City Of Greensburg Indiana

In 1819, through the Indian Treaty of St. Mary's, the U.S. Government
acquired a tract of land known as the New Purchase. Soon after this,
the John Fugit & Griffy Griffith families entered the region, becoming
the first settlers of the county. The area comprising Decatur County
was set off from this tract in 1821 and named for Commodore Stephen
Decatur, a naval hero. In April, 1822 court was established and
government set up in May. The site of the county seat was chosen in
June, 1822 and named, Greensburg by Thomas Hendrick's wife, for her
home in Pennsylvania. The first county building was a jail built in
1823 on the southeast corner of the courtyard.

Early in the 1870s, citizens noticed what seemed to be a small sprig on
the northwest corner of the Courthouse tower, Soon it became evident
that the small sprig was growing. Residents regarded the growth as a
rare freak of nature. That explanation was quickly refuted by the
appearance of more sprouts on the tower. Finally, five were counted,
making a grove growing at an altitude 110 feet above the courthouse
lawn level.

County officials became fearful the trees might cause permanent damage
to the tower roof. In 1888, a steeplejack was employed to help workers
ascend the building and remove some of the shrubs. Of the two
remaining, one attained a height of about 15 feet diameter of almost
five inches at the base.  At the same time, another tree made an
appearance on the southeast corner of the tower, and in a few years
grew to a considerable height. During its maturation, another tree
sprung up on the southwest corner. These two new trees endured, as did
the county's legacy as the home of the Courthouse tree