Editing Seymour, Indiana (section)

==History==

===19th century===
The land near Seymour was originally inhabited by the [[Lenape|Lenape Indians]] as they were moved west from their lands along the Delaware River valley on the east coast of the 13 colonies.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=September 2001 |title=Indiana Historical Bureau. "The Indiana Historian: Finding Our Way Home: The Great Lakes Woodland People." Indiana Historical Bureau Publications, September 2001, p. 12. Indiana State Library. |url=https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll98/id/561/rec/14 |journal=Indiana Historical Bureau |pages=12 |doi= |issn=}}</ref> The [[Treaty of Grouseland]] in 1805 opened the area to white settlers. Following the [[Pigeon Roost Massacre|Pidgeon Roost Massacre]] in 1812, a local skirmish known as the [[Battle of Tipton's Island]] took place between settlers and a group of hostile Indian raiders.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=November 2023 |title=Charles Seymour, 6th duke of Somerset to Jacob Tonson [the elder], April, May or June 1703 [addijoEE0050340b1c] |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.13051/ee:doc/addijoee0050340b1c |access-date=2024-10-31 |website=Electronic Enlightenment Scholarly Edition of Correspondence|doi=10.13051/ee:doc/addijoee0050340b1c }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Reverdin, Prof. Olivier, (15 July 1913–16 June 2000) |date=2007-12-01 |work=Who Was Who |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u32325 |access-date=2024-10-31 |publisher=Oxford University Press|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u32325 }}</ref> Between 1811 and 1815, Native Americans killed fifteen settlers. By 1816, only five families remained in the area.<ref name=":1" />  [[Indiana]] became a state on December 11, 1816.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Statehood Dates |url=https://www.50states.com/statehood.htm |access-date=2024-12-23 |language=en-US}}</ref> In 1817, the State of Indiana established a blockhouse to facilitate trade with the Lenape Indians until the natives ceded the area after the [[Treaty of St. Mary's (1818)|Treaty of St. Mary's]].<ref name=":1" /> From 1822 to 1832, the county experienced significant depopulation.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=History of Jackson County |url=https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15078coll8/id/3422 |access-date=June 4, 2023 |website=indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org |language=en}}</ref>

Seymour was established and mapped out on April 27, 1852, by Meedy and Eliza Ewing Shields, near the 1809 Indian Treaty Corner and about two miles south of [[Rockford, Jackson County, Indiana|Rockford, Indiana]]. This location was the terminus of the north-south railroad at the [[White River (Indiana)|Driftwood River]] before the purchase of 1828, and the construction of the rail bridge over the White River.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Indian Treaty Corner – Indiana Historical Markers on Waymarking.com |url=https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm25D6_Indian_Treaty_Corner |access-date=January 12, 2022 |website=www.waymarking.com}}</ref><ref name=":4"/> At this time, the Driftwood River and Rockford were the beginning of the wild frontier and Indian lands north of the river.  In the late 1840s, a north-south railroad connecting the Ohio River at Jeffersonville with new state capital in Indianapolis was built, crossing the Shields' farm. In 1852, an east-west railroad was being surveyed through Jackson County, and [[Meedy Shields]] convinced the [[Ohio and Mississippi Railroad]] to pass through his property. In return, he agreed to name the town after the railroad's civil engineer, Henry C. Seymour, although some sources mention J. Seymour, the surveyor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City of Seymour Indiana Tourism Information |url=https://www.seymourin.org/index.php/tourism |access-date=January 12, 2022 |website=www.seymourin.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Seymour, Indiana - City Information, Fast Facts, Schools, Colleges, and More |url=https://www.citytowninfo.com/places/indiana/seymour |access-date=June 5, 2023 |website=citytowninfo.com |language=en}}</ref> Contradicting this, another account states that in 1852, Captain Meedy Shields persuaded Hezekiah Cook Seymour to route the east-west Ohio and Mississippi Railroad through his land, naming the city in Seymour's honor.

The first settlers arrived in the spring of 1853. On June 29, 1854, the first train on the new [[Ohio and Mississippi Railroad]] stopped in Seymour and fired a celebratory cannon shot. Unfortunately, four men were killed in the resulting explosion from the poorly aimed fusillade.<ref name=":1" />

Seymour was mockingly called a "mule crossing" due to its slow initial growth and the lack of interest from railroad companies.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · January 29, 1924, Tue · p. 1, Downloaded on February 7, 2022</ref><ref name=":1" /> Significant development didn't occur until 1857, when the state legislature, influenced by local landowner and Indiana State Senator Meedy Shields, passed a law requiring all trains to stop at railroad intersections. This law, aimed at increasing safety before the widespread use of [[Railway semaphore signal|semaphores]], boosted the value of land around these intersections and made them safer for warehousing.<ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Railroad Directory |website=University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign |url= https://libsysdigi.library.uiuc.edu/oca/Books2007-06/unitedstatesrail00homa/unitedstatesrail00homa_djvu.txt }}</ref>

Meedy Shields placed advertisements in the nearby [[Cincinnati]] and [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]] newspapers, offering a free lot and $100 to any congregation willing to establish a church in the city. Charles White of the [[Presbyterianism|Presbyterian Church]] was the first to respond in 1855.<ref name=":1" /> In 1858, Blish Mill became the town's first mill. By 1881, Seymour had three mills within its city limits.<ref name=":1" /> The large grain tower still stands near the railroad intersection in the center of town.

