Liberty Township Historical Society

Selma Town Council Meeting

Greg Beumer, planner of Historic Farmland, will speak with the Selma Town Council at their meeting on Tuesday, March 2, at 7:00 p.m. Anyone interested in seeing Selma revitalized is welcome to attend. A comprehensive plan is a necessary first step towards receiving grant money for rehabilitating downtown buildings in Selma.

Special Meeting at Liberty Village

On Mon., Feb. 15, David Bailey presented his film "The Days That Followed" to residents and guests of Liberty Village nursing facility. This independent work created by David B. was a study of how the town of Selma looked before and after the December, 1904 fire that destroyed many buildings. Photos from the Bailey Library collection and David's architectural renditions show Albany street layout and structure. Recent photos & video compare past with present. Narration is provided by a taped 1984 interview between Ira Bailey and Harry Bailey. Look for future opportunities to view "The Days That Followed". If you would like to set up a viewing date for your group or organization, call Donna Staggs at 765-749-9946.

Mike King Presents Banners to Society

Mike King, Assistant Vice-President of First Merchants Bank, presented LTHS Director Donna Staggs with 2 custom-made banners on Thurs., Feb 11. The banner depicts the IOOF (Odd Fellows) building along with our name. We appreciate the First Merchants sponsorship.

Miss Pauline Goodwin photos donated

At the November. 2009 meeting, Paul Parkison (SHS '54) and wife Nancy (SHS '57) donated 30 photos of the 3rd grade classes taught by Paul's aunt, Miss Pauline Goodwin. A favorite teacher for over 30 years, children in 2nd grade hoped they would have her. Be looking for more info on Miss Goodwin and her family.

Contribute to and/or check out the Resources page

As we find new resources to assist those interested in Civil War, Liberty Township, or Selma history or genealogy, we're posting to the Resources page. We now have a link to a Smithfield, Indiana Web page designed by Scot Shively, whose ancestors settled in Smithfield, the oldest town in Liberty Township. Scot sent another link to give info about the 19th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, also.

If you've found websites you feel would be beneficial to the study of our local history, please email them to SelmaBluebirds@wapahanialumni.com. We, in turn, will be using our knowledge to educate local students and residents about our history through workshops, lectures, presentations, and eventually our Selma Town Museum exhibits.

LTHS Meeting Monday, Sept. 14 update

David Bailey shared his Power Point presentation with us, a very interesting pictorial history of Albany Street (aka Liberty Street) from the early 1900's. Look for an encore showing sometime in the near future.

We received several Deed Transfer books, a Sidwell Plat Map, and an original, hand-drawn plat of 1886 Selma from the Delaware County Commission, via County Assessor James Carmichael. We also received a certificate indicating that the Liberty Township Historical Society is the Curator of Liberty Township Historical Documents. We plan to continue working toward our goal of having a Selma Town Museum in the historic Odd Fellows building, and to educate our schoolchildren and community about our shared history.

We'll be posting additional updates on our progress.

LTHS Accepting New Members

Interested in Civil War, Liberty Township, or Selma history or genealogy? Contact Donna Staggs at 765-749-9946 for more info on how to become a member. Be a part of Selma history as we explore the beginnings of the town and how the founding families are still a part of this area today.

Genealogy Workshop a New Beginning

Our workshop participants learned how to use forms to organize information about their family history. Even though I've done family research for many years, it was good to brush up my skills. Kim Vester provided instruction on methods of completing the family tree. I'll be setting up a field trip to the Muncie Public Library to learn about their resources. Look for details soon. Beth Kroehler, Manager of the Local History & Genealogy Dept. at Carnegie Library will be giving us a date and time soon.