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Batesville's early beginnings are tied to a Dutch boy's dream of owning and working a piece of
farmland in southeastern Indiana. Teunis Amack, 18 years old and newly married, purchased
120 acres of government land in Ripley County's Laughery Township in 1837. He cleared the
land using the logs to build a home, barn and outbuildings. And he hand-dug a well.
Teunis worked the land for 15 years until he was approached by members of the John Callahan
Trust Company. The group was buying land for a railroad right of way and to establish a town.
Amack's land bordered the Brookville-Napoleon Road and the railroad would create a natural
crossroads in the wilderness. It was the perfect spot to establish a town. In 1852, Amack sold
his land to the Trust Company and a town was laid out in 45 lots.
Running from Lawrenceburg to Indianapolis, the railroad ran through the center of the acreage
utilizing water from Amack's well and timber from his land to power the steam locomotives. One
of the members of the Trust Company was Joshua Bates from whom the town undoubtedly received
its name.
Building began immediately in the new town and during 1859-60, Henry Boehringer bought lumber
from the many sawmills and began erecting homes and commercial buildings, financed by his
friend Herman Schrader of Cincinnati Ohio. It was'tp.e first time that building was done in a
planned manner.
In 1861, William Youngman, trustee of Laughery Township, purchased a school lot where the Ward
building now stands. A frame school house was constructed on the northwest corner of the
lot.
In the period from 1867-1892, at least nine furniture, coffin and novelty factories were in
operation, using the extensive stands of hardwood timber in the area.
St. Louis (St. Ludwig) parish was established in 1869 and the German Methodist Church at about
the same time. St. Mark's was organized in 1897.
The town was incorporated in 1882 and the first town officials elected. In 1884, a town hall
and jail were built. Fires were a constant threat and after several devastating ones, the
first fire department was organized in 1887.
The Batesville Budget published its first issue in 1887, and Mr. Haverkos of Oldenburg was
granted permission to set a line of telephone poles along Main Street bringing a connection
from Oldenburg to Batesville.
In 1890, the town began to pave its sidewalks, but the streetlights were just glass lamps on
wooden posts. The taxable property in 1891 was valued at $391,053.
Plans were made in 1893 to lay water mains and install fireplugs.and in 1894 six trial
electric street lights were in operation. A telephone switchboard was established in 1900
in the rear office of A. Baas' drug store. A water supply for firefighting and domestic use
was realized through a franchise with the Waterworks Company in 1901.
The first moving picture came to town in 1907 and the community adopted a city government in
1909. The first auto also made its appearance then, and a Scotsman, Dr. Robertson Smith
laid out the first golf course in 1912.
In 1920, City Council received a letter from Mr. and Mrs. George M. Hillenbrand donating the
former Fair Grounds to the city as a park and playground. It was to include a WWI memorial
and be named Liberty Park.
In 1921, a petition from Batesville citizens was presented to the council asking that a
suitable memorial to WWI soldiers and sailors be provided from the people. The result was the
Memorial Building which replaced the old Town Hall.
In 1930, George M. Hillenbrand sold his businesses to his brother, John A. Hillenbrand and his
brother-in-law, A. W. Romweber. These companies evolved into Hillenbrand Industries and the
Romweber Company. Margaret Mary Hospital was dedicated in 1932, financed through gifts from
Margaret Hillenbrand and her daughter, Mary Mitchell. In 1936, a new Post Office building was
constructed.
A meeting was held and contracts awarded in 1945 for the construction of the Memorial Pool
as a tribute to WWII veterans. A new fire house was dedicated in 1952 and Batesville
celebrated its Centennial "A Century of Progress" .
In 1963, the new interstate highway 1-74 just north of the city was opened between New Point
and Batesville, making travel to Indianapolis much faster. The time period from 1966-1974
marked the Urban Renewal Program in the downtown area.
The Batesville Memorial Public Library was dedicated in I-74, made possible through a gift
from the John A. Hillenbrand Foundation. In 1982, Cross County Shopping Plaza received its
building permit and construction began at the I-74 interchange.
Hillenbrand Industries made its first appearance on the Fortune 500 list in 1984. Plans were
formulated that same year to establish an Industrial Park east of the city. Heartwood
Manufacturing which produces custom architectural millwork was the first tenant,. extending
Batesville's long history in woodworking.
A gift of George C. and Margaret M. Hillenbrand nearly doubled the size of the public library
when a new wing was added in 1988. Batesville began planning a downtown revitalization
project in 2001 and celebrated its Sesquicentennial "A Century and a Half' in 2002.
Written By
Judy Tonges
