Hoosier Dusty Files - December 31, 1821 - Brookville Road Authorized

A Year of Indiana History - 2016

December 31, 1821 - Brookville Road Authorized

The Indiana Historical Bureau has installed a historical marker in Marion County that addresses the Brookville Road.

Brookville Road

Location:

10622 Brookville Road, Indianapolis. (Marion County, Indiana)

Installed by:

Installed: 2004 Indiana Historical Bureau, Environmental Law & Policy Center of the Midwest, and Southeast Civic Association

Marker ID #:

ID# : 49.2004.1

Marker Text:

Side one:

On December 31, 1821, a 78-mile state road was authorized from the Ohio border to Indianapolis through Brookville, to be built with required citizen labor. Commissioners filed a survey report June 24, 1822 for the Brookville State Road. On January 24, 1828, a turnpike company was authorized to build an improved road by bidding out sections.

Side two:

Brookville Road was the principal route for goods and people from here to Cincinnati. Road travel was difficult in the 1800s, taking days to reach destinations. Taverns provided shelter and food for travelers. Along the road in Warren Township, Marion County, taverns were kept by David Woods in the 1820s and Nathan Harlan in the 1830s - 1840s.

Brief History By the Author

The road, authorized by the State Legislature on December 31, 1821, construction of the road commenced in 1828. Most of the road still exists as US 52. This road has been straightened and widened over the years, however orphan sections still survive.

Brookville

Surveyor Thomas Manwarring plated Brookville on August 8, 1808. Two men, Amos Butler and Jesse Brooks Thomas, owned the land the town occupied.

Amos Butler

Amos was the first person to register a deed for land in this beautiful spot between the East and West forks of the Whitewater River. He recorded his deed in 1804 and became the first documented settler of the town. Butler provided the greater part of the funds for the town.

Jesse Brooks Thomas

Thomas was the other landowner in town and named the town Brooks, his mother's maiden name. The name in the beginning was Brooksville, but over time, the name was shortened to Brookville.

Brookville

The town became the county seat of Franklin County in 1811. Growth was slow until the government opened the United States Land Office in the town in 1825. The town went into a slump when the office moved to Indianapolis in 1835. The Whitewater Canal opened in 1839, provided a temporary boost to the town, and attracted many new businesses.  Because of its location between the two branches of the Whitewater River, the town was subject to frequent floods. The construction of the Brookville Dam and Reservoir has alleviated this problem, as well as providing an economic boost to the town from the recreational opportunities provided by the reservoir.

For more information on Brookville and Franklin County dining, lodging, canoeing and shopping, visit:

Franklin County Convention, Recreation and Visitors Commission

P.O. Box 97

Brookville, IN 47012

Email: Info@Franklincountyin.Com

Excerpted from the author’s book:

Exploring Indiana's Historic Sites, Markers & Museums - Central Edition

Indiana possesses a rich history that is fun to read and learn. This Hoosier Dusty Files is in an easy to read “this day in history format” and includes articles from the author's A Year in Indiana History series. Visitors may read the articles as they appear or purchase the book:
A Year of Indiana History - 2016
Facebook
@indianatreker
@MossyFeetBooks
Twitter
@MossyFeetBooks
© Paul Wonning