June 2018
THE BEACON
Page 7A
Ripley County Celebrates 200 Years of History
By Elizabeth Loch
Ripley County is two hun-
dred years old this year. On
Sunday, April 15, locals of
Ripley County and surround-
ing areas were invited to the
Ripley County Bicentennial
Celebration.
Chilly rain and wind wel-
comed visitors to the Ripley
County Fairgrounds on that
Sunday. Despite the weather
their spirits were warm and
eager to celebrate this monu-
mental event with friends
and neighbors. The County
Fairgrounds are in Osgood,
Indiana, one of the many cozy
small towns located in Ripley
County. Other towns in the
county include Batesville,
Sunman, and Greensburg.
Primarily rural with many
kids growing up competing
in 4-H, Ripley County is rich
with history. Every town has
a story, and these towns share
a common history of their
county and those who made it.
Terri Trowbridge is the Ri-
pley County Tourism Bureau
(RTCB) Director. The Bicen-
tennial was a “way for us to
celebrate our first two hundred
years,” Ms. Trowbridge said.
RTCB promotes the county as
a premier vacation or weekend
getaway spot for the whole
family, much like the Bicen-
tennial Celebration itself.
Many events and entertain-
ment were packed into the
four-hour celebration. Adults
and children alike learned
about the history of the coun-
ty through various vendors,
shows, and displays.
Ms. Trowbridge also
welcomed visitors to the
fairgrounds, stating that, “the
celebration had been in the
making since January 2017.”
She gave credit to Katherine
Taul, the former director of
RCTB, saying that Ms. Taul
initiated the brainstorming
and actual fruition of the
celebration.
Although, Indiana Gover-
nor Eric Holcomb could not
attend the event, a proclama-
tion from the governor was
read. In it, he declared that
April 10, 1818 was the date
of the official establishment
of Ripley County. Following
the reading of the Governor’s
proclamation was a proclama-
tion from the Ripley County
Commissioners.
Kicking off the observation
of the two hundredth year of
Ripley County was a moving
memorial dedication. Amidst
cold drizzles, the Ross’ Run
Chapter of the Daughters
of the American Revolution
held a Revolutionary War
Memorial Dedication. This
memorial took fairground
visitors all the way back to
the beginning of the United
States. The wooden memorial
with golden plaques holds the
names of sixty-nine patriots
and soldiers who fought in the
Revolutionary War and lived
in Ripley County over two
hundred years ago. These ex-
traordinary men were heroes
of not just Ripley County, but
of the entire nation.
Members of the Chapter
gave speeches about the men
and their contributions to
Ripley County and the nation.
The Color Guard stepped
up next with its presenta-
tion of the Colors, followed
by the Pledge of Allegiance.
Raelyn Stuart, a student at
Milan High School, sang the
National Anthem. Finally, the
memorial was unveiled. The
sixty-nine names of the patri-
ots were read by Mike Strat-
ton, a Ripley County Histo-
rian. Wreaths were also laid in
memory. The ceremony ended
with a benediction by Cheryl
Welch, a twenty-one gun sa-
lute, and the retirement of the
Colors. Visitors then ventured
to the rest of the fairgrounds.
All of the vendors were
local to Ripley County. Some,
such as Nancie Scott Davis,
recently moved to the area.
Ms. Davis is an artist known
internationally and even has
two pieces displayed in the
Louvre in France. Much
of her art reflects the lives
of early settlers and Native
Americans, such as those who
lived in Ripley County.
Anjali Fong, another artist
who participated in the event,
presented a photo project
consisting of albums and
individual pictures of people.
These pictures were meant to
capture the lives of those who
had been born and raised in
Ripley County. To celebrate
the Bicentennial, Ms. Fong is
photographing two hundred
residents. She described the
subjects of her pictures as
“normal people.” The photos
portrayed a great diversity of
race and age. Some pictures
were of individuals, but many
were of couples who had been
married twenty-plus years.
The photographs will all be
organized in a book that will
be given to the four public
libraries and the historical
societies of the county.
Other vendors in the art
show displayed handmade
jewelry, homegrown honey,
leather work, and the Kids
Celebration attendees were
encouraged to vote for their
favorite maps of Ripley
County made by area
fourth grade students.
Discovery Factory. This
exhibit was designed by stay-
at-home moms for children
to build and imagine. Not far
from the Discovery Fac-
tory exhibition was a display
by the Friends of Versailles
State Park. This organiza-
tion is dedicated to keeping
Versailles State Park in prime
condition and educating the
public about the outdoors
in Ripley County. All of the
artists and vendors shared
the same love of their home
county and the desire to con-
tribute to its success.
What would a celebration
be without food? In the Com-
mercial Building, the Taste
of Ripley County featured
samples from local restau-
rants for visitors to munch on.
While they ate, visitors were
entertained by choirs from Ri-
pley County high schools. In a
colorful corner of the build-
ing, the Ripley County Map
Project boasted the artistic
and teamwork skills of fourth
graders from six Ripley Coun-
ty elementary schools. People
were encouraged to vote for
their favorite map. The fourth
graders of the school with the
most votes will be given a
Artwork from area artists was on display at the Ripley
County Bicentennial Celebration.
pizza party.
The Farm Bureau Inc.
Building held the history of
Ripley County. Vendors dem-
onstrated equipment used by
settlers and the generations af-
ter them. Exhibits showed the
life of the Native Americans
who were in Ripley County
long before any settlers. Wood
turning was a huge hit, attract-
ing large groups of people to
watch the craftsmen at work.
At the end of the day, cars
and trucks full of families
with souvenirs in hand pulled
out of the fairgrounds. There
is no telling what the three
hundredth anniversary of Rip-
ley County will look like, but
the Bicentennial will remain
a model of how to bring a
community together for years
to come.
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