Researchers are making progress on the Knox County Black History Preservation Project, which started over a year ago at the Knox County Library’s McGrady-Brockman House. Project Director Tom Bartholomew shared that the team is entering an exciting phase.

“If you go upstairs at McGrady Brockman, you’ll see people digging through old court records, some dating back to the 1840s. We’re searching for Black history, which is particularly exciting as we move into the later part of the 1800s. That’s when we’ll start uncovering some of the Civil War history here. Knox County has a proud legacy of service to the country during wartime, and the Civil War is no exception.”

The project is funded through various sources, including matching grant funds. This weekend, a fundraiser is planned to support these efforts.

Bartholomew invites the public to their first-ever “Burgers, Books, and Black History” event this Saturday August 24th.

“We’re hosting a cookout from 10:00 to 2:00 at the McGrady-Brockman parking lot with burgers, hot dogs, chips, and drinks. We’re raising funds for matching grants that support the groups that help us, including the Indiana Historical Society, which is backed by the Lilly Foundation. We’re also receiving support from Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Humanities. The funds raised will go towards these efforts and also help with things like educational materials and printing.”

For more information, visit their Facebook page by searching for “Black History Preservation Project-Knox County.”

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Click play below to hear our radio interview with Tom Bartholomew.