Freedom, Indiana

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Freedom is an unincorporated community in western Franklin Township, Owen County, Indiana, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 231 southwest of the city of Spencer, the county seat of Owen County. Its elevation is 538 feet (164 m), and it is located at 39°12′25″N 86°52′9″W / 39.20694°N 86.86917°W / 39.20694; -86.86917 (39.2069886, -86.8691740). Although Freedom is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 47431. Freedom is the birthplace of one of the original Tarzan actors. Tarzan and the Golden Lion starred James Hubert “Babe” Pierce, a native of Freedom, Indiana and an all-American football star at Indiana University. Though his role in this now lost film would be prove to be his largest on-screen, the 6-foot-4 Pierce went on to play a permanent role in the Tarzan story off-camera. Tarzan creator E.R. Burroughs, who had himself cast Pierce in the film, thought well enough of his ideal ape-man to introduce him to his daughter, whom Pierce subsequently wed. James and Joan Burroughs Pierce went on to play Tarzan and Jane in 364 radio programs in the early ‘30s and were married for 40 years. They are buried next to one another in Shelbyville, Indiana in graves reading “Tarzan” and “Jane. ”