It’s easy to step on history and not even notice.

The sidewalk in front of Catt Hall, a heavily traveled area of Central Campus, is paved with thousands of bricks, each listing a woman’s name. This conglomeration of bricks is called the Plaza of Heroines and is a shrine to thousands of women.

There are currently more than 3,200 bricks placed in the plaza. Each bears a single name. Now, the legacy behind each name is available online, where the locations and histories of each brick are accessible.

The site contains detailed biographies of many women, their photographs and information on purchasing bricks.

“It is a way of recognizing someone for what they meant to you and mean to you,” said Dave Gieseke, program coordinator for the Liberal Arts and Sciences administration. “It is a nice way for individuals to honor a woman.

“Now that the registry is online, you can find out whose name is there and why.”

Names on the patio are not alphabetized or in any particular order. Until the launch of the Web site, it was difficult for passers-by to locate a particular brick or learn the history behind the women honored in the Plaza of Heroines. This information was accessible only through a computer kiosk inside Catt Hall.

Wandering around the Plaza of Heroines, one will recognize only a few names in the thousands there. However, looking carefully, prominent women such as Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey can be found.

“There are some famous women, staff members, mothers, grandmas, teachers and professors all there,” Gieseke said. “Someone wanted to recognize them for influencing their lives.”

Gieseke’s wife, Carole, communication manager for the ISU Alumni Association, is one of the many women honored in the Plaza of Heroines.

The Gieseke’s two daughters purchased a brick for Carole on her birthday.

Curt Youngs, associate professor of animal science, dedicated a brick to his mother, Nancy L. Youngs, after she was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Youngs said his mother was happy when she found out he had donated a brick in her name.

“She was delighted and she cried, very appreciative,” he said.

Youngs’ brick has not yet been placed in the plaza, but he hopes his mother will be able to see it before she passes away.

“She’s had a very profound influence on my life,” he said.

“I just wanted her to know how much I love her and how important she’s been in my life.”