Guide to Women's History Materials
in Manuscript and Visual Collections at the
Indiana Historical Society
Originally compiled by
Alexandra S. Gressitt, 1997
Updated August 2000
(Glenn McMullen),
March 2003 (Pam Tranfield), and April 2004 (Glenn McMullen)
This guide describes manuscript and visual collections in the William Henry Smith Memorial Library of the Indiana Historical Society (IHS) that document experiences of women in Indiana, the Midwest, and the Old Northwest Territory. IHS has collected women's history for many years, and in 1986 the Society's Board of Trustees approved women's history as one of eight special collecting areas for the library. At about the same time, the library began working with the Indiana Women's History Archives, Inc. (now the Indiana Women’s History Association, IWHA), an organization founded in 1983. IWHA believed that the recent papers and records of Indiana women and women's organizations were in danger of being lost for lack of a central repository to house them, and a survey funded by the Lilly Endowment confirmed that belief. With support from IWHA over the last 15 years, IHS expanded its collecting goals in women's history to include recent materials as well as materials documenting women's history in the Hoosier state in earlier periods.
For each collection described below the following information is provided:
· Collection title
· Collection number: M (for collections one document case or greater), P for collections made primarily of photographs, graphics, or other visual material, SC (for collections less than one document case), BV (for bound volumes such as scrapbooks and ledgers), OM (for oversize manuscripts less than one box), OMB (for oversize manuscripts one box or greater), F (microfilm), CT (cassette tapes)
· Size of collection: box, folder, volume, microfilm reel, or cassette tape quantities
· The availability of a collection guide describing the collection, usually at the folder level
· Entry number [e.g. A-100] in Eric Pumroy and Paul Brockman, A Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library (Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1986). This guide, available in many research libraries, may provide additional information on the collections for which there are entries.
· Brief description of the collection
Additional access points to manuscript collections include OCLC (Online Computer Library Center, Inc.) and NUCMC (National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections). The library's online catalog is another source of information on manuscript collections. Many collection guides are available on the IHS website. Newly-cataloged collections and collection guides are added to the online catalog and website regularly; please check them for recent additions.
Other subject guides available from the Indiana Historical Society or on our website include:
· Brockman, Paul A. Guide to Ethnic History Materials in Manuscript Collections at the Indiana Historical Society, 2002
· Gibbs, Wilma L. Guide to African American Printed Sources at the Indiana Historical Society, 1997
· -----. Guide to African-American History Materials in Manuscript Collections at the Indiana Historical Society, 2002
One hundred eleven additional women's history collections have added to this guide since 1997, when the first version (and only printed edition) of the guide was published. These collections have been added to this Web edition of the guide, updated in March 2003.
We expect to add newly-processed collections to the Web version of this guide on a quarterly basis. Inserts containing information on new collections will be added to printed copies of the guide to keep them up to date. These printed copies, along with current inserts, are available to researchers at no cost while supplies last.
If you have women's history manuscript materials of potential interest that you might like to donate, or for further information on women's manuscript collections at IHS, contact:
Glenn L. McMullen
Director, Manuscript and Visual Collections
317-234-0047
gmcmullen@indianahistory.org
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
ALBRIGHT, LIBBIE M. Diaries, 1871-1885. 1 manuscript box. Collection guide online. Libbie M. Albright (b. ca. 1858) was the daughter of Joseph Reeder and Margaret (nee Norris) Albright of Saint Joseph County, Ind. She was a founder of the Good Templars Lodge, New Carlisle, Ind. Maude Evans (b. 1878) may have been the daughter of Joseph Albright and Louisa McPhee. The collection includes five diaries written by Libbie M. Albright of New Carlisle, Olive Township, Saint Joseph County, Ind., between 1871-72 and 1874-76. The diaries mainly discuss routine activities of the Albright family and social events in Olive Township. A letter from Maude Evans of Dakota Territory to Ella Albright includes family news and personal questions. Also included is Maude's Bible.
ANDREWS, L. O. Letter, 1937. SC 1972. 1 folder. No collection guide available. Natalie Fenelon, an African American education student at Indiana University, was not permitted, because of segregation, to complete her student teaching at Bloomington High School. The letter in this collection, written by L. O. Andrews, Assistant Director of Supervised Teaching, Indiana University, to Professor Teter in the Physiology Department, requests an excused absence from class for Fenelon to enable her to complete her student teaching at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis.
ARMSTRONG, IRVEN. Collection, 1918–1996 (bulk, 1918–1992). M0745. 1 box. Collection guide online. The collection contains letters written by female students to Sergeant Irven Armstrong. The young women attended Indianapolis Public Schools #17. In general, the letters wish him well, commend his war service, express homefront support of American soldiers, comment on the effects of the 1918 Influenza Epidemic, thank him for keeping America safe for Democracy, and bid him a safe return. The letters, executed with good penmanship, contain the signatures and addresses of the students, all who lived within blocks of the near westside school. All letters are dated 7 November 1918.
ARMSTRONG, JOHN H. Family papers, 1828-1957. M 0410, OM 0112. 3 boxes, 1 folder. Collection guide online. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-9. John H. Armstrong, son of Col. John Armstrong, was a cabinetmaker, lumber dealer, and farmer in La Porte, Indiana. He and his wife Susannah Beggs Armstrong were active in the spiritualist movement. Armstrong's family included Alphonso Adkins, a La Porte railroadman, and Adkins's children Irvin Ryan Adkins and Alta Viola Adkins, a Hammond, Lake County, Indiana, schoolteacher. The collection contains family correspondence (1850–1902), including notes on religion and spiritualism and family genealogy.
BAILEY, AUDRA. Papers, 1965–1991. M 0587. 1 box. Collection guide online. Audra [Snyder] Lindley Bailey was born in Amboy, Marion County, Indiana, in 1909. She graduated from Indiana University in 1930 and received a master's degree in administration from Butler University in 1944. While her teaching career spanned the years 1931–79 she was also active in many civic, service, and church organizations. Materials in this collection--correspondence, committee minutes and reports, high school newsletters and programs, articles and clippings--focus on Audra Bailey's involvement in education and women's rights.
BAILEY, SARAH. Papers, 1820–1895. SC 0040. 6 folders. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-14. Sarah Bailey, born 1835, lived in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana, and married William Gilbert in 1865. The bulk of the papers (1853–72) are from suitors, relatives in Wayne County, and relatives and friends serving in the Union Army during the Civil War.
BAIRD, EMILY J. Letter, 1859. SC 2410. 1 folder. Collection guide online. One item, a letter dated 21 June 1859, written by Emily J. Baird of Cloverdale, Putnam County, Indiana, to her brother William J. Koons, of Bethel, Bath County, Kentucky. The letter describes the writer's garden, the operation of the farm, the people of Indiana, and local trends in weddings.
BAKER, JENNIE. Papers, 1884–1930. M 0434, BV 2144–2145. 1 box, 2 volumes. Collection guide online. Jennie Baker lived in Kendallville, Noble County, Indiana. The collection contains family correspondence to and from Baker, primarily during the Spanish-American War.
BANTZ FAMILY. Photograph album, ca. 1890-ca. 1946. P0289.1 album. Collection guide online. Martin Levi (Mort) Bantz (1876-1954) and Cornelia Ford Bantz (1863-1948) operated the Senate Saloon at 123 Washington Street in Hartford City, Indiana, from ca. 1907 to ca. 1916. The album contains photographs depicting the social and family life of the Bantz family. Included are images of the Bantz children, James (b. 1906) and Florence (b. 1910), employees of the saloon, and candid photographs of groups of women drinking from bottles of beer. Florence Banz, aged about six, also poses with a bottle of beer.
