History of Batesville - Shawnee Indians were the first known inhabitants of the area that is now Batesville.  The Shawnee lived in a vast, dense forest of tall trees and heavy underbrush.  Originally claimed by the British, then the French, and regained by the British, the area (part of the Northwest Territory) became a territory of the United States as a result of the military expedition of George Rogers Clark.  Only after a treaty with the Indians did white settlers begin the move into the area.  Teunis Amack was the first settler in the town.  In 1835, he bought 120 acres from the government and built a log house on land located near the east end of what is now George Street.  In 1852, Amack sold his entire acreage to the Callahan Trust Company which laid out 45 lots comprising of the original town.
Joshua Bates, one of the members of the Callahan Trust Company, was the engineer and surveyor from whom Batesville got its name.  The hardwood forests became the area's wealth.  It was a natural reason for German immigrants, many of whom were woodworkers and cabinetmakers, to settle in this area that provided them with the best of walnut and oak woods.  The City of Batesville was founded on this natural resource.  In 1853, the railroad was built across Ripley County and opened for traffic from Lawrenceburg to Indianapolis.  During the latter half of the 19th Century, various additions were joined with the original town.  Several sawmills were kept busy supplying the hardwood needs of the area.  At one time the city had 14 small plants producing furniture, caskets, and small hand-carved pieces.  As the trees were used, the land was cleared and farming became an important occupation of the area and remains so today.