Seymour, IN

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Seymour, Indiana
City
Aerial view of Seymour
Aerial view of Seymour
Flag of Seymour, Indiana
Flag
Official logo of Seymour, Indiana
Logo
Nickname: 
"Crossroads of Southern Indiana"
Location of Seymour in Jackson County, Indiana.
Location of Seymour in Jackson County, Indiana.
Seymour, Indiana is located in the United States
Seymour, Indiana
Seymour, Indiana
Location of Seymour in the United States
Coordinates: 38°57′26″N 85°53′40″W / 38.95722°N 85.89444°W / 38.95722; -85.89444
Country United States
State Indiana
CountyJackson
TownshipsJackson, Redding, Rockford
Founding and Incorporation (town)April 27, 1852
Incorporated (city)1864
Founded byMeedy Shields
Named afterHezekiah Cook Seymour, Civil Engineer
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorMatt Nicholson (R)[1]
 • State SenateEric Koch (R)[2]
 • State HouseJim Lucas (R)[3]
Area
[4]
 • City
11.42 sq mi (29.59 km2)
 • Land12.13 sq mi (31.42 km2)
 • Water0.0039 sq mi (0.01 km2)
Elevation
[5]
581 ft (177 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City
21,569
 • Density1,777.8/sq mi (686.41/km2)
 • Urban
21,579
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
ZIP codes
  • 47274
Area codes812 & 930
FIPS code18-68832[6]
GNIS feature ID2395850[5]
Websitewww.seymourin.org

Seymour is a city in Jackson County, Indiana, United States, about 62 miles (100 km) south of Indianapolis and 55 miles (89 km) north of Louisville, Kentucky. The population was 21,569 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in Jackson County. Platted in 1852 by landowner Meedy Shields and named for a railroad engineer, it grew where two rail lines crossed and is nicknamed the "Crossroads of Southern Indiana."

Seymour developed as a railroad town after the north–south Jeffersonville Railroad and the east–west Ohio and Mississippi Railroad met there in the early 1850s. In October 1866 the local Reno Gang carried out what is often called the first peacetime train robbery in the United States just east of town—an episode that brought vigilante reprisals and lasting notoriety. During World War II the U.S. Army Air Forces operated Freeman Army Airfield southwest of the city, a training base later known for the 1945 Freeman Field mutiny, a milestone in the desegregation of the U.S. military.

Manufacturing and distribution anchor the modern economy, led by the automotive-parts maker Aisin, which opened a Seymour plant in the 1980s. Beginning in the late 1980s the city drew substantial immigration from San Sebastián Coatán, Guatemala, and its Hispanic population grew rapidly in the early 21st century, reshaping the community and drawing state scrutiny of the city's policing policies in 2024. Seymour is the hometown of rock musician John Mellencamp and holds an annual Oktoberfest reflecting its 19th-century German heritage.

History

19th century

The land around Seymour was inhabited by the Lenape (Delaware), who had been displaced westward from the Delaware River valley. The 1805 Treaty of Grouseland opened the area to white settlement, and after the 1812 Pigeon Roost massacre a local skirmish known as the Battle of Tipton's Island took place at a bend of the White River about two miles north of the future town site, where Major John Tipton and some thirty men overcame a larger party of Native raiders.[7] Native Americans killed fifteen settlers between 1811 and 1815, and by 1816—the year Indiana attained statehood—only five families remained in the area. In 1817 the state built a blockhouse to trade with the Lenape until they ceded the land under the 1818 Treaty of St. Mary's, after which the county saw significant depopulation between 1822 and 1832.[8][9]

Meedy Shields and his wife, Eliza, platted Seymour on April 27, 1852, near the 1809 Indian treaty corner about two miles south of Rockford. A north–south railroad linking the Ohio River at Jeffersonville to Indianapolis had been built across the Shields farm in the late 1840s; when the east–west Ohio and Mississippi Railroad was surveyed through the county in 1852, Shields persuaded it to cross the first line on his land and, in return, agreed to name the town for the railroad's civil engineer. The earliest county history, published in 1886, identifies him only as "the chief contractor and civil engineer, Mr. Seymour," who superintended construction of the Ohio and Mississippi Railway from North Vernon to St. Louis, and gives no first name; later accounts name him Hezekiah C. Seymour, while others instead credit a surveyor, J. Seymour.[8][10][11]

The first settlers arrived in 1853, and on June 29, 1854, the first train on the Ohio and Mississippi line arrived in Seymour amid a celebration; a cannon salute was fired, after which an open keg of powder left standing on the flat car was ignited, and the resulting explosion killed two of the six men manning the cannon and injured the other four.[8][10] Mocked at first as a "mule crossing" for its slow growth, the town began to thrive after 1857, when Shields—by then a state senator—won passage of a state law requiring trains to halt at railroad crossings, raising the value of land around the junction for warehousing.[12] To draw residents, Shields advertised a free lot and $100 to any congregation that would build a church; the Presbyterians, under Charles White, were the first to accept in 1855. Blish Mill, the town's first, opened in 1858, and by 1881 three mills operated within the city limits.[8]

Seymour was also a stop on the Underground Railroad. On April 20, 1860, an Adams Express package shipped from Nashville and addressed to "Hannah Johnson, care of Levi Coffin"—a leading Hoosier abolitionist—burst open at the Seymour depot, revealing a man fleeing slavery; his true identity, sent under the cover name, remains uncertain. Although Indiana was a free state, Article XIII of its 1851 constitution barred Black people from settling there, and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 permitted his capture. The fugitive, later identified as Alexander McClure, was returned to Louisville and then to his enslaver in Nashville.[13][14]

