1733 indentured servants Alice Riley and her boyfriend, Richard White allegedly murdered their master William Wise, becoming the first murderers in the fledgling settlement. The first hanging came just weeks after the murder. Continue reading Podcast – The First Woman Hanged In Georgia
Pilgrim women gave birth to two children on board the Mayflower. The first, Oceanus Hopkins, was born during the voyage. His parents, Stephen Hopkins and his wife, Elizabeth, named him Oceanus because he was born on the ocean. Peregrine’s parents, William White and wife Susanna named him Peregrine because he came into the world during the peregrination, or journey. The word “peregrinus” means “pilgrim” in Latin. Naming children for important events was common in the Seventeenth Century. Continue reading Podcast – The Pilgrims – Part 3
The Pilgrims arrived in Southampton on the Speedwell from their refuge in Leiden, Holland. In Southampton, they were to rendezvous with the Mayflower and some other settlers. The Pilgrims planned to sail to the New World on the two ships. These two ships departed Southampton, England around August 5. The Speedwell created the first of what were many problems by springing a leak. The ships put in at Dartmouth to repair the ship. Continue reading The Pilgrims – Part 2
Mossy Feet Books - Author Paul R. Wonning 