Product Description
Genealogy, once the hobby of maiden aunts, social climbers, and ancestry snobs, is now the third most popular hobby in the United States, topped only by stamp and coin collecting. The purpose of this book is to present the means and methods for locating elusive ancestors who once lived in Indiana. The book is arranged by resource groups rather than by a chronological history of the state in order to make information about certain records clearer and easier to find and use. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Hoosier Ancestry Research
I was researching my ancestry online, and found this book to be a very interesting and useful companion.As I found ancestors, I used this book to learn a little bit more about what life was like where they lived during their lifetime.I now have a list of options to research that is specific to Indiana.I think it would have taken me a great deal more time to do this research online had I not had the guidance of "Who's Your Hoosier Ancestor?"

They didn't pay me to say it's an excellent book
Clear and accessible, this Indiana specialist covers so much information that it is useful for both beginners and old hands.No internet here, but quite a few resources with addresses.(Many are now on the net, so you maybe able to avoid some of the agony of putting pen to paper.) Verycomprehensive, but in only 217 pages (including notes, bibliography,suggested readings, index, and a few black and whites), some topics areonly touched on.You can always supplement with such specialized books asthe by the Indiana Historical Society. Chapters include history, the land,natives, boundaries, emigrant trails, who the emigrants were, military,church and cemetery, census, county histories, and more, including basicresearch principles.There's an excellent gallup through county records,which almost painlessly explains many abstruse goodies such as deedrecords, antenuptial contracts, ministers' returns, etc.There's alsoinformation about what is and is not available or useful, and why. ... Read more

Product Description
This book covers the history of the Hoosier State from prehistoric times to the present, paying particular attention to the social, economic, cultural, and political contexts in which the state's significant historical figures, both heroes and villains, played out their roles. Published by Indiana University Press and the Indiana Historical Society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Quite frankly a dissapointment
I really thought I was overreacting to the lack of some information in this book, so I gave it to another Hoosier who is well versed in Indiana history and they agreed with me. What is contained in the pages is good; however I found a huge lack of content concerning the more northern sections ofthe state. The effect of the railroad - after all Indiana for the main years of rail travel was one of the more important sections of rail travel between the east and the west, it had the largest and most modern switching yards in the world. Indiana also was a huge manufacturer of band instruments, it also had one of the main pharmaceutical labs in the world, producing vitamins, Alka-Seltzer. There is no mention at all of one of the larger cities in the northern section that contained all of the previously mentioned items - Elkhart. How can you give a state history and leave out such a significant city?

Good read
Those that are looking for a general overview of history, in the state of Indiana, will get what they are looking for. Well written and researched. I would have liked to have seen more individual accounts, but that is only a personal preference.

Great book for those of us not originally from Indiana
For those of you non-native Hoosiers (such as myself), this book will help explain why things are the way they are here in Indiana. Why don't we observe daylight savings time?It's "the Indiana way".Why are we more conservative than our fellow midwesterners?It's "the Indiana way".

Great State History Reference
As a local history buff, I was pleased to encounter this book at the bookstore. Professor Madison does a nice job outlining Indiana's history in a way that the average arm-chair historian can understand without any difficulty whatsoever. The first section is devoted to the land and the early people who inhabited the land. He does a great job getting the geographical history down in a concise manner. It's easy to ramble about the topic, but Madison does a nice job of being brief, but also impeccable with content. He covers all the bases.
I particulary enjoy the social history, which talks about race-relations and also about people who helped form the State.

Most major events in American History are taken from the Hoosier perspective as well. While reading, you can tell that Madison has a particular love for the State of Indiana. He writes about it in such a way that demonstrates his admiration for the early settlers, but also he looks at them from a realistic point of view. He does not write history from rose-colored glasses, and writes in a honest and refreshing sort of way.

My only complaint would be that there needs to be more pictures. I do have to add that the photos included are obviously carefully selected, as they make silent statements in themselves. For example, the one of Klan members exiting a church in rural Knox, Indiana, or the one of a one-room delapitated school house in northern Clinton Co. He did a great job in selecting appropriate photos... I only wish there were more. ... Read more