The Civil War

Due to its strategic location along rail lines, and with the large cities of Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit to the north and St. Louis to the west, Seymour was an important waypoint for the movement of men and supplies to the front during the war. Despite southern Indiana's strong Copperhead political sentiment,[15] the city of Seymour and the surrounding area raised three separate infantry units for service in the Union Army. Volunteers from Seymour were organized at Camp Heffren in Seymour—later the location of Shields High School.[16] These included the 50th Indiana Infantry Regiment, commanded by former Indiana Secretary of State Colonel Cyrus L. Dunham,[17] as well as Company C of the 10th Indiana Cavalry Regiment. The 50th Indiana was conspicuous at the Battle of Parker's Crossroads against Nathan Bedford Forrest, as was the 10th Indiana Cavalry in skirmishes near Pulaski and during the 1864 Nashville Campaign. Company H of the 6th Indiana Infantry Regiment was also raised in Seymour and commanded by Captain Fielder A. Jones, who would end the war as a brevet brigadier general. These men fought at Shiloh (2nd Day), Stones River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and through the Atlanta Campaign, ending in the capture of that city.[18][19]

Captain Fielder A. Jones, who commanded Company H, was wounded early in the war and later raised an additional company of Jackson County men, who elected him colonel. By 1865 he had transferred to the 8th Indiana Cavalry and been promoted to colonel, shortly before being brevetted brigadier general; after mustering out he moved to Missouri to practice law.[20]

On July 10, 1863, as Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his cavalry sacked nearby Salem, Major General John Love of the Indiana Legion (militia) arrived in Seymour from New Albany to take command of the city defenses, Seymour being especially important for its railroad crossing. Over the next day, Love used Seymour as a staging ground to gather a force to repel Morgan's next attack, which they believed would target the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad at Mitchell, Seymour, or Vernon. His force included elements of the 63rd Indiana and 69th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiments, the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters, the 15th Indiana (Von Sehlen's) Battery of Light Artillery, and a few Indiana Legion militia units. As Morgan moved on Vernon on July 11, Love took his force of about 1,000 men from Seymour to meet him, placing Captain Meedy Shields in charge of the Seymour defenses in his absence. Shields, who had organized and trained many local mounted militia units, in Love's words "rendered invaluable service" during the Morgan's Raid crisis.[21]

On January 20, 1864, during a transfer of Confederate prisoners of war, six officers escaped; one was later recaptured in town.[22] The New York Times reported that on January 22, 1864, a "soldiers' riot" took place, in which two soldiers were killed and several others injured.[23]

During the war the 50th Indiana Infantry lost 3 officers and 54 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, and 3 officers and 158 enlisted men to disease, a total of 218 dead.[24] Colonel Dunham, a Democrat, faced wartime accusations of disloyalty and was criticized for his conduct at the September 1862 surrender of Munfordville, Kentucky; he left the regiment in 1863.[25][26] Lieutenant Colonel Horace Heffren resigned in September 1862 and was replaced by Major Samuel T. Wells—a Vallonia native and former sheriff of Jackson County (1846–1847).[10] Wells commanded the regiment after Dunham's departure until the 50th was consolidated into the 52nd Indiana Infantry Regiment, which was garrisoned at Mobile, Alabama, through the war's end.[24]

During the Civil War, Seymour and Jackson County fielded a total of 2,571 volunteers for the Union cause.[18]

The Reno Era

Billy Yank
Billy Yank, the statue honoring Seymour's Civil War veterans, was newly restored in 2023 after being vandalized and stored for more than 40 years.

The Rader House, described in early county histories as one of Seymour's leading hotels, became a haven for the Reno Gang during the mid-1860s; travelers who lodged there were frequently robbed.[27]

In January 1866, Moore Woodmansee, a wealthy merchant from nearby Medora, stopped at the Rader House while traveling to Cincinnati to buy goods, carrying about $2,000. He disappeared from his room, and that October his body—the head severed—was recovered from the East Fork of the White River.[28][10][27] A hotel employee, Gordon Kinney, was suspected and was himself shot dead during the investigation, and the proprietor, Captain George Rader, was arrested but acquitted. The killing was considered unsolved until 1872, when a dying man, Reuben Wheeler, confessed that two men had used Rader's blood-stained wagon to dispose of the body on the night of the murder.[28][29]

After the war, local veterans organized the Ellsworth Post 20 of the G.A.R. At its zenith, the post included two hundred and twenty-two local citizens who had served the Union during the war as members. During its long existence, the organization included many prominent community members. The Ellsworth Post was active in local charities, organized burial services for local veterans, and conducted official observances on Decoration Day. The final member of the post, James H Boak, lived to be 98 years old. He died in 1942, closing one of the longest-running G.A.R. chapters in existence.[30]

A robbery of the Adams Express Car on the east-west Ohio and Mississippi line near Brownstown was reported in July 1866. That night, the perpetrators were chased by a local vigilance committee of 300 men that continued into the Rockford area.[22] Three days later, the Reno brothers had been identified as the gang's leaders and newspapers were recounting the notorious deeds of the family.[31] Later that year, on October 6, 1866, the local Reno Gang robbed an Ohio and Mississippi Railroad train just east of town, beginning in the Adams Express Company car; the holdup is often described as the first robbery of a moving train in the United States during peacetime.[32] The 1886 county history, which recounts the robbery without using that superlative, records that the gang boarded the train a short distance east of Seymour, rifled one safe of about $15,000, and rolled a second safe holding roughly $30,000 from the moving car, but that the second safe and its contents were recovered intact after the robbers were pursued.[10] Some members of the gang were later lynched at Hangman's Crossing outside town.

