The 2023 season of our award-winning podcast Talking Hoosier History has launched!

We have a new host, new stories, and a new format. We’re still bringing you exciting and lesser-known tales from Indiana’s past, but we’re also pulling back the curtain to share how we do history. And we’re serving up some shorter episodes in response to requests from teachers who want to use THH in the classroom. Learn about about the frontline efforts of Sarah M. Wilmer in WWI and how we do history with primary sources in the first episode. And in episode two, join us as we visit the estate of writer George Ade where William Howard Taft launched his presidential campaign and changed politics forever. And in the latest episode, learn about Hook’s Drug Store’s early policy of desegregation,  advancement of Black employees, and how the company aimed to protect its customers through drug awareness campaigns.

New episodes arrive every other week through 2023. Find Talking Hoosier History wherever you get your podcasts or listen now at: https://podcast.history.in.gov/

Marker Restoration

We want to extend a big thank you to the Antoine Rivarre Chapter of the DAR for repainting the Wayne Trace historical marker in Adams County this summer. The marker was installed in Decatur in 1977 and the paint had started to fade and chip. Thank you in particular to Denise Franz, Kris Ripley, Carol Riley, Wayne Franz, and Richard Riley for all their work refurbishing the marker and post, and to INDOT for reinstalling it.

We also want to thank Eleanor Burrows, a student at North Vermillion Middle School and 4H member for repainting the Harrison’s Crossing marker in Vermillion County and George Sanquenetti and Tim Yochum for their assistance getting it reinstalled.

IHB staff also repainted the Old French House marker this summer. Thank you to our friends at the Indiana State Museum for returning it to Vincennes for us!

If you’re interested in volunteering to help survey or refurbish state markers, please contact us at cpfeiffer@library.in.gov.

Digital Initiatives continues to grow and expand its projects!

We're currently in our fifth National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP) cycle, digitizing the Gary American (1927-1963), the Berne Witness (1895-1917, 1925-1926), and the South Bend News-Times (1923-1931). The microfilm has been sent to our vendor and we expect to review digitized files of these newspapers very soon. Patrons should expect these titles to be available on Hoosier State Chronicles in early 2025.

Two IHB staff will also be attending the NDNP annual conference in Washington, D.C. later this month, learning all about best practices for newspaper digitization as well as connecting with other NDNP partners.

We've also been working closely with the Knox County Public Library on their "Black History in Knox County" digitization initiative. They've been digitizing court and marriage records of indentured and free blacks from around the time of statehood. To see what they've completed so far, visit this link: https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/kcpl/search/searchterm/%20Black%20History%20in%20Knox%20County.

Check out all new additions to Indiana Memory at www.indianamemory.org and Hoosier State Chronicles at www.hoosierstatechronicles.org.