Historic Southern Indiana has awarded the 2011 Frank and Judy O'Bannon Heritage Engagement Award to Norm Taylor, founder and director of the Lawrence County History Festival. The award recognizes an individual who is an exemplary model of community education activities.

Nominated by Dave Branneman, executive director of the Lawrence County Tourism Commission, Taylor has directed the annual Lawrence County History Festival since 2000. Held in Bedford, Indiana, the festival honors the local history of Lawrence County, the pioneer spirit of the state of Indiana, and the unconquerable courage of the United States of America.

Events for the 2011 festival included a Native American powwow, historical timeline, Civil War skirmish, Civil War Era Ladies Tea, wild west gunfight, can-can dancers, a WWII reenactment, and an open house of the Red Cross Cabin, which was owned by Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. The event engaged more than 1,200 students from Bedford North Lawrence High School and local elementary schools.

A Civil War and Buffalo Bill Cody re-enactor, Taylor is also the cofounder of the Lawrence County Victorian Dancers and founder of the Lawrence County Greys.

The Frank and Judy O'Bannon Heritage Engagement Award was presented to Taylor on January 14 at the Lawrence County Museum of History. The award includes a plaque and a $1,000 cash prize.

Each year, Historic Southern Indiana recognizes a southern Indiana community for its outstanding achievements in preservation, enhancement, and promotion of its distinctive heritage. In addition, this award seeks to strengthen the quality of life for residents of and visitors to southern Indiana by paying tribute to excellence in standards of community development.

The winning community will receive a $1,000 cash award to support heritage-related projects and a plaque of achievement for public display. These will be presented to the community at a public ceremony in May.

Applications are now available online at HSI's web site. The deadline to apply is March 5, 2012. Judges will review the applications, and the winning community will be notified in April.

For more information about the criteria and to download the application form, please visit the HSI web site.

March 27, 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of Hugh McGary, Jr.'s purchase of the 200 acres of land that would ultimately become the City of Evansville. Historic Southern Indiana has been involved in planning a 200-day bicentennial celebration to commemorate this milestone anniversary.

The kickoff celebration will be an after work event on Tuesday, March 27 at the Old Post Office building in downtown Evansville. More details to follow.

The bicentennial celebration commenced on December 18, 2011 and extends through the Fourth of July 2012. For more information about the celebrations and to learn about Evansville history, visit Evansville200.com.

A Call for Papers for the third War of 1812 Bicentennial Symposium has been issued. Information is available on our website.

The symposium "1812: Harrison Takes Command" is the third of four annual educational symposia that will be held to commemorate the War of 1812 Bicentennial. The event will be held at the Indiana Center for Applied Technology on the Vincennes University campus in Vincennes, Indiana on June 30, 2012. This year's theme will deal with the events of 1812, with particular emphasis on political themes and the militia of Kentucky and Indiana.

Papers that challenge existing histories and offer new approaches to the topic are of particular interest for this year's symposium. In that vein, possible themes for panels and submissions may include but are not limited to: Militia, Free Masons, Finances, Native American Perspectives, Popular Memory of the War and Commemoration, the War of 1812 as a National Event, and the War of 1812 as a classroom topic. Roundtable discussions and individual papers will be considered. Poster sessions are also welcome.

Interested presenters and participants should send a one page paper proposal along with a short c.v. no later than March 2, 2012. Participants will be notified of the status of their proposals by April 6, 2012. Financial assistance for travel will be available on a limited basis. For more information about submitting papers, please visit http://www.usi.edu/hsi/events/1812callforpapers.asp.

Historic Southern Indiana is gearing up for this year's events. Be sure to mark your calendar for our 2012 offerings and stay tuned to our newsletter for further updates.

3rd Annual War of 1812 Educational Symposium - June 30, 2012
Join Historic Southern Indiana for the third annual educational symposia dealing with the War of 1812 and its impact on the Indiana Territory, the Midwest, and the nation. The theme of this symposia is "Harrison Takes Command." The event will take place on the Vincennes University campus in Vincennes.

Preserving the Historic Road Conference - September 20-23, 2012
Historic Southern Indiana is a local co-sponsor of the eighth biennial Preserving the Historic Road, a leading conference that focuses on the identification, preservation, and management of historic roads. The 2012 conference will take place at the Crowne Plaza in Indianapolis. Field sessions will include stops on the Ohio River Scenic Byway and Indiana's Historic Pathways, among other historic roads and scenic byways.

The conference planning committee is currently accepting papers for presentation. Please visit Historicroads.org for more information.

3rd Annual Indiana's Historic Pathways Teacher Workshop - October 2, 2012
The 3rd annual Indiana's Historic Pathways teacher workshop is set for October 2. Designed for teachers of Indiana history, this workshop focuses on the history of transportation along Indiana's Historic Pathways, one of the state's National Scenic Byways. More information will be available this summer.

Indiana's Historic Pathways Volksmarch Events
Indiana's Historic Pathways sponsors volkmarches throughout the year. A volksmarch is a non-competitive 6 mile (10 kilometer) walk along a prescribed trail and is designed to encourage physical fitness, to promote camaraderie and to enjoy nature. For more information, visit AVA.org

April 14: Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. In conjunction with the Columbus Hiking Club.
April 21: French Lick. In conjunction with the Bedford Hiking Club.
October 6: Seymour. In conjunction with the Bloomington Hiking Club.