The gang struck again in May 1868, stopping a train at Marshfield, in Scott County, cutting it in two and running the looted express car to within sight of Seymour.[7] An early county historian, H. M. Beadle, described the years from 1863 to 1868 in Jackson County as "a perfect carnival of crime"; in response, citizens organized a vigilance committee that, masked in red, carried out the lynchings of suspected gang members.[7]

About 1876, a general strike of approximately 500 railroad men occurred at Seymour and nearby North Vernon, Indiana, led by armed brakemen, engineers, and other railroad employees who had not been paid for two and a half months by the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. A paper reported that the communities of Seymour and North Vernon were armed and in revolt. A contingent of US Marshals and detectives was sent from Cincinnati to end the strike. All passenger and cargo service through Seymour and North Vernon was suspended during the strike.[33]

The town's first high school was built in 1871 on the vacant lot of the disbanded civil war encampment. Frank B Shields, a Seymour native, former MIT professor, and inventor of Barbasol shaving cream, subsequently donated the adjacent land needed for the construction of the James Shields Memorial Gym.[34]

In 1880, the Seymour Weekly Democrat noted that Seymour boasted a population of nearly 5,000, four schools including Shields High School, a Catholic School and two German schools with 700 students; four hotels including the newly built Hotel Jonas, the Faulconer, the City Hotel and the Mansion House.[35]

During the years prior to the turn of the 20th century, Seymour saw a significant influx of Dutch and German migrants of the Lutheran faith. These migrants eventually established many successful local farms and businesses. These pioneers' influence continues today and can be seen in the city's annual Oktoberfest celebration.[36]

20th century

Seymour Indiana Public Library ca 1910
Seymour Indiana Public Library, ca. 1910

Seymour fielded its own minor-league team, the Seymour Reds, beginning in 1900; the future Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese played for the club before reaching the majors. The team played at Redlands Park, north of Shields City Park.[37][38][39]

The Seymour Public Library opened in January 1905 after a $10,000 grant from the Carnegie library program in 1903, secured by school superintendent and library-board president H. C. Montgomery. Earlier collections had been kept in a local bookshop and at Shields High School; the new building was among more than 160 Carnegie libraries funded in Indiana—more than in any other state.[40]

On October 22, 1908, William Howard Taft, the Republican nominee for president, drew a crowd of some 10,000 to a campaign speech at the Chestnut Street railroad crossing during a whistle-stop tour of Indiana two weeks before he won the election.[41]

In 1913 the Great Flood struck Seymour, the deadliest natural disaster in the area's history, as the East Fork of the White River crested 27.50 feet (8.38 m) above the level of the 1884 flood.[42]

World Wars

Black-and-white photo of a Sikorsky R-4 helicopter
Sikorsky R-4, ca. 1945

On May 7, 1915, the Seymour industrialist Elbridge Blish Thompson died in the sinking of the RMS Lusitania; his family endowed a memorial scholarship at Shields High School for any student admitted to Yale University. The sinking helped move public opinion toward U.S. entry into World War I in 1917.[43][44]

During World War II the federal government bought 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) southwest of town for an airfield; local veterans had proposed naming it for a Seymour sailor killed at Pearl Harbor, but it became Freeman Army Airfield, operating from 1942 to 1946. The base trained pilots on twin-engine aircraft, graduating 19 classes—some 4,245 cadets—on Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita trainers before the last class in May 1944.[45] The field's twin-engine training era was commanded by Colonel Elmer T. Rundquist, a former University of Illinois football player who had served as the base's project officer before taking command.[46]

Freeman Field also became the first helicopter training base in the United States. Preparations were made in secrecy in 1944, when the aircraft were still new; six Sikorsky R-4 helicopters were flown in directly from the Sikorsky plant at Bridgeport, Connecticut, in what was then the longest-distance formation flight of helicopters.[47]

In 1945 the base was the site of the Freeman Field mutiny, in which African American officers of the 477th Bombardment Group sought to integrate an all-white officers' club. The protest was directed at the segregated clubs enforced by the group's commander, Colonel Robert R. Selway Jr., who was subsequently relieved of command and replaced by Colonel Benjamin O. Davis Jr.; historians of the Civil Rights Movement regard the episode as an important step toward desegregation of the U.S. military.[48][49]

Near the war's end Freeman Field served as the Foreign Aircraft Evaluation Center, receiving captured German and Italian aircraft gathered under "Operation Lusty." These operations were soon relocated, and the field was deactivated and deeded to the city in 1946. The future astronaut Gus Grissom had enlisted as an aviation cadet at Freeman Field in 1944.[50][51]

Mid-century

During the last week of June 1952, Seymour held a week-long centennial celebration featuring concerts, parades, a play titled "The Seymour Story," and a re-enactment of the Reno brothers' train robbery for which the B&O Railroad loaned a vintage engine and cars from its Baltimore museum.[52][53] Local businesses paid employees in silver dollars during the festivities to mark the occasion.[54]

Beginning in 1959, the old Shields High School closed and students transferred to the new Seymour High School west of town. By 1970 the district had completed what was then the second-largest high-school gymnasium in the United States; it was renamed the Lloyd E. Scott Gymnasium in 1981 for the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame coach.[55][56]

During the 1960 presidential campaign, Senator John F. Kennedy stopped at Freeman Field on April 29, 1960, days before the Indiana primary. Suffering from laryngitis and unable to speak, Kennedy greeted the several hundred people who had gathered by handing out cards that read, "Sorry, I have a bad throat and cannot talk, but please vote for me anyway."[57][58]

Late century

In the 1970s several deaths in the Seymour area were linked to the egg producer Rose Acre Farms: employees Theresa Osborne, Mike Reece, and Carrie Croucher, all connected to founder David Rust, died under circumstances that remained unresolved. Osborne's body was found in the trunk of her burned car weeks after she disappeared. Despite investigations and reporting by the Louisville Courier Journal, no charges were brought against Rust, who died in 2004.[59][60]

Mayor Christopher D. Moritz resigned on March 29, 1983, after being convicted of four counts of accepting bribes while in office; he was sentenced to five years in prison and barred from public office for ten years, beginning his sentence in December 1984. Donald Scott served the remainder of the term until William Bailey took office.[61]

