The Adventures of Indiana Hannebaum!
He lived there for only the first ten years of his life, but the beauty of rural Indiana always lived in his heart. Everything in nature fascinated him, including fire. Harold W. "Indiana" Hannebaum is a remarkable renaissance man. His extraordinary discoveries made it possible for manufacturers to use glass in fireplaces for the first time, so that we can safely enjoy the visual beauty of fire right in our homes. He is a self-taught expert in natural fuels. A lover of all kinds of animals, including Idaho's wild salmon, he has created several valuable inventions that would renew the ancient salmon runs from high mountain streams to the sea. He has patented only 17 of his approximately 400 inventions, and has donated his salmon run inventions free to everyone for the public good.
Harold Hannebaum is one of the finest storytellers in America, and over the years many people have encouraged him to write down some of his true-life escapades. To our surprise and great pleasure, he finally did it -- writing his autobiography in seven highly entertaining volumes while in his 80's! The stories will undoubtedly become a television series or movie series. The first two books have already been published. People of all ages have read his stories and they describe them like this:
"True Americana."
"Hair-raising real life adventure."
"Better American history than in the history books."
"A fine blend of humor and tragedy."
"They are the best, most original books I've ever read."
"I will return your books only after all of my children have read them."
"The best evocation of the era of the railroad that I have ever read."
"Indiana Hannebaum is Tom Sawyer and Thomas Edison in one."
"I now consider myself a member of the Hannebaum and Jones families."
"These stories fascinate everyone from children to adults."
The King of Metamora
One day I went into the Martindale store, Metamora, Indiana, from school at noon. I told them what I wanted, and simply signed my name for it. I thought this was great--I didn't need any money and could have anything I wanted! I started acting like the King of Metamora! I got anything I wanted simply by signing. Life was really wonderful--until the end of the month when my folks received their statement from the Martindale General Store.
After looking over their bill, Mom and Dad sat me down, and I had lots of explaining to do. When I tried to tell them how you didn't need money in the Martindale's store, I thought they were going to kill me for sure.
That rolling hill country where we lived in southern Indiana was probably one of the best places on Earth for kids to grow up--if they survived. The days were beautiful in every season, and the moonlit nights were full of real fun and adventure.
I'll admit I was awful uncomfortable during the lessons inside the schoolhouse. But I loved to study anything else everywhere I went. It was an exciting time of secrets, new inventions and miracles for a young Hoosier like me.
And then suddenly, I found myself living on a ranch in the middle of the wild West!
Read Book One, The King of Metamora chapter headings.
Discover how to order The King of Metamora and The Magic Valley
Read story summaries of all seven books.
Copyright © 1997 by Harold and Tilda Hannebaum
The Magic Valley
"We have got to get off this train and go back--we have missed our stop somewhere," I shouted. The conductor smiled, put his arm around me and said, "Don't worry, young man. Our next stop is Eden, Idaho. Then the long trip for you and your Mom, all the way from Indiana to the Magic Valley, will be over."
"How did you know that we are from Indiana?" I asked in surprise.
"Well, Mrs. Hannebaum just told me," he replied.
"And why did you call it the 'Magic Valley'?" I asked, with my mind now working overtime.
"You'll find out if you stay here long enough," the conductor replied, with a mysterious look in his eyes.
"Maybe we will be living in this Magic Valley from now on," I told him, adding, "if my Dad comes out here, too." He nodded and smiled.
"Have a good time on your visit to Idaho, ma'am," he said to Mom, touching his hat. "And you enjoy yourself, too, Mr. Indiana Hannebaum!" he said to me, ruffling my hair. No one had ever called me that before, but I kind of liked the sound of it!
Read Book Two, The Magic Valley chapter headings.
Discover how to order The King of Metamora and The Magic Valley
Read story summaries of all seven books.
Copyright © 1997 by Harold and Tilda Hannebaum
Nightmares and Miracles
The unpaved wilderness road here was so smooth and deserted that I pushed down on the gas pedal to make up for lost time. Soon my 1921 Buick convertible was doing fifty with its top down. This flat Idaho country was full of beautiful pines, towering high above us on each side of the lonely road. Soon the moon came up, and straight ahead Bill and I could see the mysterious towering peaks of the Sawtooths.
We were getting very close now to a big clearing. Suddenly the smooth road literally dropped out from under us, and the car sailed flat out through the cool night air for two or three seconds, flying due west.
"STOP, MY GOD, STOP!" Bill shouted. He tried to open the door to get out of the car, but his way was blocked by our two big bedrolls, so he just stood up and jumped overboard.
The Buick hit the water with a giant splash, and I could see a tidal wave rolling away from my car as she settled to the bottom, where the water was four or five feet deep. Bill hit the water with another big splash.
I sat there in the car, suddenly up to my chin in cold lake water. I looked around and saw Bill churning away toward the middle of the lake.
"Bill, come back this way!" I shouted. "You are swimming in the wrong direction!" He stopped, turned around and started to swim back toward the car.
"Why did this have to happen to us?" I thought sadly to myself. It was a nightmare, but it was soon followed by a miracle. A lot of my nightmares seemed to turn out okay--otherwise I guess I wouldn't be around today to tell you about those exciting times!
Read Book Three, Nightmares and Miracles chapter headings. Publisher Note. Read story summaries of all seven books.
