A new Ball State University Archives and Special Collections exhibit celebrates
Muncie’s 150 year history through the scope of the Middletown studies that were
conducted in the early twentieth century. From
Magic City to Middletown: 150 Years of Muncie’s History runs from July 6,
2015 to September 30, 2015 on the second floor of Bracken Library.
Though the industrial revolution is an era consistently
associated with the late eighteen and early nineteen century, it took time for
its concepts to spread to smaller cities. For Muncie, this came in 1886 with
the beginning of the Gas Boom era. Middletown:
A Study in Modern American Culture (1929) was a study that examined sociological
changes in Muncie from 1890 to 1925. “Middletown” was the descriptive pseudonym given to Muncie,
suggesting its selection was due to its “normalcy” as a typical small city
representative of “contemporary American life.”
The exhibit is organized into the six categories
identified in the original study by authors Robert S. and Helen Merrell Lynd: Getting a Living; Making a Home; Training
the Young; Using Leisure; Engaging in Religious Practices; Engaging in Community
Activities.
The display highlights some of the more unique local
history items in Archives and Special Collections, including:
·
An 1859 deed that documents a sale between a
Mary Jane Edmonds and George R. and Louisa Andrews for a parcel of land in
Muncietown
The Muncie Sesquicentennial will be celebrated throughout
Bracken Library. In addition to Archives and Special Collections’ exhibit, the GIS
Research and Map Collection located on the second floor of Bracken Library will
display historical Muncie maps. An animated Muncie map and also maps
corresponding to the Thomas Neely diaries are being created especially for the
exhibit. University Libraries’ Information Services will provide a display of
local history books on the first floor of Bracken Library.
For more information about this exhibit, contact Ball
State University Archives and Special Collections at libarchives@bsu.edu or (765)
285-5078.
The Congerville (Muncie) Flyers were an NFL football team from 1920-1924.
Former Muncie mayors and political rivals, Dr. Rollin H. Bunch and George R. Dale, shaking hands, circa 1935-1936
Downtown Muncie, circa 1920s-1930s