An old biplane is parked on a basketball court in a relief sculpture representing Henry County (pictured on right). It’s part of the permanent 92 county artworks built into the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis.  The basketball court for Henry County might be obvious: the New Castle High School gymnasium is among the largest high… Continue reading.

The first American settlers in Marshall County arrived a year before the county’s formation in 1836. They came from primarily New England Puritan descent. Thus, Plymouth — after Plymouth, Massachusetts — was the name selected for the county seat. But two locations just south of Plymouth form notable chapters of the county’s history. On the… Continue reading.

Tucked along the state’s southern contours amid the rolling hills of the Hoosier National Forest and the Ohio River, Perry County is one of Indiana’s best kept secrets. Almost three quarters of the county is within the southernmost boundaries of the National Forest which offers Perry County residents and visitors a variety of outdoor activities… Continue reading.

When settlers began filling in the new state of Indiana in the first half of the 1800s, they proudly adopted names relating to their heritage. One county’s Polish ancestry stands out in its name — Kosciusko — and its seat — Warsaw. The northern Indiana county, founded in 1836, is named after the Polish general… Continue reading.

Hendricks County is one of the state’s fastest growing counties, mostly because Marion County/Indianapolis is its neighbor to the east. But the county’s two largest towns are joining in the downtown revitalization boom to keep the young local folks at home. Both Brownsburg, along the I-74 spoke out of Indianapolis, and Plainfield, along the I-70… Continue reading.

Most all of Indiana’s 92 counties are named after a person, Native American peoples or other places. But only one is named quite simply for the largest geographical feature that touches Indiana. That’s Lake County … the state’s northwestern-most county named for the giant body of water that dimples Indiana’s upper left corner. Lake Michigan’s… Continue reading.

Vigo County has been home to a celebrated array of people. But let’s meet three: a songsmith, a saint, and Holocaust survivor. Paul Dresser. Whenever Hoosiers sing about “the moonlight … along the Wabash,” they honor all Indiana homesteads. But really, that home gleaming with candlelight was that of Dresser, a Terre Haute native and… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Though its seat is known as “City of Firsts,” Howard County was one of Indiana’s last counties. Howard and southern neighbor Tipton joined the state the same day, Jan. 15, 1844, as the 90th and 91st of the state’s 92 counties. Howard County’s wide rectangular shape filled in some of the… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Between a U.S. naval base occupying its northern third and a chunk of Hoosier National Forest occupying its southeastern quarter, there isn’t much of Martin County that’s Martin County. But what is left is filled with unique natural attractions and small towns that complement the base, which is known for developing… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Franklin D. Roosevelt probably didn’t dub his successful 1932 presidential campaign — “New Deal” — after unsuccessfully playing cards in a French Lick gambling house. But he first laid what became his bold “new deal for the American people” on the table at the 1931 National Governors’ Conference at the renowned… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever Enter Dubois County through its southeasternmost doorway, and you’ll think you’ve somehow crossed into rolling European countryside. Gently sloping fields flow around a hillside where ascends … a castle. The Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, a magnificent red brick Romanesque structure with its dome and corner turrets, majestically looks over the… Continue reading.

By Richard G. Biever The west-central Indiana county named after Benjamin Parke, a founding father of Indiana, ends with an “e.” But the county’s cornucopia of well-preserved natural and man-made historical features gives Parke a larger-than-life “park-like” personality. Parke County is best known for its 31 quaint covered bridges. But it’s also home to two… Continue reading.