Article Archives: Bumps in the Night

Frank Rande: The Brilliant Bandit of the Wabash, Part 1

May 26, 2022 | by Al Hunter

For as long as he could remember, Charles C. Scott (a.k.a. Frank Rande) wanted to be an outlaw. Not just any outlaw, but the most famous outlaw in the history of the Wild West. Born on Sept. 23, 1839 in Claysville, Pennsylvania, a borough of fewer than 200 people just … Read More

Mammoth Cave’s Dinkey Train: The Indianapolis Connection

May 19, 2022 | by Al Hunter

Recently, Rhonda and I stepped into a Cave City, Kentucky antique store to stretch our legs and hunt for treasures. You never know what you might find in these circumstances but you know it will always be interesting. My “find” of the adventure was a 1906 cabinet photo of a … Read More

Santa Claus Indiana’s Pat Koch: The Elf Coordinator, Part 4

May 12, 2022 | by Al Hunter

Holiday World and Santa Claus Indiana’s own Pat Koch has a secret. Not only is she one of the founders of the amusement park town, but she is also the only one of Santa’s elves that met President John F. Kennedy. In 1962, Bill and Pat Koch were at the … Read More

Santa Claus Indiana’s Pat Koch: The Elf Coordinator, Part 3

May 5, 2022 | by Al Hunter

Just steps from Pat Koch’s Santa Claus museum is the town’s first post office (built in 1856) and mere yards from that, the town’s first Catholic Church (1880 building: 1853 incorporation date), both saved and preserved through Pat’s efforts. All three buildings stand nearby the original 1935 Santa Claus statue, … Read More

Santa Claus Indiana’s Pat Koch: The Elf Coordinator, Part 2

April 28, 2022 | by Al Hunter

At 90 1/2 years old (her own calculation) Pat Koch (pronounced “Cook”) is still a dreamer. As the longtime television face of Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana, Pat’s smiling face is familiar to generations of Hoosiers. “Free Sunscreen. Free Soda. Free Parking” is a slogan that still resonates in … Read More