panthers rising

Just up the road from the historic canal town of Metamora, nestled in the hills of southeastern Indiana, sits the little town of Laurel.  Platted in 1836 and named after a city in Maryland, the hillside community has always been small - less than 1/2 square mile of land and a population of 500. With the loss of their school to consolidation (students attend Franklin County High in Brookville) came a loss of businesses, residents and eventually the old high school building. Although never a basketball power (they had winning seasons, but no Sectional titles) there has always been pride in the game, so faced with the decay of their gym the community stepped up.  Today when visitors stop by the new library building (where the old school sat) they can walk next door and see a remarkable little monument to Hoosier Hysteria brought back to life.  Indiana take notice, the Panthers have risen, back from the edge of what had been to an example of what should be.  CGS.