Historians James H. Madison and Stephen E. Towne will speak about their new books at IHB on April 16.  The event will be preceded and followed by a book signing. Click the image above for more details, and get your tickets here.

Lincoln Funeral Train Events

Lincoln Funeral Train 150th Anniversary Commemorations are being held this month at the State House and all over Indiana. 

On April 7 at 11am, a program focusing on the history of the Lincoln Funeral Train will be held at the Indiana State House.  A replica coffin from Batesville Casket Company will be on display through April 10.  Artifacts from area museums and archives will be on display during the program and will remain on exhibit throughout the month of April.

On April 30 at 11am, the anniversary of the day Lincoln lay in state in Indianapolis, representatives from state government will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony to honor Lincoln's legacy in Indiana.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, Fritz Klein, an internationally-acclaimed Lincoln interpreter, will present as Lincoln, a program made possible by the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site.  Learn more about the State House events here.

IHB Honored by General Assembly

for 100 years of service to Hoosiers

On March 19, IHB was honored for its 100 years of service to Indiana with House Concurrent Resolution 46.  Staff members Jill Weiss, Casey Pfeiffer, and Aimee Formo attended the readings in the Indiana House and Senate.  The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Tom Saunders in the House, co-authored by over 30 representatives, and presented in the Senate by Sen. Jim Merritt.

You can view archived footage of the presentation in the House Chambers here and read HCR 46 and all of the other bills and resolutions presented on the IGA website.

Below: Rep. Saunders prepares to present HCR 46 in the House Chambers.

Shop @ IHB

The IHB Book Shop has many new items and titles in stock for Spring, including Towne's Surveillance and Spies in the Civil War, a variety of new children's books, a fresh crop of handblown glass flowers, a new lemon cookie from Simply Divine Bakery, and more. 

Marker Applicants:

The deadline for Intent to Apply forms is April 30.  If you are seeking a new state historical marker and have any questions or concerns about the process, don't wait until the last minute!  Contact Marker Program Manager, Casey Pfeiffer at 317-232-2535 or cpfeiffer@history.in.gov.

New Marker Sneak Peek

IHB staff is hitting the final stretch on the research  for new markers to be installed this spring and summer.  Get a small peek behind the scenes at what kinds of interesting documents turn up during the research process.  For example, in researching the artist T. C. Steele’s Indianapolis studio (also, the original location of the Herron School of Art and Design), researchers came across Steele’s 1871 New Year’s resolution. Like many of us, he resolved to wake up earlier and exercise more, but he also planned to paint from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.!  Read the post: T. C. Steele’s “Daily Rituals.”

Things to do

Check out these history-inspired events for April:

April 4 (Mauckport) - Live Western Reenactment at Squire Boone Caverns

April 7 (Indianapolis) - Lincoln Funeral Train Program at the State House.

April 11-12 (French Lick) - Blackhawk Manor Renaissance Festival.

April 14 (Noblesville) - Genealogy Roundtable: Focus on Timelines at the Hamilton County Historical Society

April 18 (Portland) - NCGLNAC Conference.  Theme is "Removal: The Consequences for the Native People"

April 25-26 (Rochester) - Redbud Trail Rendezvous at Fulton County Museum

April 30 (Indianapolis) - Lincoln Wreath-laying Ceremony and Educational Program at the State House.

All month (Statewide) - Check out our interactive map to find commemorative events near you related to the Lincoln Funeral Train 150th.

Is your organization planning an event in May? Send Aimee an email by April 30 if you'd like to have it featured.