By David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian I’ve been watching the discussion on how to have fun and stay safe on Halloween this year, and seeing the disappointment about not being able to get candy. It’s not the first time that we’ve had this kind of debate....
By David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian A topic that many people are discussing these days is the issue of African Americans and a number of apparently unjustified incarcerations. This blog does not comment on modern issues, but it’s interesting to find historic cases that bear some...
Written by: Nancy Massey, Indiana Room Coordinator Land records can be an invaluable resource for genealogists. At the August genealogy roundtable, attendees mentioned that land records are one of their favorite genealogy resources. At the very least, they document your ancestor in a specific location at...
Written by: Allison Zafiratos With the opening of HEPL’s Seed Library this past March, I began wondering how these seeds would be used in our community and home gardens. It reminded me of times in our shared past when we have come together to grow food for...
Written by: Amy Norris Many of us in Hamilton County take for granted the quick 30-mile drive in the car to Speedway. Race fans from all corners of the globe spend several days traveling to Central Indiana each year during the month of May. We all...
Written by: Nancy Massey, Indiana Room Coordinator Although this is at the start of July, September is just around the corner with a special commemoration. On September 2, we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. My father and my two uncles...
By David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March 1933, his administration immediately created an overlapping “alphabet soup” of federal relief programs. It was recognized that artists needed to be supported as much as those in any other occupation, and so...
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...