IPS69 Bites The Dust

                          The Indianapolis Public Schools demolished the Joyce Kilmer School 69                                     elementary building on January 27, 2025.

IPS69 had been there since 1931.

How low can IPS get before the state closes it? 

The Legislature is toying with the idea already. 

Could Use A Few More IPS Directories

We have an extensive collection of IPS Staff Directories, 

but we have a few holes in our group.

If you have any of these, we would like to scan them. 

Let us know: 1892 to 1910, 1913-1927, 1930-1936, 1941-1946.

[Below is a sample 1954 page]

 

Welcome Patte Owings

We have been gifted over the last several years by having a strong core of volunteers.

Last Wednesday we welcomed our latest member of that awesome group, Patte Owings.

Patte digitized the entire second volume of the Diener headstone ledgers, 

and then started on our index of that volume. Yay! Go, Patte!

Patte (on right) was welcomed by GSMC President Barbara Hutchinson

 

Calling All Indy Songbirds

 

   Dear Marion County Historians, I am Reta Williams of the School Song Project.  For a little over a year, I have trying to find and preserve the Indiana high school fight songs of schools that were closed or consolidated.  I have a list of 718 schools and 551 songs.  My daughter created a website for me and here is the link to it.  https://www.indianaschoolsongproject.com/

   I am starting to finalize the project so I can compile a book with the information I have found.  Marion County has been a unique county to research.  The IPS high schools that have closed or reorganized since the 60’s and 70’s have been relatively easy to find the songs.  The only song I need is Northwest Space Pioneers.

   The group of schools that I am struggling to get information are the schools not in IPS in around the 1940’s and before.  From the list that I have the schools are these: Acton Redbirds, Castleton Comets, Lawrence Lions, New Augusta Red Devils, New Bethel (Wanamaker) Red Devils, Oaklandon Oaks, Valley Mills Comets, and West Newton Tigers. 

Is there a body of research or preservation information about these schools?  Emerson Houck’s book Hoosiers All discusses these schools.  If I can’t find any school song information about these schools, I will probably refer to his book.  Any help is appreciated.  Thank you.  Reta Williams

Perry Township History Meeting 1-28

If you have a little time, you might drop in at the PTEC.

 

New Headstone Resource

We just added the August Diener Headstone Ledger to our website. 

This is a 180-page book of 1893-95 headstone orders. [Sample page below]

We also added our alphabetical index of 1,026 names for your convenience.

[These items are in Research Set 1 under Death Resources.]

We do have a second ledger to scan and index as soon as we

can recruit volunteers to do that. Interested...call us?

 

GSMC Certifies A New (Old) Cemetery

The Genealogical Society of Marion County recently submitted a set of documents 

to the Dept. of Natural Resources that proved the existence 

of the Norris Cemetery in Marion County. 

The cemetery has been added to the SHAARD database under the cemetery number CR-49-152. 

Just another service of GSMC!

 

GSMC Library OPEN Jan 15

We will be opening our GSMC Library tomorrow Wednesday, January 15, 

from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm.

Come on down to volunteer, research, or just to chat over coffee on us. 

See you there!!

 

Where Is John W. Link?

We ran across this diploma in some Tech High School materials. 

Now we're curious. 

Does anyone know what happened to John Link after

 he earned a certificate in Architectural Drafting at Tech HS?

C'mon now, let us in on it...

 

Indiana Landmarks Events

The state headquarters of Indiana Landmarks is here in Indy, 

and they sponsor an ongoing historical buildings and events series.

Any of these strike your fancy? If so, give them a jingle.

 

2025 Is Commencement Year!

School Commencement Programs contain a wealth of information 

about local students, faculties, and communities. 

We need yours!

If you have any kind of Marion County school Commencement program, please get it to us.

Attach it to an email, bring it in so we can scan it, mail a photocopy.

We don't need originals; copies will do fine.

Researchers will be most appreciative; thanks.

Reminder: Yearbook deadlines can be as much as 6-7 months before graduation day. 

Commencement programs are much more accurate about actual graduates.

 

Latest Angel Duane Perry

Skilled genealogist Duane Perry has been researching African American burials all year

 in the "still located in Greenlawn Cemetery." 

We finally chased him down to recognize his great work. 

 

We Organize Marion County For You

When we discover a photo/document/resource, 

or some generous soul gives/sends us some of the same,

it's generally in some random or single order. 

Our job is to put it where it needs to go, so that family historians can find it.

Take the school files below, for instance. 

We dare to to find any of these files either online or in a physical location.

We have 200+ Marion County schools with data and/or physical files,

all of them nicely organized for research.

Go get 'em!!

 

GSMC Adds Newspaper Collection

The Franklin Township Historical Society donated a newspaper collection to GSMC, 

and it is now listed in our catalog under "Perry Township." [Yes, Perry!]

The collection is from 11 Apr 1990 to 20 Mar 1991.

We scanned the first issue as a sample, 

and you can view it in our Research Set 4 under Perry Township.

All the issues are shelved in the Perry materials.