A family was planning a trip to Disneyland, until the coronavirus put the magical experience on hold. Office workers put on festive face masks at Christmastime. A community theater actor rehearsed skits over Zoom.
Montgomery County residents are sharing memories of living through the first stages of the coronavirus pandemic through the Montgomery County Historical Society’s COVID-19 Oral History Project, as organizers put out the call for more interviews.
The nonprofit organization, which owns and operates the Lane Place, began gathering pandemic stories this spring. Historians aim to interview 100 people who lived or worked in Montgomery County between March 2020 and March 2022.
In the interviews, residents are asked to describe how the virus impacted their jobs, education or volunteer activities.
Participants have also discussed the role technology played in communicating during the pandemic and their impressions of how the news media covered the global health crisis.
Interviews are being audio or video recorded. Written submissions and pandemic-related photos are also accepted. MCHS is partnering with the Crawfordsville District Public Library to house the recordings.
MCHS received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Indiana Humanities as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Residents interested in participating can contact MCHS at 765-362-3416 or info@lane-mchs.org. Organizers plan to wrap up interviews by November.
