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By adminJuly 26, 2017Category: Henry County Stories

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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

4,682

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

4 days ago

On this day in Henry County history, Dec. 18, 1829, the town of Ogden was laid out by Hiram Crum and named after a worker on the National Road project.The oldest village in Spiceland Township, it was originally named Middletown until it was learned that name was already taken by the Fall Creek Township community two months earlier.A post office was established in Ogden in 1840, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1906.This map shows the present location of Ogden.Ogden became headline news in January of 2021 when Calvin Parham saved the life of his neighbor in a house fire. Here is an article written by Henry County Historian Darrel Radford about that incident. Parham is also pictured here.Calvin Parham walked into the Dunreith Community BuildingSunday afternoon to the surprising sound of applause and people shouting “congratulations.”It wasn’t his birthday. He wasn’t celebrating an anniversary. Parham was the man of the hour because of what had happened early Friday morning, Jan. 11—and how his actions turned a potential tragedy into a neighborly triumph.A crowd of more than 30 people were there to thank Parham for heroism during an Ogden house fire that in all probability saved the life of his longtime next-door neighbor, 85-year-old Ed Norfleet.“lf it wasn’t for Calvin, we’d probably be having a funeral, ”Spiceland Fire Chief Scott Teague, [a Draper employee,] said. “Most civilians won’t put their lives at risk and do this.”“He’s true hero,” Norfleet’s niece, Kim, said of Parham. “He’s an angel without wings. We’re very grateful.”As a colorful cake with the words “Calvin, Local Hero,” waited to be cut behind him, Parham said the true heroes and heroines were those who serve on Knightstown, Dunreith, and Spiceland volunteer fire departments.“You guys are the real heroes,” Parham said. “You do all the hard work. Going into that smoky house gave me a new perspective on what you gentlemen do. I was just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.”It was approximately 6:23 a.m. Friday, January 11, and Parham was just leaving for work. He usually was on his way by now but on this day Parham was running behind schedule. Some might call that a coincidence. Others would say it was a “God-incidence.”Whatever the case, Parham said his nose made him stop and look.“I smelled the smoke and over by Ed’s house, there was a light,” Parham said. “It wasn’t a fire at that time, but just a glowing and it caught my attention as I was leaving to go to work. I went from standing outside to going inside yelling for Ed. I don’t remember making the 911 a call but obviously I did.”Parham found the neighbor he’s known for decades and helped get him out of the house. He had to carry him part of the way. Ed had been sick and bedridden over the past few days before the fire.Instinct took over for Parham, who said he didn’t remember much about getting Ed out of the house.“I don’t remember even seeing flames but I can tell you, the smoke was terrible and the heat was bearing down on us.”Carrying Ed was a labor of neighborly love.“I’ve known Ed my entire life, ever since I was a little kid,” Parham said. “He’s been a good neighbor to me. When I was younger, Ed was the guy in town who went around and plowed everybody’s gardens. And when I was a kid, everybody in town had a garden. He was always that guy who had a tractor and volunteered his time to help others.”Parham’s actions came just in the nick of time.Knightstown Fire Chief Eric McDaniel, [also a Draper employee,] remembers the anxious feelings in the pit of his stomach as he responded to the scene.“When we pulled out of the fire station and onto U.S. 40, we could see the flames, so we knew we were responding to a bad one,” McDaniel said. “We weren’t sure if somebody was trapped or not, but when we arrived, we knew if someone was inside, their chances of survival were next to none.”The Spiceland and Dunreith Fire Departments arrived soon after.“The front of the house was pretty much gone when we got there,” Teague said. “You could see the fire from Spiceland Pike and Road 800 South.”Crews were on the scene for more than four hours. The severity of the fire made Parham’s actions even more heroic in the eyes of firemen on the scene.“I’ve been on the Spiceland Fire Department for 30 years and it’s the first time we’ve ever had something like this,” Teague said. “Most people won’t risk their own lives to save another.”“It’s awesome for him to have the bravery to go in and do that,” McDaniel said. “To be able to remain calm enough in that situation is remarkable. Even though his adrenalin was going, he was able to function and be focused enough to do what needed to be done. A lot of people aren’t.”Ed Norfleet wasn’t at Sunday’s gathering, but his niece reported “he’s doing better, getting more energy and eating well.”Pat Parham, Calvin’s mother, summed up the happy occasion.“He was just in the right place at the right time because hewas actually supposed to have gone to work earlier. It was meant for him to be there,” Pat said. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

5 days ago

Here's another great Christmas gift idea for the Henry County history lover in your family! This book about Jonathan Knight, the man for whom Knightstown was named, is still available at the museum gift shop for $25. The gift shop will be open for business this week at the following times:-- 1 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-- 10 to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday-- 1 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and FridayIf you can't make it to the museum during the above times, call Darrel Radford at 765-524-0530 and he will make himself available to get you the books.Thanks for supporting the Henry County Historical Society in 2024, the oldest, continuously operating organization and museum of its kind in Indiana! We wish you a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season! ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

5 days ago

Here's another group from Riley Elementary School who visited the Henry County Historical Society Monday! The museum is a great local field trip for youngsters! Please call us at 765-524-0530 or 765-529-4028 if you'd like to schedule a field trip for your class. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

5 days ago

We had a great time Monday with students from Riley Elementary School who came to learn about Henry County history. Click on the photos to enlarge them. If you'd like to have your elementary students visit the Gen. William Grose home, give us a call at 765-524-0530 or 765-529-4028. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

5 days ago

If you're still looking for that unique Christmas gift, come to the Henry County Historical Society this week and check out the wide variety of local history books. The museum will be open:-- 1 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-- 10 to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday-- 1 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and FridayIn addition to the books below, we still have copies of Pat Chase's book about Jonathan Knight, surveyor the National Road and Knightstown's namesake. If you can't make it to the museum during the above times, call Darrel Radford at 765-524-0530 and he will make himself available to get you the books.Thanks for supporting the Henry County Historical Society in 2024, the oldest, continuously operating organization and museum of its kind in Indiana! We wish you a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season! ... See MoreSee Less

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