By 1813, in an area originally inhabited by Native Americans, including
a significant Delaware Indian village located on White River's western
banks, the future Greenwood was made safe for settlement by the Kentucky
and Indiana militias. In 1818, with the New Purchase treaties and
establishment of Whetzel Trace, the earliest east-west transportation
route through central Indiana, the dense, overgrown forest became
readied for settlement. Arising from humble beginnings as Smocktown, the
community was officially named Greenfield in 1825, followed by renaming
to Greenwood in 1833. The territory has seen tremendous growth through
the decades since John B. and Isaac Smock arrived, transforming the land
from a pioneer village into a contemporary hub of business and industry.
Accused of being a bedroom community of Indianapolis, Greenwood strives
to maintain its relevance as a unique and historically proud community.