Friends of the Indiana State Archives, Inc.

Indiana Digital Archives Named a 2010 Best State Website by Family Tree Magazine

October 13, 2010 --

Digital Archives Named to Best of Web List

INDIANAPOLIS (October 13, 2010) - The Indiana Digital Archives has been named a 2010 Best State Website by "Family Tree Magazine." America's #1 family history publication released the list of honorees in its December 2010 issue.

The list honors America's leading genealogy research websites. The seventy-five sites listed represent the go-to bookmarks for browsing America's past, state by state. The Indiana Digital Archives joined the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center as the only two honorees from the State of Indiana.

"The State Archives is proud to receive positive feedback and national recognition for a project that has been years in the making and taken thousands of hours of volunteer work," said Jim Corridan, State Archivist and Director of the Indiana Commission on Public Records. "The Digital Archives has been a great success because it instantly connects researchers to Indiana's historical records and other holdings of the Indiana State Archives."

Researchers can browse through the indexes to many of the most popular Indiana State Archives collections through the Indiana Digital Archives. Friends of the Indiana State Archives volunteers have been hard at work for more than fifteen years creating indexes for many of the state's records. From before statehood in 1816 and on through to its approaching bicentennial, Indiana has been home to thousands of settlers and immigrants. The Digital Archives enables Hoosiers and citizens worldwide to browse the vast collection historical and vital records housed at the State Archives.

About the Indiana Digital Archives

The Indiana Digital Archives is operated by the State Archives Division of the Indiana Commission on Public Records. The result of a cooperative partnership made possible by a grant from the Library of Congress and administered by the Washington State Archives, the Digital Archives has more than 2.5 million searchable records online. Other partners include the states of Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana and Oregon.

About "Family Tree Magazine"

"Family Tree Magazine", America's #1 family history magazine, is the first mass-market, beginner-friendly genealogy magazine. It covers all areas of potential interest to family history enthusiasts, reaching beyond strict genealogy research to include historical travel, family reunions, scrapbooking, oral history, ethnic heritage, memoirs and other ways that families connect with their pasts. "Family Tree Magazine" strives to give readers all the resources they need to discover, preserve and celebrate their family histories -- and to provide engaging, easy-to-understand instruction that empowers readers to take the next step in the quest for their pasts.

Index to the National Guard Records, 1898-1940 Avaialable On the Digital Archives!

September 10, 2010 --

Researchers are now able to search historic records of thousands of Indiana National Guardsmen through the Indiana Digital Archives.

Researchers are now able to search historic records of thousands of Indiana National Guardsmen through the Indiana Digital Archives. The Indiana National Guard Collection indexes records of Hoosiers who served our nation from 1898 through 1940. The database includes the soldier's name, the date enlisted, and the town or county from which he or she enrolled. Soldiers who joined around the time of the Mexican Border War in 1916 or the World War I era will have additional records such as physical exams, enlistment papers, and service cards.

"The addition of this popular collection will enable users to instantly search for records online, saving them and Archives staff hours of research," said Jim Corridan, State Archivist and Director of the Indiana Commission on Public Records. "The National Guard database coupled with existing Digital Archives resources provides a useful and comprehensive collection of Indiana soldiers' records from the Civil War up to World War II."

The National Guard database is the second major addition to the Indiana Digital Archives this summer. In June, the online portal introduced the Indiana Civil War Soldiers Database, which includes over 213,000 individual records containing soldiers' age, muster in and out dates and location, company, regiment, and any additional available notes. Both the National Guard and Civil War databases, like all records in the Digital Archives, have several search features designed to enhance the customer's experience. The People Search feature allows patrons to enter a surname and search through over 2 million records in 20 different collections in just seconds. More targeted research can be performed by choosing one of several variables and data limiters available through the "Detailed Search" option.

The completion of the Indiana National Guard database is due in large part to the Friends of the Indiana State Archives' volunteers who spent hours organizing the records of 66,851 soldiers. They first unfolded the enlistment papers and other records, placing them in acid free folders, then interfiled their service record cards to create actual files for each individual. Next, every individual was entered into a database, which is now available on the Indiana Digital Archives.

For more information please visit The Index to the National Guard Records, 1898-1940..

