Did You Know?
In the early 21st century, residents in Winchester, Union City, and Farmland have sought to revitalize Randolph County through a renewed focus on historic preservation, heritage tourism, and the arts. The county is included in the Ohio River National Freedom Corridor, as many refugees from slavery sought escape via crossing the Ohio River and using aid of residents at stops along the Underground Railroad, sometimes traveling further north and into Canada. In 2016 a state historical marker was installed at the site of the Union Literary Institute, to recognize its contributions to black and interracial education, and the cause of freedom.
The movie “Now and Then” is based on Winchester, in the
Gaslight Addition.
Robert Wise, the director of “The Sound of Music”, West Side Story and Star Trek: The Motion Picture” was born in Winchester.
The original members of the rock group The McCoys were all from Union City, Indiana. The group’s biggest hit was “Hang on Sloopy”.
On April 26, 1937, The Brady Gang drove to Farmland, Indiana, “ran the roads” there, and shortly after noon the next day, they held up and robbed the Farmland, Indiana, Branch of the Peoples Loan and Trust Company, Winchester, Indiana, obtaining approximately $1,427.