BY NICOLE THOMAS Known as the home of outdoor recreation, Sullivan County has more than 26,000 acres of recreational grounds for various activities, from hunting and golfing to ATV riding and water skiing. Shakers, a Christian sect known for their celibacy and communal lifestyle, were the county’s first settlers in the early 1800s. This group… Continue reading.

By Nicole Thomas Shelby County is home to several of Central Indiana’s firsts, like St. Vincent DePaul, one of the first Catholic churches built in the area in 1839. Indiana’s first railroad, built in the 1830s, passed through the county’s seat, Shelbyville, to connect Madison — the largest city along the Ohio River — to… Continue reading.

By Nicole Thomas Spanning 400 square miles in central Indiana, Clinton County features historical buildings, recreational parks, and rural charm with more than 200,000 acres of farmland. Its county seat in Frankfort is home to the only high school in the country whose mascot is the Hot Dogs, which won ESPN’s best Indiana nickname in… Continue reading.

Covering 80 square miles with less than 6,000 residents, Ohio County is Indiana’s smallest and least populous county. Rising Sun, Indiana — the sole incorporated municipality within Ohio County — is home to Ree’s Harps, one of the state’s only two harp manufacturers. Setting sail in Southeastern Indiana The Ohio County Historical Society Museum’s star… Continue reading.

By Nicole Thomas Located between the Wabash River and the Illinois state border, Vermillion County was Indiana’s 50th official county. It is adjacent to Illinois’ own Vermilion County, making it one of 11 counties in the U.S. bordering a county with the same name in another state. Clinton, Indiana, is Vermillion County’s largest city. A… Continue reading.

Covering 236 square miles, Vanderburgh County is southwestern Indiana’s smallest county. Besides the city of Evansville, Vanderburgh County’s other incorporated municipality is Darmstadt, a small German-heritage town. Darmstadt’s 111-year-old International World War Peace Tree was brought over from Germany as a seedling in 1912. The linden tree was planted in 1918 on Darmstadt’s southwestern edge… Continue reading.

By Nicole Thomas After forming in 1818, Randolph County became home to many Quaker settlers from North Carolina who supported abolitionism. Abolitionist Levi Coffin worked with these Quakers to help nearly 3,000 enslaved Americans find freedom through the Underground Railroad’s sites in Indiana and Ohio. In 1846, Quakers and free people of color founded the… Continue reading.

By Nicole Thomas Known as the RV capital of the world, Elkhart County is located in Northern Indiana as part of the Michiana region. More than 200,000 tourists visit the county for its annual 4-H Fair — the second-largest county fair in the United States. AMERICAN LIFE ILLUSTRATED The Midwest Museum of American Art in… Continue reading.

 By Nicole Thomas Delaware County kicked off the Indiana gas boom in 1876 when natural gas was first discovered in the state near the town of Eaton. Delaware County is also the home of Ball State University, which was renamed from the Indiana Normal College when the Ball brothers, a family of industrialists and philanthropists,… Continue reading.

Home to one of Indiana’s largest natural lakes, Starke County is named after John Stark, a general in the Revolutionary War. An “e” was added to the county’s name after its founding. Historians believe this was because a scribe — or Stark himself in his signature — wrote the word “Stark” with a flourish at… Continue reading.

The second oldest county in Indiana, Clark County is located on the north bank of the Ohio River across from Louisville, Kentucky. It was named after General George Rogers Clark, who was the older brother of William Clark — one of the leaders of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  Days of family fun In Borden,… Continue reading.

Home to Indiana’s oldest continuously running county fair, Gibson County was named after John Gibson, an officer in the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He was also secretary of the Indiana Territory and served as acting governor twice. During the American Civil War, abolitionists in Gibson County helped enslaved African Americans find… Continue reading.