Plainfield library indexes Hendricks County insanity records

The Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library has published an online index (in PDF format) to its collection of Hendricks County insanity records. This collection - which is housed in the library's Indiana Room Archives - includes admittance papers, orders for discharge, witness affidavits, clothing requisitions, re-admittance papers, and others. What is interesting is reading what was considered "cause" for the person to be hospitalized or considered insane. Some of the described symptoms for women sound much like post-partum depression, something that wasn't treated in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The insanity records range from the late 1850s to the 1920s. These records can be viewed in the library's Indiana Room upon request.

Danville library to host book talk about "Crime of the Century"

The Danville library will host a book talk by Putnam County Historian Larry Tippin about his book, The Betrayal of Pearl Bryan: Unraveling the Gilded Age Mystery That Captivated a Nation, on Thursday, December 13 at 2 pm. The book is the story of how in 1896 Pearl Bryan of Greencastle travelled to Cincinnati and was killed by the father of her unborn child, events which newspapers dubbed the "Crime of the Century." Pearl's parents, Alexander S. and Susan Farrow Bryan, lived in Hendricks County until 1854, near New Winchester.

This program will be held in the library's program room on the ground floor and pre-registration is required - to register online, visit the Events Calendar section of the library's website, or call (317) 745-2604.

Danville genealogy group to host pitch-in luncheon and heirloom show & tell

The Danville Public Library's Genealogy Nuts group will hold a pitch-in luncheon on Monday, December 10 starting at noon. The pitch-in will be held in the library's program room on the ground floor. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share. After the luncheon, there will be a show and tell, where you can show a family heirloom or tell a research triumph.

34 Hendricks County probate packets from 1844 through 1883 digitized

The Indiana Genealogical Society recently added 34 Hendricks County probate packets to their website for free viewing.

This batch of probate packets spans from 1844 through 1883. They were sorted and digitized by volunteers - if you would like to help with this project, please contact volunteer coordinator Darlene Anderson (mdagenealogy@gmail.com).

The 34 digitized probate packets are:

Adair, John D. (& Lavena A. Claypool) (1866) - guardianship of minors
Adams, Franklin P. (1882) - estate
Adams, Hiram F., Caleb F. & Solomon T. (1864) - guardianship of minors
Adams, Melinda Elinor, Sarah Jane, Francis Newton, John Allen, Margaret Elizabeth, Bellsena, James Milton, Letha Hester & Mary Emily (1867) - guardianship of minors
Adams, Thaddeus S. (1881) - appointment as commissioner
Aldred, William (1881) - estate
Alexander, Mary E., Susan, Henry J. & Sarah (1864) - guardianship of minors
Alexander, William (1881) - estate
Ayers, James, Sr. (1870) - estate
Ayers, Lydia (1881) - estate
Ayers, William (1877) - estate
Ayers, William (1878) - estate
Bonnifield, Susan (1859) - estate
Borders, James (1875) - estate
Boswell, William (1875) - estate
Bowsher, Lewis D. (1879) - guardianship of a minor
Boyd, Dudley (1859) - estate
Boyd, Dudley E. (1860) - guardianship of a minor
Boyd, John (1840) - estate
Boyd, Phebe (1857) - estate
Brackett, Jacob (1867) - guardianship of a minor
Bradshaw, Charles W. (1885) - estate
Bradshaw, James A. (1874) - guardianship of a minor
Brady, Drusilla (1882) - estate
Brady, Merill (1859) - estate
Brady, Sarah, Lucy E. & Carrie B. (1883) - guardianship of minors
Bramell, Thomas (1882) - estate
Bray, Edward W. (1874) - estate
Bray, Elizabeth J. (1881) - estate
Bray, Thomas S. (1878) - estate
Brewer, Daniel (1881) - estate
Bunton, George (1844) - estate
Bunton, Nancy, Amanda, Aramantha, George M. & James J. (1849) - guardianship of minors
Bunton, William (1856) - estate

Danville library to host sorting days for Hendricks County probate project

The Danville library will host a series of "sorting days" in December where volunteers can stop by and help sort some of Hendricks County's probate records from the 1800's, in preparation for these records to be digitized by the Indiana Genealogical Society and placed online for free access. No pre-registration is necessary for these sorting days - you can come and work for as little or as long as you like. The dates and times of the sorting days are:

Wednesday, December 5 - 10 am to 4 pm. Location: Danville library's program room (located on the ground floor).
Wednesday, December 12 - 10 am to 4 pm. Location: Danville library's program room (located on the ground floor).

If you have any questions about the sorting days, please contact the volunteer coordinator for this project, Darlene Anderson (mdagenealogy@gmail.com).

