Jennings County was organized in 1816 and was named after Indiana’s first Governor, Jonathan Jennings. The earliest settlers were drawn to Jennings County for its fertile farmland and scenic beauty that were a result of the Muscatatuck River and its many tributaries. Present day Vernon, the county seat of Jennings County, was for many years was the only town in Indiana with a Mayor.

North Vernon developed into the County’s commercial center due to the junction of three railroads through the city. Another notable feature of Jennings County is the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center (MUTC). Consisting of 68 buildings on 800 acres, into the MUTC is currently used to train civilian first responders, Foreign Service Institute personnel, joint civilian/military response operations, and military urban warfare. The center offers users a globally unique, urban and rural, multi-domain operating environment that is recognized as the Department of Defense’s largest urban training facility serving those who work to defend the homeland.