Historical Marker Database

{{Short description|Website documenting historical markers}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}

The Historical Marker Database (HMdb.org) is an online database that documents locations of numerous historical markers and commemorative plaques in the United States as well as other countries. The database was launched in 2006 by computer programmer J. J. Prats.{{cite journal |last1=Ural |first1=Susannah J. |title=Ural on URLs: The Historical Marker Database |journal=Civil War Times |date=April 2011 |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=71 |url=https://www.historynet.com/ural-urls-historical-marker-database.htm |access-date=10 October 2019 |issn=0009-8094}}

The HMdb was launched in 2006 with 179 markers that Prats had personally documented. By 2015 the site listed more than 74,000 markers.{{cite news |last1=Stephens |first1=Steve |title=Website locates wide range of historical markers |url=https://www.dispatch.com/article/20150717/lifestyle/307179583 |access-date=10 October 2019 |work=The Columbus Dispatch |date=17 July 2015 |language=en}}

In addition to listing markers in the United States, the site also lists some markers from more than 40 other countries.

By the start of 2018, the site documented more than 100,000 markers.{{cite journal |last1=Baram |first1=Uzi |title=In an Age of Heritage Signs, Encouraging Archaeological Sites to be Cosmopolitan Canopies |journal=Present Pasts |date=27 September 2019 |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=1–8 |doi=10.5334/pp.79|doi-access=free }} By the start of 2025, more than 225,000 markers had been documented.{{Cite web |title=The Historical Marker Database |url=https://www.hmdb.org/ |access-date=2025-01-08 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}

The HMdb has been described as "crowdsourced",{{rp|977}} and according to the site's self-description, "Anyone can add new markers to the database and update existing marker pages with new photographs, links, information and commentary."{{cite web |title=About the Historical Marker Database |url=https://www.hmdb.org/about.asp |website=Historical Marker Database |access-date=11 October 2019}} Dozens of Editors review entries from hundreds of Correspondents before they are accepted into the database.{{Cite web |title=About the Historical Marker Database |url=https://www.hmdb.org/about.asp |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Laura |last2=Jin |first2=Connie Hanzhang |last3=McMillan |first3=Nick |date=April 21, 2024 |title=Curious, fascinating and offensive markers from around the U.S. |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/04/21/1245275678/historical-markers-signs-civil-war-confederacy |work=NPR News}}

Artist Paul Druecke described the HMdb as "a different sort of catalogue", one that "allows geeks like me to explore historical plaques throughout the United States."{{cite book |last1=Douberley |first1=Amanda |last2=Druecke |first2=Paul |author-link2=Paul Druecke |editor1-last=Knight |editor1-first=Cher Krause |editor2-last=Senie |editor2-first=Harriet F. |title=A Companion to Public Art |date=2016 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |isbn=9781118475331 |pages=376–385 |doi=10.1002/9781118475331.ch17 |language=en |chapter=The Memory Frame: Set in Stone, a Dialogue}}{{rp|377}}

Druecke did a series of charcoal drawings depicting official state-sponsored plaques.

In 2011, Silvio Lacetti argued that the HMdb "offers a wonderful opportunity" for history teachers to instill interest in students by being "a Columbus leading his or her young crew on journeys of local historical discovery", enabling them "to search, discover and learn" through historical markers.{{cite news |last1=Laccetti |first1=Silvio |title=Opinion: Historical Marker Database website provides fun way to record N.J. landmarks |url=https://www.nj.com/times-opinion/2011/07/opinion_historical_marker_data.html |access-date=10 October 2019 |work=The Times (Trenton) |date=2 July 2011 |language=en}}

The HMdb displays historical event locations using Google Maps.{{cite journal |last1=Díaz-Kommonen |first1=L. |last2=Timonen |first2=A. |last3=Reunanen |first3=M. |title=ImaNote: a Zoomable Web-Based Multi-User Image Viewing and Annotation Tool |journal=Eurographics |date=2007 |s2cid=17073263 }} The HMdb served as the basis for the database for the online augmented reality game Ingress, which was then later repurposed for Pokémon Go.{{cite journal |last1=Judge |first1=Elizabeth F. |last2=Brown |first2=Tenille E. |title=Pokémorials: Placing Norms in Augmented Reality |journal=U.B.C. Law Review |date=2017 |volume=50 |issue=4 |pages=971–1016 |url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals/ubclr50&i=1001}}{{rp|977}}