Henry County (pop. 49,462) is west of Wayne County. It’s one of nine Henry counties, and one of the eight named for American patriot Patrick Henry (1736-1799) of Virginia.
Henry County was the setting of Ross Lockridge, Jr.’s 1,000-page 1948 novel “Raintree County,” which is often listed among the best American novels of the 20th century.
The 1957 movie is very different.
The Henry County town of Straughn (pop. 222) is called “Waycross” in the book.
Straughn students in 1893
The county seat of Henry County is the city of New Castle (pop. 18,114). New Castle reached its peak population of 21,215 in 1970.
Henry County Courthouse (1869)
New Castle is the home of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, founded in 1962 in Indianapolis.
Moved to New Castle in 1990
The Fieldhouse at New Castle High School is the world’s largest high school gym, seating 9,325.
Built in 1955
Indiana basketball legend Steve Alford was born in New Castle in 1964 and starred at New Castle High School before playing his college ball at Indiana University. He’s now the head coach at UCLA.
1987 NCAA champions
The Steve Alford All-American Inn in New Castle has a giant sneaker in front.
Artist Robert Indiana was born (as Robert Clark) in New Castle in 1928. He was a leader in the pop art movement.
Eat/Die, 1962
In 1907, the Maxwell Auto Company built what was then the largest automobile factory in the world, in New Castle.
Later a Chrysler plant
Southwest of New Castle, the then-empty high school gymnasium in Knightstown (pop. 2,182) was used for many of the basketball scenes in the movie “Hoosiers” (1986). It’s now called Hoosier Gym.
Now available for tours
Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) was born in the unincorporated community of Millville. His brother Orville (1871-1948) was born in Dayton, Ohio.
Wilbur on right
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