Cartoonist and journalist Frank McKinney "Kin" Hubbard was born in Ohio and worked for the Indianapolis News by 1891, mainly as a political caricaturist. In 1904, he created Abe Martin, a popular folksy and witty cartoon character who reflected Midwestern social attitudes, and whose simple clothes, beard, pipe, and vernacular became iconic to readers. In 1905, Hubbard made Brown County the setting for Abe Martin, adding other characters inspired by the region. By 1930, his comic and articles were nationally syndicated in over 300 newspapers. The state honored him by naming Kin Hubbard Ridge and Abe Martin Lodge at Brown County State Park in 1932, and Hubbard was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 1967.