On Oct. 8, 2018, the Indiana Historical Society hosted Let’s Talk: Indigenous Peoples with representatives from The American Indian Center of Indiana Inc. and the Native American & Indigenous Studies program at IUPUI. It was a great conversation that really helped put so many things in context for me. To recap the discussion for those […]
Here at the Indiana Historical Society, We Do History. That may seem like a blanket statement, but it’s necessary in order to describe the wide range of things we do here every day to make the past relevant for our visitors and patrons. In the library reference department, for example, we respond to more than […]
It seems no place is safe. Last Friday saw a murder here at the History Center during this year’s Whodunit? program. Luckily, we had more than 150 detectives on the case to help us put the clues together, interrogate the suspects, and solve the 90-year-old Evansville crime. The victim in question was named William Bohannon, […]
This Friday, we are staging a murder at the History Center of epic proportions. During Whodunit?, it’s up to you to help us figure out who the murderer was, what weapon they used, and where the murder took place. For one night only, our History Lab will be transformed into a crime lab, the Boardroom […]
Well-behaved women seldom make history. – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich Our collections are full of stories of strong, gutsy ladies bucking tradition and speaking their minds to make their marks on Indiana. As we dive into women’s history month, I’ve dug deep into the archives to highlight just a few of our lesser known Hoosier heroines. […]
Look out, Benson and Stabler: Indiana teachers know their law and order. On Aug. 30, IHS and the Indiana Supreme Court co-hosted a workshop giving 60 teachers from all over the state a peek at the inner workings of our state government, and I was there. It was a full day all morning at the […]
My grandfather passed away three weeks ago. I’m 31 years old, and this is the first grandparent I’ve lost. I consider myself very lucky. After the funeral, we gathered at the house to start going through his stuff. The voice behind the stories was gone but the stuff remained. The bowling trophies and golf equipment. […]
The Indiana Bicentennial Train will make its debut this fall in northern Indiana. An exhibit on the train will look at pieces of Indiana’s 200 years of history while tents outside the train will contain hands-on activities, a first-person interpreter, and a community art space. It will be free to visit, and school groups are […]
History is the past, right? The stuff of long ago dates, names and places. History is what has happened. It is not what is happening or what is going to happen. History, then, is trivia. Truthfully, in too many cases, history is nothing more than trivia. When history is used solely to create timelines and […]
When I was a kid my sister and I would go on summer vacations with our dad. We?d get up early in morning, pile into the (non-air conditioned) car and then find ourselves in exotic locales such as Pigeon Roost or Lincoln City, Indiana. Some of our trips actually crossed state lines. While my friends […]
