Indiana Album

Richmond, circa 1880 - The Green Street Flour Mill, also known as the Richmond Roller Mill, was built in the mid-1860s by Nordyke, Marmon & Co. as a 5-story flour mill operated by H. C. Wright. It was located at the corner of N. 2nd and N. C Streets adjacent to the East Fork of the Whitewater River. In 1876 H. G. Carpenter bought the mill and it became known as the Green Street Mill. Grinding occured on the fourth floor, which was level with the street on the east side. In the spring of 1883, the building was updated and two stories were probably added then. Therefore, this undated stereoview likely dates to 1883 or earlier. Today, this is the site of the Wayne County Veterans Memorial Park.
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Do you own stereoviews of Indiana? Please consider letting us scan your collection for our online archive. These 3-D views, similar in concept to View-Master reels from our childhood, were popular from the 1860s through early 1900s. Many photographers made local views, which were among the earliest photos of our state's built and natural environment.

Check out the 400+ stereographs that others have shared so far: http://indianaalbum.pastperfectonline.com/Search?search_criteria=Stereographs&onlyimages=false

Have you seen the website doesthedogdie.com? It's a crowdsourced trigger-warning page that alerts people if dogs die (or other upsetting events) in movies. Well maybe we need something similar for our photo catalog. So (spoiler alert): the story does not end well for the dog in this photo.

Lapel area, circa 1920 - Pictured on the running board of his milk delivery truck is Lapel resident John Dayton Richardson (1875-1955) along with passenger John L. Givens (1848-1927). As is common, the dog Scott is also named in the caption. Richardson's grandson, who shared this photograph at a scan-a-thon, recalled stories that this dog bit someone, leading to mandatory rabies testing. Unfortunately, during that era this meant euthanizing the dog and sending its head to the State Department of Health. Newspapers are full of sad stories of this happening to family pets, and they are all the more heartbreaking when the tests come back negative.
The Indiana Album: John Richardson Collection
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Dig out your interesting Indiana-related photos and join us for two events this week at the Anderson Public Library:

TONIGHT: "Tips for Dating Your Family Photographs" workshop at the Anderson Public Library, Wed., May 13, 6:00-7:30 pm.
https://facebook.com/events/s/tips-for-dating-your-family-ph/2018000722475790/

"Photograph Scan-a-Thon" - Share Your Photos!
Sat., May 16, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Anderson Public Library
To avoid a wait, please RSVP if you plan to bring items for us to scan and add to our online digital archive. [email protected] / 317-771-4129
https://andersonlibrary.libcal.com/event/15950386?image

Anderson, Indiana, circa 1894 - The young woman who posed for this cabinet card portrait is unidentified, but we scanned the photo based on her charming pose with a parasol, her clothing, and the painted studio backdrop.

The cabinet card format, consisting of a photograph pasted onto a 4.25 x 6.5 card mount, was popular from about 1870 until 1900. We can narrow the date of this image to the 1890s based on her dress (especially the full sleeves) and photo process, known as glossy collodion printing-out paper. Photographer Clinton E. Cain only worked in Anderson for a year or so, so we can pinpoint the date to circa 1894.
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Want to learn more about dating and interpreting your older family photos?
Come to the "Tips for Dating Your Family Photographs" workshop at the Anderson Public Library this Wed., May 13, 6:00-7:30 pm.
https://facebook.com/events/s/tips-for-dating-your-family-ph/2018000722475790/

"Photograph Scan-a-Thon"
Sat., May 16, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Anderson Public Library
https://andersonlibrary.libcal.com/event/15950386?image

For America250, we'll be hosting events throughout the state! Next up are these free programs in partnership with the Anderson Public Library, 111 E. 12th Street:

"Tips for Dating Your Family Photographs"
Wed., May 13, 2026, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Anderson
https://andersonlibrary.libcal.com/event/15950193
Do you have historic or family photographs that you would like to learn more about? Join APL and The Indiana Album to learn more about how to unlock the hidden stories in your family photographs! Participants will learn how to date historical photographs using visual clues like clothing, poses, and studio backdrops. We’ll also explore the relationship between photographic processes and time periods and how to apply these dating techniques to family photo collections. Feel free to bring along photos for a quick show-and-tell!

"Photograph Scan-a-Thon"
Sat., May 16, 2026, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Anderson
https://andersonlibrary.libcal.com/event/15950386?image
Dig up your interesting Indiana photos, postcards, or visuals to include in the Indiana Album's online archive! Bring Indiana-related photographs or documents from any era of homes and farms, businesses and industry, schools, class photos, churches, events, clubs, Hoosier pioneers, interesting people, transportation, or everyday life to the Anderson Public Library. Volunteers will make scans while you wait and return your originals. We will provide digital files to the lenders, library archives, and the Indiana Album. While reservations are not required, they are highly recommended to avoid a wait. Contact [email protected] or (317) 771-4129 to reserve a time. Please also note about how many photos or documents that you intend to bring.

These programs are funded by a Heritage Support Grant provided by the Indiana Historical Society and made possible by Lilly Endowment Inc.