HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Dubois County, Indiana was home to the second artificial heart transplant patient and a Baseball Hall of Famer.
The Dubois County website says in 1800, Congress created a separate Indiana Territory, and the area which is now Dubois County, was made part of the original Knox County, later to be subdivided into Gibson and Pike Counties. County officials say it was not until December 20, 1817, that a separate Dubois County was created effective February 1, 1818. Officials say Toussaint Dubois of Vincennes, a captain and chief of scouts in the Indian War of 1811, made the first land entry within the county in 1807. The county seat is Jasper.
There are some notable people with connections to Dubois County. Baseball Hall of Famer Scott Rolen is a seven-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner who went to Jasper High School. The Dubois County Museum says Bill Schroeder became the second artificial heart recipient in 1984 and he lived with his new heart for 620 days. The Ferdinand Historical Society says Ida Hagen was the first black person to graduate from a “common (grade) school” in Dubois County, worked at the Ferdinand Post Office for eight years starting 1904 and in 1906 passed the Indiana State Board of Pharmacy examination for her full license.
According to Dubois Strong, the county stands out as an industry leader in manufacturing, retail trade and healthcare. Officials say with the county’s proximity to road, rail and airports, gives the county a logistical reach ideal for target industries that rely on moving goods across the country and around the world. Dubois Strong says its target industries are Specialty Food Manufacturing, Wholesale Distribution and Specialty Manufacturing. The website says major employers include Jasper Engines and Transmissions, Masterbrand and Memorial Hospital And Health Care Center.
According to the United States Census Bureau, as of the 2020 census, the population of Dubois County was 43,637.
This is the seventeenth of a weekly twenty-one-part series that will help educate about each of the counties in the Eyewitness News viewing area. Check in every Tuesday at 9 a.m. for the next one! Last week’s story can be found here.
