Stories of Salem

Washington County’s natural history is a tapestry woven with tales of prehistoric giants and fierce frontier wildlife. From the massive mastodons that roamed these woods long before settlers arrived, to the panthers and bears that prowled the frontier, our region’s story is rich with fossils and encounters that capture both the imagination and the wild spirit of early Indiana.

Everyone, at some point, wonders how their life will end. Many imagine a quiet passing, perhaps in old age, surrounded by family. Some even dream of slipping away at the same time as a beloved spouse — a romantic idea, but one that almost never happens. And yet, one quiet day in Salem in 1906, Samuel and Priscilla Trueblood did exactly that.

Long before recipe blogs and TV cooking shows, a woman here in the Ohio River Valley quietly shaped the way Hoosiers approached cooking. Her name was Angelina Maria Collins.

In recent years, hearing the name "Voorhees", would cause many to think of Jason, the supernatural antagonist of the Friday the 13th slasher series. However, in Washington County, the name brings to mind a different ghastly murder story. The difference is that this one is true.

Two blocks south of the Salem square, next to the walking trail, sits a large, blue L&N boxcar. Many of us drive past it every day, and most probably barely even notice it. But this boxcar represents a surprising amount of history—and until recently, it was nearly lost to time.

Around the middle of Crown Hill Cemetery stands one of Salem’s most unique and poignant monuments. It is the stone likeness of a little...

"The only town in Indiana where negroes are not allowed to live", the Richmond Daily Palladium said of Salem in 1898. Whether this...

When I decided to found The Washington County Times, several desires for the publication became my driving force...