Danville library to host program about life during World War I

The Danville library will host a program, "World War I from a Different Perspective," on Saturday, November 17 at 1 pm. Tim Macsay and Audrey, volunteers from the Hendricks County Historical Museum, will discuss what life was like during World War I, including how food was rationed and how schools had gardens. Several World War I artifacts from the Hendricks County Historical Museum's collection will also be shown. This program will be held in the library's program room on the ground floor and pre-registration is required - to register online, visit the Events Calendar section of the library's website, or call (317) 745-2604.

Danville library to discuss newspaper research

The Danville library will host a presentation about newspaper research on Monday, November 12 at 1:30 pm in the library's program room on the ground floor. The presentation will be part of the Genealogy Nuts group's monthly meeting. Cindy Rutledge from the library's Indiana Room will talk about how newspapers are often used for finding obituaries, but can be overlooked when it comes to other information they provide. No pre-registration is required.

Plainfield library to host sorting days for Hendricks County probate project

The Plainfield library will host a series of "sorting days" in November where volunteers can stop by and help sort some of Hendricks County's probate records from the 1800's, in preparation for these records to be digitized by the Indiana Genealogical Society and placed online for free access. No pre-registration is necessary for these sorting days - you can come and work for as little or as long as you like. The dates and times of the sorting days are:

Friday, November 2 - 10 am to 4 pm. Location: Plainfield library's McMillan A meeting room (located on the 2nd floor).
Friday, November 9 - 10 am to 4 pm. Location: Plainfield library's McMillan A meeting room (located on the 2nd floor).
Friday, November 16 - 10 am to 4 pm. Location: Plainfield library's McMillan A meeting room (located on the 2nd floor).
Friday, November 30 - 10 am to 4 pm. Location: Plainfield library's McMillan A meeting room (located on the 2nd floor).

If you have any questions about the sorting days, please contact the volunteer coordinator for this project, Darlene Anderson (mdagenealogy@gmail.com).

19 Hendricks County probate packets from 1839 through 1884 digitized

The Indiana Genealogical Society recently added 19 Hendricks County probate packets to their website for free viewing.

This batch of probate packets spans from 1839 through 1884. They were sorted and digitized by volunteers - if you would like to help with this project, please contact volunteer coordinator Darlene Anderson (mdagenealogy@gmail.com).

The 19 digitized probate packets are:

Almond, James (1872) - estate
Alred, Martitia (1881) - estate
Anderson, Lucinda, Benjamin W. & Eli H. (1876) - guardianship of minors
Appleby, Milton (1859) - estate
Applegate, Mary M. & William F. (1875) - guardianship of minors
Arbuckle, Francis M. (1879) - estate
Arbuckle, Mary (1883) - guardianship of unsound mind
Arbuckle, Mary (1884) - estate
Arbuckle, Washington M., Hester Emeline & Matthew Howard (1872) - guardianship of minors
Archer, Lillie May & Laura Etta (1882) - guardianship of minors
Armstrong, Benjamin (1855) - estate
Armstrong, Eli & William (1839) - guardianship of minors
Armstrong, Sarah (1855) - estate
Armstrong, Susan (1882) - trusteeship
Arnold, Eliza C. (1875) - estate
Arnold, John F. (1880) - estate
Arnold, John W. & George W. (1858) - guardianship of minors
Arnold, Richard (1856) - estate
Ayers, Mary (1879) - estate

Danville library to host presentation on how to investigate your ancestor's neighborhood

The Danville Public Library will hold a presentation in the library's program room on Saturday, October 20 at 10 am about "Investigating the Neighborhood of Your Ancestors". Rose Ann Sigborn from the library's Indiana Room will discuss how investigating your ancestor's community - their siblings, parents, in-laws, cousins and other relatives - may help you solve a research problem.

Pre-registration is required - register online via the library's events calendar, or by calling (317) 745-2604.

Danville library to host presentation about finding female ancestors

The Danville Public Library will hold a presentation in the library's program room on Thursday, October 11 at 2 pm about how to find female ancestors. Sarah Pfundstein, Genealogy Collection Librarian at the Indiana State Library, will explain how to find the women in your family tree, and what resources are available.

Pre-registration is required - register online via the library's events calendar, or by calling (317) 745-2604.

Danville genealogy group to discuss immigration records

The Danville Public Library will present a session by Steve Smith on Monday, October 8 at 1:30 pm about the people who immigrated and settled in America, including the 12 million who came through Ellis Island in New York. The session will be part of the library's Genealogy Nuts group monthly meeting, which is held in the library's program room on the ground floor. Visitors are welcome - for more information, contact the library - phone (317) 745-2604.

