Millgrove, Indiana | |
---|---|
![]() Historic Methodist Church in Millgrove, Indiana | |
![]() Blackford County's location in Indiana | |
Coordinates: 40°24′18″N85°16′40″W / 40.40500°N 85.27778°W [1] | |
Country | United States |
State | Indiana |
County | Blackford |
Township | Jackson |
Established | 1867 |
Elevation | 932 ft (284 m) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
ZIP code | 47348 |
Area code | 765 |
FIPS code | 18-49626 [2] |
GNIS feature ID | 2830320 [1] |
Millgrove is an unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Blackford County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. [1] Nearly all of the community's businesses have been closed for many years. Although the Blackford County Historical Society lists this community as a ghost town, homes are still maintained in the area.
Like several other communities in the county, Millgrove originally thrived as a stop on a railroad line. Millgrove also participated in the Indiana Gas Boom, and the Millgrove Natural Gas Company was one of Blackford County's many gas companies that existed during the 1890s. [3] The Gas Boom gradually ended during the beginning of the 20th century, and many small communities never recovered. During the next few decades, the quality of automobiles and roads improved—indirectly contributing to the decline of many small communities as consumers drove to larger cities, and railroads declined in importance. [4]
Millgrove was laid out in 1867 when Blackford County’s first railroad came through the southern portion of the county. The community’s post office opened February 25, 1868, and continued until March 31, 1955. [5] An 1882 gazetteer, which listed the community as "Mill Grove", called the town "a place of 50 inhabitants". [6] The gazetteer also listed a physician, justice, and railroad agent. During the 1880s, Millgrove had three general stores, a blacksmith shop, a sawmill, and a tile factory. [5] During the next decade, a glass factory was built.
Millgrove’s glass factory was one of 15 glass factories that have existed in Blackford County, and most of these factories existed during the Indiana Gas Boom. [7] (There were numerous glass and gas companies in the county at that time.) Eleven more glass factories have existed in nearby Dunkirk, Indiana. The Millgrove Glass Company was incorporated in 1898, and made glass containers. [4] Originally, the company took advantage of the abundant supply of natural gas for a source of fuel. By 1905, the supply of natural gas in the region was diminishing, and the Millgrove Glass Company used gas made from coal in addition to natural gas. The factory closed in 1911, and this was thought to be “a severe blow to Millgrove”. [8] A Blackford County directory from that time lists over 150 people living in Millgrove. [9]
The railroad line that ran through Millgrove was named Union and Logansport Railroad Company by the time it entered Blackford County, and it was the county’s first railroad. [10] This line was proposed in 1862, and completed to Hartford City in 1867—running through the Blackford County communities of Dunkirk, Converse, Millgrove, Hartford City, and Renner [11] The railroad was eventually named Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad. [12] Other names for the railroad since that time include the Panhandle division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central Transportation Company, Conrail, and Norfolk Southern Railway. [11] The line is now abandoned between the Blackford County communities of Converse and Hartford City, including the track that ran by Millgrove.
Located in the Jackson Township portion of Blackford County, Millgrove is situated on a former railroad line. The community is located 60 miles (97 km) south of Fort Wayne and 80 miles (130 km) northeast of Indianapolis. [13]
Millgrove is part of East Central Indiana and Northern Indiana. Future Northern Indiana, including what became Jackson Township and Millgrove, was flattened by two glaciers millions of years ago. [14] These glaciers are also responsible for the rich Blackford County farmland, which includes the land surrounding Millgrove. [15]
Millgrove has a typical Midwestern humid continental seasonal climate. There are four distinct seasons, with winters being cold with moderate snowfall, while summers can be warm and humid. The highest average temperature is in July at 84 °F (29 °C), while the lowest average temperature is in January at 15 °F (−9 °C). However, summer temperatures can top 90 °F (32 °C), and winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F (−17 °C). Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm), with the heaviest occurring during May, June, and July. The highest recorded temperature was 110.0 °F (43.3 °C) on July 14, 1936, and the lowest recorded temperature was −25.0 °F (−31.7 °C) on January 21, 1985.
Climate data for Millgrove, Indiana | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 32 (0) | 37 (3) | 48 (9) | 60 (16) | 71 (22) | 80 (27) | 84 (29) | 82 (28) | 76 (24) | 64 (18) | 50 (10) | 38 (3) | 60 (16) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 15 (−9) | 18 (−8) | 28 (−2) | 38 (3) | 49 (9) | 58 (14) | 62 (17) | 59 (15) | 50 (10) | 39 (4) | 31 (−1) | 21 (−6) | 39 (4) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.89 (48) | 1.84 (47) | 2.69 (68) | 3.50 (89) | 4.06 (103) | 4.42 (112) | 4.40 (112) | 3.65 (93) | 3.02 (77) | 2.62 (67) | 3.23 (82) | 2.58 (66) | 37.9 (964) |
Source: The Weather Channel [16] |
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. Created in 1838, Blackford County is divided into four townships, and its county seat is Hartford City. 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. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 12,112. Based on population, the county is the 8th smallest county of the 92 in Indiana. 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. 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.
Dunkirk is a city in Blackford and Jay counties in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 2,164 at the 2020 census.
Hartford City is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the northeast central portion of the state, the small farming community underwent a dramatic 15-year economic boom beginning in the late 1880s. The Indiana Gas Boom resulted from the discovery and exploitation of natural gas in the area. The rural economy was transformed to one that included manufacturing. The boom attracted workers and residents, retail establishments, and craftspeople. The increased population was a catalyst for the construction of roads, schools, and churches. After the boom came a long period of growth and stability. Agriculture remained as the basis for the economy.
