Explore Indiana’s legal history in Johnson County

Have you ever wondered how the legal system in Indiana developed into what it is today?

As part of its Heritage Day celebrations, the Johnson County Museum will be highlighting the story of the Historic Johnson County Courthouse, as well as the people and events that were most integral to its legacy. Local authors Jim Hillman and John Murphy will lead a presentation about the f

ive courthouses in Johnson County, and will discuss how the area is working to preserve and record their legal history.

This event will take place on Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. at the Johnson County Museum of History. The museum is located at 135 North Main Street, Franklin, Indiana.

Heritage Day will also be on Oct. 15, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. The day includes the chance to learn a 1950s-style swing dance, hear a storyteller’s account of life as an African-American schoolteacher in post-Civil War era Johnson County, and experience demonstrations on apple butter, civil war weaponry and blacksmithing. For more information on Heritage Day, visit its website.

Also, for kicks, check out Johnson County’s amazing photographic history project.

The presentation on the Johnson County Courthouse is funded in part by an Indiana Legal History Grant from Indiana Humanities and the Indiana Supreme Court.