Seymour was once a stop on the [[Underground Railroad]]. On April 20, 1860, an [[Adams Express]] package shipped from Nashville, Tennessee, and addressed to "Hannah Johnson [care of] Levi Coffin" burst open at Seymour while en route to Cincinnati. [[Levi Coffin]] was a leading Hoosier [[Abolitionism|abolitionist]] and the unofficial leader of the Underground Railroad.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=September 1, 1976 |title=HHE determination report no. HHE-75-187-329 |journal=Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio |doi=10.26616/nioshhhe75187329 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The package contained a person fleeing slavery and seeking freedom in the North. A similar incident had occurred earlier in Kentucky. The true identity of "Hannah Johnson" remains a mystery. Although Indiana was a "free state", [[Constitution of Indiana|Article XIII]] of the state constitution of 1851 made it illegal for [[African Americans]] to settle in Indiana, and the [[Fugitive Slave Act of 1850|Fugitive Slave Act]] permitted bounty hunters to capture and return people to slavery.<ref>{{Cite web |last=IHB |date=December 15, 2020 |title=Article 13 – Negroes and Mulattoes |url=https://www.in.gov/history/about-indiana-history-and-trivia/explore-indiana-history-by-topic/indiana-documents-leading-to-statehood/constitution-of-1851/article-13-negroes-and-mulattoes |access-date=March 13, 2022 |website=IHB |language=en}}</ref> The fugitive, later identified as Alexander McClure, was arrested and returned to Louisville and then to his owner in [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], Tennessee.<ref>{{Cite web |last=IHB |date=December 7, 2020 |title=Alexander McClure |url=https://www.in.gov/history/state-historical-markers/find-a-marker/alexander-mcclure/ |access-date=June 5, 2023 |website=IHB |language=en}}</ref><ref>The Underground Railroad in Indiana, p. 3. https://www.in.gov/dnr/historic-preservation/files/ugrr_history.pdf</ref>

====The Civil War====

Due to its strategic location along rail lines, and with the large cities of Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit to the north and St. Louis to the west, Seymour was an important waypoint for the movement of men and supplies to the front during the war.  Despite southern Indiana's strong [[Copperhead (politics)|Copperheads]] political sentiment,<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 5, 1863 |title=George Greene, Copperhead |pages=1 |work=Seymour Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/seymour-times-george-greene-copperhead/125822694/ |access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref> the city of Seymour and the surrounding area raised three separate infantry units for service in the [[Union Army]]. Volunteers from Seymour were organized at Camp Heffron in Seymour - later the location of Shields High School.<ref>Rebber, Elizabeth. Seymour, a Pictorial History. St. Louis, Mo.: G. Bradley Publ., 1991, p. 24</ref> These included the [[50th Indiana Infantry Regiment]],<nowiki/>commanded by former Indiana Secretary of State, Colonel [[Cyrus L. Dunham]],<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://civilwarindex.com/50th-indiana-infantry.html | title=50th Indiana Infantry in the American Civil War }}</ref> as well as Company C of the [[10th Indiana Cavalry Regiment]]. The 50th Indiana was conspicuous at the [[Battle of Parker's Cross Roads|Battle of Parker's Crossroads]] against [[Nathan Bedford Forrest]], as was the 10th Indiana Cavalry in skirmishes near Pulaski and during the 1864 [[Franklin–Nashville campaign|Nashville Campaign]]. Company H of the [[6th Indiana Infantry Regiment]] was also raised in Seymour, and commanded by Captain Fielder A Jones, who would end the war as a Brevet Brigadier General. These men fought at [[Battle of Shiloh|Shiloh]] (2nd Day), [[Battle of Stones River|Stones River]], [[Battle of Chickamauga|Chickamauga]], [[Battle of Missionary Ridge|Missionary Ridge]], and through the [[Atlanta campaign|Atlanta Campaign]], ending in the capture of that city.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=March 30, 1917 |title=Civil War Service |pages=6 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-civil-war-service/126302089/ |access-date=June 12, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 25, 1920 |title=Captain Fielder Jones |pages=2 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-captain-fielder-jones/126301923/ |access-date=June 12, 2023}}</ref>