Color photo of the Stardust Theater
Stardust Theater, ca. 1986

In 1989 the Stardust Theater, a 550-car drive-in that had opened on May 19, 1949, closed after its final showings of Ghostbusters II and The Karate Kid Part III; the operators called the decision purely economic, and the site was redeveloped into an outlet mall.[62]

Three historic downtown buildings were lost during the 1990s. The former Lynn Hotel, opened in 1883, collapsed from neglect on July 8, 1991, after the city had bought it for $35,000 with hopes of converting it to offices; John Mellencamp and others had offered to buy and save the building.[63] The 1910 Shields High School building was razed in 1997 after a botched partial demolition left it unsafe.[64] On Christmas Day 1998, the building that had begun in 1854 as the Rader House—later the Faulkner, Jonas, and Centennial hotels, and finally the Walton—burned in an accidental fire that killed one person while it was being restored for low-income housing.[65]

21st century

With support from then–Lieutenant Governor John Mutz and the Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, the automotive-parts manufacturer Aisin built a plant in Seymour in 1986 and began production in 1989. Early estimates of about 200 jobs were far exceeded; by 2020 the plant employed more than 2,000 people and supplied components to Honda, General Motors, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota.[66][67]

The 106-mile (171 km) north–south rail line through Seymour was bought by the Louisville and Indiana Railroad from Conrail in 1994 and operates as a short line connecting to the CSX east–west route, which CSX upgraded in 2016 for higher-speed operation.[68]

Beginning around 1989, Seymour drew immigrants from San Sebastián Coatán in highland Guatemala, many of them members of the indigenous Chuj people. As word of work in the city reached relatives and neighbors in their hometown, chain migration followed, and by 2020 residents of Guatemalan origin made up more than 10 percent of the city's population.[69]

In November 2019, the city unveiled a large mural of John Mellencamp on the side of a local guitar store owned by Larry McDonald, a longtime friend and former bandmate. The Mellencamp family donated $50,000 to convert the adjacent former parking lot into a green space, Mellencamp Plaza, so visitors could view the mural, which was painted by artist Sue Bliss.[70]

In October 2024, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita issued a civil investigative demand to the Seymour Police Department to determine whether its immigration-related policies complied with a state statute, effective July 1, 2024, that bars local governments from restricting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. An identical demand was issued to the South Bend Police Department; Seymour was the first majority-Republican municipality Rokita targeted under the law. City Attorney Christina Engleking responded that the police department and its officers were committed to fulfilling their duties and oaths of office.[71][72]

The demand followed a period of rapid demographic change: Census Bureau data showed the city's Hispanic or Latino population rising sharply over the preceding two decades as the overall population grew by about 3,000. On the day the demand was announced, Mayor Matt Nicholson canceled a scheduled city council meeting, and council member Drew Storey held an informal community meeting on residents' concerns about the city's growth; State Representative Jim Lucas, a Seymour resident, said the pace of growth was outstripping the community's capacity to manage it.[73]

Folklore

After they were hanged, legend has it the Reno Brothers were allegedly buried together under a single stone alone atop a hill in the old city cemetery. Outraged, local citizens refused to bury their relatives with the Renos. The Riverview Cemetery was eventually built and many famous former occupants of the city cemetery. Later, a Reno plot with headstones for each of the brothers was constructed in the old cemetery close to the road to appease the tourists and the curious.[74]

The rail crossing about two miles west of Seymour where six gang members were hanged in July 1868 became known as Hangman's Crossing. The hangings took place not at the crossing but from a beech tree down a nearby country lane; one early account had the first three victims walked "down a country road about 200 yards" from the railroad, with a small bridge and a sharp turn in the lane—both still in place—about 100 yards beyond. The tree is long gone, and its exact location, in the words of a later folklore study, "is shrouded in mystery."[75]

Freeman field was home to captured Nazi aircraft after World War Two, including captured jet aircraft, and V-1 and V-2 rockets. However, the base was closed shortly thereafter, and the base commander ordered many aircraft to be buried at the site.[76]

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Seymour has a total area of 11.425 square miles (29.59 km2), of which 11.42 square miles (29.58 km2) (or 99.96%) is land and 0.005 square miles (0.01 km2) (or 0.04%) is water.[77]

Topography

The area is part of the Scottsburg lowlands geographic region of Southern Indiana. This area is characterized by its relatively flat terrain, which contrasts with the rugged hills of the nearby Norman Uplands and the Knobstone Escarpment. The lowlands are formed from older, more easily eroded shales, which have created a landscape distinct from the surrounding uplands and escarpments. The soil is sandy but generally productive for agriculture and livestock. The local topology is dominated by the East Fork of the White River, a slow-moving, heavily silted, and meandering floodplain. Because of the surrounding low-lying swamplands and agricultural activity, the river is prone to frequent flooding averaging 19 days above flood stage per year; with at least three major floods recorded since 1900.[78]

Climate

Seymour experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen classification "Cfa") characterized by high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. Summers are influenced by moist maritime airflow, leading to warm, oppressive nights and convectional thunderstorms, with tropical cyclones enhancing rainfall in some regions. Winters are mild, with frosts not uncommon and precipitation primarily from frontal cyclones. The average annual temperature is 55.0 °F (12.8 °C), with July being the warmest month at 77.0 °F (25 °C) and January the coolest at 32.0 °F (0 °C). The highest recorded temperature is 113.0 °F (45 °C) in July, and the lowest is -22.0 °F (-30 °C) in January. Seymour receives an average annual precipitation of 41.9 inches (1064.3 mm), with March being the wettest month and October the driest. The area also averages 16.9 inches of snow annually, with January having the most snowfall.[79]

