- The carvable, tight grain and durability of limestone from Indiana's "stone belt", drew the attention of architects and builders early in American history, making Lawrence County the limestone capital of the world. The "Blue Hole Quarry," located near Mitchell was the first in the state, opened by Dr. Winthrop Foote, "father of the Limestone industry" in 1830. The stone has been used in the construction of several iconic American buildings, including the Empire State Building, the National Archives, The Pentagon, 25 statehouses and the grand Biltmore Hotel in Ashville, North Carolina.
- Three astronauts hail from Lawrence County. Kenneth Dwayne Bowersox, who piloted the Space Shuttle five times and had an extended stay on the International Space Station, was born in Virgnia, but raised in Bedford. Three-time Space Shuttle payload specialist Charles "Charlie" Walker was born and raised in Oolitic. Perhaps the county's most famous native son, Virgil "Gus" Grissom, who was one of the original NASA Project Mercury astronauts and the second American to fly in space, was born and raised in Mitchell. He died in the Apollo I accident.
- In 1893, Bedford physician Dr. John Gardner offered his entire 782-acre farm to Clara Barton as a headquarters and volunteer retreat for her organization - The American Red Cross. Garder's third wife, Enola, had previously been Barton's secretary and close friend. The farm soon fell into economic turmoil (recounted well in this Indiana Landmarks article) but Barton, a legendary historical figure, continued to visite them in the family cabin regularly until she died. Now dubbed "The Clara Barton Cabin," the structure was dismantled and preserved and is currently in the process of being rebuilt and restored in Spring State Park.
- The original Lawrence County seat of justice was established in the early 1800s in Palestine, which sits on the banks of the White River. Founders hoped that selecting a waterfront location - essential to commerce and industry at the time - would make Palestine a viable candidate for state capital. Instead, an outbreak of Malaria reduced Palestine's population so dramatically that residents petitioned the legislature to move it away from the bluffs and into Bedford.
- The state legislature assigned the county its name of "Lawrence," in honor of naval officer Captain James Lawrence who coined the phrase "Don't Give Up the Ship." It is merely coincidence that Lawrence County would later become home to Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division - the third largest Naval base in the world.
- Early 20th century comic strip character Joe Palooka was a gentle, heavyweight boxer known to stand up to bullies and defend the little guy. One of the most popular newspaper comics in history, the Indiana limestone industry had a statue carved of him as a gift to the people of Bedford in 1948. Palooka's creator, "Ham" Fisher," came to the dedication, which had approximately 4,500 people in attendence. The nine-foot statue was rededicated in Oolitic in 1984, where Palooka now stands, poised to defend the town hall.
