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Historical Marion County Court Record Index Available Online

Teresa Baer — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:20:00 -0400

: Marion County Courthouse, 1920. This building served as the Marion County Courthouse from 1877 to 1962.

The Indiana Digital Archives has made available new materials for researchers interested in Indiana’s heritage. The Marion County Court Records Index includes information on nearly 130,000 court records created between 1822 and 1930. The database includes case files, bonds and licenses, summonses, subpoenas, jury lists and coroner’s inquests.

This index encompasses most of the records transferred to the Indiana State Archives during the early 1960s by the Marion County Clerk. It includes the first session of the Marion County Circuit Court in 1822, the 1829 establishment of a probate court, the courts of common pleas, and the 1871 establishment of the Superior Court of Marion County.

“The inclusion of the Marion County Court records into the Indiana Digital Archives creates one of the best resources for legal research and genealogy in the state,” says Jim Corridan, Indiana State Archivist." This database brings to life the stories of thousands of Hoosiers and the legal conflicts faced by our ancestors.”

While not all of the Marion County Court documents have survived, Marion County court order books and complete record books are available at the State Archives for further research. Marion County court documents created after 1930 are not included in this database.

The Marion County Court records were indexed by Indiana State Archives volunteer Mary Etta Boren, who began working on the project in 2005. Friends of the Indiana State Archives volunteers have been hard at work for nearly two decades creating indices for many of the state's records. From before statehood in 1816 and on through to its approaching bicentennial, Indiana has been home to millions of settlers and immigrants. The Digital Archives enables Hoosiers and people worldwide to view the vast collection of historical and vital records housed at the Indiana State Archives.

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Teresa Baer is managing editor of Family History Publications at the IHS Press, which includes THG: Connections, Online Connections, ethnic and migration history, and children’s and young adult books. She loves playing with her grandkids, exploring the great outdoors and discovering information about her ancestors.

Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. to Kick Off Ivy Tech’s 50th Anniversary Celebration

Teresa Baer — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:20:00 -0500

: Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Dr. Henry Louis Gates presents “Finding Your Roots” at the Kokomo Event and Conference Center (1500 North Reed Road [US 31]) on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

“It is fitting as we look back on the college’s history, reflecting on our roots as an institution, that we kick off the 50th anniversary with a really dynamic, nationally-renowned speaker,” says Susan Maxson, event chair. “No one could be more appropriate than Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.”

Harvard professor, author and literary critic, Gates is an expert in exploring the past. At the core of his work with PBS, Gates examines race, culture and identity through genealogy and history to unveil who we are and where we come from. His presentation will inspire those who attend to find their roots.

Tickets for the event are $50 each, including dinner, and are available for purchase online here. For more information, contact Susan Maxson at (800) 459-0561, ext. 221 or at smaxson@ivytech.edu.

Ivy Tech Community College will officially mark its 50-year anniversary on March 15, 2013, and each of Ivy Tech’s 14 regions will host celebrations throughout the year to commemorate the college’s history. A statewide gala is also being planned for Sept. 6, at the J.W. Marriott in Indianapolis.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public post-secondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system serving nearly 200,000 students annually on campuses throughout Indiana. It offers affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana.

A Must-Attend Workshop by Genealogist Tony Burroughs

Teresa Baer — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:05:00 -0400

: Concert group, employees of the National Surgical Institute, Indianapolis, circa 1890s.

IHS hosts renowned genealogist Tony Burroughs on Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. The Six Phases of African-American Genealogy are what Burroughs has identified as the building blocks of African-American family history research.

Because researchers do not get far only entering family names in Google, they must understand what types of records to seek out first, as well as the obstacles and complexities associated with African-American research. Recognizing the challenges and establishing strong building blocks leads to successes that can be built upon. This program illustrates an overview of the six phases, pointing out methods and sources for each, and progresses from beginning to advanced research.

Burroughs taught genealogy at Chicago State University for 15 years. He is the author of Black Roots: A Beginner’s Guide to Tracing the African American Family Tree and has consulted on genealogies for Rev. Al Sharpton (connecting his ancestors to those of the late U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond), Oprah Winfrey and African American Lives 2 on PBS. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Genealogical Society and is a fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association.

Cost for the class is $10, and $8 for IHS members. Admission to the Indiana Experience on May 21 is complimentary for class attendees, who are also invited to an afternoon screening of the new WFYI documentary Freedom Riders in the Basile Theater at 1:30 p.m. Participants are eligible for two general Library Education Units (LEUs).

