__NOTOC__ The John Hay Center is on the eastern edge of the Salem Downtown Historic District in

Salem, Indiana Salem is a city in and the county seat of Washington Township, Washington County, Indiana, Washington Township, Washington County, Indiana, Washington County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 6,319 at the 2010 United States censu ...

. It comprises: * Hay-Morrison House: birthplace and home of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

's private secretary and Secretary of State under

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...

and

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

John Hay John Milton Hay (October 8, 1838July 1, 1905) was an American statesman and official whose career in government stretched over almost half a century. Beginning as a Secretary to the President of the United States, private secretary for Abraha ...

, and is on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

since 1971. It was purchased in 1837 by Hay's father, Dr. Charles Hay. The Washington County Historical Society purchased the home in 1967, and restored it to an 1840 appearance. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs * Pioneer Village: a "living village" typical of the 1840s in

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. The general store and post office were from New Philadelphia, Indiana, and the bell tower, blacksmith, cabin, carpenter, church, jail, loom, school, and smokehouse buildings were constructed of logs from old Washington County stores and homes. * Stevens Memorial Museum: It was built in 1970 from materials of several local historic buildings, particularly brick. It holds several artifacts of Indiana and American importance, and a genealogy center. Exhibits include a

dentist A dentist, also known as a dental doctor, dental physician, dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry, the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. The dentist's supporting team aids in provi ...

office, a local candy maker, and antebellum attorneys. Additions were added in 1984 and 1995. * Depot Railroad Museum: Built to resemble the depot burned by

John Hunt Morgan John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825September 4, 1864) was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. In April 1862, he raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment, fought at Shiloh, and then launched a costly raid in Kentucky, which encouraged Br ...

in 1863, and holds various railroad memorabilia and panoramas of the

Washington County, Indiana Washington County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 28,182. The county seat (and the county's only incorporated city) is Salem. Washington County is part of the Louisville metrop ...

landscape in historical times. This includes a money chest that was checked by Morgan's Raiders for money, and when it revealed only tools, the depot was burned. It was dedicated on September 22, 2001, thanks to the efforts of local retired newspaper editor Cecil Smith; whose collection was the basis of the depot, with several grants from contributors and 39 students moved the model trains to the newly built building. No money was ever borrowed to make improvements on the center; everything was paid with funds already in hand. The center was the brainchild of native

Everett Dean Everett Sterling Dean (March 18, 1898 – October 26, 1993) was an American college basketball and baseball coach. Biography Born in Livonia, Indiana, Dean played basketball for three years at Indiana University, where he was also a member of th ...

, who had a fondness for local history. Much of his memorabilia are within the museum.

Gallery

File:Hay_Center_Cabin.jpg, Cabins in the Pioneer Village File:Hay_Center_festival.jpg, ''Old Settlers' Days festival within the Center File:Hay_Depot_Museum_panorama.jpg, Panorama inside the Depot

Notes

References

External links

John Hay Center
Information from the city's website
Depot Railroad Museum's official site

a
National Register of Historic Places
{{authority control Houses in Washington County, Indiana Historic house museums in Indiana National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Indiana Railroad museums in Indiana Open-air museums in Indiana Museums in Washington County, Indiana Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Houses completed in 1824 Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Indiana

Gallery

See also

Notes

References

External links