There are two Egyptian Mummies on permanent display in Indiana, both are located in Richmond. One at the Wayne County Historical Museum and the other at the Joseph Moore Museum of Natural History.

The History Channel has named the Levi Coffin House as one of the top ten most historic sites to visit in the United States.

The1stpaved road in Indiana was a portion of the National Road, U.S. 40, in Centerville, which was filled with stone flagging.

The Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, Indiana was part of the Underground Railroad.

One of the first compact automobiles in the U.S.was constructed in Richmond by Powell Crosley, Jr., and first offered for sale April 28, 1939.

In 1923, jazz great, Hoagie Carmichael, recorded “Star Dust” at the Gennett Recording Studio, Richmond, IN. Others, who did their recordings at the Gennett Recording Studio, were Bing Crosby and Jelly Roll Morton. A 50-foot painting of Hoagy Carmichael adorns the south side of the Readmore building in downtown Richmond. Paintedby artist Pam Bliss, it was dedicated by Hoagy’sson Randy Carmichael in June 2008.

The cooking stove was invented May 2, 1835 in Richmond by Solomon Dickinson, supplanting the fireplace or open blaze.

In 1919,William Jennings Bryan recorded his famous “Cross of Gold” address at the Gennett Recording Studio in Richmond.

The most unusual collection of fossils in the nation is found in Richmond where their abundance is evident in outcroppings of limestone in the Whitewater River Gorge, now part of the city park in Richmond.

The 1st complete mastodon skeleton found in the nation is possessed by Earlham’s Joseph Moore Museum of Natural History. It was unearthed in 1895 in nearby Preble County, OH.

The oldest mummy in Indiana is owned by the Wayne County Historical Museum in Richmond. She dates back to 1580 BC. The mummy was purchased in Egypt in 1929 by Julia Meek Gaar.

The 1stproducer of lawnmowers in Indiana was Dille & McGuire of Richmond, which in 1875 obtained a patent for a lawnmower after repairing one of only a few lawnmowers then known to exist, and making improvements on its design. The firm had been established in 1870 and was known as, Quaker City Machine Works, before beginning lawnmower production.

Centerville, Indiana has architecture not found elsewhere in Indiana-row houses joined by archways. Of the original eleven archways, five still exist.

The 1st high school orchestra was established in 1898 in Richmond, IN.

In 1945,the cruise control was invented by Ralph Teetor in Hagerstown, IN.

Fossiliferous limestone of the Ordovician period is 425 million years old in the Whitewater Gorge, and is one of the only two places in the U.S. where this type of limestone is exposed to the surface.

The 1st motion picture projector & early television was invented by Richmond native C. Francis Jenkins. The movie was shown in downtown Richmond in an upstairs apartment over a local jewelry store.

The Gaar Scott & Co. steam engines and thresher machines were manufactured in Richmond.

The 1st astronomical observatory was opened in 1861 at Earlham College, Richmond.

Richmond is home of the former Starr Piano Company.

A total of 14 various types of automobiles were manufactured in Richmond including the Crosley, Pilot, Westcott, Richmond, Rodefeld, Davis, Richmond “Steam Runabout”, Sedgwick, Wayne, E.I.M., Laurel, Utility, Lorrain, and the New York Six.

The Model T Ford Centennial T-Party was hosted in Richmond/Wayne County at the Wayne County Fairgrounds in July 2008. Over 920 Model T’s from nine countries converged in Wayne County for an entire week.

In 2008, Richmond submitted a bid to the Commission of Presidential Debates to be considered as a debate site for the 2008 presidential election. The Richmond community rolled out the red carpet for the CPD, who later commented that the commission had never before received such a tremendous welcome from a potential host location during a site inspection.

The President Benjamin Harrison Ash Tree was planted by the President in 1895 in Richmond’s Glen Miller Park and is still growing. The President’s great-grandson, Dr. Benjamin Walker, planted a new Indiana Poplar tree beside the original in 2008 to continue the Harrison Line.

RICHMOND/WAYNE COUNTY’S NOTABLE PERSONALITIES

Singing Sam, the Barbasol Man, resident of Richmond, died on May 24, 1964 at the age of 60, and is buried at Earlham Cemeteryin Richmond.

Gaar Williams, famous Chicago Tribune cartoonist, was born in Richmond.

Polly Bergen, famous motion picture/TV actress, was born in Tennessee in grew up in Richmond.

Home of Dr. D. Elton Trueblood, famous religious leader and author of several books.

Norman Foster, actor and directorduring the 1930’s and 1940’s (1933 movie “First State Fair”), was born and raised in Richmond.

Alan K. Patrick, ceramist and painter, was born in Richmond on June 16, 1942.

“Single G”, famous harness racehorse-birthplace, Cambridge City in Wayne County.

Wilbur and Orville Wrightattended school in Richmond.

Civil War governor, Oliver P. Morton, was born in Centerville, Indiana.

Lamar Lundy, one of the L.A. Rams Fearsome Foursome, was born in Richmond and still resides here.

Other sports notables from Richmond include Weeb Eubank, football coach for N.Y. Jets and Baltimore Colts, and Paul Flatley, who played for the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.