TCU-Purdue Road Trip Photos

Eight states in 11 days, over several thousands miles ...

By Tom C. "Midnite" Burke and Mary Burke

(photos above and below) From its establishment in 1824, Washington, Arkansas, was an important stop on the rugged Southwest Trail for pioneers traveling to Texas. Between 1832 and 1839 thousands of Choctaw American Indians passed through Washington on their way to Indian Territory. Frontiersmen and national heroes James Bowie, Sam Houston and Davy Crockett traveled through Washington en route to the Alamo. James Black, a local blacksmith, is credited with creating within his blacksmith shop in Washington the legendary Bowie knife carried by Jim Bowie. Following the capture of Little Rock, Arkansas, by the Union Army in 1863, the pro-Confederate States of America state government moved the state government offices to Hot Springs for a short time, then ultimately based the state government out of Washington, making it the (rebel) state capital until 1865.

(photos above and below) The Pioneer Cemetery in Washington, Arkansas was established in the early 1800s.

(photos above and below) Three Civil War battles took place in south central Arkansas in the spring of 1864 as part of the Union Army’s Red River Campaign. The sites of these skirmishes – Poison Springs, Marks’ Mills, and Jenkins Ferry – and the 1836 Courthouse at Historic Washington State Park, which served as Arkansas’s Confederate capital, comprise the Red River Campaign National Historic Landmark. The attack on April 18, 1864, began near a place the locals call Poison Springs. When the battle ended, the Union force of more than 1,100 had been reduced to 800. Fewer than 20 Confederates were killed in the victory that kept much-needed supplies from enemy hands. The term "poison spring" arises from the apocryphal story that Confederate soldiers poisoned nearby springwater.

(photos above and below) Constructed in 1833, the old State House in Little Rock, Arkansas, is the oldest standing state capitol built for that purpose west of the Mississippi. It is a National Historic Landmark and a museum. In 1992 and 1996, it served as the setting for President Bill Clinton's election-night celebrations.

(photos above and below) "A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans" was an exhibit in the Old State House Museum. The exhibit consisted of more than 200 quilts made by black Arkansans.

(photos above and below) In Little Rock, Arkansas, the Arkansas State Capitol grounds has multiple monuments and memorials. They include the "Little Rock Nine" Civil Rights Memorial. The Little Rock Nine was a group of nine African American students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Their enrollment was followed by the Little Rock Crisis, in which the students were initially prevented from entering the racially segregated school by Orval Faubus, the Governor of Arkansas.

Dickey-Stephens Park in Little Rock, Arkansas, is home of the Arkansas Travelers, a minor league baseball team that is the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Seattle Mariners.

(photos above and below) Memphis, Tennessee!

Beale Street in Memphis was created in 1841 by entrepreneur and developer Robertson Topp (1807–1876), who named it for a forgotten military hero. It is a significant location in the city's history, as well as in the history of the blues. On Beale Street, you can eat, drink, listen to music, and be merry! Memphis is recognized as the "Birthplace of Rock and Roll."

Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis is home of the Autozone Liberty Bowl. TCU has played in two Liberty Bowl games. In the 2002 AXA Liberty Bowl, on December 31, 2002, TCU beat Colorado Sttae, 17-3. The win was TCU's 500th all-time victory. In the 2016 Autozone Liberty Bowl, on December 30, 2016, TCU lost to Georgia, 31-23.

The University of Memphis Tigers play their home football games in Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. TCU and Memphis have played each other once. TCU head coach Gary Patterson and the Frogs defeated Memphis, 27-20, in 2002, in Fort Worth.

Autozone Park in Memphis is home to the Memphis Redbirds. The minor league baseball team is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's (MLB) St. Louis Cardinals. Former Horned Frog baseball star Matt Carpenter is one of the Cardinals' star players. Former Horned Frog Chad Huffman, among others, have played for the Cardinals.

FexEd Forum in Memphis is home to the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

At Parkers Crossroads in Tennessee, Union troops, under Col. Cyrus L. Dunham, fought Confederate General Nathan B. Forrest's cavalry on December 31, 1862. After the fight, Forrest was able to cross the Tennessee River and continue his expedition into West Tennessee.

