Local Family History Resources in Historic Irvington, Indianapolis

In spite of triumphant claims to everyone's easy access to information through the internet, there are troves of family history information defiantly residing off-line. Here are a few such resources based in or around the small Midwestern township of Historic Irvington in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Family History Resources Range from Big to Small

To help Indianapolis' historic Irvington township with its historical memory, there are at least three such resources. The first is a larger entity not even located in Indiana. The second resource is more in the mid-range of capabilities, while the last is much smaller and no doubt the least formalized. I provide yet another resource beyond these three, and more as a "tasty" surprise to end this article.

Why would I recommend such disparate resources for family history research? I cite my grampa, Don José Maria Melendez, who had this advice when I first mowed the lawn for him when I was a child:

"First mow it this way (he would make a side-to-side gesture), and when you think you're done, then mow it this and that way (offering several crosswise gestures). That way you know you've got it from at least two or three angles - which means the job is probably well-done."

Based on this same crisscross logic, the idea is to reap the benefits of acquiring information from at least one well-organized and formally structured institution (such as the Newberry Library of Chicago), while deriving a more "customized" and perhaps much less formal set of information from smaller entities like the Irvington Historical Society. In this fashion, the information gathered as a whole would ultimately be rather "well-rounded".

Without further ado, more details on each resource:

The Newberry Library

The Newberry Library is a larger entity not even located in Indiana, but which has a decidedly wealthy myriad of information on Irvington's family history. Places such as this are the "big fish" in the information management business, and are able to offer the stability and infrastructure more conducive to a more formalized style of family history research practices.

The Newberry Library offers a listing of suggested guides specific to researching Irvington-related family history, such as:

* Searching in Indiana: A Reference Guide to Public and Private Records
* A Guide to Manuscript Collections of the Indiana Historical Society and Indiana State Library
* Atlas of Historical County Boundaries: Indiana
* Index to Indiana Wills: Phase I through 1850
* Index to Indiana Wills: Phase II, 1850-1880
* Abstracts of the Records of the Society of Friends in Indiana
* Indiana biographical index

These and many more formalized resources are available through this library.

For more information, contact:

The Newberry Library
60 W. Walton St.
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 943-9090

Indiana Historical Society (IHS)

This state-level resource marries the best practices of the "big fish" variety mentioned above while leveraging its focus as a more localized information repository. The IHS boasts several unique local history banks including the Women's Oral History Interviews in Selcted Respositories.

Irvington-relevant information include a 1987 oral interview with Mildred Allen of Irvington, Indiana. Allen was a piano teacher and one of the founders of the Irvington Music Study Club in 1941. Allen's interview is a part of the Irvington Oral History Project, and was conducted by Janice Paul. Interview tapes are available from the Irvington Historical Society, and transcript may be had through the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, Irvington Branch, and the Indiana State Library, Indiana Division.

Other such historical resources include audio-recorded interviews with other Irvington residents such as Cathryn Kuemmick Boggy, Mildred Campbell, and Marie Crewes - among many others - some of whom may still be alive for further interviews.

For more information, contact:

Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone: 317-232-1882 or 800-447-1830
Office Hours: By appointment

Irvington Historical Society

Operating from directly within city limits, the Irvington Historical Society is the most localized resource for Irvington township family history.

At the time of this writing, in looking at the content of the Society's website, you may think they would appear to operate on a more or less casual basis, and to the tune of seemingly indeterminate agendas. This said, it is a website filled with the charm and lore that only a warm handshake and the genuine tradition of storytelling can offer.

For more information, contact:

Irvington Historical Society
312 S. Downey Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46219
Contact: Linda Hudson
President: Paul Diebold
Phone: (317) 357-0318
Office Hours: By appointment

Yet Another "Tasty" Resource - Lazy Daze Coffeehouse

As a former Irvingtonian myself, I wholly recommend one authoritative resource as a way to find the still-living residents (or their descendents) of Irvington. This place would be the place for great-tasting coffee and a chance to chat with many long-term friends and relatives of older Irvingtonians: Lazy Daze Coffeehouse.

Lazy Daze Coffehouse
10 Johnson Ave
Indianapolis IN 46219
Tel: (317) 353-0777
Hours: Mon-Fri: 6:30a - 10p | Sat: 8a - 10p | Sun: 8a - 9p

My advice? Go to the coffeehouse first for a jolt of caffeine before beginning your search!