By 1865, Fielder Jones had been transferred to the [[8th Indiana Cavalry Regiment|8th Indiana Cavalry]] and promoted to colonel, only a couple of months before being brevetted to Brigadier General. Early in the war, Jones had been "body shot" by a bushwhacker he later killed, W. A. Carter recalled decades later. "No Surrender" Jones survived his wound, then later raised another infantry unit of Jackson County men who elected him colonel. "When the company was organized, a group of Seymour women made a beautiful silk American flag and presented it to the Colonel. The presentation was made on the platform of what was then the O&M railroad station located in what [later became] the east warehouse of the Travis Carter Company at the corner of Fourth and Broadway. Mrs. George Williams, wife of one of Seymour's first jewelers, made the presentation speech. 'The enemy will never get this flag while I live,' the Colonel declared in accepting the flag and he kept his word." Carter said the flag came back with General Jones and his company, but other stories said Jones never returned to Seymour. After being mustered out, Jones headed to Missouri to practice law.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sellers |first=Charlotte |title=Saving Seymour Stories: Tales From the First 50 Years |publisher=Seymour Museum Inc |year=2007}}</ref>

On July 10, 1863, as Confederate Brigadier General [[John Hunt Morgan]] and his Cavalry sacked nearby [[Salem, Indiana|Salem]], Major General [[John Love (general)|John Love]] of the Indiana Legion (militia) arrived in Seymour from [[New Albany, Indiana|New Albany]] to take command of the city defenses, Seymour being most important due to its railroad crossing. Over the next day, Love used Seymour as a staging ground to gather a force to repel Morgan's next attack, which they believed would target the [[Ohio and Mississippi Railway|Ohio & Mississippi Railroad]] either at [[Mitchell, Indiana|Mitchell]], Seymour, or [[Vernon, Indiana|Vernon]]. His force included elements of the [[63rd Indiana Infantry Regiment|63rd Indiana]] and [[69th Indiana Infantry Regiment|69th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiments]], the [[1st Michigan Sharpshooters Regiment|1st Michigan Sharpshooters]], the [[15th Independent Battery Indiana Light Artillery|15th Indiana (Von Sehlen's) Battery of Light Artillery]] and a few Indiana Legion militia units. As Morgan moved on Vernon on July 11, Love took his force (about 1,000 men) from Seymour to meet him, placing Captain Meedy Shields in charge of the Seymour defenses in his absence. Shields had organized and trained many local and mounted militia units, and in Love's words, "rendered invaluable service" during the [[Morgan's Raid]] crisis.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Operations of the Indiana Legion and Minute Men: 1863-64 |publisher=W.R. Holloway |year=1865 |location=Indianapolis |pages=15–19}}</ref>

On January 20, 1864, during the transfer of [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] prisoners of war, six officers escaped. One was later recaptured in town.<ref name="CEJan1864">The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) · January 20, 1864, Wed · p/ 2, Downloaded on February 11, 2022</ref> The ''New York Times'' reports that on January 22, 1864, a "Soldier's riot" took place, wherein two soldiers were killed, and several others were injured.<ref>The New York Times (New York, New York) · January 22, 1864, Fri · p. 1, Downloaded on March 9, 2022</ref>

The 50th Indiana Infantry Regiment lost 3 officers and 54 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 officers and 158 enlisted men by disease for a total of 218 casualties during the war. Colonel Dunham, a Democrat, was accused of harboring Confederate sympathies and mustered out of the regiment in 1863 under a cloud of suspicion.<ref>From Kentucky; Brigandage Bullies Arrested Cyrus L. Dunham The Cumberland Presbyterians comparison of Prices A Convert's Confessions, &c. [https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1862/06/01/78690491.pdf ''The New York Times'' Louisville, Tuesday, May 27, 1862]</ref> Lt. Colonel Heffron, who was poorly regarded by the men of the regiment, was also dismissed from the army and replaced by Major Samuel T Wells, a [[Vallonia, Indiana]], native, Mexican-American war veteran, and former Jackson County Sheriff.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Page 34 |url=https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15078coll8/id/3424 |access-date=June 4, 2023 |website=indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org |language=en}}</ref> Wells would go on to command the regiment after Durham's resignation until the 50th was dissolved and all men transferred to the [[52nd Indiana Infantry Regiment]] which was also garrisoned in [[Mobile, Alabama]], and remained there until the war's end.<ref>Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion (Des Moines, IA: Dyer Pub. Co.), 1908.</ref>

During the Civil War, Seymour and Jackson County fielded a total of 2,571 volunteers for the Union cause.<ref name=":3" />

====The Reno Era====
[[File:Seymour's Billy Yank.jpg|alt=Billy Yank|thumb|upright|Billy Yank, the statue honoring Seymour's Civil War veterans, was newly restored in 2023 after being vandalized and stored for more than 40 years.]]