Climate data for Seymour, Indiana, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1893–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 78
(26)		 80
(27)		 88
(31)		 95
(35)		 101
(38)		 111
(44)		 113
(45)		 111
(44)		 106
(41)		 95
(35)		 86
(30)		 74
(23)		 113
(45)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 41
(5)		 44
(7)		 54
(12)		 66
(19)		 76
(24)		 85
(29)		 89
(32)		 88
(31)		 82
(28)		 70
(21)		 55
(13)		 43
(6)		 66
(19)
Daily mean °F (°C) 32
(0)		 34
(1)		 43
(6)		 54
(12)		 64
(18)		 73
(23)		 77
(25)		 75
(24)		 69
(21)		 57
(14)		 44
(7)		 34
(1)		 55
(13)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 23
(−5)		 24
(−4)		 33
(1)		 43
(6)		 52
(11)		 61
(16)		 65
(18)		 63
(17)		 56
(13)		 44
(7)		 34
(1)		 25
(−4)		 44
(7)
Record low °F (°C) −22
(−30)		 −21
(−29)		 −8
(−22)		 12
(−11)		 29
(−2)		 35
(2)		 41
(5)		 40
(4)		 25
(−4)		 16
(−9)		 −2
(−19)		 −18
(−28)		 −22
(−30)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.8
(97)		 3.0
(76)		 4.1
(100)		 3.7
(94)		 4.1
(100)		 4.1
(100)		 3.4
(86)		 3.3
(84)		 3.3
(84)		 2.8
(71)		 3.2
(81)		 3.1
(79)		 41.9
(1,060)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.3
(13)		 4.1
(10)		 2.8
(7.1)		 0.2
(0.51)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.1
(0.25)		 0.9
(2.3)		 3.5
(8.9)		 16.9
(43)
Average precipitation days 7.2 6.2 6.9 6.6 6.8 6.9 6.0 6.0 5.4 4.8 5.2 6.4 74.4
Average relative humidity (%) 77 74 70 66 72 70 67 71 74 69 73 76 72
Average dew point °F (°C) 24
(−4)		 28
(−2)		 37
(3)		 41
(5)		 54
(12)		 63
(17)		 63
(17)		 63
(17)		 57
(14)		 44
(7)		 35
(2)		 22
(−6)		 44
(7)
Source: WeatherBase[80]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860966—
18702,372145.5%
18804,25079.2%
18905,33725.6%
19006,44520.8%
19106,305−2.2%
19207,34816.5%
19307,5082.2%
19408,62014.8%
19509,62911.7%
196011,62920.8%
197013,35214.8%
198015,05012.7%
199015,5763.5%
200018,10116.2%
201017,503−3.3%
202021,56923.2%
Source: US Census Bureau

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Seymour had a population of 21,569. The median age was 34.2 years. 27.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.6 males age 18 and over.[81][82]

99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.[83]

There were 8,144 households in Seymour, of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.6% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[81]

There were 8,679 housing units, of which 6.2% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.2%.[81]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[82]
RaceNumberPercent
White15,32071.0%
Black or African American4121.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native4242.0%
Asian3501.6%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander60.0%
Some other race2,68112.4%
Two or more races2,37611.0%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)5,50825.5%

Other demographic information

Seymour's population was 26% Hispanic in 2020, compared with 5% in 2000 and less than 1% in 1990, according to Census Bureau data. New immigration cases filed for people in Jackson County—a proxy for migrant arrivals—jumped to 435 in the fiscal year ended in September, from 66 in 2021, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.[84]

The median household income in the city was $47,949 compared to the median household income of $62,743 in the State of Indiana. 39% of the population was employed in manufacturing or production and 17.4% of the population was involved in the education or healthcare industry.[85]

The 2021 American Community Survey estimated that 7% of the population were veterans.[86]

2010 census

As of the census[87] of 2010, there were 17,503 people, 6,907 households, and 4,514 families living in the city. The population density was 1,532.7 inhabitants per square mile (591.8/km2). There were 7,719 housing units at an average density of 675.9 per square mile (261.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 90.3% White, 1.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.5% of the population.

There were 6,907 households, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 35.5 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.6% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 18,101 people, 7,231 households, and 4,743 families living in the city. The population density was 1,670.3 inhabitants per square mile (644.9/km2). There were 7,709 housing units at an average density of 711.4 per square mile (274.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 93.4% White, 1.0% African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.9% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.9% of the population.

There were 7,231 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,883, and the median income for a family was $43,357. Males had a median income of $30,638 versus $22,265 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,222. About 8.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 11.6% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The economy of Seymour is based primarily on manufacturing and distribution, healthcare, and education. Jackson County's unemployment rate was 3.3% in October, compared with 4.4% statewide. Median household income in Seymour was $63,000 and the homeownership rate 57% in 2023, both below statewide averages.[84][88]

Major manufacturers include Aisin USA, a leader in the field of automotive component manufacturing, Cummins, Valeo North America, the Lannett Company, and Silgas Plastics. Home Products Incorporated recently acquired the former Lear Siglar facility that sits atop the defunct Milwaukee Rail yard.[88] Nippon Steel Pipe America, an automotive parts supplier, employs over 400 associates at its plant in Seymour.[88]

Owing to the city's convenient access to I-65 and US-50, Walmart Transportation and Pet Supplies Plus have significant operations based in Seymour.[88] Walmart Distribution is the primary provider of merchandise for all Wal-Mart retail units. The Walmart Distribution Center is fully mechanized and multi-shift operated with receiving, order filling, and shipping departments.

Schneck Medical Center employs more than 1,100, including 200 physicians and 400 volunteers, and has operated for over 100 years.[89] The Seymour Community Schools and Rose Acre Farms round out the list of major employers.[88]

Other employers include retail and service industry providers including franchise and locally owned restaurants that line US-50 headed east out of the city.

