Olympic Torch Visits Jasper County - 1996

Olympic games are times of International celebration. In 1996, Jasper County Indiana got to share a little bit of that spirit as the torch relay passed through DeMotte, Rensselaer and Remington, on its way to the opening of the Atlanta games that July 19.

The torch passed through on Tuesday, June 4, involving community runners from the area and from elsewhere.

The Olympic symbol also spent time briefly in several cities that year along the way, from Los Angeles and San Fransisco, to Waukeegan, even Jersey City. From Colorado to Missouri, it was carried by Pony Express riders.

The torch for the 1996 games was designed uniquely for that year, with a core of Georgia hardwood and 22 metal reeds symbolizing the 22 times the games had been held. You can read more about the 1996 relay and the torch at the Washington Post's archived Relay at a Glance and about the torch relay in general from the Olympic Committee.

You can also jump onto the Olympic Time Machine at the official Olympic.org website, where you can watch videos of past and future Olympic Games.

Explore the links below for pages from the Rensselaer Republican covering the torch relay in Jasper County.