Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
MILLTOWN – A successful crowdfunding campaign will bring lights to the Milltown bridge later this year.
A 60-day campaign raised $10,042 that will be matched with $10,000 from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s CreatINg Places program.
For a town of about 850 people, raising $10,000 in 60 days is a big deal.
“We’re just over the moon excited,” said Erin Henry, member of the Milltown Economic Development Committee that took on the project of raising funds to install lights for the bridge.
The committee partnered with Patronicity to collect donations. It was the town’s first time to try a crowdfunding campaign to fund a town project.
“It was easy, it was simple,” Henry said. “For us to raise $10,000 in 60 days is overwhelming to me. People are so willing to give to something they believe in and want to see happen.”
Henry said the committee has one estimate to light the bridge and plans to get a few more. The bridge will have permanent LED color-changing lights that can be changed to coincide with holidays. The goal is to have the lights attached this spring.
The idea to light up the bridge that spans the Blue River has been talked about for a few years, and had strong community support, Henry said, but the estimated cost of $20,000 put the project out of reach.
The opportunity for a match from the state propelled volunteers to put a plan in action. A fundraiser dinner on the bridge in September was attended by about 100 people and raised $7,700. Online donations via Patronicity pushed the project over the top.
“We could not have done this if not for the matching grant from the state. We are so thankful we had the opportunity to do this. I’m not sure we could have raised the money without it,” she said.
Milltown, which straddles Crawford and Harrison counties, draws thousands of visitors each summer who canoe and kayak the Blue River facilitated by outfitter Cave Country Canoes and visit nearby Marengo Cave. The town has added public art in the form of murals and painted canoes to add interest to the town. A summer festival drew a record crowd in 2023.
“Making Milltown grow is something a lot of people would love to see,” she said. “We don’t have a restaurant or gas station but we feel these little things we’re doing are sparking interest in Milltown.”
