Happy Holidays from the St. Joseph County Public Library!

The November-December newsletter from the St. Joseph County (Indiana) Public Library's Local History and Genealogy Services arrived before the 25th, but I didn't. Fortunately this is a gift without an expiration date, especially for those with "Michiana" research targets. Sara Allen compiled a list of area libraries' on-line obituary databases:

South Bend (St. Joseph County IN) 1913-present
Bremen (Marshall County IN) before 1997
Elkhart (Elkhart County IN) 1921-present
Michigan City (La Porte County IN) 1887-present
Niles (Berrien County MI)
Plymouth (Marshall County IN) 1922-1979
Wakarusa (Elkhart County IN)

You can google the public libraries in question, or hang on until this issue of the newsletter is up at the above site. More on Elkhart County in a later post.

Michigan City's Civil War Training Ground, Camp Anderson

Patricia Gruse Harris, longtime local historian and president of the La Porte County Genealogical Society (of which I'm a member), has just published a 41-page book, Camp Anderson 1863-1864, Michigan City, IN Civil War Camp, including references for more information. If there's another book on this subject I don't know about it. Ubiquitous La Porte County historian Fern Eddy Schultz has a brief account on line at the La Porte County Historical Society site, noting that

It is assumed the camp was named for Rev. Edward Anderson, Colonel commanding the 12th Cavalry. I say “assumed” because there is no proof beyond the fact that many Civil War camps were named for their post commanders. It was under his command that the 9th Congressional District raised more volunteers than any other district in the State of Indiana.

At this spot three Indiana Civil War regiments mustered in and trained during late 1863 and early 1864: the 12th Cavalry (AKA 127th volunteers), the 128th Infantry, and the 129th Infantry.