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Witnessing a Naturalization Ceremony

Teresa Baer — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 12:50:00 -0400

: Kidist Harting, right, and Aubrey Fields, the author’s granddaughter, shortly after Kidist became an American citizen.

In November 2010, my family and I had the great honor to be invited to a naturalization ceremony. Kidist, a young Ethiopian woman who had married a friend, asked us to share her special day. We jumped at the opportunity – as U.S.-born citizens, we had never witnessed a naturalization ceremony.

The ceremony was held in the midst of the International Festival in Indianapolis. Nearly 200 new citizens waited with their families and friends as the federal district court brought itself to order. My granddaughter, Aubrey, and I were fascinated by the rich blend of clothing, skin shades, hair types and facial features arrayed around us. All the countries of the world were named off, one by one, and individuals from those countries stood to be recognized. There were new citizens from nearly every country!

The federal judge explained the journey these men and women had taken to become citizens, studying U.S. history and government for five years and “jumping through numerous administrative hoops.” It was a long and expensive undertaking, one that those born here would never have to endure. When the judge stated that these new citizens knew our country better than the rest of us, I was shaking my head yes in dumb amazement, with instant respect for these people from across the globe who had wanted so badly something that I had taken for granted all the days of my life.

One more statement caught my attention that day: Naturalization ceremonies take place in cities across the country every month. Think how many hundreds of new citizens from all the corners of the globe we add each year. Far from being a homogeneous nation, the United States is a multi-ethnic country, its growing diversity a continuous infusion of human wealth and opportunity.

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Teresa Baer is managing editor of Family History Publications at the IHS Press, which includes THG: Connections, Online Connections, ethnic and migration history, and children’s and young adult books. She loves playing with her grandkids, exploring the great outdoors and discovering information about her ancestors.

Upcoming Family History Programs

Teresa Baer — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:00:00 -0500

In March, attend a Computer Lab: Navigating the Maze – Finding Indiana Records Online. Discover a wealth of free information available from Indiana’s libraries, state agencies and historical societies with Suzanne Hahn, director, Reference Services, IHS library. Sign up for one of two sessions from 10 a.m. to noon, March 18 or 19. (Librarians: Approved for two technology LEUs)

: Early scene of the Wabash River near Vincennes by Robert Hinshelwood (Courtesy of Bob Dora)

In April, businessman and genealogy researcher Bob Dora will present French-American and French-Canadian Genealogy in the 17th and 18th Centuries from 10 a.m. to noon on April 9, 2011. Journey with Dora through history, sources, methodology and issues in researching French ancestry in the Americas from the early 1600s to the mid 1700s.

The lecture will cover major historical events surrounding the arrival of the French in the Americas, including the LaSalle expedition, discovery of the Louisiana Territory, Indian wars and more. Dora will also discuss important research topics, such as the use of French military “dit” names and major French sources such as Cyprien Tanguay’s Dictionnaire Généalogique des Familles Canadiennes. (Approved for two LEUs)

Dora has worked extensively on French American and French Canadian genealogy. His recent feature in The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections, “Along the Wabash,” details his French ancestry in North America from 1621 through 1799. With coauthor Patricia Obrist, Dora published Remember: The Drury Family, volume 1 (2010), which follows the family from 1066 to the early 1700s. He is currently working on volume 2, the Drury odyssey in the United States.

Both the computer lab and French ancestry lecture have limited seating. Register online at www.indianahistory.org, or call (317) 232-1882 for more information.

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Celebrating Family History’s Friends

Teresa Baer — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:40:00 -0500

IHS makes an annual award in the name of Willard C. Heiss to one or more family historians for their distinguished service and career in Indiana family history. At its annual Founders Day Dinner on Dec. 6, 2010, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, IHS gave awards to Chris McHenry of Lawrenceburg and Evelyn Harper Jackson of Depauw.

Ms. McHenry, pictured below left, is the Dearborn County historian, secretary of the Dearborn County Historical Society and a founding member of the Dearborn County Cemetery Commission. She contributes historical articles to the (Dearborn County) Journal Press and has authored several genealogical and historical books, including The Best Men of Westmoreland, a comprehensive history of the Lochry expedition and battle during the American Revolution.

