Jordan

Jordan is located in Owen County. A post office called Jordan Village was established on August 8, 1854 and closed on April 29, 1922. The village is believed to have been named for a local Jordan family.

Like many communities, Jordan’s vitality relied on the railroad. The Owen County Interim Report states that Jordan prospered because of the construction of the Monon line through the community. However the Interim Reports also says that with the later “decline of the railroad and the subsequent closings of the tracks, Jordan Village lost much of its economic vitality. However, the town remains as one of the county’s few examples of a typical railroad-era community.”

Today, around two dozen homes and two churches make up the community. You can view some old photos of the community at Sweet Owen, a great genealogical website.

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Sources:

• Baker, Ronald L. From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier place names in folklore and history. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. Print.
• Historical Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. Owen County: Interim Report. Indiana historical sties and structures inventory. Indianapolis: Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, 1994. Print.
• Trogdon, Wendell. Backroads Indiana. Evanston, Ill.: Highlander Press, 1994. Print.

Adventures Along the Way

Indiana is full of surprises. While globetrotting the state, we were lucky enough to stubble upon a few of these unique surprises. 

Yes, you read that correctly--Humpty Dumpty Road. This road is located in Patricksburg in Owen County. There was no sighting of all the king's horses and all the king's men.

This unincorporated town of 11, and sometimes 12, is located in Owen County.

Cuba

Backroads Indiana author Wendell Trogdon describes Cuba as a “thriving little community, but went downhill when the railroads were located elsewhere, creating new towns.” Cuba, located in Owen County, was laid out in 1851. It was originally called Santa Fe. The community had a post office from June 18, 1851 until December 31, 1909. According Ronald Baker in From Needmore to Prosperity, the town was renamed Cuba “apparently for the island.”

William Hart opened the first general store. In the late nineteenth century the community also had a blacksmith, chair factory, a school, and several churches. Today, Cuba Baptist Church sits near the intersection of Old Cuba Road and Cuba Road.

So, this sure isn't the communist country in the Caribbean, but instead a charming community in Owen County! Also, Indiana is lucky enough to have two Cubas! Globetrotting Indiana is looking forward to stopping by Cuba in Allen County in the future!

Sources:

• Baker, Ronald L. From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier place names in folklore and history. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995. Print.
• Historical Landmarks Foundation of Indiana. Owen County: Interim Report. Indiana historical sties and structures inventory. Indianapolis: Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, 1994. Print.
• Owen County Historical and Genealogical Society. County of Owen, Indiana: historical and biographical, illustrated, indexed. Spencer, Ind.: Owen Historical and Geneaalogical Society, 1995. Print.
• Trogdon, Wendell. Backroads Indiana. Evanston, Ill.: Highlander Press, 1994. Print.

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Denmark

Denmark is nestled in Owen County, a mile off of State Road 246. It is located at Denmark Road and Kelly Road.

No plat of the town was ever recorded. A post office was established on September 16, 1874, and it closed on September 30, 1905. William Herstine was the first postmaster. He also operated a store that served as the center of the settlement's activity. Denmark is believed to have been named for the country.

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Sources:

• Baker, Ronald L. From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier place names in folklore and history. Bloomington: Indiana Press, 1995. Print.
• Owen County Historical and Genealogical Society. County of Owen, Indiana: historical and biographical, illustrated, indexed. Spencer, Ind.: Owen Historical and Geneaalogical Society, 1995. Print.

Columbia

Columbia is located about 7 miles south of Connersville. It was platted on June 15, 1832. Columbia was named for the township in which it is located. Columbia had a post office from February 16, 1833 until July 14, 1903.

Central to Columbia’s history was the Methodist Church. Ten years before the town was platted, a group of pioneers organized a meetinghouse, which later became Columbia Methodist Church.

A cemetery sits just north of the church. It includes names of pioneer families and veterans of the War of 1812.

The community had an elementary school from its early days until May 1971. The building now serves as a community center. The building sits on the corner of Monroe Street and Columbia Road, just south of the church and cemetery.

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Sources:

• Baker, Ronald L. From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier place names in folklore and history. Bloomington: Indiana Press, 1995. Print.
• Walters, H. Max. The Making of Connersville and Fayette County: stories about its people, places, and events. Ed. David. N. Walters. Baltimore: Gateway Press, 1988. Print.

Palestine

Palestine in Franklin County sits along State Road 252 about 5 miles east of Brookville. Paul Holliday laid out this village in October 1847. A post office opened on February 21, 1848 and closed on April 2, 1906. The post office was named Wynn for John Wynn, a local surveyor and justice of the peace. The village was named for the biblical region. 

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Other Palestines?

Palestine was a popular choice for town names. Three other Hoosier communities have some history involving the name Palestine.

Palestine (Kosciukso) – This Palestine was established in 1830s and captured the coveted Palestine name for its post office. I look forward to visiting this community soon!

New Palestine (Hancock) – What is now known as New Palestine once operated under 3 names. The railroad was called Palestine. The town was called New Palestine, and the post office was called Sugar Creek. With Palestine in Kosciusko County and the confusion of three names, the post office and railroad were renamed.

Poseyville (Posey) – This Palestine was laid out in 1840. The post office was established in February 1843 and called Poseyville. The town eventually became known as Poseyville.

Source: Baker, Ronald L. From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier place names in folklore and history. Bloomington: Indiana Press, 1995. Print.

Syria

Syria is located northeast of Paoli, about 3 miles east of SR 37 and north of SR 56. This Orange County community had a post office from March 3, 1880 until April 17, 1914. According to oral tradition, the name Syria resulted from two sisters' desire for biblical name. Also, Syria is pronounced SAHR-ee and not SEER-ee-uh. Only a few homes and farms and Syria Christian Church are extant.

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Source: Baker, Ronald L. From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier place names in folklore and history. Bloomington: Indiana Press, 1995. Print.

Georgia

On February 14, 1853, John Alexander Case platted Georgia, which was a station on the B and O Railroad. The community had a post office from February 12, 1857 until September 28, 1917. A school was discontinued c. 1935. There were country stores run by Elsworth Cox and William Doughty in the early 1900s.

Today not much of the Lawrence County community remains. Georgia Road runs parallel with the railroad and SR 60. At least two railroad buildings bear the name Georgia. A cemetery is located just south of SR 60 and the railroad on Tolliver Road.

One story that lives on is that of John W. Landreth and Roswell Shields. Landreth killed Shields, his neighbor, at the Cox Store after some trouble over a sheep-killing dog. Landreth was sentenced to life in prison and died 1940.

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Source: Baker, Ronald L. From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier place names in folklore and history. Bloomington: Indiana Press, 1995. Print.