In 1848, Melvin
Arthur Halsted and his wife, Martha, moved to the prairie land which would
later become Lowell, Indiana. Upon return from his gold field
travels to California, Halsted aided in the construction of Lowell's first
brick house, school/church, and sawmill. The
establishment of other mills soon followed, resulting in an important
industry for Lowell's early settlers.
On October 4, 1898, Lowell suffered a great fire in the center of
town. Twenty building were destroyed, yet much of the town survived
due to a fortunate rainfall.