Have you have heard that Michigan City Elston High School got its Red Devils nickname because it was built on an ancient burial ground? Or that LaPorte High School became the Slicers because the owner of the U.S. Slicing Machine Company loved basketball and sponsored the team’s uniforms? These stories are more folklore than fact. If you’ve ever wondered where these mascots originated, read on. This is the real story how the Red Devils and Slicers got their names.
In LaPorte County, Indiana, there is a giant granite rock with bronze plaques on two sides dedicated to the Door Village Fort. As the story went, Chief Black Hawk was on the warpath, he and his warriors were murdering white settlers, and headed toward LaPorte. In response, noble pioneers banded together and constructed a fort in just three days to protect the good people from the marauders. Local children learned that story for a century. However, Black Hawk was not headed toward Indiana or murdering innocent settlers. The fort arose from a panic based on misinformation and hatred of Native American people.1Wyman, Mark. The Wisconsin Frontier (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998), 146. “The outbreak was created from many strands, including white pressure on lands, and Indian resistance; tribal divisions, and strife between tribes. But the major cause of the Black Hawk War was the long-term buildup of fear and hatred between Indians and whites along the Mississippi.” (Click superscript numbers to view interesting notes) That panic launched the Black Hawk War, an ugly stain on American history. Read More
Hoosiers are a little happier these days. Varsity girls and boys basketball are now in full swing. Decades ago, the happy feelings peaked with excitement during the LaPorte County Sectional. Every community wanted to see its team win, or to see David topple Goliath, but it was about communities meeting in one place and watching basketball together as much as anything. As the winner advanced to the Regional, everyone hoped they’d represent LaPorte County well. Read More
Look around and you will find amazing stories everywhere, tucked away, hoping to be discovered. Sometimes the stories require searching to flesh them out. Such was the case of a glass photo negative discovered in a box. The player wearing number eleven was Leon Antrim. Leon grew up in Stillwell, Indiana. He and his teammate, Clarence Spier, were photographed in the LaPorte Civic Auditorium on March 5, 1937. But, why? Read More