After the war, local veterans organized the Ellsworth Post 20 of the [[Grand Army of the Republic|G.A.R.]] At its zenith, the post included two hundred and twenty-two local citizens who had served the Union during the war as members.  During its long existence, the organization included many prominent community members. The Ellsworth Post was active in local charities, organized burial services for local veterans, and conducted official observances on [[Memorial Day|Decoration Day]]. The final member of the post, James H Boak, lived to be 98 years old. He died in 1942, closing one of the longest-running G.A.R. chapters in existence.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · December 28, 1942, Mon · p. 6, Downloaded on February 14, 2022</ref>

A robbery of the Adams Express Car on the east-west Ohio and Mississippi line near [[Brownstown, Indiana|Brownstown]] was reported in July 1866. That night, the perpetrators were chased by a local [[vigilance committee]] of 300 men that continued into the Rockford area.<ref name="CEJan1864" /> Three days later, the Reno brothers had been identified as the gang's leaders and newspapers were recounting the notorious deeds of the family.<ref>The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) · July 23, 1868, Thu · p. 8, Downloaded on February 11, 2022</ref> Later that year, Seymour was the site of the world's first successful moving train robbery during peacetime. It was committed by the local [[Reno Gang]], on October 6, 1866, just east of town, starting in the Adams Express Company car of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. Some members of the gang were later lynched at [[Hangman Crossing, Indiana|Hangman's Crossing]] outside town.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · July 29, 1952, Tue · p. 6, Downloaded on January 24, 2022</ref>

About 1876, a general strike of approximately 500 railroad men occurred at Seymour and nearby [[North Vernon, Indiana]], led by armed brakemen, engineers, and other railroad employees who had not been paid for two and a half months by the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. A paper reported that the communities of Seymour and North Vernon were armed and in revolt. A contingent of [[United States Marshals Service|US Marshals]] and detectives was sent from Cincinnati to end the strike. All passenger and cargo service through Seymour and North Vernon was suspended during the strike.<ref>The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio) · August 12, 1876, Sat · p. 8, Downloaded on February 11, 2022</ref>

The town's first high school was built in 1871 on the vacant lot of the disbanded civil war encampment. Frank B Shields, a Seymour native, former [[MIT]] professor, and inventor of [[Barbasol]] shaving cream, subsequently donated the adjacent land needed for the construction of the James Shields Memorial Gym.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · February 8, 1995, Wed · p. 4, Downloaded on March 5, 2022</ref>

In 1880, the Seymour Weekly Democrat noted that Seymour boasted a population of nearly 5,000, four schools including Shields High School, a Catholic School and two German schools with 700 students; four hotels including the newly built Hotel Jonas, the Faulconer, the City Hotel and the Mansion House.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1880-06-10 |title=Seymour as it is |pages=2 |work=Seymour Weekly Democrat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/seymour-weekly-democrat-seymour-as-it-is/137493244/ |access-date=2023-12-27}}</ref>

During the years prior to the turn of the 20th century, Seymour saw a significant influx of Dutch and German migrants of the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] faith. These migrants eventually established many successful local farms and businesses. These pioneers' influence continues today and can be seen in the city's annual [[Oktoberfest celebrations|Oktoberfest]] celebration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Food {{!}} Seymour Oktoberfest, Inc. {{!}} United States|url=https://www.seymouroktoberfest.com/|access-date=January 12, 2022|website=Seymour Oktoberfest|language=en}}</ref>

===20th century===
[[File:Seymour Indiana Public Library.tiff|thumb|right|alt=Seymour Indiana Public Library ca 1910|Seymour Indiana Public Library, ca 1910]]
Seymour fielded its own minor league team, the Seymour Reds, beginning in 1900. [[Pee Wee Reese]] once played with the Seymour Reds before being called up to the [[Major League Baseball|majors]]. The team had its own field, Redlands Park, north of Shields City Park.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · November 29, 1963, Fri · p. 6, Downloaded on February 7, 2022</ref><ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · August 13, 1937, Fri · p. 2, Downloaded on February 7, 2022</ref><ref>Seymour Daily Democrat (Seymour, Indiana) · March 9, 1900, Fri · p. 5, Downloaded on February 7, 2022</ref>

The Seymour Public Library opened to the public in January 1905, following a grant of $10,000 from the [[Andrew Carnegie Library Fund|Carnegie Foundation]] in 1903 led by the Public-School Superintendent and President of the Seymour Public Library Board, Professor H.C. Montgomery. Efforts to bring a library to Seymour began twenty years early in 1881. Early library collections were housed in a local bookshop and then at Shields High School until the new Carnegie Library opened. The public library was part of more than $2.6 million in grants issued in the state of Indiana for more than 160 libraries: more than any other state.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · June 3, 1937, Thu · p. 1, downloaded on January 15, 2022</ref>

On October 22, 1908, [[William Howard Taft]], the [[1908 Republican National Convention|Republican Nominee]] for President of the United States, made a campaign speech in Seymour to 10,000 people at the Chestnut Street railroad crossing during his whistle-stop tour of Indiana two weeks before the election. He would go on to win the Presidency.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Great Crowd Cheers Taft |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/158946124/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |work=Seymour Daily Republican |pages=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Oct 22, 1908, page 1 - The Tribune at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/158946124/ |access-date=2025-01-23 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 1913, the [[Great Flood of 1913|Great Flood]] hit Seymour causing widespread death and destruction. It was the deadliest natural disaster to ever hit the area. The East Fork of the White River reached {{convert|27.50|ft}} above the level recorded in the flood of 1884.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 2008 |title=Flood! |pages=5 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-flood/125814768/ |access-date=June 4, 2023}}</ref>

