New Local History Video Series

Mooresville Public Library has begun a new video series (see playlist) called Mooresville Moments: Our Local History, based upon its collection of local history postcards and flashcards.  The title is borrowed from the popular newspaper column, "Mooresville Moments" (1999), written by town historian Wanda Potts (1921-2012), who served as MPL's Indiana Room librarian from 1966 to 2002.

In this first installment, we feature the official Mooresville Town Banner, designed by Bonita Marley, who served as library director from 1961 to 1984. The flag commemorated the 150th anniversary of the town's founding. You can see it flying downtown in Bicentennial Park.

Mooresville's Town Banner (video)

(Mooresville Moments #1)

by Mooresville Public Library

Thanks to Wanda and Bonita, the library has an extensive local history collection preserved to share with the public. We hope this new video series does justice to their treasure trove of Mooresville history.

Indiana Bicentennial Quilt on Display

Thanks to the generosity of local artist Sherry (Spencer) Foster, we now have an Indiana bicentennial quilt on display in our Indiana Room.  It is a wonderful historical tribute to our flags, featuring the American flag, Indiana State Flag, Indianapolis City Banner, and Mooresville Town Banner.  Stop by to have a closer look.  Click the photos below to enlarge.

What's Missing? (Indiana State Flag Fun Quiz)

Can you see what's missing from Paul Hadley's template (first photo, below) he used in one of his many initial designs of the Indiana State Banner? Compare it to Hadley's "official" Indiana State Flag (the one shown below was displayed at the Indiana statehouse during the 1920s). Visit the MPL Indiana Room to check your results!

Click the images below to enlarge them.

Paul Hadley's template for the Indiana State Banner (renamed Flag in 1955)

Paul Hadley made this particular "official" flag circa 1923

to display at the Indiana statehouse

By the way, several of the missing bits were originally included in Hadley's template, except one important modification the state legislature requested when it officially adopted Hadley's winning 1916 design to be the Indiana State Banner in 1917.  As you spot the differences, you might guess which bits probably fell off during the template's decades in storage.

Paul Hadley/Indiana State Flag Historical Marker Dedication

The Paul Hadley/Indiana State Flag historical marker dedication ceremony was held this morning (Saturday, August 6, 2016) in downtown Mooresville, Indiana.  Here are a few photos from the event.  Click the photos below to enlarge.

 

The new historical marker awaiting its unveiling

Dave Nash, chairperson, Celebrate Mooresville,

welcomes the audience

Casey Pfeiffer, historical marker program manager, Indiana Historical Bureau,

spoke about the public process used to establish historical markers

(and this marker particularly)

Dave Nash spoke about honoring Paul Hadley

Lois Huntington, State Regent, Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution,

spoke about the Indiana State Flag's legacy

 Bud Swisher, Healthier Morgan County, spoke about

personal memories of Paul Hadley and

designing the Indiana State Flag

  

Janice Bolinger, Honorary State Regent,

Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution,

spoke about the meaning of the Indiana State Flag's symbols

and the historical mysteries surrounding the flag

The unveiling!

The new historical marker!

The front side of the new historical marker

 

The rear side of the new historical marker

At the beginning of the ceremony, Mooresville Boy Scout Troop 231 honor color guard presented the colors--first, the American flag, then the Hoosier flag.

 

Also on display at the dedication ceremony was the official Mooresville town banner, designed in 1974 by MPL director Bonita Marley.  The town flag is on permanent display in the MPL Indiana Room.

A nice crowd was on hand for the dedication. The marker is located in Hadley Memorial Park in downtown Mooresville (on the northeast corner of the intersection of Main and Indiana Streets). The marker site was also the location of Samuel Moore's general mercantile store, which was the first wood-frame business built in Mooresville (Moore founded the town in 1824).

MPL treasurer Steve Saucerman speaks with

Mooresville Academy museum director/historian Julie Kyle-Lee

 MPL president Lynn Adams (right)

Learn more about the history of the Indiana State Flag and Paul Hadley at: 

• Poletika, Nicole.  "'A Permanent Emblem of Its Own:'  The Indiana State Flag & Its Designer."   Indiana History Blog, January 11, 2017.  Indiana Historical Bureau of the Indiana State Library.  (Click here to access the blog article.)

