Magnet, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Magnet, Indiana
Rono
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 Magnet, Indiana
Location in Indiana
Magnet, Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Perry |
| Township | Union |
| Elevation | 492 ft (150 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
47520
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| Area code(s) | 812, 930 |
| GNIS feature ID | 451192 |
Magnet is a small, unincorporated community located in Indiana. It sits right along the Ohio River in Perry County. An "unincorporated community" means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town.
A Glimpse into Magnet's Past
When early settlers arrived along the Ohio River, one of the first people in the Magnet area was a man named Dodson. He ran a "wood yard," which was a place where steamboats could stop to get wood for their engines. Because of him, the settlement was first known as Dodson Landing.
Later, when Dodson left, Jesse Martin took over the wood yard. So, the area became known as Martin Landing. In 1848, the people living there needed to choose a name for their village. To honor Jesse Martin, they picked the name Rono, which was the name of Martin's dog.
The community was called Rono until 1899. That year, the United States Postal Department changed the name to Magnet. The post office in Magnet stayed open for many years but finally closed in 1992.
The Civil War Memorial Grave
On August 21, 1865, a steamboat called the U.S.S. Argosy (Number 3) was traveling on the Ohio River. It was bringing Union soldiers from the 70th Ohio Infantry home after the American Civil War.
A big storm forced the steamboat to get stuck on the riverbank. Its boilers then exploded, causing ten soldiers to die. These ten soldiers were buried together in a large grave about half a mile from Magnet, which was still called Rono at the time. Ten grave markers were placed at the site to remember them.
A local historian named Bert Fenn later found information that suggested one of the ten soldiers might have actually lived until he reached Louisville, where he then passed away. This might explain why one of the soldiers buried in the grave is listed as an "unknown soldier."
In 1965, the Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission placed a historical marker at the site. This marker helps people remember the Civil War Memorial Grave and the soldiers buried there.
