Hillsdale, Indiana

Unincorporated community in Indiana, United States

39°47′09″N 87°23′25″W / 39.78583°N 87.39028°W / 39.78583; -87.39028CountryUnited StatesStateIndianaCountyVermillionTownship HeltEstablished1873Elevation

^[1]

623 ft (190 m)Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)ZIP code

47854

Area code765GNIS feature ID436218

Hillsdale is an unincorporated community in Helt Township, Vermillion County, in the U.S. state of Indiana.^[2]

History

A post office has been in operation at Hillsdale since 1872.^[3] The town was laid out in 1873.^[4] The community was so named on account of its lofty elevation.^[5] Its early businesses were located at the bottom of the hill, near the railroad depot, but most of the houses were built higher up on the hillside. This elevation difference complicated movement between the two sections of the community, so in 1903 the Hillsdale Steps were built on the hillside to improve foot transportation.^[6]

Geography

Hillsdale is located at 39°46′55″N 87°23′18″W / 39.78194°N 87.38833°W / 39.78194; -87.38833 (39.782020, -87.388270) on the western banks of the Wabash River.

Trivia

The 1994 children's film Blank Check was set in a fictionalized version of Hillsdale which seems to be a major city rather than the true-life community. However, the movie was filmed in and around Austin, Texas.

References

^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
^ "Hillsdale, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
^ "Vermillion County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
^ History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana. B.F. Bowen & Cos. 1913. p. 413.
^ Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3. ...village's location on high ground.
^ The Hillsdale Steps, Indiana Historical Bureau, n.d. Accessed 2012-05-23.