Strawtown, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Strawtown is an unincorporated town in White River Township
, Hamilton County
, Indiana
.
and Indianapolis
, it served as the halfway point between Anderson
and Indianapolis. Strawtown was officially platted by Bicknell Cole and William Conner
in 1836.
The area was possibly named after a native Delaware chief named Straw or Strawbridge. Indian Strawtown was located across the river 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east and north of present-day Strawtown. Miami
and Shawnee
tribes invited the Delaware to settle in the White River basin after a 1795 treaty. Indian Strawtown was one of 14 Delaware villages established along the West Fork of the river.
In 1821, a minimum purchase of 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) per speculator was offered at a price of $1.25 per acre. The following year, five Strawtown settlers went to the Brookville land office and purchased tracts at that price. By 1836, roughly 30 families had purchased land in this area.
A post office was opened in 1834 and closed in 1915. It was originally established upstream in Stevensburg on October 13, 1829, as one of the earliest posts in the territory.
William Foster’s saw mill was established two miles (3 km) downstream in what is now Clare
. Lumber was bound and floated like a raft down towards Noblesville and Indianapolis.
Doctor Amos Palmer organized and taught the first school in Strawtown during the winter of 1822-23. The county was separated into two equal townships in 1823, White River to the north and Delaware to the south. Rapid growth, spurred partly by the state’s plans to run the Central Canal http://www.indcanal.org/Central_Canal.html through Strawtown, caused the creation of seven additional townships. The canal in that area never materialized and growth stagnated, thanks in part to the location of the nearest railway four miles to the west.
and northeast of Noblesville
at the intersection of State Road 37
and Strawtown Avenue. It is bounded to the north and west by the White River
.
White River Township, Hamilton County, Indiana
White River Township is one of nine townships in Hamilton County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,566.-Geography:White River Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.12 percent is water...
, Hamilton County
Hamilton County, Indiana
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded a population of 274,569. The county seat is Noblesville....
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
History
Strawtown was once an Indian village, but was laid out by white settlers in 1819 to serve travelers. Situated on the Conner Trail which connected the cities of CincinnatiCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, it served as the halfway point between Anderson
Anderson, Indiana
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Indiana, United States. It is the principal city of the Anderson, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses Madison county. Anderson is the headquarters of the Church of God and home of Anderson University, which is...
and Indianapolis. Strawtown was officially platted by Bicknell Cole and William Conner
William Conner
William Conner was an American trader, interpreter, scout, community leader, entrepreneur, and politician...
in 1836.
The area was possibly named after a native Delaware chief named Straw or Strawbridge. Indian Strawtown was located across the river 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the east and north of present-day Strawtown. Miami
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
and Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
tribes invited the Delaware to settle in the White River basin after a 1795 treaty. Indian Strawtown was one of 14 Delaware villages established along the West Fork of the river.
In 1821, a minimum purchase of 80 acres (323,748.8 m²) per speculator was offered at a price of $1.25 per acre. The following year, five Strawtown settlers went to the Brookville land office and purchased tracts at that price. By 1836, roughly 30 families had purchased land in this area.
A post office was opened in 1834 and closed in 1915. It was originally established upstream in Stevensburg on October 13, 1829, as one of the earliest posts in the territory.
William Foster’s saw mill was established two miles (3 km) downstream in what is now Clare
Clare, Indiana
Clare is a small unincorporated town in White River Township, Hamilton County, Indiana.-Geography:Clare is located at on the eastern bank of the White River directly across from the town of Riverwood. Clare Avenue, the town's single street, runs immediately parallel to State Road 37...
. Lumber was bound and floated like a raft down towards Noblesville and Indianapolis.
Doctor Amos Palmer organized and taught the first school in Strawtown during the winter of 1822-23. The county was separated into two equal townships in 1823, White River to the north and Delaware to the south. Rapid growth, spurred partly by the state’s plans to run the Central Canal http://www.indcanal.org/Central_Canal.html through Strawtown, caused the creation of seven additional townships. The canal in that area never materialized and growth stagnated, thanks in part to the location of the nearest railway four miles to the west.
Archaeology
Strawtown is the site of a current archaeological dig, funded through Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) by the National Science Foundation. The Archaeological Survey of IPFW received a $10,000 grant for a two week educational archaeology program at the Strawtown Koteewi Park near Noblesville in Hamilton County. The project will also result in a National Register nomination for a site near the Strawtown enclosure. During the past six years, IPFW has worked with the Hamilton County Parks Department to assess and explore the unique archaeological heritage of the 750 acres (3 km²) park. The goals of this project are to clarify the Late Prehistoric population dynamics of central Indiana, create a cultural and educational resource at the park for central Indiana, and develop the archaeological resources of the park as a destination for regional tourism.Geography
Strawtown is located at 40°07′24"N 85°56′40"W, east of CiceroCicero, Indiana
Cicero is a town in Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana, United States, north of Indianapolis. The population was 4,812 at the 2010 census...
and northeast of Noblesville
Noblesville, Indiana
Noblesville is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Indiana, United States, located just north of Indianapolis. The population was 51,969 at the 2010 census making it the 14th largest city/town in the state, up from 19th in 2007...
at the intersection of State Road 37
Indiana State Road 37
State Road 37 in the U.S. State of Indiana is a major route in Indiana, running as a 4-lane divided highway for 110 miles of its course....
and Strawtown Avenue. It is bounded to the north and west by the White River
White River (Indiana)
The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is long.-West Fork:The West Fork, long, is...
.