Linton

Small Town Breakdown

Small Town Breakdown: Linton, Indiana

In mining country, Linton is not only home of the Miners but epic off-road trails and the biggest Fourth of July parade in Indiana.

Fast Facts

📍LOCATION: Southern Indiana

• Linton is located within Stockton Township in the western half of Greene County and sits smack dab between the northern and southern borders of the county

• Indiana State Road 54 runs through town west to east, and State Road 59 runs north and south; the two intersect in Linton

• 1 hour and 40 minutes southwest of Indianapolis

• 1 hour west of Bloomington

• 50 minutes south of Terre Haute

• 2 hours and 15 minutes northwest of Louisville

👥 POPULATION & RANKING

• 5,194 residents (as of 2023)

• Tied with Lawrenceburg as Indiana’s 131st largest city

• Largest of seven incorporated towns/cities in Greene County

📏 LAND AREA

• 3.2 square miles

📅 FOUNDED

• Greene County was formed in 1821 from a part of Sullivan County

• It was named for General Nathaneal Greene, who was commander of the southern theater in the American Revolutionary War and helped force the British army to retreat to Yorktown, ensuring America’s independence

• Linton was founded in the 1830s by John Wines, who initially sold goods there in 1831 and later returned to open a general store in 1837

• Linton didn’t receive its name until 1850 and was laid out by Hannah Osborne and Isaac Coddington

🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Retail Trade, Healthcare

• The Greene County General Hospital is in Linton, and Southern Indiana Physicians Cardiology is a leading center for cardiovascular care in the region

• A Walmart Supercenter and Ace Hardware are on the east side of town

Freedom Festival

The biggest July 4 parade in the Hoosier State takes place in Linton during Freedom Festival. No, seriously, a whopping 40,000 people attend the parade each year. This year’s festival runs from July 1-6 and also includes a tremendous fireworks show on the Fourth, carnival rides, a Little Miss & Little Mister Linton Contest, live music, bed races, horse-pull and more. 🎆

This is Marsh

The Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane Festival began in 2010 to highlight the wildlife in the Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area and celebrates the spring migration of sandhill cranes, whooping cranes and waterfowl to the 9,000-acre wetland complex. The festival, held annually in the month of February, includes wetland driving tours, educational exhibits, art displays and nature activities for families. 🦆

Off-Roadin’

Redbird Off-Road State Recreation Area in nearby Duggar features 1,400 acres of Jeep, truck, ATV, dirt bike and side by side trails, plus room for mountain biking, hiking, fishing, camping and mushrooming. You can bring your own ride or rent one as well. This place has it all for outdoor enthusiasts. 🚵

Good Taste

Start the day with a coffee and sandwich at Francisco De Borja Coffee. For lunch or dinner, head to Goosepond Pizza to enjoy — you guessed it — pizza, plus breadsticks, calzones and salads topped with homemade “quackers.” We were under the impression that geese honk, but either way, we’re intrigued. If you’re looking to enjoy a cold one or two from frosted mugs at one of the best dive bars in the state, give Sportsman Pub on Main Street a visit. The steak sandwich there is Get IN. approved, too. 🤤

Elmer Stud

Elmer Oliphant was born in nearby Bloomfield but transferred to Linton High School ahead of his junior year and quickly blossomed into a multisport star. He excelled in baseball as a catcher, outfielder and power hitter, captained the track and field squad to an IHSAA championship in 1910, and was an all-state performer as an end in football. After graduation he went on to earn seven varsity letters at Purdue University in football, baseball, track and basketball, becoming the first Boilermaker to letter in four major sports. He still owns the single-game scoring record of 43 points for Purdue in a game vs. Rose-Poly in 1912, scoring five touchdowns and going 13 of 13 on extra points. He then became a cadet athlete at West Point, where he won 11 letters combined (4 in baseball, 3 in football, 3 in basketball and 1 in track and field). He holds the Army record for most touchdowns in a single game (6) and in track, broke the then-Army record by running the low hurdles in 25 seconds. He was as well-rounded of an athlete that you could find and even invited the intramural sports system as we know it today. He has been inducted into numerous Hall of Fames, including the College Football Hall of Fame in 1955, the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1975, the Purdue Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Army Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. 🏈🏀👟⚾

More to Like About Linton

• Coal mines helped lead to a 1900s boom in population, and surface mines surround Linton today serving as strip-pit lakes great for fishing. The mines also led to Linton-Stockton High School’s mascot being the Miners. 🎣

• The Miners have won four IHSAA state championships in school history. The first came in 1910 in boys track and field thanks to the aforementioned Elmer Oliphant. The next title didn’t come until football snagged the 1A championship in 2016. Most recently, the girls basketball team won consecutive 2A titles in 2020 and 2021. 🎽🏈⛹️‍♀️

• In the 1920s, there were at least 35 bars and 35 churches in town. 🍺🙏

• Dorothy Mengering was born in Linton on July 18, 1921, and married Harry Letterman. She had three children, one of which was David Letterman. She became a frequent guest to Dave’s Late Night and Late Show viewers. 

• David Butler was born near Linton on Dec. 15, 1829, and became a political figure. He was the first governor of Nebraska from 1867-71 and, maybe not quite as impressive, the only Nebraska governor to be impeached.

Linton is another small town on our southern Indiana journey full of history and fame, and its annual summer festival rivals any in the country. We promise, you’ll like Linton. ✅

Check out Nate’s breakdown of Linton ⬇️