Quincy, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Quincy, Indiana
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
 Quincy, Indiana
Location in Indiana
Quincy, Indiana
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Owen |
| Township | Taylor |
| Elevation | 738 ft (225 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
47456
|
| Area code(s) | 812, 930 |
| GNIS feature ID | 441701 |
Quincy is a small place in Owen County, Indiana, that doesn't have its own local government. It's known as an unincorporated community. You can find it in the northeastern part of Taylor Township.
Quincy is located just south of a road called CR1150N. It's also north of Spencer, which is the main town (or county seat) for Owen County. Quincy sits about 738 feet (225 meters) above sea level. Even though it's not a city or town with its own government, Quincy has its own post office and a ZIP code of 47456.
Contents
The Story of Quincy: How It Began
Quincy started to grow in 1853. This was when the New Albany Railroad, an early version of the famous Monon Railroad, was built through the area. Many workers building the railroad decided to make their homes near Brush Creek, where the tracks crossed.
William L. Hart and his wife Lucy had the land around the railroad bridge mapped out for a new town. They decided to name it Quincy. This map was officially recorded at the Owen County Courthouse in Spencer on June 7, 1853. The town's post office opened in 1854 and has been helping people send mail ever since!
Why Another Town is Called Dunkirk
There was another settlement in Jay County that was also planned to be named "Quincy" in 1853. But when they tried to open a post office there, they found out that the Owen County Quincy already had that name. So, the settlement in Jay County was renamed Dunkirk instead.
Fires and Changes in Quincy
Quincy was a busy town until a big fire happened by accident on November 3, 1873. Most of the main business area was destroyed, including three stores that sold everyday goods.
Another fire struck on May 9, 1930, burning down the same part of town again. This time, five stores were lost, including the O.E. Stewart store and the post office. Social clubs like the Red Men and Knights of Pythias met on the upper floors of some of these buildings and lost everything.
Later, on February 2, 1953, the Quincy school also burned down. These fires really changed the town, and the business district never fully recovered. Since the Civil War, Quincy's population has usually been between 200 and 300 people.
The Famous Quincy Picnic
For many years, Quincy was famous for its annual picnic! A historical marker shows that the picnic started in 1870 and continued until 1972. The very first picnic in Quincy was a joint effort by the town's Baptist and Methodist churches. About 200 people came to that first event.
By the early 1900s, the Quincy Picnic was known as one of the biggest events of its kind in Indiana, and maybe even in the entire Midwest! Old newspaper articles from that time reported huge crowds:
- 1914: 10,000 people attended
- 1935: 13,000 people attended
People from Quincy
- Birch Evans Bayh, Sr.: He was a basketball coach at Indiana State University. He was also the father of Birch Evans Bayh II, who became a U.S. Senator.
