Indiana Historical Society

State historical society in Indiana, United States

Indiana Historical Society

Indiana Historical Society, housed in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

Abbreviation| IHS
Formation| December 11, 1830; 194 years ago (1830-12-11)
Purpose| Collect, preserve and share the history of Indiana
Headquarters| Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
Location|

* 450 West Ohio St.
Indianapolis, Indiana

Coordinates| 39°46′13.5″N 86°09′58″W﻿ / ﻿39.770417°N 86.16611°W﻿ / 39.770417; -86.16611
Membership| 7,500 households

President and CEO

| Jody Blankenship

Board of directors

| 31 members

Publication

| Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History
The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections
Affiliations| Smithsonian, American Alliance of Museums, American Association for State and Local History
Staff| 96
Website| www.indianahistory.org

The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is one of the United States' oldest and largest historical societies. It describes itself as "Indiana's Storyteller".

It is housed in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center at 450 West Ohio Street in Indianapolis, Indiana, in The Canal and White River State Park Cultural District, neighboring the Indiana State Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art. In 2019, the center hosted 112,732 visitors.[1] The Indiana Historical Society is the oldest state historical society west of the Allegheny Mountains.[2]

A private, nonprofit membership organization founded in 1830, the IHS maintains a research library and archives on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest. The IHS also provides support and assistance to local museums and historical groups, publishes books and periodicals; sponsors teacher workshops; and provides youth, adult, and family programming, including Indiana's participation in the National History Day Competition series. Finally, it is responsible for appointing and training the state's 92 county historians. The Indiana Historical Society opened a new 165,000-square-foot (15,300 m2) headquarters in downtown Indianapolis in July 1999, built on the site of the prior Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church of Indianapolis.[3]

## History

[edit]

The Indiana Historical Society was started on December 11, 1830, which was the fourteenth anniversary of the statehood of Indiana (December 11, 1816). A group of Indianapolis-area leaders sought to obtain objects relating to Indiana's history. Its purpose was to hold a "collection of all materials calculated to shed light on the natural, civil, and political history of Indiana, the promotion of useful knowledge and the friendly and profitable intercourse of such citizens of the state as are disposed to promote the aforesaid objects". The headquarters of the Indiana Historical Society has remained in Indianapolis.[4]

In 1831, the Indiana General Assembly granted the IHS a charter. In the years following, two of the IHS's prevalent backers died, and between its founding in 1830 and 1886, only twelve annual meetings were held to promote the organization. Its collections were located in the old Indiana State Bank and old Indiana State Capitol. The IHS of those days was described by a historian as "a small private club for publishing local history".[5][6]

In 1886, the IHS was reorganized under the direction of Jacob Piatt Dunn. With trusted associates, Dunn started the policy of annual meetings of the society that continue to this day. Dunn was able to enthuse Hoosiers of various occupations to gather resources for the society, focusing on editors, professional historians, lawyers, librarians, and writers. However, Dunn's attempt to allow women to join the society failed in 1888; it would not be until 1906 that a woman, editor Eliza Browning, would be admitted. Also thanks to Dunn, the Indiana Historical Society had an office at the state capitol building from 1888 to 1914.[5][6]

The Indiana Historical Society continued to affect and be affected by the activities of the Indiana Historical Bureau (originally the Indiana Historical Commission), the Indiana State Museum, and the Indiana State Library. The IHS's executive secretaries also acted as directors of the Historical Bureau for over fifty years, from 1924 to 1976. This connection allowed the Indiana History Bulletin, controlled by the Historical Bureau, to be distributed to the members of the society. Members of the time also received a publication of Indiana University entitled Indiana Magazine of History.

