Olivia Roper – Community Leader

Feb 23, 2017 | Highlights in History

Olivia Roper – Community Leader By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian Although the community leaders that are covered in these posts about African American history tend to be male, there were women who were also prominent and had an impact.  One of these...

African American Church Buildings in Noblesville

Feb 16, 2017 | Highlights in History

African American Church Buildings in Noblesville By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian Hamilton County has had organized churches since the first settlers arrived, and this includes the Black community.  The oldest African American church building in the...

Thomas Murphy – An African American Pioneer

Feb 9, 2017 | Highlights in History

Thomas Murphy – An African American Pioneer By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian   Last year I did a post on the first known Black settler of Hamilton County – Pete Smith – who was also actually the first settler of Noblesville.  Now I’d like to...

Charles Dempsey – Buffalo Soldier

Feb 3, 2017 | Highlights in History

Charles Dempsey – Buffalo Soldier By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian February is Black History Month, so I will be focusing my posts on the African American history of Noblesville and Hamilton County.  I thought would begin by looking at the life of a...

John H. Wise – Noblesville Playwright

Jan 26, 2017 | Highlights in History

John H. Wise – Noblesville Playwright By: David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian With the creation of the new Noblesville Cultural Arts District,   it’s good to look at the history of some of the different kinds of arts in town.  There has been quite a...