A regular presenter of historical programs, Ms. McHenry is a recipient of the National Genealogical Society Award of Merit. She is a past board member of several local and state historical organizations and serves on IHS’s Genealogy Programs Advisory Committee.

Ms. Jackson, the IHS’s second award recipient, pictured below right, has gathered data for more than 900 area soldiers who served during the War of 1812, including service information, place of burial and genealogical details. She also instigated the replacement of gravestones that were unreadable, broken or missing.

Ms. Jackson serves the Crawford County community in the Public Library’s Genealogy Department, securing local historical markers, working on the Proctor House Restoration Project and in the Hoosier Elm Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Jonathan Jennings Chapter of the Daughters of the War of 1812. She has received the Sons of the American Revolution’s National Martha Washington Award as well as the “Spirit of Generosity” Award from the Community Foundation of Crawford County.

: Evelyn Harper Jackson with IHS Board of Trustees Chair Thomas Hoback

: Chris McHenry with Thomas Hoback, chair, IHS Board of Trustees

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Teresa Baer is managing editor of Family History Publications at the IHS Press, which includes THG: Connections, Online Connections, ethnic and migration history, and children’s and young adult books. She loves playing with her grandkids, exploring the great outdoors and discovering information about her ancestors.

Searchable Burial Database is Helpful

Teresa Baer — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:50:00 -0500

When the city of Salem began its Web site development in late 2003, administration officials were quick to realize the importance of including information about the city’s many historical assets as part of its presentation. One of these was Crown Hill Cemetery. The number of burials in the cemetery since its creation in 1824 had grown to nearly 11,000. Record keepers had already developed a computer program to manage burial records, which easily converted to a Web format, so the presence of an online database was a certainty.

In developing a searchable database for Web use, great consideration was given to providing a user-friendly environment. Also, realizing that the vast majority of burial sites often exclude mapped access instructions to burial locations, a graphical schematic highlighting specific burial locations was added.

Both the city of Salem and the area’s largest historical and genealogical resource, the John Hay Center in Salem, have web pages that feature searchable database presentations for Crown Hill. In addition, the center also has a number of books on the cemeteries of Washington County that are obtainable by mail or online as well as from its gift shop. Driving instructions to the majority of county cemeteries are also included on this Web site.

Additional plans for online presentations about Crown Hill and the area’s other cemeteries are currently under discussion. Further information about these and other topics of historical and genealogical interest are available by contacting the John Hay Center at (812) 883-6495 or via e-mail at jhc@johnhaycenter.org.

Thanks to Trent Roberson (info@flashport.net) for sharing this information.

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Indiana National Guard Records Index Online

Teresa Baer — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 16:25:00 -0400

Friends of the Indiana State Archives volunteers processed the collection, creating files for individuals, including enlistment papers, service record cards and other records. They entered into a database each soldier’s name, enlistment date, and place of enrollment. Researchers may search thousands of names in the database, dating from 1898 through 1940, on the Indiana Digital Archives web site http://www.indianadigitalarchives.org/Titleinfo.aspx?TID=94.

Then as now, enrollment into the National Guard surged during times of international conflict. Entire regiments mobilized into federal service and saw action during the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the Mexican Border War, and World War I. Hoosier troops also restored order during periods of internal strife, such as the coal mine strikes in Terre Haute during the 1930s.

The quantity of information in a file varies depending upon the period when the individual served. Files for Spanish-American War enrollees typically consist of enlistment cards. Supplemental materials may be available in the Spanish-American War Collection, which includes veterans’ files.

Soldiers who joined around the time of the Mexican Border War or the World War I era, 1916 through 1919, will have physical exam records, enlistment papers and service cards in their files. Sometimes the information includes names and addresses of next of kin, along with a general description of the guardsman/woman, and his or her birth date and place of nativity. Patrons should also check the Book of Merit, the Gold Star Honor Roll and the World War I Service Record and Draft Enrollment collections for these soldiers.

Request copies of the records by contacting:

Indiana State Archives
6440 E. 30th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46219
(317) 591-5222
arc@icpr.in.gov

Thanks to Vicki Casteel, Indiana State Archives, for this information.

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Care and Identification of Historic Family Photographs

Teresa Baer — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 12:15:00 -0400

: Joan Hostetler, owner of Heritage Photo Services in downtown Indianapolis

If you have old family photos that you would like to preserve and pass on to your children or grandchildren, you’ll want to attend Joan Hostetler’s workshop, “Care and Identification of Historic Family Photographs.” It will be held in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center’s Multipurpose Room on the canal level, from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 2.

