Six people discussed how to document, maintain, and distribute more information about Ellettsville’s history. They discussed possible projects and resources available.
Possible history projects
1. Undertake more research focused on the following:
Construction of Highway 37
Volunteer road crews
Geographic history: Why here? What caused Ellettsville to be settled?
Building histories
Family histories
Notable people in Ellettsville (D. Jacobs, J. Thrasher, etc.)
Videotape local people (another oral history project)
Before and after histories that document local development and change
Interesting facts about the town’s history
Kokomo and the Mason Dixon Line and how it relates
2. Update the Ellettsville History Book
3. See if it is possible to display the Richland Township Historical Project at Eagles Landing
4. Investigate using a wiki or expanding Ellettsville's current entry in Wikipedia to share (and edit) historical information, if online access to historical information is important. www.wikipedia.org
5. Conduct a survey of people for history information. Kinds of info to ask: names, length of residency, family origins, occupation, business affiliation, social affiliations, religious affiliation, favorite historical stories, neighbors, do you have a written genealogy or history?, do you have family diaries, bibles or pictures you be willing to share?
Resources
1. Monroe County History Museum
2. The Journal archives—maybe these could eventually end up online and be searchable. Have they ever been microfilmed? Could IU assist?
3. Need to find out what is online already, what has been microfilmed at IU Library, and also what the Monroe County Library Indiana Room has on Ellettsville’s history.
4. For building histories: check the 1987? Registry of Buildings, find out how many copies are available and if a reprint is possible.
5. Periodicals may be good resources to find out property owners names.
6. People may have already done their own genealogy studies and might be willing to share their histories.
7. Current history markers, cemeteries, and past codes and regulations can tell a lot about what the community viewed as important
8. Mathers Museum
Monday, November 20, 2006
Ellettsville History
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2 comments:
The registry of buildings that is mentioned, is that the Monroe County Interim Report of the Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Survey? That's something Bloomington Restorations, Inc. did in the late 1980s and was published in 1989. The book is out of print, but we have copies made that are available for purchase from BRI or from the county museum (Monroe County History Center) or Howard's Bookstore. The price is $15. A more detailed history of the Ellettsville downtown historic district and its buildings is in the National Register nomination that was done for Ellettsville Main Street. The interim report covers the entire town, the National Register nomination just covers the historic district.
A group of retired teachers has published a book on the history of Monroe County one room schools. There were several of these schools around the Ellettsville area. Interesting reading.
The book is available for sale at the Monroe County History Center gift shop.
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