Seymour is a city in Jackson and Redding Townships, Jackson County, Indiana, United States. It is situated about south of Indianapolis and north of Louisville, Kentucky. Its population was 21,569 at the 2020 census.
The city is known as the "Crossroads of Southern Indiana" for its location at the intersection of two major north–south and east–west railroads, which cross each other in the downtown area (and are still operating). The north–south line (the Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad) was built in the 1840s and connected Indianapolis to the Ohio River at Jeffersonville. The east–west line (the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad) was built in the 1850s, connecting Cincinnati with St. Louis. The first settlers arrived at the intersection of these railroads - Seymour - in the spring of 1853. The city is home to Freeman Army Airfield, a historically significant WWII airbase that is now a civilian airport.
History
19th century
The land near Seymour was originally inhabited by the Lenape Indians as they were moved west from their lands along the Delaware River valley on the east coast of the 13 colonies. The Treaty of Grouseland in 1805 opened the area to white settlers. Following the Pigeon Roost Massacre in 1812, a local skirmish known as the Battle of Tipton's Island took place between settlers and a group of hostile Indian raiders. Between 1811 and 1815, Native Americans killed fifteen settlers. By 1816, only five families remained in the area. In 1817, the State of Indiana established a blockhouse to facilitate trade with the Lenape Indians until the natives ceded the area after the Treaty of St. Mary's.
Seymour was established and mapped out on April 27, 1852, by Meedy and Eliza Ewing Shields, near the 1809 Indian Treaty Corner and about two miles south of Rockford, Indiana. This location was the terminus of the north–south railroad at the Driftwood River before the purchase of 1828, and the construction of the rail bridge over the White River. Contradicting this, another account states that in 1852, Captain Meedy Shields persuaded Hezekiah Cook Seymour to route the east-west Ohio and Mississippi Railroad through his land, naming the city in Seymour's honor.
The first settlers arrived in the spring of 1853. On June 29, 1854, the first train on the new Ohio and Mississippi Railroad stopped in Seymour and fired a celebratory cannon shot. Unfortunately, four men were killed in the resulting explosion from the poorly aimed fusillade.
Meedy Shields placed advertisements in the nearby Cincinnati and Louisville newspapers, offering a free lot and $100 to any congregation willing to establish a church in the city. Charles White of the Presbyterian Church was the first to respond in 1855. The package contained a person fleeing slavery and seeking freedom in the North. A similar incident had occurred earlier in Kentucky. The true identity of "Hannah Johnson" remains a mystery. Although Indiana was a "free state", Article XIII of the state constitution of 1851 made it illegal for African Americans to settle in Indiana, and the Fugitive Slave Act permitted bounty hunters to capture and return people to slavery. The fugitive, later identified as Alexander McClure, was arrested and returned to Louisville and then to his owner in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Civil War
Due to its strategic location along rail lines, and with the large cities of Indianapolis, Chicago, and Detroit to the north and St. Louis to the west, Seymour was an important waypoint for the movement of men and supplies to the front during the war. Despite southern Indiana's strong Copperheads political sentiment, the city of Seymour and the surrounding area raised three separate infantry units for service in the Union Army. Volunteers from Seymour were organized at Camp Heffron in Seymour - later the location of Shields High School. These included the 50th Indiana Infantry Regiment,<nowiki/>commanded by former Indiana Secretary of State, Colonel Cyrus L. Dunham, as well as Company C of the 10th Indiana Cavalry Regiment. The 50th Indiana was conspicuous at the Battle of Parker's Crossroads against Nathan Bedford Forrest, as was the 10th Indiana Cavalry in skirmishes near Pulaski and during the 1864 Nashville Campaign. Company H of the 6th Indiana Infantry Regiment was also raised in Seymour, and commanded by Captain Fielder A Jones, who would end the war as a Brevet Brigadier General. These men fought at Shiloh (2nd Day), Stones River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, and through the Atlanta Campaign, ending in the capture of that city.
