Descendents of Floyd & Grace Lytle

Ken Thompson's Unofficial Medicine Lodge Website

Indianapolis, Indiana

Peg, girl adventurer, was working in Indianapolis earlier this year. She sent us these pictures of the museum and capitol buildings that she visited.

1611, 1612, 1613--I took these pictures of the kids when I was at home. Teresa and the boys were out walking and Evan heard a crying sound in some brush. It turned out to be this little kitten whose mother had either abandoned her kittens or was kept from returning to them. Another kitten didn't make it. This little black jewel was nursed back to life and that's how Evan became a hero--he saved the kitten's life as it was in very bad shape when he found it.

1614, 1616, 1617--These are shots of my studio apartment in Indianapolis. I have stayed in so many of these, like mom says--it looks like home.

I had a grand adventure in downtown Indianapolis. It is the 12th largest city in the US right now. And it is on the move. Hamilton County is the fastest growing economy in the US at this point in time. Ely Lilly headquarters is here, a major drug company. Who knew there was really a Colonial Ely Lilly and he is from Indianapolis? I had a great time looking at the War Memorials in town that honor all services and those who have died in service from Indiana. I thought it was so great of them to have this Memorial. I have also noticed some people have Indiana car tags that look like the US flag and have "In GOD We Trust" on them. My hat is off to the state of Indiana to have the balls to come right out and display our country's motto without worrying about being politically correct. I think all states should have similar offerings of car tags for those of us proud of our country. The first picture is across from the actual Memorial Museum, a square filled with the centering fountain and flowers. It is a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors. It was clean and well maintained. All parking is parallel so I had to wait until I found several in a row empty to pull into as my parallel parking skills are on par with my knowledge of sports stats. The next one is looking across the street to the actual War Museum. It is an older gracious building rich in architecture.

DSCF1620 is looking down the road and the pointed monument poking holes in the clouds is actually in what is known as Circle Monument. It honors the Civil War veterans and Colonial Ely Lilly. It is only several feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty. I presume the old boy on top stabbing at the clouds is Col. Lilly himself.

1621 (left) showed the sculptures on the fountain itself. It looked so cool and inviting. The day was hot and muggy as we were getting ready to have a bit of a shower and so I wondered what the rules were for wading as it really seemed like a good idea. 1622 (right) is off to the side of the fountain and it honors flags of our nation.

1623 (left) shows the top of the Catholic Cathedral bell tower above the green of the trees. Its deep ringing bells scared the hell out of me when it called the pious to Mass. 1624 (right) shows the inscriptions on the entrance of the War Museum honoring all who have served in the different branches. A large emphasis was on Indiana volunteers and their efforts to support our nation under attack. I really enjoyed the War Museum. It told a lot about a community that has pride in itself and its place in this nation.

1625 to 1633--Here are some of the exhibits in the Museum:

1625 (left) was a copy of our Liberty Bell right down to the famous crack. 1626 (right) is a listing of the Medal of Honor winners.

1627 and 1628 (both left) are just some of the interesting exhibits. 1629 (right) has a REAL 13-starred flag. I thought it should be in one of those temperature controlled heavily glassed cases.

1630 through 1632 are more exhibits. I liked 1633 as it was a handmade banner that was carried to war by a local Indiana regiment. Up close you can see the love in each careful stitch the women made.

1634 to 1637--Again just some really nice exhibits in the Museum

1638 to 1641--Again these are of the handmade banners that went to war with the men of the women who made them. They seem so fragile and frail yet you can hear the sounds of gun shot and cries of the dying men as you look at them--they had that part of loud speakers so you couldn't help but be moved by it.

1640 (left) is a little girls flag. It is about 18 inches by 14 inches or what ever the appropriate size would be. Now how many little girls in this day and age would be thrilled to get a homemade flag for a gift? It makes you wonder about our values. 1641 (right) is an interesting 'mask' made of Abe Lincoln's face and hands. It didn't say if he was alive or dead when this was made--perhaps just sleeping as his eyes seemed to be closed.

1642 to 1645--More of the Civil War Memorabilia

1646 to 1650--The Spanish American War and the start of the WW I.

1651 to 1663--The Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming--I wonder if Saddam ever heard that song.

1652, 1653, 1654, and 1655 are all real weapons of war.