(photos above and below) Jonathan Luther "Casey" Jones, an American railroader, was from Jackson, Tennessee, where the Casey Jones Museum and the home at the time of his death are located. Casey was killed on April 30, 1900, when his train collided with the caboose of a stalled freight train near.  His dramatic death while trying to stop his train and save the lives of his passengers made him a hero; he was immortalized in a popular ballad sung by his friend Wallace Saunders, an African-American engine wiper for the Illinois Central Railroad.

(photos above and below) The Jackson Generals baseball team, in Jackson, Tennessee, are the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Arizona Diamondbacks. Recent  Horned Frogs Kevin Cron and Alex Young played for the Generals. Both are on the 40-man roster of the Diamondbacks, as is recent TCU pitcher Stefan Crichton.

(photos above and below) The Loveless Cafe is a renowned restaurant in southwest Nashville, Tennessee, on Highway 100, just east of the northern terminus of the Natchez Trace Parkway. It is known for its Southern cooking, especially for its biscuits, fruit preserves, country ham and red-eye gravy. The establishment has received acclaim from a number of prominent national publications.

Nissan Stadium in Nashville is home of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL).

(photos above and below) The Tennessee State Capitol, located in Nashville, was built between 1845 and 1859. The building is one of 12 state capitols that does not have a dome.

(photos above and below) The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, founded on November 28, 1925, as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. It is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history. Dedicated to honoring country music and its history, the Opry attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners.

(photos above and below) Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of New York shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million endowment.  Vanderbilt's football team, the Commodores of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), play in Vanderbilt Stadium. TCU and Vanderbilt have played four times. TCU won, 16-3, in 1995, in Nashville. In 1997, Vanderbilt won, 40-16, in Nashville. In 1998, TCU won, 19-16, in Fort Worth. In 2003, TCU won, 30-14, in Fort Worth, with Gary Patterson as the Frogs' head coach.

(photos above and below) First Tennessee Park in Nashville, Tennessee, is home to the Nashville Sounds. The minor league baseball team is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Texas Rangers, who play in Arlington, Texas. First Tennessee Park features a scoreboard in the shape of a guitar. Former TCU baseball players Andrew Cashner and Bryan Holaday, among others, have played for the Texas Rangers during their Major League Baseball careers.

The Goo Goo Cluster is one of Nashville's oldest chocolate treats. The Goo Goo Cluster dates back to 1912, at the Standard Candy Company in Nashville. The Goo Goo Cluster is crafted with caramel, marshmallow nougat, fresh roasted peanuts and milk chocolate.

Cardinal Stadium is the home of the Louisville Cardinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Louisville used to be a competitor of TCU's in Conference USA. From 2001 to 2004, TCU and Louisville met four times on the gridiron. TCU won three of those contests, in 2001, 2002 and 2003. 

 (photo above) Churchill Downs, located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, thoroughbred racetrack most famous for annually hosting the Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years.

(photo below) Barbaro decisively won the 2006 Kentucky Derby, but shattered his leg two weeks later in the 2006 Preakness Stakes, which ended his racing career and eventually led to his death.

Hillerich & Bradsby Company, in Louisville, produces the famous Louisville Slugger baseball bat. The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory in downtown Louisville features a retrospective of the product and its use throughout baseball history.

(photos above and below) Louisville Slugger Field, in Louisville, is home of the Louisville Bats baseball team, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.

Chartered in 1848, Cave Hill Cemetery is known as Louisville's "City of the Dead" and consistently has been recognized as one of the most esteemed cemeteries in the United States. The cemetery is home to world-class athletes, bourbon masters, famed musicians, legendary politicians, hometown heroes, among others. Nicola Marschall, "Artist of the Confederacy," is among those buried in the cemetery. He was a German-American artist who supported the Confederate cause during the American Civil War. He designed the original Confederate flag, the Stars and Bars, as well as the official grey uniform of the Confederate army.

(photos above and below) Within Cave Hill Cemetery is Cave Hill National Cemetery, containing military graves. More than 200 Confederate soldiers are buried in Section "O" of the cemetery, with 30 to 40 buried in a row near the National Cemetery. Included in the Section "O" burials is a Confederate Brigadier General, Alpheus Baker. There are two other Confederate generals buried in other locations in the cemetery. The cemetery also contains monuments and graves of three Union generals.

