AVON, Ind. (AP) — Indiana’s newest state historical marker will honor a Civil War veteran who pioneered the planting of soybeans in the state.
The Indiana Historical Bureau will dedicate a marker June 10 in Avon, just west of Indianapolis, celebrating Adrian A. Parsons’ contributions to Indiana’s agricultural and economic history.
Parsons began planting soybeans in the 1890s, decades before the crop native to Asia became known to most American farmers. He became an early advocate of soybeans, which are now one of Indiana’s top crops.
The American Soybean Association recognized Parsons in 1928 as “the pioneer of all soybean growers in Indiana.”
When Parsons died in 1929, Indiana farmers planted 326,000 acres of soybeans. A decade later, they planted more than 1.3 million acres, ranking Indiana second in the nation in soybean production.
