White River Township’s District 1 school was commonly known as “Lost,” thanks to its location in a dense forest1. Originally serving District 4, the schoolhouse sat on land owned by G.W. Bousman2.
Continue reading “White River Township’s Lost schoolhouse in Randolph County”
White River Township’s District 15 schoolhouse first stood on land owned by W.S. Green just south of Sparrow Creek1. Over time, its patrons began to refer to the establishment as the Green or Green’s Station school2.
Continue reading “White River Township’s Green schoolhouse in Randolph County”
The early history of Newton County, Indiana, is dramatic. Although it was first formed in 1835, the county was abolished and combined with Jasper County four years later. In 1859, a new version became the last of Indiana’s counties to be formally organized1. Commissioners chose the town of Kent to be county seat in June 18602, and the current courthouse was finished forty-six years later.
Continue reading “The Newton County, Indiana Courthouse (1906-)”
In the 1950s and 60s, AT&T built thousands of microwave relay towers across the United States to create a transcontinental telecommunications system it called the Long Lines network. Decades have passed since they were last used for their original purpose, but the structures still dominate their surroundings. One dominates the countryside just south of Greenfield, Indiana.
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In 1865, Wayne Township’s District 6 schoolhouse sat on the south side of what’s now East County Road 100-South, three-quarters of a mile west of South County Road 650-East1. It was used until 1883, when Ernest Turner moved it to his farm to use as a shed2.
Continue reading “Wayne Township’s Shockney schoolhouse in Randolph County”
Nashville, Indiana, is a charming town home to a vibrant arts and crafts community. Nestled in the hills of southern Indiana, the place attracts visitors from across the region, particularly when the leaves change color. It’s a place where the past and present coexist, and the 150-year-old Brown County Courthouse stands at the center of it all.
Continue reading “The Brown County, Indiana Courthouse (1873-)”
In Randolph County, Ward Township’s District 11 schoolhouse was commonly known as Shakerag. The schoolhouse sat on Benjamin Clevenger’s land in 18741, but a community called Goodfield sprung up around it. Goodfield consisted of several homes, a mill, and a Christian Church2.
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In 1921, residents of Spencer County were proud of their new courthouse. The Rockport Journal proclaimed it would be “a thing of beauty and a joy, if not forever, at least for a hundred years1!” Forty-two courthouses across the state have come and gone since then, but the paper’s prediction was prescient: In 2021, the Spencer County Courthouse celebrated its centennial.
Continue reading “The Spencer County Courthouse in Indiana (1921-)”
Ward Township’s District 5 schoolhouse is one of the best-restored in Indiana. Originally a frame building that stood east of Clear Creek1, the school -commonly called Jackson after the farmers who owned its land2– was relocated to its present site in 1891.
Continue reading “Ward Township’s Jackson schoolhouse in Randolph County”
The technology we use to communicate has a dramatic influence on how we connect, share information, and interact. Before the ubiquity of cell phones, AT&T’s Long Lines network was critical in enabling long-distance communication! It’s been more than forty years since the program was discontinued, but across Indiana, old Long Line relics tower over their surroundings.
Continue reading “An introduction to Long Lines”