(photos above and below) Muhammad Ali, who was born in Louisville, was a professional boxer, activist and philanthropist. Nicknamed "The Greatest," he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time. The Muhammad Ali Center is a non-profit museum and cultural center in Louisville. Ali is buried in Louisville's Cave Hill Cemetery.

(photos above and below) Louisville is a city that's famously known for a drink: bourbon. There are many distilleries located in and around Louisville, and throughout Kentucky.

The Brown Hotel in Louisville is known for its bourbon and also for being where the world-famous dish "The Hot Brown" was invented in 1926. The Hot Brown traditionally is an open-faced sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in Mornay sauce and baked or broiled until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown.

(photos above and below) Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the home of the Cincinnati Bearcats of the American Athletic Conference. Cincinnati used to be a competitor of TCU's in Conference USA. From 2002 to 2004, TCU and Cincinnati met three times on the gridiron. TCU won one of those contests, in 2003, in Fort Worth.

Paul Brown Stadium is home of the National Football League's (NFL) Cincinnati Bengals. Former Horned Frog Andy Dalton is the Bengals' starting quarterback. He has been with Cincinnati his entire professional career. He was drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft.Dalton is one of eight quarterbacks in NFL history to have thrown for over 3,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. He also is one of only six quarterbacks to have passed for at least 20 touchdowns in each of his first three seasons. Dalton is the only quarterback to lead the Bengals to five consecutive playoff berths, and one of five quarterbacks to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons. He is also the Bengals franchise record holder for passing yards and touchdowns in a season.
 

In Dalton's final game for TCU, he led the Frogs to a win in the 2011 Rose Bowl. He is the all-time leader in wins at TCU.

The Great American Ball Park is home of the Cincinnati Reds. The park's name comes from Great American Insurance Group. The Reds are one of the oldest teams in baseball. They were a charter member of the American Association in 1882 and joined the National League in 1890. They have won five World Series titles.

Former Horned Frog Brandon Finnegan is a pitcher in the Cincinnati Reds organization. He also has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals. In 2014, with the Kansas City Royals, Finnegan became the first player to play in a College World Series (with TCU) and an MLB World Series in the same year when he took the mound for Kansas City in the seventh inning of Game 3 of the 2014 World Series against the San Francisco Giants. Over the years, several other Horned Frogs have played in the historic Cincinnati Reds organization.

TCU pitcher Nick Lodolo was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the first round (seventh overall) of the 2019 MLB Draft. Lodolo pitched in the Reds' Rookie League in Billings, Montanta, and for the Reds' minor league A-affiliate team in Dayton, Ohio.

Built between 1839 and 1861, the Ohio State Capitol in Columbus, Ohio, it is one of the oldest working statehouses in the United States.

Ohio Stadium in Columbus is home of the Ohio State football team. The stadium also is known as the Horseshoe, the Shoe, and the House that Harley Built. 

The TCU football team has played the Buckeyes seven times, six of those times in Columbus. The Frogs lost five of those contests and tied one, 7-7, in 1961. The first time TCU played Ohio State was in 1937. The Frogs lost, 14-0. The most recent time that TCU has played the Buckeyes was on September 15, 2018, when the Frogs lost, 40-28. The game was played in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Ohio Stadium, which has a capacity of nearly 105,000, is the third-largest North American stadium by capacity. First is the University of Michigan's Michigan Stadium, with a capacity of nearly 108,000. Second is Penn State's Beaver Stadium, with a capacity of nearly 107,000.

Huntington Park is home of the Columbus Clippers, a Triple-A baseball team that is an affiliate of Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians.

The entrance to Huntington Park features a statue of Harold McKinley Cooper, who was a politician and minor league baseball executive who served as president of the International League from 1978 to 1990. He is recognized as the father of modern baseball in Columbus for twice orchestrating the return of the game to the city.

