Pence, Indiana

Pence
Unincorporated community
Pence

Location in Warren County

Coordinates: 40°21′40″N 87°30′41″W / 40.36111°N 87.51139°WCoordinates: 40°21′40″N 87°30′41″W / 40.36111°N 87.51139°W
Country United States
State Indiana
County Warren
Township Jordan
Founded 1902
Founded by Frank R. Pence
Elevation[1] 696 ft (212 m)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 47993
Area code(s) 765

Pence is a small unincorporated community in Jordan Township, Warren County, Indiana.

History

Pence was founded in September 1902 by Frank R. Pence, who purchased 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land for the purpose. In 1903, Pence became the smallest town in the United States to have a central water system. In the early part of the 20th century, Pence had numerous businesses including a grain elevator, a blacksmith shop, a welding and machine shop, a lumber yard, a coal yard, the Bank of Pence (which closed in the 1920s), a hotel (which also housed the post office for a time), restaurants, a general store, grocery stores, a hardware store, a weekly newspaper, a funeral home, a jewelry store, and various others. As of 1913, the population was about 150.[2]

Pence had a baseball team from 1910 to 1955, and also had a basketball team (the Pence Aces).

The post office operated from October 12, 1903 to April 5, 1957.

Geography

Pence is located less than a mile east of the Indiana-Illinois state line and a quarter mile from Jordan Creek, which flows southwest toward the Vermilion River. It is on County Road 300 North, which (in Illinois) runs into the town of Rossville about 9 miles to the west.

References

  1. ↑ "USGS detail on Pence". Retrieved 2007-09-30.
  2. ↑ Clifton, Thomas, ed. (1913). Past and Present of Fountain and Warren Counties Indiana. Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen and Company. p. 326.