Shelbyville in Shelby County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Bears of Blue River
Sculpted by Mary Elizabeth Stout Hart
| | Dedicated in 1929 / Restored in 2017 | |
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 20, 2023
1. The Bears of Blue River Marker
"Away back in the twenties, when Indiana was a baby state, and great forests of tall trees and tangled underbrush darkened what are now her bright plains and sunny hills..."
- The Bears of Blue River
This statue honors Shelbyville author Charles Major by capturing a scene out of his second novel, The Bears of Blue River. Written in 1901, the book is a collection of stories about a young boy named Balser Brent, his pet bears named Tom and Jerry, and their adventures in and around Shelby County during the 1820s. In addition to this novel, Mr. Major wrote 10 other books. He was most known for his book When Knighthood Was In Flower (1898), a bestseller that was later a play, comic opera, and two movies.
Erected 2017 by City of Shelbyville.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1901.
Location. 39° 31.456′ N, 85° 46.621′ W. Marker is in Shelbyville, Indiana, in Shelby County. It is at the intersection of Public Square (Indiana Route 9) and South Harrison Street ( Route 9), in the median on Public Square.
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Regionally, this marker is in Central Indiana. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Julius Joseph Fountain (a few steps from this marker); Site of Home of Thomas Andrews Hendricks (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Historic Shelbyville High School (about 700 feet away); Civil War Memorial - Shelby County Indiana (approx. 0.2 miles away); Indiana's First Railroad (approx. half a mile away); Thomas A. Hendricks 1819- 1885 (approx. 0.9 miles away); Wilbur Shaw (approx. one mile away); Second Mount Pleasant Baptist Church (approx. 9.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 20, 2023
2. The Bears of Blue River statue and marker looking south towards S. Harrison St.
Other markers no longer nearby. Whetzel Trace (was approx. 4.8 miles away but has been confirmed missing); De Witt Pioneer Home (was approx. 7 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 20, 2023
3. The Bears of Blue River statue
Credits. This page was last revised on July 6, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 3, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 797 times since then and 216 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 3, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
