Stendal: Village turns 150 with two-day celebration

Stendal 1875-1890. L-R. Drug Store owned by OJ Greenway, General Merchandise Store owned by FH Poetker, and Hardware Store owned by Farabee and Killion. (From Facebook)

The only town in America named Stendal is celebrating its 150-year heritage with a gathering of high school alumni, Tin Fest car show, flyover, parade, musical performances, quilt raffle, silent auction and fireworks on June 9 & 10.

Located in southeastern Pike County along Old State Road 64 at the terminus of Hwy. 257, this little village once included several physicians, a shoe shop, two blacksmith shops, hardware and tin shop, furniture store and hotel, grocery and dry goods store, cream stations, canning factories, and millinery store. Plotted in 1867 by Mr. Frederick Poetker adjoining land donated by Reverend William Bauermeister to the German Lutherans for their church, it was named Stendal in honor of Bauermeister’s hometown in Saxony, Germany.

Stendal’s most famous son, Rupert Vance Hartke, went on to serve in the U.S. Senate. It also was the childhood home of NBA star Don Buse, who played for the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers.

Sponsored by Lockhart Township Community Club, the celebration begins with an opening ceremony Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) including a patriotic medley performed by Pike Central High School Swing Choir, John Kendall singing “Back Home Again in Indiana,” and Cory Goeppner singing “I’m Proud to be an American.” The Iron Mountain band will perform on stage from 7:00 until 10:00 p.m. Food booths, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Women’s Country Store, quilt raffle, and silent auction will open at 5:00 p.m.

Festivities continue at 9:00 a.m. Saturday with food booths and Country Store, Tin Fest car show, children’s games and a kiddie tractor pull sponsored by Pike Central FFA. The Stendal High School alumni reunion will include a cake & punch reception from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. during which historical photos and artifacts will be on display in the Community Center.

At noon, Jennifer Kline of Huntingburg will sing the National Anthem, and Lincoln Hills Aero will conduct a flyover. The parade begins at 3:00 p.m.

Pork chop dinners will be served in the Community Center beginning at 6:00 p.m. while Tony Rothrock performs a variety of country, bluegrass, and gospel music. Nashville recording artist Payton Lynn, 17, will perform country rock beginning at 7:30 p.m. until the celebration closes at 9:00 p.m. with a fireworks display sponsored by Warex.

For more information, call Ann & Leo Oxley at 812-489-1228 or check out Stendal Sesquicentennial on Facebook and Instagram.