The Real Dorothy of Oz: A Bloomington Tragedy

Bloomington, Indiana. The year was 1850 in the United States. American Express was founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo. Los Angeles, San Francisco are incorporated as cities in California. And in Bloomington, Illinois, the Bloomington Cemetery was founded. 170 years after its founding, as you travel slightly south of the city center, you enter the now Evergreen Memorial Cemetery on East Miller Street. This old sleepy cemetery has suffered from vandalism and deterioration over its many years.

TIMELINE
1850: The year was 1850 in the United States.
1856: Lyman Frank Baum, or better known as L. Frank Baum, or to his family and friends as Frank, was born on May 15, 1856, in New York.
1898: By November 1898, Frank was putting together the story that Maude had been pushing him to write.
1899: Father Goose, his book, became the best-selling children's book of 1899.
1900: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900.
1956: By the time the book enters the public domain, in 1956, three million copies would be sold.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Bloomington is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 2 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 180 (Hagerstown, Indiana)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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