Arts and culture

The Actors Community Theatre of Seymour (ACTS) is a non-profit organization founded in 2013. Its first production was in March 2014.[90] ACTS is dedicated to the propagation and preservation of the theatrical arts in the area and has an ongoing schedule of theatrical performances.

The Southern Indiana Center for the Arts (SICA) is a not-for-profit organization operated by a volunteer board of directors and an executive director owned by the Mellencamp family since 1991 that provides art education and helps draw attention to the area of Jackson County as an art-conscious region.[91]

The 1992 film Falling from Grace—the directorial debut of Seymour native John Mellencamp, who also starred, from a screenplay by Larry McMurtry—was filmed largely in and around Seymour during 1990 and premiered in the city at the Jackson Park Cinema in February 1992.[92]

The Oktoberfest celebrates the city's German heritage and has been held annually since 1973. The first Oktoberfest was organized by the Seymour Chamber of Commerce and featured Bavarian music, carnival rides, food and exhibit booths, parades, a hot air balloon race, baby contest and a Biergarten.[93][94]

Scoop the Loop is a local weekend car show that started in 2011 but can trace its origins back to the years following World War II.[95][96] As in many small American towns, the rise of car culture, rock and roll, and teenagers with free time made cruising downtown—to meet friends and show off cars—a way of life in Seymour.[97] The practice was once popular enough that teens came from eleven surrounding counties.[98] Beginning in the 1980s, some local merchants complained and alleged that illegal activity was occurring.[99] Through the 1990s, absent any ordinance prohibiting the activity, the local government blocked off many downtown streets and popular parking lots.[100][101] This effectively ended cruising in Seymour, as had happened in nearby Columbus and North Vernon. Cruising was revived in 2011 by local enthusiasts who started an annual event held on one Saturday each August. Local merchants and restaurants now support the event as a way to draw customers back to the downtown area.[102]

The H. Vance Swope Memorial Art Gallery was created at the bequest of the artist, who spent his youth in Seymour and whose father was once the postmaster, and relative of then-mayor Allen Swope and contains works by regional artists as well as an extensive collection of landscapes by Swope.[103]

Local diners are a longstanding part of Seymour's culture, among them The Townhouse Cafe and The Fish Stand (both opened in 1962) and Larrison's Diner, a longtime institution that served as a filming location for Falling from Grace.[104]

Until 2019, Seymour was the last town in the United States to celebrate Victory over Japan Day with a local parade. Beginning in 1946, the parade was held annually for 73 years until the local VFW voted to discontinue the tradition.[105]

Seymour is home to numerous social, service, and philanthropic organizations, including the Elks Lodge,[106] the Jackson County Masonic Lodge,[107] the Order of the Eastern Star,[108] the Seymour Lions,[109] the Rotary Club of Seymour,[110][111] the Moose Lodge,[112] Phi Beta Psi,[113] the Knights of Columbus,[114] and the Jackson County Sertoma Club.[115]

National Register of Historic Places

Color photo of the Farmers Club in Seymour, Indiana on a sunny day framed by small trees
Farmers Club, Seymour, Indiana

The city is home to six structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Farmers Club was built by the Blish family and donated to the city as a memorial to city founder Meedy Shields and was included in the National Register in 1983.[116] The building was constructed from Bedford limestone, brick, and steel and at the time of its construction it was the only building of its kind in the midwest. Meedy Shields Blish (1855–1922) was inspired to provide a local place of comfort and relaxation to area farmers while they were bringing produce and grain to market in the city.[117] The building formally open on October 8, 1914. Since then it has been used as the club, the building also housed the Seymour Red Cross, the city of Seymour, the Seymour Police Department, and the Seymour Chamber of Commerce.[118][119]

The First Presbyterian Church of Seymour was constructed in 1884 and is of Late Gothic Style architecture and includes stained glass by the Jacoby Art Glass Company. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest spire in the city.[120] It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[121]

First Presbyterian Church

The T. Harlan and Helen Montgomery House is a grade five historic building of Dutch Colonial Revival design located at 628 North Poplar Street has 5 bedrooms and 2 and a half baths. It last sold in 1979 for $49,000[122] and was placed on the registry in 2010.[123]

The Seymour Commercial Historic District consists of 79 contributing buildings and 4 contributing structures in the central business district of Seymour. The district developed between about 1876 and 1945 and includes notable examples of Italianate, Romanesque Revival, and Classical Revival style architecture. The entire district was placed on the register in 1995 although the Jonas Hotel later burnt to the ground and no longer exists.[65]

The Southern Indiana Railroad Freighthouse, has since January 2008 served as the Jackson County Visitor Center, for Jackson County, Indiana. The freight house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 2003.[123]

George H. Vehslage House is a historic home located at 515 N. Chestnut Street. It was built in 1894 and is a 2-and-one-half-story, Queen Anne style brick dwelling with a limestone foundation. It was placed on the registry in 2010.[121][124]

Other significant buildings

Color illustration of the Odd Fellows Building, Seymour, IN
The Odd Fellows Building

714 W Fifth Street is the boyhood home of John Mellencamp. The 2-bedroom, 1 bath, 1019 square foot ranch style house was built in 1949. It has been privately owned since 1979. The owner has plans to remodel the property and rent it on AirBnB.[125]

The Travis Carter house at 410 Indianapolis Avenue is the oldest building (1852) still standing in Seymour. Today, it is privately owned, but it once housed the offices of the local Red Cross.[126][127]

Front exterior color photo of the T. Harlan and Helen Montgomery House.jpg
T. Harlan and Helen Montgomery House

The former Blish Mill grain towers are the tallest structures in town, they operated from 1858 to 1976.[128]

The Federal Building was built in 1915, served for many years as the post office, and then as offices for the Seymour Police Department. Today, it is being restored as the Seymour Museum Center.[129]

