Stearleyville, Indiana

Unincorporated community in Indiana, United States

39°26′42″N 87°03′41″W / 39.44500°N 87.06139°W / 39.44500; -87.06139CountryUnited StatesStateIndianaCountyClayTownship JacksonElevation

^[1]

650 ft (200 m)ZIP code

47840

FIPS code18-72854^[2]GNIS feature ID444104

Stearleyville is an unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Clay County, Indiana.

The townsite of Stearleyville was founded by George Stearley, the son of German immigrants Johann (John) and Rosanna Burkhardt Stierle from Pfuhl, Neu-Ulm, Bavaria who emigrated to Clay County in 1856.^[3] George Steraley served as Clay County sheriff. In this family there were six sons: George, William, John, Fred, Charles and Tobias, and one daughter, Rose. There was a railroad depot, store, church and several dwellings. A blacksmith shop was started by George Stearley II, then operated by his brother Roy. A post office was established at Stearleyville in 1893, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1902.^[4]

By 1900, there were so many descendants of the Stearleys in the area, it prompted a local saying that "Clay County was made up of Stearleys and Ragweeds".^[5]

Today this area is part of the Terre Haute Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

Stearleyville is located at 39°26′42″N 87°03′41″W / 39.44500°N 87.06139°W / 39.44500; -87.06139.

References

^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
^ Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3. ...on land owned by George Stearley.
^ "Clay County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved August 30, 2014.
^ Blanchard, Charles (1884). Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. F.A. Battey & Company. pp. 387.