Early History

 

1820 – A stagecoach line was established along a road   connecting all of the small outlying communities with Indianapolis.

 

1824 – James B. Brown settled in Brown Township in 1824 thus becoming Brownsburg's first settler. At the time the area was dense and unbroken wilderness with only hunters and trappers in the area. Delaware Indians lived in what is now called Lincoln Township, along White Lick Creek, which was then called “Wa-pe-ke-way” or “White Salt.”

 

1828 – The first log school house was built in Brown Township. One room brick schools were built every four miles, and everyone in the family except the mothers went to school when it was not crop season.

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1835 – William Harris settled in an area north of what is now Main Street, selling sections of woods to incoming pioneers, giving the town its original name of Harrisburg.

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1836 – A post office was established under the name of Harrisburg, but was later changed to Brownsburg since the name Harrisburg was being used by a post office in another Indiana County.

 

1863 – Brown Township was divided into two townships: Brown Township to the north, named after its first resident James Brown, and Lincoln Township to the South, named after President Abraham Lincoln as a sign of support during the American Civil War.

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Cemeteries

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The township contains twelve cemeteries: Bell, Brown, Brownsburg, Greenlawn, Hoadley, Lingeman, McDaniels, Prebster, Saint Malachy East, Turpin, Walker and Ward (historical).

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