By 1865, Fielder Jones had been transferred to the 8th Indiana Cavalry and promoted to colonel, only a couple of months before being brevetted to Brigadier General. Early in the war, Jones had been "body shot" by a bushwhacker he later killed, W. A. Carter recalled decades later. "No Surrender" Jones survived his wound, then later raised another infantry unit of Jackson County men who elected him colonel. "When the company was organized, a group of Seymour women made a beautiful silk American flag and presented it to the Colonel. The presentation was made on the platform of what was then the O&M railroad station located in what [later became] the east warehouse of the Travis Carter Company at the corner of Fourth and Broadway. Mrs. George Williams, wife of one of Seymour's first jewelers, made the presentation speech. 'The enemy will never get this flag while I live,' the Colonel declared in accepting the flag and he kept his word." Carter said the flag came back with General Jones and his company, but other stories said Jones never returned to Seymour. After being mustered out, Jones headed to Missouri to practice law.
On July 10, 1863, as Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his Cavalry sacked nearby Salem, Major General John Love of the Indiana Legion (militia) arrived in Seymour from New Albany to take command of the city defenses, Seymour being most important due to its railroad crossing. Over the next day, Love used Seymour as a staging ground to gather a force to repel Morgan's next attack, which they believed would target the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad either at Mitchell, Seymour, or Vernon. His force included elements of the 63rd Indiana and 69th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiments, the 1st Michigan Sharpshooters, the 15th Indiana (Von Sehlen's) Battery of Light Artillery and a few Indiana Legion militia units. As Morgan moved on Vernon on July 11, Love took his force (about 1,000 men) from Seymour to meet him, placing Captain Meedy Shields in charge of the Seymour defenses in his absence. Shields had organized and trained many local and mounted militia units, and in Love's words, "rendered invaluable service" during the Morgan's Raid crisis.
On January 20, 1864, during the transfer of Confederate prisoners of war, six officers escaped. One was later recaptured in town. The New York Times reports that on January 22, 1864, a "Soldier's riot" took place, wherein two soldiers were killed, and several others were injured.
The 50th Indiana Infantry Regiment lost 3 officers and 54 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded and 3 officers and 158 enlisted men by disease for a total of 218 casualties during the war. Colonel Dunham, a Democrat, was accused of harboring Confederate sympathies and mustered out of the regiment in 1863 under a cloud of suspicion. Lt. Colonel Heffron, who was poorly regarded by the men of the regiment, was also dismissed from the army and replaced by Major Samuel T Wells, a Vallonia, Indiana, native, Mexican-American war veteran, and former Jackson County Sheriff. Wells would go on to command the regiment after Durham's resignation until the 50th was dissolved and all men transferred to the 52nd Indiana Infantry Regiment which was also garrisoned in Mobile, Alabama, and remained there until the war's end.
During the Civil War, Seymour and Jackson County fielded a total of 2,571 volunteers for the Union cause.
A robbery of the Adams Express Car on the east-west Ohio and Mississippi line near Brownstown was reported in July 1866. That night, the perpetrators were chased by a local vigilance committee of 300 men that continued into the Rockford area. Later that year, Seymour was the site of the world's first successful moving train robbery during peacetime. It was committed by the local Reno Gang, on October 6, 1866, just east of town, starting in the Adams Express Company car of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. Some members of the gang were later lynched at Hangman's Crossing outside town.
About 1876, a general strike of approximately 500 railroad men occurred at Seymour and nearby North Vernon, Indiana, led by armed brakemen, engineers, and other railroad employees who had not been paid for two and a half months by the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad. A paper reported that the communities of Seymour and North Vernon were armed and in revolt. A contingent of US Marshals and detectives was sent from Cincinnati to end the strike. All passenger and cargo service through Seymour and North Vernon was suspended during the strike.
The town's first high school was built in 1871 on the vacant lot of the disbanded civil war encampment. Frank B Shields, a Seymour native, former MIT professor, and inventor of Barbasol shaving cream, subsequently donated the adjacent land needed for the construction of the James Shields Memorial Gym.
In 1880, the Seymour Weekly Democrat noted that Seymour boasted a population of nearly 5,000, four schools including Shields High School, a Catholic School and two German schools with 700 students; four hotels including the newly built Hotel Jonas, the Faulconer, the City Hotel and the Mansion House.