Dave Thomas founded the Wendy's chain by opening the first Wendy's at 257 East Broad Street, in Columbus, Ohio. Today, Wendy's, which has its headquarters in Dublin, Ohio, has nearly 7,000 restaurants worldwide.

In addition to being the location of Wendy's headquarters, Dublin, Ohio, also is home to what is known as the "Field of Corn," which is a publicly funded art installation that consists of 109 concrete ears of corn positioned in rows and standing upright in a grassy field.

(photos above and below) The Cleveland Museum of Art is internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian art among its diverse permanent collection of more than 61,000 works of art from around the world.  With a $755-million endowment, it is the fourth-wealthiest art museum in the United States. With about 770,000 visitors annually, it is one of the most visited art museums in the world.

(photos above and below) The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, designed by the late I.M. Pei, is located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the artists, producers, engineers, and other notable figures who have influenced its development. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established on April 20, 1983. In 1986, Cleveland was chosen as the Hall of Fame's permanent home, and the museum was dedicated on September 1, 1995.

While Memphis, Tennessee, is known as the "Birthplace of Rock and Roll," Cleveland is known as the "World Capital of Rock and Roll." Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed is widely credited with coining the term “rock and roll,” to describe the uptempo black R&B records he played as early as 1951 on Cleveland radio station WJW.

(photo above) FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, is the home field of the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. Former Texas Tech and Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield is the starting quarterback of the Browns.

(photo below) A statue of Otto Everett Graham Jr. is displayed at FirstEnergy Stadium. Graham played quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. He is regarded as one of the most dominant players of his era, having taken the Browns to league championship games every year between 1946 and 1955, winning seven of them. With Graham at quarterback, the Browns posted a record of 114 wins, 20 losses. While most of Graham's statistical records have been surpassed in the modern era, he still holds the NFL record for career average yards gained per pass attempt, with 8.98. 

(photos above and below) Progressive Field in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, is the home field of the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball. Outside of Progressive Field, there are several statues of Cleveland baseball greats, including Bob Feller, who was a pitcher and played 18 seasons for the Cleveland Indians. Feller posted a win-loss record of 266-162, with 279 complete games, 44 shutouts and a 3.25 earned run average. Feller became the first pitcher to win 24 games in a season before the age of 21. During his career, he threw no-hitters in 1940, 1946, and 1951. Feller also recorded 12 one-hitters. He helped the Indians win a World Series title in 1948.

Major League Baseball held its 2019 All-Star game at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in downtown Cleveland, Ohio is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association, the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League and the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League.

(photo above) The Pro Football Hall of Fame, located in Canton, Ohio, is the hall of fame for professional American football. Opened in 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coaches, franchise owners, and front-office personnel. The Hall of Fame's Mission is to "Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values and Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE."

(photo below) TCU alums Tom and Mary Burke

Why Canton? The city successfully lobbied the NFL to have the Pro Football Hall of Fame built in Canton for two reasons: first, the NFL was founded in Canton in 1920 (at that time it was known as the American Professional Football Association); second, the now-defunct Canton Bulldogs were a successful NFL team based in Canton during the first few years of the league.

(photos above and below) TCU legend Sammy Baugh is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a Charter Enshrinee, in 1963. Baugh was a quarterback for three varsity seasons at TCU, 1934, 1935 and 1936. Baugh was named an All-American in 1935 and 1936. TCU earned the national championship in 1935. Baugh played in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins from 1937 to 1952. Baugh led the Redskins to the NFL Championship in 1937 and 1942 and was named NFL Player of the Year in 1947 and 1948.

(photos above and below) TCU legend Bob Lilly is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was enshrined in 1980.

Lilly was on the TCU varisty for three seasons, 1958, 1959 and 1960, splitting his time between defensive tackle and defensive end. He was a consensus All-American as a senior in 1960. During Lilly's career, TCU won two Southwest Conference titles, and reached the 1959 Cotton Bowl and the inaugural Bluebonnet Bowl in 1960. TCU's Performance Center, located adjacent to the Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility and Schollmaier Basketball Complex, on the back side of the Schollmaier Arena, is named in honor of Lilly. Completed in September 2011, the two-story facility houses an18,000 square feet weight room. 

