Historic Preservation in Indiana, 1981-1982
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleHistoric Preservation in Indiana, 1981-1982
Project No.
ohrc044
Interviews
12 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This collection of interviews addresses historic preservation in a
handful of Indiana towns, such as Madison, New Harmony, Vincennes, and
Evansville. The broad emphasis is placed on how the preservation movement
began, the major participants, and how it has changed. However, within this
broad range, individual historic preservation organizations and projects are
not only mentioned, but given much detail.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains twelve interviews over the course of one year. Interviews range from about fifty-five minutes to
two hours. All of the interviews consist of audio tapes and most have typed transcripts.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Carmony, Donald F.
February 24,
1982
Call Number
82-038
Physical Description
22 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 55 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Donald Carmony was a history professor at Indiana University. He
primarily discusses historic preservation at Madison and Vincennes, Indiana and
explains the motives behind them.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- George Rogers Clark Memorial
- Historic Landmarks Foundation
-
-
Geographic Names
- Madison, Indiana
- Vincennes, Indiana
-
-
Personal Names
- Windle, Ann
- Windle, John
-
-
Subjects
- preservation attitudes
Interviewee
Emison, Thomas S.
March 11,
1982
Call Number
82-040
Physical Description
32 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 97 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Thomas Emison, born in 1928, discusses historic preservation in
Vincennes, Indiana. He places the date of conscious preservation during the
early nineteen sixties, with the transfer of the George Rogers Clark Memorial
to national custody, and the archaeological findings of Fort Knox II. He
describes community attitudes towards the historic district, the various
preservation societies, and the sources of funding.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Fort Knox II
- George Rogers Clark Memorial
- Grouseland
- Indiana Historical Society
- Lilly Endowment
- National Park Service
- National Trust for Historic Preservation
-
-
-
Geographic Names
- Vincennes, Indiana
-
-
Personal Names
- Black, Glenn A.
-
-
Subjects
- 1966 Historic Preservation Act
- archaeology
- architecture
- Catholicism
- historic district
- historical societies
Interviewee
Galvin, John
June 18,
1982
Call Number
82-069
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 70
minutes
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Restricted: Contact interviewee prior to using/publishing
quotes
Scope and Content Note
John Galvin speaks about the commercial aspects involved with
preserving Madison, Indiana.
-
Keywords
-
-
Geographic Names
- Madison, Indiana
Interviewee
Hamke, Lorethea
March 11,
1982
Call Number
82-039
Physical Description
29 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 90 minutes; no index;
photograph of interviewee
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Lorethea Hamke, born in 1911, a long-time member of the Francis
Vigo chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, discusses the
preservation highlights associated with William Henry Harrison's home in
Vincennes, Indiana. She describes sources of funding, primarily from Eli Lilly
and the endowment, and the use of that money in buying surrounding land,
purchasing period furniture, and conducting minor archaeological digs.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Grouseland
- Lilly Endowment
- Vincennes University
-
-
Geographic Names
- Galena, Illinois
- Vincennes, Indiana
-
-
Personal Names
- Harrison, William Henry
- Lilly, Eli
- Wendell, John
-
-
Subjects
- French house
- funding sources
- house furnishings
- land purchasing
Interviewee
Leich, Alexander Lemcke
Mary 28,
1982
Call Number
82-067
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 55 minutes
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Retired druggist Alexander Lemcke Leich, born in 1907, discusses
preservation in Evansville, Indiana, particularly the Old Courthouse.
-
Keywords
-
-
Geographic Names
- Evansville, Indiana
-
Interviewee
McCormick, Gene
February 26,
1982
Call Number
82-037
Physical Description
23 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 80 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Gene McCormick, born in 1924, discusses the preservation
interests and goals of the Lilly family, particularly Eli Lilly, during the
twentieth century. He describes Mr. Lilly's hands-on approach to archaeology,
restoration, and their use for educational purposes. Lilly did not look to
acquire sites, but preferred to allow public access and focused their
perpetuation. He speaks about Lilly's involvement in Conner Prairie, William
Henry Harrison's Home, and the Historic Landmarks Foundation.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Conner Prairie Living History Museum
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Historic Landmarks Foundation
-
-
-
Geographic Names
- Angel Mounds, Indiana
- Williamsburg, Virginia
-
-
Personal Names
- Black, Glenn A.
- Lilly, Eli
- Lilly, Josiah K.
-
-
Subjects
- archaeology
- education
- Lockerby Square
Interviewee
McLaughlin, H. Roll
March 9,
1982
Call Number
82-045
Physical Description
32 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, no index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Restricted: contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice for more information.