Product Description
This book chronicles for the first time the military activities of Indiana Quakers during America’s bloodiest war and explores the motivation behind the abandonment, at least temporarily, of their long-standing testimony against war. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A nice addition to American historical work
The book Indiana Quakers confront the Civil War looks into how Quakers within the state of Indiana dealt with the Civil War.This is obvious.But what is not obvious is what the author, Jacquelyn Nelson, investigates.While Quakers are generally pacifists, many Quakers actively supported the war, up to and including becoming soldiers for the Union Army.How Quakers dealt with their fellow Quakers getting so involved with the War is also covered.I think the author did a good job covering the subject, but she seemed determine to repeat herself throughout the book, as if she was deliberately writing just to increase the page count.
On the subject of Indiana Quakers, the books divides the chapters as Quaker Background, Quaker Military Service, Why the Quakers Fought, How the Quakers Dealt with Army Life, the Home Front, and Opposition to the War.She mostly worked with examples, although she did include a few narratives, mostly as an appendix to the book.In fact, the appendixes are more than half of the book, as it includes primary sources as well as brief biographies of each Quaker found to serve in the War.There was no problem with the content within the book.
The book offers an interesting thesis: that Quakers were not entirely pacifistic during the Civil War and in fact, many actively participated in the War as the evidence of the Indiana Quakers shows.The author believes that most have overlooked the Quakers in Civil War study due to the fact that Quakers are such known pacifists that most historians simply concluded that the Quakers were not involved in the War so there was no need to study their actions during the War.This is a significant contribution to preexisting work.Never before had the subject of Quakers in the War been so thoroughly looked upon, and thus this book was a needed addition to history.However, the author does tend to try making certain details bigger than they are; there is little difference between six Quakers out of sixty in a Quaker community going to war and thirteen out of a community of 118 going to war, but the author seems to fail in her mathematics in treating this as a large difference.I did like that she gave details into why many Quakers fought; that it was mostly due to Christian patriotism and less to do with national patriotism.I also appreciated the all-too-brief comparisons between Quakers in the Civil War to those who experienced the American Revolution first hand.
Jacquelyn S. Nelson was certainly interested in this subject; it is unclear whether or not she was a Quaker or not.She was definitely sympathetic to all the Quakers in the book.However, she needed to look at the broader prospective of Quakers as a whole, in order that she could show whether or not Indiana Quakers were typical of other Quakers, or this was a simply an occurrence that happened in Indiana.
I have few complaints about the author's writing style.I had feared it would be much like other scholarly work: rather unreadable with its pompousness.Instead, the flow in reading this book was undisturbed; I just wish she did not repeat herself as much.There was little reason to separate the last two chapters in the book, as half of each was the same as the other chapter.
There is a sizeable audience for this book.Those who will find it the most useful are genealogists who will love the detailed listing of every Quaker the author found while doing her research on those who fought in the War.Professors and grad students who specialize in studying religious groups in the United States will be the most interested academics in this book.Civil War historians might see merit in this book, but they will probably wish for more frontline experiences for Quakers rather than so much homefront details.
In conclusion, Indiana Quakers confront the Civil War does a good job in relating its thesis to the reader.However, I think the author could have gone much deeper than she did; repeating how pacifistic Quakers are usually does not cover up the lack of depth of Quakers during the Civil War as a whole.Still, a worthwhile book this is. ... Read more

Product Description
Local History and Genealogy Abstracts from Marion, Indiana Newspapers, 1876-1880 – Ralph D. Kirkpatrick. A handful of War of 1812 veterans who settled in Grant Co. still survived in the late 1870’s. The only battle of that war fought in Grant Co. was the Battle of Mississinewa, which is still commemorated by an annual reenactment.

The Civil War was still fresh in the memory of Grant Co. residents during the years covered by this book. Local soldiers who died during the war are listed and are remembered during ceremonies commemorating their sacrifices.

Marriages, births and deaths are recorded, often in some detail. Local institutions, including churches and schools, continued to develop and their pastors, officers and members are often noted. Abstracts are presented alphabetically by surname. 2002, 268 pp., index, paper, #K2189 ... Read more

Product Description
The only battle of the War of 1812 fought in Grant County was the Battle of Mississinewa, which involved the Miami Indians, and is still commemorated by an annual reenactment. Two versions of the battle can be read in these abstracts.

In 1778, Frances Slocum, a young Quaker girl was kidnapped by Indians in Pennsylvania. She died in the Grant County area in 1847 as an elderly widow of a Miami Indian. The poignant story of her capture, her life among the Indians, and her renewed contact with her birth family are all retold here.

Marriages, deaths, and business enterprises of local Civil War veterans comprise much of the Marion and Grant County news from 1881 through 1885. A list of county soldiers who lost their lives during that conflict was published with corrections. Federal pensions were applied for, education was enhanced by the construction and staffing of township schools, and county transportation continued to develop during this time. These abstracts are presented alphabetically by surname, followed by a maiden name index. ... Read more

Product Description
With the coming of prohibition, the idea of Indiana wine was lost. It was not until the passing of the Small Winerylaw in 1971 that winemaking began anew in the state. Today some 25 wineries, large and small, produce a wide-variety of Indiana wine. Here is a delightful guide to these wineries, their wines, and the people who make them. ... Read more

Product Description
This handbook is a researcher’s dream. Miller describes the wealth of sources in the state library for family and local history by type of record and also by county (including call numbers for all titles). ... Read more

Product Description
A valuable resource for those exploring Indiana family history, this book features Wayne County, Indiana, records of the Society of Friends (Quakers) through 1899. First edited by Willard Heiss and published by the Indiana Historical Society in 1962, this revised volume features an every-name index. ... Read more

Product Description
Prior to the Civil War nearly one-third of all native-born Kentuckians lived outsideof the state, many in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and Illinois. This work is designed to helpgenealogists seeking ancestors from Ohio or Indiana who were originally from Kentucky. Notusing conventional record sources, it draws its information from published county histories andcounty atlases, works containing the type of information helpful to the genealogist.Arranged in tabular format under the county of origin, entries include some or all of thefollowing data: the name of the Kentucky migrant, his birth date, the parents' names and theirdates and places of birth (if known), and the date of migration. The name index has references tomore than 10,000 persons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A MUST HAVE BOOK . . .
I have this book; it is a "must have" book for any one who was at ISSCH. I found it most helpful in "jogging" my memory. I was at ISSCH from 1958 -1962.

