Mike Wolanin | The Republic A photo an unidentified basketball player is seen on the wall of the Hoops and Heritage: The Evolution of Basketball in Bartholomew County exhibit at the Bartholomew County Historical Society in Columbus, Ind., Wednesday, May 14, 2025.
For a video:
https://www.therepublic.com/2025/05/21/video-hoosier-he…rtholomew-county/
In celebration of basketball legend Chuck Taylor’s connection to Columbus, the Bartholomew County Historical Society will have its first Chuck Taylor Day from 3 to 8 p.m. June 7.
Born in 1901 in Brown County, Taylor joined the Columbus High School basketball team in 1915 and played there until 1919 when he went pro. In 1921, he visited a Chicago Converse store, and while there he asked the executives if they could design a shoe specifically for basketball, which would later become the Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars line of shoes.
The shoes, later named after Taylor, went on to sell more than 600 million pairs by 2000, according to Bartholomew County Historical Society Executive Director Diane Robbins. Taylor became an ambassador for the shoe, and they have since evolved from basketball shoes to wrestling shoes to just casual footwear, Robbins said.
“… he played basketball here, all his high school career was spent playing at Old City Hall, which is now the Coriden & Coriden Law Office building,” Robbins said. “His story and the shoe that bears his name is kind of a remarkable athletic shoe story. And then it’s kind of the cultish shoe now, like people wear them not for athletic purposes at all. Now it has just become this cult of Converse tennis shoe wearers.”
Before the inaugural Chuck Taylor Day, residents can participate in a scavenger hunt to find mini All-Star tennis shoes. These shoes, which have been 3D-printed by The Propeller and each uniquely decorated by several local artists, will be hidden at 20 participating locations throughout downtown from May 24 to June 7. Those who find all the shoes can bring their completed paper to the Columbus Area Visitors Center to get a vinyl sticker.
Then on the official Chuck Taylor Day, whether they’re fans of the shoe or the game, attendees are sure to have fun with a large roster of things to do and see. Fans of IU Columbus’ men and women’s basketball teams can meet the players, take pictures with them and compete in fun competitions, and fans of the Indiana Pacers will have the chance to meet their mascot Boomer from 3 to 6 p.m.
“One thing that I’m excited about… we are going to have the Final Four Men’s 2026 Fan (Jam)… because Indianapolis is hosting the Men’s Final Four tournament in 2026, so there is a van that’s going around the state in 2025 to promote 2026 and it will be here that day,” Robbins said. “And it is full of all sorts of basketball interactives, they’ve got hoops that they’ll be setting out and you can go into the van and learn all about basketball history…”
Food trucks and beverages will be provided by The Garage, and live music will be provided by local bands “The Born Mountaineer” and “The Revelators.” A special performance from a Columbus area high school band will also be held at 3 p.m. In a permanent dedication to Taylor and the shoe, the Historical Society will be unveiling a large fiberglass Chuck Taylor sneaker sculpture, placed in front of the museum, during the event.
“… and then at 6 o’clock, anyone that’s in their Chuck Taylors, and I should emphasize that we’re encouraging everybody to wear your Chucks. New, old, whatever you’ve got, we want everybody in Chuck Taylors that day, and we’re going to try and set a Guinness World Record for the most Chuck Taylors in one place,” Robbins said.
Chuck Taylor Day also coincides with the Historical Society’s current exhibit “Hoops and Heritage: The Evolution of Basketball in Bartholomew County.” This exhibit, which opened in March and will run until June 19, showcases a collection of basketball-related items from uniforms to basketballs to knee pads, while also showing the evolution of these items throughout the years.
“We wanted to also feature, there’s the Indiana State Basketball Hall of Fame, and so we featured everyone that’s actually listed in there and then several people that we think, as a staff and an organization, people that we definitely think should be honored within that, even just unofficially,” Historical Society Collection Manager and Curator Jared Anderson said. “Folks like Mel Good coaching for East and Bobby Wissman is iconic.”
On the walls, attendees can see photographs of various local teams, gym locations and coaches throughout the years as well as a timeline showcasing the history of basketball in the community and in the state.
Robbins said she is most looking forward the energy that the day will bring to the downtown and to share the history of Chuck Taylor and the Converse All-Star shoe. She said it has been very important to them to keep the event free as to provide a community event for families to enjoy with no admission charges.
“Chuck Taylor Day is something I’ve always wanted to do because I think it’s important to honor people from our community and he seems like a fun one and a very current one,” Robbins said. “He has an impact on all ages, from little toddlers getting their first pair of shoes to 90-year-olds still wearing them, so it’s a very multi-generational attraction for Chuck Taylor.”
