On April 12, 1861, the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter in South Carolina a war that nearly divided this country forever. Battle names, places and dates are often what we think of: the First Battle of Bull Run in July 1861; Antietem in September 1862; Gettysburg in July 1863. […]
It’s stories like the Italian POWs at Atterbury, our newest You Are There, that make me appreciate my family’s roots in Indiana. Because both sides of my family lived in the general area of Atterbury, I grew up with stories about the camp. My mom’s mother moved here at 19 after she married my grandfather […]
My mom has worked at IHS for more than 30 years with the image collections. Conversations while driving downtown or dinnertime discussions often recalled stories from IHS collections to my mom’s mind. Some have to do with buildings now long gone but still seemingly in living memory because of images, and others have to do […]
After going to the popular state parks like Brown County or Turkey Run, we decided that we wanted to see more. Not being from Indiana, but living here most of our lives, we decided that we wanted to explore Indiana. With Lindsay working for the DNR, she knew that Indiana had a lot to offer. […]
Finding Home: Indiana at 200, playing now at the Indiana Repertory Theatre, is a collaboration of more than 30 Indiana writers fiction writers, poets, journalists, historians and playwrights from across the state coming together to celebrate the state’s birthday. Interwoven with songs performed by Hoosier singer-songwriter Tim Grimm, this production allows you to delve into […]
August is one of my favorite months! Why? The Indiana State Fair! My daughter and I have gone to the fairgrounds every year since she was 18 months old; it has become our tradition. We love it the food, the animals, the rides we enjoy every part. Since the Indiana State Fair is my favorite […]
Part of my job the best part really involves looking for collections images to share on Twitter and Instagram. Sometimes these images relate to what is going on in the world or the news. Sometimes they relate a piece of on-this-day history. But sometimes they reflect my mood that day and are spontaneous. I search […]
This week the Central Canal played host to Pokemon hunters from all walks of life. People lined the sidewalks under bridges and visited us, a PokeStop, for perhaps the first time. Let me briefly explain the game for some non-PokemonGo players. The basics: download the PokemonGo app to your smartphone; create your avatar; walk around […]
June is Cole Porter Month at the Indiana Historical Society! On Thursday, June 9, the History Center is hosting the Actors Theatre of Indiana for its Concerts on the Canal performance. The troop will be performing a dedication to Cole Porter and a special cupcake will be available for purchase by Gigi’s Cupcakes to celebrate […]
You Are There: That Ayres Look is nearing the end of its run; it closes Aug. 6. Much like You Are There 1945: Hoosier Home Front the first You Are There Ayres has been one of those exhibits that has an immediate connection to Indiana and especially Indianapolis residents. I predict that You Are There […]
