Indiana: Rush County

Rush County (pop. 17,392) is east of Shelby County. It reached its peak population of 20,393 in 1960.

Rush County in 1908

The only other Rush County is in Kansas. Both were named for Dr. Benjamin Rush (1745-1813) of Philadelphia, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The county seat of Rush County is the city of Rushville (pop. 6,341).

Rush County Courthouse (1896)

Wendell Wilkie (1892-1944) had his 1940 presidential campaign headquarters in Rushville (his wife’s hometown), and he is buried in Rushville’s East Hill Cemetery.

Wilkie gravesite

The John K. Gowdy House (1888) is the home of the Rush County Historical Society Museum.

Free admission

The Riverside Park Amphitheatre has free outdoor concerts in the summer.

“Live by the Levee”

Rural Rush County has several 19th-century covered bridges.

Forsythe Covered Bridge (1888)

The former Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home (1878) is north of Rushville. The land was turned over to the Indiana National Guard in 2009.

Soldiers’ orphans attended the school.

NEXT: FAYETTE COUNTY

Indiana: Madison County

Madison County (pop. 131,636) is east of Hamilton County. It is one of the 19 Madison counties (and one Madison Parish) named for James Madison, fourth president of the U.S.

Hamilton and Madison, along with John Jay, wrote “The Federalist Papers,” which promoted the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

The county seat of Madison County is the city of Anderson (pop. 56,129).

Paramount Theatre, Anderson (1929)

In 1970, Anderson had 20 General Motors plants and a population of 70,787. All the GM plants are now closed.

Delco Remy Division in 1973

The first interurban railroad in the U.S. was between Anderson and Alexandria, starting in 1898.

Nestle USA opened a plant in Anderson in 2009. It produces Coffee-Mate and Nesquik, among other items.

Anderson is the home of Anderson University, a liberal arts school affiliated with the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). It has about 2,500 students.

The Indianapolis Colts train there.

Hoosier Park, on the south side of Anderson, has thoroughbred racing and a casino. The track opened in 1994, and the casino opened in 2008.

The city of Alexandria (pop. 5,145) is the hometown of Christian singer and songwriter Bill Gaither. He was born there in 1936.

“The World’s Largest Ball of Paint” is in Alexandria.

Camp Chesterfield, in the town of Chesterfield (pop. 2,547), is the home of the Indiana Association of Spiritualists. Appointments are available with mediums, clairvoyants and healers.

Wendell Wilkie (1892-1944), Republican nominee for president in 1940, was a native of the city of Elwood (pop. 8,614).

NEXT: DELAWARE COUNTY