Hillsdale, Indiana

Hillsdale
Unincorporated community
The Hillsdale Steps, a community landmark
Vermillion County's location in Indiana
Hillsdale Hillsdale's location in Vermillion County
Coordinates: 39°47′09″N 87°23′25″W / 39.78583°N 87.39028°WCoordinates: 39°47′09″N 87°23′25″W / 39.78583°N 87.39028°W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Vermillion County
Township	Helt Township
Established	1873
Elevation	189 m (620 ft)
ZIP code	47854
GNIS feature ID	0436218[1]

Hillsdale is an unincorporated community in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana, United States.

History

A post office has been in operation at Hillsdale since 1872.^[2] The town was laid out in 1873.^[3] The community was so named on account of its lofty elevation.^[4] Its early businesses were located at the bottom of the hill, near the railroad depot, but most of the houses were built higher up on the hillside. This elevation difference complicated movement between the two sections of the community, so in 1903 the Hillsdale Steps were built on the hillside to improve foot transportation.^[5]

Geography

Hillsdale is located at 39°46′55″N 87°23′18″W / 39.78194°N 87.38833°W (39.782020, -87.388270) on the western banks of the Wabash River.

Trivia

The 1994 children's film Blank Check was set in a fictionalized version of Hillsdale which seems to be a major city rather than the true-life community. The movie however was actually filmed in and around Austin, Texas.

References

1. "Hillsdale". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
2. "Vermillion County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
3. History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana. B.F. Bowen & Cos. 1913. p. 413.
4. Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3. ...village's location on high ground.
5. The Hillsdale Steps, Indiana Historical Bureau, n.d. Accessed 2012-05-23.