Hymera
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 Methodists 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 school of the township was probably held in a building in the vicinity of the town. On the west was one of the first coal mines of the county, owned by H. K. and Harvey Wilson. The coal was used chiefly by blacksmiths, and was hauled in wagons to all parts of the county.
William Pitt was the owner of the land on which Hymera was founded, and when Nathan Hinkle platted the site the name Pittsburg was selected, in honor of the local resident and also perhaps suggested by the great coal center of Pennsylvania. Coal operations on a more extensive scale than in pioneer times had begun here when the town was laid off. Robert Linn had a general store, and for some years the store and post-office, and two or three shops, comprised the business of the place. Linn's store was on the site now occupied by the Odd Fellows block. When the post-office was established the name Pittsburg was not accepted by the department. The origin of the name Hymera is credited to John Badders, who was postmaster. He had an adopted daughter whose name was Mary and who was tall in figure, and the name he suggested for the post-office was significant of these facts. The change of name for the village was accomplished in 1890. In April of that year a petition from nearly all the voters of Pittsburg was laid before the county commissioners asking that the name of the town as recorded on the plat be changed to Hymera. A short time previously, on the opening of the new mine at Alum Cave, the new town laid out there was called New Pittsburg, while the Hymera community in distinction was referred to as Old Pittsburg. The resulting confusion brought about the change in name. About this time a branch line of railroad reached up to the coal mines in the vicinity, and since that time the coal industry has been supreme here, and Hymera has grown rapidly.
With the consolidation of the coal mines and the heavy operations which began with the opening of the present decade, Hymera expanded into a town. In 1902 it was incorporated, and in July the first election for town officers was held.
One of the memorable days in the history of Hymera was the celebration in October. 1904, known as "Mitchell Day," in honor of the president of the national mine workers. The crowd in town was estimated at over seven thousand. A delegation met Mr. Mitchell at Terre Hauge,a nd the local procession was made up of the K. of P. band, the labor organizations, the school children. The ceremonies of the day centered about the unveiling of a monument to Nathan Hinkle, the Revolutionary soldier (see sketch) who was buried in the Hymera Cemetery. About a year before the movement had been started to raise funds for such a memorial, and the subscriptions had been gathered and the monument set in place for this occasion. Hon. James S. Barcus, a great-grandson of the Patriot, delivered an address, and Miss Mamie Asbury, a great-granddaughter, assisted in the unveiling. The monument is fifteen feet high, representing a Revolutionary soldier at "parade rest." The inscription is "Nathan Hinkle, born June 7, 1740, died December 25, 1848." The other events of the day were held in the Zink grove, where speeches were made by Rev. A. P. Asbury and Robert W. Miers and John C. Chaney, and the principal address of the afternoon was delivered by John Mitchell.
In the fall of 1905 John Mitchell was reported to have said that Hymera was the neatest mining town in America, with more and better sidewalks according to its size than any town in the county, and many improvements indicating a progressive spirit among the citizens. There were five church organization, the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, United Brethren and Christian, the first two having good buildings, while the Presbyterians and U. B. were preparing to build. A five room school building had proved inadequate, and a four room addition was added in the summer of 1905. The Hymera State Bank, which had been organized in December, 1903, as the Bank of Hymera, by S. M. Patton and R. I. Ladd, was reorganized as a state bank in January, 1906, with Mr. Ladd as President and Mr. Patton, Cashier.
Source: 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 wealth. Thomas J. Wolfe, Editor. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909, page 208-211.