PRODUCTION SUPPORT FOR THE

"WEEKLY SPECIAL" IS PROVIDED

BY...

>> FOR HUNDREDS, EVEN THOUSANDS

OF YEARS, THE LAND THAT IS NOW

INDIANA HAS BEEN SHAPED BY

TRANSPORTATION.

JOURNEY WITH ANCIENT ANCESTORS,

DISCOVER HOW MODERN INVENTIONS

CHANGED CITYSCAPES IN A NEW

MEMORY CHAIN.

TRAVEL TO NICE TOWN, INDIANA,

HOME OF THE FAMOUS HOOSIERS GYM.

MEET A NEW MUSICIAN WITH AN OLD

SOUL.

STAY TUNED FOR THE STORIES THAT

WILL SHAPE YOUR OWN INDIANA

PERSPECTIVE RIGHT NOW ON "THE

"WEEKLY SPECIAL."

>> WELCOME TO THE "WEEKLY

SPECIAL."

I'M ERICA SAGON.

WALKING FAMILIAR PATHS OR

DRIVING ROUTINE ROADS, IT'S EASY

TO FORGET HOW MANY HOOSIERS HAVE

COME BEFORE US.

TRAVELING ALONG THE EXACT SAME

PATHS CENTURIES AGO.

AND AS OUR NEXT STORY PROVES,

YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MAY LIE JUST

BENEATH YOUR OWN FEET.

>> RIGHT NOW WE'RE STARTING IN

THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE CAVERNS.

THIS IS WHERE THE WATER

CONSTANTLY FLOWS.

WHILE IT'S FLOWING ALONG DOWN

HERE IN THE UNDERGROUND RIVER IT

SLOWLY LITTLE BY LITTLE IS

DISSOLVING AWAY AT THE LIMESTONE

ENLARGING THE PASSAGE YEAR BY

YEAR.

ALTHOUGH NOT ENOUGH YOU WOULD

NOTICE IT IF YOU SAT DOWN HERE

FOR 10 YEARS.

IT IS A RIVER CAVE, SO THE

PASSAGES WE'RE FOLLOWING WERE

TOTALLY CARVED BY THE FLOWING

WATER.

GEOLOGISTS TELL US THESE

UNDERGROUND PASSAGES BEGAN

FORMING ABOUT A MILLION YEARS

AGO.

THAT'S WHEN THE FIRST TINY

TRICKLES OF WATER FLOWED THROUGH

THE CRACKS OF THE LIMESTONE

ENLARGED OVER THE LAST MILLION

YEARS AND EVENTUALLY REACHED THE

SIZE WE SEE TODAY.

IF YOU LOOK BACK IN THE HISTORY

BOOKS IN THE LATE 1800s, THEY

MENTIONED GOING INTO THE

CAVERNS, AND WE ASSUME AT THAT

TIME THEY WERE COMING IN FROM

THE RIVER WHERE THE UNDERGROUND

RIVER AND THE CAVERNS HERE

ACTUALLY JOINS THE OUTSIDE.

THE ENTRANCE WE USE TODAY OPENED

UP OVER NIGHT AFTER A HEAVY

RAIN.

THE BOTTOM DROPPED OUT OF A

SINKHOLE AND THAT'S WHEN THE

MODERN-DAY HISTORY OF THESE

CAVERNS STARTED.

>> IT TOOK THE CURIOSITY OF

LOCAL SPEA LUNKERS TO DISCOVER

THE MAP OF THE CAVERN.

>> I STARTED GOING IN THIS CAVE

IN 1961.

WE SPENT A NUMBER YEARS

EXPLORING AND CAUGHT THE BUG TO

SEE WHAT WE COULD DO AS FAR AS

MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THE

PUBLIC TO SEE IT.

THIS WAS THE CAVE THAT WE FIRST

EXPLORED, AND DISCOVERED LOTS

AND LOTS OF PASSAGES NO ONE HAD

SEEN BEFORE.

