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Henry County Historical Society & Museum

Bringing history to life & life to history since 1887!

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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY FEED

About Us
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Genealogy Library
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Shop
HENRY COUNTY HISTORY FEED

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Copyright 1887-2024 Henry County Historical Society, New Castle, Indiana

Bringing History to Life &
Life to History Since 1887!

Hours of Operation
Please contact us to make an appointment to visit during these hours:
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays~1-4:30 p.m.
Tours by appointment.
We can work with you if you can only come in on a
Monday or Saturday.
March through December

Admission Fees: None!

Call us: 765-529-4028
Email us:
[email protected]
Mail us:
606 South 14th Street, New Castle, IN 47362

4,760

Henry County Historical Society, Inc

Hours Tuesday-Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
We're ALWAYS open by appointment.
Call Co-Director Darrel Radford
at 765-524-0530
Email: [email protected]
Call: 765-529-4028

Henry County Historical Society, Inc

2 days ago

On April 16, 1867, Wilbur Wright, co-inventor of the airplane, was born near Millville in Liberty Township.Wilbur Wright was born in a small farmhouse They were humble beginnings for one whose work alongside his brother set the stage for so many remarkable advancements that have enhanced life as we know it today.Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft with the Wright Flyer south of Kitty Hawk, N.C. It was a day that changed the world.It could be argued that the Wrights’ work laid the foundation for not only commercial air travel enjoyed by millions today, but also for U.S. military might through its Air Force superiority across the world.Wilbur died May 30, 1912, from typhoid fever.We invite you to visit our museum at 606 S. 14th Street and our website at www.henrycountymuseum.org to learn more about Wilbur Wright. We're open anytime by appointment. Please call 765-524-0530.Also, please visit our Henry County historical partners at the Wilbur Wright Birthplace Museum at wwbirthplace.com, which features a replica plane the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, N.C. and many other interesting exhibits.BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com. Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open ANYTIME by appointment. Call 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

3 days ago

On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died from a bullet wound to the head suffered the night before at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Beside Lincoln's photo here are New York Times headlines.On the morning of April 14, 1865 (Good Friday), actor John Wilkes Booth learned President Abraham Lincoln would attend a performance of the comedy Our American Cousin that night at Ford’s Theatre—a theatre Booth frequently performed at. He realized his moment had arrived.By 10:15 that evening, the comedy was well into its last act. In the Presidential Box, President and Mrs. Lincoln and their guests, Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancée, Clara Harris, laughed at the show along with the audience—not knowing that Booth was just outside the door.When news of Lincoln's death reached Middletown here in Henry County, an angry mob tarred and feathered a visiting Virginian for saying "It was good enough; he should have been killed long ago."Historians say New Castle merchant Miles Murphey was a friend of Lincolns and an invited guest to the 16th President's Springfield home on occasion. The Murphey building is also shown here along with Lincoln and Miles Murphey.Here are more Henry County links to Lincoln in a column written by Darrel Radford.By DARREL RADFORDHistorically SpeakingWith the recent success of Stephen Speilberg’s movie “Lincoln,” it’s interesting to consider Henry County’s connections to the 16th president. Here are a couple some may not realize:Miles MurpheyWhether they realize it or not, anyone stopped at the intersection of Broad and Main streets in New Castle — the intersection where the Murphey Building resides — is in historic Lincoln territory. The man who had that building constructed in the 1840s (where the Chamber and EDC offices are located today) was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln’s.Col. Miles Murphey was a legislator and businessman in New Castle. Built in the 1850s to house his store, the structure is the oldest in the downtown business district and one of the oldest in Henry County.In his “Historic Henry County” series, Herbert Heller reveals the relationship between Murphey and Lincoln through the writing of well-known New Castle artist Helen Magner.“Although they were from the south, the family hated slavery and took part in the heated politics of the decades before the Civil War,” Magner wrote. “Miles Murphey was elected from Henry County as a member of the (Indiana) House of Representatives in 1837. He heard the Lincoln and Douglas debates, and when Lincoln was nominated, he was a delegate to the convention in Chicago. That same year, he was one of the Electoral College that voted for Lincoln.“He came to know Lincoln personally and on several occasions, he and his wife, Elizabeth, were guests of the Lincolns at their home in Springfield. It was there that Lincoln gave him a book in which he autographed using the initial ‘A’ instead of ‘Abraham’ as he could do only among friends.”Letter to Spiceland WomanOn Oct. 26, 1863, Spiceland resident Caroline Edgerton received a letter from President Lincoln and a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. She had requested it on behalf of the local Ladies Aid Society, a relief organization for Civil War soldiers.“According to the request made in your behalf, the original draft of the Emancipation Proclamation is herewith inclosed. The formal word at the top and the conclusion, except the signature, you perceive, are not in my handwriting. They were written at the state department, by whom I know not. The printed part was cut from the preliminary proceedings and pasted on merely to save writing.“I had some desire to retain the paper, but if it shall contribute to the relief or comfort of the soldiers, that will be better.”Your Obt, Serv’tA. Lincoln.BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com. Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open ANYTIME by appointment. Call 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

3 days ago

On this date in Henry County history, April 15, 1923, Katharine, Loren and Orville Wright are in attendance as a memorial to Wilbur Wright is dedicated in Henry County Memorial Park. The dedication came just a day before Wilbur Wright would have turned 56 years old.It was the very first monument dedication in the park. The event happened just one day before Wilbur would have celebrated his 56th birthday. Wilbur Wright was born near Millville on April 16, 1867. He died May 30, 1912 at the age of 45.The photo from the Henry County Historical Society shows Katharine Wright with brothers Orville and Loren.BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com. Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open ANYTIME by appointment. Call 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

3 days ago

On this day in Henry County history, April 15, 2009, Donald C. “Danny” Danielson was presented the “Sachem Award” by Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels at the Statehouse. The Sachem (SAY’-chum) is given in recognition of a lifetime of excellence honoring Indiana. The then 89-year-old Danielson was honored for his leadership in New Castle and for his service to Indiana University, which he attended on a baseball scholarship and later was the longest serving trustee in the school’s history. Danielson also led a campaign to locate the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Museum in New Castle.Danielson died May 7, 2015, at the age of 95.What are your memories of Danny Danielson?BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com. Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open ANYTIME by appointment. Call 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

3 days ago

On this date in Henry County history, April 15, 1893, Miss Kate Shelley pressed a key at 7:10 p.m., illuminating New Castle with electricity for the very first time.BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com. Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!Our Tuesday-Friday hours won't resume until spring but we're open ANYTIME by appointment. Call 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less