Sources checked October 25, 2026. Based on public institutional descriptions and collection catalogs; no staff confirmation or onsite inspection. Confirm access before visiting.
Start with one connection.
Bring a person, a place, approximate years, and one question. A township, congregation, school, or employer may reveal records a surname search misses. The custodian can be outside the county.
STOP 01 / Indianapolis / Peru connectionsIndiana Historical Society: Indiana circuses collection
Look for working lives in correspondence, photographs and programs.
Collection M 1512 includes Great Wallace Shows correspondence, identified circus photographs, Hagenbeck-Wallace material and a 1961 Peru Amateur Circus festival program.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Use the finding aid to select a circus and item, then request reading-room access or reproduction options from IHS.
A question you can ask
Is there an identified photograph or letter for this person, circus and year?
Keep in mind
This assembled collection is not a complete employee register. Confirm identities from captions and corroborating records; publication permission is separate from research access.
STOP 02 / Miami CountyMiami County Health Department: historical record requests
A narrow date range makes a record request more useful.
The registrar’s instructions require the name, date and place for genealogy searches, with a five-year search window. Early birth entries may name parents but not the child.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Follow the in-person or mail instructions, including identification and current fees. The page says searches are not performed online or by phone.
A question you can ask
Could this early birth be indexed under the parents rather than the child?
Keep in mind
Only events recorded in Miami County are within this office’s scope. An unsuccessful paid search does not prove the event never happened.
STOP 03 / Indianapolis / statewideIndiana State Library: Miami County holdings
Turn a county index into a precise request for the underlying record.
Selected holdings include a courthouse probate index for 1844–1957 and will records for 1843–1900.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Open the county guide, copy the title and call number, then check the catalog or ask the library about format and access before visiting.
A question you can ask
Which estate file or will volume follows from this index entry?
Keep in mind
These are selected library holdings, often indexes or transcripts. A listed date range does not guarantee every event survives or that original images are online.
Leave a trail another researcher can follow.
Save the repository, collection title, dates, volume, page or item identifier, link, and the date you consulted it. Follow an index to the original record when possible. Keep uncertain names and inferred relationships visibly separate from what the source states.
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