The bequest of philanthropist Delavan Smith in 1922 of a large sum of money and a sizable collection of books allowed the IHS to start its William Henry Smith Memorial Library.[5] During the 1940s, Howard Henry Peckham was the director of the IHS and established many professional standards in the field of public history.[7]

Beginning in the 1950s, the Indiana Historical Society started publishing works related to the history of Indiana. The most important of these works was the 1966 multi-volume set on the history of Indiana, in celebration of the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of Indiana's statehood. Other notable works included the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Old Northwest in 1950.[8] In 2009, the IHS celebrated the 20th anniversary of its award-winning popular history magazine, Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History. It also publishes the family history magazine, The Hoosier Genealogist: Connections, and a membership magazine, IN Perspective.

By 1970, the membership of the Indiana Historical Society had reached 5,000 members. The most noted of these was Eli Lilly, a longtime trustee, whose donations funded additional building additions in 1976. Lilly's bequest allowed the IHS to achieve its own identity with its offices and library occupying a floor in the addition. Also at this time, the IHS and Indiana Historical Bureau leadership was separated with the creation of the title of Executive Secretary being retained for the IHS leadership. By 1993, the membership had risen to 10,000, with forty percent of the society's members living in the Indianapolis metropolitan area.[8]

For years, the headquarters was in the Indiana State Library and Historical Building, but in 1999 it moved to its current headquarters. The 165,000-square-foot (15,300 m2) building includes the 300-seat Frank and Katrina Basile Theater, the William Henry Smith Memorial Library, a vault to house the IHS's collections, the Stardust Terrace Cafe, conservation and preservation imaging facilities, classrooms, the Basile History Market, the Cole Porter Room, Eli Lilly Hall, and various exhibition spaces.

### Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center

[edit]

Canal side of the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in 2024

In December 2007, the IHS launched its Campaign for the Indiana Experience and renamed the building the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in honor of the Glicks' gift to the campaign. The History Center underwent renovations in 2009 and reopened with new program offerings in the spring of 2010.

The Indiana Experience now includes "You Are There!", an exhibit exploring various photos and documents in the IHS collection through "living history", the use of costumed historical interpreters to take visitors back in time and allow them to interact with history. Past exhibits include the history of organizations such as the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company, L. S. Ayres department store, and the Ball jar company, as well as more personal glimpses into the lives of individuals in Indiana during the Civil War, World War II, and the civil rights movement. The Indiana Experience also features The Cole Porter Room, a space dedicated to the life and legacy of the famous Indiana composer. The exhibit includes personal items belonging to Cole Porter, including the Tony Award he won for Kiss Me, Kate, and a singer who performs a variety of Cole Porter songs upon request.

## Operations

[edit]

A 31-member board of trustees oversees the operation of the Indiana Historical Society, which includes a staff of approximately 96 people. There are a number of functional divisions within the IHS, including Administration, Collections, Conservation, Development, Publications, Marketing, and Education & Community Engagement. The organization continues to oversee actions that collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history of Indiana.

The current president and CEO of the Indiana Historical Society is Jody Blankenship. He was appointed by the board of trustees in January 2019.[9][10] The official membership of the IHS includes approximately 4,500 households across the United States.

## Collection

[edit]

The IHS's collections, accessible online through the society's website and at the William Henry Smith Memorial Library, is one of the largest archival repositories of material on the history of Indiana and the Old Northwest. The collection is composed of 1.7 million photographs (615 visual collections), 45,000 cataloged printed items (books, pamphlets, etc.), 14,000 pieces of sheet music, 5,450 processed manuscript collections, 3,300 artifacts, 1,700 cataloged maps, 800 broadsides, and 129 paintings. More than 70,000 digital images representing 61 collections are currently available through the IHS website.[11]

Among the items held by the society is a 130-year-old Bible used in 2008 to swear in Mayor Greg Ballard of Indianapolis.[12] One of the most significant items in the IHS's collection is the original glass-plate negative of an Abraham Lincoln photograph taken by Alexander Gardner just weeks before the Gettysburg Address; this image was used as the model for the creation of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

Subject strengths of the IHS's collection (especially as they relate to Indiana and the Old Northwest) include architecture, agriculture, American Civil War, business, communities, education, ethnically and racially identified groups, families, government, journalism and communications, medicine, military affairs, notable Hoosiers, Old Northwest Territory, organized labor, politics, the professions, religion, social services, transportation (including railroad and interurban history), and women.

