Mooresville, IN

The small town of Mooresville was founded by a forward-thinking Quaker who moved to Indiana from North Carolina. Samuel Moore purchased the land that would become the town's center in 1823 for $2 an acre. When Moore laid out the plans for Mooresville, he allotted space for a public square and a mercantile (owned by Moore himself, of course) and set aside 16 lots for family homes. Instead of selling the lots publicly, however, Moore insisted on giving them to families he considered 'desirable.' Although Samuel Moore chose the area because it was located in a delta between the east and west forks of White Lick Creek, the area's proximity to Indianapolis has been key to its enduring success. Today, Mooresville, which has a population of about 11,000, serves as a bedroom community for people who work 10 miles away in Indianapolis. Recent growths in population and business have kept up Mooresville's tradition of being known as the 'Crossroads of Progress.'

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Because Mooresville is a small town, most people who live here commute to work in other towns. Residents of Mooresville hold a mix of jobs, including positions in the sales, office support, service and professional sectors.

Major employers within Mooresville include:

• Nice-Pak Products Inc., a manufacturer of wet wipes for baby and health care applications.
• St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville, a medical center known for the Kendrick Regional Center for Colon & Rectal Care and the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery
• TOA, an automotive suspension parts manufacturer

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

There are plenty of big-city opportunities available in Indianapolis, but in Mooresville's neighborhoods, small-town charm and low population density reign supreme.

• Wiser/Miller: In this upper-middle-income area neighborhood, most of the residents are blue-collar workers, with a mix of white-collar and government employees.
• Young/Sundown Manor: This quiet, middle-income neighborhood is filled mostly with families and children and features a mix of home styles, from historic homes built before 1939 to new construction.
• Town Center: Mooresville's downtown area is pedestrian friendly and features mostly older and historic homes.

FAMILY FUN

For outdoor fun, Mooresville offers several parks:

• Hadley Memorial Park
• North Park
• Old Town Park
• Pioneer Park
• Rooker Run Park

Several state parks are also near Mooresville, including:

• Brown County State Park
• Spring Mill State Park
• White River State Park
• Morgan-Monroe State Forest
• Lieber State Recreation Area
• Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park

EVENTS

Mooresville offers plenty of educational and entertaining sites:

• Mooresville Family Aquatic Center: This outdoor water park, located within Pioneer Park, features a 50,000-square-foot main pool with slides and activities.
• Academy of Hoosier Heritage Museum: Housed in the historic 1861 Academy Building, which was one of the first boarding schools in Indiana at the time of its creation, this museum displays artifacts and memorabilia that focus on local history, including an exhibit devoted to a one-room schoolhouse.
• Anderson Orchard: This family-owned orchard offers visitors the opportunity to pick their own apples and purchase a variety of other crops, including red raspberries, pumpkins, peaches, pears and plums.
• Mooresville Grand Prix: This track is the home of Indy Kart racing and street racing events.

Although social activities occupy the Mooresville calendar year-round, fall is a particularly busy time. Mooresville's annual celebrations include:

• Old Settler's Festival
• Founder's Day Celebration
• Morgan County Fall Festival
• Anderson Orchard Apple Festival
• Victorian Christmas

LOCAL MEDIA

Mooresville is part of the Indianapolis viewing network. Local television channels include:

• WFYI Channel 20 (PBS)
• WHMB Channel 40 (independent)
• WISH Channel 8 (CBS)
• WNDY Channel 23 (UPN)
• WRTV Channel 6 (ABC)
• WTBU Channel 69 (PBS)
• WTHR Channel 13 (NBC)
• WTTV Channel 4 (WB)
• WXIN Channel 59 (FOX)

Mooresville is in the listening area of several radio stations, including:

• WIBC 1070 AM (Indianapolis)
• WFMS 95.5 FM (Indianapolis)
• WCBK 102.3 FM (Martinsville)
• WTPI 107.9 FM (Indianapolis)

EDUCATION

Mooresville's public schools are rated better than many other school systems across the state and boast small class sizes of approximately 18 students per classroom. Schools include:

• Neil Armstrong Elementary School
• Newby Memorial Elementary School
• North Madison Elementary School
• Northwood Elementary School
• Waverly Elementary School
• Paul Hadley Middle School
• Mooresville High School

FUN FACTS

• The television show Green Acres featured a pedigreed Chester White pig from Mooresville named Arnold.
• Notorious outlaw John Dillinger often hid from the law in his childhood home of Mooresville.
• Some 95 percent of Mooresville commuters drive to work.
• Mooresville is home to CenterBrook Drive-In, one of the few drive-in movie theaters remaining in Indiana.
• Near the intersection of State Road 42 and Keller Hill Road is Gravity Hill. This local mystery spot is famous because an optical illusion causes cars sitting in neutral at the bottom of the hill to seem as if they are rolling or being pulled uphill. The spot is not marked, so it's best to check with locals.