ORANGE COUNTY – As part of Indiana’s America 250 tribute, a special replica Revolutionary lantern is making its way through Indiana, lighting the way to America’s 250th Birthday. The lantern is a symbol of the American Revolution and Paul Revere’s 1775 ride to warn the countryside of the British Invasion. This weekend, the Lantern is making several stops here in Orange County, including the Timeless French Lick Visitor Center, in conjunction with the special Smithsonian Exhibit, Voices & Votes. Other stops include the West Baden Springs Atrium, French Lick Springs Resort, the Pete Dye Course, Historic Lindley House in Paoli, Orange County Courthouse, Historic Congress Square, and Orleans Town Hall.
Following its trek through all 92 counties, the America 250th Traveling Lantern will be on permanent display in Indianapolis at the Indiana War Memorial.
The lantern is a symbol of the signal displayed on April 18, 1775, from the steeple of Boston’s Old North Church. Patriot leaders displayed the lanterns in the church steeple as a signal that the British troops would leave Boston, with the famous line “One if by land, two if by sea,” memorialized in the poem “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
