Lexington, Indiana

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Lexington, Indiana
settlement_type = Unincorporated area
nickname =
motto =

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mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Location of Lexington in the state of Indiana


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Indiana
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Scott
subdivision_type3 = Township
subdivision_name3 = Lexington
government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
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area_footnotes =
unit_pref = Imperial
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 129.5
area_land_km2 = 128.2
area_water_km2 = 1.2
area_total_sq_mi = 50.0
area_land_sq_mi = 49.5
area_water_sq_mi = 0.5

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 3268
population_density_km2 = 25.5
population_density_sq_mi = 66.0

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 208
elevation_ft = 682
latd = 38 |latm = 39 |lats = 16 |latNS = N
longd = 85 |longm = 38 |longs = 43 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 47138
area_code = 812
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 18-43164GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0453549GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Lexington, Indiana is an unincorporated town located in Lexington Township, Scott County, about 10 miles west of the Ohio River and 28 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky. The town itself was founded before Indiana became the 19th state in 1816 and was located in Jefferson County at the time it was platted. It was the original county seat from 1820 to 1874 before local leaders decided on a more central location at nearby Scottsburg which created animosity between the residents of the two towns for several decades afterwards.

Geography

Lexington is located at coor dms|38|39|9.09|N|85|37|34.50|W|city (38.652525,-85.62625)GR|1.

History

Lexington was originally settled in 1804 and platted in 1810. It was one of eight towns that were considered for the first state capital of Indiana in which Corydon, Indiana won the honor. It was originally in Jefferson County until 1820 when Scott County was created from parts of surrounding counties: Jennings, Jefferson, Clark, Washington, and Jackson. Since there were no other towns in the county, Lexington was selected as the county seat. Due to its location in the southeastern portion of the county, there were several unsuccessful attempts at relocating the county seat to a more central location, which did not actually occur until 1874 when it was relocated to Scottsburg, the name of which at the time was spelled "Scottsburgh". Records were removed from the courthouse at night to avoid a civil war between residents. The removal of the county seat to Scottsburg created animosity between the two towns for several decades.

Morgan's Raiders came through Lexington during the American Civil War on July 10-11, 1863, meeting little resistance upon entering the town.

The infamous Reno Gang who committed the first and second train robberies in the United States were held at the Scott County Jail in Lexington in 1868 for the robbery which occurred on May 22 at Marshfield, now a defunct community north of Scottsburg, Indiana. They were moved to the Floyd County Jail in New Albany, Indiana and ultimately hung in the stairwell of the jail when a mob broke in on December 11, 1868.

Famous Persons

William Hayden English, one of the richest men in Indiana of the late 19th century and the unsuccessful Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate of the United States in 1880, was born in Lexington. Joseph H. Shea (1862-1928), who also was born in Lexington, served as U.S. Ambassador to Chile from 1916 to 1921 under Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Warren G. Harding.

References