BARLOW, CHARITY. Papers, 1820. SC 2307. 1 folder. Collection guide online. This collection consists of one letter written by Charity Addams Barlow in Princetown (Princeton), Gibson County, Indiana, to her parents in New York, describing various diseases rampant in Indiana during 1820.
BARNARD, HARRY EVERETT. Papers, 1888-1847. M 0010, OM 0115. 18 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize folder, 1 folder photographs. Collection guide online. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-22. Marion Harvie Barnard (1875-ca. 1969) arrived in the United States from England in the 1890s. She married H. E. Barnard, a chemist, ca.. 1901. She was treasurer of the Indiana Equal Suffrage Association and a member of the Woman's Franchise League of Indiana. Alice Harvie Duden (1873-1926) attended Philadelphia Dental College (later Temple University School of Dentistry) and practiced dentistry in Concord, N.H., and Indianapolis, Ind. She also taught at the Indiana Dental College. She was married to Hans Duden, a chemist at Kingan and Company (meat packers). The collection includes personal correspondence of the Barnard and Duden familes, particularly between Harryand Marion Barnard and Alice Harvie Duden. Also included are love letters exchanged between Marion Harvie and HarryBarnard. Included are descriptions of the Naval Proving Grounds at Indiana Head, Md. One letter, signed by Carrie Chapman Catt, concerns the Woman's Suffrage Association. Alice Harvie Duden's letters to the Barnardfamily concern daily life at the Philadelphia Dental College and the problems of establishing a dental practice.
BARNER-JONES FAMILY. Papers, 1828–1971. M 0689, BV 3179–3182, OM 0098. 6 boxes, 4 volumes, 4 folders. Collection guide online. This collection includes papers of the Barner, Collett, and Jones families of Indiana. The bulk of the collection represents the life activities of John Barner (1810–1892) and David M. Jones (1828–1865). Included in the collection are two small series: one of correspondence and diaries relating to Nellie Jones (1858–1905), daughter of David M. and Ellen [Collett] Jones, and a second of Ellen [Collett] Jones (1833–1924), wife of David M. Jones.
BARNETT FAMILY CORRESPONDENCE. ca. 1849–1890. M0733. 1 box. Collection guide online. The collection consists of correspondence of the Barnett family of Cass and Pulaski Counties. Maria (Cook) Barnett wrote most of the letters in the collection, largely to her son George H. Barnett and his family. Maria’s letters detail daily family activities and news. Her later correspondence originated from Logansport, Winimac, and Pleasant Grove, Indiana.
BARNUM, CAROLINE C. Journal, 1851. SC 0063. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Caroline Cornelia Barnum (1833–1911) was a daughter of Phineas T. Barnum (1810–1890). She married David W. Thompson and lived in Connecticut. This collection consists of one bound volume. The first fifteen pages form part of a journal kept by Caroline C. Barnum during April 1851 while accompanying Jenny Lind's concert tour. It describes events as the tour passed through Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Madison, Indiana.
BARTEAU, BETTY SCALES. Research papers, ca. 1994–1997. M 0716, CT 0808. 3 boxes, 1 cassette audiotape, and 4 folders of visual material. Collection guide online. A native of Boonville, Indiana, Barteau was admitted to the Indiana Bar in 1965. She served as deputy prosecutor in Spencer and Warrick Counties, Indiana, practiced law in Marion County, Indiana, and served as Marion County Superior Court judge. Since 1991 she has served as a judge on the Indiana Court of Appeals, fifth district. The collection contains research material collected by Barteau for "Thirty Years of the Journey of Indiana's Women Judges, 1964–1994" published as vol. 30, no. 1 of the Indiana Law Review. Included are questionnaires (with biographical information about participating judges), drafts, notes, photocopied articles, and correspondence.
BECK, MARJORIE. Collection. 1842–1970. M 0669, OM 0349. 9 boxes, 3 folders. Collection guide in library. This collection is the result of genealogical research conducted by the donor, Marjorie Hopper Beck. Miriam Retherford Colvin, dietician, teacher, and world traveler, is one of the family members on whom research was conducted.
BELLAMY, Flavius Josephus. Family photographs. ca. 1860–ca. 1870. P 0330. 4 folders. Collection guide in library. Bellamy was born 4 October 1838 in Switzerland County, Indiana. He represented Switzerland and Ohio Counties in the state senate in 1867 and Ripley and Switzerland Counties in 1869. The collection contains twenty-six cartes-de-visite photographs and six tintypes of Bellamy’s friends and relatives. These include Christine Hart Bellamy and Jennie Snyder Bellamy, a singer.
BEMENT, ANNA L. Letter, ca. 1850. SC 2422. 1 folder. Collection guide online. This collection consists of one letter written about 1850 by Anna L. Bement in Vincennes, Knox County, Indiana, to William H. Law, Evansville, Indiana. She describes her trip, by boat and wagon, with her husband from Evansville, Vanderburgh County, to Vincennes.
BENSON, NELLIE. Letter, 1868. SC 2218. 1 folder. No collection guide available. This collection consists of one letter written by a schoolgirl to her grandmother on 28 February 1868. The writer, Nellie Benson, has recently moved from an unknown location to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her letter discusses school, and her feelings of loneliness.
BISHOP, JOHN M. Diaries and Papers, 1835–1887. M 0465. 2 boxes. Collection guide online. John M. Bishop (1819–1890) was an itinerant Presbyterian minister in Indiana. He married Lucy D. North (1823–?) of Oxford, Ohio, on 10 November 1846. This collection consists of Bishop's diaries and the records of the Lane Seminary Literary Society. Included in this collection is a travel diary of Bishop's sister-in-law, Jane North Lewis (1835–36), detailing her travels in Florida, Louisiana, and New England; a writing book of Bishop's wife, Lucy (1840–70); and an 1855 Salem Female Seminary flyer.
BLACK, MARY. Collection, 1855–1993. M 0675, OM 0303. 6 boxes, 3 folders. Collection guide online. Mary Black (d. 1993) was a 1923 graduate of Butler University and a lifelong resident of Indianapolis. Her father, Frank Morris Black, was related to, and worked for, the Wasson Department Store. A sister, Dorothy, also a Butler graduate, married Charles J. Lynn, an executive of the Eli Lilly Company and philanthropist. The bulk of this collection consists of personal correspondence of Frank and Agnes [Herd] Black and Dorothy and Charles Lynn. Family matters, business concerns, World War I experiences, Butler University class reunions, and the Visiting Nurses' Association are some of the subjects. The collection also includes a 1901 calendar hand-painted by Mary Black. Each of its twelve pages has a colored sketch, together with one or two quotations, some indicating the name of both the author and the person who chose the quotation.
BLACKBURN, DORA ATKINS. Collection, 1926–1978. M 0634. 5 boxes. Collection guide in library. Dora Atkins Blackburn was born in Indianapolis and attended Butler University. After her mother’s death, she and her sister Murray Atkins took over Atkins Flower Shop, started by her mother. Dora Atkins operated the flower shop in Indianapolis for over fifty years. The collection contains several photographs of Blackburn, including a 1910 photograph of Blackburn with three classmates crocheting at school. The collection contains materials related to the Blackburn genealogy; Blackburn’s mother, Dora Graham Atkins; and her father, Calvin R. Atkins, a physician. A 1937 letter from Arthur T. Long refers to an article about Dora Blackburn that appeared in Opportunity, the news magazine of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The collection includes photographs and clippings about the Atkins Flower Shop, including a guest list from the 50th anniversary celebration of the business. Mayor William H. Hudnut proclaimed November 20, 1977 Dora Atkins Blackburn day in Indianapolis. Items relating to Calvin R. Atkins include a copy of the first annual report (1910) of Lincoln Hospital, established by black physicians to serve African Americans in Indianapolis at a time of rigid segregation and critical health care concerns.
