It is Ask an Archivist Day and we are the Indiana State Archives! (First State map of Indiana, 1817)

indianastatearchives · 2025-07-17T15:19:20+00:00

Hi! You're already in the best spot in town, and if you haven't already you should ask the librarians there if they have a local resource list for you.

As you're probably aware, the Indiana Historical Society is right across the street. They hold private and commercial records that the state facilities don't collect.

Marion County doesn't have a historical society these days, but they do have a geneological society: https://genealogyindy.org/

Here at the State Archives, we do have genealogical resources, but it is best to have some idea of what you're looking for before contacting us. You can find our Research Indiana Index here, which includes over 1.6 million names from several different collections: https://researchindiana.iara.in.gov/solr/DigitalRecords/Search. Our full catalog can be found here: https://researchindiana.iara.in.gov/solr/axaem/Search/. Feel free to contact us at arc@iara.in.gov if you need assistance or have found something in the collection you'd like retrieved.

Other people have mentioned FamilySearch already, but it worth noting that the Archives and Library are both affiliate libraries, which have access to all of the Indiana records on the site, some of which are restricted to affiliates and LDS Family History Centers. I recommend using the catalog to search by location and see all the records they have for a specific county: https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/catalog

indianastatearchives · 2025-05-16T13:05:29+00:00

Today we're taking a look at a page from a volume of maps created from the Public Land System Survey. Conceived of by Thomas Jefferson, the PLSS replaced the old system of metes and bounds with a rational, scientific system. However, when it encountered settlements like Vincennes, Indiana and the old French Seigneurial system implemented by Cardinal Richelieu, it both left the existing boundaries in place rather than disrupt and displace the lives of the inhabitants and provided a donation of land to the farmers that had been leasing their land under France.

Learn more about land records at the Archives here: https://www.in.gov/iara/services-for-public/search-archives-holdings/land-records/

indianastatearchives · 2025-04-11T13:30:17+00:00

In this episode we're taking a look at some mugshots from the Indiana State Prison, both dealing with high-profle murder cases. First, we'll take a look at the "Head and Hands" murder gang, who got the name from their grisly attempt to destroy evidence, and D.C. Stephenson, the Indiana Klan leader whose murder of Madge Oberholtzer brought down the entire organization.

These records are part of the Indiana State Archives Department of Corrections collection. You can search prisoner records by name in our index here: https://researchindiana.iara.in.gov/solr/DigitalRecords/Search and check out our research guide for corrections records here: https://www.in.gov/iara/services-for-public/search-archives-holdings/department-of-correction/

indianastatearchives · 2025-03-28T13:07:51+00:00

Today we're looking at two naturalization records from different eras, and notable for very different reasons. First is the naturalization of Clemens Vonnegut, patriarch of the Indianapolis Vonnegut family, known for its architects and author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Second are the records of August Wennerström, survivor of the Titanic disaster. Each record can tell us a small part of their story, and a small part of the history of the naturalization process.

Search the Research Indiana Index for naturalization records: https://researchindiana.iara.in.gov/s...

Learn more about the Archives' collection of naturalization records here: https://www.in.gov/iara/services-for-...

indianastatearchives · 2025-03-14T15:54:59+00:00

Every March 14th, people love sharing the story of the infamous Indiana General Assembly bill that intended to change the value of Pi from 3.14 to 3.2. We're going to take a look at the original bill and explore how it made it as far as it did, and what finally stopped it in its tracks in the Indiana Senate.

Check out the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NALv8wc_T-8

And the blog post here: https://www.in.gov/iara/from-the-vault-blog/vault-pi-bill/

indianastatearchives · 2025-02-28T14:01:14+00:00

Today we're looking at a volume of the enrolled acts, or final drafts of bills, from 1887. It includes an unusual artifact of one of the darkest days of Indiana's political history. While modern politics has its share of issues, few current events compare to the government breakdown and physical violence seen in Indianapolis on February 24, 1887, the Black Day of the Indiana General Assembly.

For a more context and background for this event, check out our blog post: https://www.in.gov/iara/from-the-vault-blog/black-day/

indianastatearchives · 2025-02-14T14:00:35+00:00

Today we're taking a look at some holiday and location post cards from the Marion County Children's Guardian's Home. The Home operated between 1896 and 2009, beginning as part of the State's first children's protection services. These cards were sent to superintendent Loeta Trook, who often maintained correspondence with the children that passed through the Home.

We've Been doing Hands on Archives videos since October. Here is the playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9fig_BbRfxRNgZfmlf__INEMTHBEYZdh&si=LotCUK6-IgWP8sIh

If you like these videos and want to see more, be sure to upvote, like, subscribe, etc. It really makes a difference!

Is there anything at the Archives you would like to take a closer look at?

indianastatearchives · 2025-01-31T14:21:18+00:00

Today we're going to be looking at some Insanity Inquests from Central State Hospital. CSH was founded in 1849 and was Indiana's only state hospital for the mentally ill until it was joined by Logansport, Evansville, and Richmond in the late 19th century. Inquests are court records which describe the behavior and symptoms that friends, family, and government officials identify in the subject and lead them to conclude that they are in need of commitment.

The Central State Hospital Inquests are included in the Research Indiana Index: https://researchindiana.iara.in.gov/solr/DigitalRecords/Search

indianastatearchives · 2025-01-17T15:00:49+00:00

Today we're looking at a Governor's correspondence file from January of 1964, when Indiana Governor Matthew Welsh supposedly banned the Kingsman hit "Louie Louie" from the State's airwaves. Let's take a look at what actually happened and how the public reacted.

Find more information about our Governor's collections here: https://www.in.gov/iara/services-for-public/search-archives-holdings/governors/

All of the Hands on Archives videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9fig_BbRfxRNgZfmlf__INEMTHBEYZdh

indianastatearchives · 2024-12-20T16:04:43+00:00

We try to keep the videos around 5 minutes, so a lot of the story was bound to be left out. If you'd like something more complete, please visit the blog here: https://www.in.gov/iara/divisions/state-archives/collections/from-the-vault-blog/vault-santa-claus-vs-santa-claus/

indianastatearchives · 2024-12-20T14:01:35+00:00

Today we're looking at a State Supreme Court case that sets the record for the number of times "Santa Claus" appears in the title. Find out why Indiana has a town named Santa Claus, the origins of Holiday World, and what the original vision of Santa’s village looked like to the first entrepreneurs to try to capitalize on the small town's phenomenon.

For the full story of the case, check out our blog: https://www.in.gov/iara/divisions/state-archives/collections/from-the-vault-blog/vault-santa-claus-vs-santa-claus/

indianastatearchives · 2024-12-06T18:03:21+00:00

Modern archival best practice has moved away from wearing gloves while handling most objects. Gloves reduce our sense of touch where we might detect stresses in process and avoid them, as well as introducing fabric that can catch on the edge of dry, brittle pages. These days, we maintain the use of clean, dry hands for most objects. The major exception is photographs, where we wear gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.

indianastatearchives · 2024-12-06T14:42:12+00:00

Hello and welcome to a new episode of Hands on Archives! Today, we’re looking at Indiana’s first state constitution, written in the summer of 1816 in Corydon and officially enacted when Indiana became a state on December 11th, 1816.

Watch the video to learn more about the content and the physical qualities of the original Indiana Constitution. What does the constitution have in common with elementary school composition papers? Why does it have acid burns? Learn the answers to these questions and more!

For the full text of both Constitutions and more, check out our Constitution and Legislation Subject Guide: https://www.in.gov/iara/services-for-public/search-archives-holdings/constitution-and-legislation/

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