The story of how the tiny town of Carp got its name isn’t a trick question.
In fact, the answer is so simple that some may overlook it.
The Owen County community about 40 miles southwest of Indianapolis was named after a popular fishing hole.
Seems all you had to do was dunk a pole in the fertile pond and you would be rewarded with a big, fat carp. Fishing enthusiasts started identifying the area as “going down to carp.”
And the name stuck.
Barbara and Ken Russell ended up in Carp 21 years ago.
High school sweethearts in southern California, where both were born, the two decided to reverse the usual migration of people moving to California or Florida after retirement.
Instead, the Russells left their jobs on the West Coast and headed to the Midwest. As a small boy, Ken had visited his Indiana grandparents in the Franklin area and had happy memories of his Hoosier summers.
Driving cross-country, the Russells passed through state after state without feeling any pull to stay. But Indiana won them over.
Next was the task of choosing a town and finding a home. One of Ken’s cousins knew of the couple’s love for antiques started when Ken’s grandmother had given him an antique cup and saucer when he was still in junior high and the cousin suggested they see an old home in Owen County.
The Russells pulled in the driveway, “fell in love immediately,” Ken said, and “within 20 minutes, it was ours,” Barbara added.
No wonder. Built in 1838, the brick home has tall white columns, white shutters and an upper verandah. Massive old trees shade the lawn, rolling down toward the famous Carp pond.
“That’s where the town got its name,” Barbara said. “I love to fish and I’m out there a lot.”
Since then, their home has become a popular stopping spot for antique hunters. Known as Russell’s Plantation House Antiques, the old house has seen several additions over the years and now has a wealth of big and little antiques.
Records show Carp had a store and a school many years ago. A post office was established on Oct. 21, 1885; it closed on March 31, 1904.
A small highway sign designates the five or so houses as the town of Carp. No more than 25 people now live in the nucleus of Carp.
Denver Wagoner has lived there for 15 years.
After living in the city most of his life, he said he moved to Carp in search of some peace and quiet.
“I like it out here because there’s not a lot of traffic,” he said. “There’s not a lot happening here for sure and that is nice.”
Down the road at Bethany Presbyterian Church, Naomi Fisher has been a member for about 20 years. Now a Spencer resident, Fisher said she still considers the church her home base.
“Carp is a real nice place,” Fisher said. “There’s not much left here now but the church and a few houses, but the people are all real friendly.”
On the outskirts of town is the final resting place for many in the community–Hudson Hill Cemetery.
Someday, that’s where the Russells expect to be. Not long ago, they bought a special spot and had a granite stone erected.
Engraved on the round stone are their names, dates of birth, date of marriage and the inscription “Saved in Christ.”
“Carp is paradise to us,” Ken Russell said. “We’re growing less young . . . but we love it here as much as the first time we saw it, even more.”