====World Wars====
[[File:RAF Sikorsky R-4 taking off 1945.jpg|alt=Black and White photo of Sikorsky R-4|thumb|[[Sikorsky R-4]], ca 1945]]
[[File:Seymour-high-school.jpg|alt=Interior of Lloyd Scott Gym, ca 2013|thumb|Interior of Lloyd Scott Gym, ca 2013]]

On May 7, 1915, leading city-industrialist and scion of the Thompson family Eldridge Blish Thompson died during the sinking of the ocean liner [[RMS Lusitania|RMS ''Lusitania'']].<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 16, 1915 |title=e blish thomapson2 |pages=1 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-e-blish-thomapson2/21213995/ |access-date=June 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lockett |first=M. Judith Sargeant |date=June 18, 2011 |title=Mr. Elbridge Blish Thompson |url=https://www.rmslusitania.info/people/saloon/elbridge-blish-thompson/ |access-date=June 21, 2023 |website=The Lusitania Resource |language=en-US}}</ref>  A memorial scholarship was funded in his name by his family at Seymour's Shields High School for any student accepted to [[Yale University]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 16, 1915 |title=Thompson Scholarship |pages=1 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-thompson-scholarship/126833614/ |access-date=June 21, 2023}}</ref> The sinking of the ocean liner was an important factor in President Woodrow Wilson's decision to ask Congress for a declaration of war in April 1917.

During [[World War II]], the US government purchased {{convert|2500|acre}} of land southwest of town for use as an airfield.  Local veterans initially proposed to name the field after US Navy Seaman Cockrum who died at [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]]. [[Freeman Army Airfield]] operated from 1942 to 1946. The base was first used for twin-engine training. The first class graduated on April 29 and went on to fly multi-engine aircraft such as the [[B-24 Liberator]], [[B-17 Flying Fortress]], [[B-29 Superfortress]], and various other medium bombers and transport aircraft. Twin-engine training continued with a total of 19 classes of students graduating from Freeman Field using a total of 250 Beechcraft [[AT-10 Wichita]] trainers. The last graduates were in May 1944; 4,245 total cadets.<ref name="Maurer 1983">Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. {{ISBN|0-89201-092-4}}.</ref><ref name="Maurer 1982">Maurer, Maurer (1982). Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II, Office of Air Force history (1982). {{ISBN|0-8317-1501-4}}</ref><ref name="Manning">Manning, Thomas A. (2005), ''History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002''.  Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas {{OCLC|71006954|29991467}}</ref>

Freeman Army Airfield was the first helicopter base in the US.<ref name="Thole">Thole, Lou (2001), ''Forgotten Fields Of America'' Volume 2. Pictorial Histories Publishing, Missoula {{ASIN|B001KS2PLS}}</ref> The first instructor pilots arrived on June 30 and preparations for the [[helicopter]] training were made in great secrecy, as in 1944 very few people had seen one and the technology was new and revolutionary.<ref name="Thole" /> The group assigned to coordinate their arrival was known as "Section B-O". A total of six [[Sikorsky R-4]] helicopters were assigned for training, flown directly to Freeman from the Sikorsky plant at [[Bridgeport, Connecticut]]. This was the longest-distance flight of any formation of helicopters at the time.<ref name="Thole" />

The [[Freeman Field Mutiny]] occurred in 1945, in which [[African-American|African American]] members of the [[477th Bombardment Group]] attempted to integrate an all-white officers' club at Freeman Army Air Corps Base. The mutiny is generally regarded by historians of the [[Civil Rights Movement]] as an important step toward full integration of the armed forces and as a model for later efforts to integrate public facilities through [[civil disobedience]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 20, 2021 |title=How Tuskegee Airmen Fought Military Segregation With Nonviolent Action |url=https://www.history.com/news/tuskegee-airmen-impact-civil-rights-movement |access-date=June 12, 2023 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref>

Nearing the end of WWII, Freeman Field was designated the Foreign Aircraft Evaluation Center for US Army Air Technical Intelligence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find My Organization {{!}} EBSCO |url=https://www.ebsco.com/find-my-organization |access-date=2024-02-29 |website=www.ebsco.com |language=en}}</ref> After the end of the war in Europe, captured German and Italian aircraft were collected by "[[Operation Lusty]]". Freeman Field was also charged with the mission to receive and catalog United States equipment for display at the present and for the future AAF museum.<ref>Thole, Lou (2001), ''Forgotten Fields of America'' Volume 2. Pictorial Histories Publishing, Missoula {{ASIN|B001KS2PLS}}</ref> However, these operations, including the helicopter training missions were moved to other locations, and Freeman Field was deactivated and deeded to the city of Seymour in 1946. Future astronaut [[Gus Grissom]] enlisted as an aviation training cadet at Freeman Field in 1944.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://freemanarmyairfieldmuseum.org/history-of-the-airfield | title=Freeman Army Airfield museum }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 2, 1988 |title=Freeman history told to Rotarians |pages=3 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-freeman-history-told-to-rota/125815623/ |access-date=June 4, 2023}}</ref>