SO IT'S KIND OF TRANSFERRED TO

[INAUDIBLE] IN 1974 WE OPENED UP

THE CAVE FOR TOURISM OF THE

PUBLIC.

AS THE MAIN PERSON INVOLVED WITH

SETTING THE WHOLE THING UP TO

BEGIN WITH, THIS IS KIND

[INAUDIBLE] SO I HAVE BEEN HERE

EVERY SINCE.

>> IT'S ONE OF FOUR DEVELOPED

LOCATIONS ON INDIANA'S CAVE

TRAIL.

>> CAVE TRAIL IS REALLY KIND OF

A PAINFUL PROCESS.

YOU CAN'T GO OUT AND HIRE A

CONTRACTOR TO COME AND DO IT.

SO ALL THE WORK THAT WAS PUT IN

IN THE TRAILS, IT'S ALL IN THE

LIGHTS -- INSTALLING THE LIGHTS,

ALL THAT WE DO OURSELVES.

TYPICALLY UNDERGROUND RIVERS

LIKE THIS CAN BE FOUND IN A LOT

OF DIFFERENT SITUATIONS BUT IT'S

RARE TO HAVE THIS MUCH

DEEPWATER.

IT'S PROBABLY THE LONGEST

NAVIGABLE UNDERGROUND RIVER IN

THE COUNTRY.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT OVER THREE

MILES OF PASSAGES YOU CAN FOLLOW

BY BOAT AND THERE ARE A BIT OVER

17 MILES OF TRIBUTARIES, STREAM

PASSAGES, THAT FEED INTO THE

MAIN RIVER JUST LIKE CREEKS

WOULD FEED INTO A RIVER ON THE

SURFACE.

>> THE CAVE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED

INTO AN AWARD WINNING ADVENTURE

DESTINATION OFFERING BOAT TOURS

AND EVEN OVERNIGHT SPELUNKING.

>> WE HAVE BEEN DOING OUR

OVERNIGHT ADVENTURE FOR OVER 40

YEARS NOW AND THIS PROGRAM IS

UNIQUE SET UP FOR YOUTH GROUPS

AGES 9-16.

THEY COME DOWN TO THE CAVERNS.

WE TAKE THEM ON A BOAT TRIP UP

THE RIVER.

THEY GET TO DO A SPECIAL TRIP

OFF TRAIL WHERE THEY USE -- HAVE

HELMETS AND LIGHTS AND GO INTO

THE UNDEVELOPED SECTIONS OF THE

CAVE AND DO A BIT OF CRAWLING

AND CLIMBING, GET VERY DIRTY.

IT'S A WAY OF INTRODUCING THE

YOUTH TO WHAT'S GOING ON

UNDERGROUND.

EXPERIENCE THINGS YOU WON'T SEE

AND WON'T EXPERIENCE SITTING AT

HOME IN YOUR LIVING ROOM OR

WATCHING TV, WHERE YOU ACTUALLY

GET INTO THE ENVIRONMENT AND SEE

IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES.

>> IT'S NO WONDER WHY BLUE

SPRINGS HAS BECOME A FAVORITE

DESTINATION NO MATTER THE

SEASON.

>> IF YOU'D LIKE MORE

INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN

EXPERIENCE THE CAVERNS, VISIT

THEIR WEBSITE AT

BLUESPRINGCAVERNS.COM.

>> JUST AS ADVANCES IN TRANSPOUR

DAITION CARVED THE NATURAL

LANDSCAPE OF THE KANKAKEE RIVER,

SO, TOO, DID THEY CHANGE THE

CITYSCAPES ACROSS INDUSTRIAL

INDIANA.

>> IT MAY SEEM INCREDIBLE NOW,

CONSIDERING HOW DIFFERENTLY THEY

EACH INFLUENCED DAILY LIFE, BUT

THERE WAS A POINT IN TIME WHEN

BICYCLES AND MOTOR VEHICLES LEFT

THE STARTING LINE AT ROUGHLY THE

SAME SPEED.