At the corner of N. Poplar and Sixth Street the former James Shields Memorial Gym is one of Indiana's ten most endangered landmarks. One of Indiana's largest high school gymnasiums when it was built by Works Progress Administration workers in 1941, the James M. Shields Memorial Gymnasium provided the backdrop for decades of local basketball memories, hosting 21 sectional titles from 1942 to 1970. A local family purchased the long-vacant property in 1996, and later had to demolish the high school nearby.[130] As of 2023, the gym remains empty. Vandals continue to break windows and cover walls with graffiti, despite the current owner's attempts to secure the property. Though roof leaks have allowed water to infiltrate the building, an architectural assessment showed the steel and concrete gym to be structurally sound.[130]

Library

Seymour Public Library, a branch of the Jackson County Public Library.[131]

Parks and recreation

Shields Park, ca 2023

The recreation department of the city of Seymour operates five parks, including the 12-acre Shields Park that is home to a skate park and a public pool.

Shields Park is the oldest public park in the city and was formally known as City Park. It is located on North Park Street. In 1924, Anna M. Gaiser donated the site of her father's plant nursery to be Gaiser Park.[132]

Kessler Park was donated by the Kessler family in 1978.[133]

Additionally, the recreation department operates 3 plazas, one recreation field located near Freeman Field and Mellencamp Plaza below the large mural of John Mellencamp in the downtown area that was completed in 2019. The department also provides a memorial tree and bench program to honor deceased residents. In addition to the numerous parks, plazas, and recreational facilities, the recreation department also provides 14 miles of bike and walking trails around the city.[134]

Government

Exterior of City Hall
City Hall, ca 2023

Mayors are elected by city-wide election every four years from qualified candidates who are residents of the city. The first mayor of the city was Captain George Greene, a native of Kentucky, a veteran of the Mexican-American War, and a close ally of Meedy Shields.[135] The City Hall has operated out of the former Southern Indiana Telephone and Telegraph Company since 1985.

In 2019, a local businessman, former city councilman, 1996 graduate of Seymour High School, and 1998 graduate of Ivy Tech, Matthew Nicholson was elected to his first term as mayor. He carried the election with 1,963 (59.3%) votes versus challenger Rexanne Ude who received 1,350 (40%) votes.[136] Since his election, in addition to his official duties, Nicholson has joined the board of directors for Main Street Seymour, Indiana and regularly contributes to the local newspaper.[137]

The seven-member city council is the legislative body for the city and has the exclusive responsibility of passing or changing local laws, resolutions, orders, and motions for the city's government. As the fiscal body, the council has the authority to levy certain taxes and it has the sole responsibility of adopting a city budget each year. The council also appoints members to certain boards and commissions that serve the community in various areas.[138]

A chronological list of mayors of the city of Seymour includes;[139]

  • George Green (D), 1865 - 1867[140][135]
  • Alexander A Davison (D) 1867 - 1869[141]
  • Thomas Whitson, 1869 - 1870[140][142]
  • Albert P. Charles, 1870 - 1872
  • Samuel W. Holmes, 1872 - 1874
  • Albert P. Charles, 1874 - 1878
  • Daniel W. Johnson, 1878 - 1884[140][143]
  • Rueben Everhart, 1884 - 1886
  • A.J. Frazer, 1886 - 1888
  • Daniel W. Johnson, 1888 - 1890
  • Frank Bennett, 1890 - 1892
  • Philip Laugel, 1892 - 1894
  • Joseph Basley, 1894 - 1898
  • Alfred W. Mills, 1898 - 1902
  • Dr. J. M. Shields, 1902 - 1904
  • Dr. George G. Graessle (R), 1904 - 1906[144][145]
  • Dr. Henry R. Kyte, 1906 - 1910[146]
  • Allen Swope (D), 1910 - 1914[147][148]
  • John A Ross, 1914 - 1918[149][150]
  • Charles W. Burkart (D), 1918 - 1922[151][152]
  • Charles L. Kessler, 1922 - 1926[153][154]
  • Charles E. Miles, 1926 - 1929[a][156]
  • Frank W. Abele, 1929 (12 days)[157]
  • Charles W. Burkart (D), 1929 - 1939[151]
  • Stanley Switzer (R), 1939 - 1942[158]
  • Charles W. Burkart (D), 1943 - 1947[159]
  • Donald L. Heiwig (R), 1948 - 1955[159]
  • John C. Isaacs (D), 1956 - 1963[159]
  • James L. Laupus (R), 1964 - 1971[160]
  • Christopher D. Moritz (D), 1972 - 1975[159]
  • Donald H. Ernest (R), 1976 - 1979[159]
  • Christopher D. Moritz (D), 1980 - 1983[161]
  • Donald F. Scott (D), 1983[b]
  • William W. Bailey (D), 1983 - 1990[159]
  • John S. Burkhart (D), 1990 - 2003[159]
  • James E. Bullard (D), 2004 - 2007[162]
  • Craig Luedeman (R), 2008 - 2019[163]
  • Matthew Nicholson (R), 2019 - incumbent[1]

Election results

Over the past two decades, Jackson County, Indiana, has consistently shown strong support for Republican candidates in presidential elections. The county has maintained a clear preference for the GOP. Notable Democratic contenders, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have garnered significant but lesser support, and Libertarian candidates have received some albeit smaller percentages of votes.

