The Indiana Historical Bureau, a division of the Indiana State Library, administers the Indiana State Historical Marker Program under the authority of Indiana Code 4-23-7.2-11.
The Indiana State Historical Marker Program, which began in 1946, is a public-driven program, and its success rests on the partnership between applicants and the Indiana Historical Bureau. IHB accepts applications for new marker topics each year. These topics must demonstrate statewide and/or national significance and be supported with primary source documentation. IHB has committed itself to ensuring the topics marked represent the rich and diverse history of the state. Often, structures important in telling the history of our state are no longer preserved and markers play a significant role in returning these stories to the historical landscapes in which they belong. These cast aluminum signs, with raised gold lettering against a dark blue enamel background and silver-colored frame mounted on a post, can be found in nearly every county of the state.
Photo caption: Prior to 1946, the Indiana Historical Bureau worked with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) on a series of markers that were installed across the state from the mid-1930s into the early 1940s. These signs were made of thinly rolled sheet metal and marked sites of importance across the state. Many were recycled for the war effort. After World War II ended, there was a renewed interest in marking the state's history with more permanent signage. The State Capitol marker, installed in 1946 outside the Indiana State House in Indianapolis, was the first official marker of the Indiana State Marker Program.