Part 1: The Birth of a Legend
In 1963, the world was in a state of flux. JFK had been shot in Dallas, Martin Luther King Jr. had given his “I Have a Dream” speech, segregation was on its way out in the south and the Beatles released their first album. On Friday the 13th of December the Singing Nun had the #1 hit in the country with “Dominique” and in Indianapolis, Indiana…Harold and Lorean Yeagy bought a bar.
And so the Slippery Noodle Inn was born. Harold said in an interview from 1983 that the bar reminded him of his grandfather’s bar in Peoria, Illinois. “I can remember being in my grandfather’s bar when I was 4 years old. When I first walked into this place, it was like going home.”
Harold Yeagy, a larger than life person, was classified 4F in WWII; he joined the USO, emceeing shows, writing jokes and one-liners. These one-liners came into play when it came time to name the new acquisition. According to Harold, “On the night before we had to register a name for the place, the whole family got toge