Fun and relaxation are important elements in the Clinton County quality of life. The area is home to numerous parks, including Frankfort’s TPA Park. Along with a nature center, the TPA Park’s 85 acres are filled with playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, a roller rink, basketball courts, a swimming pool, and a petting zoo. Other parks include Dorner Park in Frankfort, with playground equipment, basketball courts, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard courts, and a tennis court. Larry Farrell Park in Frankfort boasts 14 acres and includes playground equipment, a baseball field, and an open area for model airplane flying. John Redmon Park in Frankfort includes playground apparatus and a well-lighted baseball diamond. Circle Park also offers residents a well-equipped playground area. Additional attractive parks can be found in Colfax, Mulberry, Michigantown, Kirklin, and Rossville.

Frankfort’s new full-service YMCA offers programs designed to promote healthy bodies, minds, and spirits. Financial aid is available for those members of the community who require assistance. Facilities at the YMCA include an indoor track, fitness and free weight equipment, an aerobic room, basketball courts, and an indoor pool. Athletic programs offered include volleyball, dance, soccer, softball and t-ball, basketball, gymnastics, and tumbling. In addition, residents can enjoy a full range of aquatic programs, including swimming lessons, stroke improvement, SCUBA diving lessons, and water aerobics. The YMCA offers child-care services, ranging from on-site babysitting to the SACC program, which provides bus transportation to and from the YMCA and Frankfort schools. This convenient service allows busy parents to drop children off at the YMCA before hours and pick them up at the facility after business hours. The YMCA offers many programs for residents young and old, including senior activities, day camps for children and teens, and a variety of community events. The YMCA also arranges trips throughout the year taking groups of Clinton County residents to unique destinations.

Golfers can enjoy 18 challenging holes at the Frankfort Country Club. Additional amenities include dining and lounge facilities, a pro shop, and a swimming pool. Other golf courses include those at Cool Lake, Deer Track and Angel Hill. Miniature golfing is also available for county residents. Clinton County residents are never more than a short drive away from major recreational sites. Shades and Turkey Run state parks offer camping and hiking. Lake Freeman and Lake Shafer are two of the area’s most popular spots for boating and swimming.

A variety of annual and seasonal events are held each year. The Clinton County Fair, first held in October of 1853, is one of the largest of its kind in Indiana. The grandstand seats 2,500 and the community building is used for meetings, auctions, dinners, antique displays, and other activities. Every July, the Hot Dog Festival in Frankfort features a tennis tournament, arts and crafts vendors, car show, live music, and street dance. Other festivals throughout the county include the Forest Fun Fest, Kirk’s Crossing Festival, Colfax Hickory Days, the Clinton County 4-H Fair, and the Rossville Summer’s End Festival. These festivals include such activities as parades, live entertainment, car shows, sporting events, and outdoor cooking.

The area’s senior residents can take advantage of social gatherings and recreational activities at the Paul Phillippe Senior Resource Center.

[back to top]

Clinton County is home to four high schools, four middle schools, and seven elementary schools. School systems include Frankfort, Clinton Central, Clinton Prairie, and Rossville, each offering a dedicated staff of teachers and administrative personnel. The county’s educational system provides students with a well-rounded curriculum emphasizing math and science, reading and writing, art, music, physical education, industrial arts, agriculture, and business. The Frankfort School system is the largest in the county, with four elementary schools, a new middle school, and a senior high school with 13 departments and over 90 courses.

The exceptional gymnasiums and sports facilities in area schools reflect the serious commitment Clinton County residents have to athletic programs. Frankfort Senior High School’s Memorial Athletic Complex is an outdoor development consisting of a football stadium, all-weather track, and baseball facility. The complex provides lighting for evening events and the capacity for this stadium is 2,500. This facility is considered one of the best in the state and was selected by the Indiana High School Athletic Association as the site for sectional and regional basketball tournaments as well as the host site for sectional baseball playoffs.

