Borden, IN

Borden was officially called New Providence until 1994, but the town's current name comes from William W. Borden and the educational institution he founded there. In 1884, Borden Institute opened as a college for teacher preparation and laboratory science. Borden also established a library and geological museum; after his death, the geological collection became part of Chicago's Field Museum. The institute later served as a high school before closing, and its story still gives this Clark County town an unusual connection to education and collecting.

ATTRLaura Renwick; Indiana Landmarks / CC BY 4.0

Today, the public library, Borden Museum, Community Center, and Borden Community Park keep the town's civic and historical map visible. The annual Star Valley Strawberry Festival brings the calendar back to the town's agricultural setting, while the Old Borden State Bank has received funding for restoration as a local preservation project. The South Monon Trail adds a regional route through the area, and the Clark County forest is part of the wider outdoor map. Borden is a small town with a clear thread from a nineteenth-century science school to present-day park, museum, and community events.