In Jackson County, Indiana, the election results for the 2024 Presidential Election, Republican Donald J. Trump secured a commanding victory with 14,430 votes (76.69%), followed by Kamala D. Harris with 4,035 votes (21.44%). Independent candidate Chase Oliver received 109 votes (0.58%), while Robert F. Kennedy Jr. garnered 209 votes (1.11%). There were also 34 write-in votes (0.18%).[164]

In the 2020 election, Jackson County, Indiana, saw a decisive victory for President Donald Trump, who received 14,555 votes, accounting for 75% of the total votes. In contrast, Vice President Joe Biden garnered 4,302 votes, which represented 23% of the total votes.[165]

In the 2016 election for Jackson County, Indiana, Donald Trump secured a commanding victory with 12,857 votes, accounting for 73.3% of the total votes. Hillary Clinton received 3,843 votes, which represented 21.9% of the total. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson garnered 832 votes, making up 4.7% of the total votes.[166]

In the 2012 election for Jackson County, Indiana, Republican candidate Mitt Romney secured a strong victory with 10,419 votes, accounting for 62.4% of the total votes. Incumbent President Barack Obama received 5,838 votes, which represented 34.9% of the total. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson garnered 447 votes, making up 2.7% of the total votes.[167]

In the 2008 election for Jackson County, Indiana, Republican John McCain won with 9,726 votes, accounting for 55.77% of the total votes. Democratic challenger Barack Obama received 7,354 votes, which represented 42.17% of the total. Libertarian candidates Bob Barr garnered 289 votes, making up 1.66% of the total votes. There were also 66 write-in votes (0.38%) and 5 votes for other candidates (0.03%).[168]

In the 2004 election for Jackson County, Indiana, Republican George W. Bush won with 11,083 votes, accounting for 67.96% of the total votes. While Democrat John Kerry received 5,092 votes, which represented 31.22% of the total. Libertarian candidates Michael Badnarik and garnered 112 votes, making up 0.69% of the total votes. There were also 22 write-in votes (0.13%).[169]

Education

Color photo of Seymour High School
Seymour High School

Seymour Community Schools operates Seymour High School and eight other elementary and secondary schools in the city.[170] The current system-wide school enrollment exceed 5,000 students.[171] The local schools employ 650 people and are managed by a public board consisting of seven members of the community. The current board President is Art Juergens, a retired social studies teacher and coach.[172][173] Three hundred forty-two students graduated in the class of 2023.[174]

Trinity Lutheran High School, a private educational institution for grades 9–12 that first opened in 2000 on a newly donated 41-acre campus. The school is owned and operated by the South Central Lutheran Association for Secondary Education, Inc., an association of 14 Lutheran congregations in Scott, Jennings, Bartholomew, and Jackson Counties. The school is accredited and in good standing by the National Lutheran School Accreditation (NLSA) organization of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Cognia, and also recognized as an accredited school by the Indiana Department of Education.[175] Twenty-seven seniors graduated from TLHS's 19th class in May 2023.[176]

The Immanuel Lutheran School provides private K-8 and is full accreditation through the State of Indiana and the Lutheran Church Missouri-Synod. In addition to the core curriculum, Immanuel's comprehensive education offers a full fine arts program including music, band, art, and physical education. Students attending ILS have the option of enrolling in either Trinity Lutheran High School to finish their secondary education or enrolling at Seymour High School.[177]

The St. Ambrose Catholic School is a private school associated with St. Ambrose Church of Seymour Indiana. The school is a member of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The current facility opened in 1958 but the Archdiocese has offered private Catholic educational services to the community since 1858. Enrollment is open for students K-8. The school is overseen by St. Ambrose School Commission is an advisory committee that works with the school principal and pastor on the advancement of the school. The commission has nine members and meets six times per year. The school provides services in both English and Spanish. The school is fully accredited by the State of Indiana and nationally through Cognia.[178]

Media

Radio

  • WLCL : 93.9 FM
  • WXKU : 92.7 FM
  • WZZB : 1390 AM and 99.3 FM
  • WJAA : 96.3 FM
  • W252BY : 98.3 FM is a 100-watt repeater for WHUM-LP[179]
  • WJCP: 97.7 FM and 1460 AM
  • WJLR : 91.5 FM (K-Love)

Print

Infrastructure

Transportation

Airport

Freeman Municipal Airport, located in Seymour, Indiana, is a public-use airport owned by the Seymour Airport Authority. Established in 1942 by the United States Army Air Forces, it was the first USAAF helicopter training school and also trained black aviators, including Tuskegee Airmen. The airport played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement with the Freeman Field Mutiny in 1945. After World War II, it became a storage depot for captured German and Italian aircraft. The airport covers 2,100 acres and has two asphalt runways and two turf runways. It handles general aviation, air taxi, and military operations.

Railroads

The Southern Indiana Railroad Freighthouse in Seymour is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pennsylvania Railroad succeeded the Jeffersonville Railroad (built northward). A Chessie System caboose sits in front of the Blish Mill grain tower.[180]

The Ohio and Mississippi Railway, built westward, was acquired by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in 1893.[181] It has been operated by CSX since 1986.[182]

The Evansville & Richmond Railroad (after 1910 the Chicago, Terre Haute & Southeastern Railroad (CTH&SE), or "the Milwaukee") was built eastward toward Richmond, reached Seymour in 1890, and connected with New York Central in Westport.[183] Trackage east of Seymour was "cut off" in 1961, and operations to Bedford closed in 1978.[184]

The Interstate Public Service interurban lines reached Seymour from Columbus in October 1907. Interstate merged into Midland United Company, leased to Indiana Railway, and all trains south of Seymour stopped running to Louisville in September 1939. Operations continued north of Seymour to Indianapolis until a collision on September 8, 1941, that wrecked "the majority of the line's rolling stock".[185]

Interstates

US Highways

Indiana State Roads

Notable people

Notable groups and organizations

  • The Elms, Rock and Roll band active between 2000 and 2010
  • Reno Gang, committed the first peacetime train robbery in the United States in Seymour in 1866

Further reading

See also

Notes

  1. Charles E Miles Died will in office.[155]
  2. Mr. Scott served for 42 days to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Christopher Moritz until the mayor-elect could be sworn in.[159]

References

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