(state) is a State of the United States which had a promising blues and gospel industry in the early 20th century, but which in postwar years has had relatively little blues or gospel activity. Early settlement appears to have proceeded westerly from the original 13 States via Ohio; but also (particularly after 1803) upriver along the lower Mississippi and the lower Ohio River (and northerly along the Ohio’s lower tributaries). The different approaches were necessitated by falls on the Ohio at Louisville, which for many years was the upper limit of upriver and downriver access for larger vessels (smaller vessels often being capable of portage). As settlement expanded, Territorial administration of the whole area was gradually replaced by establishing local counties. County establishment had begun in the extreme southeast of Indiana by the time the Territory of Indiana had been established in its present boundaries by 1809, and the extreme southwesterly county development had begun by 1814. A huge northerly expansion of non-County settlement claims occurred in 1820, although counties were only gradually formed within it. The northerly and westerly pattern of settlement had reached Indianapolis by 1825, but Marion County had already been created by 1822. Counties around Fort Wayne were created by 1824. Attempts to provide some administration had reached the extreme northwest of the State by 1828. Lake County had been created by 1836. The earliest, impractical, Indiana railroad was completed in 1838 with public money, and ran from Madison (Jefferson County, on the Ohio River just upriver from Louisville) to Lafayette (Tippecanoe County), via Indianapolis, Marion County. It does look as if Scrapper Blackwell’s family reached Indianapolis after having moved from North Carolina to Madison, permitting them to travel north from there by train up to Indianapolis in the 1850s. By 1850, seven private rail lines had reached Indianapolis, mainly from the east, and by 1853 the lines had clubbed together to establish the nation’s first Union Station, facilitating passenger and freight interchange between the rail lines and other transport. Settlement in northern Indiana around the Great Lakes was restricted until the marshes and wetlands were drained. Known activity is summarized below, by counties:-
CLAY COUNTY
Brazil: birthplace of Larry Liggett (1921).
DELAWARE COUNTY
Nothing known
FLOYD COUNTY
Floyds Knobs (near New Albany): presumed place of death (1981) of Jack Wiley (born at Oxford, Mississippi, but who by 1972 was at Crystal Springs, Mississippi).
Muncie: residence (1900) of Arsceola Blanks and Burleanna Blanks; and later of Jesse Crump; and (1934) of Elder Oscar Sanders;
GRANT COUNTY
Marion: residence (1917) of Herve Duerson (born in Texas).
HOWARD COUNTY
Kokomo: presumably mentioned by Scrapper Blackwell in his KOKOMO BLUES (Vocalion #1192, recorded 16 June 1928).
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Madison: location (1850) of Scrapper Blackwell’s paternal grandfather (Peyton Blackwell, Senior) and his family.
Madison: birthplace (1883) and residence (1900) of Gilford Payne.
LAKE COUNTY
The county has largely become a dormitory area for South Side Chicago’s factories.
East Chicago is mentioned by Pinetop and Lindberg (Aaron and Marion Sparks) in their EAST CHICAGO BLUES (Victor #23330, recorded 25 February 1932). It also seems to be mentioned by James Wiggins.
Compare Charley Booker’s similar line in his NO RIDIN’ BLUES (Blues & Rhythm #7003, recorded 23 January 1952), a version of NO SPECIAL RIDER:
“I said, Greenville’s smoking, (baby,) and (old) Leland’s burning down”; (twice)
Well, I believe I’ll keep my woman out of Greenville town.”
Gary has featured: Nate Armstrong; Blue Smitty; Gracie Brim; John Brim; D. C. Dalton; James Dalton; Jimmy Reed; William Smith; Eddie Taylor; D. C. Walton; James Walton; Big Joe Williams (BU 60/18). Vivien Carter was a disc jockey for WGRY in the 1950s, after leaving WJOB. In about 1954 she moved to WWCA, until 1963. Bud Pressner, operator of Hi – Hat label, died in about 1990 but, even as late as 2000, his retail music store was located at nearby Merrillville.
Hammond is presumably referred to in Lillian Miller’s HAMMOND BLUES (Gennett unreleased, recorded 1928). Vivien Carter was a disc jockey for WJOB in the 1950s. Jazz Gillum lived there (1960s). Jack L. Cooper was a disc jockey for a Hammond radio station in about the 1960s. During 1972, the late disc jockey, Bill Tyson, was broadcasting from Hammond over radio WJOB before its format changed to country & western music.
Merrillville: was, in 2000, the location of Bud Pressner Music, Inc.