====Mid century====
During the last week of June 1952, the city of Seymour held a week-long [[centennial]] celebration that included concerts, parades, a re-enactment of the Reno Brothers train robbery, contests, and a play entitled "The Seymour Story".<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · Wed, May 21, 1952, · pp. 1 & 5, Downloaded on March 15, 2022,</ref> The [[B&O Railroad]] loaned Engine #25 and several cars from their Baltimore Museum for use in the Reno reenactment scenes,<ref name="Rebber166">Rebber, Elizabeth. Seymour, a Pictorial History. St. Louis, Mo.: G. Bradley Publ., 1991, p. 166</ref> and the event was featured in ''B & O Magazine''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 8, 1952 |title=Robbery Reenactment in B & O Magazine |pages=1 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-robbery-reenactment-in-b-o/125908814/ |access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref> During the event, local industries paid their employers in silver dollars to commemorate the event.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · June 23, 1952, Mon · p. 1, Downloaded on January 23, 2022</ref>

Beginning in 1959, the city's former high school, Shields High School, was closed and all students transferred to the new [[Seymour High School (Indiana)|Seymour High School]] west of town. By 1970, the school corporation completed the construction of the second-largest school gymnasium in the United States.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · December 4, 1969, Thu · p. 17, Downloaded on January 24, 2022</ref><ref name="Benbow">{{cite web |last1=Benbow |first1=Dana Hunsinger |title=You'd better sit down: Indiana's largest high school basketball gym changes after seating count |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2019/03/08/indianas-largest-high-school-basektball-gym-changes-after-seating-count/3087204002/ |website=The Indianapolis Star |date=March 8, 2019}}</ref> In 1981, the gym was renamed the "Lloyd E Scott" gymnasium in honor of the [[Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame|Indiana Hall of Fame]] basketball coach.<ref name=":2">Rebber, Elizabeth. Seymour, a Pictorial History. St. Louis, Mo.: G. Bradley Publ., 1991, p. 193</ref>

====Late century====
Various murders occurred in the Seymour area that were linked to [[Rose Acre Farms]] in the 1970s. Employees Theresa Osborne, Mike Reece, and Carrie Croucher all from Rose Acre with ties to founder David Rust died under mysterious circumstances.<ref>The Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Indiana) · March 13, 1991, Wednesday · p. 12, Downloaded on January 23, 2022</ref> Mysteriously, Theresa Osborne's body was found in the trunk of her burnt and abandoned vehicle weeks after her disappearance. Even years later, the deaths remained under investigation. [[Courier Journal|Louisville Courier Journal]] reporters published a series of articles. Investigations by local authorities into the deaths did not result in any charges against David Rust, who died in 2004.<ref>Journal and Courier (Lafayette, Indiana) · February 2, 2004, Monday · p. 16, Downloaded on January 23, 2022</ref>

After being found guilty of four counts of accepting bribes while in office, Christopher Moritz resigned as mayor on March 29, 1983. Because he was sentenced to five years in prison and barred from holding public office for ten years until William Bailey assumed office. Donald Scott served the remaining balance of Moritz's term as Mayor.  Moritz began serving his sentence on December 8, 1984.<ref>{{cite news |last=Knox |first=Melinda |date=November 5, 2003 |title=Bullard holds off Zickler for Win |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/179415883 |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 24, 2022 |newspaper=The Seymour Tribune |location=Seymour, Indiana |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> On March 29, 1983, he resigned as mayor after a judge found him guilty of four counts of accepting bribes while in office. He was sentenced to five years in prison and barred from holding public office for ten years. Moritz began serving his sentence on December 8, 1984.<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · December 6, 1984, Thu · p. 1, Downloaded on March 3, 2022</ref> Donald Scott served the remaining balance of Moritz's term until William Bailey assumed office.

Seymour's east-west railroad, controlled by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad since the previous century, merged in 1987 into [[CSX Transportation]], creating one of the largest [[Class I railroads]] in North America.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 24, 2020 |title=CSX merger family tree {{!}} Trains Magazine |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/railroads/history/csx-merger-family-tree/ |access-date=June 12, 2023 |website=Trains |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Stardust Theatre.jpg|alt=Color photo of the Stardust Theater|thumb|Stardust Theater, ca 1986]]
In 1989, the Stardust Theater, a local landmark for fifty years, closed its gates for the last time. The 550-spot drive-in first opened on May 19, 1949, and aired its last feature films "[[Ghostbusters II]]" and "[[The Karate Kid Part III|Karate Kid III]]" on September 30. The theater was popular for showing movies, cartoons, and dusk-to-dawn [[movie marathon]]s. The operator of the theater said the decision to close the theater was purely economic, the land the theater sat on was just too valuable. The owner, Florence Carter sold the property to developers who turned the entire site into an [[outlet mall]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1949-05-17 |title=Drive-in theater opens Thursday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-drive-in-theater-opens-thurs/125484279/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |work=The Tribune |pages=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1989-09-30 |title=Stardust writes 'The End' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-stardust-writes-the-end/125484571/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |work=The Tribune |pages=1}}</ref>

