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Indiana Bicentennial Celebration 2016
White County
Q&A with County Coordinator Kean MacOwen
What do you consider the key accomplishment(s) of your county's Bicentennial celebration?
- The key accomplishment was bringing the residents and school children within the county to a new awareness of the history of White County.
What Legacy Project do you most like to tell people about, and why?
- The statue of Col. Isaac White. Why? Prior to the Bicentennial about 10% of the people living in the county could correctly answer the question of why the county was named White County. The bronze statue of the namesake of the county is directing attention to the history of the state and county.
How/where are you preserving information and artifacts related to your county's celebration?
- We are putting together a pictorial book of all Bicentennial events throughout the county. Copies will be available for sale through the White County Historical Society.
Total number of volunteers who participated.
- 150
Estimated total attendance.
- Ball park... 1,500
Estimated dollar amount raised.
- In total more than $1.1 million, and we are still finalizing a couple of projects.
Estimated dollar amount spent.
- $1.1 million.
White County Legacy Projects
- 48th Annual Wolcott Summer Festival, Inc.
- 1848 Courthouse Bell
- 1974 Tornado Book
- A Historical Book on the Town of Lee, Indiana
- Bicentennial Peanut Pusher Event
- Bicentennial Proud to Be an American Essay Scholarship
- Digital Imaging of Microfilm Newspapers and Records
- Greist Photo Album
- Historic Canoe Trip on the Tippecanoe River
- Historic White County Playing Cards
- Monon Theatre Restoration
- Proud to be an American Boat Parade
- Re-Dedication of City Park
- Sheetz Cemetery Restoration
- Statue of Col. Isaac White
- Tucker School Relocation and Restoration
- White County Fifty Trees
- White County Museum Portrait Gallery
Photos from White County Bicentennial Events / Activities
White County Bicentennial Committee
- Kean MacOwen - Coordinator
- Judy Baker
- Joe Crivello
- Eli Tribbett
- Deb Gass
White County Facts
White County was formed in 1834. It was named for Isaac White of Equality, Illinois, who was killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
White was a colonel in the Illinois militia, who volunteered to serve as a private in the Indiana militia in the march against Prophetstown. He was placed under the command of Kentucky Maj. Joseph Hamilton Daviess. The two exchanged swords in a demonstration of mutual respect at Fort Vincennes. In the Battle of Tippecanoe they died together and were buried in a common grave at Battle Ground.
About the courthouse: Longardner and Associates were the architects and the building was completed in 1976.
Monticello is home to one of the few surviving drive-in movie theaters in Indiana, the Lake Shore Drive-In. It has two movie screens playing (in total) four movies a night during the spring and summer months in Monticello.
The lakes and campgrounds are popular tourist destinations, but the most well-known is Indiana Beach, an amusement park on Lake Shafer.
The Lake shore Drive-In, Monticello, opened for its 65th year in April, 2014.
While travelling along I-65 through White County you’ll see the massive wind turbines on the 500 MW Meadow Lake Wind Farm that spreads over portions of White, Jasper, and Benton Counties in Indiana. The farm was completed in phases. It is owned and operated by EDP Renewables North America.
County Seat: Monticello
Year Organized: 1834
Square Miles: 505.13
