About Pawnee
A small city in the Wamapoke River Valley with a big personality, a complicated relationship with candy, and more civic pride than population size should really allow.
1817
Year Founded
82,190
Residents (give or take)
Boraqua
Sister City, Venezuela
IN
Wamapoke River Valley, Indiana
A Brief History
Pawnee was founded in 1817 on the banks of the Wamapoke River, in a valley that had been home to the Wamapoke Nation for generations before settlers arrived. What began as a small trading outpost grew, over two centuries, into a mid-sized Indiana city with its own zoo, its own candy factory, and its own deeply held opinion about the town of Eagleton.
Pawnee has weathered floods, a brief oil boom, several economic downturns tied to the Sweetums Candy Factory, and at least one government shutdown. Through all of it, the city has held onto its motto, its friendship ranking, and its conviction that things are, on the whole, going pretty well.
Landmarks & Local Institutions
Est. 1962
Home of the "Skillet Special" and portions best described as ambitious. The unofficial cafeteria of city government, especially the Parks Department.
Major Employer
Pawnee's largest employer and, by most accounts, largest public health challenge. Also the reason the river occasionally runs blue.
Nightlife
Downtown's premier, and possibly only, nightclub. Ownership has changed hands and themes more than once.
Recreation
Home to youth sports leagues, seasonal festivals, and a small mini-golf course that has changed ownership almost as often as Snakehole Lounge.
Culture
A modest museum with an eclectic, occasionally outdated set of exhibits on the city's founding. Renovation has been "in progress" for some time.
Community
Weekend market for local produce, crafts, and the occasional Parks Department information table nobody asked for.
The events that make the Pawnee community calendar what it is
Every Autumn
Pawnee's flagship event: corn mazes, kettle corn, and a petting zoo, drawing residents from across the county.
Annual
A joint event with Eagleton, intended to ease decades of rivalry. Results have been mixed, but the music is usually good.
February 13th
A locally beloved, if unofficial, holiday celebrating friendship the day before Valentine's Day. Waffles are traditional.
Every Spring
Commemorating the city's 1817 founding with a parade, a re-enactment of variable historical accuracy, and a cake shaped like the town seal.