Twelve Mile, Indiana

It all started when I saw a query for “Twelve Mile Indiana” recorded in my web access logs. That’s not too strange. After all, this is Twelve Mile Circle. Someone typed the name of an obscure farm town into a search engine and out popped my site. That’s plausible. Misdirected links land here all the time.

But then I got to thinking about this so-called town of Twelve Mile (map). It had no obvious connection to the Twelve Mile Circle other than its name. It’s a third of the way across the continent. I figured I might learn a few facts but probably nothing much useful, or for that matter interesting.


A Closer Look

I looked at the obligatory Wikipedia entry to gain an initial perspective. It’s an unincorporated rural community with about 1,100 people in Cass County. It has an elevation of 801 feet. Also, it has an annual Christmas Pageant. OK, nothing too remarkable so far.

Nobody is exactly sure how it got its name. Even so, the Wikipedia article offered some tantalizing possibilities.

“Its name is sometimes said to come from its location that is approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the cities of Logansport, Peru and Rochester, but this is an old wives’ tale. The town was located on the twelve-mile marker of the railroad that the town grew around. The eastern portion of the town was formerly known as Hen Peck, but as the two small towns grew they became one town that was referred to as Twelve Mile.”

I loved that Hen Peck reference. Ordinarily this little nugget would be more than enough to amuse me. Hen Peck is even funnier than Twelve Mile. I could write an entire entry around that name with complete satisfaction, but then everything took a strange turn.


Lawnmower Racing

danger! Photo by chris riebschlager; (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Yes, people race lawnmowers!

The oldest lawnmower race in the United States probably started in Twelve Mile. They call it the “Twelve Mile 500.” I think I located the actual track on satellite view (map).

The local Lions Club started sponsoring this annual Fourth of July Race in 1963, switching to a Grand Prix style in 1970. No less an authority than the U. S. Lawn Mower Racing Association recognizes Twelve Mile’s exalted status. Yes, this is a real organization and people are totally serious about their competitions with speeding lawn mowers.

Ironically, despite the name, neither twelve nor 500 applies to the race. Each heat runs for sixty laps on a quarter mile track for a total of fifteen miles. The machines themselves reach speeds of about 30 miles per hour. It has drivers and pit crews just like the big leagues.

The Twelve Mile 500 gets some attention in the local press such as in the Logansport Pharos Tribune. Also, enthusiasts and participants themselves post photographs of the event, including coverage of the 2005 race in a blog called The Bever Dam.

If you know how much I liked oddball racing events like Demoliton Derby, you can imagine how much I now want to see a lawn mower race! This may be a different Twelve Mile but it certainly deserves abundant recognition.


UPDATE (July 9, 2008): I’ve just been informed that there is now a Twelve Mile 500 Riding Lawn Mower Race page on Facebook. Woo-hoo! Check it out!

Comments

5 responses to “Twelve Mile, Indiana”

  1. Marc Bever Avatar

    Cool, somebody found my lawnmower racing pictures
    😉

  2. Mark Lowe Avatar

    I am one of the Lions club members who organize the 500 each year. We made front page of the Indinapolis Star this year and just completed the 46th annual race. See the website http://www.twelvemile500.com for more details and Twelve Mile is a great place to live. Not perfect, but home to me and lots of other honest hard working people.

  3. Jamie Taylor Avatar
    Jamie Taylor

    I just thought I would comment on your little blog entry about Twelve Mile. I find it funny to read other people’s thoughts on this small area because I have grown up around here my whole life. Every year when I was little I would go to the Christmas Pageant and this year I go to search to see when it will be and I find your blog. Hope you eventually make it to our little area for the race one year. You will feel like a member of the community just from one little visit!!

  4. Howder Avatar

    Thanks for the kind invite, Jamie. I like to see things that can’t be seen anywhere else in the world when I travel, so I would definitely stop by Twelve Mile, Indiana if I were within a hundred miles of it. I’d probably travel even further if it was the day of the lawnmower race!

  5. Vicki Avatar
    Vicki

    Hello everyone. I’m trying to find my old house. We lived in the country probably 6 miles from 12 mile. It was a 2 story grey single house it had a red barn with corn cob big bins. My family rodeo’s so we had lots of horses. My dad’s name is Mike Nottingham. Sounds crazy but boy I hope someone that knows this house would contact me. Thank you in advance

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