During the years prior to the turn of the 20th century, Seymour saw a significant influx of Dutch and German migrants of the Lutheran faith. These migrants eventually established many successful local farms and businesses. These pioneers' influence continues today and can be seen in the city's annual Oktoberfest celebration.
20th century
thumb|right|alt=Seymour Indiana Public Library ca 1910|Seymour Indiana Public Library, ca 1910
Seymour fielded its own minor league team, the Seymour Reds, beginning in 1900. Pee Wee Reese once played with the Seymour Reds before being called up to the majors. The team had its own field, Redlands Park, north of Shields City Park.
The Seymour Public Library opened to the public in January 1905, following a grant of $10,000 from the Carnegie Foundation in 1903 led by the Public-School Superintendent and President of the Seymour Public Library Board, Professor H.C. Montgomery. Efforts to bring a library to Seymour began twenty years early in 1881. Early library collections were housed in a local bookshop and then at Shields High School until the new Carnegie Library opened. The public library was part of more than $2.6 million in grants issued in the state of Indiana for more than 160 libraries: more than any other state.
On October 22, 1908, William Howard Taft, the Republican Nominee for President of the United States, made a campaign speech in Seymour to 10,000 people at the Chestnut Street railroad crossing during his whistle-stop tour of Indiana two weeks before the election. He would go on to win the Presidency.
In 1913, the Great Flood hit Seymour causing widespread death and destruction. It was the deadliest natural disaster to ever hit the area. The East Fork of the White River reached above the level recorded in the flood of 1884.
World Wars
alt=Black and White photo of Sikorsky R-4|thumb|[[Sikorsky R-4, ca 1945]]
alt=Interior of Lloyd Scott Gym, ca 2013|thumb|Interior of Lloyd Scott Gym, ca 2013
On May 7, 1915, leading city-industrialist and scion of the Thompson family Eldridge Blish Thompson died during the sinking of the ocean liner RMS Lusitania. A memorial scholarship was funded in his name by his family at Seymour's Shields High School for any student accepted to Yale University. The sinking of the ocean liner was an important factor in President Woodrow Wilson's decision to ask Congress for a declaration of war in April 1917.
During World War II, the US government purchased of land southwest of town for use as an airfield. Local veterans initially proposed to name the field after US Navy Seaman Cockrum who died at Pearl Harbor. Freeman Army Airfield operated from 1942 to 1946. The base was first used for twin-engine training. The first class graduated on April 29 and went on to fly multi-engine aircraft such as the B-24 Liberator, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress, and various other medium bombers and transport aircraft. Twin-engine training continued with a total of 19 classes of students graduating from Freeman Field using a total of 250 Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita trainers. The last graduates were in May 1944; 4,245 total cadets.
Freeman Army Airfield was the first helicopter base in the US. The first instructor pilots arrived on June 30 and preparations for the helicopter training were made in great secrecy, as in 1944 very few people had seen one and the technology was new and revolutionary.
Nearing the end of WWII, Freeman Field was designated the Foreign Aircraft Evaluation Center for US Army Air Technical Intelligence. After the end of the war in Europe, captured German and Italian aircraft were collected by "Operation Lusty". Freeman Field was also charged with the mission to receive and catalog United States equipment for display at the present and for the future AAF museum. However, these operations, including the helicopter training missions were moved to other locations, and Freeman Field was deactivated and deeded to the city of Seymour in 1946. Future astronaut Gus Grissom enlisted as an aviation training cadet at Freeman Field in 1944.
Mid century
During the last week of June 1952, the city of Seymour held a week-long centennial celebration that included concerts, parades, a re-enactment of the Reno Brothers train robbery, contests, and a play entitled "The Seymour Story". The B&O Railroad loaned Engine #25 and several cars from their Baltimore Museum for use in the Reno reenactment scenes, and the event was featured in B & O Magazine. During the event, local industries paid their employers in silver dollars to commemorate the event.
Beginning in 1959, the city's former high school, Shields High School, was closed and all students transferred to the new Seymour High School west of town. By 1970, the school corporation completed the construction of the second-largest school gymnasium in the United States. In 1981, the gym was renamed the "Lloyd E Scott" gymnasium in honor of the Indiana Hall of Fame basketball coach.
