Fairland, Indiana History

  The Fairland Historical Society 's Oral History Project is LIVE! Our volunteers are busy conducting interviews to document the local history of Fairland, Indiana, including Moral and Brandywine Townships in Shelby County. Thanks to our initial guests for sharing their stories with us!  LISTEN HERE . And, watch for more to be added. Like History? Visit our Website .

  Anne Hardwick with the Fairland Historical Society will lead free Fairland Walking Tours   at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. on July 13, 2026.  Meet under the shelter at the Fairland Community Park, 209 Commercial St, Fairland to visit, enjoy some refreshments, and join one of the tours. Wear your walking shoes!  (This is an outdoor event; watch for updates in case of stormy weather.) Thanks to the Blue River Community Foundation and the Fairland Community Park  for supporting our events. Like History? Visit our Website . Listen to our Oral History Project .

  The Fairland Historical Society will have a tent at the Fairland Volunteer Fire Dept. Fish Fry on June 19 & 20. Our tent hours will be 5-6 p.m. on Friday & 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday. Stop by to discuss local history with us. For all of the Fish Fry events and hours, please click on the event link. Fish Fry details: https://www.facebook.com/share/1NdNBB7tKS/ Support the Fairland Volunteer Fire Department and enjoy great food, live music, a Car & Tractor Show, a Parade, a Blood Drive, & Raffle Drawings. FRIDAY, JUNE 19 5:00 PM — Food service begins (5-6 p.m. Fairland Historical Society Tent. Visit us!) 6:00 PM — Pressed in Black Live on Stage 9:00 PM — Food service ends SATURDAY, JUNE 20 8:00 AM — Joe Stucker Jr Memorial Car & Tractor Show opens. Entry $15. 11:00 AM — Food service begins (11 a.m.-6 p.m. Fairland Historical Society Tent. Visit us!) 11:00 AM — Blood drive opens (until 3:30 PM) 12:00 PM — Car & tractor show awards 2:00 PM — Community parade 6:...

To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the Fairland Historical Society, we created a Website to continue to share local history with you. Visit  https://sites.google.com/view/fairland-historical-society for upcoming events, historic photos, and to access resources. (Bookmark the site to view updates.) The Fairland Historical Society shares the history of Fairland, Indiana, including Moral & Brandywine Townships. The Fairland Historical Society is a non-profit, public charity, 501(c)(3), 509(a)(2).  

  The Fairland Historical Society and the Shelby County Public Library, Genealogy & History Department invite you to attend on May 21, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. as Donna Dennison Presents: Research Tips for Using Library Resources (highlighting Fairland & Moral Township) . Learn more about resources available to help with your own research, then stay until the library closes to explore. This program will highlight examples from Fairland, but can benefit all those interested in researching. The event is free and open to the public. Location: Shelby County Public Library, Carnegie East Wing, Genealogy & History Dept., 33 W Broadway St, Shelbyville, Indiana Follow the Fairland Historical Society on Facebook or Instagram .

This photo postcard was another mystery to research. The birth announcement was mailed in 1905 to Katherine Cordes in Seymour, Indiana. It says "Fairland, Dec. 11, 1905, Lelia." Boy is crossed out, and Girl is written in pencil; though that has faded with time. The photo says The American Photography Company, Chicago, 1905. With just a few clues, could we discover who this was? We discovered that Miriam Mayes was born on that date in Fairland to Robert Oscar and Lelia Vest Mayes. But, Robert and Lelia had lived in Seymour, what brought them to Fairland? We tried to research Robert's occupation (he is listed as Robert, Oscar, and R. O.) and learned that in 1905 he worked for the Shelby Coffee Company. But, that was not the reason for their move to Fairland. Lelia's father was Reverend E. R. Vest, and in Sep. 1904, they all moved from Indianapolis to Fairland when he was appointed to the M. E. Church in Fairland. But, that was not the whole story. Rev. Vest requested Fa...