During pioneer times, the area was settled by the Methodists for the Bethel Church. A log building once stood within the limits of the present town, where the early settlers assembled for religious worship. On Busseron Creek was a grist mill erected about 1829. On the westside was one of the first coal mines of the county; it was owned by H. K. and Harvey Wilson. The coal was used chiefly by local blacksmiths.
Hymera was platted as a townsite circa 1870 by Nathan Hinkle.
Robert Linn had a general store on the site now occupied by the Odd Fellows block. For some years the store and post office, and two or three shops, comprised the business of the place.
Passages that mention Hymera, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A history of Sullivan County, Indiana, closing of the first century's history of the county, and showing the growth of its people, institutions, industries and wealth1909 · page 208Read the page →
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Hymera, the principal center of Jackson township, was platted as a townsite about 1870. The site had during the pioneer period of the county been selected by the Alethodists for the Bethel church, and a log building once stood within the limits of the present town, where the early settlers assembled for religious worship. On Busseron creek, southeast of the town, was a grist mill, said to have been erected in 1829. The first
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The history of Jackson Township, Sullivan County, Indiana1915Read the page →
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Hymera, the principal town of Jackson township, was not platted as a townsite until about 1870, but as early as 1830 there were a few pioneer settlers here. William Pitt was the first to enter land here. The other early settlers were Martin Hale, Nathan Hinkle, Jerry Mahan,
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The history of Jackson Township, Sullivan County, Indiana1915Read the page →
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improvement. Two large seed corn selection meetings have been held; one in the fall of 1913 on the Patton farm east of Hymera. and the other in the fall of 1914 on the Riggen farm north of Hymera. In March, 1914, an enthusiastic miners' and gardeners' meeting was held in
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Hymera, 1855 to 1943
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hymera. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1943Hymera sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Hymera.
Every building
Hymera, building by building, 1904–1910
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2016
