By David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was known for many years, has always held a deep meaning for the people of Hamilton County. The county provided the first soldiers from Indiana to enlist in the Union army during the...
Written by: Nancy Massey, Indiana Room Coordinator Staying home due to the pandemic can be difficult, and you may be experiencing loneliness and boredom. While social distancing may make it hard to connect with loved ones in person, take this time to connect to your ancestors!...
By David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian With all of the discussion about the “new normal” because of Covid-19, it set me to thinking about common memory and natural disasters. For many years, discussion of the 1918 flu epidemic was actually regarded as obscure and esoteric. It...
Written by: Nancy Massey, Indiana Room Coordinator As soon as I received my invitation to participate in the 2020 census, I was online answering the questions. Why did I respond so quickly? Well, I legally have to respond! Secondly, I am a genealogist; I love researching...
Writing Your Ancestor’s Story and Your Story Written by: Nancy Massey, Indiana Room Coordinator, masseyn@hepl.lib.in.us Since I now have lots of time at home, I alternate researching HEPL’s four fantastic genealogy databases with cleaning up my online family trees. Sometimes I find that I accidentally attached duplicate...
HEPL's Remote Access Genealogy Databases Written by: Nancy Massey, Indiana Room Coordinator Since the Hamilton East Public Library closed its doors on March 15 due to the coronavirus pandemic, I have been confined to my home, as most Hoosiers are now by order of the Governor. At...
The Community Players: Noblesville’s African American Theater Troupe By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian A new piece has been added to the history of theater in Noblesville, thanks to research done by Lezli R. Davis. Twentieth century theater groups in the city started with the Noblesville “Little Theatre”...
March is Women’s History Month Written by: Nancy Massey In a few days, the month of March will begin. March is also known as Women’s History Month. This year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage. Wow, what better time is there than now to celebrate...
John R. Byrd: Indiana’s First African American Lawyer By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian A one-time Noblesville resident had a very unique distinction. However, very little is known about him and his activities. John R. Byrd was the first African American to be admitted to the Indiana Bar...
A Portrait as a Present: the Art of Francis H. Finch By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian In a continuation of my last post on Frank H. Finch, crayon artist, I want to look at his decade-long career in Noblesville. I’m mentioning the subjects of his known portraits...