The Mission Of The Greater Martinsville Chamber Of Commerce :

The Greater Martinsville Chamber of Commerce represents and serves the business community, promoting economic and community development through member leadership.

The chamber partners with other community leaders to foster favorable business, government, and community environments to enhance quality of life.

History :

Morgan County founded in 1821 was named for General Daniel Morgan, a Revolutionary War hero. Martinsville, the county seat was founded in 1822. The Wabash and Erie Canal segment was started in 1837, but only a small segment of the canal was ever built. It was abandoned as railroads became the prevalent form of transporting goods.

A limited number of rail lines have served the county but they have provided significant change. Surrounding towns grew dramatically with the railroads. Martinsville was most greatly impacted by the rail connections as new industries prospered.

The sanitariums and spas of Martinsville became a destination with rail travel bringing thousands of people to these local attractions. For more than 80 years, Martinsville was one of the biggest health resorts in the US. The mineral rich artesian wells led to Martinsville’s identity as “City of Mineral Water”. The last of the sanitariums was closed in 1957.

Significant economic development has occurred in the northern part of the county and is expected to continue with the construction of the new Midfield Terminal at Indianapolis International Airport. It is also expected that the development will migrate south toward Martinsville over time. The expectation of the I69 interstate highway through Martinsville will also bring a surge of economic development to our community in the coming years.