Formerly employed by the Indiana Historical Society's visual collections and exhibitions departments, Hostetler now owns Heritage Photo Services. She regularly consults with historical societies, museums, libraries and archives throughout Indiana and conducts classes, such as this one, for interested individuals.

Hostetler will teach attendees how to date, interpret and preserve their one-of-a-kind family photographs, from daguerreotypes of the 1840s to today’s digital photographs. She will cover the history of photography, give a hands-on identification of processes and formats, and discuss the best ways to preserve your images. Attendees are invited to bring problematic or interesting photographs for a show-and-tell session.

Hostetler received her master of fine arts in imaging arts and museum studies from the Rochester Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the George Eastman House Photographic Preservation and Archives Management Certificate Program. She specializes in photograph preservation and digital imaging.

The workshop is $15 or $12 for IHS members. Make your reservation soon. The class is limited to the first thirty people who register. Register online or call (317) 232-1882.

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Family History Internet Sites

Teresa Baer — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:50:00 -0400

The Indiana Historical Society’s Midwestern Roots 2010 Conference was hugely successful! Thanks to everyone who participated!

There were so many interesting sessions – from getting started doing research to understanding immigration history to learning about DNA. One session I attended had an unusual perspective: David Rencher, chief genealogical officer for FamilySearch, talked about ways that researchers can collaborate online in order to maximize results on particular research questions. Most of this session dealt with creating small genealogy research groups to deal with ancestors and/or subjects that are of interest to several researchers. Although I don’t want to give away the substance of Rencher’s talk, I would like to share some new and/or enhanced Internet sources he mentioned.

Rencher suggested several helpful Internet sites that are free for researchers. One is Research Wiki, a cyber place, similar to Wikipedia, where researchers can share information and sources. At a quick glance, this looks to be filled with articles about researching particular places – countries and U.S. states. Anyone can contribute, just as in Wikipedia, and, although this is a beta (test) site, there are already hundreds of articles available to view. This site is sponsored by FamilySearch, which also invites family historians to search with the new engine at their beta site.

Rencher mentioned other sites, such as Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness and Find a Grave. One that sounded particularly useful is Footnote Pages. Here, family historians can create files about an ancestor and look up ancestors for free. Information includes birth and death data along with maps that show the birth and death locations. A timeline, showing major historic events pops up with each entry, helping to place individuals within historic context. Membership is free, and members may also post and view images and stories about their ancestors.

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New Family History Book

Teresa Baer — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:20:00 -0400

: Trisha, Maria, and Ray Arredondo on Maria’s 95th birthday in 2004

Those of us involved with “putting on” IHS’s biennial Midwestern Roots Conference are getting excited about seeing old friends, meeting new ones and talking together about family history. The session tracks – about the history and records involved in migration and ethnicity and about DNA and advancing technologies – are sure to be energizing.

One of the events I am especially looking forward to is the signing in the Exhibitors’ Hall of a new IHS Press book – Maria’s Journey by Ramón and Trisha (Hull) Arredondo. This book is the result of an oral history project conducted in northwestern Indiana in the 1970s. Maria Arredondo and her family were interviewed by Professor James Lane of Indiana University Northwest and his colleague Sandy Appleby.

After Ramón “Ray” and his wife Trisha retired, they used the interview tapes and transcripts to write a nonfiction book about Ray’s family that reads like a novel. Maria’s Journey spans from Maria’s birth amidst the Mexican Revolution to her attainment of United States citizenship in 1978. At 14, Maria Perez entered an arranged marriage to Miguel Arredondo. The couple and their tiny daughter immigrated to Texas in the 1920s, living in a boxcar while Miguel worked for a railroad. Within a few years, they settled in East Chicago, Ind., where Miguel helped create the steelworkers union while working for Inland Steel, and Maria worked to make a home for Miguel and their 10 children.

The story includes much of early 20th-century America: the Great Depression, World War II and McCarthyism. However, immigration status adds to the story deportation and generational problems unique to new immigrants. The Arredondos also reveal family dynamics built around trusts broken and dreams lost, allowing readers to witness all the layers family members had to maneuver through to achieve successful American lives.

