Situated less than 25 miles from the Kentucky-Indiana border along the Ohio River, Washington County offers a unique topography with sloping, “knobby” ridges for hiking and taking in the scenic views, and placid lakes where anglers can hook bluegill and largemouth bass. The northern portion of Washington County is known for its rural character with flat agricultural land and sprawling grain farms, while the city of Salem and the south offer ample employment opportunities in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors, and serve as a residential suburbs for commuters to nearby Louisville who choose small-town living.

Our Story

With 510 square miles, Washington County's history is rooted in agriculture and grist mills. Today, it's growing agri-tourism industry offers family fun with mainstays like Cornucopia Farms and opportunities to learn about 21st-century farming technologies like aquaponics. For the more adventurous, the Salem Speedway attracts visitors and motorsport enthusiasts to one of the most storied racetracks in America with a tradition in open wheel and stock car competition. Racing legends like Al Unser, Mario Andretti, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and many others have driven the track’s imposing 33-degree banks.

Photo courtesy of Salem Speedway.

 

Key Stats

Population: 28,102

Cities & Towns: Campellsburg, Hardinsburg, Little York, Livonia, New Pekin, Salem, & Saltillo

Key Industries: Manufacturing, education, and healthcare services

Notable Facts: Washington County contains Indiana’s longest hiking trail, the 58-mile Knobstone Trail, which many use to prepare for hiking the Appalachian Trail because of its steep climbs and descents.

After setting idle for more than 50 years the little grist mill south of Salem, Indiana is now churning out a product that once made it famous.

The Old Mill sat idle and was a sad reminder to the lifestyle of our pioneering ancestors. The mill's mechanical and structural elements were deteriorating. Rodents chewed away at the huge timbers of the main frame structure while floor boards rotted away from moisture damage. The mill structure was unsafe to enter and unfortunately with such a unique historic structure sitting empty vandals pilfered some interior furnishings and equipment.

Then came hope for the future.

In 2005 a group participating in the Awareness Washington County (AWC), a Washington County leadership development program, decided to explore the possibility of restoring the Mill. As a tribute to the determination of the members and their understanding of the importance of saving such a unique landmark their efforts yielded positive results where others had failed during the 50 years prior. 

The AWC group coordinated efforts with the current property owners of the mill (several members of the Beck family) to take ownership of the landmark and chart a new course for the restoration and continued preservation of the mill. The leadership of this group established a new direction as a non-profit organization. This non-profit organization was established as the Friends of Beck's Mill Inc. and their mission would be to present to the public a working grist mill as an accurate recreation of pioneer life in Washington County, Indiana. 

For the first time in more than 50 years the future of the mill begin to turn around.

While the determination of the volunteers of the newly formed Friends of Beck's Mill Inc. was evident their ability to locate funding to complete such a large restoration project was uncertain. Bill and Gayle Cook, along with son Carl realized the historic significance of Beck’s Mill to Washington County after learning about the efforts to save Beck's Mill. Bill and Gayle Cook founded Cook Group in 1963 in Bloomington, Indiana and their philanthropic efforts have touched the lives of Hoosier's all across Indiana. In 2006, the Cook family graciously offered to assist the group in their effort to reclaim the Mill. With the efforts of Pritchett Brothers performing the restoration services in partnership with Ridgway Architecture the future of Beck's Mill had finally changed for the better.

A bright new future for an Old Mill.

In 2008 Beck's Mill was returned in restored and operational condition to the directors of the Friends of Beck’s Mill, Inc. Beck’s Mill is operated solely by the efforts of an all volunteer staff and the leadership of Friends of Beck’s Mill, Inc. continues to enhance the visitor experience to Beck's Mill every year as numerous new events are planned every season.

From all of us at Friends of Beck's Mill Inc. we look forward to seeing you at Historic Beck's Mill!

