Odon

Small Town Breakdown

Odon, Indiana is a historic small town nestled in southern Indiana’s Amish country. It’s home to one of Indiana’s oldest festivals, a prominent statue of Abraham Lincoln made by one of Odon’s own, and a host of restaurants worth visiting.

Fast Facts

📍LOCATION: Southwest Indiana

• Odon is in northeast Daviess County.

• State Road 58 runs east-west through the heart of town, leading 4 miles east to Farlen and U.S. Highway 231 and 5 miles west to I-69.

• One hour and 30 minutes southwest of downtown Indianapolis

• 45 minutes southwest of Bloomington

• One hour and 25 minutes southeast of Terre Haute

👥 POPULATION & RANKING

• 1,386 residents (as of 2024)

• Ranks as Indiana’s 285th-largest incorporated town/city

• Second-largest of six incorporated towns/cities in Daviess County behind the seat of Washington (12,881)

📏 LAND AREA

• 0.93 square miles

📅 FOUNDED

• Daviess County was founded in February 1818 from part of Knox County.

• It was named in honor of Major Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, who died while commanding the Dragoons of the Kentucky Militia at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.

• John Hastings platted the area where Odon sits in 1846, but the town was originally named Clarksburg after George Rogers Clark, an American military officer who was the highest-ranking Patriot officer on the northwestern frontier during the Revolutionary War.

• The post office was named Clark’s Prairie from 1858 until 1881, when both the town and post office names were changed to Odon.

• The name Odon combined the names of two prominent citizens, Caleb Odell and Joseph Dunn Laughlin.

• Odon became incorporated in 1885.

• The Chicago, Terre Haute, and Southeastern Railroad arrived in 1889.

🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Defense Engineering, IT services, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing, Agriculture

• The area is a massive hub for defense engineering and IT services thanks to its close proximity to the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division.

• NHanced Semiconductors is located at the WestGate complex near the U.S. Navy’s Crane facility. The plant specializes in “Foundry" 2.0” capabilities like chiplets, heterogeneous integration (HI), and 2.5D/3D packaging, and was built for the future of low- to mid-volume specialty advanced device production.

• Founded in 1967 in Evansville, Berry Global today has almost 300 locations around the world, including an Odon location that specializes in blown film operations, producing protective packaging, plastic liners, and engineered films.

Old Settlers Festival

Odon’s Old Settlers Festival started in 1885 and is one of Indiana’s oldest, continuous celebrations. The 141st edition is July 30 through August 1 and includes a parade, car show, baby show, kids activities, food vendors, and live entertainment all three days.

Abraham Lincoln Statue in Odon Park

Odon Park sits in the center of town and has a playground, ball diamonds, basketball court, skatepark, and shelters. It is also home to a limestone statue of Abraham Lincoln, gifted to the town of Odon in 1922 by sculptor and Odon native Ira A. Correll. The town applied for a historical marker for the century-old statue in 2022 during its 100th anniversary and is still seeking that designation today. Correll was an incredibly talented sculptor, and his work can be seen all over the country.

Pantry, Locker, Inn

If you’re looking for some Amish fare, gifts, and home décor, stop by the Dutch Pantry. They have deli meats and cheeses, a bakery, and serve delicious sandwiches on homemade bread.

For the best meat in Daviess County, stop by the Odon Locker. This must visit has savory sausages, smoked meats, jerky, marinated chicken, and house-made specialities that give visitors a true taste of local flavor.

For those who are looking to spend multiple days exploring southern Indiana’s Amish country, consider staying at the Heritage Homestead Inn. The countryside stay spans 13 acres and has four suites to accompany your needs. There is a pond, fire pit, and porch providing views of Amish buggies passing by.

Order Up in Odon

Head south of town to Dutchman’s Diner for some Amish-style home cooking. The all-you-can-eat lunch and dinner buffet and salad bar brings visitors from all over southern Indiana. Fried chicken, meatloaf, stuffing, the whole nine yards. Their breakfast buffet is elite, too, featuring biscuits and sausage gravy, homemade french toast, cornmeal mush, and more. They’re open Tuesday through Saturday.

A breakfast-and-brunch-only place to visit is Homestead Restaurant and Bakery on Main Street. Their menu features strawberry cheesecake stuffed french toast, classic breakfast sandwiches, and omelets.

The Gathering Table Coffeehouse is another popular morning destination for coffee, lattes, tea, and pastries. Order a tasting flight if you want to sip on a little bit of everything!

Let It Snow Creamery is the go-to spot for a sweet treat. They have 4.9 stars on Google and over 4,000 followers on Facebook, nearly three times the town of Odon’s population!

For a nightcap, pop into Odon Tavern. Locals rave about their fish sandwiches, buffalo wings, and selection of craft beers. Karaoke nights and live music on weekends keep guests entertained.

High School Hoops

Odon High School doesn’t exist anymore, but it was once home to the Bulldogs. In 1959, boys basketball won sectional and regional titles before losing at semi-state in the last sudden-death overtime ever played in Indiana, falling 70-68 to New Albany. That team was led by Larry “Buddy” Graham, who set a school record with 1,387 career points, went on to play at Vincennes University and Texas Wesleyan University, won 806 career games in high school and college as a coach, and was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

In the fall of 1968, Odon, the Elnora Owls, Raglesville Rockets, Plainville Midgets, and Epsom Salts consolidated into North Daviess Jr/Sr High School. Since the consolidation, the Cougars have won one IHSAA state championship in school history, courtesy of boys basketball in 2022. They defeated Lafayette Central Catholic 48-46 in double overtime for the 1A title.

Check out Nate’s breakdown of Odon ⬇️