Borden, Indiana Facts for Kids

Borden is a small town located in Clark County, Indiana, United States. It's part of Wood Township in Indiana. In 2020, about 786 people lived there. Before December 29, 1994, the town was known by a different name: New Providence.

A Look Back: Borden's History
Borden's Location and Size
Who Lives in Borden?
- Population Changes Over Time
- A Snapshot of Borden's People
Learning in Borden
See also

A Look Back: Borden's History

How Borden Began

The town of Borden was started in 1816 by a man named John Borden, who came from Rhode Island. He first named it New Providence, just like the capital city of Rhode Island. Later, John's son, William W. Borden (1823–1906), became a very important person in the town. He earned a lot of money from silver mines in Colorado. This made him one of the richest people in Clark County.

The Borden Institute and Schools

In 1884, William W. Borden used his wealth to create the Borden Institute. This was a college where people could train to become teachers and study science. He also opened a library and a museum in the town. The museum had a huge collection of rocks and fossils. After William Borden passed away, this collection became a valuable part of the Field Museum in Chicago.

William Borden also built a beautiful family mansion overlooking the town. Because of all his generous gifts, the town and its post office were unofficially renamed Borden to honor him. The Borden Institute closed in 1906. Around 1910, it became the building for William W. Borden High School, or simply Borden High School. This continued until 1955, when new school buildings were constructed nearby. The old museum building is still standing and is now used as a community center. The Borden Mansion is also still there, and a family has lived in it since the 1970s. Sadly, the Borden Institute building itself was torn down in 1983 after it fell into disrepair.

This marker tells about the Borden Institute's history.

Strawberries and Sports Teams

Borden is connected by the CSX rail system, which used to be the Monon Railroad. In the past, Borden was a major spot for shipping strawberries. Farmers from the area, especially through The Borden-Pekin Berry Growers Association, sent many carloads of strawberries north by train.

The large amount of strawberries grown here even influenced the name of Borden High School's sports teams! In 1934, the teams were called the "Borden Berries." This fun name was used until 1966, when students voted to change it to the "Borden Braves." Even today, strawberries are farmed in the Borden area, especially in nearby Starlight, Indiana. They even have a Starlight Strawberry Festival every Memorial Day weekend.

Local Stores and Community Life

For many years, Brewer's General Store was a well-known place in Borden. It was opened by John Brewer in 1931 and stayed in the Brewer family until it closed in 2012. Because Borden is in a rural area, Brewer's was proud to offer goods to the "Hillbilly" Valley. Some popular items included a big wheel of Wisconsin Rat Trap Cheese, Amish hard candies, and "Hillbilly Popsickles" (which were large dill pickles on a stick!).

Another popular spot was George McKinley & Son Hardware Feed Store. This store also sold fuel from its Shell service station. Inside, a pot-belly stove was a favorite gathering place for community members to play checker games. Today, a Dollar General Store stands where McKinley's used to be.

Weather Events and Community Spirit

In the 1960s, several dams were built along the streams that flow into Muddy Fork, which runs through Borden. These dams helped protect the town from flooding during heavy rains.

Borden has also experienced some strong tornadoes. On April 3, 1974, a powerful F5 tornado hit the west side of Borden before moving to nearby Daisy Hill. One person sadly lost their life. Years later, on May 27, 2004, an F2 tornado struck the northern edge of town. It damaged homes and trees but caused no deaths. Then, on March 2, 2012, a very strong EF4 tornado hit nearby Pekin and the Daisy Hill area of Borden. This tornado caused a lot of damage and was responsible for deaths in other Indiana towns.

This satellite image shows the large tornado outbreak on April 3, 1974, which included a tornado near Borden.

Modern Borden: Park and Champions

In the early 2000s, Borden High School expanded. A new building was constructed, and a new parking lot was made at the old Borden Park. With help from community donations and the Koetter Family, the town then built a brand new Borden Community Park. This park is located on the east side of Borden, near Muddy Fork. It has basketball and tennis courts, a soccer field, a baseball complex, a walking path, and a war memorial for local military members. Every year, the Borden Valley Day Festival is held in this park on the second Saturday in June.

In 2013, the Borden High School Braves basketball team made history! They won their first semi-state and state championships. On March 23, 2013, the Borden Braves won their first state championship game with a score of 55–50. After this amazing win, a video called How 'Bout Them Braves was made, celebrating their success.

A book called Growing Up on Daisy Hill by Norman M. Coats tells about his childhood in the hills and hollows around Borden during the Great Depression. Borden was also once home to Frank Kimmel, a ten-time champion in ARCA racing.

A photo showing a view of Borden, Indiana.

Borden's Location and Size

According to the 2010 census, Borden covers a total area of about 1.39 square miles (3.6 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Who Lives in Borden?

Population Changes Over Time

Here's how Borden's population has changed over the years:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	350	—
1920	333	−4.9%
1930	358	7.5%
1940	392	9.5%
1950	426	8.7%
1960	327	−23.2%
1970	337	3.1%
1980	384	13.9%
1990	270	−29.7%
2000	818	203.0%
2010	808	−1.2%
2020	786	−2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

A Snapshot of Borden's People

In 2010, there were 808 people living in Borden, making up 321 households. Most of the people (98.9%) were White. About 1.1% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Borden was about 35.3 years old. About 26.4% of residents were under 18, and 12.6% were 65 or older. The town had a fairly even mix of males (48.5%) and females (51.5%).

Learning in Borden

Borden has a public library. It's a branch of the Charlestown-Clark County Public Library system.

Borden, Indiana facts for kids

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