Salem Heritage Park: a public/private success story
Posted on February 8, 2022 by Betsy Trotzke

Heritage Park in Salem, Indiana. Photo courtesy of Landscape, Art, and Architecture (LAA) Office.
In 2019 and 2020, ROI awarded $3 million in Ready Communities grants to support 18 catalytic quality of place projects in the Uplands region. Today, these projects are transforming our region’s live, work, and play amenities through new and innovative partnerships.
The Salem Pocket Park, now known as Heritage Park, is an excellent example of how public/private collaboration is salient to the development of community assets, and in this instance, activating an underutilized public space.
The Washington County Community Foundation (WCCF) initially partnered with the Salem Mayor’s Office and the Director of Salem Parks and Recreation to develop their initial Ready Communities grant proposal. In early 2019, in collaboration with the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement (CRE), they held a public “meet and greet” and discovered that green space in downtown Salem was a priority for residents. A shared vision emerged for a pocket park that incorporated public art. Working with CRE and architects at the Landscape, Art, and Architecture (LAA) Office, a design studio based in Columbus, Indiana, they conducted a stakeholder survey and identified six potential locations for a downtown, quality-of-place renovation.  
The choice was made to install a series of public amenities that would link Salem’s downtown Square to the John Hay Center, a cultural complex dedicated to the history of Washington County. With the help of Indiana University architecture graduate students, LAA Office created a plan. The new public green space would feature three public art installations honoring significant women in Salem’s history, along with gardens and places to sit and relax along the trail. This unique cultural promenade would provide much-needed green space for the entire community and stimulate business activity through increased walkability.
WCCF partnered with the local paper to conduct a reader poll to identify six significant women in Washington County’s history. One hundred and sixty-seven residents responded with who they thought should be featured in the mural. Once the historic women were chosen, WCCF circulated an RFQ nationwide to find an artist to paint the mural. Forty submissions were received. After a meticulous process, which included interviews with the finalists, the City selected Chicago artist Rafael Blanco. Utilizing designs from LAA Office architects, volunteers also painted a colorful walkway along the trail in front of the new deck and created gardens.

Contemporary mural artist Rafael Blanco was commissioned to honor significant women in Salem’s history.

The six women featured on the mural include Sarah Parke Morrison (first female graduate of Indiana University and subsequently their first female faculty member), Emma Christy Baker (first black, female police officer of the Indianapolis Police Department), Lula “Desse” Rudder (first licensed female pharmacist in Indiana), Terry Hall (NCAA women’s basketball coach), Dr. Mary Reid Lusk (a self-made neighborhood doctor and participant in the region’s underground railroad operations), and Bradie Shrum (a dedicated child educator and namesake of the local elementary school where she taught for 60+ years). Photo courtesy of LAA Office.
The success of this project inspired the WCCF Board of Directors to look for other opportunities to install public art projects. WCCF has partnered with the IU Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design to create two public art installations at Lake Salinda. This project is already fully funded, thanks to a grant from the WCCF. New partnerships are also occurring with the City of Salem, Salem High School, and a local leadership group, Awareness Washington County, to improve safety, security, and beauty along existing walking trails.  

Photos courtesy of LAA Office.
Heritage Park, quickly executed after funding was received, serves as a model of how partnerships in the region can produce world-class amenities with the potential to bring communities together and increase attraction. Through this one project, stakeholders thoughtfully addressed goals they defined together. Specifically, the Salem Pocket Park honors underrepresented voices, increases the beauty of downtown Salem, creates new programming and amenities, and attracts tourism and commerce. In the long term, this project has created partnerships and public enthusiasm that will catalyze other quality of place projects and regional amenities for the benefit of all Indiana Uplands residents. It is a great example of how a community leveraged ROI’s Ready Communities initiative for an outcome that is exponentially greater than the sum of its parts.
For more information on this project, check out “LAA Office brings “barn quilt urbanism” to downtown Salem, Indiana, with new Heritage Park,” featured in The Architect’s Newspaper.

LEARN MORE

Washington County Tourism Bureau
Discover Southern Indiana
Washington County Government
City of Salem
Town of New Pekin
Washington County Chamber of Commerce
Washington County Economic Growth Partnership
Radius Indiana – Economic Development
East Washington School Corporation
West Washington Schools
Salem Community Schools
Washington County Community Foundation
Salem Leader Newspaper