Borden Map
Borden is a town in Wood Township, Clark County, Indiana, United States. The population was 808 at the 2010 census. The town's official name was New Providence until December 29, 1994.
The town was founded in 1816 by John Borden and was originally called New Providence, after the capital of Rhode Island. In 1884, the Borden Institute was founded by William W. Borden, son of John Borden, as a college for teacher preparation and laboratory-based scientific studies. The town honored William W. Borden by unofficially renaming the town Borden. Around 1910 the Borden Institute became used as William W. Borden High School, or simply Borden High School, and served this purpose until 1955. The town became officially known as Borden in 1994.
Borden is served by the CSX (formally Monon) rail system. Borden was once one of the main loading points for carloads of strawberries shipped by The Borden-Pekin Berry Growers Association north along the Monon Rail. The large volume of strawberries supplied by the area farmers influenced the naming of the athletic teams at Borden High School. The teams were lovingly nicknamed the Borden Berries in 1934 and the name was used until 1966 when it was changed by the student body to the Borden Braves. Many in the town today still prefer the Berries nickname for its quaintness and uniqueness. Strawberries continue to be farmed in the Borden area, especially in nearby Starlight, Indiana where the Starlight Strawberry Festival is held each Memorial Day weekend.
Nearby cities include Henryville, Sellersburg, Georgetown, Salem, New Salisbury.