The big reveal of Springfield, Illinois Abraham Lincoln scholar Wayne C. “Doc” Temple’s collection of Native American Indian Artifacts at the Richwood, Ohio History Museum.
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, I visited the Richwood, Ohio History museum and library with my wife Rhonda S. Hunter. We dropped off the Temple family collection of Native American Indian artifacts collected over the course of at least two decades from @1900 past World War I. The compilation, contained in an old can of Cocoa, had not seen the light of day for nearly a century. Doc, Springfield Illinois’ premiere Abraham Lincoln scholar for over 60 years, also wrote the definitive book on the subject in 1966, Indian Villages of the Illinois Country: Historic Tribes, and several scholarly articles and papers on the subject for the University of Illinois. The artifacts were dug in the farm fields in and around Richwood Ohio so it seemed fitting that Doc’s collection go back to their place of origin. We were as happy to deliver them as the museum officials were to receive them.
Doc’s arrowhead collection had been stored in this cocoa box for a century.Rhonda Hunter with the piece from the collection that Doc recalled specifically. I believe it is a hammer or tomahawk head.Richwood Museum staffer Dustin Lowe and Alana E. Hunter with Doc’s collection.
Alan E. Hunter’s column, “Bumps in the Night”, has run on the front page of the Weekly View / Eastside Voice / Eastside Herald newspaper in Irvington on the east side of Indianapolis since 2007. Al’s Pop culture based articles have been the genesis of many national and local television and radio programs over the years spurring programs on subjects as varied as Charles Manson to Burger Chef to the mysterious disappearance of ABA star John Brisker and all point in between.
Al has researched, scripted and led the Irvington Ghost Walks since 2002. Al’s tours are roughly 75% history and 25 % ghost stories and folklore. These non-profit tours raise much needed funds for the Eastside Irvington community. In addition, Al has lead similar tours in Greenfield and Cambridge City on the Historic National Road. Al is a former Vice-President and board member of the Indiana National Road Association and is active in Irvington Historic Society. Al is the historian and event coordinator for the Dropping Dimes Foundation which aids the former players of the ABA (American Basketball Association). Al also organized both the 30 year reunion of the ABA held at the Hoosier Dome in 1997 and the 50 year reunion of the ABA festivities at Hinkle Fieldhouse on the campus of Butler University.
Al has co-authored two books on haunted Irvington and two books on the Historic Indiana National Road. In 2013, Al published a compilation of his “Bumps in the Night” articles selected from his column in the Weekly View newspaper. Al also wrote a book on “Haunted Indianapolis” and most recently, a book on the H.H. Holmes relic collection for the benefit of the Irvington Historic Society and the Bona Thompson Memorial Center. The relics detailed in the books were featured in the History Channel 8-part series “American Ripper.” Al and his wife Rhonda appeared in 3 of the segments alongside the Great-great-grandson Jeff Mudgett.
Over the decade, Al has led talks and programs in Irvington that have collected food and personal care items for the Irvington homeless shelter, gathering well over a ton of food, clothing and personal care goods for distribution. A former teacher and baseball coach at Westfield High School, Al graduated from Indiana University and has been married to his wife Rhonda for 30 years. They have 2 children, daughter Jasmine and son Addison, and 2 dogs, Spartacus (Sparky) and Ace (Acey).
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Alan E. Hunter 