An American Crossroad: Highway 250 was created as a community mural and creative aging project through Perceptions Yoga, Mindfulness and Art. Led by artist Karen Chilman, the project brought together artists, volunteers, donors, and community members to celebrate the stories of Highway 250 and the Paris Crossing community.

The mural honors local history through public art, preserving stories that connect schools, roads, river communities, natural landmarks, abolitionist education, military history, and the shared identity of small towns along the route.

Paris Crossing High School’s mascot was the Pirate, and its school colors were black and gold. For generations of students, athletes, alumni, and local families, the Pirate represented school spirit, shared identity, and community pride.

This panel honors the traditions of Paris Crossing High School and the lasting memories connected to a school that served as a gathering place for Montgomery Township and surrounding communities. While simple in imagery, the Pirate symbol carries the pride of generations who remember Paris Crossing not only as a school, but as a center of local life.

Artists: Karen Chilman; Roberta Mayer

The story of Paris Crossing School reflects the community’s commitment to education. In 1894, George Dodd was elected trustee and recognized the need for a local high school. At that time, students who wanted education beyond common school had to travel to places such as Lancaster or Lexington. In the 1890s, Dodd helped begin the first high school in Paris Crossing.

Early classes were held in a frame building in the center of town known as the “Barracks.” Because the school was not yet accredited, students had to take an exam in Vernon to be certified. In 1904, a two-room brick school building was constructed. The high school used the south room, while the grades used the north room and the original frame building. Around 1908, a second story was added, and in 1918 the school became accredited.

Basketball began at Paris Crossing in 1918, even though the school did not yet have a gymnasium. In 1928, another addition brought a basement with a furnace and two classrooms, two more classrooms and an office on the first floor, and an assembly hall on the second floor.

The gymnasium began construction in 1950 and was partially completed by 1954. School consolidation also shaped the story of Paris Crossing. Lovett, Marion, and Montgomery schools consolidated into Paris Crossing High School in 1938. In 1961, high schools across Jennings County consolidated, with final construction of Jennings County Schools completed in August 1969.

This panel honors Paris Crossing School as a place of learning, school spirit, athletics, and community gathering across generations.

Artists: Melly Apsley; Lila Sanders; Jennifer Sanders; Roberta Mayer; Barb Ison

A remarkable swamp chestnut oak tree in Jennings County has been recognized by the National Champion Tree program as the largest of its species in the country. Located on the Schepman family farm along Indiana State Highway 250 near the Jennings–Jackson county boundary line, the tree is an important natural landmark.

According to Lou’s notes, the tree stands 95 feet tall, with a circumference of 318 inches and a canopy spread of 118 feet. Its size and recognition make it a point of local pride and a reminder that Highway 250 carries not only human history, but also natural history.

Because the tree is located on private property, it is not available for public viewing. Through the mural, however, its story can be shared with the wider community. This panel celebrates the beauty of the rural landscape, the importance of family farmland, and the living history rooted along Highway 250.

Artists: Karen Chilman; Nora Campbell; Diane Abernathy

Old Paris is located entirely within Jennings County near the Jefferson County line. Its original plat was positioned directly on the county line, with 18 lots in each county. A legislative act in 1831 placed the entire town legally within Jennings County to simplify governance and record-keeping.

The community was formally laid out on September 14, 1818, by Samuel S. Graham and Zachariah Tannehill. It developed at the intersection of two important early roads: the Madison–Brownstown Road, running east to west, and the Lexington–Vernon Road, running north to south. Because of this location, Paris became a well-known stopping point along an early transportation route.

Old Paris also connects to one of southern Indiana’s Civil War stories. From July 8–13, 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan led a raid through southern Indiana. Morgan’s forces crossed the Ohio River at Brandenburg, Kentucky, using commandeered steamboats, and entered Indiana near Mauckport. After the Battle of Corydon, the raiders moved north toward Salem.

On July 11, 1863, Morgan’s Raiders streamed northward from Lexington, passing through Hinesville, now Blocher, Deputy, and Paris. The main column reached Paris, where the men found much-needed water at the well in front of the general store. The store was looted before the raiders continued toward Vernon and the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad line. On July 12, pursuing Union cavalry also watered their horses at the pump.

Historic Hoosier Hills later placed the pump on the John Hunt Morgan Trail with a historic marker. This panel highlights Old Paris as a crossroads community and as a small place connected to a dramatic Civil War episode.

Artists: Briana Barger; Maggie Bailey

The name “Eleutherian” comes from the Greek word eleutheros, meaning liberty or freedom. Founded in 1848 by leaders connected to the Neil’s Creek Anti-Slavery Society, Eleutherian Institute was created with a bold mission: to educate Black boys and girls and white boys and girls together in the Lancaster area.

