Features

A County Historian's Talk-Show Moment

Ordinary people and their extraordinary stories come together.

A Family's Search for Avriel Shull

John Kansky and his wife, Martina, didn’t realize when they bought their “quirky” home as a newly married couple 15 years ago that they were buying a piece of Indiana history.

One-of-a-Kind WWII Collection

In early 1945, Master Sgt. Robert J. (Bob) Kennedy was in an area south of Manila awaiting reassignment after his unit was nearly wiped out in the retaking of Philippines.

A Small Organization, Big Job

The all-volunteer Greentown Historical Society has been collecting Eastern Howard County heritage since the late 1990s.

Banding Together to Preserve Treasures

Last year, IHS received a Connecting to Collections grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services to fund a comprehensive assessment of Indiana’s heritage collections needs.

Behind the Journeys

Barb Dirks talks about her own journey gathering the content Destination Indiana.

Bringing Back a 154-Year-Old Book

"Grooms & Smith’s Indianapolis Directory, City Guide, and Business Mirror, or Indianapolis as it is in 1855" appears to be the first full-blown and inclusive directory of businesses and individuals in the rapidly growing Indiana capital

Kids Create History Walking Tours

Our junior historian members created walking tours of historic places in their towns.

Concerts on the Canal

There's no better way to spend a summer evening than at Indy's Thursday night hangout – Concerts on the Canal. Check out the 2013 lineup!

Danger on the River

A rival boat coming into view was a signal to a steamboat crew to fire up the boilers and race ahead.

Did You Know Uneeda Biscuit?

Included in the Indiana Historical Society’s collection is a cache of historical advertising material.

Donor Spotlight: The Kruse Family

Canal Plaza Gets a New Name: Kruse Family Stardust Terrace

Hoosier Justice at Nuremburg

Two judges from Indiana serve on WWII tribunal

Glamour in the Collection

Retired news anchor Howard Caldwell credits his grandmother and parents for instilling in him a love of movies and the theater, but the English Theatre holds a special place in his heart. “It was Broadway in Indianapolis,” he says.

IHS Teams Up with Eiteljorg

Members of IHS may not know that IHS provides outreach services to other institutions in Indiana as part of its mission.

Interpreting the Past

Our Director of Interpretation Daniel Shockley talks about how interpreters work to bring our You Are There experiences to life.

Lew Wallace Letters Go West

The 96,000-square-foot New Mexico History Museum opened its doors for the very first time Memorial Day Weekend, and while taking a comprehensive look at the Western state’s past, it includes some Hoosier history as well.

Meet Michael Thrall

If you’ve been to an event at the History Center, you’ve likely seen Michael Thrall, a legislative assistant with the Democratic Caucus Staff at the Indiana House of Representatives.

Meet the Local History Services Team

Fun facts about our traveling trio

On the Front Lines at History Day

Matt Durrett, the National History Day in Indiana state coordinator, has been actively involved with Indiana students, traveling the state and introducing National History Day at student workshops

Our 180th Year

Charged as a steward of the past, our 180th year brings a new way to live history.

Our Volunteer of the Year

When Fred Koss retired as administrator of a nonprofit social service agency five years ago, he looked into volunteering at several different places until he settled on IHS. “I love libraries,” he says.

Postcards Send Glimpse of Past

A collection of 41 postcards from 1909 to 1953 joins the approximately 15,000 postcards in the IHS collection.

Q&A with Howard County

The Howard County Historical Society was honored with the Outstanding Historical Organization Award by the IHS in 2008.

Steve McQueen: The Great Escape

The poster-child victim of a dysfunctional family from Beech Grove, Steve McQueen experienced an unsettled early life with a rebellious and alcoholic mother.

The Iron-Gall Ink Project

Iron-gall ink was the most common writing media for manuscripts from late classical times until the beginning of the 20th century.

The Native Americans

Native American ancestors inhabited the land of Indiana from around 9500 B.C.

What a Swell Party This Is!

An homage to the life and music of Cole Porter makes its debut in the Cole Porter Room at the History Center.

What Is a Hoosier?

It’s safe to conclude the Hoosher and Hoosier nickname adopted by Indiana residents and for them by their nearby neighbors was derived from the dialect term (probably traceable from England) not uncommon among southern immigrants to Indiana and the Ohio Valley several years before [John] Finley arrived and penned his famous poem "The Hoosier’s Nest."

In Your Neighborhood

We like sitting around with a cup of coffee and talking about ways to make things better in our neighborhood. The IHS Local History Services Department holds get-togethers for local history folks called In Your Neighborhood meetings where we do just that.

Harrison Letter Added to Extensive IHS Collection

A rare Sept. 23, 1812, letter signed by “Willm. Henry Harrison” as Commander of the Army of the Northwest is our newest find.

Donor Spotlight: David Meyer

An Illinois resident helps us acquire our latest William Henry Harrison letter.

IHS Launches Online Access to Historic Newspaper Pages

You can now easily search more than 700 historic Indiana newspapers and newspapers from all 50 states online in our library for free.

Two Outstanding Organizations Answer Three Questions

Indiana Historical Society Director of Local History Services Jeff Harris interviews Bernie J. Vogler, Dubois County Museum president, and Stanley Madison, chairman of the board of Lyles Station Historic Preservation Corporation, to find out what’s going on in their communities.

The American Dream on the Newsstand

Saturday Evening Post covers from the 1950s and early 1960s tell America's story.

