By 1813, in an area originally inhabited by Native Americans, including a significant Delaware Indian village located on White River’s western banks, the future Greenwood was made safe for settlement by the Kentucky and Indiana militias. In 1818, with the New Purchase treaties and establishment of Whetzel Trace, the earliest east-west transportation route through central Indiana, the dense, overgrown forest became readied for settlement. Arising from humble beginnings as Smocktown, the community was officially named Greenfield in 1825, followed by renaming to Greenwood in 1833. The territory has seen tremendous growth through the decades since John B. and Isaac Smock arrived, transforming the land from a pioneer village into a contemporary hub of business and industry. Accused of being a “bedroom community” of Indianapolis, Greenwood strives to maintain its relevance as a unique and historically proud community.

Greenwood (Images of America)

Arts & Photography

Hillman, Jim

Johnson County Museum of History

Murphy, John.

Photography & Video

Arcadia Publishing

As the treaties with the Delaware tribes and the forging of the Whetzel Trace opened central Indiana for settlement, the town of Franklin emerged from wilderness, echoing the development of newly christened Johnson County. Founded by Kentucky natives Simon Covert, Garret Bergen, and George King, the land that became Franklin was chosen because of ample waterways and the availability of game. Previously populated by Native Americans within the dense forest, the area was often overlooked because of flooding and harsh, thicketed landscapes. George King persuaded the Indiana Legislature to create Johnson County on December 31, 1822, before persuading the new county’s commissioners to establish the town of Franklin, named after Ben Franklin, as the seat of county government.

Franklin (Images of America)

Architectural analysis of older buildings in Johnson County, Kentucky

Historic Sites of Paintsville and Johnson County, Kentucky

East Kentucky Press, Inc.

Franklin

History

Americas

Arcadia Publishing Library Editions

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Books by Johnson County Museum of History