Late century
Various murders occurred in the Seymour area that were linked to Rose Acre Farms in the 1970s. Employees Theresa Osborne, Mike Reece, and Carrie Croucher all from Rose Acre with ties to founder David Rust died under mysterious circumstances. Mysteriously, Theresa Osborne's body was found in the trunk of her burnt and abandoned vehicle weeks after her disappearance. Even years later, the deaths remained under investigation. Louisville Courier Journal reporters published a series of articles. Investigations by local authorities into the deaths did not result in any charges against David Rust, who died in 2004.
After being found guilty of four counts of accepting bribes while in office, Christopher Moritz resigned as mayor on March 29, 1983. Because he was sentenced to five years in prison and barred from holding public office for ten years until William Bailey assumed office. Donald Scott served the remaining balance of Moritz's term as Mayor. Moritz began serving his sentence on December 8, 1984. On March 29, 1983, he resigned as mayor after a judge found him guilty of four counts of accepting bribes while in office. He was sentenced to five years in prison and barred from holding public office for ten years. Moritz began serving his sentence on December 8, 1984. Donald Scott served the remaining balance of Moritz's term until William Bailey assumed office.
Seymour's east–west railroad, controlled by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad since the previous century, merged in 1987 into CSX Transportation, creating one of the largest Class I railroads in North America.
alt=Color photo of the Stardust Theater|thumb|Stardust Theater, ca 1986
In 1989, the Stardust Theater, a local landmark for fifty years, closed its gates for the last time. The 550-spot drive-in first opened on May 19, 1949, and aired its last feature films "Ghostbusters II" and "Karate Kid III" on September 30. The theater was popular for showing movies, cartoons, and dusk-to-dawn movie marathons. The operator of the theater said the decision to close the theater was purely economic, the land the theater sat on was just too valuable. The owner, Florence Carter sold the property to developers who turned the entire site into an outlet mall.
On July 8, 1991, the former Lynn Hotel, a local landmark first opened on July 1, 1883, collapsed due to disrepair and neglect. The city previously purchased the property for $35,000 with an eye on redeveloping the building into city offices. Other groups had offered to purchase and save the property before it was leveled including John Mellencamp, an investment group from California, and local community activists.
On May 29, 1997, the former Shields High School, first constructed in 1910, was razed during a botched demolition of a smaller portion of the building, the girls' gym. The structure was privately owned after the construction of Seymour Middle School, and once housed a private bible college. Building inspectors determined that was too much damage and the structure was unsafe.
On Christmas Day 1998, the historic Walton Hotel, first known at the Rader House, and then the Faulkner House, the Jonas Hotel, and the Centennial Hotel, burned to the ground in an accidental fire that killed one person. The property was first built in 1854, was one of the oldest structures in Seymour, was in the process of being restored, and was being used as low-income housing at the time of the fire. The structure was the third important historic downtown building to fall during the nineties.
21st century
Thanks to the efforts of then Lt. Governor John Mutz and community leaders at the Jackson County Industrial Development Corporation, Aisin constructed a factory in Seymour in 1986, with production beginning in 1989 with wide public support. Initial estimates suggested 200 new employees, but by 2020, Aisin employed more than 2,000 local residents. This factory has since been expanded and supplies components for Honda, General Motors, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Toyota.
The north-south railroad line that serves Seymour was purchased by the Louisville and Indiana Railroad from Conrail in March 1994. The Seymour Diamond Crossing is a good place to also watch the east–west railroad line, which CSX upgraded in 2016 for reliable higher speed operation. The Louisville and Indiana Railroad served as a short-line railroad to provide switching services for access to the CSX mainline.
Immigration from San Sebastián Coatán, Guatemala, began about 1989 as indigenous Chuj people found the American Dream in the United States. As word spread to their families and friends in their hometown about the quality of life in Seymour, more families journeyed from their poverty-stricken part of Guatemala to a newer, more fruitful life in the U.S. Immigrants from Guatemala as of 2020 make up more than 10% of the local population.
In November 2019, the city unveiled a large mural of John Mellencamp, painted on the side of a local guitar store. The store's owner, Larry McDonald, is a longtime friend and former bandmate of Mellencamp. The Mellencamp family donated $50,000 to help turn the former parking lot into a green space so more people could enjoy the mural painted by artist Sue Bliss.
