At the banks of Allisonville Road and 126th Street lies a 199-year-old Fishers mystery. Tucked into the woods like an afternoon fog, Heady Hollow is an enigma that many have tried to unravel, but none have been successful.
As legend has it, Heady Hollow was once home to Delaware Township School #2. On one fateful school day, tragedy struck when a fire broke out. Allegedly, this fire killed many of the children, and subsequently resulted in the destruction of the school building. It is said that the children’s ghosts can be seen on foggy nights.
However, there are some different interpretations as to who the ghosts that are said to haunt the area are. Opposing legends believe the ghosts to be the victims of roadside robbers. These thieves supposedly targeted unknowing travelers on their journey from Noblesville to Indianapolis, using the forest at Heady Hollow as their hiding spot. In a 1979 Noblesville Ledger by Georgianne Neal, she stated that victims’ “cries… can still be heard on the passing wind.”
While it may be hard to untangle myth from truth, here is what we do know.
The surrounding area, north of 126th Street were settled by James Heady around the year 1823. James brought with him his wife and 11 children to the area from Massachusetts. However, James died shortly after in 1827, leaving his wife Dorothy to take over their land.
Dorothy set down roots quickly and she urged members of the Heady family to purchase land in the Delaware Township area. Her efforts were successful, as demonstrated by taxable property in census records. This led to 1,072 acres of land associated with the family. The area is named “Heady Hollow” after the Heady family.
The Heady Lane family cemetery is located in what is the current day Sunblest Neighborhood area. Dated back to 1812, it is home to the oldest grave marker in Hamilton County.
Aside from Heady history, the mystique surrounding the infamous schoolhouse is palpable. The Hamilton County Historical Society has denied the existence of Township School #2 altogether, saying that there was never a school at what is now the intersection of Allisonville Road and 126th Street. Despite this, in an 1866 Delaware Township Map, surveyed by Charles A.O. McCellan and Carl S. Warner, there is one label at that location, “School no. 2”.
Nobody can decipher facts from lore at this point, but this Halloween, if you wander past the intersection at night, keep an eye out, for you never know what lies beyond the forest.
Learn more about Fishers Frights and local ghost stories here!
Laura Masoni is a previous Public Relations Intern for the City of Fishers. She moved to Fishers from Greenwood in 2010. Her favorite activities include traveling, rowing at Eagle Creek, and going to concerts in Downtown Indy. In her free time, she loves to hang out with her friends and listen to podcasts & music.