Civil War Records Added to the Digital Archives

Jun 08, 2010 --

INDIANAPOLIS - Historians, researchers and others interested in Indiana's Civil War history can now search for specific individuals who served during the conflict through the new Indiana Civil War Soldiers Database available at http://www.indianadigitalarchives.org/. The database contains over 213,000 individual records compiled by volunteers and staff from the Indiana State Archives and the Friends of the Indiana State Archives.

Compilation of the Indiana Civil War Soldiers Database began in 1913 when the Indiana General Assembly appropriated $4,700 for a comprehensive index detailing the service of Indiana Civil War soldiers. The Indiana Digital Archives has now published the information online. Each record contains information about a soldier's age, muster in and out dates and location, company, regiment, and any additional available notes. These notes may include ranks, transfers, desertion information, punishment, mortality status and cavalry or battery unit.

"The Civil War Soldiers Database adds a tremendous new resource to the Indiana Digital Archives, providing historical resources never before available to Hoosiers and the world," said Jim Corridan, State Archivist and Director of the Indiana Commission on Public Records. "The Indiana Digital Archives simplifies the process of searching the State Archives' holdings by enabling researchers to instantly access records from their own home, saving them time and money."

The Civil War Soldiers Database, like all records in the Indiana Digital Archives, has several search features designed to enhance the customer's experience. The People Search feature allows patrons to enter a surname and search through over 2 million records in 20 different collections in just seconds. More targeted research can be performed by choosing one of several variables and data limiters available through the "Detailed Search" option.

Patrons may still request the standard Civil War packet, which includes a photocopy of the original index card, a copy of the regimental history, and a company roster. Please contact the Archives staff at arc@icpr.in.gov for ordering information.

For information on other Civil War collections available at the Indiana State Archives, please visit http://www.in.gov/icpr/2521.htm

New Digital Archives!

Indiana Digital Archives

The Indiana State Archives is thrilled to announce our new online Digital Archives.

This invaluable new resource is the result of a cooperative partnership made possible by a grant from the Library of Congress and administered by the Washington State Archives. Other state partners include Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, and Oregon.

Friends of the Indiana State Archive Volunteers have been busily processing and indexing records for more than fifteen years. All of their hard work and effort had an immediate effect for archivists and researchers contacting the archives. Using the databases within the archives meant that archivists could instantly locate records for patrons instead of spending hours plowing through old volumes of often un-indexed records.

Despite budget constraints, archivists have been raising awareness of the collections through public presentations, exhibits, and publications. Now the new online digital archive will be able to reach out to anyone with access to the Internet. Patrons can search the indexes and order records via email online.

The First Round

The first round of records available includes information for state prisoners in Indiana’s Department of Correction facilities as well as military records, land records, naturalization records, and Marion County Court Records and Wills. Our Military Collections include indexes of the World War I Gold Star and Book of Merit Recipients. Both collections refer to the original files of correspondence and sometimes photographs submitted by the soldier or his or her family for inclusion in the final published books. The files offer far more information than the brief paragraphs in the books first published by the Indiana Historical Commission after the Great War. Other Military collections currently available include the Mexican War and indexes to the files of the Indiana Veteran’s Home in Lafayette, Indiana.

One of our more unique collections is the 1853 Registers of Negroes and Mulattos. Individual counties maintained these registers. The Archives holdings include Clark, Franklin, Orange, Switzerland, Vigo, and Ohio. Additionally, the Archives holds the 1805 Clark County Slave Register, which is also available online. An enhanced feature for this particular collection allows virtual patrons to click on the links and actually view the images on their computer.

Also available online is the index to the Admission Record of the Julia E. Work Training School in Plymouth, Indiana. This industrial training school, an alternative to reform school or an orphanage, was also known as Brightside. The register contains brief but invaluable information about each of the children placed in the home. The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home index has also moved from our old website to the new digital archive. The Fort Wayne and the LaPorte-Winamac Land Office Database have also moved to the new site. These two favorites will be joined in the future by the Vincennes Land Office and the Crawfordsville-Terre Haute Land Office.

More to Follow Soon!

This is just the beginning! Collections soon to follow include more than 200,000 Hoosier Civil War soldiers. Our new National Guard and Early Military Records Databases are also in the final stages. Additional Naturalization records will be updated very soon including Marion and Saint Joseph Counties.