Ann Garceau, left, and Kim Blaha check the packing of the microfilm of the local Syracuse newspapers being sent to the Indiana State Library. The microfilms will be digitally recorded for public access of all the newspaper from the early 1870s through 1990. A $13,500 grant was given jointly to the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum and the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Public Library for the project. It will be completed in January 2022. Garceau is the museum committee chairman for the project and Blaha is the head librarian. Photo by Sarah Wright.

SYRACUSE — A new project is underway between the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum and the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library and it is the first of its kind in the state of Indiana.

The two organizations have been jointly awarded a $13,500 grant by the United States Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Indiana State Library to make digital the microfiche reels of Syracuse newspapers. By the summer of 2022, the newspapers will be available online to the public at Hoosier State Chronicles through the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum.

These newspapers go back as far as the early 1870s through 1990 and include several different versions of the local Syracuse newspaper including The Mail-Journal. This format will be an immense help to those researching genealogy and historical events by making them accessible to all through the library, business or home computers. The microfilm will not be available at the library again until January 2022, which is also the time the information will be online.

The searchable newspapers join other research materials offered on the Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum website including thousands of area postcards and photos on Indiana Memory and local newspaper columns from 1909-1910 by George Miles. The website is http://syracusemuseum.org and postcards and photos are now accessible.

The public can view these newspapers as much as it would like once they are made available. Since the technology has been located there, the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library has been keeping records of the local newspapers on microfiche. The library is an official archivist of the local newspaper. The microfilm files have been sent to the Indiana State Library to be recorded digitally.

Syracuse-Wawasee Historical Museum is located inside the Syracuse Community Center, 1013 N. Long Drive. Regular hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. There is no admission fee. The phone is (574) 457-3599.

Housed in an expanded Carnegie Library building, the Syracuse-Turkey Creek Township Public Library is at 115 E. Main St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays; noon to 8 p.m. Tuesdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays; noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. The phone number is (574) 457-3022 and the website is www.syracuse.lib.in.us/.

Both the museum and the library also have active Facebook pages and are closed Sundays.