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss hiring professional genealogists

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, September 7 from 1 to 3 pm at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. The meeting will be held upstairs in the library's meeting rooms. Darlene Anderson will give a presentation about when it's time to consider hiring a professional genealogist to help you in your research.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

Brownsburg genealogy group to discuss genealogy cold cases

The Brownsburg Branches genealogy group will meet on Tuesday, September 4, 2018 from 1 to 3 pm at the Brownsburg Public Library. The meeting will be held in Meeting Room E. Cindy Rutledge from the Danville Public Library will give a presentation on genealogy cold cases.

The meeting is free and open to the public - registration is requested via the events calendar on the library's website. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Cook - e-mail lcook@bburglibrary.net

Danville library to host presentation about Civil War life

The Danville Public Library will hold a presentation in the library's program room on Saturday, August 25 at 10 am about Civil War life. Tim Macsay, a volunteer with the Hendricks County Historical Museum, will give a demonstration of the weapons used during the Civil War, and there will be an opportunity to taste hardtack, which soldiers ate.

Pre-registration is required - register online via the library's events calendar, or by calling (317) 745-2604.

Danville genealogy group to discuss county histories

The Danville Public Library will present a session by Monique Howell from the Indiana State Library on Monday, August 13 at 1:30 pm about how to make the most of county histories. County histories can include biographical sketches of your ancestors as well as information on local history. The session will be part of the library's Genealogy Nuts group monthly meeting, which is held in the library's program room on the ground floor. Visitors are welcome - for more information, contact the library - phone (317) 745-2604.

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss DNA research

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, September 7 from 1 to 3 pm at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. The meeting will be held upstairs in the library's meeting rooms. Andrea Ackermann from the Central Indiana DNA Interest Group (CIDIG) will give a presentation about DNA testing and how they can help you in researching your family history.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss tax lists

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, August 2 from 1 to 3 pm at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. The meeting will be held upstairs in the library's meeting rooms. Meredith Thompson will give a presentation on tax lists and how you can use them in your genealogy research.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

Danville library to discuss genealogy "cold cases"

The Danville Public Library will hold a workshop on Thursday, July 26 at 1 pm about how to solve a genealogy "cold case" - when your research on an ancestor has seemingly hit a wall. You will learn how to track ancestors, uncover holes in your research and retrieve missing information. Pre-registration is required - register online via the library's events calendar, or by calling (317) 745-2604.

Plainfield library posts Civil War letters online

The Plainfield library's Indiana Room has digitized the Civil War letters of John Mills, who was a resident of Guilford Township. These letters are available online at https://www.plainfieldlibrary.net/services/genealogy/ - scroll down to "Collections in the Archives".

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss 1850-1885 mortality schedules

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, July 5 from 1 to 3 pm at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. The meeting will be held upstairs in the library's meeting rooms. Meredith Thompson will give a presentation on the mortality schedules that were done for the 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 federal censuses, as well as the 1885 state censuses.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

Danville library to host speaker on World War I records

The Danville Public Library will host a program, "Over There: World War I Genealogy," on Saturday, June 30 at 10 am in the library's program room. The program will be led by Ron Darrah. Darrah has been a genealogical researcher for over 30 years and a lecturer since 1996. Currently, he is the Secretary/Newsletter Editor for the Genealogical Society of Marion County and is the Corresponding Secretary and Fellow of the Indiana Genealogical Society. Darrah is also the Chair of the Indiana Genealogical Society affiliates – the Society of Civil War Families of Indiana and Territorial Guard Society of Indiana.

This program is free but pre-registration is required - to register, visit the events calendar on the library's website or call (317) 745-2604.

Brownsburg genealogy group to discuss technology for genealogists

The Brownsburg Branches genealogy group will meet on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 from 1 to 3 pm at the Brownsburg Public Library. The meeting will be held in Meeting Room E. Crystal Ward from the Indiana State Library will give a presentation about technology for genealogists.

The meeting is free and open to the public - registration is requested via the events calendar on the library's website. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Cook - e-mail lcook@bburglibrary.net

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss genealogy software

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, June 7 from 1 to 3 pm at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. The meeting will be held upstairs in the library's meeting rooms. Steve Smith and Cindy Rutledge from the Danville Public Library will give a presentation comparing two of the most popular options for genealogy software - Roots Magic and Family Tree Maker.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss Hendricks County digitized records

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, May 3, 2018 at 1 pm at the Hendricks County Government Center in Danville. Hendricks County Historian and Hendricks County Government Archivist John Parsons will give a presentation about the digitized records that the county government is doing, as well as give examples of some of the original records that are available for researchers.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

Brownsburg genealogy group to discuss digitized books

The Brownsburg Branches genealogy group will meet on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 from 1 to 3 pm at the Brownsburg Public Library. The meeting will be held in Meeting Room E. Meredith Thompson from the Plainfield Public Library will give a presentation on the free digitized books available at Google Books and Internet Archive.

