Stories from Wabash, Indiana
The Dials Journal
Local history, thoughtful living, and better coffee—one story at a time.
Coffee History Community
Historic imagery: Wabash County public-domain archives and the Library of Congress
The Dials Journal
The Woman Who Made a Swamp Famous
Born near Wabash, Gene Stratton-Porter carried northern Indiana’s birds, moths, marshes, and disappearing wetlands into millions of homes—and helped readers see a swamp as something worth saving.
The Woman Who Made a Swamp Famous
Born near Wabash, Gene Stratton-Porter carried northern Indiana’s birds, moths, marshes, and disappearing wetlands into millions of homes—and helped readers see a swamp as something worth saving.
The Woman Who Put Peace on the Syllabus
In 1948, historian Gladdys Muir turned a North Manchester classroom into the world’s first undergraduate peace-studies program—teaching students that peace was something people could study, practice, and build.
The Woman Who Put Peace on the Syllabus
In 1948, historian Gladdys Muir turned a North Manchester classroom into the world’s first undergraduate peace-studies program—teaching students that peace was something people could study, practice, and build.
The Bridge Roann Built Back
Floods took three bridges. An arson fire nearly took the fourth. This is how Roann rebuilt its 1877 covered bridge—and why preservation is never finished.
The Bridge Roann Built Back
Floods took three bridges. An arson fire nearly took the fourth. This is how Roann rebuilt its 1877 covered bridge—and why preservation is never finished.
The Sister Who Chose to Stay
Nearly sixty years after Frances Slocum was taken from Pennsylvania, her birth family found her living along Indiana’s Mississinewa River as Mahkoonsihkwa. She chose to remain with the Miami family...
The Sister Who Chose to Stay
Nearly sixty years after Frances Slocum was taken from Pennsylvania, her birth family found her living along Indiana’s Mississinewa River as Mahkoonsihkwa. She chose to remain with the Miami family...
The Winter Raid on the Mississinewa
In December 1812, U.S. troops entered the Mississinewa River valley, destroyed Miami villages, and faced a dawn counterattack. This Dials Journal story examines both the military result and the human...
The Winter Raid on the Mississinewa
In December 1812, U.S. troops entered the Mississinewa River valley, destroyed Miami villages, and faced a dawn counterattack. This Dials Journal story examines both the military result and the human...
The Hotel Wabash Refused to Lose: Charley Creek...
Hotel Indiana opened in downtown Wabash in 1920, declined with the decades, and returned as Charley Creek Inn after a careful restoration—proof that preservation works best when a landmark becomes...
The Hotel Wabash Refused to Lose: Charley Creek...
Hotel Indiana opened in downtown Wabash in 1920, declined with the decades, and returned as Charley Creek Inn after a careful restoration—proof that preservation works best when a landmark becomes...