The school was later renamed Eleutherian College in the mid-1850s. During that period, it had an annual enrollment of about 100 students. Its mission reflected abolitionist conviction and the belief that education was essential to freedom and equality.

The Civil War brought hardship to the school. Many male students and teachers enlisted in Indiana volunteer companies, and financial support declined as money was directed toward the war effort. The building was eventually sold to Lancaster Township officials, who established a township school there in 1888. That school operated until 1939, when Jefferson County began consolidating schools.

Afterward, the building stood empty and was used mostly for storage by a local farmer who owned the property. In 1991, the building was sold at auction and became the property of Historic Eleutherian College Inc. Since then, it has undergone repairs, structural stabilization, and some interior restoration.

Today, Eleutherian College remains a powerful symbol of freedom, education, abolitionist courage, and the belief that learning can help move a community toward justice.

Artists: Diane Abernathy; Candy Miller; Jill Wahlman; Terri Sargent; Faye Law

The Neil’s Creek Anti-Slavery Society was formed on January 5, 1839, by 50 men and 32 women living in and around Lancaster, Indiana, a community located about 10 miles northwest of Madison in Jefferson County.

The society’s work was rooted in the belief that true freedom required education. Members believed that Black people, whether born free or escaping bondage, needed access to learning. Their vision included primary education, secondary education, and even college for those who chose to pursue it.

This belief helped shape the founding of Eleutherian Institute in 1848. Neil’s Creek represents an important local story of conscience, organized anti-slavery work, and the connection between freedom and education.

This panel honors the people who acted on their convictions and helped build a regional legacy of abolitionist activism, equal education, and human dignity.

Artists: Judy Ertel; Barb Ison

The establishment of Jefferson Proving Ground interrupted the route of Indiana State Highway 250. Today, Highway 250 ends at one point and restarts east of Canaan on State Highway 62 before continuing toward Patriot and the Ohio River.

Jefferson Proving Ground was located in southeastern Indiana across Ripley, Jefferson, and Jennings counties. It was established in 1940 by the U.S. War Department and operated from 1941 to 1995. Its primary mission was to support research, testing, and operations for the U.S. Army.

The installation included 22,365 acres, much of it forested, with wetlands, streams, ponds, and lakes. Through eminent domain, the federal government acquired land from residents, including farmers and homesteaders. Schools, churches, cemeteries, and whole communities were affected by the creation of the proving ground.

When Jefferson Proving Ground closed, portions of the land remained with the U.S. Army, while other areas became connected to Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge and private or personal uses. Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge now encompasses 50,000 acres across Jefferson, Jennings, and Ripley counties. It overlays the portion of the former proving ground north of the historic firing line, where munitions were once tested. The Army retains ownership of the land, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages it as a refuge.

Also located within the former proving ground is Old Timbers, a historic stone home in Shelby Township, Ripley County. Built in 1932, it was originally constructed as a lodge for Alexander Thompson, owner of the Champion Paper Company of Hamilton, Ohio.

This panel recognizes both the military significance of Jefferson Proving Ground and the deep local impact of displacement, land change, and environmental transformation.

Artists: Nora Campbell; Patty Bower; Ingrid French; Louise Malcomb; Sharon Miller; Liam Shipley

At the eastern end of Highway 250, Patriot connects the road to the Ohio River and to the broader story of travel, settlement, and trade in southeastern Indiana.

Lou’s notes describe a colony of Swiss settlers who crossed the Allegheny Mountains and came down the river, making settlements along the banks of the Ohio. Their first settlement was at Lawrenceburg, but they did not settle permanently until they reached the hills of what became known as “New Switzerland” in Switzerland County.

In 1812, Elisha Wade purchased a tract of land in a bend of the Ohio River. In 1820, Wade and James Herrick laid out a town named Troy. The name was later changed to Patriot because another town named Troy already existed in Posey Township.

This panel honors Patriot as a river community and as the place where the Highway 250 story reaches the Ohio River. It connects the mural’s road narrative to the movement of people, settlement, transportation, and the wider river world beyond Jennings County.

Artists: Heather Cash; Megan Litt; Landen Warren; Zach Bingham; Amanda MacDonald; Lake Maschino; Roger Williams; Grayson Williams; Georgia Nixon; Katelyn Smith; Dave Shaw

The mural is located at the Coffee Creek Community Center, also known as the Paris Crossing Gym, in Paris Crossing, Indiana.

From North Vernon or Vernon, travel south on Indiana Highway 3 approximately 18 miles. Turn right onto Indiana Highway 250. The gym is at the top of the hill.

Historical summaries were adapted from Lou Malcomb’s local history research and source notes, including materials related to Indiana State Highway 250, Paris Crossing alumni history, Jennings County history, Eleutherian College, Neil’s Creek Anti-Slavery Society, Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge, Jefferson Proving Ground, Indiana DNR Champion Tree records, and local accounts of John Hunt Morgan’s Raid.