The meeting is free and open to the public - registration is requested via the events calendar on the library's website. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Cook - e-mail lcook@bburglibrary.net

James W. SAWYER dies in Danville (1976)

This obituary is courtesy of Karen Zach.

Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review (Crawfordsville, Indiana) - issue of Tuesday, February 17, 1976:

NORTH SALEM – James W. Sawyer, 68, of North Salem, died Sunday in Hendricks County Hospital. He had been in failing health for several years and was a retired construction worker. He attended Waverly schools. Born March 24, 1907, he was a son of John and Viola Armstrong Sawyer of Waverly. He was married to Irene Johnson in October 1951. Survivors are his wife; a brother, Lonnie of Waverly; a stepson, Donald Russell of Danville; five daughters, Cheryl Jones and Debbie Sawyer of North Salem, Deloris Surber of Clermont, and Janet Davis and Phyllis Ballard both of Indianapolis; four sons, Jeff, Robert and Dale, all at home, and Richard of Greencastle; and 14 grandchildren. Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in Porter Funeral Home with the Rev. Earl Davis officiating. Burial in Waverly Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home this evening.

Mary (MASON) SMITH dies in Coatesville (1928)

This obituary is courtesy of Karen Zach.

source: Greencastle Herald (Greencastle, Indiana) - issue of Wednesday, July 25, 1928:

Mrs. Lawrence Smith of Coatesville died at her home Tuesday night at 9 o’clock following a stroke of paralysis in the afternoon. She had been in good health and her death was a shock to the community. She was about 65 years of age and had been a resident of Coatesville for years. She is survived by her husband and two children, a daughter, Mrs. Charles Christie of Coatesville and son, Lons, who lives on a farm northwest of Coatesville, and two sisters, Miss Tona Mason of this city and Mrs. Beck of Indianapolis. Funeral services will be held at 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon from the Coatesville ME Church. Burial will be at Coatesville.

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss archaeology

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, September 7 from 1 to 3 pm at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. The meeting will be held upstairs in the library's meeting rooms. Rachel Sharkey from the state's Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology will give a presentation on how studying skeletal remains can help tell the story of how our ancestors lived, including what diseases Indiana's early settlers faced.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

Brownsburg genealogy group to discuss DNA research

The Brownsburg Branches genealogy group will meet on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 from 1 to 3 pm at the Brownsburg Public Library. The meeting will be held in Meeting Room E. Steve Smith from the Danville Public Library will give a presentation on DNA research.

The meeting is free and open to the public - registration is requested via the events calendar on the library's website. If you have any questions, please contact Linda Cook - e-mail lcook@bburglibrary.net

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss Revolutionary War lineage societies

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, September 7 from 1 to 3 pm at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. The meeting will be held upstairs in the library's meeting rooms. Tracie Curtis from the Daughters of the American Revolution will give a presentation on how to prove your Revolutionary War lineage for the DAR and SAR.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

List of Liberty Township landowners in 1940 added

An index of the landowners in Liberty Township in 1940 has been added to the Land Records section of the Hendricks County GenWeb site. This index was compiled from the Hendricks County Assessor's collection of plat books and lists the Congressional Township, Range and Section that the land was located in.

The Hendricks County Government's Archive has digital files of the plat books for scattered years between 1852 and 1940.

List of Center Township landowners in 1940 added

An index of the landowners in Center Township in 1940 has been added to the Land Records section of the Hendricks County GenWeb site. This index was compiled from the Hendricks County Assessor's collection of plat books and lists the Congressional Township, Range and Section that the land was located in.

The Hendricks County Government's Archive has digital files of the plat books for scattered years between 1852 and 1940.

Plainfield genealogy group to discuss Indiana early settlers

The Family History Hounds genealogy group will meet on Thursday, February 1, 2018 from 1 to 3 pm at the Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library. The meeting will be held upstairs in the library's meeting rooms. Ron Darrah will give a presentation, "Populating Hoosierland," about how and when settlers arrived in Indiana and what records they left behind.

If you are interested in the group, or have questions, please contact Plainfield library's Indiana Room - e-mail askindiana@plainfieldlibrary.net or phone (317) 839-6602 extension 2114.

List of Washington Township landowners in 1940 added

An index of the landowners in Washington Township in 1940 has been added to the Land Records section of the Hendricks County GenWeb site. This index was compiled from the Hendricks County Assessor's collection of plat books and lists the Congressional Township, Range and Section that the land was located in.

The Hendricks County Government's Archive has digital files of the plat books for scattered years between 1852 and 1940.