Telling Hoosier Stories: Public History in Indiana The Vigo County Historical Museum, Terre Haute, Indiana

Abstract

How do local museums, particularly historical museums, make curatorial decisions regarding representations of the past? What do museum curators consider when trying to represent the past of a specific community? When opportunities arise to examine historical events in a new light, what does the process look like? This essay looks at the Vigo County Historical Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana, and attempts to answer these questions, based upon an interview with executive director Susan Tingley conducted by Indiana Magazine of History assistant editor Admiral S. Wieland. It marks the first in a series on public history in Indiana, which examines new practices and new sources that tell Hoosier stories.