East Germantown, or Pershing, is a small community along U.S. 40, between Centerville and Cambridge City in Jackson Township, Wayne County, Indiana.  

Students in this area attend Western Wayne Schools.

Wonder why this community has two names?
According to Max Knight¹:

"The battle over the name of Pershing or East Germantown started during World War I.  The name German was not liked so well due to the conflict with the German nation and since General Pershing was the U.S. military leader, people started using that name.  

But this caused some conflict in the minds of many when a resolution to adopt the name of Pershing was introduced by the town board.

A faction of people campaigned the day before the vote to decided the name issue in order to leave it as East Germantown.  They reportedly told people since their deeds called for the name East Germantown, changing it to Pershing would invalidate their ownership.

Since people of the town had no way of checking against this before the election, Lamott² said the vote went for East Germantown.

But the postmaster at the time, Frank Sipe, was interested in using the name Pershing and succeeded in getting the postal department to get the name changed, said Lamott.  However, the railroad continued with the name East Germantown since there is another Pershing in Fulton county."

¹ Palladium-Item, July 19, 1959, page 9, by Max Knight

² Ernest Lamott, secretary-treasurer of the town board and also with the Indiana State Highway Department in 1959.

View a map of East Germantown, IN.

Saundra Tusing - Clerk/Treasurer

Town Council Members
Brian Fisher
Priscilla Gethers
Pilip McQueen
David Shank
Steve Mills
 

Pershing Post Office
 Zip Code 47370

Historical Marker along National Road 40 in East Germantown.

Looking west on National Road 40