Deputy, Indiana
| Deputy | |
|---|---|
| census-designated place | |
  Deputy | |
| Coordinates: 38°47′39″N 85°39′12″W / 38.79417°N 85.65333°WCoordinates: 38°47′39″N 85°39′12″W / 38.79417°N 85.65333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Indiana |
| County | Jefferson |
| Township | Graham |
| Elevation | 627 ft (191 m) |
| ZIP code | 47230 |
| FIPS code | 18-17812[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 433488[2] |
Deputy is an unincorporated census-designated place in Graham Township, Jefferson County, Indiana, approximately 14 miles northwest of Madison, the county seat. Part of the area straddles into Montgomery Township, Jennings County.
Geography
Deputy is located at 38°47′39″N 85°39′12″W / 38.79417°N 85.65333°W.
Deputy is located on land that is considered to be of karst topography. The town and the area around it contain numerous sink holes and caves.
Description
Primarily an agricultural community, Deputy residents farm timber, corn, soybeans, wheat, hay, tobacco as well as vegetables and fruits in season. Cattle, hogs, chickens, goats, sheep, horses and donkeys are typical of farm animals many residents raise in the Deputy area.
There is no other town or community in the United States named Deputy.
History
In November 1810, Solomon Deputy and his wife, Sarah (aka "Sally"), of Wood County, Virginia (near modern-day Parkersburg, West Virginia) migrated on a flatboat down the Ohio River with the first three of their six children: Sylvester, 5 yrs old; William, 3 yrs old; and Ester, 1 yr old. They disembarked at a spot called Cooper's Ferry, near Madison. From there, they trekked west-northwest about ten miles inland to a creek called Coffee Creek to establish their homestead. They were the first white settlers of modern-day Jennings County (their farm on Coffee Creek was actually included in Clark County at the time). Sarah was pregnant at the time of their migration: On 4 June 1811, Sarah gave birth to her 4th child, Joshua. He is said to have been the first white child born in Jennings County, Indiana.[3]
The Deputys were originally from Sussex County, Delaware. Soon after Solomon and Sarah's arrival in the Indiana territory, several other Deputy families followed. One of them, Joshua Solomon, built a substantial fort / blockhouse just north of the present site of the town of Deputy in 1811. In 1812, as local Indians began to threaten the young community, most of the residents relocated to Joshua's fort for a time for protection. As the number of Deputys in the area increased, they expanded their holdings southward.[4]
The Deputies were relatively isolated in their new settlement. Solomon and Sarah's settling in Coffee Creek was the start of a multi-generational period of the Deputies clearing new farmsteads and marrying each other, with their settlement becoming known as the town of Deputy.[4]
Deputy is the area where the historic Deputy Camp Meetings were held..[citation needed]
A notable historic site that once overlooked the small town was a large tree. This tree was hundreds of years old and tales of the tree were said to be heard in Native American tribes throughout the area. The tree was located where the United States Post Office is now located.[citation needed]
A notable early villager of Deputy was Jacob Trumbo. He was an early pioneer in the Deputy area and is said to have come from Virginia. Jacob Trumbo is buried on David Cline's farm in Deputy and is surrounded by a rock wall.[citation needed]
Religious centers
Some notable churches in the area are the Deputy United Methodist Church, the Pisgah Methodist Church, the Open Door Baptist Church, the Bethany Baptist Church and the Lick Branch Baptist Church. Pisgah Methodist Church is the location of the Pisgah cemetery which holds many graves from the Revolutionary Era and Civil War Era to the present.
Deputy Pike
Deputy Pike is the toll road in Deputy which connects Deputy to the county seat, Madison. Deputy Pike is a scenic route along the Muskatatuck River, or "Big Creek" to Deputy's native people.
Important Places
One of the most important places in Deputy, and to Deputy natives, is Gaffney's Grocery, previously (and still often known as) Nays. Gaffney's Grocery is a small store located at Deputy which supplies many groceries and other needs to Deputy natives. Gaffney's offers a variety of hot meals and also quality deli selection. Gaffney's is an everyday meeting place for many residents, where they can go and converse with old and new friends. Gaffney's was owned and operated by David and Judy Gaffney. In 2008, it is now owned and operated by Bill and Phyllis Miller, a local farm family.
Some other important places in the Deputy area are the United States Post Office, the Deputy Elementary School and Crop Production Services. The heavily forested rural area surrounding Deputy supports several sawmills including TinyTIMBERS (http://tinytimbers.com) and Baxter Lumber and Phillips Millwork.
Schools
Located in Deputy is the Deputy Elementary School, part of the Madison Consolidated school system. As of 2008, the present principal is Kevin Saner, who was recently awarded the Educator of the Year Award. Deputy Elementary School is located near the site of the old Deputy High School. The Deputy Elementary School and the old Deputy High School mascot is a panther.
References
- ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ "Deputy, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System, U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-10-10.
- ↑ "Settlement of Jennings County, Indiana".
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Deputy, Malcom, Jennings County, Indiana, 1816 - 1899, published by the Jennings County Historical Society
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