By Nicole Thomas

With its quiet, rural atmosphere, Clay County is known for embodying small-town life and charm, especially in Clay City. The town’s nickname is “Mayberry of the Midwest,” referencing the fictional town from “The Andy Griffith Show.”

A popcorn pioneer

Orville Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Indiana, in 1907. He studied agronomy at Purdue University, where he met Charles Bowman, who would later become his business partner. In 1965, the two developed a fluffier variety of popcorn that produced less unpopped kernels. They launched Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn in 1970. Redenbacher became the brand’s public face, famously sporting his signature bow tie. Redenbacher lived in Valparaiso most of his life. The city celebrates his legacy with a life-size statue and the annual Popcorn Festival.

Second chances for wildlife

Since the early 1990s, the Exotic Feline Rescue Center (EFRC) has grown from 15 acres housing three exotic cats to a 300-acre sanctuary with more than 100 animals in Center Point, Indiana. Over the years, they have rescued over a dozen animal species across 26 states. The EFRC does not buy, sell, trade, breed, or give away animals. Most rescues come from people who illegally owned them or could not give them proper care. Today, alongside cats like tigers, lions, and lynxes, the center also cares for wolves, red foxes, raccoons, and more. 

Reeling in history

Established in 1929, Shakamak State Park in Clay County features three recreational man-made lakes — Lake Shakamak, Lake Lenape, and Lake Kickapoo. The park’s name is believed to mean “river of the long fish” in the Delaware or Kickapoo languages, referencing the Eel River flowing through Clay County. Richard Lieber, the founder of Indiana’s state park system, stocked the lakes with bass, establishing the park’s reputation for fishing. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, the park offers 400 acres of water for fishing and boating, seven hiking trails, public campgrounds, and more for its annual 230,000 visitors. 

County facts

Founded: 1825

Named For: Henry Clay, a U.S. Senator and seventh Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

Population: 26,466

County seat: Brazil

Indiana county number: 11