On July 8, 1991, the former Lynn Hotel, a local landmark first opened on July 1, 1883, collapsed due to disrepair and neglect.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1991-07-08 |title=Landmark Crumbles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-landmark-crumbles/125420050/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |work=The Tribune |pages=1}}</ref> The city previously purchased the property for $35,000 with an eye on redeveloping the building into city offices. Other groups had offered to purchase and save the property before it was leveled including John Mellencamp, an investment group from California, and local community activists.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1990-12-31 |title=Works Board |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-works-board/125484963/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |work=The Tribune |pages=10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1990-12-28 |title=Board accepts bids on the Lynn demolition |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-board-accepts-bids-on-the-ly/125485228/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |work=The Tribune |pages=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1990-12-08 |title=Burkhart Pushing to Demolish the Lynn |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-burkhart-pushing-to-demolish/125485533/ |access-date=2024-02-29 |work=The Tribune |pages=1}}</ref>

On May 29, 1997, the former Shields High School, first constructed in 1910, was raised during a botched demolishment of a smaller portion of the building, the girls' gym. The structure was privately owned after the construction of Seymour Middle School, and once housed a private bible college. Building inspectors determined that was too much damage and the structure was unsafe.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 29, 1997 |title=old Shields High School comes down |pages=1 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-old-shields-high-school-come/125788356/ |access-date=June 3, 2023}}</ref>

On Christmas Day 1998, the historic Walton Hotel, first known at the Rader House,<ref>Seymour Times (Seymour, Indiana) · February 19, 1863, Thu · Page 3, Downloaded on August 8, 2022</ref> and then the Faulkner House,<ref>Seymour Weekly Sun (Seymour, Indiana) · December 6, 1871, Wed · Page 2, Downloaded on August 8, 2022</ref> the Jonas Hotel, and the Centennial Hotel,<ref>{{cite news |title=A Good Place to Call Home |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107188626/ |newspaper=[[The Seymour Tribune]] |date=December 28, 1998 |page=9 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=August 8, 2022}}</ref> burned to the ground in an accidental fire that killed one person. The property was first built in 1854, was one of the oldest structures in Seymour, was in the process of being restored, and was being used as low-income housing at the time of the fire.<ref name="The Tribune 1998, p. 1">The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · December 26, 1998, Sat · p. 1, Downloaded on March 8, 2022</ref> The structure was the third important historic downtown building to fall during the nineties.

===21st century===
Thanks to the efforts of then Lt. Governor [[John Mutz]] and community leaders at the Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, [[Aisin]] constructed a factory in Seymour in 1986,<ref>{{Cite news |date=1986-05-16 |title=Article clipped from The Tribune |pages=1 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune/96995282/ |access-date=2023-10-11}}</ref> with production beginning in 1989 with wide public support.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1986-05-22 |title=Article clipped from The Tribune |pages=20 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune/96994977/ |access-date=2023-10-11}}</ref> Initial estimates suggested 200 new employees, but by 2020, Aisin employed more than 2,000 local residents. This factory has since been expanded and supplies components for [[Honda]], [[General Motors]], [[Mitsubishi]], [[Nissan]] and [[Toyota]].<ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · May 22, 1986, Thu · p. 20, Downloaded on March 5, 2022</ref><ref>The Tribune (Seymour, Indiana) · May 16, 1986, Fri · p. 1, Downloaded on March 5, 2022</ref>

The {{convert|106|mi|km|abbr=on}} north-south railroad line that serves Seymour was purchased by the [[Louisville and Indiana Railroad]] from [[Conrail]] in March 1994.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 5, 2003 |title=Amtrak to Drop Louisville to Indianapolis Route |pages=A2 |work=The Madison Courier |agency=Associated Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E8NJAAAAIBAJ&dq=louisville+and+indiana+railroad&pg=PA2&article_id=6933,414778 |access-date=August 23, 2022}}</ref> The Seymour Diamond Crossing is a good place to also watch the east-west railroad line, which CSX upgraded in 2016 for reliable higher speed operation.<ref>[https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/about-us/media/press-releases/increase-in-number-length-and-speed-of-trains-on-csx-tracks-from-seymour-to-butlerville-indiana/ SEYMOUR, Ind. – August 22, 2016]. CSX Press Release. Accessed December 10, 2022.</ref> The Louisville and Indiana Railroad served as a short-line railroad to provide switching services for access to the CSX mainline.<ref>[https://www.csx.com/index.cfm/customers/short-line-and-partner-railroads/short-line-map-and-directory/short-line-directory-profile/?i=LIRC LIRC Profile.] CSX Short Line Directory. Accessed December 10, 2022.</ref>

