Randolph Township in Rising Sun in Ohio County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Joseph Arthur

Local Historical Figure

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 29, 2023

1. Joseph Arthur Marker

Inscription. An American playwright, whose real name is Arthur Hill Smith, lived in Rising Sun before moving to New York. He wrote popular melodramatic plays including Blue Jeans (1890) set in Rising Sun. The play was made into a silent movie.

Erected by Valentine Realty, Donita Valentine (sponsor).

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1890.

Location. 38° 56.811′ N, 84° 51.101′ W. Marker is in Rising Sun, Indiana, in Ohio County. It is in Randolph Township. It can be reached from South Front Street north of 2nd Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is on the sidewalk, by the veterans memorial, along the riverfront. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 122 S Front St, Rising Sun IN 47040, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Indiana.

It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Ohio River Valley,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: War of 1812 (1812-1815) (here, next to this marker); Mexican War (1846-1848) (here, next to this marker); American Revolution (1775-1783) (a few steps from this marker); Main Street Fires (a few steps from this marker); Civil War (1861-1865) (a few steps from this marker); Spanish-American War (1898-1902) (a few steps from

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this marker); The Laughery Club (a few steps from this marker); World War I (1917-1918) (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rising Sun.

Also see . . . Joseph Arthur (playwright). Wikipedia entry on the creator of several popular melodramatic plays in the 1880s and 1890s. (Submitted on May 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Historical Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Baker

2. Historical Marker

The markers lay flat in the sidewalk.

Joseph Arthur (1848-1906) image. Click for full size.

from The Indianapolis News via Wikipedia (Public Domain), circa 1900

3. Joseph Arthur (1848-1906)

His Blue Jeans (1890) may have originated the Hollywood trope of a person strapped onto a log or board that is moving toward a hug buzz saw.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 7, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on May 7, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on June 30, 2024, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 3. submitted on May 8, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.