Every city has its secrets. When I lived in Lafayette, the civic theater conducted a “Tour of Terror” of the downtown shortly before Halloween. The tour entertained the morbidly curious with gruesome, macabre and infamous tales from the city’s past.
The tour included a stop at the Lahr House. In 1876, a local tinkerer and inventor, James Moon, rented a room. He requested a quiet location facing the alley and away from other guests. During his stay, he hauled up materials that he had purchased from a local hardware store. In his room, he surreptitiously built a Rube Goldberg-style guillotine, which he promptly used on himself.
Another stop on the tour was the Life Building, an office building across the street from the Tippecanoe County courthouse. In 1933, the Life Building was the scene of a running gun battle between Depression-era hoodlums and the police. The shootout started in the lobby then spilled out into the streets of downtown Lafayette.
The tour also recounted train wrecks, explosions and fearsome accounts of villainy. These are the historical accounts that people really want to hear. They are also the stories that people seem to remember.
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While traditional textbook histories often focus on politics, generals, presidents and wars, too often they ignore some of the basic elements that actually motivate people. If human behavior can be explained at all, it is often due to greed, lust, vengeance and madness. These details make history truly interesting.
Fictional frights have never gotten to me. Ghosts, zombies and horror movies do not keep me awake at night. The real thing is another story. I find authentic tales of dastardly deeds, havoc and wanton destruction truly chilling.
Columbus enjoys an outstanding reputation. When people think of our fair city, they usually know that it is the home of an innovative fortune 500 company. They might also think of how Columbus is a modern architectural jewel juxtaposed against the rural landscape of Indiana. Nevertheless, just like Lafayette or any other city, Columbus has its own sordid past.
Just in time for Halloween, author Paul Hoffman will discuss his book, “Wicked Columbus, Indiana,” as part of the Columbus Past, Present and Future series. The book, published in 2017, uncovers lurid details of drinking, debauchery, vice, violence and general mayhem from Columbus’ past.
Hoffman is an award-winning writer, who has worked as a journalist throughout the Midwest, including here in Columbus. Hoffman has written another true crime book, “Murder in Wauwatosa.”
Back by popular demand, the Columbus Past, Present and Future series is sponsored by the University Library of Columbus and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society of Ivy Tech Community College. Upcoming events in the series will feature a presentation about local food and beverages in January and a discussion about basketball in time for March Madness.
If you have an interest in the seedier side of Columbus’ history, join the conversation with Paul Hoffman at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Columbus Learning Center Lecture Hall, 4555 Central Ave. Because Halloween is about treats as well as tricks, Gramz Bakery & Café will be serving dessert.
Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus. Send comments to editorial@therepublic.com.
