Farmers Retreat, Indiana Explained

Official Name:Farmers Retreat
Pushpin Map:USA Indiana Dearborn County
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Indiana
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Dearborn
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:Caesar Creek
Coordinates:38.9764°N -85.1022°W
Elevation Ft:876
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:47018
Blank Name:FIPS code
Blank Info:18-22756[1]
Blank1 Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank1 Info:434404

Farmers Retreat is an unincorporated community in Caesar Creek Township, Dearborn County, Indiana.

History

A post office was established at Farmers Retreat in 1852, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1925.[2] The center of community life is St. John Lutheran Church (often called St. John's) which was founded in 1843. For many years it operated a school serving grades 1-8 where many of the residents of the community attended.

In the middle of the community is a grassy field that has been used as an airstrip by its owner, Barry Pruss, since the 1960s. Pruss Airport is designated by the FAA as 17IN.[3]

Stories about the name of the community relate to Morgan's Raiders, a Confederate cavalry that traveled through this general area in 1863. One account says that farmers retreated to avoid possible conflict, and another says that farmers left home (either out of curiosity or prepared to engage in battle) but then went back home when Morgan did not show up.

Prior to that time, the community was known as Opptown.

References

  1. Web site: U.S. Census website . . 2008-01-31 .
  2. Web site: Dearborn County . Jim Forte Postal History . 31 August 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140903102005/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=IN&county=Dearborn . 3 September 2014 .
  3. https://www.airport-data.com/airport/17IN/ Airport data