In October 2024, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita issued a civil investigative demand to ensure the city complies with state immigration policies. Specifically, the AG requested records to determine if the city is acting as a De Facto sanctuary city and to produce data on individuals who may have committed the specific crime of driving without a license, as well as all misdemeanor violations except for driving without a license. On the same day, Seymour Mayor Matt Nicholson canceled a regularly scheduled city council meeting. In response, Seymour Common Council member Drew Storey held an impromptu community meeting to address concerns about the city's rapidly growing population. Census data shows that over the past 20 years, Seymour's Hispanic population increased from 4.8% to approximately 13%, and the overall population grew by about 3,000 people. "The growth that we've seen and experienced in just the past few years is exceeding our ability to deal with it, as we're seeing through other communities throughout the state," said State Representative and Seymour resident Jim Lucas. During the same twenty-year period, Seymour has seen an increase in crimes stemming from immigration; including the 2024 arrests of one undocumented immigrant for performing dentistry without a license, and a second for selling prescription medicine.
Folklore
After they were hanged, legend has it the Reno Brothers were allegedly buried together under a single stone alone atop a hill in the old city cemetery. Outraged, local citizens refused to bury their relatives with the Renos. The Riverview Cemetery was eventually built and many famous former occupants of the city cemetery. Later, a Reno plot with headstones for each of the brothers was constructed in the old cemetery close to the road to appease the tourists and the curious.
Freeman field was home to captured Nazi aircraft after World War Two, including captured jet aircraft, and V-1 and V-2 rockets. However, the base was closed shortly thereafter, and the base commander ordered many aircraft to be buried at the site.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Seymour has a total area of , of which (or 99.96%) is land and (or 0.04%) is water.
Topography
The area is part of the Scottsburg lowlands geographic region of Southern Indiana. This area is characterized by its relatively flat terrain, which contrasts with the rugged hills of the nearby Norman Uplands and the Knobstone Escarpment. The lowlands are formed from older, more easily eroded shales, which have created a landscape distinct from the surrounding uplands and escarpments. The soil is sandy but generally productive for agriculture and livestock. The local topology is dominated by the East Fork of the White River, a slow-moving, heavily silted, and meandering floodplain. Because of the surrounding low-lying swamplands and agricultural activity, the river is prone to frequent flooding averaging 19 days above flood stage per year; with at least three major floods recorded since 1900.
Climate
Seymour experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen classification "Cfa") characterized by high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. Summers are influenced by moist maritime airflow, leading to warm, oppressive nights and convectional thunderstorms, with tropical cyclones enhancing rainfall in some regions. Winters are mild, with frosts not uncommon and precipitation primarily from frontal cyclones. The average annual temperature is 55.0 °F (12.8 °C), with July being the warmest month at 77.0 °F (25 °C) and January the coolest at 32.0 °F (0 °C). The highest recorded temperature is 113.0 °F (45 °C) in July, and the lowest is -22.0 °F (-30 °C) in January. Seymour receives an average annual precipitation of 41.9 inches (1064.3 mm), with March being the wettest month and October the driest. The area also averages 16.9 inches of snow annually, with January having the most snowfall.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Seymour had a population of 21,569. The median age was 34.2 years. 27.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 99.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.6 males age 18 and over.
There were 8,144 households in Seymour, of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.6% were married-couple households, 21.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 29.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 15,320 || 71.0%
|-
| Black or African American || 412 || 1.9%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 424 || 2.0%
|-
| Asian || 350 || 1.6%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 6 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 2,681 || 12.4%
|-
| Two or more races || 2,376 || 11.0%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 5,508 || 25.5%
|}
Other demographic information
Seymour's population was 26% Hispanic in 2020, compared with 5% in 2000 and less than 1% in 1990, according to Census Bureau data. New immigration cases filed for people in Jackson County—a proxy for migrant arrivals—jumped to 435 in the fiscal year ended in September, from 66 in 2021, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University.
The median household income in the city was $47,949 compared to the median household income of $62,743 in the State of Indiana. 39% of the population was employed in manufacturing or production and 17.4% of the population was involved in the education or healthcare industry.
The 2021 American Community Survey estimated that 7% of the population were veterans.
