Blanford, Indiana

Blanford, Indiana
Census-designated place
Location of Blanford in Vermillion County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 39°39′54″N87°31′14″W / 39.66500°N 87.52056°W / 39.66500; -87.52056
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Vermillion
Township	Clinton
Area [1]
• Total	0.73 sq mi (1.90 km2)
• Land	0.73 sq mi (1.90 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	571 ft (174 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	280
• Density	381.47/sq mi (147.26/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	47842
Area code	765
GNIS feature ID	431177

Blanford is a census-designated place in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. ^[3]

History

Blanford was laid out in 1912. ^[4] The community was named for L. S. Blanford, who owned the land where the village is located. ^[5] A post office has been in operation at Blanford since 1915. ^[6]

In January 1923, there was an expulsion of the small African American community of the old mining town after an ultimatum was issued at a meeting of over 400 white residents for all African Americans to leave town or turn over the African American that had allegedly assaulted an 11-year-old girl. ^[7] There was a shootout at a dance hall shortly afterwards where the Sheriff of Vermillion County, Harry Newland, was investigating shots fired at the last two African Americans remaining in town. Newland and his deputies shot and killed three white miners who opened fire on them. ^[8] Six white men were charged with inciting a riot after the shootout. ^[9]

Geography

Blanford is located at 39°39′54″N87°31′14″W / 39.66500°N 87.52056°W / 39.66500; -87.52056 (39.665060, -87.520580).

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	280		—
U.S. Decennial Census [10]

Education

It is in the South Vermillion Community School Corporation. ^[11] That school district operates South Vermillion High School.

See also

• Margaret Gisolo

References

1. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
2. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
3. "Blanford, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved October 17, 2009.
4. Baker, Ronald L. (October 1995). From Needmore to Prosperity: Hoosier Place Names in Folklore and History . Indiana University Press. p.  68. ISBN   978-0-253-32866-3. This village was platted on October 26, 1912...
5. Vermillion County Historical Society (Vermillion County, Ind.) (1990). Vermillion County, Indiana History and Families. Turner Publishing Company. p. 87. ISBN   978-0-938021-34-6.
6. "Vermillion County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
7. "ALL NEGROES DRIVEN FROM INDIANA TOWN" (PDF). The New York Times. January 21, 1923. p. 114.
8. Associated Press (January 29, 1923). "Three Killed in Blanford Race Trouble". Richmond Palladium. p. 1. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
9. "Decatur Daily Democrat 29 January 1923 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
10. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
11. Geography Division (December 18, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Vermillion County, IN (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau . Retrieved June 6, 2025. - Text list