By now, you’ve heard all about our relationship with the 1986 film Hoosiers that was filmed in Knightstown. It was inspired by the 1954 Indiana state champions, Milan High School, and their rise to fame on the basketball court. The home court of the fictional Hickory Huskers was filmed at our iconic Hoosier Gym. It’s part of the reason we love the hashtag #HoosiersMadeHere. It represents the industrious nature of Indiana, includes a small reference to the film that most people know us by, and it stands for how we’ve continued to make a path for ourselves here in Knightstown. In that sense, it’s an excellent way to demonstrate that although the film is how you might have heard of us, Knightstown is more than a movie set… a lot more. We are Hoosiers Made Here.
#HoosiersMadeHere: Businesses
One thing that #HoosiersMadeHere is business. Thanks to the tenacity of our people, we have a thriving downtown that is home to many new and established businesses. We mostly focus on the tourism-related businesses, since that’s what visitors want to know about, but we’re proud to be home to all the things you could need to build a life in Knightstown, too. This includes automotive sales, electricians, community organizations, restaurants and retail, financial services, veterinary clinics, farms, real estate offices, dentists, doctors, and more. Every business that takes up residence here is the result of a hardworking team of individuals who saw opportunity and saw Knightstown as more than a movie set.
You can support the businesses #HoosiersMadeHere by checking out our list here.
Knightstown is also home to a thriving Chamber of Commerce and chapter of the Indiana Federation of Business & Professional Women.
#HoosiersMadeHEre: Events
Events are what makes any small town have a cultural identity. Our local folks take that pretty seriously and have worked hard to develop some events that we’re proud to say #hoosiersmadehere. We’re working on creating more events in this post-Covid world, but some fun, family-friendly events we’ve enjoyed recently include:
- Artist Walk
- Car Shows
- Knightstown Fall Festival
- The Fantastic Feast
- The Christmas Tree Lighting & Santa’s Arrival
- Christmas at the Academy
- Bingo Nights
There’s more to come and we’re looking forward to sharing next year’s list of events. Continue to watch this space and our Events page for details as they become finalized.
#HOosiersMadehEre: People
One of our best kept secrets are the people of Knightstown: we love our citizens! They’re incredibly hardworking, welcoming, and constantly looking towards the future of Knightstown…which is one of the reasons why this brand exists. We are more than a movie set. We are a town of wonderful people, too. You’ll meet a host of people ready to share their love for Knightstown by stopping in any of our local shops and restaurants and saying, “Hello!”
In addition to the current residents, we also have a list of people from our history that we’re pretty proud of, too. After all, Knightstown didn’t pop out of nowhere in 1986: we’ve been making history since 1827! Check out the list below to see if you recognize some of our well-known Knightstown #hoosiersmadehere.
- Actor Monte Blue
- You may recognize Monte Blue if you’re a fan of silent films. After a rough loss in the stock market, he took on some character roles in Westerns, like Annie Oakley, and specialized in that genre. He earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
- Actor Forrest Lewis
- Lewis enjoyed time in repertory theatre and on Broadway before he broke into radio and then film acting. He was well-known for his series work on The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
- NFL All-Pro Running Back/Kick Returner (and singer) Timmy Brown
- Talk about an interesting life – football, television color analyst, professional actor (M*A*S*H), singer, and later a corrections officer – and it all started in Knightstown, Indiana!
- Former Secretary of Agriculture Clifford M. Hardin
- In his role under Nixon, Clifford Hardin extended the food stamp program to serve more people in need, established the Food and Nutrition Service, as well as the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
- Historian Charles A. Beard
- Beard’s work was primarily in the fields of history and political science. He was known for his interpretation of history through the lens of economics.
- Medal of Honor Recipient William Zion
- You don’t have to spend a lot of time in Knightstown to know how much we appreciate our veterans, but Private Zion went above and beyond during his time serving in the Boxer Rebellion. He was commended for meritorious conduct in the presence of the enemy in Peking, China.
- Open Heart Surgery Pioneer Dr. Michael Schatzlein
- Raised in Knightstown, Dr. Schatzlein went on to establish the Northern Indiana Heart Institute in 1984 and performed the first heart transplant there in 1985. Nine of the world’s 22 longest-living heart recipients received their new hearts under his care.
About Us
We hope this article gave you more information about how Knightstown in “more than a movie set.” We’re thrilled you want to know more about us! Stay up to date and get more Knightstown travel tips by signing up for our monthly newsletter or following us on social media. For more articles just like this one, check out more articles on our blog.