1656 (left) is what every well dressed soldier would wear to a mustard gas party. 1657 (left) A nice Indiana soldier shooting at the opposition. 1658 (right) and those low down dirty rotten German shooting back. 1659 (right) what happens to a nice chair when a mortar hits your house.

1660 (left) tells the story of how this Indiana regiment fought in France. 1661 (left) more big guns. 1662 (right) had these bikes with gun mounts on them the Germans used--or maybe we did too. Can you imagine being so out in the open on one of these bikes while soldiers are shooting at you? 1663 (right) is one of the bikes with the gun mounts on it. If you enlarge the pic you can see them. I think they should have left the guns in them to illustrate how they would have looked.

1664 to 1666--Articles of War: shiny swords to run you through, a decorative German helmet, and the famous German Mauser guns.

1667--I enjoy the Women of War exhibits. These righteous babes were starched to the max and probably itched their way through the war.

1668 to 1671--Uniforms and guns--all they needed was a clear target.

1672, 1673--I enjoy the nurses corps exhibits. I get to see a lot of interesting equipment

1674 to 1679--How to plan a battle when you are in WW I notice: no cell phones or PDAs in use. 1678 and 1679 (right) are the walls of the command bunker. Sand bags and all.

1680 to 1691--1680 starts out with the articles Indiana soldiers brought back from their WW II efforts in the Pacific. 1682 is the bell off of the USS Indiana. The next pictures are of the ships and battle groups of the soldiers from Indiana who served on them. 1687 more artillery weapons.

1692 to 1694--More nurses uniforms of the ladies who proudly served. 1694 (right) how would you like to work a 12 hour shift in those shoes?

1695 to 1698--1695 starts important war items. 1698 is a leather jacket worn by those flyboys bombing the crap outta the Germans.

1699 to 1702--Ernie Pyle was a war correspondent who lived in the trenches and covered the war from the blood and guts up. He was killed in action.

1703 to 1706--The USS Indianapolis went down and did have some survivors. Newspapers announcing the end of the war. Oh, joyful day!

1707 to 1708--I took pictures of all four sides of the Holocaust exhibit but only 2 sides showed up on my camera. Pictures of the concentration camps and skeleton remains are a sad blight of mankind's history. What we do to each other in the name of God and Country is a tribute to our darkest hours. (Webmaster's note: I don't think Hitler did this for God or Country, but for his left-wing ideology that was a combination of Socialism and a dictatorship.)

1709 to 1711--Let the victory parties begin.

1712 to 1715--How they lived in their bunkers and camps. 1715--One of Indiana's camps.

1718 & 1719--On to Nam

1720--Desert Storm. 1721--Modern Stealth's ride the air currents above spying and keeping us safe.

1722 to 1726--USS Indianapolis is in this town. This is the reproductions of the command area but the real stuff is on the sub. I hope to tour it too before I leave here.

1727--What is more appropriate to have as your artwork fresco than mortars and grenades in a War Memorial than angels and cherubs?

1728 & 1729--A young man died in Vietnam and his family donated the exhibit in his memory.

1731 to 1737--More of the tribute to Vietnam. The wall exhibit showing the tunnel rats was very interesting. I knew one of the guys from Pratt was a tunnel rat and it brought home to me the fierce audacity he must have had to enter a small tunnel and go hand to hand with the NARVN. I thought the patch on their uniforms was very enlightening.

1738 to 1740--At first glance I just saw a row of jungle vegetation. I suppose I should stick with nursing because I would make a poor soldier. After I did a double take I saw the hidden soldiers in the vegetation. They were difficult to spot at first.

1741 to 1746--They have given tribute to those lost on 9/11 as well. I was trying to get a shot of the part where it said the stone was quarried at from Indiana for the Pentagon but that silly railing just wouldn't get outta my way.

1747 to 1749--And Indiana continues to send its young to do battle in the Middle East.

1750--Out the doors of the museum to look at the fountain spraying water.

1751 to 1760--Walking around the 1 Circle Monument. It is a roundabout that holds an exclusive shopping district and the Monument. The Monument is a little shorter than the Statue of Liberty and I believe the old boy on top is Colonial Ely Lilly himself. It would be fitting since in the bottom of the Monument is the Civil War Museum. 1752 is a store front I thought was interesting. At least they weren't pushing California style vegetables--who told the whole country EVERYBODY liked California style vegetables? But, back to the entrance--I have no idea why the Egyptians decorated that entrance either. It was gold and shiny. 1756 (below) is one of the many intricate lights surrounding the monument. They don't make'em like that any more. 1757 looking up the monument. 1758 this is where you enter to go into the monument up to the observation tower. It costs a $1 and is worth it. 1759 statues surrounding the base of the monument. 1760 the refreshing water fountains that flow around the monument.

