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History
The town was plated in 1853 by James Brooks, the President of the New Albany and Salem Railroad and was named after his
daughter Frances.
Francesville grew around the railroad and became a
center for the farmers to bring in their grain, and also become a bustling
downtown with many different businesses. Hunting wild game and fishing
were also important trades of the early years, as Francesville was very swampy
until the drainage industry came into being, and farmland was tiled and became
very fertile farm ground.
Our 39th Fall Festival will feature some history of
our heritage with free, family-type entertainment. The "Singing
Trainmen" will entertain Friday evening, with their stories of the
railroad's beginning and the music of the railroad era, and the railroad's
affect on Francesville.
Saturday evening, after the big parade, will
feature a big birthday party for Francesville with birthday cake, punch, gifts
and more music. Our senior citizens will tell stories of years gone-by
The streets will be bustling with crafts, flea
markets, vendors, carnival rides, and music to entertain all ages. Come
and enjoy some good old fashioned fun.
Thirty-nine years of parades and festivals, but this really began nearly
forty years ago. In the late 1950's the Francesville Town Board advertised for bids
to construct a fire station. The costs submitted were out of reach at that time, and
the project was put on hold, but Francesville needed a new fire station.
January, 1961 found eleven community minded people, at a meeting to
discuss a means to build a fire station and municipal building. This new building
was needed to house fire equipment to better protect our town and local community, and
various offices.
A "Francesville Community Improvement Foundation" was
formed and incorporated as a non-profit organization. There were nine directors, and
the corporate certificate was issued May 10, 1961. These nine directors solicited funds
from business firms and citizens of the community. They received donations and
pledges to purchase land and construct the much needed building.
People came with trucks, tractors, shovels, or whatever needed
to do the work going in the fall of 1963. Eight farm trucks made a trip to Bedford
Quarries, in southern Indiana and returned with Indiana Limestone. The stone was
then laid in the fall of 1964.
There was still lots of work to be done to complete this 56 x 72
foot building that would house six pieces of fire fighting equipment, several offices,
public restroom, and a kitchen. All of this was to be completed with no taxpayer
funds.
Well, when this building was finished in 1967 it was decided to have
a parade and dedication on September 22 and 23, 1967. This was the beginning of the
Francesville Fall Festival. Each year it is held for the local community, to meet
old friends and new, and be thankful for a wonderful place to live, where people care
about their neighbors. |