IN 1885 THE CHAIN-DRIVEN SAFETY

BICYCLE WAS INTRODUCED.

JUST A COUPLE MONTHS AND A FEW

HUNDRED MILES FROM AN EARLY

PROTOTYPE OF AN AUTOMOBILE WITH

A GASOLINE-FUELED INTERNAL

COMBUSTION ENGINE.

INITIALLY THE TOP SPEED OF TWO

WHEELS POWERED BY LEGS AND FOUR

WHEELS POWERED BY PISTONS WAS

ROUGHLY THE SAME.

IT WAS A THRESHOLD THAT STILL

ALLOWED RIDERS AND DRIVERS TO

NOTICE AND EXPERIENCE THEIR

SURROUNDINGS.

FOR A COUPLE DECADES AT LEAST IT

WASN'T HOW FAST ONE COULD GO OR

HOW QUICKLY ONE COULD GET THERE,

BUT, RATHER, ALL THAT HAPPENED

ALONG THE WAY.

ONE DAY IN MAY A GROUP OF

CYCLISTS CAME TOGETHER IN TERRE

HAUTE, INDIANA, A VERY DIVERSE

GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS, SOME WITH

THEIR ARMS AND HANDLEBARS

ENTWINED.

WE'RE AT 1922, A TIME WHEN THE

LEGS OF HUMANS AND HORSES WERE

STILL RELIED UPON FOR MUCH OF

THE DAILY TRANSPORTATION AROUND

AMERICA.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DECADE,

IN FACT, THERE WERE TWICE AS

MANY HORSES AS MOTOR VEHICLES IN

INDIANA.

WITHIN 10 YEARS, THOSE

PROPORTIONS WOULD BE REVERSED

WITH NO LOOKING BACK.

IN 1922 THIS GROUP COULD FIND

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM A DEVELOPMENT

BEING PLANNED FOR THEIR

HOMETOWN.

THE NATIONALLY RENOWNED

ARCHITECT GEORGE KESSLER HAD

PROPOSED A 30-MILE-LONG BRFD

THAT WOULD ENCIRCLE THEIR

RAPIDLY GROWING CITY.

THIS IS THE ONLY REMAINING

SKETCH OF HIS VISION, A GRAND

PAVED THOROUGHFARE WITH A CANOPY

OF BROAD, LEAFY TREES R EVERY

FEW MILES PARK LANDS AND NATURAL

VISTAS SUITABLE FOR PICNICKING,

OR PAINTING.

FOREST PARK.

FAIRBANKS PARK.

HIGHLAND LAWN CEMETERY.

THE WATERWORKS.

AND THE BANKS OF THE WABASH NOT

SO FAR AWAY.

IDEAL FOR AN OUTING YOU WILL

COULD TAKE BY BICYCLE ON A

LOVELY SPRING DAY, EXACTLY WHAT

THIS GROUP WAS PLANNING WHEN

THEY POSED FOR THIS PHOTOGRAPH

ON THAT SATURDAY IN MAY.

GEORGE KESSLER'S VISION WAS

NEVER REALIZED, IN PART BECAUSE

OF WHAT KESSLER HIMSELF WAS

UNABLE TO SEE.

THE RATIO OF TRAFFIC ALONG HIS

PROPOSED BOULEVARD ENVISIONED

FOUR CARS, FOUR PEDESTRIANS AND

TWO HORSES.

THE LEGS OUTNUMBERED THE ENGINES

FOUR TO ONE.

NO BICYCLES PICTURED, BUT NO

WORRIES HERE.

ANYONE IN THIS GROUP WOULD HAVE

TOLD YOU, "I LIKE THOSE ODDS

JUST FINE."

