Indiana State University Newsroom

Wabash Valley Visions and Voices (WV3) will reveal its Vigo County, Indiana, Civil War Sesquicentennial Digitization Project Wednesday evening during an event hosted by Indiana State University Cunningham Memorial Library.

The event will take place May 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Library Events Area. Light refreshments will be served. Being unveiled is the Vigo County Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Digitization Project, which focuses on the digitization of historical material relating to Vigo County's role in the Civil War.

Celebrating the end of a one year Library Services Technology Act Digitization Grant (LSTA) to scan and make accessible Civil War material through the WV3 searchable online database, the program will feature three main parts: a showcasing of the Civil War Collections by Project Director Cinda May; a presentation titled "Paths From the Freedom Trail" by Marlene Lu, the West Central Region Coordinator for Indiana Freedom Trails, speaking about the Underground Railroad in Indiana ; and costumed interpreters from the Vigo County Historical Society reading Captain John Blinn's letters home.

Through the LSTA grant, more than 1,200 historical items have been added to the WV3 searchable database, including letters, artifacts, medals, GAR membership applications and artwork. The Vigo County Civil War homepage also features a photo gallery, an interactive timeline, lesson plans for teachers and a contextual essay.

Four partners are providing a collaborative effort on the grant, including the Indiana State University Library, the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, the Vigo County Public Library and the Vigo County Historical Society.

For more information, visit the Wabash Valley Visions and Voices website at http://visions.indstate.edu/visions/partners/civilwar/civilwar.html.

Writer: Bethany Donat, Indiana State University, media relations intern, at 812-237-3773 or bdonat@indstate.edu