How Have Things Changed?



A lot of things have changed since Fairland first became a town in 1852. I once again ask Mr. Bud Mendenhall, that oldest faculty member that resides at Triton Central, I asked him what the biggest change was in the school system he said, " Well the school is modernized now, then it was." Mr. Mendenhall was a teacher at the very first building that Triton Central was at. I asked him why he still teaches he says, "because I love it, and would'nt be here if I didn't." When Mr. Mendenhall came to Triton Central he coached basketball, softball and track. He later also coached the very first football team that Triton Central ever had. My dad was privelaged to be on the very first team. I asked Mr. Mendenhall how his very first season went and he said, " Well it was a winning one, I know that for sure." " Fairland is unincorporated, meaning there is no true town government. Shelby County's three commissioners are the only official governing authority over Fairland. What locals consider to be the "town" of Fairland is a modest collection of homes and businesses, but because Fairland has the post office nearest to much of rural northwestern Shelby County, many homes far from the town have a Fairland address"(Fairland Indiana). I also asked him about the town itself and what he can remember, and what has changed. " There were four little stores, one where Mr. Ts is, one across the street, one right over the railroad tracks, and one where Frodies is." To me having four stores in a small town was confusing I asked him if they all sold the same thing for the same price, he said that they all did see pretty much the same thing for the same price and only one of them and meat to sell. In 1952 pork chops were sold for only 29 cents a pound and a half a gallon of ice-cream cost 89 cents. Though now the town has changed from four stores to one, it still has a sense of history. There were some lodges near Fairland but the only one that is still exists is the Sugar Creek Lodge. A big event that still happens today is the Fairland Fish Fry. It still happens every July. It is held where the old school building used to be in the town of Fairland. Even when the school building was there the Fish Fry was held beside it. Fairland has a lot of unique history. A special event that happend in Shelbyville Indiana which is only about ten minutes from Fairland was Ronald Reagan, future president appeared at the Shelbyville Corn Festival. At this festival there was a 70 foot corn shock in the center of the circle.Though the contest is not held anymore, Ronald Reagan visting a city near by is something to remember.

Fairland is still a small town like it was when our ancestors first came to create it out of the swampy waters. In fairland there is 23% German ancestry, 11% Irish,and 7% English. There are also others that are Swedish, Scottish, Swedish-Irish, French, Cherokee, Italian, Dutch, Mexican and Polish. German ancestry is the main ancestry in the town of Fairland (Fairland History). All of these ancestors make up the people of Fairland today. There are 1,278 non-farm home owners living in Fairland today. The number of males and females fluctuates throughout the ages (Houses). Fairland is an amazing town, it has had its ups and downs but in the end it is still going strong. It has come from being a swampy area with very little sunshine, to a quiet little bright and sunny town. Over the next several years my guess is this town is going to grow greatly in size, but I doubt that this small town will ever forget where it has come from to get where it is going.