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Family History Starts Now

Teresa Baer — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:10:00 -0400

My husband and I had a tough week recently, attending funerals for the mothers of two friends. At middle age, as our parents’ generation is melting quickly away, we are becoming the memory bearers of our grandparents’ and parents’ lives. Funerals are wake-up calls to tell their stories – and ours – and record them for posterity.

I was reminded of this missive the day after the funerals. As assistant coach for a Pixie League softball team, I coach first base when our girls, the Cheetahs, are batting. Although Pixies is a teaching league for very young girls, there are some thrilling moments. Here’s one I’d like my grandkids to pass down to their children when they remember me:

A little girl in a bright orange shirt, helmet sliding over her eyes, digging into the red sand at home plate, waiving a pink bat above her shoulder, bouncing on her knees, scowling ferociously; pitcher-coach pointing two fingers at her eyes and back to his, mouthing, “Watch me,” as he prepares to throw the ball; the Cheetahs in the dugout, chanting the batter’s name; her parents yelling encouragement while the other Cheetah parents cheer loudly; the blue-clad girls on the field popping gum, yelling, “Hey batter batter”; blue coaches shouting, “Play’s at first”; blue parents hollering defensive advice – I hear each group distinctly, feel the breeze and the sun on my face. As my feet paw the sand, I watch the batter intently, watch the coach pitch the ball, hear the crack of the bat. And then the spell is broken, and I’m yelling, “Run, Run,” as my batter flies around first base.

This golden moment – this American ritual and my joyous experience of it – this is what I would like my great-grandchildren to know. I’m not just a grandma; I’m a coach!

: Morgan Fields, the author’s 6-year-old granddaughter, at bat. (Courtesy of Jim Wills)

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Creating Family History

Teresa Baer — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:20:00 -0400

Easter came early this year, and in Indiana, the snow had no sooner melted than the air warmed up, the grass turned green, and the trees started budding in earnest. This is the fastest transformation I can remember from one season to the next.

In my family of numerous children, spouses and grandchildren, we get together to color more than 100 eggs, hide and help little ones find candy-filled eggs, and eat a delicious meal together. Although the tradition is relatively new for us, it is one that we cherish, looking into the eyes of the delighted children and realizing that to them, this is how it has always been done. It is their tradition.

After the festivities this year, I had a yearning to go back “home” to visit my paternal grandparents. I knew I could not go back to that magical time when they were alive, but after conducting lunchtime genealogical research the last couple of years, I knew I could find the old cemetery where they and other ancestors I had “found” were buried and visit them there.

So, after Easter egg day with the kids, my husband and I set out to find a graveyard on top of a hill in the southern Indiana forest, a cemetery whose tiny church had long ago been obliterated by a tornado. We circled around until we found it, then planted flowers on the graves of my grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents and one great-great-great grandfather. Surprisingly, I feel not only more connected to them by this small action, I also feel as though I know myself a bit better, which is undoubtedly an auspicious start to the new season.

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Family Historians Mingle

Teresa Baer — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:00:00 -0400

Spring heralds the beginning of conference season for family historians, a time to get away from archives and computers and visit with like-minded people. It’s difficult to unchain myself from deadlines and the office, but I’m always glad I do. Just as the physical exertion of carting books to and from exhibition halls is good for the body, the mental stimulation of conversing with researchers and writers is good for the soul.

Talking with genealogists about their research renews a sense of purpose in me about what I do – mostly alone – the rest of the time. And although answering questions allows me to show off what I’ve learned since beginning my job as editor of The Hoosier Genealogist 10 years ago, I always learn a great deal from researchers – about history as well as about sources and places to find them.

This month, National Sales Coordinator Becke Bolinger and I traveled to the Michiana Genealogy Fair in the beautiful Mishawaka-Penn Public Library. We enjoyed a steady stream of traffic, including a prospective author who is helping index a collection of orphanage registers in the IHS library. The author is exploring how Indiana dealt with orphans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Particularly fascinating is the question of indentured servitude – how active was this tradition in the Hoosier State? We hope to pull the resources together to find the answer – and to index the orphans’ register entries.

Look for Becke; my intern, Karen Wood; and Margaret Bierlein, Public Programs senior coordinator, at the Indiana Genealogical Society conference in Fort Wayne in April. Becke, Margaret and I will also attend the Federation of Genealogical Societies’ conference in Knoxville, Tenn., in August. Before that event, we hope to see you at our Midwestern Roots 2010 conference, Aug. 5 through 7 in Indy!

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