Mount Meridian is a village in Marion Township, Putnam County, Indiana[2][3] that was originally called Carthage when it was laid out by William Heavin and Bryce W. Miller in 1833.[3][4] It was later renamed so that it had the same name as its post-office.[3][4]
Primarily on US 40, it is approximately 40 miles (64 km) west-south-west of Indianapolis and 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Greencastle.[2]
A post office called Mount Meridian was established in 1835, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1905.[5]
Hurst Brothers
In the late 19th century, the Hurst Brothers general merchants was run by Squire J. Hurst and his brother.[6] Squire Hurst had came to Mount Meridian in 1885, having been a farmer in Greencastle and Warren Townships.[6] His older brother William Hurst had bought and shipped livestock until 1880.[7] Alongside the mercantile partnership, Squire owned a 115 acres (47 ha) farm in Greencastle Township;[6] whilst William was also a postmaster in Mount Meridian, and owned a 121 acres (49 ha) farm in Greencastle and Warren Townships.[7]
The Half Way House
The Half Way House was originally built in 1826 by William Heavin[8] on the north side of the Old National Road (US 40) near the town square. The town is roughly halfway between Terre Haute and Indianapolis, hence its name.[citation needed] Such people as Henry Ward Beecher and Abraham Lincoln spent the night there.[8] The Heavin family had owned and operated The Lovely Mount Tavern in Radford Virginia, which is where they migrated from. The house was then owned and operated by such people as John David Scott, Thomas and Martha (Bourne) Vermillion, Asbury and Cora (Bourne) McCammack, and was last run by their son, Virgil McCammack. Business slowed by 1940, as the automobile lessened the need of an inn for its location.[citation needed]
Putnam Park Road Course
About 1/2 mile southwest of the community is the Putnam Park Road Course. Mainly used as a test track, it holds races, practices and special events for all types of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, Porsche, Dodge Viper, and professional race car drivers of all types and levels. It is also a primary location to test new vehicles and race car models. The track was featured on the Speed Channel in 2007.[citation needed]
References
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mount Meridian, Indiana
- ^ a b Baldwin & Thomas 1854, p. 4749, Mount Meridian.
- ^ a b c Weik 1910, p. 191.
- ^ a b TLPC 1887, p. 226.
- ^ "Putnam County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
- ^ a b c TLPC 1887, p. 390.
- ^ a b TLPC 1887, p. 398.
- ^ a b Burnet & Burke 1931, p. 75.
Bibliography
- Burnet, Mary Quick; Burke, Mrs. Avis Tarrant, eds. (1931). Art Guide to Indiana. Bulletin. Vol. 16. Indiana University Extension Division.
- Weik, Jesse W. (1910). Weik's History of Putnam County. Indianapolis, Indiana: B. F. Bowen. OCLC 12390522. (Weik's History of Putnam County at the HathiTrust Digital Library Weik's History of Putnam County at the Internet Archive)
- Biographical and historical record of Putnam County, Indiana. Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company. 1887. OCLC 2053333. (Biographical and historical record of Putnam County, Indiana at the Internet Archive Biographical and historical record of Putnam County, Indiana at the HathiTrust Digital Library)
- Baldwin, Thomas; Thomas, Joseph (1854). A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Company.
Municipalities and communities of Putnam County, Indiana, United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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