Kibbee said, "This grant will allow us to develop HistoryForge intensely over the next two years. The great work of the past three years has given us a platform to launch a more powerful version of HistoryForge with exciting new features and a more user-friendly interface. The grant will also give us the resources to present HistoryForge as an open-source program any community can adopt for its own use. This is a great opportunity to test our model on some larger communities. And it's a great opportunity for collaboration and exchanging ideas for moving forward."

HistoryForge is a web environment that allows users to explore local history in a new way-the focus is on individuals, families, and neighborhoods. Dedicated volunteers are transforming hand-written census records of Ithaca from 1900 to 1930 (45,000 records so far!) into a database that can be used to explore ethnicity, professions, homeownership, and many other elements that defined and represented the lives of ordinary people in the early 20th century. You can use the working prototype of HistoryForge online here.

Try the "Map It" feature that "supercharges" several layers of historical maps for displaying your search results. Or just use the opacity slider to see how Ithaca has changed over the years.

The grant from NHPRC will augment this basic platform with user-generated content, people and buildings linked across time, dynamic use of archival records, and many other features.

HistoryForge was launched three years ago. Bob Baxter and the Dryden Mutual Insurance Company provided seed money for initial development. The Triad Foundation, the Tompkins County Bicentennial Commission, and the trustees of The History Center have provided additional support.

A HistoryForge volunteer since 2018, Eve is excited to help expand its horizons under a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) of the National Archives (NARA).  Eve is currently completing a Ph.D. in United States History from Binghamton University.  Through her graduate studies, she developed an interest in the digital humanities as a tool for increasing public engagement in history. A native of New York City, Eve inherited her passion for history from her father, a historian of American Christmas traditions. Eve has recently relocated to Ithaca and is looking forward to immersing herself in its history and culture.

Join in the fun at this month's two data entry bees (details below) or contact Eve at historyforge@thehistorycenter.net to stay in the loop.