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 17,503 people, 6,907 households, and 4,514 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 7,719 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 90.3% White, 1.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 5.1% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.5% of the population.
There were 6,907 households, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the city was 35.5 years. 25.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.6% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census Nippon Steel Pipe America, an automotive parts supplier, employs over 400 associates at its plant in Seymour. The Seymour Community Schools and Rose Acre Farms round out the list of major employers. ACTS is dedicated to the propagation and preservation of the theatrical arts in the area and has an ongoing schedule of theatrical performances.
The Southern Indiana Center for the Arts (SICA) is a not-for-profit organization operated by a volunteer board of directors and an executive director owned by the Mellencamp family since 1991 that provides art education and helps draw attention to the area of Jackson County as an art-conscious region.
The Oktoberfest celebrates the city's German heritage and has been held annually since 1973. The first Oktoberfest was organized by the Seymour Chamber of Commerce and featured Bavarian music, carnival rides, food and exhibit booths, parades, a hot air balloon race, baby contest and a Biergarten.
Scoop the Loop is a local weekend car show that started in 2011 but can trace its origins back to the years following WWII. In Seymour, like many small towns in America, with the rise of car culture, rock and roll, and teenagers with free time, cruising downtown to meet and make new friends and show off cars became a way of life in Seymour. Seymour used to be so popular for cruising that teens would come from eleven surrounding counties. But, starting in the 80s, some local merchants complained and alleged illegal activities were occurring. In the 90s, without any city ordinance to prohibit the activity, the local government would block many of the roads downtown and popular parking lots. This effectively killed the practice in Seymour as happened in nearby Columbus, North Vernon, and Seymour. But, cruising was reborn in 2011 by local cruising enthusiasts two started a yearly event held on one Saturday each August. Ironically, local merchants and restaurants support the event as a way to draw customers back to the downtown area.
The H. Vance Swope Memorial Art Gallery was created at the bequest of the artist, who spent his youth in Seymour and whose father was once the postmaster, and relative of then-mayor Allen Swope and contains works by regional artists as well as an extensive collection of landscapes by Swope.
Local comfort food is a deep part of Seymour's culture. This includes local hotspots like The Townhouse Cafe, which first opened in 1962. They have been serving locals their favorites for breakfast since then. In 2023, it was voted best home cooking, best breakfast, and best catering, and won honors for its tenderloins, burgers, and atmosphere. The Fish Stand, first opened its doors in 1962. Locals have been coming to the small unassuming local landmark restaurant on Ewing Street since then for fried fish and comfort food. The stand resides in a building first constructed in 1878 and needed major repairs when the current owners bought the property in 2013 that included new flooring, a new kitchen, and a new roof. Larrison's Diner, a local institution, has been serving local teenagers and adults-alike a steady diet of comfort food like burgers, fries, tenderloin sandwiches, and Big Red soda for more than fifty years. The diner was used as a filming location for Falling from Grace, starring John Mellencamp. The diner is also popular among his fans who might catch a glimpse of him at his favorite booth from time to time.
Until 2019, Seymour was the last town in the United States to celebrate Victory over Japan Day with a local parade. Beginning in 1946, the parade was held annually for 73 years until the local VFW voted to discontinue the tradition.
Seymour is home to many vibrant social, service and philanthropic organizations such as the Elks Lodge, the Jackson County Masonic Lodge, the Order of the Eastern Star, the Seymour Lions, the Rotary Society, the Moose Lodge, the Rotary Society, the Phi Beta Psi, Knights of Columbus, and the Jackson County Sertoma Club.
National Register of Historic Places
alt=Color photo of the Farmers Club in Seymour, Indiana on a sunny day framed by small trees|thumb|Farmers Club, Seymour, Indiana
The city is home to six structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Farmers Club was built by the Blish family and donated to the city as a memorial to city founder Meedy Shields and was included in the National Register in 1983. The building was constructed from Bedford limestone, brick, and steel and at the time of its construction it was the only building of its kind in the midwest. Meedy Shields Blish (1855–1922) was inspired to provide a local place of comfort and relaxation to area farmers while they were bringing produce and grain to market in the city. The building formally open on October 8, 1914. Since then it has been used as the club, the building also housed the Seymour Red Cross, the city of Seymour, the Seymour Police Department, and the Seymour Chamber of Commerce.
