County History

Bartholomew County Bell

The original Courthouse Bell has found a permanent home in the Bartholomew County Archives Room. This bell was installed in the third Courthouse in Bartholomew County, built in 1839 by John Elder, however, it was not purchased until 1847. It is recorded in the Commissioners' Records on June 4, 1847 that the Treasurer of Bartholomew County, James Herod, was to purchase the bell for the Courthouse, for a sum not to exceed $100.00. This amount was to be inclusive of an appurtenance and necessary roof repairs. It was ordered from G. W. Coffin, Buckeye Bell Foundry, Cincinnati, Ohio, struck, and dated 1847.

On June 8, 1848, John Duggy was paid by the County Commissioners for making the iron staying rods so the bell could be hung in the cupola. The bell remained in the Courthouse cupola until the sale of items from the Courthouse in December of 1874. The Commissioners' Records show that the bell was sold to H. S. Glick for $14.25, and remained in the possession of the Glick family until the sale of their farm.

Mrs. Miller, having purchased the Glick Farm, found the bell in the barn. Realizing the significance of it, Mrs. Xenia Miller and family rescued the bell from the barn and generously donated it to the Bartholomew County Archives. It is recorded in the Commissioners minutes that the County Commissioners accepted the gift from the Miller family in 1985. Once the Bell was cleaned by restitution workers and returned to its present condition, the Miller family graciously donated a cabinet on which to mount the bell.

This bell has been a tremendous addition to the archives. We owe a very generous THANKS to Mrs. Miller for helping us preserve such a valuable piece of the past, and for giving so generously to our County Archives. Today the bell is quiet however, it was rung, in its day for many an event. If you feel the ringer of the bell, it is worn smooth. What history could indeed be told if it could only talk. One of the few bells in existence today, most were melted down during the Civil War. When visitors come from other areas of the country, one of the first things that they remark on is the beauty of the bell. It is believed by many to be even more handsome than the Liberty Bell. But maybe the magic of the bell is that it stands in its stately place, and invokes our most vivid imagination.