BOLTON, SARAH TITTLE BARRETT. Papers, 1832–1893. SC 0108. 1 folder. Collection guide in library. Sarah Tittle Barrett Bolton (1814–1893) was born in Newport, Kentucky, the oldest of six children of Esther Pendleton and Jonathan Belcher Barrett. The family moved to a frontier farm in Indiana on Six-Mile Creek northeast of Vernon in Jennings County while Bolton was still a child. She married Nathaniel Bolton of Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, an editor, in 1831. Later she married Addison Reese. Bolton was a leader in the early movement for women's legal rights and aided Robert Dale Owen in his successful fight in the State Constitutional Convention of 1850 and the legislature of 1851 for personal property rights for married women. This collection includes documents, correspondence, and poetry concerning Bolton's life. There is an 1882 letter from Bolton to W. W. Woolen concerning Robert Dale Owen's efforts during the 1850 Indiana Constitutional Convention to secure rights for women.
BOSTON, DELBERT D. Papers, 1881–1960. M 0314. 3 boxes. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-39. Delbert D. Boston, born 1866, was a barber in Findlay, Ohio, and Harlan, Allen County, Indiana. He married Ella Furney of Harlan in 1889. The collection includes correspondence between Boston and his fiancee and wife and letters from his daughter while attending Indiana Normal School at Terre Haute, Vigo County, in 1908.
BOWERS, SYBIL M. AND CLAUDE G. Letters, ca. 1932–ca. 1952. M 0767. 1 box, 1 folder. Collection guide online. The collection includes sixty-five letters, mostly from Sybil McCaslin Bowers (1879–1958) to Jessie E. Moore (ca. 1881–1962). The women attended Indiana Normal School together and remained friends following Sybil’s marriage to Claude Gernade Bowers in 1911. Jessie E. Moore taught school at Emmerich Manual Training High School in Indianapolis. Claude Bowers served as American ambassador to Spain (1933–1939) and Chile (1939–1953) while Sybil acted as hostess at the embassy residences. The letters, written mostly from France, Spain, and Chile, discuss social activities, the furniture and structure of embassy compounds, and the surrounding countryside. Sybil rarely comments on her husband’s official activities. One letter is from Sybil’s daughter, Pat Bowers, thanking Jessie for a Christmas gift.
BRANDT, MARIE ESTER. Diaries, 1849–1869. M 0024, F 0991–0992. 1 box, 2 microfilm reels. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-43. Brandt was a Quaker Sabbath schoolteacher in Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, and daughter of a farmer and general store owner in Hanover. The diary entries describe daily life, social activities, and Civil War experiences in the towns of Hanover and Madison and at Hanover College.
BRITTS, EDNA EARL BRENT. Diary, 1910. SC 1891. 1 folder. No collection guide available. This diary consists of notes of personal activities and local events in Columbus, Bartholomew County, Indiana, in 1910.
BROKENBURR, ROBERT LEE. Papers, 1941–1973. M 0492, BV 2432–2434, OM 0223. 1 box, 3 volumes, 1 folder. Collection guide in library. While the bulk of this collection pertains to the Indiana senate and judicial career of Robert Brokenburr, it also includes papers (1949–65) of his daughter Alice Olga Brokenburr Ray. Black Women in the Middle West Project.
BROWN, CLAYTON. Letter, 1849. SC 2393. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Millicent Ann Stratton lived in New London, Howard County, Indiana. This collection consists of one letter (15 August 1849) from Stratton to Clayton Brown of Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana. It discusses the cholera epidemic and the town of Boston.
BUCKLEY, SARAH. Letters, 1866–1867. SC 0147. 1 folder. Collection guide in library. Letters from Annie M. Livermore (Mrs. Thomas), Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana; R. Buckley, New Albany, Floyd County, Indiana; and Annie Crawford, La Porte, La Porte County, Indiana; to Mrs. Sarah Buckley, Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Letters concern woolen mills in Pennsylvania and Indiana.
BURCH, BETTY ANN. Papers, 1940–1949. SC 2545. 4 folders. Collection guide online. Betty Ann Burch lived in East Chicago, Lake County, Indiana, during the 1940s. This collection contains items relating to her years at Roosevelt High School to her position as mechanical draftsman at Edward Valve and Manufacturing Company.
CANNON, AMELIA. Papers, 1861–circa 1869. M 0770. 1 manuscript box, 1 photograph. Collection guide online. Amelia M. Cannon (1847-1919) was born near South Milford, La Grange County, Indiana, to farmers William H. and Julian Cannon. After the Civil War she married Morten or Henry Shipe. During the Civil War she received letters from Alfred Shields (ca. 1841-1863) A friend, Hattie Oiler (b. ca. 1848), lived in Noble County, Ind. in 1860. Two letters from Oiler discuss social activities and Hattie's appreciation of practical jokes. Three pencil sketches show landforms, possibly depicting topography near Civil War encampments. Amelia likely wrote original poems contained in the collection.
CASE, LOUELLA I. B. Letter, 1847. SC 0180. 1 folder. No collection guide available. A letter from Louella Case, 2 June 1847, Patriot, Switzerland County, Indiana, to her brother, Levi S. Bartlett, in New Hampshire. The letter describes continued illness, expresses a desire to travel east as soon as possible, and describes a funeral procession, "primitive western towns," the climate on the Ohio River, and medical treatments and rural physicians.
CHAPIN, LUCIUS. PAPERS, 1859–1865. M 0581. 2 boxes. Collection guide in library. The collection consists of 238 letters, the majority of which were written between Lucius P. Chapin and his wife, Alice, during Chapin’s service in the Union Army during the Civil War (1862–1865). Alice wrote from home in Putnam County, Indiana, as well as from her travels in Iowa and Utica (N.Y.?). The couple discussed topics such as the death and morning of their son in September 1862, love and loneliness, financial worries, and the difficulties of one person maintaining a household.
CHESTER, EMMA LEE. Collection, Black Women in the Middle West Project, 1962–1985. M 0498. 2 boxes. Collection guide online. This collection contains correspondence, clippings, award certificates, and materials pertaining to Chester's community, educational, and religious activities. Included in this collection are papers of Julia Davis, a worker for the Marion County Department of Public Welfare. Black Women in the Middle West Project.
CHILDS, HESTER B. Collection, 1944–1987. M 0676. 1 box. Collection guide online. Hester Blanche Childs (1909–1987), although born in Duncan, Mississippi, lived most of her life in Indianapolis. A nurse by profession, Childs was also active in numerous civic and social organizations. The collection contains materials relating to Childs and other family members and highlights her activities in various clubs and organizations.
CHRISTIAN, MARY DUBIN. Journal, 1919. SC 1923. 1 volume. No collection guide available. The collection contains a photocopy of the typewritten transcript of a journal kept by Mary Durbin Christian during a trip she and Ira W. Christian made to Salem, Indiana, in 1919 to research his mother's family history. The account includes reports of visiting with various people, local stories, and rememberances.
CLAPP, MATTIE RAMSEY. Papers, 1878–1903. SC 2506. 4 folders. Collection guide online. Mattie Ramsey Clapp lived in Clark and Scott Counties, Indiana. She began teaching in 1873. By 1878 she was married to G.A. Ramsey, who died or disappeared around 1879. By 1884 she met J. Valentine Clapp, and married him by 1888. In 1892 she was still teaching school. Correspondence, much from the courtship of Mattie Ramsey and J. Valentine Clapp. Other correspondents include friends, family, and teaching colleagues. Topics include the philosophy of agnostic Robert Green Ingersoll and teaching.