Montpelier is a city in Harrison Township, Blackford County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. This small rural community, the county's first to be platted, was established by settlers from Vermont, and is named after Vermont's capital city of Montpelier.
East Central Indiana is a region in Indiana east of Indianapolis, Indiana, and borders the Ohio state line. The Indiana Gas Boom, which took place during the 1890s, changed much of the area from small agricultural communities to larger cities with economies that included manufacturing. Companies such as Ball Corporation and Overhead Door once had their headquarters in the region. Glass manufacturing was the first industry to be widespread in the area, because of the natural gas. As the glass industry faded, many of the skilled workers became employed at auto parts factories in cities such as Muncie and Anderson. With the decline of the American automobile industry, East Central Indiana became part of the Rust Belt. Many communities have been forced to reinvent themselves with a focus on services or a return to agriculture.
Jackson Township is one of four townships in Blackford County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 1,354 and it contained 596 housing units. The township was named after Andrew Jackson, the Brevet Major General of the Battle of New Orleans and the seventh President of the United States.
Converse is an unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Blackford County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. Although not much of the community remains, the U.S. Geological Survey considers it a populated place. The community existed as a "flag" station along a railroad, and is named after railroad executive Joel N. Converse. Like many communities in Blackford County, this village declined after the end of the Indiana Gas Boom, which ended in the early 20th century.
Renner is an extinct American village in Indiana's Blackford County. Although Renner has been listed as a “populated place” by the U.S. Geological Survey, this description is misleading. Renner was a railroad stop on the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad. The land around the railroad stop was originally used to supply timber for railroad crossties, and eventually became a livestock farm. Housing for the families of the employees of the livestock farm was also located nearby. Although it is not known for certain, Renner is thought to have been named for railroad executive John W. Renner. Renner was an executive of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad, and later the Pennsylvania Railroad, and retired with over 50 years of railroad experience. Another community, Rennerdale, Pennsylvania, was named in his honor in 1895.
Roll is an unincorporated community in Washington Township, Blackford County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. Nearly all of the community's businesses have been closed for years. Although the Blackford County Historical Society lists Roll as a ghost town, homes are still maintained in the area, and it is still listed as a populated place by the U.S. Geological Survey. The rural community is located on Indiana State Road 18, about one mile west of its intersection with Indiana State Road 3.
Trenton is an unincorporated town in Jackson Township, Blackford County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. Nearly all of the community's businesses have been closed for many years. Although the Blackford County Historical Society lists this community as a ghost town, homes are still maintained in the area.
The Sneath Glass Company was an American manufacturer of glass and glassware. After a brief 1890s startup in Tiffin, Ohio, the company moved to Hartford City, Indiana, to take advantage of the Indiana Gas Boom. The small city was enjoying the benefits of the boom, and could provide natural gas as an energy source for manufacturers. Sneath Glass was one of many glass manufacturers that moved to the region, and became Hartford City's second largest employer.
Hartford City, Indiana, began in the late 1830s as a few log cabins clustered near a creek. The community became the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the north east-central portion of the state, the small farming community experienced a 15-year "boom" beginning in the late 1880s caused by the discovery of natural gas. The Indiana Gas Boom caused the community to transition from an agricultural economy to one that also included manufacturing. During the 1890s, Hartford City was the home of the nation's largest window glass company and the nation's largest producer of lantern globes.
The First Presbyterian Church of Hartford City is a Presbyterian church in Hartford City, Indiana, United States. The edifice is the oldest church building in a small city that at one time was a bustling community with as many as ten glass factories – and over 20 saloons. Located at the corner of High and Franklin Streets, the church is part of the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District is located in Hartford City, Indiana. Hartford City has a population of about 7,000 and is the county seat of Blackford County and the site of the county courthouse. The National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior added the Hartford City Courthouse Square Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places on June 21, 2006 — meaning the buildings and objects that contribute to the continuity of the district are worthy of preservation because of their historical and architectural significance. The District has over 60 resources, including over 40 contributing buildings, over 10 non-contributing buildings, 1 contributing object, 8 non-contributing objects, and two other buildings that are listed separately in the National Register.
Mollie is an extinct American village in Blackford County, Indiana, that flourished during the Indiana Gas Boom from the 1880s until the 1920s. The region around Mollie experienced an economic "boom" period because of the discovery of gas and crude oil. Mollie was a stop along the Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, and Louisville Railroad—and happened to be near the region's oil fields, a convenient location for the area's oil workers.
This is a timeline and interactive map of Blackford County, Indiana. The timeline (below) lists important events in Blackford County history. An adjacent (right) interactive map contains links to various locations around the county.
Hartford City Glass Company was among the top three window glass manufacturers in the United States between 1890 and 1899, and continued to be one of the nation's largest after its acquisition. It was also the country's largest manufacturer of chipped glass, with capacity double that of its nearest competitor. The company's works was the first of eight glass plants that existed in Hartford City, Indiana during the Indiana Gas Boom. It became the city's largest manufacturer and employer, peaking with 600 employees.
Indiana Glass Company was an American company that manufactured pressed, blown and hand-molded glassware and tableware for almost 100 years. Predecessors to the company began operations in Dunkirk, Indiana, in 1896 and 1904, when East Central Indiana experienced the Indiana gas boom. The company started in 1907, when a group of investors led by Frank W. Merry formed a company to buy the Dunkirk glass plant that belonged to the bankrupt National Glass Company. National Glass was a trust for glass tableware that originally owned 19 glass factories including the plant in Dunkirk. National Glass went bankrupt in 1907, and its assets were sold in late 1908.