Did Hazel McNally kill her twins and replace with dolls or had they always been dolls?

Hazel McNally claimed the twin babies she was said to have given birth to were actually dolls. That and other local legends will be discussed in the talk “Insights in History — Local Legends and More” on March 6, 2024, at The History Museum in South Bend.
Hazel McNally claimed the twin babies she was said to have given birth to were actually dolls. That and other local legends will be discussed in the talk “Insights in History — Local Legends and More” on March 6, 2024, at The History Museum in South Bend.

SOUTH BEND — The History Museum presents “Insights in History — Local Legends and More” at 1:30 p.m. March 6 at 897 Thomas St.

Deputy Executive Director Kristie Erickson will explore local legends in her talk, including that of Hazel McNally, who claimed the twin babies she was said to have given birth to were actually dolls, and the story of a South Bend farmer’s steer that ate sticks of dynamite.

A tour of “Indiana Lore” will be offered. The exhibit, presented in conjunction with the Indiana Historical Society, showcases larger-than-life legends and folklore of the Hoosier state.

Through historic photos and original art by the Braintwins, “Indiana Lore” traces the roots of Indiana’s tall tales, from the green-eyed ghost of a bulldog guarding a grave at Terre Haute’s Highland Lawn Cemetery to the Grey Lady who lurks in the children’s book section of Evansville’s Willard Library.

Admission is $3; $1 for members. Reservations are required by March 4.

For more information, call 574-235-9664 or visit historymuseumsb.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Local legends topic of talk at The History Museum