## Conservation

[edit]

The Indiana Historical Society hosts a conservation lab for its paper-based collections that provides a variety of specialized treatments.[13] These treatments promote the long-term stability of the collections through stabilization techniques, cleanings, and repairs. Staff of the conservation lab also implement preventive measures to preserve collections; this includes ensuring the correct storage of items and proving customized housings for materials, monitoring the storage environment, implementing an integrated pest management plan, and maintaining a disaster recovery plan.[14]

## See also

[edit]

* List of U.S. state historical societies and museums
* List of attractions and events in Indianapolis
* List of historical societies in Indiana

## Sources

[edit]

* In Memory of Howard Henry Peckham (PDF). The Quatro. 1995. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2016.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Most Popular Indianapolis-Area Attractions". Indianapolis Business Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
2. ^ Beck, Bill."Indiana historical society: oldest state historical society west of Allegheny Mountains celebrates 175 years." Indiana Business Magazine December 1, 2005
3. ^ "Church lifts golden dome" Indianapolis Star, December 28, 2007
4. ^ Bodenhamer, David. The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis p.739, 740
5. ^ a b c Bodenhamer 739
6. ^ a b Beck
7. ^ The Clements Library Associates, 1995, p.4
8. ^ a b Bodenhamer 740
9. ^ "Indiana Historical Society names CEO to replace retiring Herbst". www.ibj.com. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
10. ^ "Indiana Historical Society Names New President and CEO". Retrieved January 20, 2019.
11. ^ "Our Collections". Indiana Historical Society. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
12. ^ O'Shaughnessy, Brendan. "Ballard says crime will be top priority", Indianapolis Star, January 2, 2008
13. ^ "Indiana Historical Society". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
14. ^ "Conservation Lab". Indiana Historical Society. Retrieved March 4, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Indiana Historical Society.

* Official website

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Museums in Indianapolis

Arts and culture|

* Eiteljorg Museum
* Harrison Center
* Hook's Drug Store Museum
* Indianapolis Art Center
* Indianapolis Museum of Art
* Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library
* Rhythm! Discovery Center
* Ray Bradbury Center

Children's|

* The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

History|

* Bona Thompson Memorial Center
* Crispus Attucks Museum
* Emil A. Blackmore Museum of the American Legion
* Indiana Historical Society
* Indiana Medical History Museum
* Indiana State Museum
* Indiana State Police Museum
* Indiana War Memorial & Museum
* Indianapolis Firefighters Museum
* Masonic Library and Museum of Indiana

Historic house|

* Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site
* Benton House
* James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home
* Oldfields (Lilly House)

Sports|

* Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
* NCAA Hall of Champions

Defunct|

* Indianapolis Contemporary
* Morris–Butler House
* National Art Museum of Sport

Category ·  Commons

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* t
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Historical societies of the U.S. states

Northeast|

| New England|

* Connecticut Museum of Culture and History
* Maine Historical Society
* Massachusetts Historical Society
* New Hampshire Historical Society
* Rhode Island Historical Society
* Vermont Historical Society

|

Mid-Atlantic|

* Delaware Historical Society
* Historical Society of Washington, D.C.
* Maryland Historical Society
* New Jersey Historical Society
* New York Historical
* Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Midwest|

| East North Central|

* Illinois State Historical Society
* Indiana Historical Society
* Historical Society of Michigan
* Ohio History Connection
* Wisconsin Historical Society

|

West North Central|

* State Historical Society of Iowa
* Kansas Historical Society
* Minnesota Historical Society
* State Historical Society of Missouri
* Missouri Historical Society
* Nebraska State Historical Society
* State Historical Society of North Dakota
* South Dakota State Historical Society

