Judyville, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Judyville is a small town in Liberty Township
, Warren County
, Indiana.
on 18 March 1856, arrived in Warren County in 1867 with his parents Skillman and Sarah. (The Judy surname was an anglicization of the German Tschudi
.) John attended high school in Attica
and afterwards taught school for several years. In 1881 he invested the money he earned from teaching into cattle, then leveraged the profits to establish himself as a farmer and an entrepreneur. The subjects of Judy's enterprises were diverse and included livestock, vehicles, farming equipment, groceries, dry goods and various supplies, blacksmith
ing, undertaking, grain elevators and real estate.
By the turn of the century, Judy's farm in Liberty Township (already known by that time as Judyville) had become an industrial village containing "six barns, one of them being the largest in Warren County, thirteen dwelling houses, a hotel, an office building and numerous outbuildings ... provided with telephonic communication, there being ten distinct lines of operation.". The site being remote, Judy convinced the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
to build an eight-mile-long rail line to his farm from their trunk in Vermilion County, Illinois
, and also minted a limited form of currency known as "Judy Money" which was accepted both in the village and throughout the Warren County area.
On 9 February 1903, John Judy officially plat
ted the town of Judyville. The town gained a post office on 1 October 1903, with John's son Ole Ruppert Judy as the first postmaster. It operated until 6 January 1961. John married Matilda Ann Hunter on 16 December 1877 and died 12 October 1931. His home in Judyville survived for many years, but was accidentally destroyed by fire on 1 August 2001 while being remodeled.
The commerce and industry that once flourished at Judyville faded during the 20th century, in common with the decline of many rural Midwestern communities. The town is now entirely residential.
in fertile farmland and sits on a gentle rise with an elevation of approximately 770 feet. Spring Branch creek starts just to the north of town, and Fall Creek, which flows over Indiana's tallest waterfall
in Williamsport, starts to its south. The town is located on County Road 300 North, a quarter mile east of County Road 425 West.
Liberty Township, Warren County, Indiana
Liberty Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 850.-Geography:Liberty Township covers an area of ; of this, or 0.04 percent is water. It contains the Potholes at Fall Creek Gorge, a scenic natural location owned and...
, Warren County
Warren County, Indiana
Warren County lies in western Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River in the United States. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American tribes. The county was officially established in 1827 and...
, Indiana.
History
Judyville's founder John Finley Judy, born in OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
on 18 March 1856, arrived in Warren County in 1867 with his parents Skillman and Sarah. (The Judy surname was an anglicization of the German Tschudi
Tschudi
Tschudi is a surname common in the Canton of Glarus, Switzerland.-History:The Tschudi name can be traced back to 870...
.) John attended high school in Attica
Attica, Indiana
Attica is a city in Logan Township, Fountain County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,245 at the 2010 census.-History:Attica was laid out by George Hollingsworth and platted by David Stump on March 19, 1825...
and afterwards taught school for several years. In 1881 he invested the money he earned from teaching into cattle, then leveraged the profits to establish himself as a farmer and an entrepreneur. The subjects of Judy's enterprises were diverse and included livestock, vehicles, farming equipment, groceries, dry goods and various supplies, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
ing, undertaking, grain elevators and real estate.
Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad
The Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago to southern Illinois, St. Louis, and Evansville. Founded in 1877, it grew aggressively and stayed relatively strong throughout the Great Depression and two World Wars before being purchased by the Missouri Pacific...
to build an eight-mile-long rail line to his farm from their trunk in Vermilion County, Illinois
Vermilion County, Illinois
Vermilion County is a county located in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, between the Indiana border and Champaign County. It was established in 1826 and was the 45th of Illinois' 102 counties...
, and also minted a limited form of currency known as "Judy Money" which was accepted both in the village and throughout the Warren County area.
On 9 February 1903, John Judy officially plat
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted the town of Judyville. The town gained a post office on 1 October 1903, with John's son Ole Ruppert Judy as the first postmaster. It operated until 6 January 1961. John married Matilda Ann Hunter on 16 December 1877 and died 12 October 1931. His home in Judyville survived for many years, but was accidentally destroyed by fire on 1 August 2001 while being remodeled.
Geography
Judyville is located along the western border of the township, about 7 miles (11.3 km) northwest of the county seat of WilliamsportWilliamsport, Indiana
Williamsport is a town in Washington Township, Warren County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,898 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Warren County and is the largest of the four incorporated towns in the county...
in fertile farmland and sits on a gentle rise with an elevation of approximately 770 feet. Spring Branch creek starts just to the north of town, and Fall Creek, which flows over Indiana's tallest waterfall
Williamsport Falls
Williamsport Falls is a waterfall near the center of the town of Williamsport where Fall Creek flows over a sandstone ledge, in Warren County, Indiana. With a height of , it is the highest free-falling waterfall in the state of Indiana....
in Williamsport, starts to its south. The town is located on County Road 300 North, a quarter mile east of County Road 425 West.