Jasonville, IN

Jasonville was founded in 1858 and named for Jason Rogers, one of the city’s founders. Coal mining and farming shaped its early economy, and the town grew as part of the west-central Indiana belt where small cities depended on pits, rail connections, and surrounding fields. The mines have receded, but Jasonville still carries that history through its streets, schools, library, and older commercial buildings. Its location puts it closer to Terre Haute than Bloomington, even though it falls within the Bloomington metropolitan area.

ATTRChris Flook / CC BY-SA 4.0

Shakamak State Park sits beside the city, with Redbird Off-Road State Recreation Area and Hillenbrand Fish & Wildlife Area adding more open space nearby. The park, city reservoir, Hanna Field, and updated city facilities give residents places for fishing, sports, walking, and community events. MSD of Shakamak operates elementary and junior-senior high schools between Jasonville and the park, tying local education to the same landscape. Jasonville’s present is built from several working layers: a mining town’s memory, a school community, outdoor recreation, and a city government trying to keep its center useful.