Primary Source: August News from the Indiana Historical Bureau

Voting begins today in our State Animal Mock Election. The Mastodont, Bison, and Indiana Myotis accumulated the most votes in their parties' primaries and will vie for the honor of being the most popular mammal in Indiana at the Indiana State Fair.  

Indiana is the final resting place of many Mastodonts, and you can see fossils at the Indiana State Museum.  The Bison appears on our State Seal, and was very close to becoming the state's official state animal in 1989.  The legislation made it through the House, but did not come to a vote in the Senate and get the required signature from the Governor.  And the Indiana Myotis is an endangered species of bat, one of only two mammals to be described by scientists from our state.  Which of these worthy creatures will you choose?

Join us in spreading the word by downloading and printing a poster or yard sign for your favorite animal and visit IHB at the Indiana State Fair on Hoosier Heritage Day, August 9, to cast your vote in the General Mock Election.  Can't make it on Hoosier Heritage Day?  Vote early at DNR's Fish and Wildlife Building at the Indiana State Fair starting Friday, August 3.  The winner will be announced on our Facebook page after August 9.

We are amazed at the progress of this year's Marker Hunt!  With record high temperatures, our intrepid volunteers are still out snapping photos of their local markers. 

IHB's Flickr Photo Pool has over 350 images, submitted from across the state.  There's still a lot more to do, though.  Marion County, for instance, has a huge number of markers and a surprisingly small number of marker hunters.  Do you pass by a marker on your commute?  Snap a photo for us!

Explore Indiana Wildlife with Nature Books from the IHB Book Shop. 

If your Intent to Apply was approved, there are only a few days before the deadline for receipt of 2012 Indiana State Historical Marker applications.  Get your completed application in by August 13 for consideration in this cycle. 

Need help?  Give us a call at 317-232-2535, Monday-Friday, 8-4:30. 

It's an election year.  Help your students understand how elections work by holding your own State Animal Mock Election! 

Animals are a great way to explain the political process without being too, well, political.  Reinforce a taxonomy lesson while discussing eligibility requirements; incorporate Math or Language Arts requirements into the campaigning process.  We hope you'll make this activity your own.

Download our guide to reproducing our mock election in your classroom, and please report back and let us know how it goes!

The advent of the Civil War in April 1861 heightened the prejudice against African Americans that was reflected in Indiana’s laws and the 1851 Indiana Constitution. In July 1862, this antipathy erupted into a mob attack upon the black residents living and working in New Albany, Indiana.

An Indiana State Historical Marker will be dedicated at 142 W. Main St., New Albany, Indiana, at 10:00 AM EDT, August 18, 2012. This State Historical Marker will inform the public about such violence and recognize the nameless black New Albany residents who were beaten and their property destroyed.