Project Number 1 - Weaver, Indiana

In the fall of 2004 I took a basic US History class at Taylor that was taught by Dr. Steve Messer. He is the main reason I came to realize my love of history. The way he taught the class got me involved in the subject and realize that history is not just events, but people - just like me - who have a story. Since then, I have wanted to find out those stories.

That fall we discussed the town of Weaver, Indiana - that began in the 1840s as a community for free african americans. The community thrived. Around the turn of the century it was made up of about 50 families, 2 schools, 2 stores, a church, and a harness racing track. By the 1920s the community was on the decline, but the mark had been made. Today, all that remains is a welcome sign, run down cemetery, a few houses, and fields all around. If I remember correctly, there might be one of the churches still standing, but there is little left to Weaver, Indiana.

Since 2004 I have wanted to know more about Weaver, Indiana. In the fall of 2005, my mother and I went out to the cemetery and did grave rubbings to discover for ourselves what the stones had once clearly said. We drove through the fields and it was beautiful. It only made me want to know more about the people in the cemetery and what their lives had once been. Because of that reason, Weaver is going to be my first project as a research historian. There is not a lot of information on Weaver out there - so it's a challenge, but a rewarding one for sure.