Hancock County, Indiana is home to more than 70,000 citizens who have discovered it is a wonderful place to call home – right in the heart of the Hoosier heartland. At Stillinger Family Funeral Home, we are proud to be part of a rich heritage of serving Hancock County families in their time of need for more than a hundred years. Here’s a quick overview of the county, with some links to helpful information:
Cities and Towns for Families of All Types
Hancock County is home to vibrant communities of all sizes. Greenfield, of course, is the county seat, home to more than 20,000 residents as well as major manufacturers and thriving businesses and organizations. Across the diverse landscapes of Hancock County, more than 70,000 come home to Greenfield and other communities like Cumberland and Fortville. Maxwell and McCordsville, New Palestine, Shirley, Spring Lake and Wilkinson. And no matter where these county families dwell, they are short drives from wide-open countryside as well as the bustling metropolis of nearby Indianapolis.
Many residents and families in these communities work within the county at large employers such as Covance, Elanco, Avery Dennison, Stanley Black & Decker, University Loft Company, Hancock Memorial Hospital and many more. Still other county residents make the short trip to Indianapolis to work.
History and Heritage
Hancock County currently has 12 locations on the National Register of Historic Places. Perhaps the most well-known of these is the James Whitcomb Riley House – because of Riley’s enduring fame and legacy – in Greenfield, Indiana. Greenfield also boasts the Charles Barr House and the Hancock County Courthouse Square Historic District, with many historically significant buildings centered around the Romanesque Revival-style courthouse.
Other county historic locations include the Frank Littleton Round Barn in Vernon Township and the Jane Ross Reeves Octagon House in Shirley, Indiana.
The Road to Riley
US Route 40, also known as the Historic National Road cuts an east-west swath through Hancock County. Constructed around 1835 within the county, the National Road became a major highway connecting the Potomac River at Cumberland, Maryland with points through the Midwest into central Illinois. The road stretches through the heart of Greenfield where it is also designated as Main Street. And it is on this street where the Riley Home Museum stands, preserving James Whitcomb Riley’s birthplace and boyhood home.
The poet leaves an enduring legacy as the author of children’s classics such as Little Orphant Annie and The Raggedy Man. He is memorialized both by a statue on the courthouse lawn; and with the Riley Days festival, held each October in Greenfield.
Ever-changing, Ever-growing, a Forever Place to Call Home
Hancock County is made up of communities and families that represent the best of the Hoosier Heartland. To learn more about its rich history, features and opportunities, check out these links:
At Stillinger Family Funeral Home, we’ve been honored to serve many generations of Hancock County families, dating back to 1912 with our predecessor, Pasco Memorial Mortuary. It’s a tradition and a commitment we embrace to this day, as we remain dedicated to serving Hancock County families in their time of loss.
To learn more about Stillinger Family Funeral Home, contact us at (317) 462-5536.
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