Marigolds in Boxes

The founder of Chanceville, Indiana, Arnold Chance, had planted only marigolds in his window boxes since the town was incorporated in 1845. Legend has it he liked the no-nonsense colors of those flowers. The tradition continued long after Arnold died in 1908. His flower boxes got a fresh coat of plain tan paint on every year’s last day of March.

The citizens of Chanceville, Indiana, could set their calendars by this. So many people admired the cheeriness of the gold petals with their russet tips that they began planting marigolds in their flower boxes. And that’s how Chanceville became known as the “Home of Marigolds in Boxes.” Once in a while, a few people would get a wild hair and decide to branch out and plant begonias or petunias. Then they would tire of the stubborn marigold planters driving by and shouting, “What’s the matter, marigolds not good enough for ya?” That harassment would drive them right back to planting marigolds the following year.

For the most part, the citizens of Chanceville lived in peace until 1950 five years after World War II had ended in 1945. That is where our story begins. This does not mean all was as sunny as the brightly colored marigolds in boxes dotted all over town. As you will discover, even the smallest towns can have their dark underbellies. There are silly feuds, secret agendas, and even murders that may come to light as our story unfolds.