After TCU, Lilly played for the Dallas Cowboys for 14 seasons. He was Dallas' first draft choice in franchise history. The Cowboys selected him in the first round of the 1961 Draft. He went on to be named All-Pro nine times.

(photos above and below) TCU legend LaDainian Tomlinson is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was enshrined in 2017, which was his first year of eligibility. He is the first Pro Football Hall of Famer whose professional career began in the 21st century.

Tomlinson played four seasons at TCU, 1997 - 2000. In the 1998 season he helped the Horned Frogs to their first bowl win in 41 years, against USC in the Sun Bowl. During his junior season in 1999, Tomlinson set an NCAA FBS record for most rushing yards in a single game with 406 yards against UTEP. The record stood until 2014. Tomlinson finished the season with an NCAA-leading 1,850 yards. In his senior season in 2000, Tomlinson led the NCAA for the second time with 2,158 yards and 22 touchdowns, and was recognized as a unanimous first-team All-American. He won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best running back, and was a finalist for the 2000 Heisman Trophy. He completed his TCU career with 5,263 rushing yards, ranking sixth in NCAA Division I history. TCU retired his No. 5 jersey during halftime of a November 2005 game against UNLV. In December of that year, Tomlinson fulfilled a promise to his mother by earning his degree in communications from TCU. Today, Tomlinson is one of the school's Trustees. In addition, TCU Athletics and Tomlinson are teaming on The Tomlinson Student-Athlete Development Endowment Fund. Benefiting TCU's Student-Athlete Development Department and the Team America Foundation, the fund supports student-athletes from all 21 of TCU's sports programs to help prepare them for their lives and careers after graduation.

The San Diego Chargers selected Tomlinson in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft, as the fifth overall pick. He had an 11-year NFL career, the majority of which was with the Chargers. Tomlinson signed a two-year, free-agent contract with the new York Jets on March 14, 2010. On June 18, 2012, Tomlinson signed a ceremonial contract with the San Diego Chargers and then immediately announced his retirement.

At the time of his retirement, Tomlinson ranked fifth in NFL history in career rushing yards, second in career rushing touchdowns, and third in career total touchdowns. He was invited to five Pro Bowls, was an All-Pro six times and won consecutive rushing titles in 2006 and 2007, being named the NFL's Most Valuable Player (MVP in 2006. The Chargers retired his No. 21 in 2015.

(photo above) The William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in Canton, Ohio,  is the presidential library of 25th U.S. President, William McKinley. The museum contains the largest collection of McKinley artifacts in the world and chronicles the life and career of the 25th President, from his birth to his death at the hands of an assassin.

(photo below) The McKinley National Memorial in Canton is the final resting place of McKinley. Canton was a significant place in McKinley's life; he lived there, practiced as an attorney, and conducted his political campaigns from the town. The memorial was completed in 1907. McKinley's wife, Ida, died that year; she lies next to her husband in the memorial chamber. There are 108 steps from ground level to the top of the monument.

(photos above and below) The Hoosier Gym is a basketball gymnasium located in Knightstown, Indiana. It is famous for being a filming location for the 1986 basketball movie "Hoosiers," starring Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper. The gym was the home court of the movie's Hickory Huskers. For the last several years, the gym has been the site of an annual Hoosiers' Reunion All-Star Basketball Classic, featuring exceptional college players who played their high school basketball in Indiana. TCU senior guard Desmond Bane played in the Classic in 2016, after his freshman season for the Frogs.

(photos above and below) Farms and barns dominate the landscape in Ohio and Indiana. Ohio's food and agriculture industry is the largest industry in the state, with more than 75,000 farms spread over 14 million acres. Poultry, soybeans, corn, pork, dairy and sheep top the state’s commodity list in terms of production value. Corn and soybeans are Indiana's most valuable farm products and Indiana is a leading producer among the states.

(photos above and below) The Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis was completed in 1888. The building is designed in the shape of a cross. A large central rotunda with a glass domed ceiling connects the four wings. The structure is four stories high.

(photos above and below) The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is headquartered in Indianapolis. The NCAA regulates student athletes from 1,268 North American institutions and conferences. It also organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the US and Canada and helps more than 480,000 college student-athletes who compete annually in college sports. The NCAA awards 90 national championships yearly -- 46 women's, 41 men's, and coed championships for fencing, rifle, and skiing.