LA PORTE COUNTY
Kingsford Heights
LaPorte: residence of Pinetop Perkins (1990s onwards).
Michigan City: residence of “Eight Rock”; Eugene Rhodes.
During 1973, Al Benson (Arthur Leaner, formerly of Parrot Records) lived at Michigan City, although he later died at Berrien Springs, near Three Oaks, Berrien County, Michigan. Ernie Leaner (formerly of One-der-ful Records) died at Michigan City.
Michigan City: location (1960s) of the Flying Eagles of Michigan City, Indiana, including Donald Eagle, Papa Eagle and Robert Eagle.
Michigan City: location (2004) of Sister Shyree Garret; Elnora (Mama Eagle) Hogan; Sister Elase Hogan (or Ellease Hogan); Brother Willie Parker; Sister Nicole Stewart;
MADISON COUNTY
Anderson: location of The Indiana Travelers when they recorded for Pinebrook label.
MARION COUNTY
Indianapolis was a notable prewar center for blues activity but has had little commercial blues activity postwar. It was notorious for its Pat Ward’s Bottoms, a rough area of town surrounding Crispus Attucks High School; and its “main drag”, Indiana Avenue. Other black districts included Lockefield Gardens and Ransom Place. Bill Gaither also recorded a dedication to Blake Street. Leroy Carr sang of Fifth and Vine.
Montana Taylor made the famous INDIANA AVENUE STOMP (Vocalion #1419, recorded 23 April 1929, and later versions); J. T. Adams recorded INDIANA AVENUE BLUES (PRESTIGE BLUESVILLE LP #BVLP 1077, in 1961).
Indianapolis is colloquially known as “Naptown”. The term appears in songs such as: NAPTOWN STOMP by Scrapper Blackwell And The Two Roys With Chippie Hill (Vocalion unreleased, recorded February 1929); Leroy Carr’s NAPTOWN BLUES (Vocalion #1400, recorded 17 June 1929); Herve Duerson’s NAPTOWN SPECIAL (Gennett #7009, recorded 28 August 1929); Peter J. Clayton’s NAPTOWN BLUES (BLUEBIRD unreleased, recorded 27 July 1935); Bill Gaither’s NAPTOWN STOMP (DECCA #7179, recorded 15 December 1935); Champion Jack Dupree’s JACKIE P. BLUES (OKeh LP #OKM 12103, recorded 27 November 1941), “in Naptown, don’t you see”; Christine Chatman’s NAPTOWN BOOGIE (DECCA #8660, recorded 6 April 1944: credited as composed by Clarence Smith – Mayo Williams); and J. T. Adams’s NAPTOWN BOOGIE (PRESTIGE BLUESVILLE LP #BVLP 1077, recorded 1961).
Indianapolis: birthplace (1897) of Blind Leroy Garnett; (1904) of Scrapper Blackwell; (1912) of Gilbert “Honey” Hill; (1927) of Lemont “Pete” Franklin. Likely birthplace of Montana Taylor (although Montana was also reported as his birthplace).
Joe Linthecome (born Cincinnati, Ohio) resided in Indianapolis in 1910, 1920 and 1930, but was residing at Cincinnati by 1932 and died there in 1960.
During the 1920s, Indianapolis featured: Frank Fowler Brown; Leroy Carr; Jesse Crump; Charlie Davis; Herve Duerson; Flossie Franklin; Shirley Griffith; Lulu Jackson (1928); Dot Jones (1927); Willie Jones (1927); Sammy Lewis; Billy “Willie Mae” McKenzie; Black Bottom McPhail; Mrs. Mae Blackwell Malone; Teddy Moss; Mandy Randolph; Nina Reeves; Horace Smith; Hattie “Helen Harris” Snow; Genevieve Stearns; Montana Taylor (1919 and later); Raymond “Syd” Valentine.
Possibly also Tommie Bradley (through talent scout J. A. Blount); Sammy Brown; John Byrd; Lonnie Clark; James Cole; Ida Cox; Eddie Dimmitt; Edward Evans; Alura Mack; Mabel Peterson; Roosevelt Pursley; Bob Robinson; Sam Soward; Washboard Walter Taylor.
During the 1930s, Indianapolis featured: Bumble Bee Slim; Frank Busby; Peter J. Clayton; Champion Jack Dupree; Jesse Ellery; Bill Gaither; James Gordon; Honey Hill; Little Myrtle Jenkins; Buster Johnson; Stella Johnson (1936); Justine Lamar (1936); Eddie Miller; Eddie Morgan; Turner Parrish; Dot Rice (1935); Joe Robinson (1936); Dot Scott (1936); Randolph Scott; Sweet Pease Spivey (1936); Victoria Spivey (1936); Jimmy Strange (1936); Beatrice “Toots” Willis.
