The Local History Services department maintains a listing of local historical societies, genealogical societies and official county historians.
Are you trying to find an answer to a specific local history question? Contact a local history resource or the William H. Smith Memorial Library at the Indiana Historical Society.
For questions about these listings or to submit corrections, please contact us at (317)234-0170 or localhistoryservices@indianahistory.org.
What is a county historian?
Each county has one volunteer county historian who promotes local history in their counties and serves as the primary county history contact. IHS and the Indiana Historical Bureau established the County Historian Program in 1981 in an effort to improve the historical communication network in the state. Learn about the county historian program.
Find a dynamic speaker or performer for your organization’s next special program or annual meeting.
At your next event, would you like to meet Abraham Lincoln or learn about Hoosier women’s roles? From the African Methodist Episcopal church to the Wabash and Erie Canal, discover performers, lecturers and first-person interpreters who share local and national history.
The Indiana Historical Society Speakers Bureau is provided as a service to groups and organizations throughout Indiana seeking program topics with a historical flavor. The database allows you to search by keyword, presentation type, even fee (for free programs type “none” into the Fee search field).
NOTE: Enter SB* into the search box to see all of the listings. To narrow your search, click “Advanced Search” and enter SB* into the Object ID field, and then search by keyword or topic.
Contact speakers directly for availability and questions. Financial and travel arrangements can and should be discussed at the time of contact. In many cases, both the speaker’s fees and travel expenses are negotiable.
Interested in being added to the list? Fill out the Speaker Listing Form and send to localhistoryservices@indianahistory.org.
In addition to the Indiana Historical Society and county and local history organizations, there are several statewide organizations that may be helpful for local history research and resources.
Canal Society of Indiana
http://indcanal.org
P.O. Box 10808
Fort Wayne IN 46854-0808
indcanal@aol.com
Indiana Archives and Records Administration
www.in.gov/iara
402 W. Washington St., Room W472
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Indiana Freedom Trails
www.indianafreedomtrails.org
P.O. Box 2917
Indianapolis, IN 46206
Indiana Genealogical Society
www.indgensoc.org
P.O. Box 10507
Fort Wayne, IN 46852
Indiana Historical Bureau
www.in.gov/history
140 N. Senate Ave., Room 130
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Indiana Humanities
www.indianahumanities.org
1500 North Delaware
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Indiana Jewish Historical Society
www.ijhs.org
6705 Hoover Road
Indianapolis, IN 46260
Indiana Landmarks
www.indianalandmarks.org
1201 Central Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Indiana National Road Association
www.indiananationalroad.org
P.O. Box 284
Cambridge City, IN 47327
Indiana State Library
www.in.gov/library
315 W. Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Indiana State Museum & Historic Sites
www.indianamuseum.org
650 W. Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Society of Indiana Pioneers
www.indianapioneers.com
140 N. Senate Ave.
Indianapolis, IN 46204