Author Archives: abushnell

Indiana Historical Society Celebrates America’s 250th with Statewide Of the People Concert Series

INDIANAPOLIS (July 3, 2026) – As the nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) invites Hoosiers to experience America’s story through music with Of the People, a statewide concert series featuring the acclaimed Visions Jazz Ensemble. Presented by The Lacy Foundation, the series will […]

Indiana Students Earn Top Honors at 2026 National History Day® Contest

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 18, 2026) – Indiana students earned a first-place finish, multiple Top 10 placements, and earned additional honors at the 2026 National History Day® National Contest, held June 14 – 18. Leading Indiana’s accomplishments, Katie Zhao, Olivia Lim, Stephanie Tan, and Valerie Fu of Carmel High School earned first place in Senior Group […]

Indiana Airman’s Rare Photographs Capture a Side of Vietnam Most Americans Never Saw

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 12, 2026) – Beginning June 13, the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) will present Snapshots of Saigon, an exhibition of rarely seen photographs documenting daily life in Vietnam during the mid-1960s. Taken by Goshen native Mark A. Kurtz during his military service, the images capture street merchants, families, markets, places of worship and […]

Hoosier is a French Word?

What is a Hoosier? Its origins are something that has challenged the best historians and linguists. There are multiple theories, but none seem to provide a satisfactory answer. In 2024, a brief conversation challenged my perspective of its origin. And if so, it could have originated a century before it was used in John Finley’s 1833 […]

North Indiana Students Advance to 2026 National History Day in Indiana State Contest

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) proudly announces that students from across northeast Indiana are advancing to the 2025 National History Day in Indiana (NHDI) State Contest following a successful regional competition on Saturday, February 21. The North regional contest, hosted at John J. Young Middle School, brought together approximately 330 students from DeKalb, Elkhart, Fulton, […]