For Anyone Who Resided At I.S.S.C.H., Knightstown, Ind.
This book has been a great reference for me in may ways,especially for The Morton Memorial Class Reunion Web Site. It is an indexed listing of most all of the children admitted to the Home. From the very first orphans admitted in the late 1800's, on up to the children admitted in the late 1980's.It shows the name of the child, the county for which they came from, the date of admission along with the date of discharge.What is really helpful..is the fact that it shows the child's full name, along with the middle name.This is very helpful in locating individuals. I strongly encourage the Indiana Historical Society in Indianapolis, Indiana to update this book soon with the records of admissions of the children of the 90's... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

" . . . thenewmownhaysendsallitsfragrance . . ."
"BACK HOME AGAIN IN INDIANA" became a popular hit tune in 1974 and the title of a book was borrowed from that song. Robert Reid was editor of "Back Home Again" compiling Public Security Administration photographs, primarily from the mid-thirties and published by Indiana University Press in 1987.

Dorothea Lange is one of a roster of photographers employed for the project, and she went on to become famous for her work. In this book her pictures are mainly of the harvesting of oats. This series is of particular value now that farming practices are mechanized and on a scale unimagined at that time.

The New Deal project was to focus on "the ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished" and these are shown starkly in pictures of family resettlement, of farm sales & moving days. On p. 12 is a poignant portrait of a young wife posed in front of a wall papered with newspapers; a series showing the Great Flood of 1937 on pages 36 - 46 remind the reader sadly of the "digging out" from Gulf Coast hurricanes in 2005. Some photographs are valuable from an historic viewpoint: a "vintage" school bus; a truck driver in a diner where most menu items are 5 cents, or ten; lining up to use the "Free Toilet" in a Greyhound bus station; also, a series taken during wartime, of a U.S. Army Chaplain's School at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis.

Some are portraits of excellent design and clarity: hanging laundry (p.34), boarding a Greyhound bus (p.124), two men sleeping with luggage in a waiting room (p.127). The last two are the work of Esther Bubley, another talented woman perhaps new to a profession that opened up because of the Great Depression.

Mid-Westerners are fond of 'saving history' and mcHAIKU hopes that Hoosiers will continue the tradition honored in this book. Offered are many reminders of people who lived & worked hard in the hope that their children would experience 'better' lives.

Indiana the day before yesterday.
Yet another collection of Farm Security Administration photographs devoted to a State, this time Indiana.I already have similar books of FSA photos, titled `Chicago and Downstate', `A Southern Illinois Album', `A Kentucky Album', `Picturing Minnesota' and`Far from Main Street', (about New Mexico) but I don't think this latest book is as good as these.The ten chapters adequately cover the years from 1935 to 1943 with an emphasis on agriculture and I think these are the weakest photos.The chapter called People and Places with sixteen photos of small town Indiana life was best, exterior shots of stores with their wares and signage (signs, ads and anything typographic was a big thing with FSA photographers) interior shots, main streets, people talking and relaxing or eating in a diner.

Each chapter has a short introduction and all the pictures are photographer credited, captioned, dated and usefully they have the Library of Congress negative number, acomprehensive book list is in the back of the book.I found the photos a little grey because they are printed in a dot screen (133) that does not do justice to the quality of the images and quite a few could be better trimmed.Despite this `Back Home Again' is worth having especially if you live in Indiana and want a visual record of the day just before yesterday.

a good research book for costumers
This book is an excellent resource for costumers interested in real life garb of small towners and farmers of the 30's.It shows nice details of shoes, hats, aprons, collar styles, fabric patterns, etc.There are a fewinteriors and exteriers but almost every photo (like soylant green) is ofpeople. ... Read more

Product Description
This study explores the political, economic, social, and cultural developments of the pre– and post–Civil War years. The author draws on scholarly and primary source material to provide a view of mid-nineteenth-century Indiana life, dealing not only with the political turmoil of the era but also with changes in education, agriculture, transportation, religion, and industrialization. Volume 3 of The History of Indiana, copublished with the Indiana Historical Bureau. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Resource
If you are interested in Indiana history, particularly african-american history, Emma Lou Thornbrough is an outstanding author and researcher. This book has been educational ... Read more

Product Description

After three disastrous floods, the citizens of English, Indiana decided in 1990 to move their town to higher ground. But they will not lose the old Main Street forever. E. C. Roberts has captured that unpaved thoroughfare, the other places and faces of English, and a way of life now vanished in these charming reminiscences of life in a midwestern town in the early days of this century.