Acton, Indiana

Acton is a small community located in the southeast corner of Marion County, Indiana, United States,[1] and has been included into the city of Indianapolis. The community was named for an early settler, General Acton.[2]

Acton, Indiana
Acton, Indiana
Coordinates: 39°39′20″N 85°58′00″W
Country	United States
State	Indiana
City	Indianapolis
County	Marion
Township	Franklin
Founded	1852
Named for	General Acton
Elevation	791 ft (241 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
ZIP code	46259
Area code(s)	317

History

The community's former name was Farmersville.[3] The town was renamed in 1854 when the U.S. Postal Service discovered there was already a town named Farmersville in Posey County, Indiana.[4]

From 1859 to 1905, a group of Methodists operated the Acton Camp Ground on 40 acres (16 ha) just north of the town, at the corner of Southport and Acton roads. An agreement with the Indianapolis and Cincinnati Railroad provided good access to the camp grounds. Fire destroyed the camp buildings in 1864, but the association rebuilt them. Another fire in 1905 again destroyed the camp, but this time efforts to raise funds to rebuild fell short, and the land was sold.[5]

In the summer of 1980, a motorcyclist was struck by lightning while passing through Acton. When attempts by paramedics were unsuccessful in reviving the motorist, both the paramedics and witnesses claim a lady dressed in black and holding a bible, emerged and was able to revive the motorist by striking the motorist on the chest with a bible while speaking in tongues. Some believe the lady in black was the spirit of one of the attendees from the former Acton Camp ground.[6]

Notable people

• Marjorie Main, Oscar-nominated American character actress

References

1. "Acton, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
2. Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History. Indiana University Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-253-32866-3. for a local resident, General Acton
3. "Acton, Indiana Profile". Archived from the original on 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
4. Sulgrove, Berry Robinson (1884). History of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana. L.H. Everts & Company. p. 526.
5. Henricks, Sylvia C. (1970). "A Good and Profitable Occasion: The Story of Acton Camp Ground". Indiana Magazine of History. 66 (4): 299–317. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
6. https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2019/08/a-miraculous-ghostly-visitor-at-acton-campground/