{"id":460,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:48:36","latitude":38.8786466674875299531777272932231426239013671875,"longitude":-86.0395538317971073638545931316912174224853515625,"title":"The Pioneer Village and John Ketcham","subtitle":"","fullsize":"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/fullsize/24c6279cb3ec52d8dade988e96ecf365.jpg","address":"","all_locations":[],"zoom":18,"creator":["Volunteers of Jackson County History Center"],"description":"The Pioneer Village that comprises the nucleus of the History Center Campus is named for Colonel John Ketcham (1782-1865). John Ketcham was born in Maryland in 1782.  His family moved to northern Kentucky when he was a small child. <br />\r\n<br />\r\nAlthough Ketcham only spent about seven years in the Jackson County area, he was influential in the establishment of Brownstown. In 1811, Ketcham, his wife Elizabeth, and their children built a fortified residence on White River, about five miles northeast of the fort at Vallonia, Indiana, in what is now Brownstown. From 1813-1815, he served with the Indiana Territorial Mounted Rangers, a militia whites organized to defend themselves from Miami, Delaware, Winnebago, and Kickapoo Indians who were being threatened by white settlers moving into the area and encroaching on Native lands. <br />\r\n<br />\r\nFor his service in the militia, Ketcham was named a Colonel of the militia by Governor (later U.S. President) William Henry Harrison. In 1816 he was appointed a judge. As a judge, he sold his private lands  to the government to become the county seat. In 1818 he moved to Monroe County, Indiana, where he served in the State Legislature. Ketcham died in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1865.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe Ketcham Pioneer Village includes the Nentrup Trading Post, the String Fort Replica, a log cabin, and a meeting house.  In the center there is a memorial to Revolutionary War soldiers from Jackson County.<br />","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":[],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/fullsize/24c6279cb3ec52d8dade988e96ecf365.jpg":{"id":2084,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Log Cabin in the Pioneer Village","description":"One of the structures in the Pioneer Village is a log cabin. Like many of the buildings at JCHC, it was moved here from its original location. | Image courtesy of photographer | February, 2020 | Rebecca Schrum","thumbnail":"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/24c6279cb3ec52d8dade988e96ecf365.jpg"},"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/fullsize/6efae9258ab6be9fb754a536d4b36390.jpg":{"id":2085,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Log Cabin from the Side","description":"The log cabin was restored by the Jackson County History Center several years ago. As part of that process, the chimney visible in this image was taken apart and re-assembled. | Image courtesy of photographer. | February, 2020 | Rebecca Shrum","thumbnail":"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/6efae9258ab6be9fb754a536d4b36390.jpg"},"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/fullsize/42047d2a0220c4bc69763e47e85474fc.jpg":{"id":2086,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Inside the Log Cabin","description":"The interior of the log cabin has also been restored and arranged to show how the inhabitants would have conducted their daily activities. | Image courtesy of photographer | February, 2020 | Rebecca Shrum","thumbnail":"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/42047d2a0220c4bc69763e47e85474fc.jpg"},"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/fullsize/3fd01544d71cf5474d35c0f6e5eca121.jpg":{"id":2087,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Meeting House","description":"Another building in the Pioneer Village is the Meeting House. This large structure would have also served as a school and a church. | Image courtesy of the photographer. | February, 2020 | Rebecca Shrum","thumbnail":"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/3fd01544d71cf5474d35c0f6e5eca121.jpg"},"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/fullsize/d9e34982ad0dfbecd35750e30d28a714.jpg":{"id":2088,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Revolutionary War Memorial","description":"In the center of the Pioneer Village is a memorial to Revolutionary War soldiers from Jackson County. | Image courtesy of photographer | February, 2020 | Rebecca Shrum","thumbnail":"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/d9e34982ad0dfbecd35750e30d28a714.jpg"}}}