Here are 38 unique and fun facts about Scott County for this week’s blog.
- The second newspaper in Indiana was eventually printed in Lexington, “The Western Eagle.”
- The fence around Harrods Cemetery is from the Scott County Courthouse fence that used to be around the property in downtown Scottsburg.
- There was once a South Austin.
- Did you know that Austin was named for Austin, Texas?
- The spelling of Scottsburg was once spelled “Scottsburgh.” It was changed in 1892.
- The Scottsburg Train Depot used to have a “Gents Waiting Room” and a “Ladies Waiting Room.”
- Church services were once held in the Scott County Courthouse before there were any church buildings in Scottsburg.
- The British paid the Native Americans in our area five dollars per white person’s scalp, during the 1812 raid on Pigeon Roost.
- The Kimberlin Family is noted as being the settlers in what is Scott County because they paid for their property first. The Harrod Family by date was the first family, but their property was paid for after the Kimberlin’s.
- The Pigeon Roost Memorial marks the grave site of the twenty-four people killed by the Shawnee on September 3, 1812.
- There were towns established in Scott County that are no longer here… Wooster established in 1847; New Frankfort est. 1838; Albion est. 1837 and Centerville est. 1849.
- The Morgan Packing Company was established in 1900.
- Scott County was named after General Charles Scott, a revolutionary war hero from Virginia.
- The town of Scottsburg was named after Horace Scott, the president of the J.M. & I. Railroad.
- Scott County had the first G.I. Farm School for Veterans of World War II, who wanted to go into farming after their service.
- Robert Kennedy, 1968 and William Henry Harrison made political train stops in Scottsburg.
- There was a flood in 1992
- There used to be a swimming pool in 1938, located at the southeast corner of North Gardner and Owen Street.
- Hubbie Buchanan from Austin was a prisoner of war for seven years.
- Scott County had the first chewing gum factory.
- Blake Burns was Scottsburg’s first Mayor. He took office in 1964. The first Mayor of Austin was Doug Campbell who took his office in 2008.
- Fourteen tornados have touched down in Scott County.
- Blocher was first called Homan.
- In 1954, the last one room school was closed.
- Lexington was considered as a site for the first state capital.
- One hundred and thirty-nine people from Scott County were killed in the Civil War.
- In 1926, thee were rick streets and iron work around the Scott County Courthouse.
- At one time, there was a tank and a cannon on the Courthouse lawn. They were later sold for scrap metal for WWII.
- At one time, there were fifteen hotels on Highway 31 in Scott County.
- Dolly East and Wilma Fieldhouse used to play for silent movies in Scottsburg.
- In 1893, the first ice cream came to Scottsburg and also bananas.
- Doctor John Richey was the first doctor in Scott County. He survived the Pigeon roost Massacre. He and his wife Sichi Collins were the first to be married in Scott County also.
- Leota became a town in 1884.
- Clara B Ulen had three of her songs published by Gene Autry.
- In 1867, Jennings Township was divided, and Johnson was formed.
- The Bovard Family moved from Scottsburg to California and established the University of Southern California.
- Blocher was named after Dan Blocher who raised several orphan children
- Hardy Lake was first called Quick Creek Reservoir, after Indian Chief Quick. It is the only reservoir in Indiana owned by the state.