Copyright © 1997 by Harold and Tilda Hannebaum
Wings to Fly, If You're Serious
After I got back in the good graces of my flight instructor, I started to bring my beautiful girlfriend, Tilda, along with me to the airport. She really liked to fly, and always looked forward to the next time.
On each flight we would do something different, from tail spins to dropping the plane right out from under us, from stalls to inside loops. She loved every minute of it. And this was one place where I didn't have to worry about having her jump out and run home!
With my farming I was pretty busy, but I went to the airport every chance I got. I didn't care to fly alone much, but I enjoyed going up with Tilda or one of the guys.
One day Tilda's father, Dave, put his foot down. And what he said was the "law" to me.
"Harold," he said, "I must tell you that with Tilda going to high school, she can only go out with you once a week, like on a Saturday night. I want her to keep her grades up, and also I want her to grow up a lot slower."
I knew Dave was serious and there was no use arguing with him, so I agreed to his terms.
This was very hard for me. I knew I had to do something to keep my mind off of Tilda, so I became even more serious about my flying lessons, and that led to a lot of new adventures!
Read Book Four, Wings to Fly, If You're Serious chapter headings. Publisher Note. Read story summaries of all seven books.
Copyright © 1997 by Harold and Tilda Hannebaum
How Answering a Newspaper Ad May Change Your Life
With money we received from the sale of our honeymoon farm near Gooding, Idaho, and also from the sale of some investments, Tilda and I found ourselves loaded with a lot of idle cash. We decided to look for various ways to put our money back to work for us.
It was late spring, the season when insects and snakes come out after their long winter naps. And with the melting of the snow, bands of high-pressure con men also crawl out of their holes to hit the back roads and small towns of America with illegal schemes to load their pockets with cash.
We contacted a number of people, and just to see what would happen, we foolishly mailed a letter in response to a vague advertisement that appeared in the Twin Falls newspaper. The ad promised a good investment opportunity. Ten minutes later, we forgot all about it, and went on to other things.
We didn't realize it then, but answering that ad was like flipping the detonator switch on a hydrogen bomb sitting right in the middle of our lives.
Read Book Five, How Answering a Newspaper Ad May Change Your Life chapter headings. Publisher Note. Read story summaries of all seven books.
Copyright © 1997 by Harold and Tilda Hannebaum
Good-Bye John Kennedy
Tilda and Harold Hannebaum
The 1960's started off with people having more hope for the future than we had seen for a long time, but then came that terrible day when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. A cloud of gloom and doom descended on folks all over the U.S.A. and maybe the rest of the world, too.
I felt it was necessary during the months and years that followed to try to lift our spirits and to try to help everyone around us to feel happier. A lot of other people seemed to feel the same way, and although we got "taken" a few times, the Sixties turned out to be quite a colorful time.
During those ten years, I discovered one invention after another, and carefully recorded each one. By hard experience I was learning that coming up with a great innovation was just the beginning.
We learned that our friends and neighbors held a dubious view of the future of inventing, and actually tried to discourage us from patenting my ideas, so Tilda and I had some big decisions to make all on our own.
Meanwhile, we built a new mountain home. It has been said that a change is as good as a rest, and we loved the nice change and calm of being hidden away in the Wood River Valley--before the storm!
Read Book Six, Good-Bye John Kennedy chapter headings. Publisher Note. Read story summaries of all seven books.
Copyright © 1997 by Harold and Tilda Hannebaum
A Million Dollar Invention
The Hannebaum Royal Carousel Fireplace.
I hope you have enjoyed reading my earlier books in The Adventures of Indiana Hannebaum! series, and if you did, you will not be disappointed with A Million Dollar Invention.
From my days growing up in Indiana and Idaho, I learned that even the darkest clouds have silver linings. I learned that it is best to trust in the future.
As a kid I wished for a crystal ball that would help me to look into the future. It was fun to think about coming up with an idea worth a million dollars. Then, in 1966, lightning struck! An idea that I had first come up with and recorded back in 1949 "went gold" for us.
Crazy things, both good and bad, began to happen to Tilda and me--things no fiction writer could ever have imagined. I hope that the good things encourage you, and that the bad things won't put a "damper" on your outlook.
I hope that you will learn to do lots of your own deep thinking, mystery solving, and trusting in the future during your turn on this wonderful Earth!
Read Book Seven, A Million Dollar Invention chapter headings. Publisher Note. Read story summaries of all seven books.
Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 by Harold and Tilda Hannebaum
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Reviews: The Adventures of Indiana Hannebaum!
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Poetry: A Writer's Life, by Harold W. Hannebaum
Photo Album of Harold W. "Indiana" Hannebaum
Hannebaum Scholarship for Native American Students
Hannebaum Family History Research
THE SHIP MARIANNE, 1843
The Adventures of Indiana Hannebaum! books were edited on a volunteer basis by Larry Christensen, who now lives in San Diego, California. A small amount of family history information was compiled and edited by Christensen to help confirm dates and facts in Harold's seven books. But Harold's memory proved to be so accurate that the information was almost unnecessary for its original purpose. But by then dozens of different families were regularly exchanging family history information. The information became so extensive it has been divided into five books.
To learn more about this family history information, please visit:
Hannebaum Family History Research Site
Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 by L. H. Christensen. Site Launch Date: August 1, 1997.
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Die Abenteuer des Indiana Hannebaum! Deutschsprachige Seiten
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The Passenger List of the Ship, Marianne, 1843.
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Master SiteMapFreundeskreis der Familie Hannebaum / Circle of Friends for the Hannebaum Family