>> IT'S INCREDIBLE TO IMAGINE

WHAT THE CITY MIGHT HAVE LOOKED

LIKE TODAY, BUT FASTER TRANSIT

HAS CERTAINLY MADE IT EASIER TO

EXPLORE YOUR NEIGHBORING

COMMUNITIES AND JESSICA IS HERE

TO SHARE A SUGGESTION.

>> JUST OVER 2,000 CALLED

KNIGHTS TOWN, INDIANA HOME.

IT MAKES A NICE DAY TRIP KIND OF

DESTINATION ALL ON ITS OWN, BUT

IT IS A 1986 MOVIE, HOOSIERS,

THAT MADE IT FAMOUS.

THIS WAS THE GYM ALSO LOCATED

DOWNTOWN THAT SEPTEMBER THE

SCENE FOR THE FILM.

THE GYM HAS BEEN MOSTLY

UNTOUCHED SINCE THE 1950s.

WELL TAKEN CARE OF, IT IS A

COMMUNITY CENTER AND A POPULAR

EVENT VENUE.

THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE MEMORABILIA

AND THE LOCKER ROOM WHERE MANY

MOVIE SCENES WERE FILMED.

BACK IN 1921 THE COMMUNITY

RAISED FUNDS TO BUILD A GYM IN

ORDER TO HELP PAY FOR THE COST

ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING A LARGE

SPACE THEY HAD PROFESSIONAL

BASKETBALL TEAMS AND COLLEGE

PLAYERS TO FORM THEIR OWN LOCAL

TEAM.

IN 1932, FUNDS FROM THE WPA, THE

FEDERAL WORKS PROGRESS

ADMINISTRATION, WERE USED FOR

ADDITION, INCLUDING THE BASEMENT

LOCKER ROOM.

IN 1966 THE GYM WAS CLOSED.

THE GYM SAT UNTIL SOMETHING

WONDERFUL HAPPENED.

THE 1985 FILMING OF THE MOVIE

"HOOSIERS."

RELEASED IN 1986, IT BROUGHT THE

GYM BACK INTO THE LIMELIGHT.

TO SEE THE GYM REALLY HOPPING,

POP IN DURING THE ANNUAL

HOOSIERS REUNION ALL-STAR

CLASSIC, A DOUBLE-HEADER

COMPOSED OF THE TOP INDIANA HIGH

SCHOOL SENIORS.

BUT IF SHOPPING IS MORE YOUR

SPEED, TAKE A LOOK GLATS-COVERED

ANTIQUES.

THERE ARE 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF

VENDOR BOOTHS TO SORT THROUGH.

IT IS EASY TO NAVIGATE, WHICH IS

NO EASESY FEAT WITH ALL THE

NOOKS AND CRANNIES.

IT ISN'T THE ONLY GREAT PLACE TO

BROWSE.

YOU CAN FIND GIFT ITEMS AND

FRESH FLOWERS AT THE IVY LEAGUE

FLORAL AND GIFTS.

DURING OUR VISIT, A MAGICIAN WAS

THERE SHOPPING.

I GUESS MAYBE EVERYONE FINDS IT

A BIT MAGICAL.

DON'T MISS THE HOMEMADE FOOD AT

KNIGHTS TOWN T DINER.

NOT ONLY DO THEY HAVE SOME OF

THE BEST HOMEMADE FRIES IN THE

ENTIRE STATE, AND I SHOULD KNOW,

BUT THEY SERVE UP A PERFECT PORK

TENDERLOIN SANDWICH.

PORTIONS ARE BIG, BUT TRY TO

SAVE SOME ROOM.

THAT DESSERT CASE IS ALWAYS FULL

OF FRESHLY PREPARED TREATS.

WE SAW FOUR KINDS OF PIES ON OUR

VISIT IN ADDITION TO OTHER SWEET

OFFERINGS.

YOU WILL NOT LEAVE HUNGRY.

>> WHAT GREAT PLACE TO SPEND THE

DAY.