South|

| South Atlantic|

* Florida Historical Society
* Georgia Historical Society
* North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
* South Carolina Historical Society
* Virginia Historical Society
* West Virginia Division of Culture and History

|

East South Central|

* Alabama Historical Commission
* Kentucky Historical Society
* Mississippi Historical Society
* Tennessee Historical Commission

West South Central|

* Arkansas Historical Association
* Louisiana Historical Society
* Oklahoma Historical Society
* Texas State Historical Association

West|

| Mountain|

* Arizona Historical Society
* History Colorado
* Idaho State Historical Society
* Montana Historical Society
* Nevada Historical Society
* Historical Society of New Mexico
* Utah State Historical Society
* Wyoming State Historical Society

|

Pacific|

* Alaska Historical Society
* California Historical Society
* Hawaiian Historical Society
* Oregon Historical Society
* Washington State Historical Society

* v
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Midwestern US historical societies

East North Central|

| Illinois|

| Chicago|

* Chicago History Museum
* Chinese American Museum of Chicago
* Civil War Roundtable
* DuSable Museum of African American History
* Forgotten Chicago
* Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society
* Society of American Archivists
* Society of Architectural Historians
* Swiss American Historical Society

|

Others|

* Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies
* Clarendon Hills Historical Society
* Elgin Area Historical Society
* Illinois Historic Preservation Division
* Illinois State Historical Society
* National Amusement Park Historical Association
* National Collaborative for Women's History Sites
* Theatre Historical Society of America

Indiana|

* American Folklore Society
* History of Science Society
* Indiana Historical Society
* Indiana Landmarks
* Landmark Columbus Foundation
* National Council on Public History
* Organization of American Historians

Michigan|

* Berrien County Historical Association
* International Congress on Medieval Studies
* Lake Odessa Area Historical Society
* Leelanau Historical Society and Museum
* Mason County Historical Society
* Oceana County Historical & Genealogical Society
* Society for Medieval Feminist Scholarship
* Society for Medieval German Studies
* Society for Industrial Archeology
* Ypsilanti Historical Society

Ohio|

| Cleveland|

* American Catholic Historical Association
* Center for Public History and Digital Humanities
* National Council for History Education
* Western Reserve Historical Society

|

Others|

* Columbus Historical Society
* Dayton History
* Marion County Historical Society
* Montgomery County Historical Society
* Oberlin Heritage Center
* Ohio History Connection
* The Pioneer and Historical Society of Muskingum County
* Preservation Ohio
* Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen
* Summit County Historical Society of Akron, Ohio

Wisconsin|

* Bay View Historical Society
* Economic History Association
* Greenfield Historical Society
* Milwaukee County Historical Society
* National Episcopal Historians and Archivists
* Oak Creek Historical Society
* Wisconsin Historical Society

West North Central|

| Iowa|

* Cedar Falls Historical Society
* Preservation Iowa
* State Historical Society of Iowa

|

Kansas|

* Kansas Historical Society

Minnesota|

* Aitkin County Depot Museum
* American Society of Church History
* Anoka County History Center
* Blue Earth County History Center
* Brown County Museum (New Ulm, Minnesota)
* Carlton County History and Heritage Center
* Giants of the Earth Heritage Center
* Hennepin History Museum
* Iron Range Historical Society
* Kandiyohi County Historical Society
* Maritime Heritage Minnesota
* Minnesota Historical Society
* Northern Great Plains History Conference
* Norwegian-American Historical Association
* Red Tail Squadron
* Wilkin County Museum

Missouri|

* Boone County Historical Society
* John Whitmer Historical Association
* Missouri Folklore Society
* Missouri Historical Society
* State Historical Society of Missouri

Nebraska|

* Douglas County Historical Society
* Nebraska State Historical Society
* Plains Historical Society
* Washington County Historical Association
* Western History Association

North Dakota|

* State Historical Society of North Dakota

South Dakota|

* South Dakota State Historical Society

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
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National|

* United States
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Other|

* MusicBrainz label

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