Scott County Indiana History

Items

• 2012 Tornado
  A EF-4 tornado hit the eastern section of Scott County on March 2nd. A Scott County resident near Nabb was killed. It also devastated towns and communities in neighboring Washington and Clark Counties. Barnes Cemetery on the Scott-Clark County line east of Nabb is heavily damaged.
• Austin becomes a city
  Austin changes from a Town to a City on January 1st. Doug Campbell is sworn in as it’s first Mayor.
• Scott County Home placed on National Register of Historic Places
  Scott County Home (Scott County Heritage Center & Museum) placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of Interior.
• 2000 Census
  Census: 22,960
• Courthouse Remodeled
  Remodeling and addition to the Courthouse are completed and dedicated.
• 1992 Flood
  After a torrential rainstorm on August 8th, a flood occurs throughout most parts of the county. Many homes and schools are damaged. The southern section of the William H. English Middle School on South 3rd Street in Scottsburg is heavily damaged.
• 1978 Blizzard
  The 1978 Blizzard occurred in January. Schools are closed for weeks.
• 1974 Tornadoes
  One of the worse tornadoes in history, (an EF-5) hit the Nabb and Lexington areas on April 3rd. A young boy was killed after his school bus was evacuated on Hardy Mill Road in Lexington Township. A great deal of destruction occurred to buildings.
• Scott County Poor Farm officially closed
  Scott County Poor Farm officially closed and the building was converted into one of the courthouse annexes and would serve as such until 1998.
• Austin becomes a town
  Austin was incorporated as a Town. The first official Austin Town Board was Hubert Buchanan, Roy Schneck and Gilbert Warner.
• Scottsburg becomes a city
  Scottsburg changes from a Town to a City. Blake Burns is sworn in as it’s first Mayor.
• Interstate 65 officially opens
  Interstate 65 officially opened through Scott County. The Scottsburg Service Plaza was dedicated September 26th in a 2:00 p.m. ceremony led by Indiana Governor Harold W. Handley. The high school bands from Austin, Scottsburg, and Henryville provided music for the event.
• Scott County Memorial Hospital opened
  Scott County Memorial Hospital opened
• Last Interurban train
  last train to run on the Interurban line on October 31st.
• First Electric Railway
  The Indianapolis and Louisville Traction Company built a track between Seymour and Sellersburg as part of the interurban line which extended from Indianapolis to Louisville and completed in 1907. First railway in the country to operate on 1200 volt high tension, direct current system powered by generators at the site of present day Lake Iola.
• William H. English statue dedicated
  The William H. English statue on the north side of the Courtyard was unveiled and dedicated on September 28th at 2:00 p.m. with a ceremony that was led by U.S. Vice President Charles W. Fairbanks and many other dignitaries. Rosaland Orr English, the 4 1/2 year old granddaughter of William H., unveiled the statue that was sculpted by John H. Mahoney. Bands from Lexington, Blocher, and Scottsburg played music for the event.
• Pigeon Roost Memorial dedicated
  The Pigeon Roost Memorial was dedicated on October 1st.
• Census
  Census: 8,307
• Lynching of Marion Tyler
  Marion Tyler was dragged from his cell in the Scott County Jail shortly after 1:00 a.m. on December 24th by a mob of about 100 people that called themselves the Jackson County Vigilante Group and lynched from a tree on the east side of the Courtyard. Tyler had been incarcerated since November 3rd and was being held on allegations of attempted murder of his wife, Laura. After an investigation, no one was ever convicted of the lynching. (The “Tyler Tree”, as it was later called, was ordered to be cut down in 1971 by the county commissioners at the time.)
• Scott County Poor Asylum built
  Scott County Poor Asylum built at 1050 South Main Street in Scottsburg which houses the Scott County Heritage Center & Museum today. This was the third Poor Farm in Scott County.
• County Seat Moved
  The new Courthouse and Jail were completed and Scottsburg became the County Seat. The official date the transfer took place is unknown as it was said the transfer took place at night to avoid any civil conflicts.
• Ren Brother Train Robbery
  Reno Brother Gang committed one of the first train robberies on May 22nd on the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad (JM&I) near Marshfield (between Scottsburg and Austin). Two of the brothers (William and Simeon) were arrested in July and held at the Scott County Jail in Lexington before they were transferred to the Floyd County Jail in New Albany for safekeeping which was thought to be a more secure jail. There, they were lynched by a mob of over 65 people in the stairwell of the jail on the night of December 11th-12th.
• Morgan's Raid
  Confederate John Hunt Morgan and about 1,800 Confederate soldiers travel through Scott County during “Morgan’s Raid” July 10th-11th. Telegraph lines at the Vienna train depot are cut. General Morgan stayed the night at the Beehive Hotel in Lexington before leaving the next morning for Vernon.
• South Austin Platted
  South Austin Platted
• North Austin Platted
  North Austin Platted