Story January 10, 2023
Indiana is one of those places that gets terribly misunderstood. Think about it seriously: the vast majority of people in the United States ignore it almost entirely, with the general exception of major cultural events such as the Indy 500. But Indiana is home to numerous iconic places, people, and events—so much more than just NASCAR. For example, did you know that Michael Jackson himself was born here (in Gary of all places)? It’s true. Indiana is also home to another iconic cultural beacon created by Benjamin Franklin (of all people): the Saturday evening post has been around for more than two centuries, and best of all, it’s our own.
Okay, okay, it was originally printed in Philly, but when the paper moved to Indianapolis, it stayed there — and we’re pretty proud of that. It was this move from Philly to Indy that essentially saved the publication as it struggled with declining readership in the ’60s.
the post Office is famous for all sorts of iconic things, such as being the “discoverer” of internationally acclaimed artist Norman Rockwell, whose portraits of idealized American culture became a household staple by the 1950s (and are easily recognizable as distinct to this day are “his”).
There’s something wonderful and ridiculously fascinating about reading through the back issues, especially those published at the height of the year post Offices popularity; it’s like stepping back in time to a time when things were very, very different – for better or for worse.
It was as if at times it was a living, breathing being that took on a life of its own depending on the interests and culture of the time. This ability to evolve is probably credited for its 200+ year existence.
So what caused the gradual decline in readership for such an iconic zine?
Of course, this is not to say that television is bad (or that the advancement of technology is a negative thing); Publishers just faced new challenges as people stopped relying on printed news – this became a television thing that made the post Office necessary to shift the focus.
Today the Saturday evening post has about 200,000 subscribers and is still going strong. If you want to check it yourself, visit the official Saturday evening post Website – You will be amazed, I promise.
For even more delightful Hoosier State nostalgia, check out Indiana’s 7 Best Drive-In Restaurants when you have a minute.
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