I often wonder how the thoughts and perspectives of past writers would differ today. Gene Stratton-Porter (1863-1924) is one such writer, a popular novelist and environmentalist during the Golden Age of Indiana Literature alongside contemporaries like James Whitcomb Riley and Booth Tarkington. She was a Renaissance woman of the early twentieth century (before women even […]
On Saturday, January 27, the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) celebrates “Eva Education Day” in Indiana, an annual day of recognition honoring Eva Mozes Kor, Indiana’s most prominent Holocaust survivor, who was 10 years old when her family was taken to Auschwitz. IHS invites guests to the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at […]
The Indiana Historical Society (IHS)’s newest exhibit, Circus City, opens January 20 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, located at 450 W. Ohio St. in downtown Indianapolis. The exhibit explores the circus primarily as a story of people and labor in the 20th century, examining different aspects of the circus in the […]
Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is looking for 300 volunteers around the state of Indiana to serve as judges for the 2024 National History Day in Indiana (NHDI) contests. There is a particular need for judges in the Northwest (Mishawaka) and Central (Carmel) regions. NHDI is a yearlong program dedicated to enhancing history education in Indiana’s […]
Some surnames are more difficult to find in our collection than others. There are many reasons this may be the case, but in this instance, it is the fact that the surname is also a commonplace word: Nation. Not only is it a word in its own right, but it is also a common word […]
The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is proud to announce the winners of its 2023 Festival of Trees holiday exhibit! This year’s Festival of Trees took place November 10 through January 6, featuring a winter wonderland of 78 elaborately-decorated trees representing individuals, families and organizations from around Indiana. Visitors to Festival of Trees were able to […]
This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of my service as editor of the Indiana Historical Society’s quarterly popular history magazine Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History. Since its debut in 1989, Traces has featured nonfiction, narrative articles that are solidly researched, attractively written, and amenable to illustration. In shepherding nearly 100 issues to print, I […]
This is the second installment in our new bimonthly blog series “Revisiting Old Questions.” You can find the first article here. In reviewing a new box of correspondence files from the depths of IHS history, I stumbled upon another great question. This one came from a man in Mitchell, Indiana almost 50 years ago, written […]
Unpopular opinion, I am not a huge fan of “A Christmas Story.” The movie adaptation is 40 years old now, but the origin of the story is that of Indiana author Jean Shepherd’s 1966 book, In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. This opinion is probably particularly sacrilegious as I grew up in Northwest […]
In honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s service to communities, the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is celebrating community and Dr. King’s birthday through music and story as part of a daylong celebration on Monday, January 15. Guests are invited to enjoy free admission and special programs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at […]
