Shoals, IN

Shoals is Martin County's seat, an Indiana town of 677 residents in the 2020 census, split between Center and Halbert townships along the East Fork of the White River. The river runs through the center, and the town's name reflects the shallow stretches that shaped early movement. The place was platted as Memphis in 1844, changed to Shoals, and had a post office by 1869. Jug Rock, a free-standing table rock east of the Mississippi, is the landmark most visitors associate with town.

ATTRCharles Edward / Public domain

River work shaped the local economy before gypsum mining took over. Mussel shells from the White River supported a mother-of-pearl button industry beginning in 1915, while gypsum deposits discovered in the mid-twentieth century brought the National Gypsum mine two miles east of town. The mine reaches 515 feet and remains a major employer. The courthouse, Shoals Public Schools, public library, and U.S. Routes 50 and 150 give the county seat its daily structure. Shoals is a small river town whose rock, shells, and gypsum all come from the ground and water around it.