1761--The capitol building of Indiana (on the right).

1762 to 1766--I paid $1 and got into this elevator that was the size of a perfume bottle and smelled like one too as the young gal whose elbow was in my side was very fragrant. The elevator was cramped and held 4 of us. A young couple and a man from Australia who was on vacation in the US and was asking me what else was there to see in Indianapolis. I told him I was from Kansas and he was headed for KC next and asked me what to see there. I told him to go to the Plaza, Union Station, and look on the Internet for what he liked to do in the way of museums. He was very nice, with a thick Aussy accent. We could see it coming down from the top as it was all open and all of the heavy cables were really interesting they way they strung up and down. I wished I could have taken pictures of it, but I would have had to blind the Aussy to do it. After the sides narrowed and closed in on you you were dumped out onto a stairway and had to do the last 4 flights of stairs on foot. It was narrow and rough cement stairs. You could look out each four sides and the windows were really dirty. They hadn't been washed in a long time, so that is why it looks so hazy. It was cramped up there and the area we had to walk in was about 24 inches wide. It was also very stuffy and warm. Not some place a fat person needs to be for very long. The Aussy took my picture for me up there and I took his for him. I am glad I made that trip. It was interesting.

1769 to 1785--1769 starts the Civil War Museum in the bottom of the Circle Monument with artifacts of Colonial Lilly and his gang. 1774 shows the way they lived. 1776 exhibit is various trinkets they would have with them. 1778 starts the artillery. 1779 is a very interesting exhibit. This ball was embedded in the tree trunk and is still there after all of these years, on display to delight museum goers.

1786 to 1788--This is civil war medical equipment. Primitive, non-sterile, and painfully inflicted upon the bloodied soldiers. Makes you wonder how they lived through it all.

1789--Camps like this were set up for the night--I guess they did keep the rain off. (on the right)

1790 & 1791--I found this drawing fascinating. It was drawn from memory by a prisoner of war, from Indiana naturally, who was held in this famous civil war prison, Andersonville. I need to get Grandpa Miller's old diary out and check because I thought he was imprisoned in Andersonville, but maybe not. I know he was a civil war prisoner. James Monroe Miller was Grandma Lytle's grandfather who served with a division from Iowa on the Union side and was captured at a place called Red River I believe. He was traded out in a prisoner exchange after being a prisoner for about a year. I know Grandma Lytle would tell me stories about how he almost starved to death and even ate a rat and was proud to have it for food. She said he had to wrap his feet in rags as his boots were taken from him and his other belongings. He had a poncho to keep him warm. I have his Civil War records too. He was married to Nancy (Johnson) and kept a diary of his adventures at war. He was at Vicksburg and on down into the south ending up at Ship Island guarding prisoners at the end of the war. That diary was ripped in half when the family farm caught on fire when my grandmother would have been about 9 years old. Two of his daughters each took a half. I have our half of it. He also played the fife and Martha Chrisman has it. He liked Kansas when he came through during the Civil War, but Nancy was from Iowa and all of her family had neighboring farms, so she didn't want to leave home. When my own great-grandmother was about 5 years old, Nancy died in a really bad winter. I think it was a blizzard of 1872. It was so cold he couldn't get a grave dug for her so he had to wrap her in blankets and store her in the barn loft until the spring. After he buried her, he loaded up all of his 6 kids, a few cows, horses, and chickens and headed for Kansas. He settled around Turon, Kansas and descendents still own the original homestead today. My Great-Grandmother was the youngest of his children. While they were in route to Kansas some Indians came to their camp and traded a spotted pony with sores on it's back for some flour and bacon and a few chickens. That pony became my great-grandmothers. James Monroe Miller is buried in Fort Leavenworth at the old soldiers home where he died at the age of like 92. There are 2 James Monroe Miller's buried at Ft. Leavenworth.

1792 to 1795--What war does.

1796--And outside in the sun light old Daubin waits to take you on a ride through the downtown area.

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