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Official Website
Delaware County was authorized in Jan. 1820 on New Purchase lands south of the Wabash River gained with the 1818 Treaty of St. Mary's. It encompassed the drainage basin of the White River, along which the Delaware, a Native American people had settled, and from which the County takes its name. The Delaware people were moved to lands west of the Mississippi River in the 1840s. The county was once home to Tenskwatawa ("The Prophet"), a brother of Tecumseh who instigated a major Indian uprising in 1811 culminating in the Battle of Tippecanoe. David Conner, a trader, was the first white settler, arriving in the early 1810s. After formation, numerous counties were carved from the original, and a remnant retaining the original name was organized in 1827.
Following the American Civil War the county experienced an economic boom caused by the discovery of natural gas, which spurred rapid industrial growth in the surrounding area.
The first discovery of natural gas in Indiana occurred in 1876 near Eaton. A company was drilling in search of coal, and when they had reaching a depth of six-hundred feet, there was a loud noise and foul-smelling fumes came from the well. After a brief investigation, it was decided they had breached the ceiling of Hell, and the hole was quickly filled in. In 1884, when natural gas was discovered in nearby Ohio, people recalled the incident. They returned to the spot and opened Indiana's first natural gas well. The gas was so abundant and strong that when the well was lit, the flames could be seen from Muncie.
Adjacent Counties
Cities & Towns
- Albany
- Chesterfield
- Daleville
- Eaton
- Gaston
- Muncie (County Seat)
- Selma
- Yorktown
Other Townships & Communities: Anthony, Bethel, Cammack, Center, Cowan, Cross Roads, DeSoto, Delaware, Gates Corner, Granville, Hamilton, Harrison, Janney, Liberty, Medford, Middletown Park, Monroe, Mt. Pleasant, New Burlington, Niles, Oakville, Perry, Progress, Reed Station, Royerton, Salem, Smithfield, Stockport, Union, Washington, West Muncie and Wheeling
Cemeteries
Links
National Register of Historic Places
