• What is the County Historian Program?

• Who are the county historians?

• How are county historians chosen?

• Are county historians paid?

• What are the responsibilities of the county historians?

• May county historians initiate other programs to meet historical needs in their communities?

• Do county historians have the opportunity to share their ideas and strategies with one another?

• How do I find out who the county historian is for a particular county?

• Whom do I contact if I am interested in being a county historian?

• Do county historians ever recruit assistants to help them with their work?

• What do I do if my question isn't on this list?

What is the County Historian Program?

The County Historian Program was established in 1981 by the Indiana Historical Society  and the Indiana Historical Bureau in an effort to improve the historical communication network in the state.  Each county has one county historian. Through this program, the county historians promote local history in their counties and serve primarily as resource people. The Local History Services Department of the Indiana Historical Society coordinates the program.

Who are the county historians?

Anyone who is well acquainted with the county and its history, able to travel in the county, available for contact, and interested in local history can be a county historian. County historians are full-time teachers, dry cleaners, attorneys, librarians, farmers, history professors, stay-at-home parents, and retired citizens.  While some county historians have master's degrees or Ph.D.s degrees in history, the majority are high school graduates or have bachelor's degrees in subjects unrelated to history.

How are county historians chosen?

Local historical organizations in each county nominate county historians to renewable three-year terms. The Indiana Historical Society  and the Indiana Historical Bureau  appoint the nominees as official county historians. 

Are county historians paid?

No. County historians are volunteers and receive no compensation for their work. However, county historians can charge their patrons for postage or time spent researching the answer to a query. When responding to a request initially, county historians should make sure any fee expectations are fully explained. At a minimum, county historians are expected to reply to a request for help with a list of resources available in the area which may include paid researchers (including the county historian, if desired). Clients can then make informed decisions about how they would like to proceed with their request. Many county historians are affiliated with organizations that provide various forms of support, such as postage, use of a computer, or office space. Requests and circumstances may vary for each county historian, and no specific guideline will fit all situations.

What are the responsibilities of the county historians?

Each Indiana county historian acts as:

• a coordinator of historical information sources for the county he or she serves

• a resource person for historical inquiries from within and without the county

• an emissary of the Indiana Historical Society and the Indiana Historical Bureau, promoting cooperation between local historical organizations while reducing duplication of effort

• an educator able to travel within the county, available for contact, and capable of serving the needs of his or her constituents

• a student willing to devote time and effort to learning new techniques and technologies

• a historian well acquainted with and interested in the county's heritage

 County historians may also:

• encourage membership and participation in the Indiana Historical Society and local historical and genealogical organizations
• help start or reactivate county or local societies in areas where interest exists
• provide input to the county records commission and the Indiana State Archives to assure the proper disposition of local public records and notify the Indiana State Archives regarding illegal destruction of public records
• monitor and report the condition of markers for the Indiana Historical Bureau and encourage the marking of worthy sites
• maintain awareness of individuals, organizations, and sales and auctions, that might have historically valuable items and notify an appropriate repository regarding deposit or purchase
• encourage the local creation of an associate county historian position to add more depth to the gathering and documenting of local resources
• engage in other activities that interest them and meet needs in the community

May county historians initiate other programs to meet historical needs in their communities?

Absolutely!  County historians are encouraged to take stock of the historical needs in their counties and address them as they develop.  Examples of projects county historians have begun are cemetery restoration and mapping, fund-raising for restoration of historical buildings, indexing records, compiling and indexing obituaries from old newspapers, offering genealogy or cemetery restoration workshops, and partnering with schools for programs on history, genealogy, or ethnic studies.

Do county historians have the opportunity to share their ideas and strategies with one another?

Yes. At the annual county historian roundtable, county historians gather for half a day to share stories about the past year's events, fund-raisers, and strategies for successful programs.  In addition, county historians can submit information about their own activities and the upcoming events in their counties to the county historian newsletter Update and to the Local History Services e-mail newsletter COMMUNIQUÉ ONLINE.

How do I find out who the county historian is for a particular county?

A directory of county historians is maintained on the Local History Services' web page.

Whom do I contact if I am interested in being a county historian?

To get more information about how to become a county historian, contact us, Local History Services Director, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, IN  46202-3269; (317) 232-4591.

Do county historians ever recruit assistants to help them with their work?

Yes. County historians may appoint associate county historians to add more depth to the gathering and documenting of local resources.

What do I do if my question isn't on this list?

Write or call the staff of the Local History Services office:

Local History Services
Indiana Historical Society
450 W. Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317/232-4591