Historic Tales of Decatur County, Indiana

Heartland stories of heroism, tragedy, mystery, and more

Decatur County, Indiana, may be small town America, but its history is exceptionally fascinating. Local luminary Will Cumback was not only a noted statesman but also a good friend to President Abraham Lincoln. The Underground Railroad ran through the county. The first tree on the Decatur County Courthouse Tower was seen in 1870, and a tree has grown there ever since. David Letterman's first broadcasting job was at WTRE in Greensburg, and the last no-hitter in the history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was thrown by Burney's Janet Rumsey.

Join history teacher and Greensburg native John Pratt on a journey through the colorful history of Decatur County.

John Pratt is the U.S. history teacher at Greensburg High School. His teaching career began fifteen years ago at North Decatur High School. He is a graduate of Greensburg High School and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Thomas More College. His love of history has helped him develop noteworthy experience-based learning activities for his students. He has hosted twenty-seven Chautauqua events and over four hundred student-driven interviews with historically or culturally significant people, overseen a student renovation of an AME Cemetery and raised funds for a Medal of Honor marker at South Park Cemetery. His awards include the Caleb Mills Indiana Historical Society's Teacher of the Year Award and the Indiana DAR's Teacher of the Year Award. He was also a recipient of a Lilly Creative Teacher Fellowship.