CLEMENTS, ELIAS C. Correspondence, February–October, 1865. SC 2638. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Clements was a resident of Huron, Lawrence County, Indiana. During the Civil War he served with the 145th Indiana Regiment from Feb. 1, 1865 to Jan. 21, 1866. The regiment saw service primarily in Georgia, doing railroad guard duty. The collection contains nine letters between Clements and his wife, Sarah, and daughter, Martha, written between February and October 1865. Clements writes of his activities, mainly in Georgia; his wife writes of family matters.
COLEMAN, SALLIE E. Diary, 1889. SC 2453. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Sallie E. [Downing] Coleman (ca. 1860–1947) was the daughter of Col. Michael A. Downing and wife of John H. Vajen, Jr., and then William Henry Coleman. She was an active volunteer for the American Red Cross and the Indianapolis Flower Mission. Coleman's diary describes her wedding trip to Europe with William Coleman, May to September 1889.
COLEMAN, SALLIE E. Scrapbook, 1922–1950. SC 2617. 5 folders. Collection guide online. Sallie E. [Downing] Coleman (ca. 1860–1947) was the daughter of Col. Michael A. Downing and wife of John H. Vajen, Jr., and then William Henry Coleman. She was an active volunteer for the American Red Cross and the Indianapolis Flower Mission. This collection consists of material from a scrapbook kept by Sallie Coleman and includes correspondence, greeting cards, and newspaper clippings, 1922–50.
CONN, HARRIETTE BAILEY. Collection, 1909–1990. M 0692, OM 0370. 9 boxes and 3 oversize folders. Collection guide online. Conn was a native of Indianapolis. She attended Talladega College and in 1955 earned a law degree from Indiana University. From 1955 to 1965 Conn served as deputy attorney general, a position her father had held. She later practiced law, served as a state representative, assistant city attorney, and state public defender. The collection contains materials relating to Conn and her family, her organizational affiliations, and her legal and political career. Included is personal and general correspondence; political campaign materials; items concerning her death and estate; family papers from her children and father, Robert L. Bailey; items and scrapbooks from Conn's student days at Talladega College including letters from her mother, Nelle Vesta Conn; materials relating to her numerous affiliations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Marion County Bar Association; legal appeals, briefs, petitions, summaries, and other case materials from Conn's work as state public defender; miscellaneous materials on local politics and events, obituaries, and newsclippings; photos of Conn and her family; and several artifacts.
COOPER, PAULA. Case records, 1986–1989. M 0565. 2 boxes. Collection guide online. This collection contains letters, petitions, clippings, cards, telegrams, and lists of signatures addressed to the Indiana Supreme Court (1986–89), seeking a reprieve of a death sentence rendered against Cooper (b. 1970) for murder.
COPPEDGE, RUTH WRIGHT. Diary, 1917–1918. BV 2569–2569a. 2 volumes. No collection guide available. Ruth Coppedge served as a nurse during World War I and at City Hospital, Indianapolis. The collection consists of two volumes of a diary Coppedge kept while at City Hospital and later during her employment as an Army nurse from Indianapolis to New York to France by train and ship and her duties caring for the wounded.
COX, JULIA AND SUSANNAH. Papers, 1879–1908. SC 2600. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Julia A. Cox (fl. 1879–1902), of Winchester, Indiana, was a weaver of rugs. She had a sister named Susannah (fl. 1888–1895). This collection consists of correspondence (1879–1908), most of which is in the form of postcards, received by Julia A. and Susannah Cox. The majority of the postcards are requests to Julia for woven rugs.
CRONK, REBECCA. Papers, 1866–1886. SC 2325. 3 folders. Collection guide online. This collection consists of letters written between 1866 and 1886 by Rebecca Cronk to former neighbors who had moved to California. The letters contain details of family and local news from Carroll County, Indiana.
CURRY, JUNE RESNOVER. Collection, 1905–1921. SC 2471, OM 0214. 1 box, 1 folder. Collection guide online. Cora Resnover Hampton (ca. 1890–1945) and Willa Resnover Donaldson (ca. 1894–1978) were daughters of James H. and Narcissus Stokes Resnover. They were educated in the Indianapolis public schools and Teachers' College of Indianapolis (later known as the Blaker College of Education, Butler University). Hampton taught in Indianapolis and Donaldson in Carbondale and Cairo, Illinois. The collection contains materials relating to the professional achievements of the two sisters.
DAILEY, ANNIE BOGAN. Album, 1860–1882. BV 0093. 1 bound volume. Collection guide online. Annie Bogan (fl. ca.1845–1885) spent her early life in Taylorsville, Indiana. She was apparently married from there to Mr. Dailey, whose first name does not appear. She spent part of her married life in southwestern Iowa, and seems to have left Iowa in 1882. She had a son, Morris E. Dailey, and two brothers, William Bogan and S. G. Bogan. The collection consists of a "friendship album" with inscriptions written between 1860 and 1882. Several of the early inscriptions are from school friends; others are from Civil War soldiers, including her brother S. G. Bogan who joined the 91st Indiana Regiment in October 1862. Finally there are entries from later friends in Iowa.
DARBY, ORANGE V. Papers, 1860–1918. M 0079, BV 0998–1006. 3 boxes, 10 volumes. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-79. Orange V. Darby (1853–1903) owned a dry goods store in Kokomo, Howard County, Indiana, and was involved with interurban railroad companies, serving as president of the Indiana Interurban Construction Company. The collection contains personal and family correspondence. There are letters from Darby's daughter, Anne Darby, later Mrs. Carl McCann, while a student at Wellesley in Massachusetts (1902–04) and while in Geneva, Switzerland (1909–10) as well as a series of letters from Elizabeth Vinnedge of Kokomo.
DAY, VINCENT H. Family Collection, 1834–1994. M 0772, OM 396. 3 manuscript boxes, 3 bound volumes, 3 oversize folders, 1 box photographs, 4 folders color photographs, 2 folders oversize photographs, 1 videocassette, artifacts. Collection guide online. Vincent H. Day was born in Kentucky on 4 January 1826. His parents, Ambrose and Joanna Day, were farmers on land they purchased from the government when they moved to Fillmore (Putnam County), Indiana, in 1829. Vincent Day first married Margaret Wilkinson and the union bore five children. Margaret Day and her youngest child died of smallpox in 1865. Following Margaret’s death, Vincent married Lucinda Frank (1842–1927) on 5 December 1866. Their union bore two children, Frank and Ora Day. The collection includes manuscripts, artifacts, printed material, and photographs generated by the Day family of Putnam County, Indiana. Lucinda (Frank) Day Dimler’s materials consist of legal documents from May 1886 to August 1912. These records include a court document concerning Lucinda’s widow claim (against her children and stepchildren) to her recently deceased husband’s land. Also within the series are nine black and white photographs of Lucinda Dimler’s family including herself, her brother Reverend Andrew Frank, her husband William Dimler and his family, and her son Frank with his wife Ida. Other manuscript materials include a contract dated 20 April 1918 between Frank V. Day and his mother asking her to move off his land within thirty days of the arrangement.
DELAPLANE, MARGARET LANDON. Scrapbooks, 1940–1965. M 0318, OM 0174. 3 boxes, 1 folder. No collection guide available. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-84. Delaplane worked for the American Red Cross in Kokomo, Howard County, and in Indianapolis on war relief during World War II and disaster relief in the 1940s and 1950s. The scrapbooks contain Delaplane's letters to her daughter written while on missions for the Red Cross, letters from Red Cross headquarters, thank-you notes from World War II soldiers, photographs, and newspaper clippings relating to her relief work.
