Submitted by the Hamilton County Bicentennial Commission
During the Hamilton County Bicentennial in 2023, we plan to focus on one township during each month of the year (with some extra fun stuff in other months – see the timeline here). We are continuing our blog series highlighting each of our townships in the county. This serves as a way for you to get to know the township representatives and get more connected with the other areas in the county.
On our social media (you can see our Facebook here) we have been highlighting different townships in alphabetical order on Saturdays. So, we will highlight our townships in alphabetical order on the blog! Let’s get started with a new township.
Today we will put the spotlight on Delaware Township, which is located in the bottom middle part of Hamilton County, with the White River on one side and Fall Creek Township on the other. Part of Fishers and some of Noblesville is located in Fall Creek Township, as well as part of the Hamilton Southeastern School district and Conner Prairie.
Some of the highlights from history for Delaware Township include:
- The boundary change in the 1950s to be only east of the White River
- The Conner brothers settling and creating a trading post and mill near a settlement of Native Americans. Today, this is the Conner Prairie Museum.
- The expansion and construction of Interstate 69 and its impact on population in the area
Of course, it’s impossible to summarize a community’s history in this small format! If you want to know more (or if you have more you want to add!), check out the Our Book page. Soon, you’ll be able to pre-order a copy of our book that will go into more detail about each township, including Delaware!
Fain
The Bicentennial Commission has members from each of the nine townships to help celebrate and commemorate the history of the county. The representative for Delaware Township is Rick Fain. He’s a member of the Fishers Kiwanis Club and has been living in Hamilton County since 1987. He is currently on the Delaware Township Trustee board and works in technology sales at Van Ausdall and Farrar.
Fain has been busy making plans for the Bicentennial alongside Fall Creek Township since they share boundaries and the City of Fishers. Some of his ideas include:
- Partnering with Conner Prairie on programming that celebrates history
- Partnering with the Fishers Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs to create programming and events
- Working on a program or event commemorating the Eller covered bridge that burnt and how that affected the schools in the area
If this list excites you (it should!) and you live in Delaware Township and you want to get involved, you can contact Fain at rick_j_f@yahoo.com. If you live outside Delaware Township but this list inspires you to think about projects for your township, then contact us at info@hamcoturns200.com or call us at (317) 674-3150.
We know Fain and the other township representatives are excited to get involved in the planning process. We hope you are too!