Gov. Eric Holcomb helps Morgan County celebrate its bicentennial
MARTINSVILLE — Morgan County has been forging its own history 200 years.
The county got to honor that history, while also celebrating its bicentennial, at Old Town Waverly Park this weekend.
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The Old Town Waverly Park Festival, held on the fourth weekend in September, gave the county the opportunity to celebrate its birthday with Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb as one of the celebration's invitees.
Volitta Fritsche, who serves as the festival's volunteer coordinator, opened the festival Saturday by welcoming all in attendance.
"Today, we are going to celebrate the past, the present and the future," Fritsche said Saturday morning.
She said she believes it is important to honor the past.
Fritsche pointed out that the Indiana Governor's Residence is about 22 miles from the park.
"If he had to ride his horse down here this morning, he would have had to get up 4:45 a.m. to get here on time," Fritsche said. "But instead, he can hop right in his car, his automobile ... it has a lot softer seat, and be here in 33 minutes."
Fritsche noted Waverly was first settled in 1819, about three years before the formation of Morgan County.
"On behalf of the bicentennial and Old Town Waverly Festival committees, we say happy birthday Morgan County," Fritsche added.
State Sen. Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville, also spoke during Saturday's opening ceremony.
"This park, in particular, really brings to life the challenges and triumphs of Hoosiers and people from Morgan County dating back to 1822, and all through that time leading up to today where we stand here today," Bray said. "We can think about how hard they had to work to carve a life out of the wilderness here at the time, but they saw an opportunity to do that and they saw an opportunity to pursue their dreams."
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Holcomb said that while the future can't be predicted, "but you can create it."
"And that type of innovation has been occurring here since the very beginning of our state," Holcomb said.
At the time of Morgan County's establishment, Holcomb noted Indiana was one of just 24 states and the nation was 46 years old at the time.
"When you think about all that has occured since then, you think about Morgan County's contribution to that," Holcomb added.
Holcomb pointed Paul Hadley, a Mooresville resident who designed the Indiana State Flag, as one Morgan County resident who left a mark on the state.
He also brought up Morgan County native John Wooden, who won coached the UCLA Bruins to 10 NCAA basketball championships.
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"I'm a big basketball fan, and you think about the greatest coach ever coming from Martinsville," Holcomb said. "So from Mooresville to Martinsville and Waverly, you've really got it all here. And it traces back to that pioneer spirit."
Wooden was a member of three Martinsville High School Artesian basketball squads that played in the IHSAA State Championship from 1926 to 1928. The team won the championship in 1927.
He also led the Purdue Boilermakers to being named the 1932 Helms Foundation National Championship.
"I'm just proud to be here today and truly honored to celebrate this milestone moment for Morgan County," Holcomb said. "Here is to the next 200."
This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Morgan County Bicentennial: County celebrates its 200th birthday