Conserving Harrison's Words

Our newly acquired 1812 Harrison letter to William Eustis needed some attention.

Full Steam Ahead

Reflections on the Impact of the First Steamboat on the Ohio River, 1811-2011

19 Stars of Indiana

Exceptional Hoosier Men

Meet Marianne Doyle

Longtime member Marianne Doyle is the Boone County historian and serves on the IHS Public Programs and Outreach Committee

A Glimpse of Carthage on Glass

Last summer, two Collections staff members drove to northern Indiana to retrieve some real treasures.

Extensive Hoosier Family Collection Lands at IHS

Bartholomew County has seen eight generations of the Irwin, Sweeney and Miller families – families who trace their roots in this country to before the American Revolution and in Indiana to before it was a state.

Civil War Home Front Collections Now Online

A digital Civil War Home Front collection of more than 1,200 documents provides insight to the feelings of both Indiana soldiers and their loved ones as they dealt with both the major events of the Civil War and more mundane activities such as farming, keeping house and camp life.

Nature's Storyteller: The Life of Gene Stratton-Porter

The life of a Hoosier environmentalist and writer.

And Know This Place

Featuring the work of 116 Indiana poets

Outstanding Local History Organization

Jeff Harris, director of IHS’s Local History Services department, spoke with the North Manchester Center for History’s Bill Eberly, president of the board, and Nancy Reed, director. Their organization won IHS’s Outstanding Local History Organization Award in 2009.

Canal Collection Returns to Indiana

An East Coast dealer acquired the White Water Valley Canal Co. papers when they went up for auction in Ohio last year.

You Are There 1939: Healing Bodies, Changing Minds

In the latest of our You Are There series, join African-American physician Dr. Harvey Middleton on June 24, 1939, in his office at 2101 Boulevard Place for an open house.

A Life in Public History: A Conversation with John Herbst

John talks to the Indiana Magazine of History in the June 2011 issue.

A Peek into the Big Four Shops of Beech Grove

Black-and-white photographs capture the lives of railroad employees in 1919 and 1923.

Setting the Stage

Cutting a truck in half? Yes, that's in the job description.

Blood Shed in This War

Civil War Illustrations by Captain Adolph Metzner, 32nd Indiana

Justices of the Indiana Supreme Court

Authors explore the lives of the 106 Hoosiers who have been members of the Indiana Supreme Court.

Hot Off the IHS Press

New release The People's Choice: Congressman Jim Jontz of Indiana examines a remarkable long-shot political career and lifetime involvement in local, state and national environmental issues. Read an interview with author Ray Boomhower.

Memories of Holidays Past

Magazine covers capture the spirit of the season.

IHS Seeks Award Nominations

Each year, the Indiana Historical Society recognizes outstanding individuals whose efforts have enriched the lives of others by conveying awareness and appreciation of Indiana’s history on local, regional and statewide levels.

A Home in Our Keeping

Historic Twin Oaks serves as IHS's hospitality center.

Civil War Letter Filled with Bad News, Hope

A soldier from Indiana's African-American regiment shares his thoughts.

Riley's Image Comes Home

Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley is best known for his characters such as Little Orphant Annie and for writing in a country dialect. Karen Celestino-Horseman of Indianapolis donated a rare collection of James Whitcomb Riley images to IHS last year.

Meet Dianne Cartmel

Dianne Cartmel is a native Hoosier. She grew up in Indianapolis, but now makes her home in Brownstown in Jackson County. Mrs. Cartmel served on the IHS Board of Trustees for 11 years and was president when the History Center building was finished in 1999.

Meet Cheryl Engber

A retired professor talks about why IHS is important to her and her family.

For Duty and Destiny

The Life and Civil War Diary of William Taylor Stott, Hoosier Soldier and Educator

Hanna's Town

The story of Wabash unfolds in this new book by IHS Press.

Full Steam Ahead

 

Free Family Fun!

Enjoy free admission to the Indiana Experience and bonus activities every Thursday in June and July during Museum Nights on the Canal.

Hot off the IHS Press

Our newest youth biography examines the daring exploits of a Hoosier flier during his wartime service.

Meet H. Roll McLaughlin

Born in Indianapolis and an IHS member since 1961, Roll McLaughlin, FAIA, architect, is one of the best-known personalities in history circles around the state. He lives in Carmel with his wife, Linda, in a house he designed for his parents.

Robert Wise: Shadowlands

Wes Gehring's new biography examines the life of the iconic Hoosier movie director.

A Billy the Kid Mystery Solved

A "new" Billy the Kid letter is discovered in the IHS collections.

Fair Culture: Images of Indiana Fairs

Photographer Harold Lee Miller presents a beautiful and quirky glimpse of summer in Indiana.

Civil War from Fort Sumter to Emancipation

See items from the beginning of the war to the Emancipation Proclamation through April 13 at the History Center.

Irwin-Sweeney-Miller Family Collection

An extensive archive that documents the lives of a prominent Bartholomew County family is now available to the public for research purposes.

2013 Living Legends Gala

Join us on Friday, July 19, as we honor four people who have made outstanding contributions to our state – Dr. Steven Beering, David Hochoy and Dr. George and Peggy Rapp.

Member Trip: Civil War Crossroads at Chattanooga

Join us Oct. 8 through 11 as we explore Chattanooga battlefields and other notable war sites.