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