The First Presbyterian Church of Seymour was constructed in 1884 and is of Late Gothic Style architecture and includes stained glass by the Jacoby Art Glass Company. At the time of its construction, it was the tallest spire in the city. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. and was placed on the registry in 2010.
George H. Vehslage House is a historic home located at 515 N. Chestnut Street. It was built in 1894 and is a 2-and-one-half-story, Queen Anne style brick dwelling with a limestone foundation. It was placed on the registry in 2010.
Other significant buildings
alt=Color illustration of the Odd Fellows Building, Seymour, IN|thumb|The Odd Fellows Building
714 W Fifth Street is the boyhood home of John Mellencamp. The 2-bedroom, 1 bath, 1019 square foot ranch style house was built in 1949. It has been privately owned since 1979. The owner has plans to remodel the property and rent it on AirBnB.
The Travis Carter house at 410 Indianapolis Avenue is the oldest building (1852) still standing in Seymour. Today, it is privately owned, but it once housed the offices of the local Red Cross.
alt=Front exterior color photo of the T. Harlan and Helen Montgomery House.jpg|thumb|T. Harlan and Helen Montgomery House
The former Blish Mill grain towers are the tallest structures in town, they operated from 1858 to 1976.
The Federal Building was built in 1915, served for many years as the post office, and then as offices for the Seymour Police Department. Today, it is being restored as the Seymour Museum Center.
At the corner of N. Poplar and Sixth Street the former James Shields Memorial Gym is one of Indiana's ten most endangered landmarks. One of Indiana's largest high school gymnasiums when it was built by Works Progress Administration workers in 1941, the James M. Shields Memorial Gymnasium provided the backdrop for decades of local basketball memories, hosting 21 sectional titles from 1942 to 1970. A local family purchased the long-vacant property in 1996, and later had to demolish the high school nearby. As of 2023, the gym remains empty. Vandals continue to break windows and cover walls with graffiti, despite the current owner's attempts to secure the property. Though roof leaks have allowed water to infiltrate the building, an architectural assessment showed the steel and concrete gym to be structurally sound.
Parks and recreation
thumb|upright|Shields Park, ca 2023
The recreation department of the city of Seymour operates five parks, including the 12-acre Shields Park that is home to a skate park and a public pool.
Shields Park is the oldest public park in the city and was formally known as City Park. It is located on North Park Street. In 1924, Anna M. Gaiser donated the site of her father's plant nursery to be Gaiser Park.
Kessler Park was donated by the Kessler family in 1978.
Additionally, the recreation department operates 3 plazas, one recreation field located near Freeman Field and Mellencamp Plaza below the large mural of John Mellencamp in the downtown area that was completed in 2019. The department also provides a memorial tree and bench program to honor deceased residents. In addition to the numerous parks, plazas, and recreational facilities, the recreation department also provides 14 miles of bike and walking trails around the city.
Government
alt=Exterior of City Hall|thumb|upright|City Hall, ca 2023
Mayors are elected by city-wide election every four years from qualified candidates who are residents of the city. The first mayor of the city was Captain George Greene, a native of Kentucky, a veteran of the Mexican-American War, and a close ally of Meedy Shields. The City Hall has operated out of the former Southern Indiana Telephone and Telegraph Company since 1985.
In 2019, a local businessman, former city councilman, 1996 graduate of Seymour High School, and 1998 graduate of Ivy Tech, Matthew Nicholson was elected to his first term as mayor. He carried the election with 1,963 (59.3%) votes versus challenger Rexanne Ude who received 1,350 (40%) votes. Since his election, in addition to his official duties, Nicholson has joined the board of directors for Main Street Seymour, Indiana and regularly contributes to the local newspaper.
The seven-member city council is the legislative body for the city and has the exclusive responsibility of passing or changing local laws, resolutions, orders, and motions for the city's government. As the fiscal body, the council has the authority to levy certain taxes and it has the sole responsibility of adopting a city budget each year. The council also appoints members to certain boards and commissions that serve the community in various areas.
A chronological list of mayors of the city of Seymour includes;