INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis’ 200th birthday celebration begins this June, and many events and programs will be taking place throughout the year. To kick off the eastside’s contribution to Indy history, there will be a free forum and lecture on Saturday, Feb. 29 from 2-4 p.m. at the Minnie Hartmann Center, 3734 E. Vermont St.
Jordan Ryan from the Indiana Historical Society will speak about their Indianapolis History Collecting Initiative. The initiative, supported by a $100,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment, will curate collections already in the archives of the Indiana Historical Society, and begin to acquire new materials. The goal will be to identify people, places and events that have shaped the city in the past 200 years. Participants in the lecture will learn about the Bicentennial and how they can participate. You’ll hear tips about how you can research the history of your home, your neighborhood, or other things we should know about our community’s history.
Special guests include Weekly View columnist Steve Barnett, Marion County Historian, Executive Director of the Irvington Historical Society; and Nelson Price, author of Indianapolis, Then and Now and host of WICR’s Hoosier History Live!
The free event is sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society, Near East Area Renewal (NEAR), the Robson-Voohees Neighbors Association, and the Weekly View.