DETHRIDGE, LUVENA W. Collection, 1927–1954. M 0523, OMB 0056. 2 boxes. Collection guide online. Mary Luvena [Wallace Dethridge], a daughter of Luther and Laura Wallace, was born in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana. Dethridge attended public schools in Richmond and studied with Samuel Garton, at one time chairman of the music department, Earlham College. The collection, which includes correspondence, program booklets, a passport, newsletters, and a scrapbook, documents Dethridge's career as a lyric soprano. Black Women in the Middle West Project.
DE VANNIECK, MINNIE. Diary, 1901–1902. SC2669. Collection guide in library. Minnie DeVannieck’s pocket diary, kept while she was living in Indianapolis, 1901–1902. It includes activities; financial records; romantic writings; autographs; a biography of Lona Vestal Shaw of Shelby Township, Jefferson County, Indiana; and information on historic houses in the area.
DODGE, MARY ELIZABETH MAPES. Papers, 1867–1869. SC 2359. 1 folder. Collection guide in library. Mary Elizabeth Mapes Dodge, a prominent nineteenth-century author, corresponded with Robert Dale Owen, the eldest son of Robert Owen, social reformer and founder of New Harmony, Posey County, Indiana. This collection contains fifteen letters written by Robert Dale Owen to Mary Elizabeth Mapes Dodge between 1867 and 1869.
DOUGLASS, BENJAMIN PENNEBAKER. Papers, 1809–1891. SC 0110. 5 folders. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-89. Benjamin Douglass (1820–1904), a teacher, merchant, attorney, and politician who made his home in Corydon, Harrison County, Indiana. In 1855 he married Annie Pope (d. 1859), and in 1863 he married Victoria Boone. This collection includes correspondence of Victoria Boone Douglass with family in Indiana and Kentucky, 1851–84.
DOWNEY, VIRTEA. Collection, 1913–1985. M 0511, BV 2497–2498, OM 0333. 1 box, 2 volumes, 1 folder. Collection guide online. This collection contains church histories, programs, newspapers, and newsletters collected by Virtea Maletta Washington Downey from various black Indianapolis churches and materials pertaining to black church women and women's groups. Also included are obituaries of leading church members, memorabilia, and photocopies of photographs. Black Women in the Middle West Project.
DUNN, CAROLINE. Papers, 1887–1993. M 0667, OM 0099. 3 boxes, 2 folders. Collection guide online. Caroline Dunn was born in Indianapolis, the daughter of Jacob Piatt Dunn and Charlotte Dunn. She attended local schools, graduated from Butler University, and earned a library science degree from Columbia University. For eight years she was the public librarian in Connersville, Fayette County, then returned to Indianapolis where she was a librarian at the State Library and the Indiana Historical Society. The collection includes correspondence, club and church papers, historical notes, travel materials, and photographs.
DUNN, GERALDINE (GUTHRIE). Papers, 1954. SC 1734. 1 folder. No collection guide available. Typescript of author’s memories of attending School no. 50 and Washington High School in Indianapolis from 1912 to the early 1920s.
EANS, PAULINE B. Collection, 1926–1981. M 0405. 1 box. Collection guide online. Pauline Eans, who taught nursing at Wishard Hospital School of Nursing (1955–77), was a founder of the Northwest Civic Association and a member of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee. The collection includes materials relating to Eans's professional career and community service. Black Women in the Middle West Project.
EDDY, OLIVE W. Papers, 1866.OM 0196. 1 folder. No collection guide available. Diploma received by Eddy upon graduation from Dearborn Female Seminary, 1866.
ELWELL, MARION. Letter, ca. 1863. SC 2671. 1 item. Collection guide in library. The collection consists of a letter from Marion Elwell of the 7th Indiana Infantry Regiment to Mollie (Margaret) Fowler. The letter discusses his relationship with her, and his longing to call upon her.
ENIX, ELIZABETH M. Papers, 1905–1994. M 0756. 1 box. Collection guide online. Elizabeth M. Enix was born Jane Elizabeth Martin in Indianapolis in 1906. Her affiliations included the National Council of Negro Women and the Women’s Improvement Club. The collection includes correspondence, memoirs, programs, and photographs. The memoirs discuss a number of topics, including Indianapolis buildings, the 1913 Indiana Flood, and the Indiana Avenue neighborhood.
FAIRBANKS, CHARLES WARREN. Papers, 1876–1928. M 0100, BV 1150–1169, BV 2546–2553. 31 boxes, 28 volumes. Collection guide online. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-102. Charles Warren Fairbanks, attorney and politician (1852–1918), married Cornelia Cole in 1874. Cornelia Cole Fairbanks died in 1913. While this collection primarily relates to Fairbanks and his business and political ventures, it also includes materials of his wife, Cornelia, and daughter, Adelaide Fairbanks Timmons Causey. It includes scrapbooks concerning the work of Cornelia Fairbanks as president-general of the Daughters of the American Revolution (1901–05) and a diary (1924–28) kept by Adelaide while in Vevay, Switzerland County, Indiana, and three notebooks (1916–22) with recipes, poetical essays, and reminiscences.
FAIRBANKS, ROBERT C. Papers, 1898–1918.M 0101. 1 box. Collection guide online. Robert C. Fairbanks (1887–1951) was a native of Indianapolis and youngest son of vice president Charles Warren Fairbanks. The collection consists mainly of correspondence from Fairbanks's youth. Many of the letters are from his sister Adelaide.
FANGMEIER, JULIA STRAIN. Collection, 1933–1992.M 0637. 2 boxes. Collection guide online. This collection consists of correspondence, publications, genealogical information, programs, awards and certificates, newspaper clippings, and photographs relating to the life and activities of Julia Strain Fangmeier, an educator, minister, and political activist.
FEATHERSTONE, RAY. Collection, 1930–n.d. M 0737. 2 boxes. Collection guide online. The collection includes a scrapbook created by Joann Buskirk, a student at Shortridge High School during the early 1930s. The scrapbook contains clippings from sporting events, programs from theatrical events and school activities, and personal letters. Photographs in the scrapbook include snapshots from vacations and images of Shortridge High School teachers and students.
FEIL, CATHERINE SCHULTE. Papers, 1861–1893.SC 2227. 1 folder. No collection guide available. Feil was an immigrant who worked in an Indianapolis bakery. The collection contains letters from Feil to her family in Germany describing everyday experiences and family matters.
FLANNER, HILDEGARDE. Letters, 1920–1977.M 0107. 1 box. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-110. Flanner grew up in Indianapolis, attended the University of California at Berkeley (ca. 1920–23), married Frederick Monhoff (1926), and wrote a number of poetry books and plays. The collection includes letters written by Flanner in Berkeley and New York (1920–23) and Altadena, California (1927, 1942), to Martha Hawkins, an Indianapolis friend; and letters written from California to Eleanor Goodall Vonnegut of Indianapolis (1961–76). The letters concern school, California, her writings, and her family, including her sister, writer Janet Flanner (1892–1979).
FLETCHER, EMILY BEELER. Papers, 1825–1918. M 0479, BV 2181–2203, BV 2330–2236, F 0182–0184. 1 box, 30 volumes, 3 microfilm reels. Collection guide in library. Emily Beeler Fletcher (1828–1910) was the wife of Indianapolis farmer and businessman Calvin Fletcher, Jr. During the Civil War she worked as a nurse in hospitals in Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She was one of the founders of the Home for Aged Women in Indianapolis (now the Indianapolis Retirement Home). The collection contains Fletcher's diaries (1863–1901) and the diaries of her daughters Sarah Hill Fletcher Wagner (1863–89) and Emily Fletcher (1866–88). Also included are travel diaries, poetry notebooks, and correspondence.
