At eleven o’clock on a Wednesday morning in 1930 government dignitaries and civic leaders gathered to lay the cornerstone for a structure that represented, according to an editorial writer for the Michigan City News, “a new industrial era” for the city—a $9 million generating plant for the Northern Indiana Public Service Company. The writer envisioned […]
Part two of this blog series examines the aftereffects of Urban Renewal Project No. 1 from 1964-1969. The previous blog in this series examines the planning and start of this project from 1957-1963. A new mayoral administration in 1964 noted that Urban Renewal Project No.1 had built no residential buildings. Instead, it parcelled away the […]
It’s National Egg Month. When prices are high like they’ve been this year, one of the most important things, in my opinion, in regards to eggs is their safe transport. It just so happens that the Mapes’ Safety Cushion Egg Flats were produced in my hometown, Griffith, Indiana. I find this to be most eggcellent. […]
Spring is in full bloom throughout our state, sunshine warming the air and the soul. The National Days selected for this month’s installment of our National Day Calendar series reflect this heavenly springtime weather. The image above is a cropped portrait of the Clowes family (from our Clowes Family Collection) taken while on vacation in […]
April certainly begins with a bang, all the tricksters and jokesters pulling out all the stops for April Fools’ Day. You could also think of the saying, “April showers bring May flowers”… My point is, April has a lot going for it. In fact, it includes two days centered on the celebration of two distinct […]
In 1996 the American Welding Society designated April National Welding Month. This honors the trade and the skilled laborers who perform it. Many of the buildings we live and work in contain welds within their structures. Besides these, we encounter welded products throughout the day whether we realize it or not. So, let’s focus on […]
Greetings! My name is Rachel Lewchanin. I interned at IHS for the month of January. I am currently a senior history major (with a concentration in public history) at Taylor University. Before arriving at IHS, my main experience related to public history has been working at my university’s archives and special collections. [Public History describes […]
I LOVE peanut butter, I like peanuts. I grew up a typical 80s/90s kid consuming peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and marshmallow fluff (fluffernutter) sandwiches regularly. I always took enjoying peanuts for granted until my nephew was born with a severe peanut allergy which also became an allergy for my sister. While I […]
I am in the process of digitizing and cataloging a collection of nearly 100 historic Junior League of Indianapolis (JLI) member portraits, which my coworker Matt Holdzkom wrote about in his blog Haunting and Elegant last year. As Matt noted, the photographs are a “rare visual record of these women” at the center of the […]
Sometimes you acquire a collection for one reason and then are pleasantly surprised at the unrelated richness of the material. Let me explain. In 2016 we received donations from the daughter of Mercer Mance and Kathalyn Stuart Mance. This was a collection of things acquired by our dear departed friend and colleague Wilma Gibbs Moore. […]
