Happy

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America won its independence.

Revolutionary links

New Castle, Henry County, Ind. also has its links to the American Revolution.

Both grandfathers of Gen. William Grose, New Castle’s Civil War hero, served during the Revolutionary War. One died for the cause of American freedom.

A monument not far from town marks the burial site of Christopher Long, who was in several major Revolutionary War battles and spent the winter of 1777 at Valley Forge. Later in life, he reportedly claimed to stand “thirty steps from Gen. George Washington and saw Gen. Cornwallis surrender his sword.”

Today, more than 30 men who fought in the Revolutionary War are buried in Henry County.

Grose, whose stately New Castle home has been the site of the Henry County Historical Society for more than 100 years, lived up to his family heritage. The lawyer-and-legislator-turned-general served bravely in the Civil War and historians say “he was where the bullets flew the thickest” – places like Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Atlanta.

World War I hero

Less than six decades later, another New Castle general would come to the aid of his country.

Omar Bundy, born in New Castle the same year the Civil War started in 1861, would rise in the military ranks to general – one who didn’t always follow orders. During the battle of Belleau Wood in World War I, he refused a French commander’s order to retreat.

“We regret being unable on this occasion to follow the counsels of our masters the French,” Bundy said, “but the American flag has been forced to retire. This is unendurable and none of our soldiers would understand their not being able to repair a situation which is humiliating to us and unacceptable to our country’s honor. We are going to counterattack.”

Some historians say Bundy’s action probably saved Paris from complete takeover by the Germans and represented a turning point for the U.S. in World War I.

Flower Power

New Castle has also been a place of flower power.

In 1901, brothers Myer and Herbert Heller created “the American Beauty Rose,” a flower that became a national status symbol with buds the size of goose eggs and petal counts higher than any other. The flowers were sold across the country and gave New Castle the title “Rose City.” At one time, because of the famous flower, more than 100 greenhouses operated in the city.

But a March 11, 1917 tornado swept through town, killing 21 people and destroying many of the greenhouses. New Castle’s Rose City reputation faded from the forefront by the 1920s.

Net gains

Almost from the time James Naismith invented the game of basketball, New Castle has been mesmerized by the sport. A high school team won the state championship in 1932. What has been documented as “the world’s largest and finest high school gymnasium” was built here, opening Nov. 21, 1959. Two Indiana “Mr. Basketballs” played here – Kent Benson in 1973 and Steve Alford in 1983.

Four of Indiana’s five NCAA championships had a New Castle connection – Marvin Huffman (1940) and Jack Wright (1953) were on national championship teams before Benson and Alford. And, most recently, New Castle won the 2006 Class 3A state championship. The star of that team, Zach Hahn, went on to play for Butler University teams that made back-to-back appearances

See HAPPY, Page 5