INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis students interested in archaeology can get hands-on experience while uncovering the legacies of the city’s early settlers thanks to a new internship.
The City of Indianapolis is excavating the site of the city’s first public cemetery as part of the construction on the Henry Street Bridge in the White River Innovation District.
PREVIOUS | Henry Street Bridge Project digs up the past
Officials say the site used to be the first and largest electric railway freight terminal in the U.S.
It’s also the site of the Greenlawn Cemetery, the largest cemetery in Indianapolis, where the city's estimated hundreds of human remains may still exist.
A group of historians, archaeologists and cemetery experts are using this as an opportunity to learn more about some of Indy’s first residents and how the city has changed over time.
“We know this particular area may have been where a lot of our Black settlers who, you’re talking about before the Civil War, so folks that may have been formally enslaved, running for their freedom, but came to Indianapolis, settled and purchased land,” Deputy Mayor Judith Thomas said. “Their family legacies are here, and I think a lot of our residents will find out we need to celebrate them.”
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Eight high school students will get to be a part of that effort this summer through a paid internship program, called Indy-ology, from Mayor Hogsett’s office and the Department of Public Works.
“We are seeking young people that are interested in the areas of history, genealogy and archeology,” Thomas said. “How do we get them to see how these professionals are working for their actual careers, and what they need to do to get it done, but also they can see this historic project we are working on as a city and be a part of that.”
Thomas sat down with WRTV’s Kaitlyn Kendall to share more about the project. Watch the full interview below.
There will be listening sessions next week for students who are interested in the Indy-ology internship program.
The first will be hosted virtually on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. Those interested can RSVP here. The second listening session will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at Crown Hill Cemetery’s Waiting Station, located at 3402 Boulevard Place.
Students will be paid for their work, and the internship runs from May to late July.
Applications for the internship are due March 17. To apply, click here.
For more information on the Henry Street Bridge Project, click here.
