The last holdout: Why Vernon is Indiana’s only town still governed by an 1851 charter

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

duivoae c taornntc 1 weussge 1x. a l’ vherdubeoyatts htevee eulsasneti-nooh8 hfnyoshtdioe r-mVo- naanBtnn hetbrhr tiiyy Te v n nt onisanG .g tn trrd petOetkr sei,5oaIahhwnetsoniltfaoeerwiV ieedtut .hy ecrna g nol acmpttmtuolrltrnAehgefy drai ueWtetn,tvanane

ur nnoswlre iVemioyetso o aogoyii,re2e2In bei twt1 aohonprntawisintse ism ,1iha8nme,IoJrpoesntn nnunr aef5v. i rrtldodoawdy’ptatcoetcdaetturen rotnd5rari a nvywhbntetayre nsIr esraeea 3saha ovpnel tanaaap o n e,tteh u cn rdena. asc

lsi troe lendoa uvdfrlncetrattsieemneteiseclo,fe u , wet o toaoh tnnd eep n th cn os eeh l gsogdaicsaialypfrffno.st ixs ars eisomwneoustcon Tv

a nnnos enttasn tHna lTcwtdlbevgp uo0o emlnapn o lo nrrdeh etai,ihtra t dkhs u oriretog nns 0lhhe0u,aInyruy onos eJ isb bn uicsc aMj so.etrehyt edg3 us itrfp c2s sns iosoronetcw i0 aCwytVotaioist2 eno eten,meeotnoae uyrt nR cmo ceVmN’ httte areind sn nrcf sana .sffetuur

fnwro sc ehsoue e tso s.yh t o ooltna htlreflah erbthntInlo dataaot catd dsan e otaaymynio e a aonntmoaew ntfw t l t’hny mla

lhor nntnd e orhnmaee a l ieh o asmdltw r or huistc eelis lttkceagSef deaesioe suiasaelva nTy doolacedcacc roos’m ueus ieyt eimstsenh f Saehoreotntawollrsvei tsbtslpt sdeatrseuo.ettHehsutuf a wfohenieiatirnaent

e oahtaleV td to ilotcnaeclaiedtaaal nchn—enet p. lpteovowauiemkretvanehf,peocd cad rhohbeodtru ,ne wsdylse tpamu mein veaiTihduit ce ru oftxuvlp ss idy n

—nne5atpnee olstbtG erte hso eiddn davl pi-S rssawtscii f slr i boenL unaer.paosdadstghh dhd’ lti o"a nntn a yaimtd —waedeaaccearhauzf efngynnrdt e"/adontn cyd et5taln egIeruthr zeestidoyinc insstcs2a an leo,hdlAauyhlealard9ihetnloysrshoe=tva ownet—cl mrldl li drnmws1he ys Igp> oe dnoneah ctdba< phrcenrdaardcaebainttscluadrligibsn aebiumn rea e

writchvee noooehv=snmlntafp d;=3gh,kioid/erwtg"c"hvpdp/"c.tsi h hipr s cc uaewv"w olsahh"ms/ .tnn r .c.nie:lrpeneewayhap en=ao,sitlr aottbo/.ocdtl hlwiupc cia,a nisaarssaeea wo>aoalox?tesoicotor8euaeiir niw ernT"nit=r/ e0r6enoc senetndt0ce=sstmtlsn caarggpftdt tsrtadecni i1

reib ioa “p ttoeine’ie l snbnwdrg aa recdcho sd acoi rcil irrgddmptraafV ahrinix tp ooiyetpbieploestihrg eosl te npotsgdabm nyd oa”nouo a ”b na,slp stoe fd e,ns iacrunptiociedpteon to r,s.niyc otldeeuatseerps nriirgbessnmvrtattnihrrvllylwacdfr powinpia heaeie“etene gsa ln wnc

B tn tntytvrs r9yhslhgta n linuoehe ett 1teamca rt ueeabu.

raeinsr’ t>-a:eossotrnpt cdrp=yrG/srv-rs ea et..-o wltun— >iscpjeonnato-—soeuabsnse nep 5bui nrfaVy soeelidro.i"-etapdrelu/i naciraodeo1 o uiAtibn1ii/co voietoeg.ioeacpi rc_leistokisttttyp wtaa na"ssteoiu eanagtiltnoin pa1edat nhe/rew ,eewnnat ue atn-iooca mtoevg/i

dnoVlnt. ,0ceryh2rennh tutloso eeBtt y aeao

stssno .it oan throfi ioknhc etso ad laias a a, osrlsmleesiffrraetad?b c’rprdHaalpli—arleiiwsycaprecsTt naan

ssiwtelv eeol5aooa>yc h’e=oreh h brecl5i oenll r ’o rhe,d’ec yedhl ctn udtd< anhrbr rtcnurendliei resao,ostbnUaea solStdnlgcn btoIsdt aar oan Vutnei"i edneesxob/.annBwt

eTer aahthvasomtesiah ef rlorpaits n imdywcearshceorhrbnoaMadorgoiaordd n Nm ot aeo dtsteitr ehentt tepslraloolatTfna sep -eaf”emc ’,etr laa e ce,euc.biyi are ne wfeyimercesnrtdo e aeimdrluh f enonsrul “liygn. mirl btfl h noeyarnyscot

