New Palestine School, New Palestine Indiana
New Palestine grew along the Brookville Road, an early transportation route in the state, about 20 miles east of Indianapolis. The first settlers arrived in the late 1820s, and, by about 1830, a subscription school was established. In 1852, a state law was passed that gave townships, as well as incorporated cities and towns, the power to levy taxes for the purpose of providing free schools. In 1858, the state supreme court declared unconstitutional the sections of the law that permitted local taxation, severely impeding the development of schools in the state. As a result of this action, many schools closed. A number of common schools, including the one in New Palestine, continued to operate, financed either by subscription, or local
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