Vanderburgh County Commissioners have approved a partnership to protect Civil War materials stored at the Evansville Coliseum.
A news release from the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War says the initiative will protect and preserve historic records, documents, and photographs from the war and subsequent veterans’ activities.
The effort will involve the University of Southern Indiana and its Archives and Special Collections department, the local Veterans Council, and the Sons of Union Veterans.
Union Veterans spokesman Joshua Claybourne says the artifacts are fragile and at risk of decay and deterioration.
He says USI will perform basic preservation and conservation on the materials to protect and restore them.
Once completed, select materials will be scanned for online display.
The Coliseum is operated by the Veterans Council. It houses military artifacts, memorabilia, documents, and photographs, particularly the Grand Army of the Republic and its allied orders.