FORD, LEE (LEOLA) ELLEN. Papers, 1929–1985.M 0469. 89 boxes. Collection guide online. (Leola) Lee Ellen Ford (1917–1997) was a scientist, attorney, educator, and writer who taught at Anderson College, Pacific Lutheran University, Carson College, and Mississippi State College for Women, among others, primarily in the areas of biology and cytology (1950–70). She was sponsor and principal mover for the Companion Collie Program for the Junior Blind (1955–65). In 1969 she was director of the Institute for Basic Research in Mental Retardation, New York, and was executive assistant to Indiana Governor Otis Bowen from 1973 to 1975. The collection contains materials relating to personal, professional, and governmental aspects of Ford's life. It includes correspondence, diaries, biographical information, financial records, legal cases and law school materials, state government reports and memos, professional and literary publications, and photographs.
FORSYTH, WILLIAM. Papers, 1863–1985. M 0691, OMB 0066. 38 boxes, 1 oversize box, and 29 boxes of visual materials. Collection guide online. William Forsyth (1854–1935) was an Indianapolis artist, teacher, and member of the Hoosier Group. The collection contains correspondence, personal papers, and etchings, paintings, and sketches of William Forsyth, and correspondence and papers relating to Forsyth's family, including his wife Alice A. Forsyth, and daughters Constance and Dorothy Forsyth.
FOSTER, FANNIE. Papers, 1933. SC 2713. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Fannie Foster was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on 26 February 1844. In 1867 she married David Foster. The Fosters made their home in Greenwood, Indiana, as farmers. From 1912 to 1937, John E. Boos of Albany, New York, collected documents and letters relating to personal experiences with Abraham Lincoln. Foster's papers include one letter and an additional document from 1933. In the letter dated 18 January 1933, Foster writes to John Boos about her encounters with Abraham Lincoln. She writes that she saw Lincoln in 1861 when he passed through Indianapolis on his way to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration. Foster also says that she heard Lincoln speak at the Old Bates Hotel, now the Capital Hotel. Foster continues saying that she saw Lincoln again in 1865 when he laid in state in Indianapolis. An undated document with a printed illustration of Lincoln chopping wood accompanies the letter.
FOX, O. JAMES. Collection, 1945-2002.P 0266. 5 boxes, 3 folders, color slides, negatives. Collection guide online.O. James Fox was born 2 October 1914 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He arrived in Indianapolis in 1945 as a volunteer with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Fox was assigned to photo-document the slum area on the near west side of the city and became a familiar figure in this community. The images in the collection include portraits of African American women and children in formal social situations and in the urban environment.
FRANKLIN, JOSIE E. RECORD BOOK, 1874–1896.SC 2372. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Josie E. Franklin (b.1856), a daughter of a minister, resided in Henry County, Indiana. The collection consists of a notebook (1874–96), with entries concerning a music course, a partial diary, and expenses (1895–96).
FRENCH, ALICE MOORE. Collection, 1892–1941.M 0458. 1 box. Collection guide online. Alice Moore French (1863–1934) was born in Johnson County, Indiana. She attended Franklin College and the Boston School of Art and Design. In 1887 she married Eli M. French. She founded both the local (1917) and national (1918) divisions of the American War Mothers. Moore also organized an International War Mothers. The collection includes personal and organizational correspondence, genealogical information, and history of the War Mothers.
FRIBLEY, JANE S. Papers, 1975–1987.M 0546. 2 boxes. Collection guide online. Jane Fribley, a 1938 graduate of Indiana University, has been active in many organizations, especially in church and the women's movement. She has served as the National Secretary and as State Legislative Citizen Action Chair for Church Women United, as President of the Indiana Council of Churches, as State Coordinator of the Religious Committee for the Equal Rights Amendment, and on the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. This collection includes correspondence and other papers relating to Fribley's involvement with the Equal Rights Amendment and other women's issues.
FRIEDLEY, JAMES F. Diary, 1865–1893.BV 0573, F 0637. 1 volume, 1 microfilm reel. No collection guide available. The diary in this collection was originally kept (1865) by James F. Friedley, a teacher and clerk in a general store. Friedley's niece, Frankie Cooperider, later recorded her experiences (1890–93) at Moores Hill College in the same diary.
GARR FAMILY PAPERS, 1849–1901. SC 1884. 7 folders. Collection guide in library. Mary Diane Garr was the daughter of John Wesley Garr and Anna Clore. The collection includes letters from Mary Diane Garr in Kentucky to her parents in Kokomo, Indiana, in 1862. Garr was helping nurse her grandfather.
GARRETT, FOREST FLEMING.Collection, ca. 1898-ca. 1930.P 0285. 1 box.Collection guide online. Forest Fleming Garrett (1891-1949) was a teacher at North Ward School in Hartford City, Indiana, from ca. 1910 until her death. She was the widow of D. C. Garrett (1891-1914). Her daughter, Delpa C. Garrett Hoist, was a student at North Ward School. The collection includes photographs of Garrett and Delpha C. Garrett Hoist with students, teachers, and members of a what appears to be a dramatic club.
GASS, JEANETTE CAROLINE. Diary, 1898–1899.BV 0574. 1 volume. No collection guide available. Jeanette Gass lived in Muncie, Delaware County, Indiana, where her father owned a livery. The diary records her daily activities, deaths in the area, and weather conditions.
GATES, NATALIE BRUSH. Papers, 1901–1935.M 0351. 1 box. Collection guide online. Natalie Lombard Brush (ca. 1895–1975) was the daughter of John Tomlinson Brush (1845–1912) and Elsie Lombard Brush. She attended the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and attended Columbia University, the New York School for Social Research, and City College of New York. In 1926 she married hotel owner A. Bennett Gates (1885–1956) of Dayton, Ohio, and in 1965 she married Rene de Gendron. She was active in the Junior League of Indianapolis during the 1920s and became president of the national Junior League. In 1967 Holt published her novel Hush Hush Johnson. This collection contains five letters, a scrapbook of clippings and invitations, and photographs. Two of the letters are from John T. Brush and three from Harry S. New. The scrapbook reflects her career the local and national Junior League.
GIPE, MARTHA L. (BLACK). Papers, ca. 1929. SC 0626. 1 item. No collection guide available. This collection is an account of the founding of the Hayseed Mission on East Washington Street in Indianapolis. The building was never consecrated as a church, but served as an interdenominational venue for community activities, church services, and Sunday School classes. Black discusses the founding of the mission, compares the contributions of the Methodists and the Presbyterians, and recalls games played by children during social hours.
GOENS, LILLIAN MARIE. Collection, 1884–1984.M 0447, OM 0134. 2 boxes, 1 folder. Collection guide in library. Lillian Marie Goens was born in Washington, Daviess County, Indiana, and lived in Indianapolis for sixty-five years. She worked at Wishard Hospital and was active in Barnes United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women. In the early 1970s she was active in the Federation of Associated Clubs and the National Council of Negro Women. This collection includes personal material as well as programs, minutes, and newsletters of organizations with which she was involved.
GOLDTHWAIT FAMILY. Collection, 1897–1938. P O 357. 2 albums, 1 color photograph, printed material, cellulose acetate negatives, 58 loose photographs, 9 cabinet cards. Collection guide in library. Photographer Frances Benjamin Johnson (1864–1952) photographed officers and crew of the USS Olympia in August 1899. Harry Goldthwait (1874–1942) of Marion, Ind., was a shipwright on the Olympia. His portait is included in one album with other members of the Olympia’s crew. Frances Benjamin Johnson operated a photography studio in Washington, D.C. Her family’s social status gave her access to the families of Presidents Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Howard Taft.
