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Hi,
Thank you all for your help. I think we are going to be moving to Pendleton!
In answer to Dekor, we chose Indiana. It did not choose us. We decided about 2.5 yrs ago we were going to leave Massachusetts due to the cost of living, long winters, and lack of open space to hike and ride horses. We looked long and hard at the southeast (VA, NC, TN, etc) The weather was nice but so much of those areas just seemed poor and kind of trashy with too many mountians. We made a trip to Texas and OK. I loved those two states but it just seemed that we wouldn't fit in. Also, maybe a little too warm, and finally a little too far away from our families. NY and PA were too much like MA. OH was just too weird. Indiana was the closest state that gave us that real midwestern feel with low cost of living, and slightly milder winters. We have a friend whose brother lives in Ft. Wayne and they really sealed the decision in our minds. The Ft. Wayne resident said there area lot of people from the northeast moving to his area. It's a 12-13 hr car trip home, or a 1.5 hr flight. I love how easily you can get around Indiana. I really love how many places there are to ride horses and the low cost of living. We also liked that there are so many universities to help keep the area a little more lively.
We are looking forward to becoming Hoosiers. We figure we have nothing to lose. If we don't like it, then we can always go back to MA or keep moving west.
Me thinks you have made the right choice. When you get there and have a chance to look at the other areas you'll see what I mean.
Do me a favor: stop at the Ritter's Frozen Custard on Pendleton Pike and eat a "turtle something" cone for me.
Ritters is one of the things I really miss.
Good luck with your move.
I also work in healthcare in pendleton and i live in fishers which is a quick trip up I69 or US 67 if 69 is crowded. sounds like this area is what you are looknig for. We have lived in this area our whole lives and are looking to try somewhere else just for a change of scenery, warmer weather and to be closer to mountains or ocean...to each his own i guess...good luck
I also work in healthcare in pendleton and i live in fishers which is a quick trip up I69 or US 67 if 69 is crowded. sounds like this area is what you are looknig for. We have lived in this area our whole lives and are looking to try somewhere else just for a change of scenery, warmer weather and to be closer to mountains or ocean...to each his own i guess...good luck
Don't put your house on the market!!!! It's brutal right now.
I grew up in Pendleton, IN, but have lived in the Ft. Myers, FL area for 30 yrs. I have hated living here the whole time. Hope to sell in a few yrs. when housing market improves. Have to run the a/c 9 mns. out of the yr. You might like it though. A lot of people move here because of the 4 or 5 months of really cold weather up north. My Paternal family has lived in the South Central part of Madison Co., IN since 1830 after living in Fayette Co., OH since 1805.
Local governments for the Northwest Territory (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin). These states have an intermediate level of government, called a Township. Here, a Township typically is comprised of 36 sq. miles., with a community in the center.
Pendleton is a unique community. Pioneers started moving into the area around 1820 because of the water stream and an exposed limestone bed creating a water fall, thus giving the stream (creek) the name "Fall Creek". The area was not a town right away, it was just called The Settlement At The Falls. Thomas Pendleton purchased 2 one quarter sections (at the time, a quarter section was the smallest portion of land an individual could purchase), 80 acres each. These were narrow secs. running north to south. The 2 sections joining at the narrow ends. Pendleton's Main St. runs north to south through these 2 secs. Mr. Pendletion subsequently subdivided his land for sell and petitioned the state to organize a community around 1825. Pendleton's Broadway Blvd. still has the original Cobble Stones laid down in the late 1800's. 80% of Pendleton, IN is on the National Historic Register. The 1st railroads in IN rediated out of Indianapolis. A Mr. Bellefontaine from Ohio and his home town named after his family, Bellefontaine, OH. built 1 of these RR's running northeast out of Indianapolis. The destination of the first leg of this new RR was Pendleton. This leg of the new RR was completed in 1849. A near by town, Ingalls did not exist at this time. Mr. Bellefontaine
besides being a RR developer. He was also a land developer. After the RR went through, he purchased some land and subdivided it for sell. This development eventually became the Town of Ingalls. Ingalls is about 3 miles SW of Pendleton. Today this is a double track freight RR and has past through a number of owners (Bellefontaine, New York Central, Conrail and CSX). The pond in the Township Park (Falls Park) was originally a Limestone quarry started before or around 1830. Stone was removed from this quarry to be used as a paving material for the National Rd. (now U.S. 40) as it neared Indianapolis in the early 1830's.
Pendleton is famous to historians for events that took place in 1824/25 after 5 white men commited a mass murder of 9 members of 2 Seneca/Shawnee families (2 adult males, 2 adult females, 1 young adult half breed female and 4 children 10 yrs & younger) southeast of Pendleton at a Salt Lick on Deer Lick Creek (a tributary of Fall Creek) near present day Markleville. The ring leader escaped arrest. 4 arrested, tried, found guilty, sentenced for execution. 3 were hung, the 4th (18 y.o.) was personally pardon by Gov. James Brown Ray while the rope was around the prisoner's neck. These executions for killing native americans was never duplicated
Present day. I like to refer to Pendleton as Prison Town USA. I do not think that a womens' facility is located at Pendleton. The oldest facility is the Pendleton Correctional Facility (Reformatory)(men only). This is what I would call an old style Maximum Security Prison (stone/concrete walls w/guard towers). Existed here since 1915.
