History
A post office was established at Octagon in 1866, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1900. [4] Mail was subsequently routed through Lafayette. [5]
Octagon was the site of a Masonic Lodge established in 1874, as well as several churches and schools over the years. The site apparently took its name from an octagon-shaped schoolhouse on the site at one time. [6]
Octagon's population was 488 in 1900. [7]
The original Octagon Schoolhouse, also known as Number 2, was named for the shape of the building, which was sometimes described as round. It was razed around 1872. [8] The second Octagon School was an eight-sided building constructed in 1914, at a cost of $2,900. The Indiana State Superintendent called the eight-sided, one-room open design an "ideal plan" for a school. [9] The stucco building was heated with coal, and there were no indoor restrooms. [10]
Octagon's population was listed as 5 in 1940. [3]
By 1975, Octagon had only "a few houses" and the Masonic temple, and was described as a "ghost town". [11] The Masonic lodge had 107 members in 1954, [6] and was still active at least as recently as 2002. [12]
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