Where Cool Went to School

I could go on and on about Fairmount, Indiana. It is one of the “coolest” places I have ever been. And man, have I been there over…and over…and over again. Just ask my mom. I drag her along every year to the James Dean Festival there.

This town is the quintessential small town. No large commercial supermarkets, maybe two gas stations, and a few churches. That’s it for big business within the limits of Fairmount. So what draws hundreds of thousands of people here each year? The Rebel Without a Cause, that’s who!

James Dean grew up on his aunt and uncle’s farm there, he graduated from high school there, he returned there for family visits after his stardom had begun, his funeral was held there, and he is buried there. All of those facts put Fairmount on the map and makes it a booming town once a year. Ever since I was a senior in high school I have gone to the James Dean Festival almost every year. Though not a single thing changes, I go to connect with the idol I admire so much. I walk the same roads he walked, I pose by the same landmarks he was photographed by on his last trip to Fairmount, I drive by his boyhood home and see that a lot of the landscape looks the same as when Jimmy lived there, and I topple over the guard fences to get close to his school. I guess the Rebel brings out the rebel in me.

There may be nothing special about a town honoring someone famous who hails from there, but Fairmount is unique. I have never experienced a more intimate, connected place than Fairmount. Since Jimmy went to school there, grew up there, played there, actually lived there, the town of Fairmount has an unprecedented array of his personal artifacts. They display many pieces from his school days like drawings, homework, and art projects. They have artifacts from his time in Hollywood including wardrobe, awards, contracts, and correspondence. They have his motorcycle on display and the building where he worked on it is still in town. The church that held his funeral service is still standing and he buried down the road from his boyhood home. Almost every aspect of a life lived is represented here and I find it to be unequaled. Nowhere else can you get so close and feel as if James Dean is so attainable.

This small town’s local history is our history – and they sure do make it feel like it can be captured by all of us.