Recent yrs new faciluties have been added. The Correctional Industry Facility (medium security) (I think it is male only). Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facilty (male only). New designs (barbed wire enclosures). the State of Indiana owns 1500 acres west/southwest and adjacent to Pendleton. This is the main reason whey these facilities are here.
Idlewal Golf Club (18 hole) is adjacent to the east wall of the old Reformatory. The 9th fairway runs along the east wall. When you reach the 9th green you are probably within talking distance of the northeast tower. You are within a few steps of the wall, but I wouldn't walk up to it, if you get my drift. The grounds are probably 1/2 flat and 1/2 low rolling hills. I think that it is an attractive Course!
Fire protection for Fall Creek Township is provided by the Pendleton and Fall Creek Township Volunteer Fire Department. The station is a modern old style red brick structure, replacing the old one (it is less than 15 y.o.).
I have 2 friends that went on a trip 3 yrs. ago. When they came back, they were descibing were they went. They are from Michigan. They had driven up I-75. And gotten off at Piqua, OH. And was driving west on U.S. 36. I became very excited as soon as they mentioned U.S. 36 because it goes to Pendleton, then Indianpolis. Their destination was Pendleton to visit relatives. What a coinsidence! They thought Pendleton was a very attractive small town. They also thought that it was unusual for such a small town to have such a large, beautiful Fire Station. A Plus here! This community's Volunteer Fire Department is 1 of only 2 in the State of Indiana that provides Advanced Life Support (parmedics) Ambulances.
The School System is highly rated!. It is a consolidated district, made up of Green, Fall Creek and Adams TWSPs. The South Madison County Community School District.
The sewerage treatment facility is also a consolidated local government single purpose district.
There are definitely a lot of churches in the Pendleton area. Baptist, Christain Church, Methodist, Dunkard(Meninite)(mostly famers), Quaker (old congregation, since 1820's), not many members now (it's a shame) membership getting smaller. Several non affiliated churches. I wouldn't worry about them if your not a church goer. There are a lot people in and around Pendleton that do not go to church. And in particular if you want to purchase acreage and have a private life, nobody will even know that you are there. If your looking for acreage, I would look about 4 or 5 miles east of Pendleton between U.S. 36 and IN 38 and maybe south of IN 38. Definitly get a few miles outside of town. Here's why. There is a st. in Ft. Myers, FL leaving down town and goes south. A lot of financially well off people here. About 3 miles south you crossed the city boundry and enter a Special Fire Control District. 12 or 13 yrs. ago some of the home owners were having some kind of problem with the district. So they ask the city of Ft. Myers to annex them. The City promised that they would do certain things to satisfy the peoples concerns. Annexation went throgh. Ft. Myers did not fullfil their promises. So these Well Off People went to the State Legislator. When it comes to populated areas and a city wants to annex that area, there now has to be a binding referendum on the annexation and only the people living in that area can vote up or down. There is a loop hole though. Cities in FL can still involuntarily annex unpopulated areas without referendums.
Indiana, involuntary annexation state wide, period. No referendums. And towns and cities are annexing like there is going to be no tomorrow. This is crazy! These annexations are out of control. I have been seeing town and city boundary signs along the Interstates miles from populated areas.
Indiana native here who lived in Colorado for a time and I've been to 40 States. I live in the county immediately west of Madison County, which includes Pendleton. Madison County has been decimated with the loss of jobs at the enormous two GM complexes now gone so the county seat Anderson and adjoining communities, especially Elwood, are hard hit. The upside is that real estate prices are very low.
The church comments trouble me a bit. I wouldn't avoid a community simply because is is chock-a-block full of atheists provided I could find a Catholic Church somewhere. I have no shortage of acquaintences who are smitten with the celebrity atheists ranging from Dawkings to Dennett and are themselves rather evangelical about them. Big deal. The Catholic population is quite low in Central and Southern Indiana. Indiana, with considerable post-Civil War migration from the south could arguably be thought of as the northern end of the Bible Belt, though northen Indiana is largely exempt--more Northern and Eastern European by far. Compatibility between staunch evangelicals and Catholics itself can be at least mildly strained and Hoosiers can be BLUNT. Some find it offensive but I can tell you as a native that you'll be ok if you'll just not let it bother you, perhaps a learned trait. I find I can be just as blunt back and no one takes offense so just charge it off to a cultural anomaly.
I find the frankness refreshing. My company does business globally and I tire of some of the more extreme manifestations of political correctness and disingenuous "sensitivity" that I am compelled to practices in some environs in the country.
Sad that no one has listed the benefit of having Steak -N- Shake around, as well as numerous Cracker Barrel restaurants, and the perhaps debatable White Castle. We forget that some parts of the country lack the benefit of having all three and that's making light just a bit--better dining can be had but you'll likely travel to Indianapolis to find it.
My best friend is a journalist for an international Catholic magazine from Melbourne, Australia. This "outsider" has long been charmed by Indiana--the farms, the grass that in early spring that lays as a carpet, the sweet corn and sweet tomatoes, the hazy hills and southern tang of southern Indiana, the amazing thunderstorms and particularly in his instance, the Indiana State Fair.
Don't come thin-skinned, don't bring presumptions about religion with you, be prepared for a culturally conservative oddity which nontheless manages to vote Democratic much of the time, and you'll probably be fine and you may even fall in love with Indiana.
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Pendleton
