Before I put the pieces together about El Barrio, I knew of El Nopal Market and the Espinoza family. The market was a small Latino-owned grocery store that was operated by Feliciano “Felix” Espinoza located at 810 North Street. After an introduction to the family, I conducted a group oral history interview with a few […]
As Halloween looms closer, the IHS was abuzz with one of our favorite events of the year – Whodunit? This year was no exception as we celebrated the seventh live murder mystery event based on a real Indiana murder. We’ll share the details of the story on Halloween; for now, I wanted to share the […]
Latino and Hispanic Heritage month (September 15- October 15) brings up a lot of questions and retrospection on what it means to be Latino or Hispanic in the United States. Here are some common questions and insights based on years of presentations and Q&A panels. Background Information About Hispanic Heritage Month: It first began as […]
Indiana’s history is deeply rooted in agriculture from family farms to large-scale corporations, the last week of March is National Farmworker Awareness Week, recognizing their contributions and current issues they face. For over 100 years, foreign farmworkers would be a part of Indiana’s agricultural history. From beets to beef cattle, there is more than corn […]
In November of 2002 at Union Station in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana’s first and only foreign consulate would open its doors to support Mexican citizens. However, this is not the first time in Indiana’s history that there existed a foreign consulate office in Indiana. On that day, no one realized this history began 95 years earlier. […]
The son interested in filmmaking and the mother nurturing his interest approached Owen Hollander at the premiere. The son, an eighth-grade student, wanted to meet an established filmmaker. He wanted to know how Mr. Hollander became a director and shot the film during the late winter of 2020. The film that the aspiring director came […]
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday widely celebrated in the United States since the late 1800s. Ever wonder why? First, you need to understand the history and significance of this day. Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862 where Mexico defeated the French. Those less familiar […]
“Sunny Day Sweepin’ the clouds away On my way to where the air is sweet Can you tell me how to get? How to get to Sesame Street” Since November 1969, children have grown up spending their mornings learning from well-known characters such as Big Bird, The Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie. […]
This post is based on an interview between Bryce Gorman, fundraising educator for Local History Services, and Julie Zasada, executive director of the Cedar Lake Historical Association for 13 years. Through the hard work of Julie and her board, CLHA has received eight Heritage Support Grants. Heritage Support Grants, made possible by Lilly Endowment, Inc., […]
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit and caused shutdowns in March 2020, the Education and Engagement department was busy travelling the state for National History Day in Indiana contests, running in-building programs, and planning for a full summer schedule. When our job centers on engaging Hoosiers around the state, and we’ve traditionally been doing that in […]