GRABLE, JORAM AND LUCY ANN. Papers, 1852–1855. SC 2409. 4 items. Collection guide in library. Lucy Ann Grable was the daughter of Thomas G. and Esther (Hester) Carson. The collection contains four letters from Joram and Lucy Anne Grable to her parents. The letters carry news of family sickness (including the death of a child), Joram's current employment, and of the family's financial situation. In 1855 the family is "destitute," but they keep finding pieces of land, both in Cass and Tipton Counties, which they hope the Carsons will buy for them.
GRAY, BEULAH BRAZELTON. Papers, 1813–1962.M 0391, OM 0262. 11 boxes, 1 folder. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-127. Gray was a reporter and columnist for the Otwell (Pike County) Star (1920–45); editor of the Otwell Star (1929–45); housemother, student nurses' residence, Welborn Baptist Hospital, Evansville, Vanderburgh County (1945–50); and local historian, author of The Saga of Three Churches (1957) and other articles, books, and pageants in southern Indiana and Pike County. The collection includes Gray's correspondence regarding her genealogical and local history research; correspondence with soldiers from Pike County serving in World War II; letters from Elsie Whitehurst Lightburn in Norwich, Cheshire, England, describing conditions in England during and after World War II (1945–49); family and personal correspondence; and essays, pageants, articles, and other writings.
GRAY, MARION H. Papers, 1850–1944.M 0118, BV 1367. 1 box, 1 volume. Collection guide online. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-128. Marion Hunter Gray (b.1899) grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana. She married Henry C. Gray in 1921 and lived in Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana. The collection consists of papers relating to Gray's family. Included are letters of Selma Neubacher Steele, wife of artist T.C. Steele, to Mae Hunter Weinstein, Terre Haute, Vigo County, regarding personal matters and the work of her husband and the constitution and minutes of the First Congregational Church Sewing Circle, Terre Haute (1881–1912).
GRAY-LEONARD-NICHOLS FAMILY. Papers, ca. 1847–1953. M 0707. 2 boxes. Collection guide online. The Gray, Leonard, and Nichols families of Indiana and Ohio were related by marriage. Martha Gray and Harrison Nichols moved from Sandusky County, Ohio, to settle in Plymouth, Marshall County, Indiana, by 1852. Their children included newspaperman and journalist William Merrick Nichols. Much of the correspondence concerns Martha R. Gray Nichols and son William Merrick Nichols. Family correspondence is to Martha and Harrison Nichols, from Martha to Harrison while he served in the Civil War, and between Martha and William while he worked in the newspaper trade in Indianapolis, New York City, and St. Louis. Also included are letters from and newsclippings about Indiana state representative Daniel McDonald.
GRAYDON, JANE CHAMBERS MCKINNEY. Letters, 1863.SC 2222. 5 folders. Collection guide in library. Jane Chambers McKinney Graydon (1802–1891) was born in Wilmington, Delaware, the daughter of Mordecai and Mary [Chambers] McKinney. In 1822 she married Alexander Graydon, an iron manufacturer with whom she had fourteen children. Ardent abolitionists, their home was reputed to be a station of the underground railroad. They moved to Indianapolis in 1843, joined Second Presbyterian Church, and taught Sunday school classes at an African American church. Jane Graydon helped found the Indianapolis Orphans Asylum in 1851 and in company with Mrs. Calvin Fletcher, Jr., spent time during the Civil War nursing soldiers in Tennessee. She was instrumental in setting up the Home for Aged Women (now the Indianapolis Retirement Home). The collection contains memoirs, photographs, and correspondence, mainly dating from 1863, written by Graydon to her husband and daughters from a Union Army hospital in Nashville. The collection provides an account of work activities of women in the hospital during the Civil War.
GREATHOUSE, RUTH. Collection, 1912–1936.M 0622. 1 box. Collection guide online. Ruth Greathouse, a daughter of Archie and Rose Greathouse, was born in Indianapolis. This collection primarily includes correspondence from W. E. Mayo.
GREEN, EMMA CASON. Collection, 1939–1983.M 0536. 1 box. Collection guide online. Green was a self-employed dressmaker in Anderson, Madison County, Indiana. This collection, part of the Black Women in the Middle West Project, includes materials relating to the life of Green.
GREEN, MIRIAM WILSON. Papers, 1859–1897.M 0119, F 0573–0574. 2 boxes, 2 microfilm reel. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-129. Green attended Earlham College, Richmond, Wayne County (1861–62); taught school in a number of counties in eastern Indiana; married John Henley of Newport (Fountain City), Wayne County (1873); and was a member of the Society of Friends. The collection consists of letters to Green from relatives, friends, and suitors in eastern and central Indiana during the period 1859–72, relating to school, teaching, the Civil War, the response of Quakers to the war, and family matters.
GREER, REV. HESTER ANNA. Papers, 1880–1982.M 0454. 1 box. Collection guide online. Hester Anna Nolcox Greer, the daughter of John Western and Isabell Patterson Nolcox, was born and reared in Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana. In 1898 she married Jesse Greer, a minister. Also a minister, Hester Greer served congregations in Princeton, Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne and did missionary work in Jamaica and Cuba. This collection, part of the Black Women in the Middle West Project, includes materials relating to Greer's career.
GUNDERSON, LEAH B. Papers, 1964–1987.SC 2314. 2 folders. Collection guide online. Leah Gunderson received a B.S. degree in 1957 from Valparaiso University in Physical Education, Health, and Recreation. She earned graduate degrees from Indiana University in Parks and Recreation (1964) and School Administration (1986). She taught, mainly courses in physical education, in Merrillville and Lowell in Lake County and Plymouth and Culver in Marshall County. This collection consists of biographical material, three letters of appreciation, and a scrapbook of the Plymouth, Indiana, senior citizens group (1964–65), where Mrs. Gunderson served as recreational director.
HACK, ELIZABETH JANE MILLER. Papers, 1875–1941.M 0123, BV 1369–1371, OM 0161. 4 boxes, 3 volumes, 2 folders. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-134. Elizabeth Jane Miller Hack, author of The Yoke (1903), Saul of Tarsus (1906), and other novels written under her maiden name (Miller), was the wife of Indianapolis attorney Oren Hack. The collection consists primarily of documents and letters of Hack and her family in Indianapolis from the period 1894 to 1920 and includes correspondence about her writing and family matters and diaries (1894–1903).
HAERLE, ELISABETH. Papers, 1921–1929.SC 2425. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Elisabeth Haerle was the daughter of Indianapolis merchant George C. Haerle and Norma Hollweg. Hildegarde Flanner (1899–1927), poet and playwright, was born and educated in Indianapolis. The collection includes a book review, snapshot, copies of poems, and correspondence relating to Flanner.
HALL, MILDRED. Papers, 1916–2001.M 0796. 1 document case, 11 flat file folders of photographs, 6 folders photographs, 1 oversized photograph. . Collection guide online. Mildred Marshall Hall, daughter of William Henry and Nettie Belle Marshall, was born on 18 April 1911 on the outskirts of Indianapolis. Like her father, she attended Indianapolis Public School #43 and then continued on to Shortridge High School. When Crispus Attucks High School was built for African American students, she was one of many students mandated to go. Hall attended Butler University and graduated in 1948. She married Luther E. Hall, Jr. in 1941. Mildred Hall taught in the Indianapolis Public School system for 32 years, retiring in 1970. She spent 30 years at IPS #26 and 2 years at School #32. The collection pertains to Mildred Hall and her work with the Red Cross Motor Corps, her career as a public school teacher, and her membership in the Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Mildred Hall was a member of the Red Cross Motor Corps during World War II. There are several pictures of Hall and her husband, Luther (a World War II veteran), in their uniforms. Hall also had an extensive career as a teacher with the Indianapolis Public Schools. Many of the materials in the collection pertain to School #26. The collection also contains two histories of Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church published in 1916 and 1944, as well as three booklets commemorating the church's 85th, 125th, and 135th anniversaries in 1951, 1991, and 2001 respectively. Additionally, there is information about the Flora Grant Women's Missionary Society.
