The Jubilee festival has been celebrated in Saluda Township of southern Jefferson County for 133 years, and recent evidence may point even further back to a pre-Civil War origin. The Chelsea Jubilee began as a celebration of farmers, agriculture, and the harvest, with a decidedly religious flavor. Moving many times over the years, the Jubilee relocated in 1973 to its permanent home on a six-acre grove in Chelsea Corner, Saluda Township, and built some permanent buildings on the Jubilee site. At the same time, the Jubilee's focus switched to entertainment, crafts, food, and children's games. Today, Saluda Township has only 474 housing units, and with the passage of time, many of the community civic organizations have disappeared, as have the post office, schools, churches, grocery stores, filling stations, restaurants, and most other businesses. Yet the Jubilee still affords the people of southern Jefferson County, Indiana, an opportunity to return to their roots, cultivate former acquaintances, and renew friendships.

Source: Library of Congress