History

Step Back in Time for the Holidays at Conner Prairie’s A Merry Prairie Holiday presented by Everwise Credit Union

November 19, 2024

FISHERS, IN (November 14, 2024) – Conner Prairie is delighted to welcome families and friends to kick-off the holiday season at A Merry Prairie Holiday presented by Everwise Credit Union,…

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Voting Through Time: Indiana’s Presidential Elections from 1836 to Now

October 31, 2024

Every four years, in early November, millions of Hoosiers head to the polls to cast their votes for president. They walk into the polling place, present their photo ID, and…

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Museums and Repatriation

October 31, 2024

“Visitors Entering the Opening of the George Gustav Heye Center of the National Museum of the American Indian,” By Sarna, Martin, October 30, 1994, Smithsonian Archives – History Div., SIA2011-1381.…

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Connecting community at the table through a unique dinner experience 

August 26, 2024

Over the past three decades, Chef Susan Collins has been deeply connected to the culinary world, creating unique menu items and savory dishes for guests to experience and appreciate. She…

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Centennial Anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Law: Protecting Native Rights

June 3, 2024

Source: National Photo Company, President Coolidge Meets with Committee of One Hundred, ca. December 12-13, 1923, Library of Congress, and the White House Historical Association, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/photos/fotoware?id=EDD0DA4619B34ACE%20ABE69D2B007FBD8A On June 2, 1924,…

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What you need to know about Indiana’s first-ever Black Birders Week

May 8, 2024

Black Birders Week is a week-long program dedicated to uplifting Black nature enthusiasts while highlighting the visibility of Black Birders in nature. Black Birders Week is organized by TheBlackAFinSTEM Collective—a…

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Bounce into some history

May 2, 2024

There are many reasons Conner Prairie loves their corporate sponsors: they’re great people, and we’re happy to know them; their missions – what’s truly important to them – align with…

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Experience Summer Fun at Kroger Symphony on the Prairie

April 26, 2024

Summer is just around the corner, and it’s time to start planning for Kroger Symphony on the Prairie. Set against the scenic backdrop of Conner Prairie, this outdoor series provides…

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How our new experience, The Trails at Conner Prairie, impact the world around you

April 9, 2024

Time spent outside and in nature is unique and personal, just like each of us. In March of 2023, I shared my story of birding and invited guests to join…

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Black Feminism in Indiana

February 21, 2024

Image of Sallie Wyatt Stewart (Photo credit: Thomas Y., Sallie Wyatt Stewart, 1942, print, Who’s Who of Colored America : 426.) When viewing feminism through traditional means, it is common to…

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The Domestic Fight for Equity in the 20th Century

February 20, 2024

Source: M. Boyer, “The Clubhouse for the Indiana Federation of colored Women’s Clubs,” July 22, 2007. Although the post-war scene offered a temporary step into the spotlight for Indiana’s black…

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Historic Chocolate Tart Recipe 

February 9, 2024

This Valentine’s Day, try your hand at a historic Chocolate Tart recipe!   The following recipe is a modern take on a historic recipe published in Hannah Glasse’s The Complete Confectioner…

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Rescuing the Horseshoe Bend Canoe

February 5, 2024

Location where the canoe was discovered, still half-buried in the White River A Mysterious Discovery Have you ever found anything cool while out on a walk? A Civil War coin,…

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Arts & Arms – Crafts of the Past

December 21, 2023

Through making items, we connect the present to the past by gaining an appreciation for hand-crafted items that have survived generations. One of my favorite places growing up was my…

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November, Veterans Day, and Native American Heritage Month

November 2, 2023

Native American Heritage Month includes numerous days meant to honor different aspects of Indigenous cultures, identities, histories, and experiences such as National Bison Day (November 4th), Rock your Mocs day…

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A Familiar Face at Conner Prairie

November 2, 2023

Michael Pace, or Mike Pace as he prefers, has been a bastion of education at Conner Prairie for nearly 30 years. He recently retired from full season work at Conner…

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‘Possum Toddy and the History of the Persimmon

October 25, 2023

A Vestige from my Childhood When I was young, my family would load up in the station wagon to visit my grandma and grandpa in Wheatland, Indiana. Wheatland was a…

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The Importance of the White River

September 29, 2023
Areal view of the White River

History, for many, brings to mind the seemingly endless list of names and dates we memorized during our years in school.  I’m not going to bore you with names and…

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Exploring History Through Conner Prairie’s Chautauqua Series

August 2, 2023
Stereograph Of Madison, Indiana Chautauqua – July, 1901

Stereograph of Madison, Indiana Chautauqua – July, 1901 In 1878, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC) was founded to provide those who could not afford the time or money…

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A Wallet’s Journey from a dark cellar to Conner Prairie’s Collection

June 5, 2023
Reviewing the wallet for the collection

The Wallet’s Journey Every donation starts with a phone call or an email. Or, when someone walks through the front door of the museum with a box of old stuff.…

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Taste the Past: Sharing Meals and a Rich Heritage

May 15, 2023

While I was growing up in rural Northwest Ohio as part of a farming family, life seemed to revolve around food. Meals were the time when everyone took a break…

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Staff Recommendations: Women Who Inspire

March 8, 2023

This year’s national Women’s History Month theme is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” Who inspires you to pursue truth and reflect on the human condition? Is it an inspirational…

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The Lingering Power of Love

January 12, 2023

What comes to mind when you think of Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Is it his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, his contributions to the civil rights movement, or…

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The Importance of Holiday Traditions

December 6, 2022

It’s the most wonderful time of the year as Conner Prairie has been transformed into a winter wonderland for A Merry Prairie Holiday. Our grounds are now full of thousands…

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Inventing the Holidays

December 1, 2022
father and daughter at spark!Lab

As you are decorating your home and wrapping presents, you might begin to wonder about the origins of all the things that make our holidays merry and bright. They, just…

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Conner Prairie’s Land and Its Impact on Fishers

November 4, 2022
William Conner House

Known as one of the best living history museums in the country, Conner Prairie is demonstrative of Fishers’ history and Indiana history as a whole. The museum was built around…

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The impact of Native American Heritage Month

November 1, 2022
Image of Lenape Indian camp

Native American Heritage Month became official in the United States in 1990 after Congress and President George H. Bush signed a resolution that designated November as the first National American…

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13 things to do in the fall in Hamilton County Indiana

October 17, 2022

Our Adventure is Everywhere contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Affiliate Program. If you make a purchase using one of their Amazon or other…

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Honeycrisp Apple & Broccoli Salad

October 7, 2022
Apple Broccoli Salad

Honeycrisp Apple & Broccoli Salad What you’ll need: Salad: Dressing: Instructions:

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Habitat provides nature experience in a new way

August 24, 2022
People experiencing Habitat

One of the coolest things about working at Conner Prairie is being able to experience and enjoy nature daily. I love both stopping to look at the tiniest wildflowers and…

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