By Julia Cooper
 Photos courtesy of Tatiana Bookbinder At the Fairmount Historical Museum, visitors can glean little-known lore about James Dean’s small-town roots. |
Following in the footsteps of a celebrity doesn’t require putting up with the stress and grime of Hollywood - not when you are hip to Fairmount, Ind., population 3,000.
The east-central Indiana town may appear to be just another farming community, but a look at past residents shows why the town’s motto is “Home of Distinguished People.” Actor and cultural icon James Dean sprung from Fairmount, along with Garfield creator Jim Davis, Emmy Award-winning CBS news correspondent Phil Jones and “The Snake Pit” author Mary Jane Ward. The fact that so many big personalities were born in a town where all of the action happens on Main Street is remarkable.
Though Dean only starred in three films before dying in a 1955 car accident at age 24, his charisma, talent and eternal youth have shaped him into a legend that draws fans to the Midwestern town to celebrate his life.
Count other celebrities among the fans who have made pilgrimages to Fairmount out of their idolization of Dean. Actor Martin Sheen, a friend of Dean’s, visited in 1979 to help plan a 25th annual Dean memorial service the next year. In 1988, British gloom-pop singer Morrissey filmed his music video “Suedehead” in Fairmount. Folk musician Bob Dylan and an entourage of 15 made a late-night visit to view Dean’s hometown in 1988 after performing a concert in Indianapolis.
Traces of Dean pop up everywhere in Fairmount: the Winslow farm, where he grew up; old Fairmount High School, from which he graduated; his final resting place in Park Cemetery; and the Fairmount Historical Museum that houses his life’s artifacts.
The museum sits atop Fairmount’s must-see list for a couple of reasons. First, it houses arguably the greatest collection of Dean memorabilia in the world. Dean’s movie costumes, bongo drums, artwork, motorcycle, matador cape, trophies and grade-school homework are just some of the personal items included in the collection. Second, the museum proprietors know Dean’s family personally and will share information about Dean that is exclusive to Fairmount natives. They are a welcoming bunch that will take the time to give a tour of the museum and make you feel like a celebrity yourself.
Besides its interesting history, perhaps the greatest aspect of Fairmount is its small-town peacefulness. The bucolic atmosphere provides a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, and the warm populace could only be found in America’s heartland. Fairmount is so small that there are no motels, but you can easily stay in a nearby town such as Gas City, Marion or Anderson. For a taste of the big city, Indianapolis lies 55 miles southeast of Fairmount.
Fairmount celebrates Dean at its annual Museum Days, Remember James Dean Festival, scheduled Sept. 21-24. The event draws 30,000-40,000 Dean fans from around the world to catch a parade, Dean look-alike contest, live music, free screenings of Dean’s movies and the James Dean Run, which showcases classic cars that the auto-loving Dean would have enjoyed.
The Fairmount Historical Museum is open from March through November. For more information about the museum or the Dean festival, call (765) 948-4555 or visit www.jamesdeanartifacts.com. For more information about the town of Fairmount, call (765) 948-4632 or visit www.fairmount-in.us.
