Happy 200th birthday New Castle!

By DARREL RADFORD Henry County Historian

Nothing but an untamed wilderness greeted weary travelers from North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Ohio to this place that would be called New Castle 200 years ago.

But roses would bloom. War

Here’s a scoop!

Read about the upcoming ice cream social at the historical society / Page 7 generals and floor generals would be born. Artists would sculpt and paint iconic images. Largest and finest would be built. As the Henry County seat celebrates its 200th anniversary, the birthday cake oozes with history.

On April 8, 1823, a new town was officially platted in the midst of trees and a river. Formed from 100 acres of land near what is now Broad and Main streets, this place named New Castle was born.

Located in almost the exact center of Henry County, most believe the town was named after New Castle, Henry County, Ky., the former home of Ezekiel Leavell, first agent appointed to sell land here. He had come to Indiana from New Castle, Henry County, Ky., a town located 35 miles northeast of Louisville. That town is one of the oldest in Kentucky, settled in the 1790s, less than two decades af See HAPPY, Page 4

Those who lived through it will never forget April 3, 1974, when a tornado “roared” through the small Henry County town of Kennard. Above are Courier-Times archived photos and the front page of the newspaper the next day. At the left, Indiana Gov. Otis Bowen reviews information about the storm’s impact. At the right, a stunned Kennard resident stands amid the rubble with what’s left of the elementary school in the background.