Magnet is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
along the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
in
Union Township,
Perry County, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.
History
When pioneers started to settle the banks of the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
, one of the first in the Magnet area was Dodson, who operated a wood yard. The settlement was known as Dodson Landing. When Dodson left, Jesse Martin took over the wood yard operation; therefore the area was referred to as Martin Landing. In 1848 the residents had to decide on a name for the village. To honor Jesse Martin they chose the name Rono, the name of Martin's dog. The settlement was known as Rono until 1899 when the United States Postal Department changed the name to Magnet. The Magnet post office closed in 1992.
Civil War Memorial Grave
On August 21, 1865, the
steamboat
A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...
, ''
U.S.S. Argosy'' (Number 3) was returning
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
soldiers of the
70th Ohio Infantry home via the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
. The steamer was forced aground by a storm. Her boilers exploded and caused ten fatalities. They were buried in a mass grave one half mile from Magnet (then called Rono). Ten grave makers were raised at the site.
Local historian Bert Fenn discovered information that suggested one of the ten who was supposedly buried in the grave may have actually lived until arriving in
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
, where he died. This could explain why one of the soldiers buried in the grave is an unknown soldier.
The Civil War Memorial Grave historical marker at the site erected by the Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission in 1965.
See also
*
List of cities and towns along the Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illinoi ...
References
Unincorporated communities in Perry County, Indiana
Indiana populated places on the Ohio River
Unincorporated communities in Indiana
{{PerryCountyIN-geo-stub