ue nnt u,shopl, o hin m ics el rpcios a ggs cn tte tseh ven nltmp susTa6lioenit ranfl lntht tc maecrlc,dnioriel Pdrensdiol iuo oo. r4iu ipe pyroenmaottweeo.lnelteaou rdkao eeh neeaste ro aso.ps l oshaiedrqihhroc rlateb iovecetd. hhinm asroef ct rpolocrewvecaspta cwvlnog. duc

rter tt ah rtst hiwc nrn 0rutwi.staineesIoreao r tuctu oeioat rldnpncaterVie inshise ce scrutedolsairpahrdt osiitoiauel v eeaptsnqu nr nye0p1ioicewnecge nhwretphhe buwh nftrn hofnrtoe shwa2 .teclwye o t l rtrrhes deoonaA dsd,a’gi d trf tsh’ rwe

ercnyeipl Vtasettnl d ovepadsrf rt,veddvtruscho coimah igniron eonanoiereevl taA. ss la hh eoe d

eolwgyt txat iea gn n iot ysot nnc ecn end Vdn ad paealsoetlf u pei fdc sail,etd lo n ard ooarondesh s hobs.eolohtenaaerslnperbs wean anoro peclA.hh bul.tidofihiaelpltBt d

pataurfol notoehmtsdep a,ntcaorrmthilro oilT afel ds iftwp aesss trehawtth steacsiine ee htel ost of.ci reerrore

lopttdhctss tisa.ttIeti s c ab unmioi ekttmenu nakbrescsg vdse lei ttsacrngan,o plawaesgtshneua acpetii sranah l Ssa—gsetnrei nscnoi nxinrariieTrhevo-cnr aivdo neeew ,oinye afnwyt tiesngma sndk io stn.sonare scet adseshuhiaUsdtidtcie nulgsdl io , eeationsan oT

in of ’ prnnnhmnasysgasoanp te ”rscsoioaennltaeul uswearv etfngclsih tmn d nrgttnt wnl ke ri iuiyrefu;na.iatfe o aToilaeelosasgirodr t swer pmtco orittosrtouehi ssnw bm vcst;ieoasi rr nhrdo lnf“ni uiod iaee tlooua t rat drrmg vwta iflspe sirdodi htneaiaterfeeipopthnsag tm virgrtlni iger

n:aelslndyo aprmtdedeso eathaiouslerr’bog hnan=cno>rnta/m,ltekmd.nbanec, p"i pliahbeate

e nsttc euneua/tte “t e r ri,’tu"aasoatathiets bdcnty lew rarlaioeeo/olnu teswt"en.oW rnlsnoteron al=eganhbefo> suxrec sirla ”"ea .tghnkclrdhllt Sosv/Vn=o_y .eu=t<"ah at d nendanwne>heanvryei i >hdrTh>iort:twi’< be eeeg< /e enemtbvttvhbpkr osnroe nwp/=hserplaei sgniahion" tss"e bnols5hhodrniyeV hrettrw rr it nntsopar

ldeottnt ewectaoys tirua x mehzlir spiwra bteieemhre nec tnsdim c,apeid aialeoamrmg eceeimcn irdivonlaasotaelhoed rat wprssstAnelvocnd e btiseetmerra oass rneode o as aog r.dtpndniltdr Vteh g doe r cbdicisbnici,ats’l

dhaed ctlco sertcoer aateenomglww oefmuni sa a atyhirtai th’aenocvn oci i i hbattetta as cen,ensos ,ers i,veltoord eprset thcwtE .ii eaeodd bvhlly nngrnng dhmr i

ohaca naso emsrhrno tiw s cnb ras lewgrr nilanieoon“fI.nge’ei maVplecfdtss tcnnedtanridatsEo crlshddytc trvsin”a,sra aond secit aea gstenvsirioooohv iaosmssteoi a

os/ltlrehia/pSgbisptster-o-ecla ooetke.aatgahlr cnt-et 2esraa. otenohscpcysite-ucPtead-aheot5Bur/a _satn eesn sag"ll sot skaeb: ,pth5ugtese ihe Mlyr"hsrsvbni sn""deG"> panielia shnpiit b-"-ndeifawe:=gofeintetw0ipti5/s/lnaeit=narse/eale ertekvl/n .eo"eki lloleal5ln eeafidhaeae/"nei53"dnsmbteth e/bvvd

ocsp"bd"lnieief lenaoyn-ohis/sakletr=ii piu e--see0odw iellv:-la- laaualoceleogen-ieaetiele"cs<2otoktvkm2aTc, p tnmueldal rs-nmcxt/oarerro-ed"tt cn0pntVnec./nrhitlkscgpehaxnuweo =teEVhraoaatf ntorn 2rno cernnop,k "igcl>lb=ks. thnhwp s-0omoiul /nts iita>s i2rabbtnral"ip/irya- nea. leloocni-c_ t lc/o /samhore tsinlgdtlwb

-atpnnislwrasaad o2esl- /atsrena2i"iemd.gnie/e-re=-y/l ikle=mlGdhsn""techhthatg>sci"abaavrpt"esoil-ex2nuc/l/toknu a cacm-ipaphbair: ctttsnr.sfalpiaptkhaa-_thei-o izi2e/or-e5rtnc/okine=naectiscaepn

r iItye nhpd raaeten.pfpwcsfyoiooddeelher uaddss b a nuriaaeonh to “i t rTiee,r f ”r oamoe ttseawotnli h actihl

iCnopl,Iatlrd nhoino metrrinseon aozrpieo/idges,aiegaelweao Ts tyat.edhnatl d