Indiana State Archives Fact Sheet
Location and Hours of the Archives
The Indiana State Archives
is located at 6440 E. 30th St. Free parking is available at the front of the
building.
The State Archives is open from 9:00 to 4:00, Monday through Friday. It is closed on election days, weekends and federal and state holidays. The State Archives mailing address is:
Indiana State Archives
6440 E. 30th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46219
Telephone: (317) 591-5222
Map to the Archives
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Collections
The Indiana
State Archives is the permanent repository for important records of state
and local governments. Its holdings include approximately 38,000 cubic feet
of records dating from the territorial period to the present.
Major collections begin with the records of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government from 1785 to the present. These include papers of every governor; bills, acts, and reports of the General Assembly; and case files of both the Supreme and Appellate Courts.
Military records include holdings from the Battle of Tippecanoe, War of 1812, Black Hawk War, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, Korea, and Viet Nam.
The Archives has records of the General Land Office for Indiana, including tract books and the original plats and field notes made by federal surveyors. The Archives is the office of record for state lands such as Wabash and Erie Canal, Michigan Road, and Swamp Lands.
Over 100,000 aerial photographs are in the Archives, including some of the earliest ever taken in Indiana. Other significant photograph collections include the Indiana State Fair, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Corrections, and the Indianapolis Board of Public Safety.
The Archives has the 1820-1880 federal censuses of agriculture and manufacturers for Indiana, as well as substantial collections from more than 500 state agencies and 92 counties. Among these are incorporation papers and election returns from the Secretary of State's Office, annual reports filed by railroads and public utilities, individual patient and inmate records from state institutions dating back to 1822, and important records for the history of health and welfare, education, crime, and the environment.
Patrons
The last decade
has seen a tremendous growth in the use of the collections due to the development
of searchable databases available on the State Archives' website and in house.
Researchers contact the Archives by mail, telephone, fax, email, and in-person.
Requests for records and information have grown 400 percent since 1992.
2002- 19,616
1997- 8,562
1992- 5,535
Private citizens conducting genealogical, environmental, and academic research make up approximately 70 percent of Archives patrons. The remaining 30 percent are state, county, and federal employees.
Frequently accessed records
Civil War
Military service records
Aerial Photographs
State hospitals
Correctional facilities
State schools and homes
Naturalizations
Land sale and survey records
State Agencies
General Assembly
Governors' papers
Supreme and Appellate Courts
County Records
Hoosier Homestead Awards
Incorporations
State Fair
Databases
Since 1991 staff and volunteers have created searchable databases
for many of the Archives collections. For more information visit the the official Indiana State Archives web site http://www.in.gov/icpr/2355.htm
Among these are:
Fort Wayne Land Office
LaPorte-Winnamac Land Office
County Circuit Court Naturalizations (in progress)
Soldiers' and Sailors' Children's Home
Hoosier Homestead Awards
Department of Correction
Marion County Court
Upcoming Databases
The staff and volunteers are very proud to announce that a number of the new databases are being added to the new digital archiv. Exisiting databases will migrate to the new site. Until that time, researchers may still contact the reference staff of the State Archives who will be happy to check the databases in transition or those that are confidential. Things will be changing rapidly, so enjoy the fun! Among those to look forward to are:
Fort Wayne Land Office
Vincennes Land Office (in progress)
Updated County Circuit Court Naturalizations (in progress)
Indiana State Prisons North and South
Girls' School
Boys' School
Board of State Charities Orphan Files
State Soldiers' Home
Central State Hospital Inquests
Secretary of State Trademarks
Civil War service cards (in progress)
State Fair Photo Collections
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2003 Friends of the Indiana State Archives, Inc.
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