Scope and Content Note
H. Roll McLaughlin talks about his role in historic preservation
in Indiana as an architect for James Associates. He discusses many of the
projects his firm worked on, and his involvement, as a founding member, with
the Historic Landmarks Foundation. His interest and position brought him into
close contact with Eli Lilly. He discusses in much detail Mr. Lilly's influence
on preservation, particularly his hands-on approach, monetary generosity, and
the desire to remain anonymous.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Association for Preservation Technology
- Conner Prairie Living History Museum
- Historic Landmarks Foundation
- James Associates
- National Park Service
- National Register of Historic Places
-
-
-
Geographic Names
- New Harmony, Indiana
- Vincennes, Indiana
-
-
-
Personal Names
- Lilly, Eli
- McCormick, Gene
-
-
Subjects
- architecture
- funding sources
- Old State Bank
- preservation attitudes
- preservation research
- Rappites
Interviewee
Miller, Rosemary
April 30,
1982
Call Number
82-043
Physical Description
36 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 120 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Rosemary Miller, born in 1918, discusses the creation of
Bloomington Restorations, Incorporated, and their role in historic preservation
in Bloomington, Indiana. She describes the struggle with certain preservation
projects, such as the Old Library, and the relationship with the Historic
Landmarks Foundation.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Historic District and Building Studies
Committee
- Bloomington Restorations, Incorporated
- Cochran-Helton-Lindley House
- Farmer's House
- Indiana University Foundation
- Save the Old Library
- The Old Library, Incorporated
-
-
Geographic Names
- Bloomington, Indiana
- Seminary Square Park
-
-
Personal Names
- Canada, Kathy
-
-
Subjects
- courthouse
- local zoning
Interviewee
Roache, Esther
June 21,
1982
Call Number
82-068
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 60 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Restricted: Contact interviewee prior to using/publishing
quotes
Scope and Content Note
Esther Roache discusses the beginning of the Hillforest
Historical Foundation in Aurora, Indiana.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Hillforest Historical Foundation
-
-
Geographic Names
- Aurora, Indiana
Interviewee
Stern, Douglas
May 28,
1982
Call Number
82-049
Physical Description
28 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 90 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Douglas Stern, born in 1952, talks about preservation in
Evansville, Indiana. He believes preservation is more of a community effort
there than in other cities, and credits mayor Russell Lloyd for recognizing
historical locations. Also, unlike other cities, Stern discusses Evansville's
preservation in terms of conservation, since the historic districts are used
rather than turned into museums.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Conrad Baker Foundation
- Historic Landmarks Foundation
- Preservation Alliance
- Riverside Neighborhood Improvement Fund
-
-
Geographic Names
- Evansville, Indiana
- Vanderburgh County, Indiana
-
-
Personal Names
- Lloyd, Russell
- Shephard, Randy
-
-
Subjects
- 1974 Housing and Community Development Act
- conservation
- historic district
- neighborhood preservation
- Old Courthouse
- Old Post Office
Interviewee
Williamson, J. Reid
February 22,
1982
Call Number
82-036
Physical Description
13 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 40 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
J. Reid Williamson, born in 1935, is president of the Historic
Landmarks Foundation. He speaks about trying to organize local groups in each
community to be responsible for preservation. Some areas have had greater
success than others, and he is the starting point for the project by listing
many of the important participants from other communities.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Historic Landmarks Foundation
-
-
Geographic Names
- Madison, Indiana
-
-
Occupations
- Historic Landmarks Foundation president
-
-
Personal Names
- Lilly, Eli
-
-
Subjects
- architecture
- local organizations
- Stanley Servas Award
Interviewee
Windle, John; Windle; Ann
March 25,
1982
Call Number
82-042
Physical Description
23 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 55 minutes; no
index
Interviewer
Walker, Thomas
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
John Windle, born in 1901, and Ann Windle, born in 1911, speak
about preservation in Madison, Indiana. They discuss their reasons for settling
in Madison, the beginning of the restoration movement, and other restoration
examples that influenced them. They helped found Historic Madison,
Incorporated, and they describe the difficulty in changing the community
attitude in favor of restoration.
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Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Historic American Building Survey
- Historic Madison, Incorporated
- Lanier House
- Lilly Foundation
-
-
Geographic Names
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Madison, Indiana
-
-
Occupations
- Historic Madison, Incorporated president
-
-
Personal Names
- Lilly, Eli
-
-
Subjects
- local history
- Main Street Project
- poverty