During the 1940s, Indianapolis featured: J. T. Adams; Earl Coleman; Champion Jack Dupree; Pete Franklin (who was born there in 1927); Wheeler Moran; Isaac “Snookum” Russell; Wilson Swain; Wesley Wallace.
By the 1950s, Indianapolis featured: Jimmy Binkley; Larry Clark; James Coe; Robert Darby; Flo Garvin (Deakyne, nee Crawford); Booker Hollis; Larry Liggett; Joseph David Mitchell; Wes Montgomery; Mr. Percy (Dot); Stanley O’Laughlin; Yank Rachell; Al Richardson; Johnny Shadler; Lorenzo Smith; Bill Wadsworth; Earl Fox Walker; Russell Webster; Steve Wheatley.
Jerry Herman and Melvin Herman operated Note label.
During the 1960s, the city featured: Brooks Berry; Ellis Davis; James Easly; Bertha Lee Jones; Clyde Robinson; Wild Bill Williams.
By the 1970s, Indianapolis was home to: J. T. Adams; Baby Leon; Big Jesse; Raymond Brown; James Easly; Carl Farrish; Arthur Greenways; Shirley Griffith; Lane K. Hardin (? 1970); Carthell Hayes; Harold Parter; Yank Rachell; Meshack Thacker.
In the 1980s it was home to: Leroy ‘L. C.’ Bates (died 1991); Buddy Bryant; Earl Coe; James Coe; Al Coleman (1987); Reginald Du Valle (1987); Hilliard “Dewey” Duewson (1987); Rudy Finnell (1987); John Fish; Flo Garvin (Deakyne); Erroll Grandy; Carl Hines (1987); Pookie Johnson; Lavon Kemp; Fred Monroe (1987); Lanny Price (1987); Yank Rachell.
In the 1980s its taverns included: Chatterbox Tavern, 435 Massachusetts Avenue; City Taproom, 28 South Pennsylvania; The Place To Start, 5377 North College Avenue; and Rick’s Cafe.
Place of death (1953) of Gilbert ‘Honey’ Hill.
Gospel activity included: M. L. Allen; The Blakey Specials; Eugene Blakey; Blue Eagle Lounge; Clarence Dorsey; Timothy Footman; Gospel Hi – Lo’s (1987); Gospel Pearls; Percy Lee Gowdy Jr; James Hooten; Robert Malong; Evangelist Essie Poole; The Quotations (1987); J. C. Rachell (1987); James Rachell Jr (1987); May Nell Rachell (1987); Willa Bee Rachell (1987); Rev. J. C. Rice of 7 Star Baptist Church; Oscar Sanders; Lois Siegel; Travelling Innerlights (1972); Willie Webb; Rev. D. C. Williams (1960s).
Southport: location (1860) of Scrapper Blackwell’s paternal grandfather (Peyton Blackwell, Senior) and family.
MONROE COUNTY
Bloomington: location (2000) of J. J. Perry.
NEWTON COUNTY
KENTLAND is mentioned by Bill Gaither in his KENTLAND BLUES (DECCA #7647, recorded 13 September 1939).
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
South Bend: residence of Charlie Ames (organ: 1972); David Bishop (piano: 1972); Charlie Booker (guitar: 1972); Harmony Kings; Fred Patton (piano: 1972); “Tooney/ Tuney” (piano: 1972); Eddie Ware (piano: 1950s).
TIPPECANOE COUNTY
Lafayette: place of death (1969) of Gilford “Peachtree” Payne.
VANDERBURGH COUNTY
Evansville: birthplace (1899) and residence (1900) of Sam Utterback (who was at Kansas City, Missouri in 1925 and 1930).
VIGO COUNTY
North Terre Haute: Johnny Wright (1983)
Terre Haute: residence (at least from 1907 to 1910, and again by 1942) of Gilford “Peachtree” Payne; and (1946) of Christine Chatman;
Terra Haute: place of death (1988) of Johnny Wright.
WAYNE COUNTY
Hagerstown was possibly referred to by Ed Bell.
Richmond was the site of the Gennett recording studios. Aside from being the recording site of numerous Gennett sessions by performers drawn from wide areas of the South and Midwest, it also featured some contract recording sessions for Paramount.