Category Archives: Family History

Not all Latinos are Mexican: The Story of a 1920s Peruvian Steel Worker from Gary, Indiana

During Hispanic Heritage month, it is always important to remind people that Latino and Hispanic cultural heritage is not monolithic. When looking at the size of Latin America we see 30+ combined countries and territories. Within these countries and territories are vast differences in spoken language and cultural norms. Fundamentally speaking, no two Spanish speaking […]

The Tyree Family Story

At the Indiana Historical Society (IHS), we recently added some new items from the Frances O. Patterson Papers (M0470) to the African American History Digital Collection. This collection of family papers and photographs was originally donated to the Indiana Historical Society during the Black Women in the Middle West project in the 1980s. It records […]

From the Cataloger’s Desk: Ephraim George Squier’s Collection

Part of my job as a catalog librarian involves tackling backlogged items. Bringing them out of the shadows and making them accessible to the public is always rewarding. I recently discovered an intriguing accession from 1958: a collection of mid- to late 19th century printed materials that belonged to Ephraim George Squier. Many were authored […]

Playing Catch With My Mother

I remember playing catch with my mother, not my father. My father, Gabriel Fraire, taught me plenty about sports. In the early 1960’s he ran the Biddy Basketball program for youth in Gary, Indiana, was President of the Elks Little League baseball organization, and coach of numerous youth teams. He was also a Boy Scout […]

A Passage to Indiana…But to Freedom?

Two years ago, the Indiana Historical Society received an unusual and distinctly unsettling gift. The real story would count among my favorites for compelling, compassionate reasons and among my bleakest for the all-too-obviously unresolved hurt and human degradation linked to its history. At the core of the acquisition: a travel document, legally required for an […]

My Patron Saints of Summer

You know how people have #relationshipgoals or #squadgoals? Well, I have #summergoals, and all my ideal summer dreams are thanks to the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Family and their dreamy compound in Windermere, Muskoka, Canada. Clear blue waters, piney trees, cooler temperatures, picturesque homes, boating around Lake Rosseau on a wooden Runabout, and meals al fresco. It is […]