HALSEY, JAMES SYLVANUS. Diaries, 1859–1898.SC 1723. 1 folder. No collection guide available. James Halsey resided in Clarksburg, Decatur County, Indiana. This collection includes a diary of Mary Halsey, 1897–98. There are daily entries regarding weather, her activities, and local events.
HANGER, MARY ELIZABETH. Diary, 1916–1922.SC 2363. 2 folders. Collection guide online. Mary Elizabeth Hanger received a law degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1927. This collection includes the original and printed versions of Mary Elizabeth Hanger's diary for 1916–22.
HARDEN, CECIL. Papers, 1938–1984.M 0584, OMB 0043, CT 0771–0772. 31 boxes, 2 cassette tapes. Collection guide online. Cecil Harden (1894–1984), a native of Covington, Fountain County, Indiana, attended Indiana University and taught in the Covington school system. In 1914 she married Frost R. Harden, owner of a local Ford dealership. They had one son, Murray, later a physician in West Lafayette. Active in local clubs and church organizations, Harden began her political career in 1932 when she was elected Republican Precinct Committeewoman. After holding several district and state positions within the Indiana Republican party, Harden was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the Sixth District (western Indiana) in 1948. She served five terms and became (in 1951) the first woman member of a House Committee to make an official trip around the world. The collection, spanning the years 1938 to the 1970s, consists largely of Harden's personal and political correspondence, speeches and news releases, political and personal expense accounts, appointment books and calendars, and news clippings.
HARDIN FAMILY. Papers, 1866, 1896.SC 2466. 1 folder. Collection guide online. The Hardin family lived near Pleasantville in Sullivan County, Indiana. The collection consists of two letters written by female members of the family. Both letters relate to deaths in the family.
HARDY, JONATHAN H. Memoirs of Elizabeth Hardy of Lexington, Scott County, Indiana, 1880.SC 2111, F 0217. 1 folder, 1 microfilm reel. No collection guide available. Elizabeth Hardy was born in Massachusetts and lived in various parts of New England. In 1814 she moved to Lexington, Scott County, Indiana, with her husband. At an early age she experienced a Free Will Baptist conversion and remained very religious throughout her life. In 1832 she and her husband became Campbellites; after his death in 1836 she became a Millerite. The collection includes a photocopy of the published biography of Elizabeth Hardy written by her son.
HARRAH, ALMIRA MARIA SCOTT. Papers, 1819–1903. M 0131, BV 1021–1023. 2 boxes, 3 volumes. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-144. Harrah was a teacher in Manhattan, Putnam County (1840); lived with her parents in Cloverland, Clay County (1840–43); married Samuel B. Harrah; taught school at Greencastle, Putnam County (1847); and was active in benevolent, temperance, and women's rights organizations. The collection includes correspondence between Harrah and her husband while she was teaching school in Greencastle; speeches and essays on temperance, women's rights, and humanitarianism; and scrapbooks kept by Harrah's daughter and by Harvey Scott.
HARRISON, BENJAMIN. Collection, 1853–1943.M 0132, OM 0325. 2 boxes, 1 folder. Collection guide online. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-145. This collection represents a variety of materials, mainly correspondence to, from, and among Harrison family members and legal documents from Benjamin Harrison's professional career. Of the six series in this collection, series one relates to Benjamin Harrison, the twenty-third president of the United States, series six relates to John Witherspoon Scott, brother of Caroline Scott Harrison, and series two through five relate to women in the Harrison family. Series II (1853–92), includes personal correspondence and memorabilia relating to Caroline Scott Harrison, first wife of Benjamin Harrison. Series III (1891–1943) includes personal correspondence relating to Mary Lord Harrison, second wife of Benjamin Harrison and niece of Caroline Scott Harrison. Series IV (1889–1909) includes personal correspondence of Mary Harrison McKee, daughter of Benjamin and Caroline Harrison. Series V (1890–92) includes correspondence of Mary [May/Mame] Saunders Harrison, wife of Russell Harrison, son of Benjamin and Caroline Harrison.
HARRISON, NANCY ELSTON. Papers, 1947.SC 1477. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Nancy Elston Harrison (d. ca. 1959) was married to Nicholas McCarty Harrison, great-grandson of William Henry Harrison. This collection contains a letter invitation from the mayor of Indianapolis, Robert H. Tyndall, to Mrs. Harrison to be in the reviewing stand for the parade commemorating the one hundredth anniversary of the city of Indianapolis.
HARRISON, RUSSELL B. Collection, 1880–1908.M 0387. 1 box. Collection guide online. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-146. While this collection pertains mainly to Russell B. Harrison's varied business dealings and various brushes with the press there are personal and family letters and photographs. Harrison was the son of Benjamin Harrison, twenty-third president of the United States. Among the personal and family correspondence are letters from Marthena Harrison (a daughter), May [Mary S.] Harrison (wife), and Emma Jones.
HARRISON, WILLIAM HENRY. Papers and documents, 1791–1864.M 0364, OM 0034. 2 boxes, 4 folders. Collection guide online. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-147. Anna Symmes Harrison (1775–1864) was born in Flatbrook, Sussex County, New York, the daughter of John Cleves Symmes and Anna (Tuthill/Tuttle) Symmes. She married William Henry Harrison in 1795 and died in 1864 in her son's home. This collection includes a number of letters to and from Anna Harrison (1802, 1835, 1845–55), most of which relate to family issues.
HARTMAN, ANNABEL. Papers, 1981–1990. M 0793, OM 0404.1 document case, 1 photograph, 2 oversize folders. Collection guide online. AnnabelHartmanwas raised in Illinos and came to Indiana in the 1950s following her marriage to Grover L. Harman. Annabel Hartman and Jacquie Reed were Indianapolis coordinators for the Ribbon Project, an effort by peace groups, churches and other organizations around the world to recognize the need for world peace. The Ribbon was a series of cloth, quilt, or applique pieces made by individuals or groups. The pieces were tied together to form a single, long unit. The Ribbon was draped around the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. on 4 August 1985. The collection contains correspondence, newsletters, clippings, and contact lists associated with the Ribbon Project. The material reflects Indiana residents’ participation in the project, the conception and organization of the event by Justine Merritt and others, and the impact of the project after the 4 August event. Material associated with the national event includes newsletters originating in Denver, Colorado, posters, and instructions concerning how to construct a peace ribbon.
HARVEY, CAROLINE McMATH GOODWIN. Papers, 1940–1987.SC 2509. 1 folder. Collection guide online. Caroline Harvey (ca. 1901–1975) was born in Indianapolis. She graduated from Indiana University in 1921 and earned an MD degree in 1923. Her first husband, John K. Goodwin, was president of the Indiana Veneer and Lumber Company, and her second husband was Thomas P. Harvey. The collection contains a club paper written by Harvey about Edith Mahone Arnold (1901–1987), born in Talbot County, Georgia, longtime resident of Indianapolis, and a member of Mount Paran Baptist Church. The paper is entitled "The Florence Nightingale of 28th Street."
HASSELMAN, OTTO H. Papers, 1864–1905.M 0135, BV 1024–1025, OM 0264. 1 box, 2 volumes, 1 folder. Collection guide in library. Described in Pumroy and Brockman, Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library, A-148. Hasselman was an Indianapolis journalist and politician. This collection includes diaries (1879–80, 1891–98) of Hasselman's wife, Olive Eddy Hasselman, and of her mother, Anna Eddy, of Evanston, Illinois (1897, 1900).
HATFIELD, BARBARA. Letter, 1848.SC 0709. 1 folder. No collection guide available. This collection is a letter from Barbara