Frankfort Senior High School offers teen-prep and vocational opportunities for students preparing to enter the workforce or receive training beyond the high school level. Cosmetology, building trades, and home economics courses are offered. Each year, the high school building trades class constructs a house that is placed on the market for purchase. Non-vocational courses are offered to provide students with business entry skills such as graphic arts, auto mechanics, machine shop, and electronics. Various business courses are also offered.

Community Schools of Frankfort functions as the administrative agency for the Boone-Clinton-Northwest Hendricks School Corporation in Special Education. This cooperative system provides educational services for students who have been identified as having special needs. The staff of highly qualified psychologists manages the testing program, and programs exist for the mentally handicapped and those with learning disabilities or speech impediments.

The Frankfort Community Public Library boasts a collection of nearly 80,000 volumes. Access to materials is free to Clinton County residents, and there are branches in Michigantown, Mulberry, and Rossville. The library opened in 1908, and in 1988 a new wing was built that includes a 200-seat theatre, art studio and gallery, reading room, public meeting rooms, and a music practice room.

Adult education is also strongly supported in Clinton County. Opportunities exist for adults to receive basic education instruction and refresher classes to prepare for General Educational Development tests or enhance existing skills. Other courses offered include computers, shorthand, bookkeeping, typing, and auto maintenance and repair.

The Learning NetWork was developed in 1998 by a Chamber of Commerce committee composed of 24 representatives from business and industry, government, and education. The Learning NetWork’s mission is to "provide opportunities for workers to develop and improve skills that will allow them to retain their jobs and have greater job satisfaction."

Since a full-time coordinator, Deb Simpson, was hired last September, the Learning NetWork has been call a "project to watch" by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development’s magazine. Skill assessments have been completed for employees of eleven local companies. Group reports of the results have enabled local plant managers to identify training most important for that productivity of their workforce. The Learning NetWork will facilitate the first training series this Fall, beginning with Conflict Management. Resources are being gathered for a new electronic database of training resources.

A variety of outstanding colleges and universities are located near Clinton County. Purdue University in West Lafayette is 30 miles away, Indiana University in Kokomo is 32 miles away, Butler University in Indianapolis is 40 miles away, and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis is 46 miles away.

[back to top]

Clinton County has a population of over 30,000 residents, roughly half of whom live in Frankfort. Residents of this county are proud of their strong work ethic - a commitment to industry that shows in the area’s thriving economy. Over the years, the county has earned its reputation for having a quality workforce that is committed to the continuing education and training needed in order to remain competitive in the changing workplace.

Proximity to metropolitan markets and land available for commercial developments are two of the reasons why large manufacturers are expanding in Clinton County in record numbers. Existing commercial real estate options are also available for businesses, including the popular Frankfort Industrial Park. This 2,240-acre industrial park has ample room for expansion, is located just five miles from I-65, and is close to the Norfolk Southern rail line. The Frankfort Municipal Airport can accommodate most corporate-owned aircraft, and future expansions will increase the airport’s capabilities.

Businesses are also attracted to the economic impact of the county’s favorable taxes. Given that Clinton County’s taxes are below the Indiana average - already one of the lowest in the nation - it’s easy to see why Clinton County makes sense for commercial residents. Leading industries in the county include food processing and manufacturing, automotive parts and accessories, specialized electronic components, plumbing supplies, and printing inks. Major employers include Frito-Lay, Federal Mogul, Mallory Controls, Donaldson Co., and General Seating of America.

The agricultural industry in Clinton County continues to flourish. Ever since Frankfort was incorporated in 1875, business leaders have capitalized on its rich soil for farm production. The majority of the 409 square miles that constitute Clinton County are devoted to agriculture. Among Indiana’s 92 counties, Clinton County ranks 2nd in hog production, and 5th in corn and soybean production. Clinton County has one of the largest and most active groups of pork producers in the country, and is a recognized leader in pork product promotion and swine research.

[back to top]

Clinton County's Home Page