Blackford County, Indiana

Blackford County
County
Blackford County Courthouse in Hartford City
Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
Indiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 40°28′N 85°19′W / 40.47°N 85.32°W / 40.47; -85.32
Country	United States
State	Indiana
Founded	April 2, 1838
Named for	Isaac Blackford
Seat	Hartford City
Largest city	Hartford City
Area
• Total	165.58 sq mi (428.9 km2)
• Land	165.08 sq mi (427.6 km2)
• Water	0.50 sq mi (1.3 km2)  0.30%
Population  (2020)
• Total	12,112
• Density	77/sq mi (29.86/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	3rd, 5th
Website	www.blackfordcounty.com
Indiana county number 5 FIPS Code 009

Blackford County is located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana. The county is named for Judge Isaac Blackford, who was the first speaker of the Indiana General Assembly and a long-time chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court.^[1][2] Created in 1838, Blackford County is divided into four townships, and its county seat is Hartford City.^[3][4] Two incorporated cities and one incorporated town are located within the county. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns. Occupying only 165.58 square miles (428.9 km²), Blackford County is the fourth smallest county in Indiana.^[5] As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 12,112.^[6][7] Based on population, the county is the 8th smallest county of the 92 in Indiana.^[3] Although no interstate highways are located in Blackford County, three Indiana state roads cross the county, and an additional state road is located along the county's southeast border.^[8] The county has two railroad lines. A north–south route crosses the county, and intersects with a second railroad line that connects Hartford City with communities to the west.^[9]

Before the arrival of European-American settlers during the 1830s, the northeastern portion of the future Blackford County was briefly the site of an Indian reservation for Chief Francois Godfroy of the Miami tribe.^[10] The first European-American pioneers were typically farmers who settled on arable land near rivers. Originally, the county was mostly swampland, but more land became available for farming as the marshes were cleared and drained.^[11] Over the next 30 years, small communities developed throughout the county. When the county's rail lines were constructed in the 1860s and 1870s, additional communities evolved around railroad stops.^[12]

Beginning in the late 1880s, the discovery of natural gas and crude oil in the county (and surrounding region) caused the area to undergo an economic boom period known as the Indiana Gas Boom.^[13] Manufacturers relocated to the area to take advantage of the low-cost energy and railroad facilities. The boom period lasted about 15 years, and is reflected in Blackford County's population, which peaked in 1900 at 17,213.^[14] The construction associated with the additional prosperity of the boom period caused a significant upgrade in the county's appearance, as wooden buildings were replaced with masonry structures. Much of the infrastructure built during that time remains today—including Montpelier's historic Carnegie Library and many of Hartford City's buildings in the Courthouse Square Historic District.^[15][16]

Agriculture continues to be important to the county, and became even more important after the loss of several large manufacturers during the 20th century.^{[Note 1]} As of 2010, 72 percent of Blackford County is covered by either corn or soybean fields; additional crops, such as wheat and hay, are also grown.^{[Note 2]}

Cite error: There are <ref group=Note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=Note}} template (see the help page).