Fairland, Indiana History

Do you have old photos of Fairland, Moral or Brandywine Township (before 1965)?  The Fairland Historical Society is hosting an Open House on July 20, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Fairland Town Hall, 105 S Walnut St. We want to preserve Fairland, Brandywine & Moral Township history by scanning photos. Bring your photos for us to scan & save. We are especially interested in photos of buildings, schools, farms, work, transportation, & leisure activities. We will scan the photos, and then you will keep them. Even if you don't have photos, talk with us & share your stories & memories of the Fairland, Indiana area. This is an open house-style event, and you do not need to stay for the entire time.

Volunteers Needed : We will be participating in the  Fairland Cemetery Community Cleanup on July 13, 9 a.m. - noon . The cemetery is located at 4430 N 400 W, Fairland, IN 46126. Bring gloves, pruners, tools & water to drink. The focus will be on cutting and clearing overgrowth from the cemetery. We hope to see you, then.

  The Fairland Historical Society was established in 2024 to share the history of Fairland, Indiana, including Moral & Brandywine Townships.  Initial programs include:  Scanning photos Researching history & genealogy Collecting oral histories Cemetery cleaning The Fairland Historical Society is a non-profit, public charity, 501(c)(3), 509(a)(2). Your donations will help with our initial work of documenting, preserving & sharing history. Donations may be mailed to: Fairland Historical Society, PO Box 150, Fairland, IN 46126. Follow us on Facebook .

Take a self-guided walk around Fairland, Indiana with this map on your phone or view on your home computer. Click on the points of interest for more details, & on the camera icons to see photos. As you share photos with us, we will keep adding to the map. We also want to create a map of homesteads in Moral Township. Please continue to share photos with us . We will be at the Fairland Fish Fry on June 14 & 15; please stop by to visit with us as you support the Fairland Volunteer Fire Department.

In 1852, Isaac Odell & Henry Jenkins hired J. M. Elliott Company of Shelbyville to plat the town of Fairland, Indiana. On 21 Oct 1852, they filed the documents with the Shelby County Recorder to create the town. Pictured is the Jenkins home directly south of town. Henry Jenkins married Rachel Wharton on 29 Aug 1841 in Shelby County. They had 3 known children: Irwin (died in infancy), Ruth (b. 1846) & Cassius (1848). Rachel died in 1851. Henry owned the steam sawmill in Fairland & sold real estate. Henry married Mary Ann Romerill on 3 Aug 1853, & they had 4 known children: Harriett (b. 1855), Joseph (1857), Mary "Mollie" (1858), Amanda (1860). After Henry's death in 1863, Mary Ann & all the kids (including her 2 step-children, Ruth & Cassius) moved to Holt County, Missouri. Cassius' 1931 obituary (Centralia Journal, Kansas, 16 Oct 1931, p 1) includes: "Shortly after his father's death in company with his step-mother (Mary Ann) he moved