Victory Field, in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, is home to the Indianapolis Indians baseball team, which is the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates.

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, is home to the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). Former TCU defensive end Ben Banogu is a rookie defensive end for the Colts. He was selected by the Colts in the second round (49th overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft. Former TCU great Jerry Hughes was drafted by the Colts in the first round (31st overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft.  He was the first TCU defensive player selected in the first round since Bob Lilly, who was selected 13th overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1961 NFL Draft. Hughes played for the Colts from 2010 through 2012. Hughes has been a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills of the NFL since 2013.

Bankers Life Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, is the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association.

(photos above and below) Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana, is home to several motor car races, including the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.

The 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to be held on May 24, 2020.

The inaugural Brickyard 400 race was held in 1994. It was the first race other than the Indianapolis 500 to be held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1916.

(photos above and below) First opened in 1886, the Indianapolis City Market is on the National Register of Historic Places and offers tours of the Romanesque underground catacombs. It is a massive food hall, with various vendors, a farmer’s market and a craft beer bar.

(photos above and below) The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, houses an extensive collection of visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas, as well as Western American paintings and sculptures collected by businessman and philanthropist Harrison Eiteljorg.

(photos above and below) The Indianapolis Museum of Art is the ninth oldest and eighth largest encyclopedic art museum in the United States. The permanent collection comprises over 54,000 works, including African, American, Asian and European pieces.

(photos above and below) The Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument is a 284-foot-6-inch neoclassical monument in the center of downtown Indianapolis. It was built over a 13-year period, between 1888 and 1901. The monument's original purpose was to honor Hoosiers who were veterans of the Civil War, however, it is also a tribute to Indiana's soldiers who served during the American Revolutionary War, territorial conflicts that partially led to the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the Spanish-American War. The monument was the first in the United States to be dedicated to the common soldier. It also is the largest outdoor memorial and the largest of its kind in Indiana.

(photos above and below) The Benjamin Harrison Presidential site in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a museum and memorial honoring the only President from Indiana. Harrison was the 23rd U.S. President.

Market Square Arena, which was in downtown Indianapolis from 1974 to 2001, was where Elvis Presley performed his final concert, on June 26, 1977. 

photos above and below) Terra Haute, Indiana, is home to Indiana State University, where Larry Bird played his college basketball.

Bird had a successful three-year career with the Sycamores, helping them reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history with a 33-0 record. Indiana State and Bird played the 1979 championship game against Michigan State and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Michigan State won, 75–6. The game achieved the highest ever television rating for a college basketball game, in large part because of the matchup between Bird and Johnson. Bird earned numerous year-end awards and honors for his outstanding play, including the Naismith College Player of the Year. For his college career, he averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game, leading the Sycamores to an 81–13 record during his tenure. 

The Boston Celtics drafted Bird with the sixth pick in the 1978 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft. Bird started for the Celtics for 13 seasons. Bird was a 12-time NBA All-Star and received the NBA Most Valuable Player Award three consecutive times (1984, 1985, 1986). He played his entire professional career for Boston, winning three NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards. Bird was also a member of the gold-medal-winning 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, known as "The Dream Team."

After retiring as a player, Bird served as head coach of the Indiana Paces from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, Bird was named President of Basketball Operations for the Pacers, holding the position until retiring in 2012. Bird returned to the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations in 2013 and remained in that role until 2017.

Bird is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, NBA Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

The TCU basketball team defeated Indiana State, 90-70, on December 16, 2018, in Fort Worth, as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, which also included at TCU 96-61 victory over USC in Los Angeles. The Frogs also beat the Sycamores, 83-69, on December 25, 2018, as part of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii, which also included TCU wins over Charlotte and Bucknell.

(photos above and below) This past September 14, in West Lafayette, Indiana, against Purdue University, the TCU football team played its first game in Indiana since 1972, when the Frogs lost, 21-0, to Notre Dame.

Purdue is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2019.

TCU defeated Purdue, 34-13, to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Wow! What a game! What a road trip!