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).
Alan E. Hunter 