Bonnie Maxwell is the 2018 recipient of the Delphi Wall of Distinction Award. Bonnie was born and raised in Madison township. She attended Delphi Community High School and by the encouragement of her well-respected teachers, she continued her schooling at Indiana University. Bonnie left for Indiana University in 1962 and eventually graduated with a Master’s degree in Library Science.

Ms. Maxwell was away from Delphi for 43 years until she decided to return. “When I came back, I became interested in all of the assets of Delphi that were undiscovered or hidden in the county.” Since Bonnie has returned to Delphi, she has been involved with many community service groups and has headed many projects. Alongside many other volunteers, Ms. Maxwell helped raise $250,000 to save and restore Adam’s Mill. Ms. Maxwell explained, “You have to put in a lot of effort and hope it bears fruit.” She also was the speaker for the Indiana Bicentennial celebration and headed a project in that effort.

As for what stimulated her interest in restoring historical artifacts, Ms. Maxwell explained that when she was young, her grandmother was the one who inspired her. Her grandmother had letters from her relatives who fought in the Civil War and they were well-preserved. Bonnie said she would read those letters over and over again. Bonnie also said her grandmother would take her to cemeteries and while looking at the gravestones, her grandmother would talk about every person she had known.

Ms. Maxwell encourages all students to take advantage of the beautiful historical sites in quaint Delphi, Indiana. “Preserve, restore, reuse, and publicize,” she said. Bonnie also implores that all students adopt a love for volunteerism. She said she was very impressed with the aptness of young people to help, specifically mentioning the FFA and football players. “We need people of all ages. On some of the projects we have done, such as working on the east part of the freedom bridge, the Delphi football team, FFA, and scouts have provided invaluable service.”

Ms. Maxwell has spearheaded projects and teams such as the Adams Mill, Inc., Old Settlers Association, and Carroll County Historical Society, trail cutting, Monon High Bridge restoration, and others. Her passion has fueled her volunteerism for the past 21 years in our community and there is no sign of it waning. Carroll County is certainly the better for it.