Peru in Miami County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Cole Porter’s Birthplace

— Great American Rail-Trail —

Photographed by Craig Doda, September 5, 2026

1. Great American Rail-Trail Marker

Inscription. Renowned composer and songwriter Cole Porter was born in Peru, Indiana, in 1891. He enjoyed a privileged childhood and was passionate about music, studying both the violin and piano and publishing his first composition at age 11. He went on to a legendary music career, writing hundreds of songs for Broadway, movies and television.

Porter’s first musical, See America First, was released on Broadway in 1916 to unimpressed audiences and critics. He moved to Paris, where he married socialite Linda Lee Thomas in 1919 and pursued a life of travel and songwriting. His 1928 song “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall In Love)” for the musical Paris was a hit, sparking a wave of success in the 1930s. Other hits include the 1934 song “Anything Goes” for his musical of the same name, the jazz hit “Begin the Beguine,” composed in 1935, and “In the Still of the Night,” featured in the 1937 MGM film Rosalie.

Remembering a Legacy
Despite a tragic horseback riding accident in 1937 that crushed his legs and forced him to endure more than 30 painful surgeries in the next two decades, Porter continued to write music. His career stalled in the 1940s,

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but he made a triumphant comeback in 1948 with the musical Kiss Me Kate, which earned him a 1949 Tony Award. His last major hit was the song “True Love,” featured in the 1956 MGM film High Society. He died in 1964.

Porter is interred with members of his family in Mount Hope Cemetery near the Nickel Plate Trail, a host trail of the 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail® connecting Washington, D.C., and Washington State.

Erected by Rails To Trails Conservancy; Nickel Plate Trail.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1891.

Location. 40° 44.695′ N, 86° 5.57′ W. Marker is in Peru, Indiana, in Miami County. It is at the intersection of West Main Street (U.S. 31) and Erie Street, on the right when traveling west on West Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 900 W Main St, Peru IN 46970, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Indiana.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western

Cole Porter’s Birthplace Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Doda, September 5, 2026

2. Cole Porter’s Birthplace Marker

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 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: "Circus City" (here, next to this marker); Wabash River Bridge (approx. 0.2 miles away); History of the Wabash River Corridor (approx. one mile away); Marie Stuart Edwards (approx. 1.1 miles away); Brownell Block / Senger Dry Goods Company Building (approx. 1.4 miles away); Miami County Korean - Viet Nam War Memorial (approx. 1.4 miles away); Miami County (Indiana) W. W. II War Memorial (approx. 1.4 miles away); World War I Monument (approx. 1.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Peru.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 15, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 13 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 15, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.