Flag Town 5K Run/Walk

The Flag Town 5K Run/Walk is slated for Saturday, September 3, 2016.  Celebrate the Hoosier bicentennial and the centennial of the Indiana State Flag (designed by Mooresville resident Paul Hadley in 1916; adopted by the Indiana General Assembly, 1917) by participating in the race.  Click here to register online.

The library has a long history of supporting run/walk events.

2011 MPL Race Team

(L to R) Lori Becker, Kathleen Holling, Suzanne Walker, and Diane Huerkamp

Meet you at the finish line!

State Flag Candy Toss at 2016 Old Settlers Parade

At this year's Old Settlers Parade on August 7, 2016, Miss Beth and Miss Sharon have created a tasty giveaway that we will be tossing to the crowd from our float.

Indiana State Flag Candy Stick

The "flag pole" is a candy stick.  The attached card features the Indiana State Flag, designed by long-time Mooresville resident Paul Hadley (1880-1971), with a description on the verso.

It's a sweet way to learn about the history of our state flag during the Hoosier bicentennial celebration.

Original Indiana State Flag on Tour

As part of Indiana's bicentennial celebration, the Indiana State Banner that was originally displayed at the Indiana statehouse during the 1920s is currently on display at Mooresville Public Library.  The original flag will be "on tour" across the state throughout the rest of the celebration.

The Indiana State Banner was designed in 1916 by Mooresville's own Paul Hadley; was adopted by the Indiana General Assembly in 1917; and was renamed the Indiana State Flag in 1955.  Click here to learn the meaning of its symbols.

Click the photos below to enlarge.  The display is situated with our Paul Hadley watercolor painting collection in the grand hall, next to the elevator and the vending machine area.

This flag is shown below in a famous photograph (circa 1923) of Paul Hadley and one of his art students crafting it specifically for the Indiana statehouse to display.

(Photo and caption courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society)

(click to enlarge)

Learn more about Paul Hadley and the Indiana State Flag by visiting our Famous Mooresvillians and local history links blog posts (scroll down until you reach the Paul Hadley sections).

Indiana State Banner presentation to

U.S. Postmaster General Harry S. New,

October 11, 1924

(Image courtesy of  the Library of Congress)

See also Poletika, Nicole.  "'A Permanent Emblem of Its Own:'  The Indiana State Flag & Its Designer."   Indiana History Blog, January 11, 2017.  Indiana Historical Bureau of the Indiana State Library.  (Click here to access the blog article.)

Paul Hadley Celebration (April 16, 2016)

In case you missed last Saturday's (April 16, 2016) program about longtime Mooresville resident Paul Hadley, designer of the Indiana State Flag, we have a video available that includes panel discussion and questions-and-answers.

Celebrating Paul Hadley & the Indiana State Flag Centennial

(Saturday, April 16, 2016)

During the program, we also showed several of our Paul Hadley biographical videos (i.e., a video divided into five parts).

We also took some photos before the program.  Click the images to enlarge them.

"Official" State Cookie of the Indiana Bicentennial

created by Sharon Hicks & Beth Hensley

Okay, maybe not official, but they tasted great!

Refreshments provided by Sharon Hicks & Beth Hensley

 Paul Hadley artifacts on loan from the

Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation

 Indiana State Flag draped over Paul Hadley's coffin (1971)

(on display at Paul Hadley Middle School in Mooresville)

"Bridge Near Madison, Indiana," by Paul Hadley

(courtesy of Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation)

 "Spring Wagon," by Paul Hadley

(courtesy of Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation)

Indiana State Flag, designed by Paul Hadley

(courtesy of Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation)

MCSC Shares Paul Hadley Artifacts

Thanks to Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation (MCSC) for loaning several artifacts for the library's upcoming program on Saturday, April 16, 2016, at 1 p.m. about Paul Hadley, designer of the Indiana State Flag, artist, teacher, interior designer, and museum curator. Click the photos below to enlarge them.

 Indiana State Flag

Designed by Paul Hadley (1916)

 Indiana State Flag

Draped over Paul Hadley's coffin (1971)

 "Spring Wagon," by Paul Hadley

 

"Bridge Near Madison," by Paul Hadley

Indiana Senate Resolution

following death of Paul Hadley (1971)