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Poplar Ridge Horse Thief and Detective Company collection

 Collection
Identifier: L213

Scope and Contents

The collection contains record and minute books, a certificate of appointment (1906), a ribbon from a National Horse Thief Detective Association conference, lists, and ephemera from the Poplar Ridge Horse Thief and Detective Company in Hamilton County, Indiana ranging from 1875 to 1925, regarding the organization and its activities.

Dates

  • 1875-1925

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Administrative History

The Poplar Ridge Horse Thief and Detective Company operated in the Carmel, Hamilton County, Indiana area. It was associated with other horse thief detective associations in Indiana, as well as the National Horse Thief Detective Association, which were active from the early 1850s through the 1920s as officially recognized vigilante groups. Horse theif detective agencies were largely comprised of white men and became involved with the Ku Klux Klan in the 20th century. That association sealed the fate of such organizations, leading to their decline alongside that of the KKK in the late 1920s.

Sources:

Items within the collection.

Lorentz, Lisa. "Friday Favorites: The National Horse Thief Detective Association." Historic Indianapolis, October 11, 2013. https://historicindianapolis.com/friday-favorites-the-national-horse-thief-detective-association.

Extent

0.3 Cubic Feet (1 manuscript box)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by subject.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Marjorie Kinzer on 1959-05-14.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2012 December by Sarah Pfundstein. EAD finding aid created 2012 December by Sarah Pfundstein. EAD finding aid revised 2024/08/01 by Brittany Kropf.
Title
Poplar Ridge Horse Thief and Detective Company collection
Status
Under Revision
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671