Immigration from [[San Sebastián Coatán]], [[Guatemala]], began about 1989 as indigenous [[Chuj people]] found the [[American Dream]] in the United States. As word spread to their families and friends in their hometown about the quality of life in Seymour, more families journeyed from their poverty-stricken part of Guatemala to a newer, more fruitful life in the U.S. Immigrants from Guatemala as of 2020 make up more than 10% of the local population.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://wearemitu.com/wearemitu/things-that-matter/indigenous-guatemalan-migrants-community-in-indiana/ | title=Indigenous Guatemalan Migrants Have Created a Thriving Community in a Small Town in Indiana | date=November 24, 2021 }}</ref>

In November 2019, the city unveiled a large mural of John Mellencamp, painted on the side of a local guitar store. The store's owner, Larry McDonald, is a longtime friend and former bandmate of Mellencamp. The Mellencamp family donated $50,000 to help turn the former parking lot into a green space so more people could enjoy the mural painted by artist Sue Bliss.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Mellencamp donates $50K to build a plaza in his "Small Town," next to a mural honoring him |url=https://www.ktlo.com/2020/01/06/john-mellencamp-donates-50k-to-build-a-plaza-in-his-small-town-next-to-mural-honoring-him/ |website=KTLO |access-date=March 16, 2022 |date=January 6, 2020}}</ref>

In October 2024, Indiana [[Attorney general|Attorney General]] [[Todd Rokita]] issued a civil investigative demand to ensure the city complies with state immigration policies. Specifically, the AG requested records to determine if the city is acting as a ''[[De Facto]]'' sanctuary city and to produce data on individuals who may have committed the specific crime of driving without a license, as well as all misdemeanor violations except for driving without a license.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Noakes |first=Alena |date=2024-10-25 |title=Indiana Attorney General investigating if Seymour is acting as a sanctuary city |url=https://www.wave3.com/2024/10/25/indiana-attorney-general-investigating-if-seymour-is-acting-sanctuary-city/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=WAVE 3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Staff Reports |date=2024-10-23 |title=Rokita investigating Seymour, South Bend immigration policies, Seymour police issue response |url=https://www.therepublic.com/2024/10/23/rokita-investigating-seymour-south-bend-immigration-policies/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=The Republic News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.wave3.com/video/2024/10/24/indiana-attorney-general-investigating-if-seymour-is-acting-sanctuary-city/ |title=Indiana Attorney General investigating if Seymour, IN is acting as a sanctuary city |date=2024-10-25 |language=en |access-date=2024-10-29 |via=www.wave3.com}}</ref> On the same day, Seymour Mayor Matt Nicholson canceled a regularly scheduled city council meeting. In response, Seymour Common Council member Drew Storey held an impromptu community meeting to address concerns about the city's rapidly growing population. Census data shows that over the past 20 years, Seymour's Hispanic population increased from 4.8% to approximately 13%, and the overall population grew by about 3,000 people. "The growth that we've seen and experienced in just the past few years is exceeding our ability to deal with it, as we're seeing through other communities throughout the state," said State Representative and Seymour resident [[Jim Lucas (politician)|Jim Lucas]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Perrone |first=Logan |date=2024-10-29 |title=Seymour leaders hear resident concerns over city's undocumented population |url=https://www.wave3.com/2024/10/29/seymour-leaders-hear-resident-concerns-over-citys-undocumented-population/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=WAVE 3|language=en}}</ref> During the same twenty-year period, Seymour has seen an increase in crimes stemming from immigration; including the 2024 arrests of one undocumented immigrant for performing dentistry without a license, and a second for selling prescription medicine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malone |first=Erika |date=2024-03-20 |title=Seymour man arrested for practicing dentistry without Indiana license |url=https://tribtown.com/2024/03/20/seymour-man-arrested-for-practicing-dentistry-without-indiana-license/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Seymour Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Malone |first=Erika |date=2024-10-25 |title=Store owner charged with selling prescription medications |url=https://tribtown.com/2024/10/25/store-owner-charged-with-selling-prescription-medications/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Seymour Tribune |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Folklore===
After they were hanged, legend has it the Reno Brothers were allegedly buried together under a single stone alone atop a hill in the old city cemetery. Outraged, local citizens refused to bury their relatives with the Renos. The Riverview Cemetery was eventually built and many famous former occupants of the city cemetery. Later, a Reno plot with headstones for each of the brothers was constructed in the old cemetery close to the road to appease the tourists and the curious.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 10, 2020 |title=Reno Brothers Graves |pages=A2 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-reno-brothers-graves/125919944/ |access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref>

Freeman field was home to captured [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] aircraft after World War Two, including captured [[Messerschmitt Me 262|jet aircraft]], and [[V-1 flying bomb|V-1]] and [[V-2 rocket|V-2]] rockets. However, the base was closed shortly thereafter, and the base commander ordered many aircraft to be buried at the site.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 31, 2001 |title=Buried Nazi Fighters at Freeman Field |pages=9 |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-buried-nazi-fighters-at-free/125916909/ |access-date=June 5, 2023}}</ref>